by a Mediate or Immediate Inspiration or Revelation p. 21. And what follows If by neither of these ways we can resolve him then not to pretend to Immediate Inspiration And yet he himself pretends to Mediate or more Common Gifts of the Spirit and then confusedly tells of the use of these more immediate or common Gifts p. 19 20. And yet by these his pretended more immediate or common Gifts of the Spirit or rather mediate Gifts in his sense I presume he cannot resolve himself his Two Questions before nor can he upon his own Principle either resolve them or be resolved them either by any mediate or immediate Gifts For the immediate he has disclaimed he needs it not he says but pretends the Scriptures to be the Only Rule of Faith By what Rule then should he be resolved what those or any of those other things were that are not written John 20.25 Therefore he has insincerely and temptingly imposed unlearned Questions and Propositions which he does not believe can be resolved to his conviction or satisfaction and thereupon has past unjust Judgment against our having immediate Inspiration yet in contradiction to himself tells us of common and more immediate Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and of the use of these more immediate or common Gifts to help our Infirmities p. 19 20. Altho I presume he would be loath to have his own Judgment and Condemnation against us return'd upon himself on the same condition For 't is certain he that has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And what are these more immediate Gifts and Graces of the Spirit he pretends to the use of seeing he and his Brethren pretend not to immediate or extraordinary Inspirations p. 19 20. There 's another Contradiction in the Case to prove their Call to Baptize People in Water He saith they have a sufficient Call for it from the Commission of Christ our Great Prophet who is to be heard in all things Matth. 28. Mark 16. and the frequent Examples of his Apostles c. So that we need not immediate Inspirations for our Call or Authority herein p. 21. Ans. Which is to tell us you may take upon you to be Preachers and Baptizers in Water without being inspired by Christ because he gave a Commission to his Disciples to teach all Nations baptizing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost But 1. This is no proof that you are called by Christ to either 2. Here 's no Water mention'd in the Commission 3. And to baptize into that Name is a work of the Spirit attending a living and spiritual Ministry given and authorized by Christ himself which this proves not yours to be no more than that the false Prophets were true and truly commissionated because they said thus saith the Lord when yet God never spoke to them no more than Christ hath spoke to you to Preach and Baptize with Water when as you do both without his immediate Inspiration Commission or Spirit and consequently you do not hear him in all things 4. Neither does it follow that you hear Christ because you Preach and Baptize People in Water by imitation of others whom he sent to Preach and Convert People by his Spirit whereby they did Minister 5. You might as well argue that because Peter James John and Paul c. were Apostles and Ministers of Christ therefore we Edward Paye and William Allcott c. are Ministers of Christ. 6. If Reading Christ's Commission to his Disciples Mat. 28. Mar. 16. be sufficient authority for persons to turn Preachers and then to tell People they hear Christ because they read his said Commission and presume to take it upon them without immediate Inspiration from him why may not the Priests of England c. be his Ministers as well as you and why do you dissent from them Thus we see how you have proved your Call and Authority for what you pretend even as well as any sensual Impostors blind Guides and Deceivers may On Rom. 10.6.7 8. E. P. saith neither did the holy Apostle understand the Word here to be Christ p. 22. Ans. How does he answer the Questions then which the Righteousness of Faith gives answer to Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ from above Or who descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is near thee c. Is this all one as to say the Scripture is near thee even in thy Mouth and Heart Or was the Enquiry after the Scripture Who shall ascend or descend to fetch me the Scriptures No sure Was not the antecedent Question of Christ And surely none can savingly believe with the Heart and in true Faith confess with the Mouth that God hath raised Christ from the dead so as to be saved but by that Living Word of Faith in the Heart which works a true and living Faith therein and therefore that Word of Faith which begets and works this Faith is Christ in Spirit who is the Author of this Faith otherwise the Questions who shall fetch Christ c. are not answered For where with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth maketh Confession unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 he must needs first feel that Living Word of Faith in his Heart to work that Faith in him which produceth that Righteousness in Man which attends Salvation 'T is true that I did complain of E. P.'s injurious way of Writing in accusing us with giving better or higher Titles to our own Books than to the Holy Scripture instancing that of H. Smith's Book where E. P. gave these words only for the Title A True and Everlasting Rule being but the first words of the Title and leaving out the next following in the same Sentence viz. From God discovered This I did deem very disingenuous Now to extenuate and excuse the Offence he asks me Does those Words from God discovered added to The True and Everlasting Rule diminish the Heighth of the Title p. 23. Answ. Yes as the first Part was only by E. P. attributed to the Book contrary to the Design of the Title and Matter contained in the Book to which the Title had plain reference as taken together entirely that True and Everlasting Rule from God discovered being the Holy Spirit the Eternal Light and Manifestation of Christ within or what may be known of God being manifest in Man plainly testified unto in the said Book as that True and Everlasting Rule that was from God discovered so the Perversion and Abuse is plain I think E. P. might have spared his Labour of giving the Reader a Breviate of what he Ironically calls The Sweet Convincing Language the Quakers use to treat their Antagonists withal unless his own Language had been sweeter and more convincing than it is and less Partial and Abusive in his Accusations as to Matter
to the Civil Governments Belief and Acceptance thereof thereby contradicting and consequently affronting the Government in its Belief and Charity towards us and to set Subjects at Variance and to raise Persecution against us again instead of being humbly thankful for their and our present Liberties The very Nature and Tendency of these their Bitter Lying Invectives being to bring Persecution upon us as a People not to be given any Credit unto in our Solemn Profession before Authority 3. When we have solemnly and sincerely declared to the Government That we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are given by Divine Inspiration two or three Anabaptists so called divulge the contrary to the World in Print c. Unto which E. P. replies viz. to all which I answer 1. We did not know till our Book was published that you had professed this as your Faith before the Parliament The more Shame for you to be so precipitant in your Unjust and Censorious Attempts to the Contrary your Ignorance herein will not excuse your Rashness much less your Falshood in charging us as a People i. e. the Quakers in general with being great Enemies to Vilifyers and Contemners of the Holy Scriptures and now their chief Guides as E. P. terms them and our former Writings directly to oppose and evidently to contradict this Confession of Faith p. 3 4. which is our believing the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration Now I challenge E. Paye and his Abettors W. Allcot and H. L. 1. To produce plain Proof That the People called Quakers do Vilifie the Holy Scriptures This is Matter of Fact charged What Vilifying Terms or Characters hath that People put upon the Holy Scriptures We do in good Conscience still deny the Charge 2. What Expressions of Contempt hath that People put upon the Holy Scriptures it being contrary to our Consciences and Intentions either to Contemn or Vilifie them The Matter of Fact charged ought directly to be proved against us as a People or else retracted and for ever condemned 3. What former Writings of ours or our Ministers do directly Oppose and Contradict this our Profession That we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by Divine Inspiration Where do we the said People or our Ministers declare That the Holy Scriptures were not given by Divine Inspiration or only given by Human Tradition We demand plain Proof of the Indictment or Matters herein charged against us and by us denied E. P. proceeds viz. 2. We must the more admire your Presumptuous Confidence herein that you should so affront the Government except you had at the same Time renounced your former Writings that so evidently contradict it p. 3 4. Both which are still to prove being sincerely denyed by us Our Confidence in what we professed to the Government was from an honest and good Confidence in the Truth of what we professed and not to affront but to answer and satisfie the Government in what was required of us as Christians and under a Christian Profession and therein to be allow'd our just Liberties both as Men and Christians as the Parliament then desired we might approve our selves which Christian Reputation you seek to deprive us of and like Persecuting Incendiaries falsly charge us with affronting the Government in our Profession which God knows was both Sincere and Christian both with respect to the Eternal Deity and the Holy Scriptures E. P. Which way could the Quakers expect to escape being defamed or discredited Why it 's like they did suppose That the Honourable Assembly of Parliament had Matters of greater Moment in Hand than to compare their former Writings with their new Faith So that if we had not concerned our selves to peep into their Writings and compare them with their newly-professed Faith and published this to the World namely That the Quakers former Writings and their late Profession of Faith are as really alike as an Apple to an Oyster and agree as directly as Light and Darkness it had not been known p. 7. Thus far E. P. 'T is very rare to find such a Piece of Presumptuous Proud and Fallacious Insinuation as this implying not only that we dissembled a Profession of our Belief in Words before the Parliament as directly contrary to our former Writing as Light is to Darkness but that the Parliament was drawn into a Mistake or deceived concerning us by such Dissimulation Wherefore to undeceive them and the World concerning us these Adversaries to make themselves wiser than the whole Parliament and every Member thereof have peeped into our former Writings to find out Matter to Defame and Discredit us in our Christian Profession before the Parliament Herein they have acted like Peepers in the Dark but they have peeped to little purpose for a Dark Lying Spirit has attended their Peeping as is clearly in this and our other short Treatise made manifest And that E. P. has but peeped indeed into some of our former Writings and not seriously or honestly read them with due Observation is apparent in his manifold Perversions Mincings and Curtalizings Concerning Primitive Errors and Corrupt Principles in Point of Faith unduly charged upon the Quakers p. 8 9. To the first I answer We never denyed the Scriptures to contain the Words and True Sayings of God whereas Christ is the Word his Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19.9 13. Exod. 20.1 But that they are the Rule that is the only Rule of Faith Life and Practice as he terms them p. 8 17 33. In that we cannot so call them he must excuse us herein until he produce us Plain Scripture that SO calls them though the Holy Scriptures be a Rule of Doctrine subordinate to that Spirit from whence they first came But seeing it is an Article of his Faith That the Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith c. He had need to produce plain Scripture that SO saith otherwise his Failure therein will be an Indication That the Scriptures are not the only Rule of his Faith because there wants Scripture Proof of this great Article of his Faith and then where 's his Faith 2. Truly I never knew the Quakers affirm the Scriptures to be of NO Use in order to the true Knowledg of God but that the Holy Scriptures are very useful with the help of the Spirit of God 3. I never knew the Quakers hold it a Sin much less of Idolatry to take the Practices of the Saints Recorded Commanded and Continuing Commands in Force in the Scriptures for our Examples and Rules because the Spirit of Truth which is our chief Guide and Rule does not lead to Reject but to Own and Follow its own Precepts and Commands which are in Force in Scripture 4. I have not known it asserted by our Friends That whatever is commanded in Scripture is no Duty to us except we receive the Command by immediate Inspiration as
I do not therefore conclude that the Divine Doctrin therein contain'd may be no means of our knowing God for in Christ's hand and by his opening it to us and our understandings therein it may be and is A Means of Divine knowledge to us Christ being the Way and the Means original of Divine and Saving-Knowledge Obj. against G. W. again viz. Who also affirmeth that Faith grounded on the Scriptures is but an empty implicit Faith and bespeaks such persons void of the knowledge of God and Christ and Salvation and that such Men walk by their own Fancies and Imaginations Quoting Christ ascended p. 11. Observ. This Baptist has again apparently miscited and wrong'd my Answer 't was none of my affirmation or words That Faith grounded on the Scripture is but an empty implicit Faith c. I affirm they are not my words but E. P.'s fallacious abuse put upon me The Case was this viz. John Newman in his Book stiled The Light within c. having affirm'd p. 45. That without the Scriptures to be the Rule we know not that there is any God or Christ or Salvation c. all Men are left in the dark and no man knoweth how to enjoy Life Eternal neither do we know what God counteth unclean and what holy without the Scriptures we know not any Promise c. It leaves men to walk by Fancy and Imaginations Thus far he My Answer was Poor Men You have shewn your selves sufficiently herein and what an empty implicit Faith you are in and how void both of the Knowledge of God Christ and Salvation you are and how yet in your sins having denied Christ and his Light within to be your Rule Way and Foundation as he is to his Followers And so you are walking by your Fancies and Imaginations who set the Scriptures in the place of Christ as your only and absolute Rule and Ground of your Faith and Knowledge c. So that I did not own nor grant that their Faith was really grounded on the Scriptures herein but on their own unscriptural Fancies and Imaginations vid. Christ ascend p. 12. contrary to Scripture-Testimony of Christ. And I further oppose their Ignorance of God and Christ thus viz. And then what a sad Sentence of no less than condemnation doth this pass upon all People and Nations who have not the Scriptures as being all void of knowledge that there is either God Christ Salvation Good or Evil without the Scriptures whereas there is a Living Evidence throughout the Creation or Works of God therein of the Eternal Power or Maker thereof See Ps. 19. Rom. 1. Job 12. and many do know and have known these things written of which concern Salvation by the Light of God and Christ in them that never could read nor had the Scriptures outwardly as those Gentiles which had not the Law yet did those things contained in it and shewed the Effects of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2. Tho' the Scriptures are profitable to the Man of God who hath them being led by his Spirit which opens them Christ ascend p. 11 12. And now E. P. to prove thy Brethren W. Allcot and H. Loader's false Charge That the Quakers contemn and vilifie the Holy Scriptures in their Epistles and thy own horrid Slanders also that they are great Enemies to and Contemners of Holy Scriptures p. 20. of thy Antichrist in Spirit Thou summest up thy Argument with divers If 's but assumest no Assumption pursuant to thy general Charge as in thy 33 and 34 Pages of thy Railings and Slanders detected thus viz. Now if the Scriptures be a dead carnal Letter Ink and Paper saith Parnel If they are the Precepts and Traditions of Men saith Naylor in his Love to the Lost. If they are no better than an old Almanack as Holbrow said Hick 's Dial. p. 29. If to say an Ass hath as much Authority essentially in himself to teach and rebuke as the Scriptures c. be not to Contemn and Vilifie them I am yet to seek what is Ans. The Assumption or Minor Proposition intended i. e. but the Quakers say all these of the Holy Scriptures is here wanting and the Argument is lame and fallacious as well as falsly stated also in the first Proposition being not in the terms of the Charge For 1 st The Charge is general against the Quakers That they are great Enemies to and Contemners of the Holy Scriptures yet the word Holy not mentioned in the particular Instances fallaciously alledged for proof though it be in the general Charge 2. If some of the Instances were true yet to charge them upon the People called Quakers in general is an absurd and unjust way of arguing a particulare ad universale and no better than to argue thus If Edw. Paye the Baptist has raked up and charged divers of Hicks's Lies and Forgeries upon the Quakers and added many more of his own to them then the Baptists are all Forgers But Edw. Paye hath so done is apparent Ergo They may justly deny the Major though the Assumption or Charge alone stands good being plentifully proved against E. Paye in particular 3. Neither are the particular Instances true in fact the Holy Scriptures are not a dead Letter in the Quakers esteem tho' none of us ascribe Holiness to Ink and Paper or the dead Characters but to the living Divine Precepts and Doctrine therein contained nor did we ever think the Holy Scriptures to be but the Precepts and Traditions of Men or much less no better than an Old Almanack as the People called Quakers are most unjustly accused by these Adversaries Antichrist in Spirit p. 18. And 't is far from J. N. or any of us either to say or think that an Ass hath as much Authority essentially in himself to teach and rebuke as the Holy Scriptures For shame E. P. retract and leave off such foul gross and horrid Lies and Reproaches against the People called Quakers To prove that we name or call the Holy Scriptures the Precepts and Traditions of Men charged against the Quakers in general Antichrist in Spirit p. 18. Thou E. P. hast repeated this again in thy Railings p. 33. and quotest James Nayler's Love to the Lost for it but not in what Page and therefore I have been at the pains to view over that Book to see if I could find any such words but find nothing like them but the contrary namely 1 st That the words of the Scripture were given forth from the Light which he calls the Eternal Light Love to the Lost p. 4 20 21. And that the Ministers of Christ who have the Word who are begotten by the Word through such came the Scriptures which came not by the Will of Man but by the Spirit and so are of no private Interpretation Love to the Lost p. 73. which Spirit is the Eternal Spirit the Spirit of Light and Truth p. 13 18. Thus J. N. All which is far enough from calling or
The Contemned QUAKER AND HIS Christian Religion DEFENDED Against Envy Forgery In Answer to two Abusive Invective PAMPHLETS The One stiled Antichrist in Spirit Vnmasked The Other Railings and Slanders Detected Promoted by some Persons commonly called Anabaptists at Deptford in Kent who have unwarily begun the Contest Jer. 48.30 His lies shall not so effect it LONDON Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1692. THE CONTEMNED QUAKER AND HIS Christian Religion defended WHereas in a small Treatise entituled Antichrist in Flesh unmask'd and the Quakers Christianity vindicated from the Malitious and Injurious Attempts of Edward Paye William Alcott and Henry Loader in their late Defaming Confused Book falsly stiled Antichrist in Spirit Vnmask'd I did near the Conclusion of the said Treatise seriously enquire only of William Alcott and Henry Loader in these four Questions following viz. I. Was Edward Paye Deputed and approved by your Congregation or any Select Assembly of Elders or Mininisters of the Baptized People or Churches to Write and Publish his said Book against the People called Quakers or did he do it on his own Authority and Head with your Approbation only II. What Ministers or Elders of your Churches besides your selves did peruse and approve of Edward Paye's said Book before printed and of the Printing thereof to Defame us as a People III. Is the said Edward Paye indeed esteem'd among you and your Society a good Christian a Person of a Godly and Sober Conversation of Sound Judgment Piety and Parts meet to manage Matters of Controversy about Religion IV. Do you intend to stand by him the said Edward Paye in all Matters that he has written in Charge both against certain Persons and against the People called Quakers in his Book Having also given my Reasons for these Questions in the said Treatise Antichrist in Flesh p. 26. Now let it be observ'd that to these Questions I find no answer from the said William Allcot or Henry Loader to whom they were put but a pretended and evasive Answer from Edward Paye himself having only his own Name subscribed a few Lines after but no William Allcot nor Henry Loader subscribed thereto but Edward Paye left to shift for himself and they slunk back for all they highly commended his Work and defamed us in their Commendatory Epistle to his other Pamphlet i. e. Antichrist in Spirit against us And yet as if he had a Plurality of Advocates to answer for him he gives us his slim Answer in the Plural thus viz. We will give an answer to G. W's impertinent Questions though I think they are not worth taking notice of His Questions are four but his Reasons for asking them vanish in answering the first And in the pretended Answer it is said E. P. did Write and Publish his Book by the Approbation of the majority of this Congregation and so he did not do it on his own Head neither did we see it needful to desire the Approbation of others herein though several have approved of it since p. 37 38. But what We are these give this Answer besides Edward Paye we find no Body's Name else to it but his own If by WE will give an Answer neither did we see it needful to desire the Approbation of others be meant William Allcot and Henry Loader why did they not put their Names to it Why do they now shrink back and decline their Brother in his Work seeing the Enquiry was so fairly made of them Can they or Edward Paye either reasonably suppose that we as a People defamed and injured by E. P. will accept of his own Answer or Justification of his perverse Work and himself too and believe that he says true in saying That he did Write and Publish his said Book by the Approbation of the majority of their Congregation at Deptford For my Part I do not believe him herein in Point of Charity I do not suppose the majority of the Congregation or Hearers of the Baptists at Deptford are so grossly corrupted and deluded into Envy and Prejudice as really to believe and approve of such a Bundle of Malicious and Numerous Slanders Forgeries Notorious Lyes Perversions and Abuses as are contain'd and apparent in the said Pamphlet styl'd Antichrist in Spirit by Edward Paye and many of them repeated in his second and highly approved by William Allcott and Henry Loader But if either the majority or minority of their Congregation have given their Approbation for the Writing and Publication thereof as is pretended I and others of us should be very sorry for their sakes that they should be so miserably deluded as not only to believe but approve of the Publication of such gross Slanders and Defamations against their Innocent Neighbours as are contained in the said Pamphlet And that they should be so implicit and blindly credulous of such gross and notorious Falshoods and Reproaches invented by envious Persons and Persecutors And you E. P. W. A. and H. L. who have so far deluded any of your Hearers have much to answer for and a sad account to give before the Righteous Judge of all But now seeing the Writing and Publication of E. P's said Envious Pamphlet i. e. Antichrist in Spirit is at last so far dedicated to the majority of the Baptist's Congregation at Deptford as having their Approbation it may not be unseasonable to shew them and others some of Edward Paye's and William Allcot's notorious Falshoods Slanders and Perversions contained therein and in his last Pamphlet also stiled Railings and Slanders c. which I shall here recite in their own Words as in Charge against them and all that approve or publish them to their Shame and Disgrace The Holy Scriptures this Generation of Men i. e. the Quakers contemn and vilifie Commendatory Epistle by William Allcott and Henry Loader to Antichrist in Spirit and that the Quakers are great Enemies to and Contemners of Holy Scriptures p. 20. This is their General and a most odious Charge which in our very Souls and Consciences in the Sight of God we the said People do utterly deny with Detestation and I find that all their pretended Proofs do fail of any real Proof of the Matter charged the chief whereof being hereafter examin'd more particularly That the Quakers prefer their Lying Pamphlets above the Scriptures p. 9. Their pretended Proof is That G. W. affirms That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scripture and greater p. 11. quoting Apology p. 49. In which Apology no Pamphlets at all are preferred above the Scriptures but the immediate Living Ministry of the Holy Spirit within above the Letter the Divine Inspiration which was before the Scriptures were written for they proceeded from it I am very unfairly and unjustly dealt with in this Charge my Intentions and Words perverted after the Word Scriptures in mine or Chapters are here left out and after the Word Greater all these
and yet I did not call you Anabaptists on that score nor in derision as is wrongfully suggested p. 12. but only for distinction-sake my words at first being the People commonly called Anabaptists p. 1 'T is far from me to design any derision or to put any ridicule upon the People so called from E. Paye's particular abuses for I hope as some of them are more honest than himself so many of them will be ashamed of his malicious Pamphlets tho' he pretends the Approbation of several since p. 38. which we have little cause to credit without their own testimony for some eminent among that People have declared their dislike of his work already And it will be far more for their credit and reputation to stop him from his scribling to defame others than to suffer him to persist therein And as to his Challenging any to charge and prove against him any thing unbecoming a Man and a Christian respecting either Life or Principles Human Frailties excepted p. 38. I ask him if to bear false witness against his Neighbours to belie slander and defame them to take up reproaches against them to pervert and corrupt their words to gather up credit and publish their Adversaries malicious Defamations against them all which E. P. is proved notoriously guilty of be either becoming a Man or a Christian or be to do as he would be done unto What an easie matter is it for a wicked person to write malicious Pamphlets at that rate Or must these Enormities be reputed only as Human Frailties Will his Religion and Conscience allow him to slander to lie to defame others and yet for all that to be a moral Man and good Christian and Minister to others I am sure the just God will not so esteem him nor any one else in such a state Upon a serious View and Observation of the Method which he E. Paye c. has taken up against the People commonly call'd Quakers I find it thus 1. To quote and cite divers of their Adversaries Invectives against them 2. To mis-cite and abuse some of their own Authors Books and Writings against them sometimes leaving out the most emphatical Expressions in the middle and sometimes in the end of a Sentence and many times the most explanatory part of their Answers thereby greatly altering perverting and corrupting matters contrary both to the Authors own Words and Expressions 3. To invent and forge notorious falshoods contrary to our express Christian Profession and Perswasion 4. From such indirect and unjust Premises to draw his own perverse and evil Consequences against the People called Quakers in general to render them and their whole Society and Profession as odious and obnoxious as he can 5. Divers of his Authors to whom he has given credit and whose odious defamations he has raked up against us were persecuting Priests and others of party with them who were as much enemies to the Baptists as to us and long since answered and refuted 6. He is so credulous as he seems to take all for granted that such Adversaries have maliciously writ against us but in many cases takes no notice of our Answers to them and where he doth he is very subject to pervert mince curtailize and abuse them as before Now I am perswaded the Ministers and People of the baptized Societies would not be thus served after such injurious Methods And to me and divers others 't is a wonder that those Ministers and Elders of that Society who appear more discreet and judicious than this injurious Adversary E. P. do not give a severe check to him and put a stop to his perverse and contentious Scribling tending to Strife and to aggravate Divisions and cause Animosities among Neighbours and to make Breaches wider among People and rather seek Peace Mutual Love and Charity among all for I must tell them these crooked Methods which E. P. takes will be no small disrepute and disparagement to them that are of the same Society with him or that own him as a Brother or Minister among them And since in conclusion of his last he has given us a Threat as if he would frighten us That if he be foolishly provoked we may it is like have a quarterly Packet to keep our Fame in remembrance And truly if he will be so foolish as to be foolishly provoked or to make a foolish Provocation the ground of his Packets or Pamphlets against us we shall have little cause to be affrighted or deterred by his Threat from making our Just Defence and now since he has so loudly alarum'd us he has given us occasion to watch him narrowly and warily really believing he 'l make no great earnings of such his undertaking nor advantage of his atchievements but bring Infamy upon himself and an unnecessary Charge upon others and be no small Disparagement to his own Society I have traversed the Controversies long since and I bless God that he has made me a Witness for his Truth and for Christianity in Life and Power even from my Youth upward against Deceit Envy and Hypocrisie that I have seen in these our Adversaries and Opposers what personal Detractions or Reflections I meet withal I value not my Innocence and Christian Conversation being well known to many and my inward Peace with the Lord in my own Conscience but wherein I find the Truth abused and God's Heritage reproached I am constrained in God's holy Fear and Zeal to stand up for Truth and in its Vindication against its Adversaries and Gainsayers and their Contradictions and hope ever shall so long as the Lord gives Life and Ability And I humbly thank the Lord my God who hath hitherto helped and supported me and many more in his Work and Service and in Christian Love and Good-will towards all Men. G. Whitehead The Conclusion I Have hitherto been mostly on the Defensive Part to remove these Adversaries Calumnies and Misrepresentations of our Principles much I have to except against divers of their Unsound Doctrines particularly about the great stress they lay on their Water-Baptism and what they call The Lord's Supper 't is easy to make it appear that they exactly run parallel with the Rhemists in the manner of their defending ther Water-Baptism and the great Weight they place upon it contrary to Scripture and the Doctrine of the Ancient Protestants Please to take a View of some of these Baptists Doctrines and some brief Observations and Questions upon them as followeth 1. That by Baptism i. e. Water-Baptism we must put on Christ and so become Members of his Mystical Body Heirs of the Promise of the Holy Spirit c. Antichrist in Spirit p. 69. Observ. This is Popish Doctrine and contrary-to the Apostle's See 1 Cor. 12 13. 2. That the highest Attainments or greatest Measures of the Holy Spirit do but fit Men for Gospel Ordinances p. 64. Whereof their Water-Baptism is rendred a Sacred or Holy one p. 57 63. Qu. Where doth the Scriptures say That