one onely one is translated into English and the other is left in Greek untranflated And so whilst thou saist thou dost not know that any Scripture calls it Christs washing or baptism confesses and calls it inward washing thy self so that by thy own confession there is no more difference between the inward washing and cleansing by the Spirit and Christs baptism then there is between baptizing in Greek and washing in English which is all one and the word baptism might as well have been translated washing in all places of the Scripture as in one place had it not made for the upholding of the Trade of the Translators and for the continuing of much idolatry and ignorance in the world and whereas thou sayest it is not called Christs Baptism what Baptism was that the Apostles speak of 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles and what Baptism was that which Paul speaks of Rom. 6.3 4. by which they were baptized into Christ and into his death and were buried with Christ by Baptism and by it planted into the likeness of his death whereby they knew that the old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth they might not serve sin for he that was thus dead and buried with Christ was free from sin which your water doth not do nay do not you who are washed with water plead against freedom from sin and say it is not attainable in this world and therefore it is strongly to be suspected that as your Baptism is wrong so is your faith also seeing the Scripture saith as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and put off the old man with his deeds by being planted into the likeness of his death and by being buried with him by Baptism and in the 1 Cor. 6.11 where the Apostle saith they were washed and sanctified and justified by the spirit c. what difference is there by being washed or cleansed by the spirit and by being baptized by the spirit seeing washing and Baptizing is all one and if thou wert come to the full assurance of faith and knewest what it was to have thy heart sprinkled from an evil conscience then thou wouldst know what that pure water was with wch the Saints had their bodies washed Heb. 10.22 But thou concludest that Christs Baptism is not now in being because those tongues and miracles thou speaks of are not in being that thou know of and so justifies thy self that the one baptism is meant water baptism Christs baptism or the Baptism of the spirit was some extraordinary thing and was to confer upon them a larger measure of gifts fitting then to spread the Gospel c. and therefore one principal gift bestowed by that Baptism was the gift of tongues to this I spake before about fire Baptism as in Acts the second and saith other places both before in the sixth page and now but names none by which I conclude thou hast no place to prove the Holy Ghosts Baptism thou speaks of but that of Acts 2. and what ground thou hast to call that fire Christs Baptism or the Baptism promised that Christ should come withal I know not since there is not one word in that second of the Acts at the beginning that speaks of Baptism where it is said there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance Where is this called the Baptism of Christ or the Baptism of the Holy Ghost the word Baptism is no more named here neither in Greek nor English and yet this thou wouldst have by all means to be the only Baptism of the Holy Ghost promised and some other places where both the word Baptism in Greek and the word washing in English is spoken off must not be the Baptism of the spirit that was promised and was to continue when outward water was to cease but why should thou speak of miracles and tongues so much seeing tongues were for a sign not for them which believed but for them which believed not and thou accounts thy self a believer 1 Cor. 14.22 But James Pope why dost thou seem to grant inward washing and cleansing by the spirit to be a washing or Baptism of the spirit seeing thou hast spent so much time to prove inward washing and cleansing to be none of the spirits baptism and yet sums up the query thy self in these words whether the Baptism of water or the inward washing and cleansing by the spirit be the one Baptism which Paul writs of or why writs he but of one if both must be continued to which thou grants both must be continued and yet saith it is water Baptism he writs of So that thou seems to grant what thou wouldst deny and to deny what thou wouldst grant but thou art in a strait and truth is too hard for thee for if thou grant the spirits Baptism to continue then thy water Baptism must down because there is but one and therefore of the two thou hadst rather the spirits Baptism should cease then thine and yet if thou should deny inward baptizing or cleansing to be out of use then thou wert no Christian and therefore thou hast sowed as good a covering together as fig leaves will make to hide thy nakedness withal and to save thy water Baptism and thinks to do it by calling inward baptizing with the Holy Ghost inward cleansing and washing by the spirit and so sets up two words to contend each with other whilst thou thereby thinkest to amaze the Reader that thou may escape with thy water to be the one Baptism that is to continue and yet in thy first answer saith both must continue inward Baptism because no entrance into the Kingdom without it and water must continue because it is Christs Ordinance fitted to the New Testament as Circumcision was to the Old In thy next Book James prove it an Ordinance commanded by Christ to be practiced after his Ascention in plain words and not by an invented consequence least you are found guilty of that for which you condemned the Priests of England viz. for proving their Baptism by a consequence and will not this be much to your shame to have your Commision to prove by a consequence and not by plain and positive Scripture for a Commissioner by consequence onely is no Commissioner But James me thinks thou comes too near the Priests of England in bringing Circumcision and Baptism together dost thou not lay thy self open to some disadvantage in this was one Ordinance a type of another or one figure a type of another figure what confusion is here is not this Priests
death as many more are at this day who say they are alive and say they see but are blind and who required these things at your hands will be their answer when they think to enter by them or for them and it is not enough that I have read or heard others did them but I must know whether they are required at my hands and whether I am appointed by my Lord and Master to do them seeing he hath several appointments for his servants and none are exempted from learning of him what to do every day and knowing his voice and following his Counsel who is faithful to him that made him a high Priest and is worthy of more honour then Moses inasmuch as he who builded the House hath more honour then the House for every House is builded by some but he that builds all things is God and Moses verily was faithful in all his House as a servant for Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the Hope firm to the end wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. So by this thou maist understand what House it is that Christ is a faithful high Priest over and gives Laws and appointments to as Moses did to the outward people of the Jews and Christ doth to the inward Jews who is a Prophet like unto Moses and is now to be heard for by him God speaks and whoever hears not him shall be cut off from among the people and such a one who hears not his voice immediately is but a Jew outward though in the practice of all those outward washings and other outward things done by the Saints and recorded in the Scripture whose praise is of men and as yet Christ is not come to him the second time without sin to Salvation and therefore knows him not to be the end of all things and to put an end to sin and to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness in whom we are compleat who is the head of all principalities and powers Now follows an Answer to thy Queries 1. Q. WHether it is not a high degree of pride and arrogancy for any to go about to exalt their own wisdom above the wisdom of Christ Answ Yea and so do all those who are wise above what is written and pry into things which they have not seen and so become puffed up in their fleshly minds boasting of other mens lines hastning to be rich but will not wait upon the Lord to receive the true riches from him which are his gifts nor the true wisdom from him which is not taught by the precepts and customs of men but comes down from above and is first pure and peaceable and easie to be intreated 2. Q. Whether they do not so that account those Ordinances which he hath appointed too low and carnal for them to submit unto not minding that this foolishness of God is wiser then men 1 Cor. 1.15 Answ All those who despise or account the Ordinances which Christ hath appointed them to submit unto and walk in the practise of too low and carnal do set up and exalt their own wisdoms above the Wisdom of God and of this sort are they who neglect the means which God hath appointed unto eternal life which is to wait upon and stand still in the light and grace of God which appears to manifest Gods Mind and Will unto every man and woman that so they may know it do it in obedience to his requiring of it at their hands that so they may not fall under that righteous censure of the Lord saying to some Who hath required these things at your hands though performed in times past by the servants of the Lord and by him required at their hands and yet others may be condemned for doing the same things the Lord forbidding all likenesses to be made whether of things in Heaven or things in Earth c. And for thy quotation of 1 Cor. â— 15 I know not what thou intends by it except to manifest how thy mind is troubled for Baptizing in thy own name for in that place Paul thanks God that he had Baptized but a few least any should have thought so of him intimating that those who Baptize many or lay so much stress upon it expose themselves to be guilty of this charge but it may be an Errata of the Printer and so I shall pass it by 3. Q. Whether those who deny the continuance of water Baptism which Christ Commanded and his servants faithfully practised after his Resurrection in memorial thereof are willing the doctrine of the Resurrection of the body of Christ as the first fruits of the Resurrection of the bodies of the Saints should be perpetuated Answ Those who deny the continuance of water Baptism or any other thing which Christ hath Commanded them to observe and continue are transgressors and those are no less who continue it in their own wills and imitation onely the Lord not requiring it at their hands he being a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and by the Spirit and not because Jerusalem was the place of worship therefore still to continue no more are men still to go down into outward water because some were commanded so to do except they know the Lord requires it at their hands by the moving and stirring of the Spirit of God in their own hearts and brests which thing they do and should have done had they never read or heard of any such thing done by any before them and he that thus goeth into the water or doth any other thing worships God aright and finds not out his worship himself but he himself is first sought out of God to worship God in the Spirit for God is a Spirit and such God only seeks to worship him though many others otherwise seeks to worship God but he will not accept an offering at their hand which causes many to be filled with wrath against those at whose hands the Lord doth accept an offering because they do it in the Spirit of Faith and such do not deny the one offering that perfects for ever them that are sanctified nor the memorial of the Resurrection of the body of Christ nor the Resurrection of the bodies of the Saints but do equally condemn the folly both of those who say there is no Resurrection of the dead and who yet are to seek what the Resurrection of the body is and who say how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come to them both I say as the Apostle said Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die and he that hath not part in the first Resurrection for all his shews memorials and figures shall not escape the second death but he that knows he
hath part in the first Resurrection over him the second death shall have no power and he is willing that the doctrine of the Resurrection of the body of Christ as the first fruits of the Resurrection of the bodies of the Saints should be perpetuated though some say now of such as once was said of Paul Acts 17. that he was a setter forth of strange gods because he Preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection and this query doth not altogether excuse the Author from that spirit but James here is three things for thee to prove by plain Scripture and not by thy consequences least thou be guilty of that which you of your way have charged upon the Priests 1. To prove Christ commanded water baptism since his Resurrection 2. To prove that his servants practiced it by vertue of that command after his Resurrection 3. That he commanded outward washing to be practiced after his Resurrection in memorial of his Resurrection and that the practitioners did it so accordingly all which thou seems to affirm in thy query and to take it for granted and then a more particular answer to them all thou mayest receive according to the Scripture of Truth Q. 4. Whether those that deny the Ordinance of breaking bread as it was instituted by Christ and practiced by his Primitive Saints are willing the memorial of Christs death and blood-shed should remain among his Saints until his next coming Answ Those who deny any Ordinance or institution of Christ to those of whom he required it and to that end for which he appointed it as the cause of his requiring it at their hands are transgressors and are not willing that the end or cause of his commanding it should be fulfilled or accomplished nor do not wait or look for his appearing the second time without sin unto salvation but believe they are saved though they commit sin and believe that freedom from all sin they can never attain while living in this visible world and such are not onely unwilling that the memorial of Christs death and blood-shed should remain among his Saints but are both ignorant and unbelieving that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all that know it and believe in it from all unrighteousness and presents them perfect unto God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and such onely as thus believe celebrate the memorial of Christs death and blood-shed as are dead with Christ and such are free from sin and such though they neither eat bread nor drink wine but feed upon locust and wild hony or are content with a dinner of green herbs such I say do truely shew forth the Lords death in their conformity to it and his blood shed in that their hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience to serve the living God in truth and righteousness Q. 5. Whether those that say that Scripture 1 Cor. 11.26 is meant of Christs coming in Spirit do not in effect say that the Ordinance of breaking of bread was appointed for unbelievers to eat and drink damnation till Christ come to them in Spirit Answ Was it not in the same night in which he was betrayed that he took bread and is not Christ a spirit and his coming in spirit or doth he come out of the spirit or is there a coming of Christ and not in the spirit is Christ and the spirit divided or can he come and he not in the spirit and the spirit in him and where Christ is present is not the spirit there also and he in it and it in him and yet but one And doth it at all follow in sound judgement or good understanding that they who say the 1 Cor. 11.26 is meant of Christs coming in spirit must needs or in effect say that the Ordinance of breaking bread was appointed for unbelievers to eat and drink damnation till Christ come to them in spirit any more then it follows that the Disciples had no power at all because they were commanded to wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father and that they should receive power after the Holy Ghost was come upon them Acts 1.4.8 ver or any more then it may be said of Christ that his words implyed or that he in effect said that his Disciples had not his spirit at all in them and so were none of his when he said to them in these words how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy spirit to them that ask him Luke 11.13 and yet all that time God was their Father and they could not ask aright without the spirit and yet Christ saith how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him so do they who say that the coming of Christ in 1 Cor. 11.26 is his coming in spirit in effect say any more or otherwise that those had not the spirit at all or were unbelievers to whom Christ said take eat this is my body which is broken for you c. because they were to wait for a further and fuller manifestation of him in them and he went away in that fleshly appearance that he might come again unto them and abide with them for ever and this Christ prayed for and performed accordingly John 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one c. so that to say till he come is meant of Christs coming in spirit doth no more deny or in effect say that the breaking of bread was appointed for unbelievers to eat and drink damnation c. then Christ in saying the Father would give his holy Spirit to them that ask him in effect said that God would give his holy Spirit to them that asked or prayed without the Spirit or then Christ in effect said that they who waited in their wills and in the form without the power should receive power after the Holy Ghost was come upon them or then in effect Christ should say they had not the holy Spirit at all as yet because it was to come upon them and so till he come though meant of his coming in Spirit yet doth not follow but those to whom Christ spake had a measure of his Spirit already come to them and was in them and so commanded them not to eat and drink damnation but by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup they were to shew the Lords death till he come and then when he was come who was shewed by that eating and drinking the shew needed no longer the thing shewed being come and witnessed the bread indeed and drink indeed was known and Eternal life inherited Q. 6. Whether it is not granted by those that seem to deny it that the forecited place directs the Church at Corinth to the use of an Ordinance seeing some might eat this bread and drink this cup which is also called flesh and blood unworthily but those that eat truly that flesh that is meat indeed and drink that blood