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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47167	A refutation of three opposers of truth by plain evidence of the holy Scripture, viz. I. Of Pardon Tillinghast, who pleadeth for water-baptism, its being a Gospel-precept, and opposeth Christ within, as a false Christ. To which is added, something concerning the Supper, &c. II. Of B. Keech, in his book called, A tutor for children, where he disputeth against the sufficiency of the light within, in order of salvation; and calleth Christ in the heart, a false Christ in the secret chamber. II. Of Cotton Mather, who in his appendix to his book, called, Memorable providences, relating to witchcrafts, &c. doth so weakly defend his father Increase Mather from being justly chargeable with abusing the honest people called Quakers, that he doth the more lay open his fathers nakedness; and beside the abuses and injuries that his father had cast upon that people, C. Mather, the son, addeth new abuses of his own. And a few words of a letter to John Cotton, called a minister, at Plymouth in New England. By George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1690 (1690)	Wing K199; ESTC W21703	49,228	77

Water Baptism of yours is neither Iohn's nor the same that some of Christs Disciples and Apostles administred for some time seeing ye can show no Line of Succession either from Iohn or the Apostles of your call to administer Water Baptism that proves ye have no shadow of any mediate Call and to an immediate Call ye have no pretence nor can it be truly said that the Letter of the Scripture barely and alone considered calleth any to a Ministerial Office or Function for the Scripture saith No man taketh an Office unto him but he that is called of God as Aaron was And thus Iohn was sent of God by the Spirit of God in his heart and did not draw his Call from the Letter of the Scripture tho' he was of Aaron's Posterity and the Son of a Priest And therefore your Water Baptism is a meer Idol like the golden Calf that the Children of Israel set up when Moses was absent But suppose your Water baptism were as good as Iohn's which it is not go and learn what that meaneth Mark 9.5 how when Moses and Elias and ye know that Christ said of Iohn that he was Elias who came in the Spirit and Power of Elias did appear with Christ at his Transfiguration Peter said Let us build three Tabernacles one for Moses that signifieth the Law of Circumcision and Sacrifices another for Elias i. e. Iohn with his Water Baptism the Scriptures saith he knew not what he said and a Cloud came and took away Moses and Elias i. e. Iohn Baptist out of their sight and left only Christ present with them and well consider whether this doth not signifie that Believers in Christ under the pure and perfect Gospel Dispensation are not to build Tabernacles neither for Moses nor Iohn i. e. neither for the Levitical Law of Moses nor the Water Baptism of Iohn A brief Answer to the weak and impertinent Arguments of Benj. Keech against the Light within in his Book call'd The Childs Instructor in that Section of his Book concerning the Light within wherein he undertaketh to prove That the Light in every man hath not the least tendency or service to mans Salvation but only to condemn him And also an Answer to his gross Calumnies and false Accusations that in his ignorance he raiseth up against both the Principles and Persons of the People called in scorn Quakers FIrst he granteth That the Light in every man containeth in it the Law or substance of the first Covenant written or implanted in the hearts of the worst of men Next he doth acknowledge That it doth show or teach every man that there is a God which did create all things and that he is the Soveraign Lord of the whole Creation that he is to be worshiped also that it doth convince of sin but not of evey sin Also That it doth teach Righteousness towards men and to render due respect unto all and to do unto all men as they would be done unto and from this he concludeth saying Therefore take heed and walk according to this Light for it is a Candle lighted and set up by the Lord in thy Intellectuals Answ. This seemeth a fair acknowledgment and is more than many do acknowledge for if men are to take heed unto it and walk according to it as he saith they ought it is given of God for a Rule of Obedience unto men and therefore the Scripture is not the only Rule as many affirm But that he saith It doth convince of sin but not of every sin this he only affirmeth and doth not prove in the least and seeing it containeth in it the substance of the Law of the first Covenant it followeth most evidently that being duly improved and the mind duly applied unto it it convinceth of all sin against the first Covenant Next as to sins against the second Covenant called the Gospel or New Covenant if the Gentiles who have not heard the Gospel outwardly preached have nothing of the Law of the New Covenant revealed or made known unto them they cannot be said to sin against it for where no Law is there is no Transgression if then these Gentiles who never as yet heard the Gospel or Christ outwardly preach'd have only the Law of the first Covenant they are only sinners against that Covenant and consequently that Light in the Gentiles doth convince them of every sin that they are or can be guilty of in the Gentile state But seeing he hath granted That there are some sins that they are guilty of that the first Covenant in them doth not convince them of it followeth most necessarily that there is some Law or Light of the new Covenant in them And thus it doth plainly appear that the snare or net which this Benj. Keech hath been making for the People called Quakers he is entangled himself therein But we can most clearly prove from Scripture that the Light that is generally in men the Heathens not excepted hath in it some small degree of a discovery or revelation of the New Testament or New Covenant 1 st Because it revealeth to men generally the goodness of God that leadeth to Repentance according to Rom. 2.4 yea the Riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering and therefore it revealeth in men universally that God is merciful and gracious as well as just and pardoning sin and transgression to every one that truly repenteth and turns from sin And this may be proved also from B. Keech's own confession for he plainly confesseth That the Light in every man teacheth him that God is the best the highest and chiefest Beeing therefore it doth clearly follow that the Light in men teacheth them that God is a gracious God and one that pardons Iniquity otherwise he could not be understood to be the best beeing for seeing among the Children of men many men have that goodness that inclines them to forgive the greatest Trespasses upon their Repentance and asking forgiveness therefore God himself is infinitely more gracious and ready to forgive 2 dly The Gentiles or Heathens of the better sort who have not heard Christ outwardly preached unto them have offered up Sacrifices unto the only true God as well as the Iews and Aristotle tho' a Heathen did affirm That it was proper to Mankind universally to Sacrifice unto God and as the Sacrifices of the People of Israel as B. Keech confesseth was a spiritual and shadowing Ministration given in mercy unto men to discover and hold forth unto them the glorious and great Sacrifice and Attonement of the Lord Jesus Christ the same may be said of the Sacrifices of these Gentiles who sacrificed unto the only true God And if it be said The Gentiles who did so Sacrifice as Iob and others did it being taught by some outward means I answer allowing it so to be so did also the Iews and People of Israel but as among the Iews so among the Gentiles the Light of God in them did accord in

his Father made a distinction betwixt the late singing and dancing Quakers yet the Son Cotton thinking himself more wise than his Father maketh no distinction at all and will have Cases Crew and all other Quakers which he as falsly as foolishly calleth Keith's Crew to be substantially of the same drove both Mad tho' with some variety of application in their Phrensies This is barely alledged but not in the least proved and therefore needeth no further Answer The honest People called Quakers through the Love and Grace of God whereof they are made partakers without boasting or vain-glorying may in general be compared to the best of your Church Members in Sobriety and good Christian Behaviour It hath been the lot of good men before us to be called Mad and worse But thou hast given us no evidence or proof that we are so and therefore it returns upon thee as a Calumny and Slander And whereas thou sayst One Keith a Quaker had been compassing Sea and Land to make Proselites visits New-England in his Progress where meeting with small Applause and less Success instead of Converts picks up what Quarrels our Country could afford him and among the rest this Book of Providences Answ. That I have travelled in many places both by Sea and Land to turn People unto the Lord and from Darkness to Light I am not ashamed to acknowledge for so did many of the Servants of God in former Generations and not like Cotton Mather and his Brethren generally who creep into one certain place or House and there continue to preach for hire and rarely remove but when the motive of a greater Sallary doth invite them And as for mens applause I regard it not whether great or small I seek not honour of men but the honour that cometh of God that doth satisfie me and the good and Christian esteem that I have in the hearts of many Brethren as well as my honest Report among men that truly know me which hath not been wanting to me in New-England as well as in other places where I have travell'd and as for Success in my Ministry and being made instrumental to convert some and build up others in the most holy Faith through the Grace of God I need not bear witness to my self but if need were many can bear witness to it even in New-England so that my labour in New-England hath not been in vain and I hope yet to see more the fruit and effect of it through the blessing of God Next whereas thou sayst At my return to Pennsilvania I bless the World with a little Volumn of Heresies and Blasphemies against the Protestant Religion Here thy scoffing airy Spirit appeareth as oft else-where how can the world be blessed with a Volumn of Heresies and Blasphemies But that my book containeth either Heresie or Blasphemy thou hast not yet showed far less proved Thou callest my Book Some further improvements of Non-sence than the Abilities of the Quakers had heretofore helped them to and after a few lines thou sayst I have been craftily assaying to spoil your Vines This seemeth not well to consist if my Book be nothing but Non-sence how can it or I by it craftily assay to spoil your Vines Craft and Non-sence seldom go all along together And that thou sayst thou supposest I will not be long without the Castigations of a full though short Answer c. I fear not this menacing if any such pretended Castigation come forth tho' thou callest me a Fly I doubt not but if I live God will enable me to detect the vanity and impertinency thereof or if removed by Death that he will raise up some of his Servants to do it But that thou sayst The twelfth Article I charge on you is directly contrary to what ye assert and maintain and preach every day and then add'st scoffingly after thy wonted manner This was his Inspiration then I Answer Then why dost thou not produce this twefth Article and demonstrate it so to be as thou affirmest But I say thy Affirmation is false in that very thing the 12th Article being this in express words That the Scriptures ought to be believed only for their own outward Evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens hearts That this is justly charged on you I need not much enlarge to prove it at present only in short I prove it thus Seeing ye deny true divine Inspiration and inward Revelation of the holy Spirit in the hearts of the Saints ye must needs deny the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit for they are one and that ye deny the former is plain from the express words of your Confession that saith There is no new Revelation and the former wayes of Gods revealing his Mind are ceased 2 dly Iohn Owen whom ye used to call your Reverend Brother hath writ a large Book to prove the self-evidencing Power and Authority of the Scriptures and denyeth that it deriveth its evidence from the inward Revelation or Inspiration of the holy Spirit in mens hearts yea thou thy self scoffest at Inspiration in this very place and else-where and tho' in words ye seem to own the inward Testimony of the Spirit yet in Deed ye disown it while ye deny true divine Revelation and Inspiration properly so call'd 3 dly If ye did indeed believe the Scriptures for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit then ye would acknowledge it to be the principal Rule of Faith but this ye do not for ye say in your Confession The Word of God contained in the Scriptures is the only Rule c. Whereas I said in my Book That when some of T. Cases Crew were whipt at Plymouth some of the honest People call'd Quakers openly declared before the People that the Quakers did not at all own them to be of their Society To this thou makest no direct Reply but sayst I am to ask him who of this honest People then it was that then declared them to be the dear Children of God I Answer readily No not one and I challenge thee to instance any one owned by the Society of that honest People that so declared But this question of thine is a meer deceitful Evasion containing in it some Insinuation as if some did so declare which is utterly false Next as to the story in old England taken from H. More concerning one Robert Churchman that was no Quaker but only had some inclination to be a Quaker as H. More doth alledge and he imagined that the Spirit of God spake in him and at last it appeared it was not so but that the man was under some mistake or suppose a real Possession of the Devil To this I answered What can all this say to discredit the Quakers Religion and Principle Have there not been mad People and whimsical both of the Presbyterian and Independent Churches To this thou answerest not denying but that a Possession

me as first That the outward Form and inward Power of Godliness may not be seperated This we affirm as well as thou and much better than thou for seeing thou denyest Christ within the heart to be the true Christ how canst thou really own the inward power of Godliness Can there be any inward power of Godliness without Christ living dwelling and ruling in the heart Again many of you Baptists affirm That men may be called of God both to preach and baptize and yet have no true Piety or Holyness Which a Baptist Teacher affirmed to me in the hearing of divers witnesses last summer in the shop of one of our Friends at Newport in Rhode-Island and whether this be not thy own perswasion thou art concerned to clear thy self But further how many Hypocrites and vain persons do ye baptize with Water that no real signs do in the least appear in them that the inward power of godliness was joyned with their being baptized with Water Now the thing that thou shouldst have proved was that your Water baptism taken up by you without any true command or so much as a true inward liberty by the spirit of God in your hearts is a Gospel-Precept But this the Apostles witnessed when Peter baptized or caused to be baptized Cornelius and others with him no doubt he both saw and felt his liberty and good allowance by the revelation of Gods holy spirit in his heart so to do and therefore he might well command it at that time to be done yet it doth not follow that it is a Gospel-Precept I say further the outward form of Godliness is intire without Water baptism as at this day administred though when it was practised by the command of God it was a part of the outvvard form And vvhereas thou sayst Iohns preaching and baptizing related to Christs Gospel disenspation citing for this Mark 1. cap. 1 2 3. v. ● Ansvver All this may be granted in a true sence yea I do readily grant it in the true sence so did all the Figures Types of Moses Law all which obscurely and darkly pointed at Christ the pure Gospel dispensation were as it were a symbolical way of preaching Christ his Gospel and therefore it was a good and worthy observation that many antient Christians have made That the Gospel and New Testament lay hid within the vail of the Law and old Testament All these Figures and Shadows of the Law shadowing and figuring Gospel Mysteries unto those whose Eyes are spiritually enlightned to see and understand them And whereas thou citest Mark 's words in the beginning of his book saying The beginning of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the Son of God If I grant thee that both Iohn's preaching and baptism in a true sence is a beginning of the Gospel what gainest thou by it doth it therefore follow that Water-baptism is a pure Gospel Precept and to be observed to the end of the world I deny the consequence And the vanity and falshood of it I shall by Gods assistance plainly demonstrate But first I shall lay down a few plain Positions which I hope scarce any professing themselves Christians that are in any degree intelligent can deny 1 st The Gospel did begin to be preached by the Lord to our first Parents immediately after the Fall when he gave the Promise That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the head of the Serpent And this was before any Law of Types of Figures was given and before Water baptism 2 dly This Gospel Promise was in a solmn way renewed by the Lord to Abraham That in his Seed all Nations of the Earth should be blessed and this was 430 years as Paul noticeth before the Law of Moses And the same Paul saint That the Gospel was preacht to Abraham which is the everlasting Gospel is one the same in all Ages of the world therefore to spake strictly did not take its beginning neither at the beginning of the book of Mark that beginneth with a Voice crying in the Wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord that as it related to Iohn's Ministration in part so it hath a further reach as pointing to an inward Ministration nor yet of Luke who goeth further backward to wit to Zacharias his burning Incence in the Temple and Matthew goeth yet farther backward to Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Iohn furthest of all to the Word that was in the beginning which Word is Christ by whom all things were made and are upheld 3 dly This one everlasting Gospel hath had it various and divers breakings forth and administrations in clearer discoveries and dispensations from age to age until the fullness of time before that fulness of time until Christ had suffered for the sins of the World rose again ascended and gave the holy Ghost to all true believers the Gospel dispensation remained among all the faithful in all Ages but as vai●ed or as the Kirnel within the Shell of the Figures and Types of the Law 4 thly The Law was never given alone by the Lord nor was ever intended by him that any should have eternal Life by the bare observation of the Figures and Shadows of the Law but by faith in Christ and true Gospel Obedience to him but it was as a Schoolmaster to lead unto Christ as Paul hath declared 5 tly These several more clear discoveries and dispensations of the Gospel may be branched forth or distinguished into several degrees and these several degrees may be reduced into three each of which dispensations had their peculiar and proper divine inward Illuminations and influences of Grace and Truth to wit First That discovery that God gave to men by Moses and the written Law and the Prophets until Iohn Secondly From Iohn until Christ dyed and rose again gave the holy Ghost Thirdly That last and most glorious discovery and revelation by the giving of the holy Ghost generally to all true believers in a peculiar influence and operation beyond what ever formerly was given in a general way to believers Again these three may be reduced into two viz. Law and Gospel called by Paul the Two Covenants which until the last greatest and most excellent discovery of the Gospel have been administred as with an excellent mixture as when Water and Wine are mixed together though the liquors be only two in kind yet they admit of many various Mixtures all which are serviceable according to the desire and ability of the drinkers And therefore whereas thou sayst Nor is there any third Dispensation that is neither Law nor Gospel of John's as is imagined In this as in many other things thou fightst against thy own shadow for though in my late book I writ of three Dispensations and prove them sufficiently out of the Scriptures yet I never imagined that there was any one of these three Dispensations that vvas neither Lavv nor Gospel but I thus distinguish them The first is both

pretext or colour to use such a Comparison but what Resemblance Stone and Timber hath to Water Baptism I do not understand And if Water-Baptism be the Foundation of the Church then the Church hath had no Foundation for many Ages past for Infant Baptism by sprinkling ye Baptists do not acknowledge to be any true Baptism at all but a meer fiction or invention and yet for many Ages there hath been no other Water-Baptism used but that of sprinkling Infants for that party or society of People called Baptists or Anabaptists did but appear about Luther's time or since and therefore if Water Baptism be the Foundation of Gods Church the Church hath had no Foundation for many Ages and therefore hath quite ceased to be for she cannot be or subsist without a Foundation And as concerning the Allegorical and Spiritual signifycation of Solomon's Temple it is very well understood without your Water Baptism for Solomon's Temple as it was a figure of Christs Body which was crucified and rose again and ascended into Glory so also it was a figure of the Gospel Church under the pure Gospel Dispensation the Foundation whereof is Christ Jesus as he came in the likeness of sinful flesh and took upon himself the form of a Servant and humbled himself unto Death even the Death of the Cross made of a Woman made under the Law the Seed of Abraham and David I say Christ thus come in the flesh and crucified for our sins as the Mystery of him is inwardly revealed by the holy Spirit in the hearts of all true believers in respect of his thus humbling himself and taking hold of the seed of Abraham may well be compared to the Stone Wood of Solomons Temple which were but mean and not very costly Materials but the fullness of the Godhead that dwelt in Christ Bodily and his being anointed with the holy Spirit without measure being the only begotton Son of God full of Grace and Truth of whose fullness all true believers do plentifully receive and Grace for Grace and the many most rich and excellent divine Virtues wherewith both Christ and his Church are most richly endued and adorned are well signified by that great plenty of Gold and Silver and other precious Furniture wherewith the Temple of Solomon was beautified But it is much thou didst not make the Sea in Solomon's Temple to signifie Water-Baptism possibly some of thy Brethren may judge this a great omission or neglect in thee but hadst thou brought it it could have made nothing for thy Water Baptism for that Sea in Solomon's Temple was not a figure of outward Water which it self was but a figure but of these spiritual Waters of the Sanctuary mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 47.1 7 8 9. and by Iohn c. 4. v. 6. and Rev. 22.1 But this most idle and ignorant gloss and comparison of thine is like to that other passage in thy book where thou sayst Repenting Believers baptized with Water being a sign and token from God to them of the remission of sins are the only true Heirs of the Promise of the holy ghost c. Which assertion thou dost falsly ground on Peter's words to the Iews Repent and be baptized every one of you mind it sayst thou every one that expects Salvation in the Name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy ghost But whether Water Baptism is to be here understood or not thy arguing that it must be Water Baptism is most weak and idle as if to render it only Spirit is to charge the Spirit of God in Peter with gross Impertinencies and Tautologies as if he should say Repent and be baptized with the holy Spirit and you shall receive the holy Spirit To this I Answer This is no Impertinency nor Tautology in the least but very proper as it is very proper to say White Cloth being dip't into the Dyers Fat that hath a red dye receiveth the said red dye even so the Soul being dipt into that spiritual Water of Gods holy Spirit receiveth it as the Cloth receiveth the dye But this to thee is a Mystery and Parable and therefore it is not strange thou talkest such gross impertinencies And it is plain by these words of thine thou makest Water Baptism equally necessary to Salvation with Faith and Repentance and therefore all are eternally and finally Lost who have not been baptized or plunged into Water O Monster of uncharitableness This most Uncharitable Doctrine damneth all to the Pit of Hell for many Ages that never received Water Baptism this is like one of thy Brethren who printed a book with this Title Dip or Damn It is no wonder to find you Baptists generally so bitter and peevish for this your Uncharitable Doctrine of Condemning all to Hell who are not baptized into Water begetteth this evil nature in you even as the narrow Doctrine of the Presbyterians as touching the Grace of God maketh them of the like evil nature for evil Principles and Perswasions have a great influence upon mens Hearts and Lives And now I find thee in this thy work against us joyn'd with the Priests of New-England and particularly these of Boston tho' formerly some of thy Brethren suffered great persecution by the Priests of New-England where it seems thou hast got thy book printed and so like Herod and Pontius Pilate joyning together against Christ as he came in the flesh so ye joyn together against him as he is come and coming more abundantly in Spirit but this Stone which ye builders of Babylon have refused will God exalt and is exalting to be the head of the Corner Thou art as idle and impertinent to alledge That by Water and Blood mentioned 1 Iohn 5.6 This is he that came by Water and Blood is to be meant Water Baptism and that call'd the Supper in giving and receiving Bread Wine But this being thy bare alledgance without any shadow of proof it is altogether denyed and the Virtue of both the Water and Blood together with the Spirit are inwardly and spiritually felt which three agree in one and are inseperable but so are not your Water Baptism and Bread and Wine which ye your selves confess are oft seperated from the Spirit as the many vain persons among you and the many dry and barren Souls of your society too palpably demonstrate for who more gawdy and vain in their Attire and Cloathing both men and women than many call'd Baptists as I have seen and observed in part to my great grief Who greater Enemies to the Spirits inward Revelation and to Christ's inward presence and Appearance in Believers than thou and the Baptists generally perhaps some few excepted And therefore the Spirit and your Water Baptism and breaking of Bread agree not in one and are not in unity And whereas thou chargest it on me and my Friends the People called in scorn Quakers as if we did presume or boast of our

and others in antient times who upbraided the sincere Christians yea and the Christian Religion it self with all the vile and gross Heresies wicked Practices of some Apostates and other vile and lewd Persons who called themselves Christians and were not We have better learn'd Christ and Christianity than to judge any to be of our Religion or Society because of any outward Name whatsoever But if thou hadst any common discretion thou wouldst have spared these words to upbraid the People call'd Quakers with falling out among themselves and that their so falling out is but a natural consequence of their Tempers and Errors for through the great love and mercy of God the honest and sincere People call'd Quakers the which Name of Quakers is but a Nick-name raised upon them by Scoffers like Cotton Mather even as the Name Round-head and Puritan were Nick names raised upon sober People fifty years ago and upwards have been preserved as to the main in great Unity both of Perswasion and Love beyond any People that have appeared pretending to a Reformation in these latter Ages But for any Presbyterian or Independent who reckon themselves one in matters of Religion to upbraid any other People with falling out when they have had so great Contentions and Fallings out among themselves not only with one another but with these call'd the Episcopal and Church of England whom they deny not to be their Protestant Brethren and one with them in the main doth evidence not only great Partiality but Hypocrisie and Indiscretion For who have had greater Quarrels and Fa●ings out one with another than them who have professed one and the same Protestant Religion not only to hard Speeches one against another but great Persecution one of another and all this on the pretence of Religion And even in New-England it self Cotton Mather cannot be ignorant what Quarrels Disputes and Fallings out have been among these call'd Ministers and Teachers in New-England There are divers yet alive who were both eye and ear Witnesses to the hot Contentions and Fallings out among some call'd Preachers and Ministers in New-England of the Congregational way and particularly that great Opposition and Falling out that was betwixt old Iohn Cotton of New England of whom this Cotton Mather is descended and some of his Brethren the said old Iohn Cotton being accused severely by his pretended Brethren of the Ministry for false Doctrine though that Doctrine for which he was accused was not false but true and agreeable both to the Scriptures Testimony and to what the honest People call'd Quakers are raised up to witness unto as namely That not only the Graces and Operations of God of Christ and of the holy Spirit are in all true Saints and Believers but that God and Christ and the holy Spirit together with these Graces and Operations are really present and in-dwelling in the hearts of all true Saints and Believers And Iohn Owen hath asserted in some of his Books printed in Old England to wit That the holy Ghost doth really dwell in Believers together with his Graces and Virtues The which Doctrine both of old Iohn Cotton and Iohn Owen an Independent Preacher in Old England hath been judged by others of their Brethren not only Heresie but Blasphemy and is the main Article of Blasphemy that the Presbyterian and Independent Priests and Professors charge upon the People call'd Quakers And thus it doth appear what little Wit Discretion or common Prudence this Cotton Mather hath to charge the Quakers with falling out among themselves which in the case mentioned by him is altogether false when they themselves and his Brethren have been so deeply chargeable in that matter besides that of late there have been very unhappy Differences among these of your Church in New-England the which how agreeable to true Christian Religion or Civil Authority Truth in due time will discover Nor is he any more pertinent to say of a Woman that God moved as she declared to come with her face made black for a sign of some Iudgment ready to come upon many People of New-England That she dressed her self like a Devil and frighted some of her Sex almost out of their Lives in one of their biggest Assemblies for the Judgment she was moved to come as a sign to warn you of did soon after come to pass by a very sore and dreadful Visitation of that called by some The Black Pock that cut off many both Young and Old among you as I noticed in my late Book But if Cotton Mather were not full of a scornful light and airy spirit he would not make so light of a matter of so great weight so to sport and make merry with these whom God moved to warn of his approaching Judgments that come to pass accordingly thereby it was made apparent her Message was true But why should the colour of black be judged by Cotton Mather so much to resemble the Devil How many Negro's are there in New-England whom People daily see and converse with some of which may come to your Assemblies and none are affrighted thereby But if the colour of Black so much resemble the Devil as C. M. alledgeth then what saith he to his Brethren the men call'd Ministers in New-England who generally are Black in Habit from the Crown of the head to the foot like the Black-coats or C●●marims of old must they also by Cotton Mathers Authority be like unto the Devil So that in all his discourse C. M. showeth himself a meer silly Triffler but no sollid Disputer nor Defender either of his Father or himself Another thing I think fit to acquaint the Reader with That he need not think strange to find Cotton Mather so falsifying and wresting my words and abusing the honest People called Quakers when down-right and in plain words he falsifieth the holy Scripture and alledgeth a down-right falshood upon Christ himself who is the Truth for in his thing call'd a Sermon upon 1 Pet. 5.8 pag. 9. he saith We are told in Mat. 12.26 Sathan is NOT divided against himself Now let the Reader view the place and he shall find no such words nor indeed any where in all the Scripture for the words are Mat. 12.26 And if Sathan cast out Sathan he is divided against himself how shall then his Kingdom stand And here every one that hath a right though ordinary understanding of things and who see even but a very little may see that Christ doth not so much as imply That Sathan is not divided against Sathan but only argueth the case with them against themselves by an Argument that is commonly called Argumentum ad hominem as doth plainly appear by the following Verse v. 27. And if I by Belzebub cast out Devils by whom do your Children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges for Christ had this manifest advantage against them that they could no more alledge that he did cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils