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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	heart_n	word_n	5,244	5	4.1630	3	false

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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

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

than that it might be alledged that any of their Children did cast them out for their Children did believe they did cast out Devils by the Power of God and Christ had far greater cause to say the same to wit that he did cast out Devils by the Power of God Nor doth the manner of Expression If Sathan cast out Sathan argue or imply in the least that Sathan is not divided against himself or that his Kingdom is not divided for the Particle if is not always to be understood to imply a negative but frequently an affirmative as in v. 28. said Christ But If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God c. the sense is not Negative And hereby it doth plainly appear that Cotton Mather is a Falsifier and Wrester of Christs words who would bring Christs Authority to prove That Sathan is is not divided against Sathan which is utterly false for Sathan is divided manifestly oft times against Sathan and his Kingdom is divided also and therefore it cannot stand but must needs fall and great will be the Fall thereof for there is no true nor real Unity betwixt the Devils nor can there be because they are not in unity with God nor Truth which is the alone foundation ground of all true Unity and tho' Devils may seem to agree and the parts of his Kingdom to be in Union yet that is no real unity and therefore they oft fall at variance as their wicked Actions and Work in wicked men plainly demonstrate that are most commonly divided and discordant And as for thy Book of Witchcraft though I believe there is such a thing that is too frequent as real Witchcraft and too many that are real Witches yet I find little or indeed nothing in all thy book th●t doth effectually prove th●t any of these Children were really bewitched the most it proveth is that some Whimsies and Fancies together with some sits of Madness or Melancholy Distractions did seize upon them or suppose a Diabolical Possession all this doth not prove they were bewitched nor do I find any effectual proof that it was a Bodily Possession of the Devil But whether it was so or not I am little concerned to enquire further than to take notice that C. Mather will needs have it to be so not only to bespatter and abuse the People called Quakers because a whimsical Boy became well when his going to the Quakers Meeting was but mentioned which might be used rather for than against them but really is of no force either for or against but to make simple and too credulous People believe That some of his Brethrens or his own Prayers did conjure the Devil and cast him out And all this to prove the great worth and excellency of the Presbyterian or Independent Religion But I have both read heard as great or rather greater instances of evil Spirits and Devils being cast out of some by Popish Priests which doth no more prove either the truth or worth of Pope or Papacy than this pretended or supposed Ejection and casting out or perhaps the going out of the Devil without any force but on his crafty design to make Cotton Mather imagin it to be so and others of the like silly credulity doth prove the truth or worth of your Religion for C. Mather should remember his own words in that thing call'd his Sermon on Witchcraft p. 36. Sometimes saith he the Devil will use a digression he will seem to give over his intent in one thing but make sure of his intent in another such a Stratagem he ●seth as what Joshua took Ai withal he retires and so he con●uors I say then what doth Cotton Mather know or how can he prove to the contrary but that the Devil used this Stratagem in retiring or going out without being conjured by the force of his and his Brethrens Prayers And though the great worth and power of true Prayer I most willingly acknowledge which is only performed by the Inspiration and Revelation of the holy Spirit yet seeing Cotton Mather and his Brethren generally mock at any at this day laying claim to divine Inspiration and Revelation I cannot own their Prayers to be true they are liker to Charms and Spells of superstitious Persons all such Prayers that are performed without divine Inspiration and true internal divine Revelation Nor doth it content or satisfie Cotton Mather to accuse and speak evil of the honest People called Quakers and to belye CHRIST himself and the Scripture as I have above sufficiently proved but he also falleth foul upon his own Native Country and the People in it saying expresly of the Country of New-England A COUNTRY FULL OF LYES pag. 28. in his discourse of Witchcraft How may the People of New-England relish this a People generally all over few excepted your Church Members and yet by Cotton Mathers Authority full of Lyes Also he doth plainly accuse not a few of them for using and practising manifold Sorceries and Charms Had the People called Quakers so accused them of New-England it would have been judged great impiety But what saith the People of New-England now to Cotton Mather who doth so accuse them let them see to it and if they be not guilty of his Charge whether is he not severely to be reprehended And what say his Brethren the men called Ministers in Boston who have so highly praised his Book have they no Garment to cast over their Naked Brother Here follow a few words of a Letter to Iohn Cotton called a Minister at Plymouth in New-England John Cotton HAving seeen a few Lines from thy hand attested by thee and other two Witnesses wherein thou and they declare That in the Town of Plymouth in New-England last Summer save one ye heard me affirm That the Scriptures are the Word of God My Answer to thee and them is That ye have not dealt fairly nor as becoming true Witnesses in this case for every Witness should declare all the Truth and conceal nothing of the Truth which they heard Now this ye have not done but diminished from my words as your Consciences may bear witness if your Memory be not bad for I very well remember my words at that time which were these That I did acknowledge the true Sense of the Scripture to be the Word of God and that in the same I was not singular in my Perswasion from the People called Quakers for Samuell Fisher in his Book called Rusticus ad Academicos that hath been in print upwards of twenty five Years hath affirmed the same to wit That the true Sense of the Scripture is the Word of God And at that time I further said That not every one who had the Letter of the Scripture had the Word of God to speak properly because they had not the true sense of Scripture which none have but such to whom it is given by the Spirit of God I also did further affirm That the Letter or words of Scripture may be called the Word in a figurative sense as the Map or Card of England is called England and that the Greek word is used in Scripture in divers acceptations All this and more to the same purpose I spoke to thee at that time G. K. The substance of this I have more largely asserted in my late Book printed called The Presbyterian and Independent visible Churches c. cap. 1. THE END

legal and evangelical but the Evangelical doth but obscurely and hiddenly appear and therefore the first may be called more Legal and in that respect is called by Paul and others The Law by a synecdoche the denomination being taken from the larger part and this Dispensation continued until Iohn according to Christs own Words The Law and the Prophets were unto John The Second Dispensation of the same Gospel may vvell enough be understood to begin at Iohn according to Acts 1.22 beginning from the Baptism of Iohn unto that same day that he vvas taken up from us see also Acts 10.37 38. and to continue until the plentiful pouring forth of the holy Ghost both at and after the day of Pentecost and this second Dispensation comprehendeth all the time of Christ his being on Earth in the flesh vvhich though a more clear and glorious Dispensation of the Gospel yet vvas in some degree vailed vvith the figures of the Lavv for not only Iohn's Baptism but the vvhole Lavv of Moses vvas in force until Christ suffered on the Cross and became a Sacrifice of a svveet smell unto God and a Propitiation for the sins of the vvhole World and thereby put an end to all these Sacrifices of Rams Lambs and Bullocks c. for Christ himself being made of a Woman vvas made under the Lavv and fulfilled it both in his being circumcised and baptised and he preached the Law and Gospel and sent one vvhom he had cured of his Leprosie to the Priest according to the Lavv and told the Iews That their paying Tythes which wholly belonged to the Law was a thing to be done but that withal the greater things of the Law as Mercy and Iudgment were not to be neglected And Christ told that it is written in the Law They shall be all taught of God which is a Gospel Promise So that the Gospel and Law were united and joyned together in both these former Dispensations and the Gospel was in the Law as some precious Treasure hid within some vail The Third and last Dispensation began from the giving of the holy Ghost at Pentecost most apparently and was to encrease until it should come to its Meridian or Noon-tide Glory as so it may be said it did really so come in the days of the Apostles before their decease And this third Dispensation of the Gospel is that which ought to be called The pure and perfect Gospel Dispensation purely and perfectly unvailed and uncovered declaring and revealing that great Mystery of Christ and of eternal Salvation by faith in him both as he came and suffered outwardly in the flesh and dyed for us and rose again and ascended and is now in Heaven at the right hand of Majesty making intercession for us and also as he doth come inwardly to live dwell and rule in our hearts for both his outward and inward coming are a most choice and excellent Doctrine of the Gospel of our Salvation but the one without the other is lame and defective for as it is most glad Tidings which the word Gospel or Evangel signifieth that Christ hath dyed for us purchased to us the forgiveness of all our sins through Faith in his Name so likewise that the Father hath given him to us in our hearts to kill and destroy the very life of sin in us and perfectly to sanctifie and renew us into the Image of God and no Vails nor Figures nor Types of things to come belong to this third Dispensation of the Gospel but the Truth of the Gospel is held forth purely and perfectly in its own native lustre beauty and glory without any figure or shadow of the Law such as Circumcision and Iohn's Baptism was These Positions thus being laid down and well understood the substance of which are sufficiently laid down in my late book tho' not so largely or in so many express words may serve sufficiently to answer to every one of thy Objections against us without a particular application to every particular of thy Treatise And thus it plainly doth appear how it may be granted that Iohn's Ministry and Baptism was the beginning of that second Dispensation of the Gospel that as yet had its Vails and Figures in some degree remaining vailing that more abundant glory that was to follow But it doth not follow that Iohn's Baptism or Water baptism of any that did baptize did really belong to the third Dispensation of the Gospel as any part thereof and this third Dispensation is being the Gospel perfected and consummated as it cometh to its Meridian or Noon-tide Glory and Brightness that which is most commonly and frequently called the Gospel in the New Testament being cleared and discharged from all these Vails and Figures of the Law even as when Christ arose he laid aside his grave Clothes and did not after his Resurrection re-assume his Garments which he did use as a cloathing before he suffered but left them to remain with the Souldiers that put him to death A figure of this very Mystery And thou art at great pains to prove That John was sent to baptize with Water and Christ's Disciples baptized with Water and so did the Apostles after the giving of the holy Ghost and a great many other things thou bringest no wise contradicted by us the People called Quakers and therefore thou might'st have spared thy needless pains But the great thing for thee to prove was That John 's Baptism or Water Baptism is any part or precept of the Gospel Dispensation and Administration as it began to take place after the Death and Resurrection of Christ and the giving of the holy Ghost This thou hast not done in the least and therefore thou hast done nothing to purpose And whereas thou pleadest That Christ sent John to baptize and preach I answer And so I say as truly he sent Moses to give the Law and Circumcision for the Spirit of Christ was in Moses and in Aaron and in the holy Priests under the Law that circumcised and sacrificed and Christ gave both the Law and Gospel and was the Mediator under both and the Minister of both for without Christ the Word that was in the beginning by whom all things were made neither Law nor the Prophets could have been But the thing thou shouldst have proved That Christ as the Mediator of the New-Covenant in the pure and perfect Dispensation of the Gospel in the last administration of it ever commanded Water Baptism or that Christ after he rose from the dead commanded Water Baptism which thou dost not do in the least Thou seemest to lay great stress on these words Acts 10.48 That Peter commanded them to be baptized who had received the holy Ghost to wit Cornelius and his company But this I have answered already and I say further this doth not prove that Water Baptism is a Gospel Precept but only that that second Dispensation being not yet vvholly abolished Peter savv a service in it in the Wisdom

of God revealed in him and therefore he might vvell command it for that time tho' no Gospel Precept But vvhereas thou sayst That Peter and the Apostles did command in Christ Iesus the Lords Name Water Baptism is a thing utterly false the Scripture saith no such thing but That Peter commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord so that the Name of the Lord is relative to their being baptized not to the command and their being baptized in the Name of the Lord doth plainly signifie that their being baptized vvith Water vvas som outward sign that they became the Lords and were true believers in him Next vvhereas thou sayst I affirm that Water Baptism was at that time an abolished Ceremony is false I said no such thing It was beginning to be abolishing and decaying and was decreasing as John said in respect of his Baptism I must decrease but Christ must encrease But that it vvas then totally abolished I say not for it could not be safely abolished all at once but by degrees and after some time as I have above demonstrated And novv that I call this third and last Dispensation that began to take place after the Death and Resurrection of Christ the pure and perfect Dispensation of the Gospel I understand it not as if the first and second Dispensations before and under Moses or before and under Christ as he vvas present in the flesh had any mixture or impurity of sin or evil nay far be it from me but I call it pure and perfect as having none of these Figures and Types of the Lavv mixed vvith it as formerly And though the Apostles after the giving of the holy Ghost did grovv up into the attainment of this most pure and perfect Gospel state and Dispensation yet many Christians vvho had a measure of sincere Faith in Christ vvere short of it and for the cause of such vvho vvere vveak and but as Babes in Christ they savv it meet in the Wisdom of God to use it for some time But after the days of the Apostles and their Successors about three or four hundred years there-after the true Gospel Spirit was generally lost a Remnant excepted of hidden ones who in some measure retained it and the inward Power of Godliness departed from and then Water Baptism and many other things belonging to the outward form became as a dead thing and was more fit to be buried than to be used And none ought to presume to raise it up again unless it could be said That the Power of God had raised it or renewed it in the users or practisers of it and that they could sincerely say and prove that God had sent them or given them Authority to use Water Baptism and other the like things but this I do not find that any called Baptists so much as pretend unto and if they did pretend to it their bare pretence without some real and effectual prooff were not to be believed And that Peter caused Water-baptism to be administred to Cornelius and other Gentiles doth not prove it to be a Gospel Precept for under the Law the Gentiles who became Proselites of the Covenant so called were generally baptized into Water as well as Circumcised long before Iohn's time as the Iews Books plainly declare and as may be gathered from Scripture and as divers Christian Writers relate from the Iews and particularly Thomas Godwin in his Book called Moses and Aaron lib. 1. cap. 3. And seeing it was so commonly practised by the Iews as well before Iohn's time as then and thereafter as both Iewish and Christian Writers affirm and as the Epistle to the Hebrews doth plainly declare Heb. 9.10 how that the Law had its divers Baptisms so the Greek translated into English Washings and carnal Ordinances until the time of Reformation it doth more plainly evince that Water Baptism was a legal thing tho' both it Circumcision with all the other Types and Figures of the Law pointed at Gospel Mysteries and in so far may be said to relate or belong to the Gospel in its more obscure Administration but that whole Dispensation both of Moses and the Prophets is in Scripture stile call'd The Law altho' Moses himself and all the Prophets saw beyond the Figures of the Law and were truly endowed in great part with a Gospel spirit That thou say'st if Water Baptism had not been comprehended in Paul 's Commission then he had done evil in baptizing so many I Answ. It doth not follow any more than that he did evil in circumcising Timothy for things may be done upon occasions without a Command from God and that not only by a bare or simple permission but in a sweet heavenly freedom of Gods holy Spirit inwardly revealed which is the only chief and principal Rule of every true Christians freedom as well as of their Obedience How many good Christians joyn in Marriage having no command so to do but knowing and enjoying an inward Liberty by the Spirit of the Lord so to do and therein receiving the blessing of the Lord and many other the like cases might be mention'd Thou givest a very strange and exceeding strained Gloss upon Paul's words That he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel to wit that Water Baptism was not so bound to Paul or any other sent to preach the Gospel that they with their own hands must needs perform that Work of Baptizing and Paul and the other Apostles had such and such for their Ministers as John Timothy and others But what then what Paul commanded other Disciples to do is all one as if he had done it himself as thou arguest in another case but not to thy purpose and therefore it cannot be reasonably judged that if Paul had been sent to baptize either by himself or making use of others to assist him in that work he would have said He was not sent to baptize for that would imply a plain Contradiction to be sent and not to be sent But this thy strein'd gloss on Pauls words is grounded upon a meer supposition of thine That Paul was sent to baptize with Water which thou hast not in the least proved nor art ever like to do Matth. 28. saith nothing of Water Thy similitude betwixt Solomons Temple and the Gospel-Church as thou dost apply it is exceeding vain foolish and proceedeth from great Ignorance as if the Stones that were the Foundation of Solomon's Temple cut out of the Mountains and the Timber-work did signifie that the Foundation of God's Spiritual House should be Water-Baptism But this is plain contrary to Scripture that saith The Church is built on the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles Iesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone And thou that sets up Water-Baptism as the Foundation of the Gospel Church preachest another Foundation than Christ Jesus and another Gospel If Solomon's Temple had been built on the Waters thou mightst have had some slender

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

Supper did not really eat and drink sufficiently to refresh nourish the Natural Body as well as together with that their Souls were refreshed and nourished with spiritual food for it is most clear that in the Church of Corinth they did eat together to refresh the outward man and this the Apostle did not reprove but their disorderly manner of eating so that some were hungery and others were drunken and some eat at home in private and others did not but tarried to eat together with their Brethren and were at times disappointed This plainly proveth they used to make a real Meal of their eating together but your manner of eating about the quantity of a Nut in Bread and a spoonful one or two in Wine we find no where in all the New Testament and that ye give the cup but once and Christ gave it twice as I have showed in my late book this ye can give no account of and thou hast not taken the least notice of it although it is material to you who pretend to observe every thing as Christ did And why are ye not as zealous for washing one anothers feet and anointing the sick with Oyl I am sure more expresly commanded by Christ and Iames the Apostle than your Water baptism ye can give no just account It seems thou art zealous for laying on of hands which thou reckons also as belonging to the foundation of the Gospel falsly citing and perverting these words in Heb. 6.1 2. for though that place mention the foundation of Faith and Repentance and afterwards the Doctrine of Baptisms and of laying on of hands yet it saith not that either Water baptism or laying on of hands is any part of the foundation and the Doctrine of Baptisms and the laying on of hands is one thing the use of Water baptism is quite another The Doctrine of all the legal Rites Figures and Types remaineth in the Church at this day but the practice of them is abolished and so of Water baptism Before the close of this my Answer I shall further take notice of some other of thy gross impertinencies First Thou usest these idle words by way of reproach So that upon hearing Peter's Testimony not of killing the Light within as the Quakers preach c. Here thou makest it a matter of derision to say Christ who is the Light and the Life may be killed or crucified by mens sins whereby thou declarest thy great ignorance of the Letter of the Scripture that said of some that they crucified the Son of God afresh and surely that was within them and not without and said Iames Ye have killed the just and he hath not resisted you which cannot be understood as if all these to whom he had writ had been guilty of outward Murder But understand how these call'd Quakers mean that Christ is inwardly crucified or slain by mens great sins to wit not in himself for his Life is an Immortal Principle but unto them so that by their sins they wholly deprive themselves of the enjoyment of it 2 dly Thou sayst While Peter is speaking not mentioning ought of the Light within altho' we deny it not where God would have it spoken of Behold here another bitter and satyrical Scoff against the Light within and what altho' Peter mention not the Light within in that place Acts 10. in express words let the place be considered and it shall be found plainly enough implied in that very discourse of Peter see v. 42. said Peter that it is even Jesus of Nazareth who was ordained to be judge of quick and dead And can this be without the Light within that shall be as a thousand Witnesses against the wicked in that great day of Judgment when the books shall be opened not only the book of Conscience but the Lords Light in the Conseience that did see and reprove them and witness against them when they sinned And whereas thou sayst thou denyest not the Light within when God would have it spoken of I say thou denyest it in so far as thou denyest Christ in the heart who is the true Light callest him a false Christ and also that thou blamest the Quakers for pretending to inward Revelations which ye Baptists generally deny therein agreeing with the dark Priests and other dark Professors 3 dly Thou dost represent the Quakers as denying that Christ is come in the flesh and carrying it in a subtil notion that he is come in their flesh This is a most false and injurious Accusation we most faithfully believe and embrace it as a most faithful saying That Christ Iesus is come in the flesh to wit in that very Body of Flesh which was conceived by the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary dyed and rose again c. and yet according to Scripture we also believe That the Life of Iesus is made manifest in mortal Flesh and that the Bodies of the Saints are the Temples of God and of Christ of the holy Spirit and that the Saints are his Members and He their Head and that they enjoy and possess a measure of the same holy Spirit that dwelt and dwelleth in him in all fullness and tho' some divine Illumination and manifestation of the Spirit of God be given to all men in a day or time according to plain Scripture yet we do not say tha● all men have the holy Spirit or are baptized with it as thou dost falsly represent us for many men are sensual not having the Spirit and the Spirit of God hath left many men and doth no more invite and call them to Repentance the day of their Visitation being over 4 thly Thou dost insinuate as if we did not believe any other Coming of Christ than his inward coming in his Saints which is false as also is that other gross alledgance of thine That our opposition to Water Baptism is raised against the Person of Iesus Christ and the remembrance of his last Coming This I altogether deny as False Wicked and Injurious we do believe and make it our care to remember that our Lord Jesus is in Heaven in his glorified Body Soul and Spirit of true Man that Seed of David and Abraham and that he shall come again and jud●e both quick and dead even the Man Christ Iesus And as for thy other many false Accusations and hard bitter and reproachful Speeches against us and me in particular I shall not waste paper nor time to repeat them but heartily wish thy Repentance and the opening of thy dark Understanding to the acknowledging and confessing to the Truth if it be the good will of God that so it may come to pass before thy dayes be expired And now ye Water Baptists who plead so earnestly for Water Baptism though in opposition to the living and glorious Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ in the hearts of his Saints some of you calling Christ in the heart a false Christ in the secret Chamber the which