of mans belief not belief the cause of mans redemption for so should men deny Christ and be his own redeemer but Christ is a redeemer before man be a believer for what should man believe if not redemption and who should he believe if not the redeemer As a man cannot own Christ the Saviour and deny his redemption so a man cannot own redemption and deny the Saviour But thy Queries plainly testify thee to be a denyer of both In the next place thou hast broken in thy blindness thy fore-head against a rock that lay full in thy way for thou art forced to confess that I say something to the proof of Baptisme of Repentance in alledging Acts 7.59 If I and my freinds can witness such a condition as those convicts did in the four last verses Answ My freinds and I witnessing the condition required verse the 38. do manifest conversion which is more then conviction which conversion doth not only witness by the gift promised thereunto that condition in the four last verses upon the like or any Gospel occasion requiring but the condition Acts 7.59 60. Rom. 12.11 Heb. 10.34 For my freinds and I do witness against thee and all who deny to follow Christ in the Regeneration or Baptisme of Repentance that if we follow not that conversion to do as Gospel need requireth to the loss of what we here enjoy and life and all if we be thereunto called for Christ and his Gospel sake we violate our Baptisme and destroy our faith but to leave any of these and not for the Gospel sake or it requiring and calling thereunto but presently from an idle notion to seem to have what is not within 't is a denyal of faith and is hypocrisie turn thy eyes to those of thy own generation and see if thou can spie none who are so far from parting from their own estates that although convinced yet are not converted to restore that which others complain against them for as taken from them by Exaction and Violence while garments will not cover Extortion the righteousness of the Saints is the cloathing of the regeneration If my freinds and I could not witness the condition of the four last verses or the 38. verse of which thou canst not accuse us in a Gospel language is it right therefore for thee to deny Baptisme call the wise in heart to Judge if this be from a conscience rightly enlightened and they will tell thee that rather thou ought to stand up in the right use and practice thereof according to its faithful institution and not deny Baptisme because others who profess it are not rightly qualified for it and when the Hypocrite hath cast out the beam in his own eye he will see more clearly any mote that is in ours till when if thou make use of thy own words let the babler be silent it will be more wisedome and that lying pride and passion which here and so often thou would perswade the world of against me would not so plainly appear in thy self and then blindly boldly callit perfection Thou tellest me water sprinkling is not once named there Acts 2.32 To which I answer that neither would it be named here but that thy low light looks thee out that bubble to prevent thy obedience to that baptisme which is named there after thy forced confession of the truth thereof as afore is manifested and for a further occasion against that truth thou askest me if Christs Baptisme consist of outward water I answer if it did Martin Mason were a Baptized man for he hath had outward water but wanting in ward repentance and faith in that Christ whose ordinance Baptisme is therefore he is not Baptised but denyeth that council of God against himself as his predecessors in denyal thereof did Luke 7. I also will ask thee a question whose Baptisme was it that Philip Baptized the Eunuch with Acts 8.38 And that Peter commanded Cornelius to be Baptized with Acts 10.47 48. If thou acknowledg it Christs Baptisme thy fable is answered If thou say it was not Christs Baptisme whose seavants were they in the doing and commanding it to be done lay by thy lewd language and let me have an answer to this who never receivest answer from thee yet to any thing that I desired an answer to in meekness and moderation but in unreasonable railings and when thou knowest what the Baptisme of repentance is by a right conversion wrought in thy self thou wilt know what it is to suffer with Christ and what the Baptisme of the holy Ghost is till when the Serpent that is so quick in thy mouth stops it from confession to Salvation Thou should answer Ephes 1.13 Which thou callest my last proof and was brought to prove that the Spirit of promise is received by believing as also Gal. 3.2 was alledged to prove the same but thou having no mind to acknowledg the truth though so plainly appearing before thee and wanting answer against it asks me what was this word of truth if not Jesus the word of God the sure word of Prophesie which shined in the Ephesians dark hearts which they knew not Answ Is there any thing in this worthy to be called an answer to defend thee in thy denyall of the Spirit to be received by the hearing of the faith preached and believing the word of truth and Jesus the word of God being alone the Apostles preached that word of truth and Jesus the word of God to work faith in men by which faith the Spirit of promise was received what help for thee in this but to throw thee backward that word of truth and Jesus the word of God did not shine in the Ephesians dark hearts before the Apostles preached to them as thou falsly and ignorantly would perswade but after the Apostles preaching they believed and after they believed they were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise as that text saith Ephes 1.13 but thou thrusts away the word after which the text delivers that thy darkness might be placed before the Apostles preaching of Christ Jesus but Christ telleth thee John the 10.8 that all such forecomers are thieves and robbers compare this thy saying with the sure word of Prophesie which shined in their dark hearts which they knew not with what thou sayest before that the unction the womans seed the Christ within is that light which is in all consciences before faith and without before the Apostles preaching so that by thy Doctrine the Apostle preaching the word of truth or Jesus the word of God brought nothing to the Ephesians but what they had before for if they had the unction the Christ within which is the Spirit of promise before then were they Sealed before but the Apostle telleth them Ephes 2.12 that before they believed they were without Christ so that I must either deny the Ephesians conversion by the Apostles preaching of faith and the Apostles saying that after they believed they were Sealed
shew the pride of thy fathers child who would have a servant under him In which pride thou saist for the simples sake thou wilt peruse those Scriptures my father sends me with to fight for his kindgome which Scripture is Mat. 28.19 20. Act. 2.32 41 42. Answ Let the Reader take notice that these being the Scriptures of God and weapons given by him to those he sends for their defence and safety against the enemy thou must either acknowledge God to be my Father agianst thy will in bringing these Scriptures or say they are not his but the Scriptures and weapons of his enemy which Blasphemy being lodged in thy calling it dead Letter will be laid open that all may see whose Child thou art But howsoever this is certain that it is not God whose the Scriptures is that sends thee with these low weapons of self devices to fight against the sender of those Scriptures and those sent of him but all thy labour will be in vain and destruction will be the wages of such Imployment thy promise to the simple is spoken in thy mother tongue Prov. 9.16 They must be simple ones indeed that gives ear to thy Doctrine and perusal of Scripture Thy first perusal is thou tellest the simple thou cannot find Sprinkling there Answ This is a simple instruction he must needs be a blind guide that can but tell those he undertakes to teach that he cannot see or cannot find and so produce nothing thou canst not find Sprinkling and thou wilt not find Baptisme there though the Scriptures plainly declare it the simple will soon have enough of thy perusal of Scripture from whence thou runnest stumbling to me in thy blindness and asks if Act. the 22.16 make for my purpose and if Sprinkling with water is once mentioned there or did Annanias bid him be Baptised with outward water Answ That Scripture is for me in the matter in question which is Baptisme Annanias bid him arise and be Baptised and he arose and was Baptised Act. 9.18 as for thy words Sprinkling with water and outward water being no Scripture Language but thy own having thy tongue dipt in the Egyptian Sea and but trifles and babbles of thine to shift off the answer I shall leave them see if thou can produce any thing from thence that will answer thy rejecting that counsel of God against thy self in not being Baptised as thy brother Expounders and perusers of Scriptures did Luke the 7.30 Thou saist as for Act. the 10.47 48. is it not clear the Holy Ghost was received without outward water then where is the necessity of Sprinkling Answ No necessity of Sprinkling but where Martin Mason wants an answer In his denyal of Saptisme with water upon confession of faith and for the necessity of that Baptisme the Apostle Peter in that Text gives full satisfaction both in asking who could forbid water and also in commanding them to be Baptized it appears none of thy Spirit was there for then there would have been a denyal of it but there was no denyal or forbidding but submistion and command for it both in Peter and the rest and for the Holy Ghost being received before that Baptisme that is nothing to thy denyal thereof for none in denyal of Baptisme either then or since did receive or have the promise of the spirit Gods love to these in the State of submission obedience to that Ordinance as Cornclius and the rest were is no president for thee or any in opposing and denying it but to condemne your disobedience Cornclius did manifest as much and more light then thee and thy generation do now before Peter was sent unto him yet had he not the spirit of promise till he had heard the Apostles preaching the Lord Jesus in whom he believed and after that there was no slighting water but it was administred in the name of the Lord Jesus In which Name any thing commanded and practised by the Apostles and beleevers was accounted necessary and still is but where the Spirit of errour doth Blaspheme and deny the Lord in his Ordinances Did Christ himself give an example of righteousuess in being Baptized with water upon which the Holy Ghost did witness the good pleasure and love of God and shall men now be heard or accounted as righteous in opposition and denyal thereof surely none will give eare to such strangers and enemies to truth but such as know not the Lord and have no acquaintance with his voyce Thou saist Act. 8.36 37. intimates that it is but a thing indifferent if thou beleevest saith Philip thou maist as much as if he had said if thou beleevest outward water to be necessary to Salvation thou maist be Baptized Answ Take away as much as thy prologue to proceed falsely the remainder is if Philip had said if thou believest outward water to be necessary to Salvation thou maist be Baptized but Philip said not so 't is Martin Mason that saith so in which he hath manifested himself in a Lye as much as if he had saâ—d Philip taught the Eunuch not to believe in Christ for if Philip had taught the Eunuch that to believe outward water was necessary to Salvation to fit him for Baptisme he must deny belief in Christ which only is necessary to Salvation and to fit for Baptisme for there is nothing can fit for Baptisme but only faith in Christ water administred upon that faith is necessary to obedience which the Eunuch observed from Philips preaching desiring water but Philips preaching and the Eunuch beleeving was in that Christ only as vers 35. doth manifest according to Christs command Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 28.19 20. Of whom should the Eunuch know and why should he desire Baptisme if Philip had not preached it to him and for thee to say that Philip who preached and was sent by the power of the Holy Ghost preached things in relation to the Gospel so indifferently as thou saist as to be done or not done thou dost in this disable what thou can the Spirit of the most high God to say he commands and sends his servants to practise things of no value or that are unnecessary and things indifferent to be done or undone which is blasphemy or say that Philip and the Apostles did contrary to commandment or the Spirit teaching and so make them Antichristians like to thy self This indifferent Spirit of thine which would take men off from the commands of Christ practice of his Disciples is a Spirit of errour and Doctrine of Darkness and none but those who are led by such en evil Spirit would or durst so grosly oppose the plain teaching of the Scripture and bring their own lye against it The next proof thou faist I clap in is no better then the rest which is Acts the 8.12 They were all baptized both men and women but water was wanting Answ There is no want of water where the baptisme of repentance is truly ministred as there it
was and the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost they had not till afterward as verse 15 16 17. But thou wantest a Christian eye and heart which if thou hadst thou wouldst hate to deliver such detestable Stuff where the Scripture names water in Baptisme thou with wicked violence wouldst pluck the words away and place thy own divised baubles in the room thereof and where the Scripture speaks of the same baptisme because it names not water thou audatiously denyest water saist it's wanting there by which thy Spirit of lying is plainly laid open thou calls me vain Jangler tells me these places are not for my purpose without adding to the letter but whether thou in thy perusal or rather abusal of Scripture hast not manifested thy self a vain Jangler and adds to and diminisheth of the Scriptures teaching to hide and deny the truth let the reader Judge thou saist John was a Propher therefore his Ministration must end in Christ Jesus who is the fullfiling of the Law and the Prophets Answ What 's all that to thy denyal of the Baptisme of repentance or baptizing with water upon confession of faith and sins If John were a Prophet he was so in relation to the Gospel of Christ whose servant and Minister he was and not in relation to the ceremonies and rudimeuts of the Law of Moses therefore his ministration ending in Christ ending but where it began as all other Prophets ministration of the Gospel did as Peter and Paul and John whose ministration begun and ended in Christ but all in relation to their own persons for that ministration still remained and doth remain to say the ministration of Baptisme ceased when John ceased is not only a tying the teachings and commandements of God to mans mutability but is also a plain denyal of the Apostles teaching and practice to be of God not only after John was taken away but also after Christ himself ascended as Acts 2.38 and 10.47 48. and 6.38 Thou askest me why I do not plead for the practice of circumcision in the flesh as for Baptisme is not their authority of an equal purity both by permission not by precept Answ If I should plead for the practice of circumcision in the flesh now as for baptisme I should be a denyer of Christ like unto thee circumcision being a carnal seal of a worldly covenant was abolished by the bringing in of a better testament Heb. 7.22 and the 10.9 But I plead for Baptisme because 't is an ordinance of the Gospel and a Testimonial of their faith and obedience who enter into the new covenant thy saying they are of equal purity is from an impure weakness for the one was only an impression in the flesh not reaching the heart by faith the other hath no Seal or impression but in the heart by faith whereas thou saist they were both by permission not by precept thou speakest falsly for they were both by precept the one a precept of the law the other a precept of Christ in the Gospel which all that obey the light that lights every man that comes into the World knowes and will acknowledg but those on whom the sun is gone down night is to them for a vision and darkness for a divination Thou saist in my reply to the seventh Position thou findest me so puzled teaching perfection that I give thee no answer but would shuffle thee off bringing in James the 3.2 Answ Thou dost this but to shuffle off James 3.2 To which thou should give answer whosoever reads thy former paper shall hear thee throw me out a many foul and filthy words about perfection which is all that is contained in that paper to puzle me with which paper if thou wert not ashamed to show to the world with my answer it would manifest who is puzled and what perfection there is in Martin Mason compared with what thou repeats from James 3.2 If any offend not in word the same is a perfect man if thy own mouth do not here condem thee let thy offensive words which testifie thy deceived and vain Religion James 1.26 witness which is because thou wants a bridle which will bring thee a sad conclusion as James tells thee James 3.3 to the 7. But now let the reader hear what answer there is in thee to that of James 3.2 which thou saist I shuffle thee off with the Apostle there saith to his brethren in many things we sin all In the room of an answer saist thou doth he plead against perfection as thou dost to which I answer Thou must acknowledg he doth or say he calls sin perfection see if thou can shuffle this off Thou saist the Scriptures were never writ that the Devil by them should plead for sin Answ Nor were they ever writ that sinners by them should plead perfection Thou tellest me of bringing Rom. 7.18 Where Paul saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing from whence saist thou thou would infer that in Paul dwelt nothing that was good but wilt thou say the Holy Ghost is not good Answ I brought Rom. 7.18 to let thee hear the Apostles own words which denyeth perfection in the flesh thou canst not tell how to answer this and therefore leaves it to speak fasly of me saying I would infer had I brought the Second commandement to a Papist against his worshiping of Images and he answer hence thou would infer that God should not be worshiped it had been an answer equal with thine Thou ought rather to answer that Scripture or acknowledg thy errour Paul had the holy Ghost yet Paul saith in him that is in his flesh dwelleth no good thing but thou saist perfection dwelleth in the flesh of Paul so that the perfection thou pleads for is no good thing or we must deny Paul and hear thee against him but if Paul who had the Spirit of God within him had no good thing dwelling in his flesh as himself saith then sure 't is a bad perfection that is in Martin Masons flosh in whom dwelleth the Spirit of errour as is manifest in his abuse of Scripture and fighting against the truth And then saist thou away with Pauls Epistles and by consequence with the rest of the Scripture Answ That is it thou strives for to get shut of the Scriptures for their witness torments thee but thou labours in vain for they will out-live all the generations of falshood and be a continual witness against mens devices as is plainly manifested in this Thou saist that I alledged Phil. 3.24 is to me a mystery Answ I have so much of the mystery as to alledg it for that which thou art not able to answer therefore in that I need not say to them babler be silent thou saist my piece of Logick shews what a Pagan I am Answ And thy silence argues thy consent to the right reason in that piece of Logick for thou givest no answer to it whether it be more
uttermost part of the earth and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all Nations Now let all who have ears to hear judge whether an Egyptian mist and besottedness be not rather in thy self to aledge these whom thou never sawest or heard but by the report of others to be thy witness against me and the Scriptures There is two many nearor hand who if their non obedience must witness against the Scriptures that they have not heard the preaching of Christ and his Apostles do witness fully of which namely Martin Mason is one who is too full of fury and wrath against the preaching of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles to yeild obedience thereunto Thy saying that Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 In effect proves Christ command to his Disciples when they were on earth to go preach the glad tydings of the Gospel to the generation they lived in Dothplainly shew how desirous thou art to out short the Commission of Christ and stop the mouths of his Apostles in their preaching by that Commission in these times whose power and promise with that Commission as it was to all the world and every creature so it is to the worlds end as is manifested in the Scriptures verse the 20. By which is discovered what relation thou hast to Christ or love or aquaintance with his truth If thou didest know Christ as the truth is in Jesus thou wouldst know that though the Apostles be not personaly upon earth yet their word by which beleif in Christ is wrought John 47.20 and by which the world shall be judged John 12 48. Rom. 2.16 and by which the word of God is manifest Tit. 1.3 and which is a witness to all Nations through the whole world Mat. 24.14 yet remaineth notwithstanding thine and Millions of opposers and denyers thereof And thus that Egypian mist and sottishness which thou saiest is in me is manifested in thy self who as thou goest about by London way to speak with me who lives by thee in Lincolne so thou runest to the unchristianed world as thou callest them who live many thousands of Myles from thee to be thy witness against me that the Gospel is not preached by Christ and his Apostles and against the Scriptures also And our own knowledge who have their preaching sounding in our ears continually Would any but a misted blind man bring a candle to witness against the Light of the Sun Thy confusion is further manifested In thy acknowledging the Scriptures in effect proves Christ command to his Disciples to go preach the glad tydings of the Gospel For thou denyst and opposest that Christ which they preached and also in his Ordinances and therefore most miserable is thy condition in that to acknowledge it the Command of Christ and the glad tydings of the Gospel and yet fight against it Thou saiest thou never questionedst Christs Comission or their execution thereof yet thou thy self denyst obedience thereunto and wouldest bring Millions of non Christians to witness against it what greater question can be against that Commistion to all the world and every Creature in the world or the execution thereof then to say Millions of people in the world have never heard of that Christ Thou bidest me see my foolishness and be ashamed but if that blend which befottes all sences that oppose the Truth were not it thee thou wouldest see thy self amongst these Owls and Batts whose nightly noyse is heard in the ruines of Babylon But that wine being in thee 't is hid from thy Eyes Thou repeatest thy question How is the Gospel preached to every Creature under Heaven if not by the Principal of light in the Conscience Answ And I answer thee again In the preaching of Christ and his Apostles which worketh the principle of light in the Conscience which is the light of Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the World And whatsoever pretended light in the Conscience that is not enlightned from thence and leads not to the obedience of that preaching 't is darkness and not light it is two secret and desart for the Saints and Diseiples of Christ to go out to it Mat. 24.26 and lead but where the foolish Woman brings her dead guests Prov. 9.18 Take away thy Letter saiest thou and by this mans Doctrine there would be no principal of light arising in thy Conscience Answ Take away the preaching of Christ in the Scriptures which thou callest dead Letter there would be the same in the Conscience in relation to light that would be in thy tongue for hadest thou not their speakings to still thy mouth with what Name of Christ or Spirit or Spiritual weapon or Gospel or Conscience or Light it self wouldst thou have all that hear thee knows that thou hast none of these expressions but from thence Those who spake by thy Spirit when Christ was personally upon earth might likewise say take away this Carpinter Marys Son and there is no Mesias or Son of God or Light and Saviour of the world for as they contemned and despised Christ Jesus because of his seeming meanness or outward manly estate so thou dost contemne and dispise his Word therefore his Word shall judge the in the lay day John 12.48 Shall men despise the way and means that God hath given for teaching and correcting in righteousness and which is able to make men wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Because 't is brought home to them in words and writing such dispisers shall wonder and vanish away at the beholding the work of God by that which they so dispise Martin take this further with thee to consider of in way of answer that whosoever takes away or denys that which thou callest dead Letter shall find no light of Conscience but what leads to distruction the Scriptures are either the voyce or speaking of God or nothing or worse if they be nothing or worse why dost thou sometimes say thou ownst them or why dost thou speak by them and steal their word to fill thy mouth with and aledge them And if they be the voyce and speaking of God as even they are thou that wouldest take them away and callest them Dead and Life-less wouldst take away the voyce and speaking of God and call it Dead and Life-less and so art a plain opposer and set enemy against God which manifesteth thy dead and dark mind Thy swelling words against me of gross darkness and calling me Babylonian and Lyer and shame cover thy face and the like I slight them as Big words of wrath for want of matter Thou askest me If there was not a Principal of Light in people before Moses writ the Letter Answ There was the preaching of the Gospel the word of Faith which is the sure Principle of Light before Moses writ the Letter witness Abels offering and Abrahams believing compared with Gal. 3.8 and Heb. 11.4 As also the preaching of the Gospel or righteousness by Noah to the
many foul words for it let that charity now begin at home and deal such words rightly where they do belong would any but one who is blind in heart publish himself in print in such poor pettish spirited things as thou dost I am ashamed to have to do with such silly stuffe neither would I but that I knew my silence would make thee boast and be wise in thy own concent therefore I chuse rather to answer thee as I am advised Prov. 26.5 Thou bids Jonathan tell thee if he did not a little before own the light of the conscience to be the inlet of the Spirit Answ Jonathan by writing hath told Martin before and tells him now that he dis-owns his false fained light but he owns the light of the conscience enlightned by the preaching of faith according to the Scriptures Thou askest me if I will be a Lyer whether thou wilt or no as though thou had the making and disposing of Lyes as a Child belonging to the Father of Lyes but though thy will like thy Fathers be to have all Lyers like thy self yet thou must want of thy will in me for I neither love or make Lyes neither canst thou prove any Lye against me though thou call me Lyer but it is a small matter to find a Lye in a foul mouth I am willing to refer what is said to the wise in heart to judge who is the Babler and bond-slave in Babylon and sayes and unsayes which is the esteeme thou would have me in with those to whom thou publisheth so against me and whom thou askest if I do not place water and beleeving in the Letter in the room of Christ by making them the way and the door or inlet to the Spirit of promise Answ It would agree better with right reason if thou shewed where I said so least they that find not any such saying of mine must needs say thou art a Lyer whether they will or no I deny thou hast them words from me water administred upon repentance and faith in Christ Jesus I would have where it should be according to Gospel teaching that is the Baptisme of repentance which I have so much spoken to thee and against which thou and thy generation deviseth so many cross opposings to wind out and shroud your selves from the appearance of truth but your coverings are too scant which makes your nakedness be seen of every passer by Who ever saist thou are not Spiritually blind will see the blasphemy of the beast for Christ the light of the world is the door and the way John 10.9 and 14.16 and so the inlet to the Spirit of promise Answ Doth Christ being the door and the way to Salvation deny faith to be the inlet of his spirit of promise is not entrance into Christ the door by faith and is not receiving the Spirit of promise by faith then faith in Christ is the inlet to Salvation and the inlet of the spirit of promise into the heart therefore though Christ be the door and the way Yet those who have not but denies faith in Christ Jesus have no inlet or entrance therein then surely thou must needs be without Christ and hath no entrance into him calling it the blasphemy of a beast to alledge the plain Testimony of Christ to prove faith to be the inlet of the Spirit of promise surely all that hear thee will see thy spiritual blindness in such faith-less grace-less deliveries Thou askest me where the Creature must look for Christ if not within Answ The Creature must look for Christ as he doth openly manifest himself to every Creature according to the Scriptures thou nor any other are not like to find him within in your faithless condition till you hear the Scriptures direction and obey the teaching of Christ therein and so become new Creatures according to the Gospel for none but new Creatures have Christ within them and no new Creatures in the denyal of the Baptisme of repentance the denyal of which is manifested in thee in thy hot words of contempt against it being thy self so fouled in foul water without repentance even since thou received thy Romish washing and not purisyed from that by the lavour of regeneration remains in thy old unclean condition not obeying the truth thy self but railng upon those that do And though Christ stand at thy door and knock and call upon thee to open thy door and amend thy life and be Baptized in the Name of Christ Jesus for remission of thy sins yet thou wilt not hear him and open thy door to receive him but hast received a stranger called false Imagination who because he acknowledgeth whoredom and drunkenness and murther is sin yet because he tells thee not that disobedience to the command and teachings of Christ in reference to his Law of faith is sin is Spiritual Whoredome and Drunkenness and Murther and Theft and the like therefore thou cryest out against the Ordinances of Christ to outface thy disobedience thereunto but if an evil Spirit should not come with something to deceive with the possessed therewith must be a professed Devil in maintaining its Motion But the man of sin comes in all deceivableness of unrighteousness to perswade those who are deceived that they are Saints when they are the quite contrary and now to give our Audience a right knowledg of what we contend for and the difference thereof that so they may make right application of truth or falshood to which of us it belongs let them know That what I have declared and do contend for is for the maintenance of the faith once given to the Saints according to the Scriptures and preaching of Christ and his Apostles which is the light and way of God to direct all men to everlasting life as the Scriptures do plainly witness John 14.6 Mark 16.16 Rom. 10.9 10. John 3.16 Thy declaration and contending is without and denying the Scriptures and preaching of the man Christ that dyed at Jerusalem for the sins of the whole world or the Apostles sent of him so thine is a thing in secret not according to the open declared will and command of Christ or teaching of his and therefore must needs be a deceit and not to be received but accounted accursed Gal. 1.8 9. John 9.10 11. Rom. 16.17 If I must receive thee as in the truth for saying thou hast a light within thee which thou callest Christ when thou walkest contrary to and denyest the declared will of Christ Jesus in the Scriptures then from the same ground I must receive another that saith so and then the Pope and his Prelates and theirs or any such who are as able to declare what they say they have of Christ within as Martin Mason or any by whose hand held forth he hath been led into this Condition and they are for no other cause to be excepted against but for their walking contrary to and denying the declared will of Christ Jesus in the
Pagan-like to frame right reason or deny it without reason let thy friends judge Thou biddest me consider in the cool of the day that which is born of the flesh is flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Answ In the cool of the day I do consider and in that coolness tell thee that this is sufficient to discover that notwithstanding all thy hot words against me about perfection in the mind through faith but not perfection in the flesh till Mortal have put on Immortality that outward man is born of the flesh and is flesh therefore not perfect the inward man or mind in the state of faith is born of the Spirit and therefore perfect in which perfection of the mind Paul saith he serves the Law of God but in his imperfect flesh the Law of sin Rom. 7.25 All thy following words about perfection at the end of which thou writes the word Queries is a repetition not proving any thing for thee for the Tabernacle of God with men and dwelling in them and walking in them and the like is all included in that afore alledged of the Apostle Paul his having the holy Ghost in him yet the same Apostle saith that in his flesh dwells no good thing this thou shouldst answer too and prove perfection in that which Panl denyeth or acknowledg thy error or speak plainly that all may hear thee as one of thy generation did to me alledging that Scripture to him who adorning his speech with thy manner of language of beast and lyer and filthie creature and such like Said Paul was no Christian when he wrote that thou askest me why I deny that to be the true Spirit or true unction which is not received by the letter Answ That Spirit which denyeth the Apostles teaching in the Scriptures and is not received by the hearing and believing their preaching of faith I deny because 't is a lying Spirit and cometh but to deceive Had not saist thou Abraham Isaac and the rest of the holy men of God who lived before Moses writ the Letter had not they the Spirit of truth within them were there not many deceitful Serpents and filthy Spirits like thine in their dayes and had they any outward writing given them c. Answ What though Abrabam and the rest thou speakest of in their time had the Spirit of truth within them before the Law written by Moses doth that give cause to any in time of the Law to deny the writing by Moses or thee or any now to deny the writings of Christ and his Apostles if there were such Serpents and filthy Spirits as thou speakest of who opposed the cammand of God yet that doth not excuse the deceitful Serpents and filthy Spirits that now deny the written verities as thou and thy generation do that Spirit which led men to obey the commandements of God or Law of faith before Moses writ the Law which if it were not by writing yet it was by voyce which is all one for that which was given to Abraham by voyce was written for our learning and what was given to the Apostles by voyce was also written for our learning Rom. 15.4 That we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope that Spirit I say that led men before the Law written to obey did also lead men to obey the Law written by Moses and whosoever denyed and despised that Law was led by an evil Spirit and it was death without mercy Heb. 10.28 Even so now that Spirit that led men before the Law and in the Law to obey the commandements of God by faith the same Spirit now doth lead men to obey all the commandements and teachings of Christ Jesus in the Law of the Gospel preached and written by the Apostles as 1 Cor. 14.37 But whosoever denyeth obedience and would trample that down as thou and thy fellows they are led by an evil Spirit and their sorer punishment is told them Heb. 10.29 did Paul and the rest of the Apostles saist thou receive the Spirit of truth by vertue of reading or hearing any writing or book without them Answ All the Apostles did first hear the voice of Christ who was their Book or Writing without them before they received the Spirit of Truth within them Produce if thou canst any of the Apostles who had the Spirit of Promise within them before Christ had first called them with his voyce without them Thou saist That which thou broughtest out of 1 John 2. as to the annointing stands unshaken and cannot be removed by all the Brats of Babylon Answ That which thou broughtest is not like to be shaken by the brats of Babylon except against their wills as the foolish woman destroyes her own house for 't is their own bringing but if that 1 John 2. and all other declarations of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures could be shaken they had been ere now for thou and thy generation lay all your bones and sinews to shake it but it is grounded on a Rock and hath its being and protection from the Lord of Power and therefore is it that like your predecessors you are so marvelously beaten back in your assaults against it what hast thou to do with the annointing spoken of 1 John 2. it doth not belong nor is it in the denyers of Christ 't is onely the Saints Seal and Assurance of the love and favour of God to them which those know not who are in the state of disobedience against the Law of Faith for without Faith no promise or sealing in the New Covenant And no Faith where no Obedience to that Teaching is denied Thou publishest this to the World to make them think thou hadst said something but it is a plain testimony to all that hear thy former Paper with my Answer of thy conviction here not being a word in answer to any thing said to thee but Repetitions weakly as well as in thy amazement thou couldst Thou talkest of the Pope but thou canst not free thy self with all the skill and strength thou hast of the comparison I made betwixt you You both boast of Christ to be come in the flesh and both deny that Christ who came in his own flesh for you both deny his teachings and commands given while he was here in the flesh and set up your own inventions against him and therefore are alike Antichristian and so as is Prophesied of you in Daniel though you seem to war and contend one against another yet you talk of deceit at one Table talking of Christ come in the flesh by which he cals himself Christs Vicar or Christ on Earth and thou and thy generation so many as there are of you would be so many Christs like another of your Predecessours Henry Nicolas the Father of the Familists whose breath some years agon hath blown these swarms that thus darken the Sun and infect the Air He denied Salvation by Christ who died at Jerusalem as
they received the gift of the Spirit of promise therefore how sottish soever I am this must needs be an ignorant blindnesse in thee thus to use Scripture words against Scripture teaching to pervert them to extinguish if thou couldest the speaking of the Spirit of God therein that thou mayest bring them into a dead and dry estimation that so thy false Spirit might act at Libetty but the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures is of such lively power and authority that it will quash and consume those risings and out-burnings of the man of sin and by that which is written which thou callestdead wouldest have denied as now shall be made manifest to thy confusion The Spirit of God saith to John Revel 1.11 That which thou seest writ in a book and send to the Seaven Churches that are in Asia Compare this with that which followes in that Book written Revel 2.7 Let him that hath an car hear what the Sprirt saith to the Churches By which t is plain to the dashing down of thy denyals thereof that Book written by John is the Spirits speaking to the Churches Compare this with what our Saviour saith John 6.63 The words that I speak to you are Spirit and life So that the Scriptures must either be denied to be the words of Christ or owned to be the speaking of the Spirit but to acknowledge them to be the words of Christ Jesus and deny them to be the speaking of the Spirit or to be Spirit and life as Christ saith they are and call them dead as thou and thy generation doth is the most rediculous absurd opposition to Christ and his Gospel that hath been yet The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 14.37 If any man think himself to be a Prophet or Spirituall let him acknowledge the things that I writ unto you are the Commandments of God Are they the Commandments of God and not the Spirits speaking But thou saiest thou are not so sottish as I to own this It seems thou hadst rather truly be a foole to be esteemed wise in this world then be a foole that thou mayest be truly wise See whether this be sottishnesse in thee or no 1 Cor. 3.18 But howsoever thy wisdome in disowning the Scriptures to be the speaking of the Spirit doth shew thee to be neither Prophet or spiritual therefore the Spirit of God will disown thee the wolfe would perswade the weak that he will keep them for worrying when the danger is only in himself Thou saist I charge that for a Lyer for saying I own the Letter to be the rule but one thing is saist thou I need not go far to fetch my proof thou hast given it under thy hands in these words therefore the Scriptures are the sure and infallible rule to try the Spirits whether they be of God or no. Answ My charging thee for a Lyer was for saying I own the dead Letter to be the rule thou shuffies out the word dead but it shuts thee not of the ly but makes it a greater ly what plainer ly can be told then this to say I owned that which I never named to thee but to deny therein the word dead Letter is thy own not mine If thou call the Gospels declaration the Turkish Alcaron and I say that Declaration of the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to all that hear and obay it canst thou reply and say I own the Turkish Alcaron to be the Decleration of the Gospel without being alyer and is it not the same to say I own the dead letter to be the rule because I say the decleration of the Gospel is the rule thou mayst see if thou be not moresotish then I it is thou that cals it the dead letter or Alkaron and not I therefore the lye must needs lodge with thee Thou saist I also call the words of Christ or Scripture dead Letter twice in a following argument of mine Answ For the truths sake and that the Lyer may be looked upon and seen of all I will not only lay down that argument of mine but the occasion thereof given by thee in thy argument thus framed He that denyeth to be tryed by the true touch-stone the infallible rule 't is an infallible sign his Spirit is not of God he is guided by the Spirit of error But thou Jonathan Johnson denyest to be tryed by the living principle of God the light of Christ in the conscience the Spirit of truth and wouldest be tryed by the dead Letter therefore thy Spirit is not of God thou art guided by the Spirit of error This argument I told thee cometh bare without any proof against Jonathan Johnson therefore Martin Mason remaineth a lyer till he prove the ascertion in the mean time to discover what waslapt up in that argument I from thy own Major poposition framed thee this He that denyeth to be tryed by the true touch-stone the Infallible rule 't is an infallible sign his Spirit is not of God he 's guided by the Spirit of error But thou Jonathan Johnson denyest to be tryed by the principle in Martin Mason and wouldest be tryed by the living principle of God the light of Christ in the Scriptures Therefore thy Spirit is not of God thou art guided by the Spirit of error When I had thus laid open the falshood of thy argument and slander against me without ground or proof I who can better tell my own desires and denyals then thou canst to declare truly the same framed thee this argument He that desires to be tryed by the true touch-stone the infallible rule the living principle of God the light of Christ in the Saints consciences the spirit of truth and not by the dead Letter 't is a sign his Spirit is of God he is guided by the Spirit of promise But Jonathan Johnson desires to be tryed as above said Therefore 't is a sign his Spirit is of God he is guided by the spirit of promise Martin do I here call the words of Christ or Scripture dead Letter or any where else wash thy eyes and look better over my paper then speak rightly and thou wilt say my charge is not taken off neither hath the lyer remooved his lodging which every passer by will now behold thy bosome being unbuttened I have not yet told thee what I call the dead Letter though thou say I cal the Scripture so by which is manifested who is the lyer But now it puts them out of doubt and to satisfie the hearers I will tell thee It is the writings of Martin Mason and his fellows and all such as oppose the Scriptures teaching denying the ordinances and commands of Christ there taught Because I esteem their books or bulks of writings no better then an Idol set up like the masse or service-book to draw men from the true worship and service of God which is according to the Scripture therefore If I say the same that thou dost as thou saist I do