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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

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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
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
Harmony with the outward means of their Instruction 3 dly The Apostle Paul doth plainly declare That the Gentiles who did the things contained in the Law had their thoughts excusing them or apologizing as the Greek hath it and therefore there is some Light or Illumination in them other than that of the first Covenant that only condemneth as B. K. affirmeth 4 thly Cornelius before Christ was outwardly preached unto him hath this Testimony by the Spirit of God recorded in Scripture That he was a devout man and feared God and his Prayers and Alms were accepted of God according to his state and that he was not singular or the only man in the World that was sincerely devout and that knew not Christ as come in the flesh Peter's words plainly declare how that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him And if it be said that Cornelius was a Proselite or at least had some knowledge of the Iews Religion I Answer This is only supposed but not proved but granting it were so it is certain he had not faith in Christ crucified and raised again until Peter preached Christ unto him and therefore a man may be accepted of God in Christ and for Christ's sake in some respect and degree who at present hath not faith in Christ crucified and raised again which most evidently overthroweth all that B. K. hath built up in his vain dark Imagination against the Light within and yet such are not without faith altogether for they have faith in God and in his living Word in their hearts And whereas B. K. frames an objection in behalf of the Light within viz. If this be a Light flowing from God and a Ministration of God how can it fail in any respect and be insufficient He answereth First The Law given to Israel was a Ministration of God and yet it could not give Life But this is easily answered for God gave not the Law to Israel only for that end to condemn them and send all every one of them to Hell but to be a Schoolmaster to lead unto Christ and therefore together with the Law of the first Covenant he gave them the Levitical Law of Sacrifices and many other Types which had some real Ministration in it of the New Covenant tho' obscure yet such as served for that time But according to B. K. the best of the Gentiles who were most diligent to frame their lives according to the Light in them and have not heard Christ preached unto them as crucified c. are all sent to Hell and the Light in them tho' a Ministration given them of God hath no other end but to condemn them and make them guilty of Hell Fire and that forever which is a most injurious Reflection upon both the Justice and Mercy of God Secondly he saith Every Light and Ministration of God serveth for the end time and purpose it was appointed and ordain●d This saying is very true but very badly applied as if that Light and Ministration of God in the Gentiles were only given to make them guilty of eternal Damnation but having not the least service use or tendency to the least beginning of their Salvation which is a horrible Reflection upon God as representing him altogether Cruel and Unmerciful worse than most men and therefore is a blasphemous Assertion In the next place he undertakes to prove That the Light in every man is not God nor Christ nor the Holy Spirit First he proveth that the Light in men is not God Because tho' all Light doth come from God yet all Light is not God I Answ. And who saith all Light is God but because all Light is not God it doth not therefore follow that God is not Light no more than it doth follow that because all Spirit is not God therefore God is not a Spirit But seeing he confesseth This Light floweth from God it doth necessarily follow that God himself is present with and in this Light for God cannot be locally seperated from any thing or being that proceedeth from him otherwise he were not Omnipresent and the Name Light doth as properly belong to God as the Name Spirit for as the Scripture saith God is a Spirit so it saith God is Light Nor is his Argument any more valid to prove that Christ is not Light in men Because Christ signifieth Anointed and only the Man Christ is Gods anointed I Answer Thus we see how B. K. acts the Socinian like his Brother P. T for if Christ be only and wholly restricted to Christ's outward Person as he came in the flesh then there was no Christ nor Saviour nor Mediator before Mary but this is express contrary to Scripture in many places which saith By Iesus Christ all things were created And Israel in the Wilderness drank of the Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ And most surely all the faithful in all Ages were partakers of Christ and he lived in them as well as in Paul And that Christ was Anointed from the beginning before all Time and Ages is expresly affirmed Prov. 8.23 the true Translation out of the Hebrew Text being I was anointed from the beginning The Hebrew word Nissak is rendred by Buxtorf in his Hebrew Lexicon To anoint and surely David Isaiah and all the faithful were partakers of the holy anointing and they had it from Christ God's anointed from the beginning And Lastly he is as foolish and idle in his arguing That the holy Spirit is not a Light in all men because Christ said The World cannot receive him Ioh. 14.16 and whoever have the Spirit of Christ are Christs Rom. 3.9 for to have and receive in these places signifie Vnion and Possession and in that sense we say Unbelievers and Ungodly men have not the Spirit but yet it doth not follow that the Spirit is not in them to reprove and convince them and also to call invite and move them to Repentance otherwise men could not be said to resist the holy Spirit and as a rich Treasure may be laid in a mans House and yet that man have not the right and possession of it even so the Spirit of God is in Unbelievers to convince call and move them to repent and turn to God and yet they have no right nor interest therein while remaining in their unbelieving state But it is to be further considered that the holy Spirit throughout the Scripture doth signifie not the Spirit of God abstractly considered but as influencing men with a peculiar holy or sanctifying influence and operation and these are only such who have faith in Christ crucified and raised again as is clear in the case of Cornelius and all other Believers in Christ crucified c. whose Faith is wrought in them by the mighty Power of God and therefore this peculiar influence and operation of the holy Ghost the Gentiles have not in their meer Gentile state but yet they have that
are not gathered from any express words of the People called Quakers but are only the false and absurd Consequences he gathers from our Principle altogether grounded upon his Ignorance and Mistakes and especially his Prejudice against the Truth A Brief ANSWER to Cotton Mather his Appendix to a little Book of his called Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts c. THe main design of Cotton Mather in this his Appendix is to vindicate and defend his Father Increase Mather as no wise guilty of these Charges which I laid against him towards the end of my late Book call'd The Presbyterian and Independent Churches in New-England and else-where brought to the Test. Now if Cotton Mather had made any true and just Vindication of his said Father it had been a commendable work in him but he is so far from that that his so weak and impertinent pretended Vindication doth not in the least excuse him and he is so far from any just Vindication of his Father that he doth rather more lay open his Fathers Nakedness in the sight of the world and addeth to his Fathers grosly abusing the honest People called Quakers new Abuses and lying abusive Speeches of his own besides that in the judgment of any impartial understanding Reader he discovers himself to be a very shallow man airy and full of froth but showing nothing of Solidity in his whole discourse As for his scornful and disdainful words and reflections on me calling me One Keith a Quaker not deigning to design me by my full Name and Our little Author This new Apostle This waspishman c. I value them not so as to be any discouragement unto me to bear my Testimony for the blessed Truth of God against his and his Brethrens false Doctrine and Hypocrisy and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ left upon record in Scripture in a measure of the sence of that holy Spirit that gave them forth have been are made comfortable unto me Mat. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you c. I desire to bless the Lord who hath truly made me little in my own eyes and hath let me see not only my littleness but nothingness as of my self and given me also to know that I am one of his little Ones which to me is greater satisfaction than to have the greatest worldly advantages and that he seems to reflect upon the littleness of my stature as is apparent showeth in him little wit or discretion many excellent men were of little bodily stature far exceeding Cotton Mather or me either and Goliah was a man of great bodily stature who defied the host of God and yet fell before little David and tho' I do readily acknowledge my self little every way yet by the Grace of God I doubt not but to be made able to defend the Truth against all that thou and all thy Brethren can do to withstand it for the Truth is the greatest and strongest of all and when he who is the Truth pleaseth to use an Instrument let it be ever so little or mean it is well enabled to do the work it is raised up for And tho' in the close of his Appendix that containeth little else but silly drolling he saith G. K. has given sufficient cause why his own Sect should be ashamed of him if shame were compatible to such a perfect People Which last part is a meer Scoff yet he hath not made it appear and I hope in the Lord he never shall be able to make it appear that my Friends have any cause to be ashamed of me Before he cometh to his Fathers Vindication he thought fit to tell the world of the strange liberty which the Devils gave to some possessed Children to come to the Meetings of the Quakers and to read their writings And if all this be true what saith it against the Quakers in the least to discredit them or their Religion We know many wicked People whose Souls the Devils possess and that is worse than a meer Bodily Possession may read both our Books and the Scriptures also yet as this is no discredit to the Scriptures so no more to our books yea the Devil could and did cite Scripture to Christ and could use the outward names of God and Iesus And thou grantest that that Girle possessed as thou alledgest Bodily with the Devil did read the 59 Psalm And what may be concluded from this according to Cotton Mathers pretended Logick that tho' the Devil would not suffer the Girle to read some Presbyterian Books but gave her liberty to read some of the Common Prayer or other Episcopal Books and Quakers Books and also the 59 Psalm that all these are of the like quality Thou further sayst The Girle so possessed as thou alledgest could hear the Scripture read and called to one to read of Mary Magdalen and I see not what difference the Devil doth make in good earnest betwixt reading and hearing the Scripture read Again That the Devil suffered some of them to come to the Quakers Meetings Supposing it were so is this any more in prejudice of the Quakers Meetings than that Cotton Mather saith The same Girle so possessed came to a study or Closet in his House and entred therein and there read on the Bible and good Books And if he say It was because the Devil had left her how soon she came there Why may not the same be alledged on behalf of the Quakers Meetings Who seeth not how shallow this man is that from so ridiculous an instance would represent the Quakers Meetings and Books such as the Devil had a good liking to But it seems the holiness of his Study drove the Devils away and made the Girle so quiet in his Study as is implied in his words where he saith She added a Reason for it which the Owner of the Study thought more kind than true It seemeth then that Cotton Mather thinketh himself in that respect obliged to the Devils kindness more than to the truth of the Reason That they left the Girle how soon she entred into his Closet But why could not the Devil carry the Girle into his Closet as well as the Devil took Christ into the holy City and set him on a Pinacle of the Temple Mat. 4.5 and as it is in Iob When the Sons of God came together Sathan also came among them and if Sathan can come where the Sons of God are met together why may he not quietly suffer some possessed by him to come either to C. M's Closet or the Quakers Meeting without any just reflection on either of the places But if C. M. think the Devil more kind than true to him he had need beware of his Kindness left it turn to his damage in the end for a kind Devil is the most dangerous Devil In the beginning of the Vindication of his Father he saith One would think that if an Historian did but secure his Veracity from being impeached most of
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
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
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