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
to Wound and to Dismount Doth shew thy shallownesse all men account But night ey'd bats thy railing Pamphlet foolish And thy hot zeal to true Religion coolish Vain are thy thoughts thinking to strike Truth down With railing words it never yet was known That Truth was overcome by railing foes Tho' many times she in her Covers goes With bloudy face and Martered sore by such As ather beautious hold appears think much Leave thou these bould assaults ' gainst Truths rich Palis Think not that Truth can be ore ' come by Malis The more thou strivest the more thou'lt have the foyle And sorrow'l be thy wages for thy toyle Shut not thy windows at the glorious light Which in the Gospels day doth shine so bright Were it not madnesse in the brightest day To light a candle to shew men their way What use for candles where the Sun doth shine As little use for that dull light of thine Thy light within more sit for secret place Then where the sacred Sonlight shews his face It must in Dungeons be and caves below Where Heavens bright Lamp his face doth never show There where the nightly dancing Satyrs dwell Who likes no light but what 's within their Cell Pleas'd with the light themselves there kindled have And will no Son light let into their grave Happy for thee if thou couldst thrust away That darkning skreen which hides thee from the ray Of Gospel Son light which would let thee see Those glorious things which from thee hidden be Leave thou those foolish fancies of self-teaching And ope ' thy ear to Scriptures sacred preaching Obey those truths that therein written be 'T will make thee of Gods holy City free And bring thee to a right regenerate mind And let thee know that now th' art deaf and blind J. J. THE QUAKER QUASH AND HIS QUARREL QUELLED IN An Answer to a Railing Pamphlet written by MARTIN MASON of Lincoln c. Martin THOU canst not leave thy old way of boasting as in thy former Paper so in this thou criest up thy self a man of valour strength it seems thou fearest thy own Works or Neighbours will not praise thee therefore thou contrary to Wisdoms advice Pro. 27.2 wilt praise thy self I told thee in my former Paper That wise men will not boast till the putting off their Armour but thou notwithstanding wilt cry Victory before Conquest or touching thy Adversaries with any blow to give the cause of encouragement thou Bragadotio like saiest thou wilt not give one intch of ground or turn thy back on the uncircumcised Philistine by which thou wouldest have the world to think thy Davids heart and engagement will conclude in Victory But if David had taken thy way of railing and boysterous braging the room of combate or without blow he had never overcome May not I fitly compare thee to a whore taken in her whordome yet rails on those who take her and cryes whore first I took thee in thy Boasting as is witnessed in our former papers thou runest out into the world and cryes me for the boaster But I am so far from Boasting that knowing my own infirmities and weakness I would rather keep silence let thee spend thy breath in vain the wage words to maintain any such right but I knowing that thy railing is against the Truth which thou serest thy self to oppose I am mooved through mindfulness of the Lord not to keep silence But to declare against thy deeds of darkness presumptious words against the most High his Saints let this my engagement be compared with David and thypresumptions words with Goliah and it will make known who is the uncircumcised Philistine The more thou strivest the more thy weakness within is manifested and thy strokes throws thee backward Thou saist the weapons of your warfare are not carnal yet all thy defence or offence is by carnal foul and filthy words of which but disposesse thee and thou wilt be left without either words or shields And though thou talk of the conquering Sword of the Spirit saying it is thy weapon it is little manifested in thy denial of the word of God for the conquering Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God Ephes 6.17 Therefore although thou steal these words of weapons not being carnal and Sword of the Spirit that which thou callest the dead Letter yet art thou far from the exercise of spiritual weapons or knowledge of them for if thou wert not thou woulest testifie more purity and peace If thou say thou hadest these words the Sword of the Spirit or Spiritual weapons from the light within thee without the Scriptures which thou callest dead Letters all that hears thee Impartialy will say thou speakest not Truly And so will thy own conscience if thou open that Book And will also let thee see how asuredly evil it is for thee to call the Scriptures dead Letter and yet fetch those words which thou deliverest for spiritual Declarations from thence Thou saiest among other things thou askest me hath every one that comes into the world heard and read the preaching of Christ and his Apostles as they are transcribed in the Bible and thou saiest I answer they have all heard thou replyest must the Lyer in thee be received for the Oracle of God Answ Thou hear dealest falsely with my answer not delivering as I did I said have they not all heard thy error in this is because thou knowest not the Scriptures which will tell thee Mat. 28.20 Mark 16. 15. Act. 2 5 6. Rom. 10.18 Whether this be my Lye or the Scriptures speaking let the hearers Judge as also who is the Lyer whether I for alledging plain Testimonies of Scriptures or thou for delivering my Answer otherwise then thou receivest it may not Millions of Men and Women saiest thou who dwell in those parts of the world not counted Christendom wittness against thee if an Egyptian mist had not blinded thee thou couldst not have been so besotted as to back thy Lye with those places of the Letter Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 Which in effect prove Christs Command to his Disciples when they were upon earth to go preach the glad tydings of the Gospel to the generations they lived in Answ Couldst thou fetch those Millions thou speakest of for thy defence yet could they not witness against me the Word of the Lord is a sure witness against thee and all opposers of the universal precahing of faith or sound of the Gospel of Christ in all the world and to every creature therefore as formerly so I say now as the Apostle doth demand Rom. 10.18 Have they not all heard but they have not all obeyed as verse the 16. Therefore those Milions which thou saiest are not counted Christians if they be not Christians 't is not because they have not heard but because they have not obeyed read Act. 1.8 and Luke 24.27 Which tells thee the Apostles shall be witnesses of Christ Jesus to the
you do and said That the state of Perfection is the Man Christ or any power in man whereby he can keep the Law without Faith in the Man Christ Is not this the Doctrine taught by thee and thy generation all which is to set up your selves to be the coming of Christ in the flesh denying that Christ that came in the flesh which the Apostle John teacheth confession of 1 John 4.1 2. thy exposition of which to pervert the Truth doth manifest no lesse which is that the Apostle meanes Christ come in the flesh of others though all the Apostles in their preaching doth preach belief in that one Christ that came in his own flesh or person in which he suffered at Jerusalem for the sins of all men and not in the flesh of others as thou expoundest for that is the coming of those who say loe here and loe there which are false Christs forewarned of Matth. 24. Who to set up themselves and throw down Christ Jesus by false Expositions pervert the Scriptures by which is manifest who rules in the fleshly tabernacles of such Children of disobedience It is but the Lyer saist thou that tels me my Master hath not commanded me to judge Answ Martin thou wilt not seem to take notice because the world should not know that I told thee there is difference betwixt a Judge and a Malefactor I told thee thou shouldest answer thy own Maker at the Bar and stay taking upon thee the Judges place till thou be a Saint and then thou wilt know that thy Master whom thou now callest the Singlo Person that died at Jerusalem and is alive for evermore bids thee judge not Luk. 6.37 1 Cor. 4.5 to bear off this blow thou bringest Christs words John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my word hath one that judgeth him but this is no defence for thee but wounds thee deeper for Christ tels thee there what one that is that shall judge which is the Word that he hath spoken which thou callest the dead Letter But thou to deceive by thoughtst to keep this out that thou mightest take the Judges place thy self and so to exalt thy self above Christ and then sayst he is thy witnesse O bold presumption was ever a greater exaltation in a cative so low Christ came not saist thou to send peace but the sword to the Man of sin whom thou servest Answ And yet I am farre from serving thee or any such exalters of themselves against Christ if thou understoodest those words of Christ Mat. 10.34 35 36. part of which thou hast stolen to speak proudly with thou wouldst not have placed them thus but wouldst have known that they are nothing for thy purpose Thou talkest of the Saints Judging the World and the Spirituall man judging all things Answ As I have told thee Stay till thou be a Saint and then thou wilt not be so hasty to be a Judge but wilt better know how and when such Judgement shall be and that the Spirituall mans judging is discerning all things not judging or censuring persons and then thy manifestation of Faith and obedience to Christ and his Gospel will be a judging and reproof to unfaithfulnesse and thy tongue will be taught more tamenesse then to smite others therewith for then the Spirit of God will tell thee that thou hast nothing to do to judge another mans Servant he stands or fals to his own Master Rom. 14.4 then thou wilt learn to speak with a new tongue and that old blasphemous cursing presumptuous tongue that runs without guide will be pluckeâ— out and be no more the loud belman to a corrupt heart Thou askest me By what authority I judge thee for an enemy of righteousnesse and why I judge the People called Dippers calling them the chief Princes of Meshech and Tubal and by what authority I judge the Priests of the Nation for Antichristians I judge thee not I leave that to him to whom thy judgement and condemnation doth belong the Word of God tells thee of thy enmity against righteousnesse in warring against that Word Where have I judged the people thou callest Dippers or called them the chief Princes of Meshech and Tubal shew it if thou canst Or where I have named the Dippers in my Paper upon any such account It is with thee as I told thee formerly thou wouldest shelter thy self amongst others thou seest thy want and wouldst have help in the defence of thy cause which maketh thee cry also to the Priests of the Nation as thou callest them telling them I judge them Antichristians Thou art driven to a great straight surely thou takest me for some forraine enemy that wilt thus claw thy domestick enemies to engage with thee against me but thou dost trouble thy neighbours with such a false alarm when I have occasion with either those thou callest Priests or Dippers I shall stand up in the manifestation of truth according to what I have received from the Lord and shal leave the judging or censuring them and all men to him to whom all judgement doth belong and my self shall not judge or passe sentence on any man Thou tellest me I shame not in one of my Arguments to affirm that the Letter under the Name of the words of Christ is Spirit and Life in it self Answ What cause have I to be ashamed of affirming the very word of Christ himself John 6.36 but thou hast cause to be ashamed of thy ly saying I affirm the Letter which is a word of thy own and not of mine In another place saist thou thou concludest the Spirit of God in the Apostles who were Saints is the Rule to try and discern false Spirits Answer If I do t is no contradiction of the former seeing the word of Christ and Spirit of God in the Apostles were one and spake one and the same thing The truth is Martin thou wouldest gladly say something to my Argument but thou canst not thou knowest that way of arguing was begun by thee in which if thou hadst dealt faithfully with those to whom thou hast so generally divulged our difference they would plainly see where the right of reasoning is and who hath most cause to be ashamed of their Argument Thou saiest the Spirit of God in the Apostles at their death returned to God that gave it them but saist thou wouldst thou have me as sottish as thy self to say and unsay and own their Writings to be the Spirit of God This thou writest to deny the Apostles preachings and teachings to be the infallible Rule to try the Spirits whether they be of God Answ That Spirit which the Scriptures speakes of from whence thou hadst that saying the Spirit returns to God that gave it though thou quote it not Eccles 12.7 is not that Spirit by which the Apostles did preach Christ and work miracles but of the Spirit which is the mooving and acting in the bodily being of all men which the Apostles had before
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
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
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
and that before they were without Christ and so make the Apostle a lyer which God forbid or tell Martin Mason he cannot escape being the lyer and therefore by the sentence of his own mouth must have his mouth stopped a many foul and wicked words proceed from thee in the next place which I will leave to all who have learned to let their words be few and gratious to see by what Spirit thou art led and to Judge whether such expressions to avoyd answer be the new tongue speaking of a Saint or speaking like the Dragons Thou asks me if I shame not to tell thee with my false tongue that thou contemns the faith in the sufferings of Christ Answ I would thou wert repentantly ashamed at thy contempt of the sufferings of the Lord Christ that dyed at Jerusalem which contempt of thine is manifested in these words in thy paper But thou speaking to me and the drunkard and scum of the earth who fed your selves with the meer froathy verbal faith in the sufferings of that single man Christ Jesus at Jerusalem and yet wallow in your wickedness are not saved or redeemed from your sins And in the same Raper alledged 1 John 4.2 Saist thou did the Apostle here signifie that every one that confesseth Christ come in the flesh of the single person at Ierusalem that every one confessing this is of God why then the Pope will say he believes this Now let the honest hearted in the Nation whom thou calls upon to Judge let them I say Judge whether this language be not a contemptuous speaking Thou as the manner of thy generation is when thou calleth others to Judge leaveth out that which thou knowest will most evidence thy contempt as here thou leaves out the word single man and single person which were thy words to me but here thou leaves them out and then callest to the wise in heart to Judge will not thy light within let thee see this to be falshood and dissimulation Christ Jesus was the Son of Mary according to the flesh but thy brethren who called him the Carpinter Maries Son Mar. 6.3 speak that in despising contempt against him So he was the Man Christ and a person like unto us in all things save only sin but thy calling him single man and single person at Jerusalem is from the same spirit of despising contempt as the honest hearted will tell thee Martin thy light leading thee in wayes contrary to the way of faith only in that Christ that suffered at Jerusalem leadest thee from the true and everlasting light life to the place of death darkness for there is no life or light leading to Salvation but by faith in that Christ only who suffered at Jerusalem which thou plainly dost deny and ragest so against me for discovering thy flying to any whose faith thou callest meerly froathy and verbal will not help thee in thy denyal of faith to Salvation for such is no faith the Scripture tells thee there is one faith Ephes 4.5 which faith Justifieth saveth Gal. 2.16 Ephes 2.8 but whence hast thou thy frothy verbal faith that is the device of thy Spirit of delusion which as it would have many Christs to deny that one Christ who suffered at Jerusalem so it would have many faiths to deny that faith which is to Salvation according to the Gospel thy telling me of wallowing in my wickedness with the drunkards and scum of the earth is but thy raging at rebuke for thy bold Blasphemie against the Lord that bought thee Now Judge saist thou O ye wise in heart is the Scripture 1 Tim. 2.5 call not him who suffered at Jerusalem the man Christ Jesus and may not I use the language of the Apostle Answ The wise in heart are no formal Quakers will tell thee thy language is quite contrary to that of the Apostles for the Apostle in that Scripture calls the man Christ Jesus the Mediatour betwixt God and man But thou calls him the single man and single person in contempt of faith in him and to make men deny his Mediatour-ship the Apostles language is a confirmation of their belief in that Christ Jesus who believe in God thy language is to destroy their belief in that Christ Jesus who beleeve in God and so thou art manifested to deny both the Father and the Son 2 John 9. Thou bids me peruse thy paper again and see if thou saidst not no other Jesus do I own but the Lamb of God which was slain from the beginning of the world Answ Thy expressions in that is but the liberty thou takes for occasion and to deceive thereby those who hear thee for the name of Christ or Lamb slain or Redeemer or Annointed thou dost but use them words to exalt thy pretended light within that so thou mayst bring down and deny that Christ whom thy fellows slew at Jerusalem and this all may see who have but half an eye of discerning to be the whole drift of thee the rest with thee hadst thou said no other Jesus do I own but the man Christ who dyed at Jerusalem and faith in him only to be Salvation thou hadst some cause to bid me peruse thy paper but whoever peruseth thy paper or thee shal not find that and that not being in thee all thy expressions of Christ and light or unction or womans seed and the like are falsely applyed to thy secret invention Thou saist I tell thee in two several places that thou crucifies Christ again and that I break forth into rage because thou tells me he is slain in me Answ I told thee thou would crucifie the Son of God again and good cause had I when thou told me not only that he is slain in me as thou here saist but also that he is still slain for me which here thou saist not which is the continuance of thy deceit to leave out that which thou knows will most discover thy falshood is not this plain lying and dissembling in thee to tell the world I said that which I said not and to cry out against me and dissemble the cause But thou art ashamed truly to declare to the world what I said to thee and the occasion because thou knew it would confound thee that which thou calls my raging was my alledging the Scriptures against thy false affirming Christ to be still slain for me which Scriptures prove that Christ the Lamb that was slain is alive for evermore Rev. 18. and that he once sufferered for sins the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 and that he was once offered to take away the sin of man Heb. 9.25 26 28. But thou said I dares say is still slain for me was his first death insufficient and shall Christ from his immortal and glorifyed being be brought down to die and suffer again let the Reader now judge what breaking forth into rage is in this he who affirms Christ Jesus to be still slain for sinners must
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