The Quaker Quasht AND HIS QUARREL QUELLED IN An ANSWER to a Railing Pamphlet written by MARTIN MASON of Lincoln INTITULED THE Boasting Baptist DISMOUNTED AND The BEAST DISARMED and Sorely WOUNDED Without any CARNAL WEAPON Whereunto is added Eighteen several MEDITATIONS usually Received by the QVAKERS at their first Enterance into that Delusion By JONATHAN JOHNSON a Servant of Jesus Christ To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you which privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring upon themselves swift damnation 2. Pet. 2.1 There be some that trouble you intend to pervert the Gospel of Christ but though that we or an angel from heaven preach unto you otherwise then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Gal. 1.7 8. LONDON Printed for Francis Smith in Flying-Horse-Court in Fleet Street near Chancery Lane End 1659. TO THE READER AS Books are censured according to the judgement of the Reader so I expect no other from thee whomsoever thou art it is my satisfaction within my self that I have no other end in sending this forth into the world but to maintain that which I know to be truth against those who grossly and absurdly do oppose it as I hope will be plainly seen and manifested to right Judgement As for Martin Mason the man whose railings slanders and unparaleld evil speakings against me are sounded abroad in the Nation and for no other cause that I know of for my love to the truth of Christ Jesus his Gospel and for desiring to draw him from that thick cloud of darkness under which I see him lie by the deceiveableness of unrighteousness suggested into him by that power that darkens the Son and the Air and which a long time have striven to hide that light and Spirit of truth which is received by the hearing of faith preached and believing according to the Scriptures and now as much as ever so farr as their power serves in this generation called Quakers who bouldy and audatiously deny Christ and his Apostles teaching to be the Word of God or Rule of righteousness or power of God to Salvation contrary to the plain testimony of the Scripture and calling the Scriptures teachings dead letter and lifeless book with innumerable suchlike wicked reproachful tearms as in the Pamphlet that I am now to deal with is manifested and in many others and as they are in their writings so they are in their words as I can witness and have others to witness with me the one of their generation to my face told me I was a filthie creature a lyer and a beast with more such foul words for saying Christ had a body was like unto us in althings save only sin for said he Christ had not a body of substance but the form only of a body And when I alledged the Apostle Pauls complaint of his infirmity in the flesh against their pretended perfection he using the same language of Beast and Lyar and like tould me Paul was no Christian when he wrote that But I say as for Martin Mason I did expect to hear of his acknoledgment in his evil in what he had written agaist me for declaring the truth which would have stayed me from sending this into the world which I have had allmost two years by me but failing of my expectation I sent to him now at least to know if he were come to a sight of his follie and evil therein and if he were that he would acknowledge it if not I must send into the world to vindicate the truth against him for said I many blind ones boast of thy folly and my silence and many who clearly see thy ignorance and evil therein wonder why I will let such stuff pass unrebuked but no retnrn had I from him but persisting in the same mind using his old language without any acknowledgment at all I therefore thought my self further engaged to send this forth which I had written The Scriptures do abundantly foretel of the coming of these who in the name of Christ shall deceive many As there is no Name given under heaven whereby men shal be saved but by the Name of Jesus Christ Acts 4.12 So the Enemy of the Salvation knows there is no Name but that only to take up to deceive by and under pretence of that to bring in his low devices which are destructive to the Soul there is no other way then to be sure of safety in these dangers when truth and falshood hath taken both one name but to look only to the Sriptures where the Name of Christ is fully made known with power and by which whomsoever comes to right knowledge shall deserue all false cryars of lot here and loe there and truly know the Name and voyce of Christ from strangers who take up that name to deceive by and will not stand to the true tryal of the Scripture but by false glosses and evil interpretations pervert the plain and manifest truth and when all that will not serve bouldly deny the life and authority of Scripture and labour to pull them from mens hearts and minds that their own falshood may be set above them as is plainly seen in this generation called Quakers like to their predicessors the Papists all which are alike denyers of Christ as he hath revealed himself in the Scriptures Therefore whomsoever thou art that truly desirest to bear the Name of Christian weigh what thou readest in the right balance and whatsoever thou findest to hold weight with the Truth approve and receive it and if any thing fall shorte of that impute it to my weakness for my desires are unfainedly to own the Truth although it be found against me To the true tryal I comit my writing who am a lover of all those who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Ionathan Iohnson Truth Triumphing NOT yet dismounted Martin from that Station That dwelling place of Gods beloved Nation Nor sorely wounded with the windy push Of Martin Mason with his quaking Rush It is no Satyrs Apish Babel-frown Can pull the least of Gods beloved down How canst thou think thy Scrith-Owl nightly skriking Can from Gods Truth take any Saints good-liking Can those who in old Babels ruine dwell Reach up to Sion or her Towers tell Can Owls and Bats that flutter here below Mount up like Eagles Sions strength to know Or there dismount from of the Fort so strong The Lambs Beloved singing Sions Song The more thou strivest those sacred walls to scale Greater thy losse the more thy strength will fail Martin keep thou below reach not too high Till thou be cleans'd from thy impurity Thy false conceited Wisdom void of Light Lays op'e thy folly unto wise mens Sight Thy boasting brags
many foul words for it let that charity now begin at home and deal such words rightly where they do belong would any but one who is blind in heart publish himself in print in such poor pettish spirited things as thou dost I am ashamed to have to do with such silly stuffe neither would I but that I knew my silence would make thee boast and be wise in thy own concent therefore I chuse rather to answer thee as I am advised Prov. 26.5 Thou bids Jonathan tell thee if he did not a little before own the light of the conscience to be the inlet of the Spirit Answ Jonathan by writing hath told Martin before and tells him now that he dis-owns his false fained light but he owns the light of the conscience enlightned by the preaching of faith according to the Scriptures Thou askest me if I will be a Lyer whether thou wilt or no as though thou had the making and disposing of Lyes as a Child belonging to the Father of Lyes but though thy will like thy Fathers be to have all Lyers like thy self yet thou must want of thy will in me for I neither love or make Lyes neither canst thou prove any Lye against me though thou call me Lyer but it is a small matter to find a Lye in a foul mouth I am willing to refer what is said to the wise in heart to judge who is the Babler and bond-slave in Babylon and sayes and unsayes which is the esteeme thou would have me in with those to whom thou publisheth so against me and whom thou askest if I do not place water and beleeving in the Letter in the room of Christ by making them the way and the door or inlet to the Spirit of promise Answ It would agree better with right reason if thou shewed where I said so least they that find not any such saying of mine must needs say thou art a Lyer whether they will or no I deny thou hast them words from me water administred upon repentance and faith in Christ Jesus I would have where it should be according to Gospel teaching that is the Baptisme of repentance which I have so much spoken to thee and against which thou and thy generation deviseth so many cross opposings to wind out and shroud your selves from the appearance of truth but your coverings are too scant which makes your nakedness be seen of every passer by Who ever saist thou are not Spiritually blind will see the blasphemy of the beast for Christ the light of the world is the door and the way John 10.9 and 14.16 and so the inlet to the Spirit of promise Answ Doth Christ being the door and the way to Salvation deny faith to be the inlet of his spirit of promise is not entrance into Christ the door by faith and is not receiving the Spirit of promise by faith then faith in Christ is the inlet to Salvation and the inlet of the spirit of promise into the heart therefore though Christ be the door and the way Yet those who have not but denies faith in Christ Jesus have no inlet or entrance therein then surely thou must needs be without Christ and hath no entrance into him calling it the blasphemy of a beast to alledge the plain Testimony of Christ to prove faith to be the inlet of the Spirit of promise surely all that hear thee will see thy spiritual blindness in such faith-less grace-less deliveries Thou askest me where the Creature must look for Christ if not within Answ The Creature must look for Christ as he doth openly manifest himself to every Creature according to the Scriptures thou nor any other are not like to find him within in your faithless condition till you hear the Scriptures direction and obey the teaching of Christ therein and so become new Creatures according to the Gospel for none but new Creatures have Christ within them and no new Creatures in the denyal of the Baptisme of repentance the denyal of which is manifested in thee in thy hot words of contempt against it being thy self so fouled in foul water without repentance even since thou received thy Romish washing and not purisyed from that by the lavour of regeneration remains in thy old unclean condition not obeying the truth thy self but railng upon those that do And though Christ stand at thy door and knock and call upon thee to open thy door and amend thy life and be Baptized in the Name of Christ Jesus for remission of thy sins yet thou wilt not hear him and open thy door to receive him but hast received a stranger called false Imagination who because he acknowledgeth whoredom and drunkenness and murther is sin yet because he tells thee not that disobedience to the command and teachings of Christ in reference to his Law of faith is sin is Spiritual Whoredome and Drunkenness and Murther and Theft and the like therefore thou cryest out against the Ordinances of Christ to outface thy disobedience thereunto but if an evil Spirit should not come with something to deceive with the possessed therewith must be a professed Devil in maintaining its Motion But the man of sin comes in all deceivableness of unrighteousness to perswade those who are deceived that they are Saints when they are the quite contrary and now to give our Audience a right knowledg of what we contend for and the difference thereof that so they may make right application of truth or falshood to which of us it belongs let them know That what I have declared and do contend for is for the maintenance of the faith once given to the Saints according to the Scriptures and preaching of Christ and his Apostles which is the light and way of God to direct all men to everlasting life as the Scriptures do plainly witness John 14.6 Mark 16.16 Rom. 10.9 10. John 3.16 Thy declaration and contending is without and denying the Scriptures and preaching of the man Christ that dyed at Jerusalem for the sins of the whole world or the Apostles sent of him so thine is a thing in secret not according to the open declared will and command of Christ or teaching of his and therefore must needs be a deceit and not to be received but accounted accursed Gal. 1.8 9. John 9.10 11. Rom. 16.17 If I must receive thee as in the truth for saying thou hast a light within thee which thou callest Christ when thou walkest contrary to and denyest the declared will of Christ Jesus in the Scriptures then from the same ground I must receive another that saith so and then the Pope and his Prelates and theirs or any such who are as able to declare what they say they have of Christ within as Martin Mason or any by whose hand held forth he hath been led into this Condition and they are for no other cause to be excepted against but for their walking contrary to and denying the declared will of Christ Jesus in the
to Cew the Cude upon if thou wert a Clean Beast in thy feeding which is that the Baptisme of repentance cannot be Idolized by any water may be Idolized or something else in the Inventions of men instead of that Baptisme any ordinance of Christ whose ordinances are all ordinances of faith cannot be Idolized for where Idolizing is there is something also in the room of faith but where faith is there is no Idol or self inventions and therefore your pretended light within is an Idol because it denys and draws men from the faith and obedience in that Christ Jesus who dyed at Jorusalem and from that reverence and esteem which ought to be to his teaching in Scripture to follow and fall down to your faithless Idol Thou saist Paul knowing Baptisme to be a permissive practise not a precept laid it aside Answ Let those who have read Paul and read thee judge whether thou hast not told a manifest lie of Paul in this for Paul hath not any where so declared his knowledge of Baptisme or that he laid it aside If Baptisme were not a precept the Apostles were transgressors to preach and command and practise in their Masters name that which he had not commanded and Baptisme being a command thou wouldest report them transgressors like to thy self saying they laid aside the practise and teaching of their Masters precept what plainer precept to those who desires to obey the Lords command can be given then that Mat. 28. Goe teach all Nations and Baptize them in the Name of the Father c. And Acts. 2.38 Repent and be Baptized and Acts. 10.48 He commanded them to be Baptized Surely these things are plain enough to all but such as bend their tongues for deceit and to oppose the truth whatsoever is manifested to such to be the plain Testimonies of truth yet a denyal must be in those Children of falshood For as these who are begotten by the Imortal seed to a lively hope through faith do own and submit to every command of Christ though never so seeming weak and contrary to corrupt nature So those who are begotten by the power of darkness they hate the light and natural in them it is to oppse it for there is no concord betwixt light and darkness in which darkness if thou wert not these Scriptures are plain enough and so plain that thou dost not deny them as not thinking them to be precepts But to maintain thy darkness and disobedience aggainst them Thou and thy generations have had sufficient Testimony in the mantenance of this truth against your falshood in perverting and denying of these Scriptures to which you give no answer but instead thereof have blown forth big and boysterous words of slander and accusation from the bellows of that forge where all your falshood is framed and this will appear to all who have understanding and did but read that which thou and others with thee have received both concerning the former Scriptures and that which thou followest with Where Paul saith he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel Answ Paul was sent to preach the same Gospel which Peter was sent to preach in which was concluded the Baptisme of Repentance or water upon Repentance and faith as Acts 2.38 and 10.47 But neither paul or Peter were sent to Baptize without or before preaching for that is the work of opposers not of the messengers of Christ and therefore was it that Paul said he was sent to preach the Gospel for till preaching was received there was none to baptize Paul did neither deny to be baptized himself as thou and thy generation doth as appears Acts 9.18 with 22.16 neither did he deny to baptize others after they had heard his teaching and believing for then he had both denyed the command of Christ Mar. 28.19 and his own practice upon those he baptized as 1 Cor. 1.14 16. for to baptize in the name of Christ and deny it to be a precept or ordinance of Christ doth condemn the doer and so wouldest thou condemn Paul in his righteous proceeding according to the Gospel but it is a condemnation of thy self and manifest thee to be an enemy to truth in aledging Paul to deny his own preaching and practice and the rest of the Apostles Doth not Peter saist thou speak plain enough to the prudent doth he account water baptisme any better then a figure pointing out the fubstance the answer of a good conscience Answ If thou wert not of those prudent ones to whom the things of God are hid Mat. 11.25 Luke 10.21 Peters speaking would be plain to thee to be the baptisme of repentance not water without repentance nor repentance denying water though thou wouldest devide them as all Antichristians have done though Peter calls baptisme the figure yet he calleth the figure that saveth which cannot be without the answer of a good conscience therefore thy calling it a figure or water baptisme without the answer of a good conscience and that saveth not shews how thou strives to violate that Scripture and manifest thy ignorance of what baptisme is Which of you saist thou would you be truly honest to the light of God in you durst possitively affirm ontward water to be the Baptisme of Christ Is not his a baptisme of suffering Answ Martin if outward water as thou hast been told before were the baptisme of Christ then thou and all thy generation who have had outward water by the order of the Sea of Rome were baptized but wanting faith according to the order of the Gospel you have not the baptisme of Christ they whom thou callest the poor hearts are so honest to the light of Gods truth revealed to them by the Gospels preaching that they do affirm water administred upon repentance and faith is the baptisme of Christ that is a cording to Peters teaching in the Scripture afore all edged That outward water is not the figure that saveth but baptisme is and also they further affirm that thy division of water from repentance in baptisme that thou may deny the Gospel Baptisme dost manifest thee a child of those Antichristain predlcessors from whom thou receivest thy outward water doth not thy fingling out the Baptisme of suffering only to deny the baptisme of repentance by reach also to the denyal of the bap isme of Christ but talk not thou of the baptisme of sufferings till thou suffer Christs baptisme of repentance to talk place in thee none ever suffered for Christs name sake who denyed him in his ordinance thou bids the poor hearts not be afraid to take up the daly Cross but like vallent Souldiers enter the field c. Answ The entering into Christ by the Baptisme of repentance Is the taking up of his Cross and deny ill of that Baptisme in all Ages since Christ hath been to avoid and deny the Cross of Christ and therefore whatever cross thou or thy fellows meets withall Is not the Cross of Christ
by this proved one of those who would move men away from and pevert the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1.6 7. May not I justly say of thee as Paul said of thy Brother Alexander the Copper-Smith 2 Tim. 4.14 15. The Load reward thee according to thy works and let all men bewar of thee and all such for you withstand the Apostles preaching sore 't is well thou art no wiser in thy evils but to destroy thy worke with thy own hands and let thy blindness in wickedness to appear to all men not only in this thy gross denyal of the plain truth but in thy sometimes acknowledging that which thou hear denyest to cover thy deceit with but layest it the more open to the view of all men As for example thou ownest to deceive by Christ to be the word of God and thou saist in thy paper to me that Paul Preached Christ and now forgetting that thou wouldst deny that to be the word of God which Paul Preached if he that biddeth me in thy last paper see my sottishness and be ashamed would make right application of this to himself he would see something but howsoever the standers by will doth not the Scripture abundantly declare that the Apostle preached the word of God as Acts 17.13 and 8.25 and 13.5 And they preached Christ whom thou sayest thou ownest to be the word of God wast thou clapt up in some clouded darkness and oblivion when thou writ this surely this madness will appear to all men Thou takest occasion at my speaking of the Apostles preaching the word of God and Jesus to ask me if the word of God and Jesus be two distinct things Answ If to fill paper thou didst not love to make frivilous questions thou would not thus spend thy self and time look in thy former paper thou may find this saying first from thy self quoting Acts 17.13 18. where 't is said Paul preached the word of God and that he preached Jesus these Scriptures would satisfie thee if thou wert not as I have told thee that preaching the word of God and preaching Jesus is all one and that my accounaing that for the word of God which Paul and Peter preached is an account agreeable to the Scriptures and not against any but those who are against the truth Thou saist in thy former paper that my fancy is found to be built upon the sandy foundation of litteral printed leaves not the rock yet saith thou that which gave forth the leaves I own To which I answer that then thou must own the Printer for he gave forth the leaves and so thy own foundation by thy own confestion must needs be Sandy of which without proof or my confession thou hast accused me I own not or am built upon any such foundation said I or upon Paul or Peter but that which I am built upon is that spiritual and powerful word sounded and preached forth by the Apostles either in word or writing at which answer thou art so nettled and stickles and stislles up and down and yet for all the stir thou makes thou cannot free thy self thou callest to thy friends to see me put to my shifts but they that are friends indeed will tell thee thou art put to thy shifts with a witness for thou hast no defence for thy self therein but as scoulds have one against another which is to exercise a foul tongue calling me lyer again and again and high flown Pharisee and the like but in the middest of all thy coller busling to free thy self thou hast sunck thy self further in for now thou art forced to confess that the pure spirit of the living God gave forth the letter and yet thou calls it dead letter and in thy title page thou saist thou art a minister not of the letter and in thy foregoing page thou tellest me I cry up the letter now call thy friends and let them see who will be put to their shifts to free thy self of being a blasphemer in saying that which thou confesseth to be given forth by the pure spirit of the living God is a dead thing and of being a Minister of Antichrist in saying thou art no Minister but a cryer down of that which is given forth by the pure Spirit of the living God by thy own confession see what evil contradictions and obfurdities thou hast run thy self into as all do who take up arms against the truth Thou tellest me in the next place I am puzled and tormented because in thy paper thou cryest not up the letter Answ Thy friends will tell thee thou art more puzled and tormented in crying it down who in thy strugling to cry it down and against that which thou acknowledgeth to be given forth by the pure Spirit of the living God art thy self thrown down headlond so far from the state of a faithful Minister of the everlasting Gospel as thou call'st thy self that thou neither sheweth grace or good intelligence and art neither Prophet or the Son of a Prophet but as men have taught thee from thy youth so dost thou remain in low place amongst the heards-men where thy friend looking upon thee will see who is dismounted and sorely wounded boasting brave doth seldome conquer but the truth will overcome Answ Thou askest why the Heathen rage and the men imagin a vain thing 't is mens offence at Christ Jesus against whom they band themselves and assemble together Warring against the Lord and his anoynted witness Martin Mason and his fellows whose raging words and not without blasphemie and vain Imaginations is manifested to all who have eyes to see or ears to hear I said in my former paper that the baptisme of repentance hearing of faith preached and believing is the inlet to the Spirit of promise as these Scriptures testifie Acts 2.36 Ephes 1.13 Gal. 3.2 Thou tellest this to the world as matter against me but leaves out the Scripture that I brought to witness it by by which thy falshood and deceit is laid open for thou leaves them out knowing what thou accuseth me of reacheth them but they will speak to thy shame and confound thee before all men Thou being empty of any answer thereto saist by this mans Doctrine none have the spirit of promise that bow not to his Sprinkling Answ Martin I have not at any time called upon thee or any to how to any Sprinkling neither have I used the word Sprinkling to thee upon any such account 't is a word brought only by thy self for reproach when thou wantest an answer in which thou dost but shew how thou runnest into holes and Caves of thy own digging and scratching to hide thee from the presence of truth If I should say to thee for want of other answer when thou tellest of the light within to be the inlet to the Spirit without the Scriptures teaching that by this mans doctrine none have the Spirit that how not to his quaking wouldst thou not call me Lyer and deal me a
Scriptures and following their own Inventions which they call light And of this Martin Mason and his fellows do manifest themselves to be as guilty as the former and so with them denyers of Christ to be come in the flesh for whosoever are denyers of that Christ Jesus who died at Jerusalem for mans redemption and his teachings and commands given forth by him and his Apostles while they were personally upon Earth amongst men must needs be found guilty of the Apostle Johns brand upon them 1 John â—3 2 John 7. Your Evasion of Christ coming in your flesh will not cover your deceit but more discovers your opposition to Christ Jesus for your telling men of Christ coming in their flesh or your flesh is to make them deny Christ come in his own flesh or the flesh which was the onely flesh or body that God came in to give his Law or Testament of faith to men and was appointed to suffer and seal his Testament with his blood Thou often talkest of the light within telling men and women in secret of every sin they commit yet thy light doth not tell thee or them of your sins of unbelief against that Saviour who tells thee in his Gospel that the world shall be condemned for sin because they believe not in him Thou wilt not open thy window to let this light of righteousness shine into thy dark heart but only light thy self and others with the nightly Torches of your own kindling which at the best let you but fee that evil and that righteousness which is onely in relation to the Law of works by which Law none shall be justified or condemned thy light is a Popish light and had its kindling from that fire and not from the Alter Christ Jesus and therefore is a strange fire and so an abomination from which fire hath been the kindling of mens minds in way of merit by their own works against the Justification that is by faith only according to the Scriptures in the maintaining of which faith in Christ Jesus many thousand who have washt their long robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb and have not loved their lives unto the death but have laid down their lives in witness of that truth in which they have been such overcomers that one would think there should have been no more rising up of that beaten down falshood in the accuser of the Saints yet here appears the same Spirit moving from below which though it hath not the horns and teeth and clawes of the beast to kill and rend the Saints as the former did yet it hath the mouth or voyce of the Dragon to accuse and curse and smite with the tongue those who deny to receive their false devices by which voyce thou callest it blalphemy in me to say the Spirit is received by the hearing and receiving of faith preached and so accuseth the Apostles also of blasphemie of whom I received it Gal. 3.2 Ephes 1.13 Act. 2.38 because it denies the Spirit is received by thy dark works Thou biddest Jonathan tell thee was the bearing of faith Gal. 3.2 hearing the Prophets and Apostles or hearing that Christ which Paul preached to be in all Jew and Greek Barbarian Scithian bond and free Answ If Martins eyes had a Christian opening he would see that either he must deny Paul to be an Apostle and the Apostles to preach all one Christ or say these are both one and if Martin should tell me that the Christ which Paul preached and the Christ which Matthew Mark Luke and John and others of the Apostles preached was not all one Christ all that hears him tell me so will say he speaks not truth and for Barbarians Scithians c. the Apostle in that place names them not and where he doth namethem as in Col. 11. He doth not name them as having Christ without or before faith in him but that as to the Jewes so to all others Christ is the same both in the offer of himself to all by his preaching as also his indwelling with them in receiving him by faith but neither in Col. 11. or any where else doth the Apostles preach Christ to be or dwell in any either Jew or Greek but by faith only quite contrary to your teaching without which faith wrought by the Apostles preaching thy pretended Christ unction and light within is all vanity and deceit Thou askest what shal be the condemnation of all man-kind who never heard of the name of Christ at Jerusalem if not the light of Christ placed in the conscience and wherefore is the light of Jesus left there in the heart of every man and woman if not to lead men and women out of sin into holiness and whether any thing without can redeem a Soul from sin but that Jesus who is the light of the world and shines in the conscience of every man and woman in the world Answer these queriers without any Serpentine evasion conjuring consequence or Antichristian falicies saist thou Answ The condemnation of the condemned shall be for not believing in the name of that Christ who dyed at Jerusalem as the Scriptures lively and abundantly stand up to witness though the dark generation calls them dead John 16.8 9. and 12.48 Mat. 16.16 Mark 25.41 42 48. And thy saying they have not heard of the Name of that Christ that dyed at Jerusalem is of no value for it is but thy false witness in the maintenance of thy own evil cause and therefore to be rejected being a neggative against the Scriptures affirmative besides thy own words the light of Christ placed in the conscience is against thee for how shall the conscience be enlightned by Christ that never heard of him Rom. 10.14 15. Here thou hast Ensnared thy self now thou must either acknowledge with me that the enlightning of all consciences is by the preaching of the faith in that Christ who suffered for sin at Jerusalem or plainly deny him to be the Christ whom thou denying art in sin as the same Christ tells thee John 8.48 and till thou hear the voyceof that Christ who calls thee out of the State of sin or unbelief to believe in his Name and wash away thy sins in his blood thou art not in the State of Holiness but in uncleanness what ever thy heart Imaginations and false fancy may sooth thee up withall for there is no State of cleanness or holiness spiritual but by faith only in that Christ Jesus who suffered at Jerusalem Which Christ Jesus the light of the world in his sufferings at Jerusalem did without them redeem Souls from sins thy Queries denying this doth manifest thy denyal of that Christ who died for sinners whose redemption doth work faith and light in men but not any thing in man doth work his redemption for as formerly I have told thee and others of thy generation at which you have been so wrathful but never gave any answer that redemption is the cause
deny him to be risen from the grave ascended make right application of this or let the wise of the nation that hears thee do it if Christ be still slain for me as thou saist he is it must be bodily for so was his dying for sinners then is he in the grave and not risen or ascended but thou saist the heaven which contains Christ is a mystery to my dark mind But I answer 't is rather thy dark mind which to set up thy mystery of iniquity would cloud the Heaven that contains Christ according to the Scriptures Acts 3.21 and 1 11. Thou returns a slender account of my counsel given unto thee to leave thy false luminaries and turn thy feet into the testimonies of the true light in calling me lyer and false Prophet blasphemer and such like but those who were but in doubt before will now be fully satisfied what light is in thee compared with the pure peaceable Spirit and mind of wisedome John 9.8 the Leopard saist thou cannot change his spots and 't is hard for thee to leave thy lying thou saist I kill the Scriptures can that which is dead be killed Answ I did not say thou killed the Scriptures dost not thou tell a lye then to say I said so I said thou would kill the Scriptures if thou could when thou should obey them and have them alive again to defend thee against others and this was because sometimes thou said the Scriptures thou owned and that they were yours and that thou owned that which gave forth the leaves and would bring them forth to condemn others and at other times when thou art called upon to obey them thou calls them dead letter and life-less books and saist it is a damnable doctrine to say the Spirit is received by the hearing of faith preached and believing according to the Apostles preaching in the Scriptures let the reader now judge whether this loud out-cry against me of lying be not justly returned upon the head of the cryer Martin I have told thee and many of thy generation that you cannot kill the Scriptures but that they are and will be a continual living against you and all opposers of truth and though thou say can that which is dead be killed yet dost thou and thy fellows make all the vile warr you can against them in which you find them so living that it is a torment unto you and makes you rage against the remnant of woman-seed who keep the commandements of God and faith of Jesus according to the Scriptures Thou asks if in two several places I do not call the Scripture dead letter Answ If I do 't is where I call thee a Saint see if thou canst find that in my paper thou tells me I run on in lying because I said thou runs for shelter amonst those thou accounts thy enemies who knows no other burial with Christ but burial in water calling them the cheif Princes of Meshech and Tubal Answ Had not I good cause to tell thee of running for shelter to thy enemies when thou runs to defend thy self against Baptisme with the word sprinkling a word begun and used in way of contempt by those whom thou and thy generation are against as much as against me yet art forced to make use of their weak weapons having none of thy own in this case and now to make them more of thy side and to rise with thee against me thou saist I call them the cheif Princes of Meshech and Tubal but let my paper be looked on with impartial eyes and it will be told thee 't is applyed to thee and thy generation and all who are found to band themselves against the Baptisme of repentance I not nominating any particular but him I writ to though thou say I mean those called dippers yet thou hast not the word dipper from me Thou saist I have invented an abominable lye besides non-sence in two lines and this abominable lye and non-sence is because I say thou bids me prove whether Christ commanded Baptisme to his Disciples yea or nay and did the Lord require it of his people to this day yea or nay Answ Was not the matter we had in question Baptisme see my answer to James Naylors sixt position set down in thy former paper my words there are these it is not faith but a fancy to run to other helps then the Spirit received by the hearing of faith preached by Christ and his Apostles all other teaching or Spirits are but lying vanities leading to the denyal of obedience in that faith required as in the Baptisme of repentance and the like thou undertaking to reply to this said 't is indeed thy darling thy Diana which must down is thy sprinkling with water the Baptisme of Christ did the Lord command or require it of his people to this day Now the reader thy cloak being taken off may see the abominable lie non-sence whether in me who answers thee according to the matter in question or whether it be not rather in thy self who to flie the answer talkest of sprinkling which is from the matter and is neither darling or Diana of mine but that thou must dandle such babbles to delude the spectators surely thou art not so blind in thy self as thou seems to be to think that any who can hear right from wrong will not hear thy guiltiness of Lying and non-sence to call upon me to prove Sprinkling which belongs not to our question to avoid thy answer in denyal of Baptisme But though thou canst not say any thing in answer thou can tell how to give the lie it s an observable thing in thee that when thou hast the least to answer thou makest the greatest noyse in railing accusations thinking thereby to take off the Reader from seeing thy folly but the wise will soon descern thy poverty and miserable nakedness Thou thinks it not enough to tell me I vent an abominable lie nonsence for speaking truth but fearing that insufficient to effect thy will thou tellest me thou never knew of one pretending to more piety then I that excelled or equalled me in the devillish art of lying Answ Surely the violence of thy evil disease through delusion will appear to all men I cannot but think thou speakest contrary to what thy thoughts are of me what a miserable condition is thine in this to accuse me not only to them who knows me not but also to them who knows me of that which in thy thoughts thou dost not think is so but thy denyal of truth in me is to cover thy denyal of truth in the Scriptures as in the matter in question the Baptisme of repentance which yet remains a Conquering truth over all thy Sprinklings and Lyes and non-sence which paper-walls thou patches together to defend thee from answering what was charged upon thee in the point of Baptisme Thou saist in the art of Lying I am a noble servant to my Master Answ That doth but
was and the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost they had not till afterward as verse 15 16 17. But thou wantest a Christian eye and heart which if thou hadst thou wouldst hate to deliver such detestable Stuff where the Scripture names water in Baptisme thou with wicked violence wouldst pluck the words away and place thy own divised baubles in the room thereof and where the Scripture speaks of the same baptisme because it names not water thou audatiously denyest water saist it's wanting there by which thy Spirit of lying is plainly laid open thou calls me vain Jangler tells me these places are not for my purpose without adding to the letter but whether thou in thy perusal or rather abusal of Scripture hast not manifested thy self a vain Jangler and adds to and diminisheth of the Scriptures teaching to hide and deny the truth let the reader Judge thou saist John was a Propher therefore his Ministration must end in Christ Jesus who is the fullfiling of the Law and the Prophets Answ What 's all that to thy denyal of the Baptisme of repentance or baptizing with water upon confession of faith and sins If John were a Prophet he was so in relation to the Gospel of Christ whose servant and Minister he was and not in relation to the ceremonies and rudimeuts of the Law of Moses therefore his ministration ending in Christ ending but where it began as all other Prophets ministration of the Gospel did as Peter and Paul and John whose ministration begun and ended in Christ but all in relation to their own persons for that ministration still remained and doth remain to say the ministration of Baptisme ceased when John ceased is not only a tying the teachings and commandements of God to mans mutability but is also a plain denyal of the Apostles teaching and practice to be of God not only after John was taken away but also after Christ himself ascended as Acts 2.38 and 10.47 48. and 6.38 Thou askest me why I do not plead for the practice of circumcision in the flesh as for Baptisme is not their authority of an equal purity both by permission not by precept Answ If I should plead for the practice of circumcision in the flesh now as for baptisme I should be a denyer of Christ like unto thee circumcision being a carnal seal of a worldly covenant was abolished by the bringing in of a better testament Heb. 7.22 and the 10.9 But I plead for Baptisme because 't is an ordinance of the Gospel and a Testimonial of their faith and obedience who enter into the new covenant thy saying they are of equal purity is from an impure weakness for the one was only an impression in the flesh not reaching the heart by faith the other hath no Seal or impression but in the heart by faith whereas thou saist they were both by permission not by precept thou speakest falsly for they were both by precept the one a precept of the law the other a precept of Christ in the Gospel which all that obey the light that lights every man that comes into the World knowes and will acknowledg but those on whom the sun is gone down night is to them for a vision and darkness for a divination Thou saist in my reply to the seventh Position thou findest me so puzled teaching perfection that I give thee no answer but would shuffle thee off bringing in James the 3.2 Answ Thou dost this but to shuffle off James 3.2 To which thou should give answer whosoever reads thy former paper shall hear thee throw me out a many foul and filthy words about perfection which is all that is contained in that paper to puzle me with which paper if thou wert not ashamed to show to the world with my answer it would manifest who is puzled and what perfection there is in Martin Mason compared with what thou repeats from James 3.2 If any offend not in word the same is a perfect man if thy own mouth do not here condem thee let thy offensive words which testifie thy deceived and vain Religion James 1.26 witness which is because thou wants a bridle which will bring thee a sad conclusion as James tells thee James 3.3 to the 7. But now let the reader hear what answer there is in thee to that of James 3.2 which thou saist I shuffle thee off with the Apostle there saith to his brethren in many things we sin all In the room of an answer saist thou doth he plead against perfection as thou dost to which I answer Thou must acknowledg he doth or say he calls sin perfection see if thou can shuffle this off Thou saist the Scriptures were never writ that the Devil by them should plead for sin Answ Nor were they ever writ that sinners by them should plead perfection Thou tellest me of bringing Rom. 7.18 Where Paul saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing from whence saist thou thou would infer that in Paul dwelt nothing that was good but wilt thou say the Holy Ghost is not good Answ I brought Rom. 7.18 to let thee hear the Apostles own words which denyeth perfection in the flesh thou canst not tell how to answer this and therefore leaves it to speak fasly of me saying I would infer had I brought the Second commandement to a Papist against his worshiping of Images and he answer hence thou would infer that God should not be worshiped it had been an answer equal with thine Thou ought rather to answer that Scripture or acknowledg thy errour Paul had the holy Ghost yet Paul saith in him that is in his flesh dwelleth no good thing but thou saist perfection dwelleth in the flesh of Paul so that the perfection thou pleads for is no good thing or we must deny Paul and hear thee against him but if Paul who had the Spirit of God within him had no good thing dwelling in his flesh as himself saith then sure 't is a bad perfection that is in Martin Masons flosh in whom dwelleth the Spirit of errour as is manifest in his abuse of Scripture and fighting against the truth And then saist thou away with Pauls Epistles and by consequence with the rest of the Scripture Answ That is it thou strives for to get shut of the Scriptures for their witness torments thee but thou labours in vain for they will out-live all the generations of falshood and be a continual witness against mens devices as is plainly manifested in this Thou saist that I alledged Phil. 3.24 is to me a mystery Answ I have so much of the mystery as to alledg it for that which thou art not able to answer therefore in that I need not say to them babler be silent thou saist my piece of Logick shews what a Pagan I am Answ And thy silence argues thy consent to the right reason in that piece of Logick for thou givest no answer to it whether it be more
then we say both one thing by thy own acknowledgment But I say the dead Letter is the Quakers Books therefore thou saist the same with me repent thou of thy error in calling the Scriptures dead Letter Thou saist thou never readest grosser contradictions to thy knowledg then hath dropt from the pen of this Painted Pagan as thou callest me Answ I believe Martin the Painter is mistaken and spoiles his work for want of color this surrilous way of thine with all the falseness of thy alegations will discover thee to all that read the Papers Loud accusation and little proof layes open folly it is a small matter for a man of thy language to be larg upon charging evil upon others but very scant in making good what you charg Thou saist in the next place that for all my folly and confusion I must give thee another rotten reed of Egypt as it were for a farewel in an argument which for substance thou saist is thus c. Answ I will leave thy substance and bring the whole substance it self the argument as it was given to thee by me They who by an infallible Spirit were Master Builders and layers of the foundation of the Saints Religion and who are heard of all who are of God and who have the Spirit of truth and who accounts all accursed who preach any other Doctrine then they have already preached must needs be the true touch-stone and infallible tryal of Spirits whether they be of God or no and denyal to be tryed by them is a plain testimony of an evil cause and that the Spirit is the Spirit of error and lyer But the Apostles were they who by an infallible Spirit were Master Builders c. As these Scriptures testifie 1 Cor. 3.9 10 11. 1 John 4.6 John 8.47 Acts 2.4 2 Thes 2.13 14 15. 1 Thes 2.13 Gal. 1.8 9 10. 2 John 7.8 9 10. And Martin Mason denyeth their tryal and calls it dead Letter Therefore his Spirit is not of God he is guided by the Spirit of error Thou for want of an answer to this callest me forgetful willful lying Beast Did not he even now saist thou a litle before in his other argument say that he desired to be tryed by the light in the Saints conscience and not by the dead Letter and yet taxeth me O blush and be a shamed Answ I am neither Beast or Lyer nor forgetful of what I have said before I have laid down the plain truth to thee which is that the Apostles teachings or Scriptures is the true touch-stone and tryal of Spirits I have not in any place called them dead Letter but have alwayes told thee that the light in the Saints consciences is received from thence therefore I have no cause to blush or be ashamed at the truth the manifestation of which makes thee be wrathful out of which thou brings the Beast and Lyer and blush and be ashamed there not being a word in thy tongue to answer of which if thou cold be ashamed there would be hopes of thy repentance and good cause hast thou to blush and be a shamed of this proclaming thy folly for 't is a low disgrace to one pretending such high things to be so discovered as thou art in such want of answer and in evil words corrupting thy good manners According to the grace of God given to me saist thou as a wise Master builder I have laid the foundation saith Paul 1. Cor. 1.10 he builded upon the rock other foundation then that is laid can no man lay which is Jesus Christ in all Jew and Greek Barbarian Scithian bond and free Luke 3.11 to this unction within did Paul direct the People Answ Whosoever rules and observes thee will see thy desire to set up thy self for a wise Master builder for which read thy motto Pro. 26.12 16. Thou joynes several declerations of the Apostle together to pervet them if thou cold from his Gospel order of teaching to thy own corrupt sence and foysts in thy own words amongst to make fit a lye the Apostle in neither of these places or any where else doth direct the people to the unction within them till first they have heard the preaching of the Apostles in the doctrine of faith and believing thou tellest me of a brat of my own begeting but if this be not of thy begeting 'tis the begeting of some of thy generation from whom thou hast received it to nurse do not think to Father such prodigious birth upon the Apostles their begeting men to the faith was by preaching Christ Jesus who was not in those before to whom they preached that is your false invension to oppose the truth the Apostle saith he laid the foundation thou saist it was laid in them before a flat contradiction to the Apostles teaching and the Scripture thou quotes Col. 3.11 Doth not say Christ is in all Jew and Greek before they received him by faith through the Apostles preaching but plainly telleth thee if thy ears cold hear verse 10. where Christ is in all which is in all them who have put on the new man which is renued in knowledg after the Image of him who hath created him by which is manifest according to the whole teaching of the Apostles that Christ is in all who are in the faith but in those in whom faith is not the Apostles have not any where said that Christ is there Therefore thy opposition to the Apostles and that Christ which they preached is made plain and that thou and thy fellows would set up your own heart-Imaginations and false deceiveings in the place of Christ And would perswade men of a Christ in all before or without the preaching of faith by the Apostles that they may deny the Apostles preaching and that Christ which they preached to those who before were without him Ephes 2.12 And where Christ was not named Rom. 15.30 That which lay dead saist thou did at the hearing of the voyce of the Son of God live Answ That which hear thou saist lay dead is that which before thou callest the Christ in all the royal seed the unction the Lord of glory crucified in them so that by thy doctrine the royal seed the unction the Lord of glory and Christ in all lay dead till it did at the hearing of the voyce of the Son of God live what greater confused nonsence can be delivered then to say Christ the Son of God lyeth dead till he hear the voyce of Christ the Son of God and live can such babling be without blaspemy those who knew and in whom Christ the hope of glory is will see this thy dead Image that thou would set up to deny the Lord that bought thee After thy complaint of allmost weariness thou follows with somthing to the poor hears as thou callest them whom thou saist are wedded to their water and counts no Saints who submit not to their ceremonies thou bidest them answer thee in good earnest can