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
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
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
everlasting life through faith in him The other evil is it makes men listen to the false imaginations and deceitful perswasions of their own hearts which hath been the cause of all Idolatry superstition and disobedience to the Law of faith that hath been for men leaving the spiritual teaching and commands of Christ in the Scripture and following their own Invensions and heart Imaginations run themselves into several false practises and bould disobedience of which this of yours is not the least for the greater pretence of light in disobedience the greater evil And this bouldness of thy heart by following its Imaginations is further manifested in thy saying how should the seed of the woman break the Serpents head if the seed of the woman the unction or Christ within and the seed of the Serpent the man of sin be not within By which all may plainly see who are in the light thy denyal of the death of Christ who by his death and blood-shed in that once suffering at Jerusalem did break the Serpents head according to Gods decree and appointment but thou in denyal of that and to give him a plaister for his his broken head tellest the world or unbelievers that their light within which is their heart imaginations and vain fancies without that which is preached by Christ and his Apostles to give light is the seed of the woman that breaks the Serpents head no other breaking of his head wouldest thou have them to believe and thus wouldest thou if thou could save the breaking of the sepents head and give him a hellmet rather Thou runest on with a many words some stollen from Scripture and some thy own Imagination and to conclude what sayest but this is a mystery Answ To which I answer 't is a mystery indeed but it is the mystery of Iniquity for it denyeth Christ Jesus and setteth up false devices in his room but the righteous desires not to know the deepness of Satan as thou speaks in thy former paper thou saist to me poor man how hath thy father befooled thee hath not the God of this world blinded thy mind 't is so or else thou wouldst see thy nakedness and be ashamed of thy ignorance with more such big words And this was because I had said the light of Christ is manifested by the preaching of Christ and his Apostles hearing and receiving of which said I is the inlet to the Spirit of promise and for proof I alledged Gal. 3.2 Acts. 2.38 the truth of which thou not being able to gainsay smitest me thus with thy tongue for reveng in thy offence at truth but when thy passion was somewhat over and thou hadst forgot why thou wast angry thou saidst the very same thy self which thou condemnest in me thy words were these Did not the Galatians receive the Spirit by the hearing of faith that is sayst thou by believin that Christ which Paul preached also thou saidst that is the word of faith which we preach saith Paul and hearing of the word of faith the light in the conscience is the inlet to the Spirit of promise In answer to all which I said what cause hast thou thus to complain against me when thou art forced to say the same thing with me thou hast in this disarmed thy self and yeilded the victory 't is in vain for thee to take up for another charg Let the wise Reader now judge if there were not just cause for thee to lay thy hand upon thy mouth in silence or confess thy folly for exclaming against me for saying what the Scripture saith when thou sayest the very same with me and with the text of Scripture alledged save only thy addition the light in the conscience which is to be thrown to thee being thy own Idol and not belonging to the text But thou for want of a gracious humbled Spirit to acknowledg the truth when it is so plainly laid before thee continuest thy old corrupt language like Balaam to curse where thou knoweth the Lord hath blessed but thy mouth is ordered contrary to the desires of thy heart Be it remembred saist thou that thou hast owned the light of the conscience to be the inlet to the Spirit of promise There is no cause Martin to forget that being remembred that thou sayest with me that light is by the hearing of faith preached by the Apostles Then in thy former paper touldst me of Juggling the which I called upon thee to prove but thou not being able returnest to ask me if I have not saved thee some labour and done it my self Answ Martin this is just like thee to shew so little cause for so large accusation thy labour hath been great enough were it known to prove that thou cannot but I will shew how with male labour I have opened Martin Masons Juggling Box who cried condemnation against me for that which I found he himself had and I also found that when he had called the people together pretending to shew them Christ the Saviour and light and truth there I discovered all to be nothing but a crucifix and false fained lights and tryfels of self-dinying Thou mayst have spared the labour of telling me I one while own the Letter to be the inlet to the Spirit of promise and another time own the light of the Conscience to be the inlet sometime calling the Letter sometime the Spirit the Rule Answ For I never owned to thee any light of Conscience but that which is the preaching of Faith in the Scriptures which Light or enlightning thy self hath before owned though fore against thy will and for thy pretended light that hath not ' its original from that faithpreaching power of the Apostles I deny it as a deadly darkness where hast thou that word Letter from me calling it the inlet or rule is it not a word of thy own divising against the Apostles preaching or to use thy own termes a Brat of thy own begetting why wilt thou father it upon me charge it not upon me but chalenge thy own Is not thy foundation saist thou built upon the Letter dost not thou account that for the word of God Which Paul and Petter preacheed Answ I do account that for the Word of God which Paul and Peter preached and I am built upon that foundation which they have laid which is Christ Jesus as 1 Cor. 3.10 11. And this is denyed by none but the raiging Heathen and disobedient denyers of Christ to be come in the flesh the Apostles Paul saith to the Thesselonians 1 Thes 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing that when ye received of us the word of the preaching of God ye received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God which also worketh in you that believe let this be compared with thy denyal of that to be the word of God which Paul preached and those who hear thee will account thee as Paul wileth Gal. 1.8 Art thou not
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
world of the ungodly 2. Pet. 2.5 Yet Christ sends the People to Moses and the Prophets to hear them who did not only declare the Sacrifice Circumcision and Ceremonyes of the Law but also the Faith and acceptance with God of these who before the Law and in the Law did hear and obey the Gospel of Faith and saith Christ if they will not hear them they will not be perswaded though one arise from the dead Luke 16.29 31. even so now the people have Christ and the Apostles if they will not hear them no other dead arising light can perswade them to hear the Gospel of Faith therefore what is the principle of light before Moses writ the Letter to thy denyal of the preaching of Christ and his Apostles in the Scriptures Cornelius had as much light as thou canst aledge yet he must hear the Apostle Peter for Salvation Thou tellest me I say in my Prayer that the sound of accusing or excusing is in all consciences then it must needs be saist thou in the conscience of Millions of people that never heard of the preaching of repentance and faith by the Apostles Answ That which I said in my Paper was that their Sound speaking of the Apostles of accusing or excusing is in all consciences then saiest thou it must needs be in the conscience of Millions that never heard their sound but how this is agreeable with right reason that the sound of the Apostle preaching must needs be in the consciences of Millions that never heard of their sound let the hearers Judge yet let this be observed how thou strainest thy self to shuffel out the Apostle and sayst in thy own pretended Light leaving out my word their sound applyed to the Apostles and putest in thy word the sound applyed to thy darkness and then saiest I said it which is false in a double manner both in leaving out what I said and saying what I said not if thou see not this to be a deceitful sottishness the standers by will this is like thy Logick in thy former Paper which thou touldst me came from the Rock of Ages I asked thee in my former Paper where thou or any of those who run abroad now in these dayes have come where Christ and his Apostles have not been before you And to that I joyned my saying that the sound of accusing or excusing is in all consciences all which thou hast left out in ' its order and place and without answer that thou mayst with more ease perswade others against the truth delivered by me but they are weak discerners that seeth not what thou art in such false dealing This thou callest my scornful question for want of answer openest thy mouth in cursing throwing out some of thy waters of bitterness which flow within And after a terrible fit thou art forced to say thou ownest no other Gospel but what the Apostles preached Answ To which I answer that then thou must discern that which thou callest the light of the conscience for the Apostles never preached so and then thou must own the man Christ Jesus who suffered at Jerusalem to be the Saviour of the world and the Baptisme with water upon repentance and Faith to be a Gospel Ordinance for this is that which the Apostles preached Act. 4.10 and 3 16 and 5 30 31 and 9 34 and 13 32 38 39 and 16 30 31 and 2 38. Thus out of thy own mouth thou art condemned for thy disobedience Thou sayest you do not direct the people to any other thing then the Apostle Peter did that sure word of Prophesie the light in the conscience to which they do well if theyake heed 2 Pet. 1.19 Answ Then you must send them to the Scriptures or Prophesies of old for so did the Apostle Peter in the text as the following versos do witness if thou have ears to hear and to the Baptisme of Repentance for so did Peter Acts 2.38 which thou denyest and therefore speakest falsely in saying you direct the people as Peter did Peter did not send or direct the people to the light in their own consciences as thou sayest he did in that also thou speakest falsely and addest them words to the text by which thou manifesteth how blind bould opposer thou art though God threatens his plagues against thee for it Rev. 22.18 thou and thy generation do in this as all Antichristians have done to make their own Idols stand up thrust in their own inventions amongst the speaking of the Spirit of God in the Scripture but it will fall as Dagon did before the Ark. Also thou sayest you send them to the seed of the woman the word of God the unction or Christ within Answ You send them several wayes it seems as pleaseth the fancy of the sender but thou speakest falsely and intendest deceitfully for all your sending is to keep people from the knowledg of the womans seed the word of God the unction or Christ within For the seed of the woman or of promise is the man Christ who was begotten and born of the Virgin Mary and so was he the womans seed and he who brake the Serpents head and loossed the works of the Devil by his death and blood-shedin that flesh in which he came and dwelt amongst men and the unction or Christ within is the Spirit of promiss sent from Christ into those who believe in him John 16.7 Mat. 29.20 But thy womans seed and thy Christ within and unction or word is thy faigned light which thou tellest people is in all consciences though in the state of unbelief or unregenerate and thither wouldest thou send people to seek Christ in their own dark hearts and false speakings in the desart secret place that so they may leave looking for the light of Israel to follow your matters contrary to Scriptures teaching or the Apostles direction But he cannot find Christ within who denyeth Christ without he cannot have Christ spiritually by faith who denys Christ bodily raised from the grave and ascended and remaining in the Heavens Thou and thy generation are in that denyal manifested to be busie sticklers both against that Christ and the preaching of his Apostles who preached Christ to those in whom he was not that they by faith might receive him and that is the promise of unction which only Saints deny as the earnest of their everlasting inheritance And so he dwelleth in Saints not in unbelievers Ephes 1.13 14. and 2.12 2. Cor. 13.5 Therefore thine and thy fellows telling men that are not in the faith they must look to the light anointing and Christ within them As it is a smoak arising from below to cover mens eyes from the light of the Son so there is in its two pernitious evils the one is it stayes men from following Christ the Saviour whose power excellency and glorious manifestation of love is sounded forth and made known by the spirit of God in the Scriptures to bring all men to
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
their Diana satisfie a hungry Soul Answ To which the poor hearts reply that it were better for thee to sit down and rest thy self after thy great labour and hot chace except thou findest thy self so tyred that thou desirest the refreshment of those waters to which they are wedded to cool thy heat of bloud and in good earnest they answer thee they have not Ephesian Diana which they worshipped walking by thy light of self-invention or any other Idol that may have written upon it light of Conscience quaking or baptisme but they have that Christ the Bread of Life which the Ephesians believed in after the preaching of the Apostles unto them they feed not upon hid Bread nor are they wedded to stolen waters they abhor the secret devices and self-inventions that oppose the open Declarations of Gods mind and will in the Scriptures of Truth They drink of Shiloh the Fountaine open to the house of David They feed on Manna the Bread that came down from Heaven their souls love and are continually refreshed therewith Which Manna thou and thy genaration loathes and calls it light bread and prize your Garlick and Onions above it the art of sowing and growing of which you learnt in Egypt Thou talkest of washing the body with outward water and the answer of a good Conscience towards God and who saist thou can witness the answer of a good conscience towards God that is not guided by the light of God in his Conscience Answ And what answer of a good Conscience canst thou have that is not enlightened by the preaching of Christ and his Apostles fighting against their Doctrine of Faith and denying all obedience thereto Doth not thy own Conscience when thou considerest of thy answer before Christ at the day of Account condemn thee for opposing and denying the Command of Christ and Practice for discipling all Nations is not thy iniquity there Thou tellest them they are not come to yea and nay in their dealing Answ Thou talkest like a tyred man in Spirits Produce if thou can that in any of them and they will acknowledge t is against the Baptism of Repentance which they plead for and thou deniest But thou not proving that against them where is thy yea and nay in thy dealing thou must needs want the uprightnesse of yea and nay in thy dealing thus falsly with us accusing us without ground or proofe They deny with formall words of yea and nay to cover the deceit of wrong dealing within neither do they put on white breeches without to cover the black breeches of bribery and extortion Look nearer home let not thy eyes be scattered in the corners of the World yea and nay in the tongue when wrong and falshood is in the heart is not the language of Saints Thou thy felf art farre from that yea and ney in thy dealing or communication with Christs commands Mat. 5.37 dealing such foul and filthy words to those against whom thou speakest or writest Thou tellest them of respect of persons and vain customes and fashons of the Heathen and art not yet brought to the bridling of the tongue Answ These words are thy own and better applyed to thee then from thee the Customes and Fashions of the Heathen are self-divices against the God of Israel and Saviour of all men they own no such soul fashions or evil Customes but deny them and therein deny thee and thy generation and your Groves and Alters and Calves at Dan and Bethel And for an unbridled Tongue running at randome cannot be more manifested then in what is breathed from thee in which all that hear thee with right understanding will say t is not the Language of Sion or new tongue speaking of a Saint but the Language of Babel and speaking like the Draggon Thou saist Paul told the people he had not shuned to declare unto them all the Counsel God but where did he mention water Baptisme as a branch thereof if it had been of the Counsel of God certainly Paul durst not have concealed it Answ Whose Counsel was that which Peter gave Act. 2.38 wilt thou denyest that to be the Counsel of God it being the Counsel of God Paul did declare it according to thy own Confession And whose Counsel was it for Paul to Baptize Crispus and Gaius and others and into whose name did he Baptize them into his own name or into the name of Christ if into the name of Christ as openly thou darest not deny and not into his own name as himself testisyeth 1 Cor. 1.13 14. 15. Then must it needs be the Counsel of God which doth condemne and confound thy abominable denyal thereof may not the question be rightly put to thee that our Saviour put to the Scribes and Priests Mark 11.20 Concerning that Baptisme whether it were from Heaven or of man will it not dazle thee as it did them thou not only denying that Counsel of God against thy self as they did Luke 7.30 But also denying it to be the Counsel of God which is a degree of evil exceeding theirs in that report of them But if thou say thou dost confess it from Heaven which thy predecessors opposers of truth durst not deny dost thou not then condemn thy self in denying it to be the Counsel of God and thy saying t is of men makes John Baptist a transgressor in doing mans divices in Divine service and Christ a consenter with him in it and so the Apostles teaching and practise in that Baptisme to be all transgression and vanity hadst thou not better never bring these Scriptures that are so plainly against thee were it not a great folly to alledge the second Commandement to prove the worshiping of Images is it not as great folly in thee to alledge Scriptures to deny Baptisme that is so plainly for it thou must as the Papists do and as thou and thy fellowes follow them either maintain your divices by unwriten very lyes which you call verities and so make men believe as the Church believes or the Father of yourfamilies or the more you alledge Scripture to hold up your Idol the more it fals and is broken apeices Did not Paul saist thou foresee that thing to be Idolized in his dayes Answ No Martin that is the false device of thy generation from whom thou hast received it witness James Naylors Book tituled a Hand held forth to the help-less to lead them out of darkness c. where he delivers it plainly and grosly in the point of Baptisme in which he deliver a palpable lie as thou dost here after him both against the Corinthians and against Paul for neither did the Corinthians Idolize Baptisme neither did Paul complain against them or deny it upon any such account the Apostles rather complains of them for neglect of that esteem which they should have of that Baptisme in relation to Christ and given it to men 1 Cor. 1.12 13 14 15. And for further Satisfaction I shall give thee something