and none can be in the truth and most truely live above the way ordained of God to life neither can any live above the way and yet be in the truth and therefore thy query is an unlearned question and manifests thy ignorance of the mysteries of Christ Q. 9. Whether if those who despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses ought not those then that either in word practice or writing despise Christs Law to be deeply humbled and truely repent of so grievous a sin especially if they have taught others so do Answ I hope that is not the English of thy query viz. that thou wouldst have them more sorely punished that deny your water washing then those were that despised Moses Law Those who despise Christs Law ought to be deeply humbled and repent of it and turn from it or they cannot be saved and such are all those who despise the true light with which every man that cometh into the world is lighted and call it natural for Christ is a Law-giver and gives Laws to his children as Moses did to the Jews and his Laws and Ordinances are onely known and read in the true light and he which opposes or gain-says either in himself or others the manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit withall is an unprofitable servant unto God though he be found in all the outward practices of the true Church for God is a Spirit and they which worship him aright must worship in the Spirit and in the truth for such God did seek to worship him in the dayes of the Apostles and such God is seeking again and all others shall be discovered and cast out as dung upon the face of the earth and such despisers shall behold and wonder and by their mocking at the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world shall their bonds become strong and their punishment become sorer then those who despised Moses Law if they speedily repent not 10 Q. Whether it will be a good Plea at the dreadful day of Christ to say Lord we would not have despised thy Laws if thou hadst made them to our minds and we had thought they had been spiritual enough Answ It will be no good Plea at the dreadful day of Christ neither is it now to say Lord we would not have despised thy Laws if thou hadst made them to our minds and we had thought they had been spiritual enough and of this sort are all those who put the day of the Lord afar off and are of the night and know not the day of the Lord as yet to be dawned nor the day-star to be risen in their hearts but though they draw near with their lips their hearts are far from God and their minds are estranged from him by wicked works though in words they confess him yet they are but in their thoughts and think they stand sure but their foundation is rottenness and built upon the sands like all those who say and do not and hear his words but obey them not and cry the Temple of the Lord and Church-fellowship and Ordinances but hate to be Reformed and to have their conversation ordered aright and so cannot see Gods Salvation while they account that too low and carnal or legal and natural which checks and reproves for sin in the Conscience and accuses for evil and excuses when they do well and reject it and slight it as not spiritual enough and such are they thy Query speaks of had they known that the light in their Consciences had been spiritual and that which came from Christ the light of the world and given them to lead out of darkness and that with which they must come to see themselves lost and undone if ever they be saved and in the sight and sence of their miserable estate to wait for a Saviour and in that light to see him revealed to save when none can help or deliver I say this is the man and the woman that in truth thy Query speaks of that shall say Lord we would not have despised thy Laws if thou hadst made them to our minds or if they had been spiritual enough but the light in the Conscience we liked not because it alwayes bore a witness for God against all our evil wayes and now we marvel not that every one that doth evil hates it because it reproves them all but outward Observances and bodily Exercises we like well and in these Observations we look for the Kingdom of Heaven to come but to give up to be guided by the light in our Consciences and shines in our hearts for that to give us the knowledge of God in the face of Christ we like not but accounted it not sufficient to lead to Christ and that which prejudiced us the more against the light which shines in our hearts and hath long shewed us our evil words before we spake them and our thoughts when they first did arise in us before we consented to them to follow them was because we accounted it common to all men and that which every man had and that though it shewed some sins against the Law yet not all sins against the Gospel as unbelief and therefore slighted it as legal and natural and when it troubled us or reproved us when we had been worshipping of thee O Lord as we thought in breaking bread and drinking wine and preaching and praying and the like which we verily believed had been thy ordinances and appointments and when we were troubled in our spirits and minds after such exercises as these we looked upon it as the temptation of the Devil and did not know it to be Gods witness in our Consciences or his Spirit striving with us to bring us to silence that so we might know the dumb to speak and the Spirit of the Lord to move and stir and guide in us and we in all things to be led by it and so in all we did feel Gods acceptance by the Testimony of his Spirit in us even the Spirit it self bearing witnesse with our spirits that we were Gods Children and the Spirit of truth to lead us into all truth that so by it we might witness freedom from the inward troubles of our minds and spirits and the accusings of Gods witness in our Consciences and so be made free and perfect as pertaining to the Conscience by the blood of Christ which is onely known and felt in his light as the Scripture saith 1 John 1.7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin But we looked on that of God in our Consciences to be too low and of the reliques of the old Adam or something of the Law but we looked upon our selves as not being under the Law but under grace and so judged our selves in Christ and when we were at
inventions to make void Christs commands is not the washing of the spirit the true and proper washing or is the figure in thy esteem become proper and substantial and the substance and truth become Metaphorical and not proper and is the washing away the filth of the flesh preferred before the answer of a good conscience by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and so that by thee is called not proper which is most proper and that Metaphorically which is true substantial and real for whatsoever is spiritually so is more so then that which is naturally so and that which is most real and true is most proper but herein thou apparently manifests thy ignorance of the true and proper Baptism like those who had Johns washing but knew not whether there were any Holy Ghost or not Acts 19. mayest thou not as well say that Christs blood and Christs flesh which except a man eat and drink he hath no life in him is Metaphorical and not proper though Christ saith his blood is drink indeed and his flesh is meat indeed and nourishes up to eternal life and is most proper food for the children but is not this as improper in thy judgement though Christ saith it is meat indeed mark indeed not as thou sayest of his Baptism but properly substantially and indeed but is not this as hard a saying now to many who say they are Disciples as it was of old and because of these hard sayings have not many Disciples gone back and walked no more with him Joh. 6.60 66. Again thou sayest the Baptism intended by Paul Ephes 4.5 is distinguished in the same place from faith by which God purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 and Mark 19.16 and there is no such chapter nor verse which is the inward washing and cleansing by the spirit Here thou grants again what thou seems to dispute against which is sayest thou the inward washing and cleansing by the spirit so that all that thou contends against is the word baptizing or Baptism where as thou cals it washing by the spirit but denyes it to be baptizing by the spirit so confesses it in English but denyes it in Greek but thou sayest it is distinguished from faith which washes and therefore not the spirits baptizing or washing and yet calls it thy self the inward washing by the spirit so thou art but as one that fights with thy own shadow But is not thy confusion manifest to all whose eyes are open is not this thy reason that thou gives why that baptism is not meant the spirits baptism because distinguished from faith which washes c. is not this reason as strong against the spirit and against the hope and against the one Lord and one God as against the Baptism are not all these distinguished by name though all one in nature and kind or is the Lord not God because distinguished by name and is not the spirit God because distinguished there by name and is the hope not Christ because distinguished what non-sence and confusion is here is the one baptism or one washing that is so nearly coupled to the one spirit one Lord and one God and one hope and one faith not the true or proper Baptism or washing of the spirit because distinguished from such which washes and purifies is not by the same reason the one hope which purifies not the true and spiritual hope because it is distinguished from faith which purifies and by the same reason the one spirit is not the true spirit because distinguished from faith and hope which purifies and washes as 1 Cor. 6 11. washed by the spirit but in this Argument also as well as others is not thy folly made manifest to all men that reads with understanding are all these things different in nature because distinguished by name what ignorance is this doth not thy own Argument make against thy self and thy water Baptism viz. because faith and hope and the spirit and Lord and God and Baptism are onely distinguished by name and not divided in nature or kind therefore it must needs be intended the Baptism of the spirit all these names being spiritual and onely distinguished but not divided in nature and kind is to speak of a spiritual and inward hope and a spiritual and inward faith and a spiritual and inward Lord and God above all and through all and in you all and then should thrust in in the midst of this inward and spiritual unity an outward visible water which onely washes away the filth of the flesh outwardly is not this to set up and to prefer your water and couple it with and make it equal to the one Lord the one faith the one God and one spirit and to make the want of outward water and washing to be a breach of the union with the one Lord and one God and one faith and so he that is not outwardly washed with outward water is out of the unity with the one spirit one Lord and the one God for if any of these particulars be wanting the union is not compleat but broken and therefore he that hath not the true hope in him is not in the unity of the spirit and he that hath not the true and one faith hath not unity with God nor Christ and so he that hath not the one Baptism hath not the one Lord nor the one God for none of these may be spared without the breach of the union in the whole for he that hath one of these hath all these for they are in unity together and unites all as with a bond of Peace where they are enjoyed So that thou James Pope hast at once by thy saying this one Baptism is outward water and washing condemned all the children of the Lord that are not so baptized with outward water as being out of the unity of the spirit and out of the unity with the one Lord and one God and so no salvation for them is not this to set up another Saviour or to bring in an outward corruptible creature and set it upon the throne by the Creator and so make outward washing with water to be the key to let into the Kingdom of God and unity of the spirit and without it no union with God or Christ or the spirit and so no salvation therefore said I not truely thou wast not willing to part with thy water so but like Micah Judges the 18.24 might well cry out you have taken away my gods and what have I more and why do you ask me what aileth me so now it is no wonder you cry out so much for your water seeing you joyn it so close to the one faith one Lord and the one God that if it be wanting unity with God is not known and so this is agreeable to what some have Printed that without water Baptism no salvation and is not this to make another door then Christ and another way then Christ and how much short of this thou hast
are not vain talkers nor boasts not in other mens lines but keep to their own measure of Grace and boasts not about it but knows it and keeps in it for there onely is safety and condemnation is avoided and justification is enjoyed and such are ever with the Lord and from him cannot be separated because in his Son that is Truth and in that understanding which is Gods gift in which alone Peace Justification and Reconciliation with God through him is witnessed and life Eternal inherited for evermore which all that are out of the light with which they are lighted though never so much puffed up with knowledge are ignorant of and strangers to the life and immortality that is brought to light by the Gospel in which Gospel they hear Christs voice and knows it from the voice of a stranger both within them and without them and through the annointing within them they know all things and need no man to teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them which is truth and no lye and such cannot be seduced because of the annointing which they have received whereby they savour and try the spirits whether they be of God or no for every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in their flesh is not of God Here follows some Queries for James Pope or some others to answer in Gods fear and with plainness of speech that so all that reads may be edified by his or their answer and Scripture proofs produced to witness the same 1. WHat is the first Principle of the pure Religion is it something within man or something without man 2. What is the Foundation of Faith and Rule of Life to all that are or shall be saved is it something within or something without something created or something not made but Eternal 3. Whether do Abrams Children now follow his steps in making that the Rule of their Life and Foundation of their Faith which was the Rule and Foundation of his Life and whether that Gospel which is the Gospel of their Salvation now was not the Gospel of his Salvation and preached to him then in his day 4. Whether that be not a fundamental Principle in Christs Religion which a man must know and take up daily or he cannot be one of Christs Disciples and whether the Cross of Christ be not such a fundamental if it be what is it and where is it that every one that desires to learn of Christ may know it and take it up daily 5. Whether to stand still is not a fundamental in Christs Religion seeing every ones strength is in it and Salvation cannot be seen but by it nor safety witnessed but through it if it be such a fundamental what is it and how may the ignorant be instructed in the knowledge of it describe it plainly 6. Whether that is not a fundamental in the true Religion which if a man know not and be not partaker of he hath no life in him but if he do know and be partaker of he hath life Eternal whether the flesh and blood of Christ be not such a fundamental seeing Christ faith Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you and again Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath Eternal Life 7. Whether the Tree of knowledge of good and evil be in these dayes if it be what is it now and where doth it grow and whether it be still forbidden to be fed upon or eaten of and when doth a man eat of it and what is that death which a man dies when he eats of it 8. What is the Tree of Life which they who keep the Commandements of God have right to eat of and what is that Paradice of God where it grows and what is it to eat of it 9. Whether he that doth not discern the Lords body daily in his ordinary eating and drinking doth not eat and drink damnation seeing not discerning the body is the cause of condemnation or whether is the Lords body discerned by some once or twice a year and other some once a moneth and others it may be once a week and some never if so be that breaking of outward bread and drinking of outward wine in such a way as some call a Sacrament and others the Ordinance of breaking bread be that alone wherein the Lords body is diseerned and fed upon 10 Whether washing of the body with outward water be necessary to salvation or that a man which is not so washed cannot be saved if he cannot whether you do not make two doors to enter into life if he may then whether he that enters in by Christ the door is not compleat in his entrance and in Christ his life as well in being truely baptized as Circumcised seeing the Apostle saith the Saints were compleat in Christ in whom they were Circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands and buried with him in Baptism wherein they were risen with him through the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.10 11 12. 11. Whether he that baptizes now with outward water must not manifest his Commission thereunto either by the same Authority that they did or by something of equal power thereunto seeing he that baptized with water was greater then all the Prophets and was sent by God to do it but saw the end for which it was appointed for he that sent him to baptize with water said unto him upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God Joh. â— 33.34 12. Whether Baptism with water was not in its full force before Mat. 28 if yea and water Baptism was still to be continued why might not Christs Disciples have followed Johns example without any new command to them as well as you follow their example as you say without another or new command to you seeing it is written John was a man sent from God to Baptize with water c. or may it not be concluded from the same reason that the Baptism of the Spirit was and is intended seeing water is not at all expressed in Mat 28 nor Mark 16. but rather the contrary for it is such a washing as is necessary to salvation 13. Whether the false Church or Apostacy consists so much in the cessation or declension from outward observances sometime practiced by the servants of God or rather in their keeping up or imitating of those outward practices in their own wills out of the same life and power by which they were once required and performed by those of whom they were required seeing it is a charge both against the Jewish Church in that they drew near with their lips and multiplyed oblations and were not charged for neglect of outwards but for resisting of the Holy Ghost as their fathers had done and in the Apostle dayes was it the want of the form or men having a form and denying the power that made the times perilous 14. Whether that coming of Christ spoken of in 1 Cor. 1.7 which some of the Corinthians were waiting for which coming of Christ the Apostle saith should confirm them to the end or were the Corinthians never confirmed and that coming spoken of in 1 Cor. 4.5 which coming is said to manifest the counsels of the heart c. was not the coming spoken of in the 1 Cor. 11.26 until which they were to do so and so seeing the former coming was a coming not yet obtained but they were waiting for it c. and whether some amongst the Corinthians did not witness the coming of the Lord as aforesaid 15. Whether the servants of the Lord now may not be forbidden by the holy Ghost to do some things now once done by the Saints as Paul and Silas were forbidden to Preach the Gospel in Asia Acts 16.6 though by Christs general Commission they were to Preach the Gospel to all Nations and be justified by the Lord in their so doing as Paul and Silas was while others run on in imitation and are condemned by the Spirit in themselves the Lord not requiring them at their hands THE END