shew the pride of thy fathers child who would have a servant under him In which pride thou saist for the simples sake thou wilt peruse those Scriptures my father sends me with to fight for his kindgome which Scripture is Mat. 28.19 20. Act. 2.32 41 42. Answ Let the Reader take notice that these being the Scriptures of God and weapons given by him to those he sends for their defence and safety against the enemy thou must either acknowledge God to be my Father agianst thy will in bringing these Scriptures or say they are not his but the Scriptures and weapons of his enemy which Blasphemy being lodged in thy calling it dead Letter will be laid open that all may see whose Child thou art But howsoever this is certain that it is not God whose the Scriptures is that sends thee with these low weapons of self devices to fight against the sender of those Scriptures and those sent of him but all thy labour will be in vain and destruction will be the wages of such Imployment thy promise to the simple is spoken in thy mother tongue Prov. 9.16 They must be simple ones indeed that gives ear to thy Doctrine and perusal of Scripture Thy first perusal is thou tellest the simple thou cannot find Sprinkling there Answ This is a simple instruction he must needs be a blind guide that can but tell those he undertakes to teach that he cannot see or cannot find and so produce nothing thou canst not find Sprinkling and thou wilt not find Baptisme there though the Scriptures plainly declare it the simple will soon have enough of thy perusal of Scripture from whence thou runnest stumbling to me in thy blindness and asks if Act. the 22.16 make for my purpose and if Sprinkling with water is once mentioned there or did Annanias bid him be Baptised with outward water Answ That Scripture is for me in the matter in question which is Baptisme Annanias bid him arise and be Baptised and he arose and was Baptised Act. 9.18 as for thy words Sprinkling with water and outward water being no Scripture Language but thy own having thy tongue dipt in the Egyptian Sea and but trifles and babbles of thine to shift off the answer I shall leave them see if thou can produce any thing from thence that will answer thy rejecting that counsel of God against thy self in not being Baptised as thy brother Expounders and perusers of Scriptures did Luke the 7.30 Thou saist as for Act. the 10.47 48. is it not clear the Holy Ghost was received without outward water then where is the necessity of Sprinkling Answ No necessity of Sprinkling but where Martin Mason wants an answer In his denyal of Saptisme with water upon confession of faith and for the necessity of that Baptisme the Apostle Peter in that Text gives full satisfaction both in asking who could forbid water and also in commanding them to be Baptized it appears none of thy Spirit was there for then there would have been a denyal of it but there was no denyal or forbidding but submistion and command for it both in Peter and the rest and for the Holy Ghost being received before that Baptisme that is nothing to thy denyal thereof for none in denyal of Baptisme either then or since did receive or have the promise of the spirit Gods love to these in the State of submission obedience to that Ordinance as Cornclius and the rest were is no president for thee or any in opposing and denying it but to condemne your disobedience Cornclius did manifest as much and more light then thee and thy generation do now before Peter was sent unto him yet had he not the spirit of promise till he had heard the Apostles preaching the Lord Jesus in whom he believed and after that there was no slighting water but it was administred in the name of the Lord Jesus In which Name any thing commanded and practised by the Apostles and beleevers was accounted necessary and still is but where the Spirit of errour doth Blaspheme and deny the Lord in his Ordinances Did Christ himself give an example of righteousuess in being Baptized with water upon which the Holy Ghost did witness the good pleasure and love of God and shall men now be heard or accounted as righteous in opposition and denyal thereof surely none will give eare to such strangers and enemies to truth but such as know not the Lord and have no acquaintance with his voyce Thou saist Act. 8.36 37. intimates that it is but a thing indifferent if thou beleevest saith Philip thou maist as much as if he had said if thou beleevest outward water to be necessary to Salvation thou maist be Baptized Answ Take away as much as thy prologue to proceed falsely the remainder is if Philip had said if thou believest outward water to be necessary to Salvation thou maist be Baptized but Philip said not so 't is Martin Mason that saith so in which he hath manifested himself in a Lye as much as if he had saâ—d Philip taught the Eunuch not to believe in Christ for if Philip had taught the Eunuch that to believe outward water was necessary to Salvation to fit him for Baptisme he must deny belief in Christ which only is necessary to Salvation and to fit for Baptisme for there is nothing can fit for Baptisme but only faith in Christ water administred upon that faith is necessary to obedience which the Eunuch observed from Philips preaching desiring water but Philips preaching and the Eunuch beleeving was in that Christ only as vers 35. doth manifest according to Christs command Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 28.19 20. Of whom should the Eunuch know and why should he desire Baptisme if Philip had not preached it to him and for thee to say that Philip who preached and was sent by the power of the Holy Ghost preached things in relation to the Gospel so indifferently as thou saist as to be done or not done thou dost in this disable what thou can the Spirit of the most high God to say he commands and sends his servants to practise things of no value or that are unnecessary and things indifferent to be done or undone which is blasphemy or say that Philip and the Apostles did contrary to commandment or the Spirit teaching and so make them Antichristians like to thy self This indifferent Spirit of thine which would take men off from the commands of Christ practice of his Disciples is a Spirit of errour and Doctrine of Darkness and none but those who are led by such en evil Spirit would or durst so grosly oppose the plain teaching of the Scripture and bring their own lye against it The next proof thou faist I clap in is no better then the rest which is Acts the 8.12 They were all baptized both men and women but water was wanting Answ There is no want of water where the baptisme of repentance is truly ministred as there it
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
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
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
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
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
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
or worthy of thename of suffering for Christ or Gospel Humilation for you deny both Gospel and Christ and all your Humiliation and pretended valiantness in suffering is from self desire to maintain your own divices and therefore as Scripture tells you will not be known worthy of reward The poor hearts obedience to the teaching of Christ in his ordinances as in the Baptisme of repentance doth manifest their love excluding fear in taking up the Crose of Christ by which they stand Armed with strength from God to undergo what ever they shall be called to in witness of his truth and if they fall in that day of tryal their streng this small And then they violate make void as to themselves he Baptisme of rapentance they so much plead for denyal of which Baptisme as hath been said is device to keep men from the Cross of Christ for that baptisme brings a man to the lowest estare of self denyal and Humility and to be raised up in the acknowledging their State of life to be only in the love and power of God in which warrfare the Saints have alwayes got the victory and so shall those whom thou callest the poor hearts continuing faithful in the Lords truth an promise not giving ear to those pretended lights of mens consciences that deny the commandments of God and obedience to the Law of faith And though such come forth like Giants with big and furious words railing against the host of living God yet the Lord will subdue them with Sling stones and cut them off with their own Weapons Zeek 9 15. 1 Sam. 17.49 50 51. For what is not of God shall fall and none can stay the consumation determined to be powered upon the desolate Dan 9.27 Ionathan Ionson MARTINS MEDITATIONS MARTIN one day sat musing in his mind Of things which are and things which after follow And studied sore to see if he could find Who Truth enjoys and who in falshood wallow And as he thus sat musing all alone Attendance strait came to him many a one There first came in a messenger of light And told him all things lodged in his heart And of the Truth gave him a glorious sight And from false fained things wil'd him depart He let him see the ill of their estate Who make Religion nothing but a prate They in obedience to the royall Law No Faith produce but self-inventions frame From love of heavenly truth mens mindes to draw And keep them from the ever saving Name And what they practice hath no Gospel warrant And thus this Messenger began his Errant And further told him if he would be sure To walk aright and work the work of God And for himself Salvation would procure Then must he follow in the holy trod Which the Apostles of our Lord did walk in And not believe the vainnesse of mens talking He must the Scriptures hear in what they teach him And yeeld himself unto the gracious will Which those Apostles of our Master preach him And they will surely teach him Christian skill And bring him to a right regenerate frame To know the Lord and call upon his Name Repent and be baptized saith this Message And God will seal his Covenant in thy heart Deny not Martin to receive th'Embassage Which God by his doth to thee thus impart And it will bring assurance to thy soul Of heavenly favour and of sins controul But if thou wilt not hear this voice of life And shew thy self obedient to this call Then severall cries ' mongst which there is such strife Will thee assail and round about thee fall And with their evil Charmes and strong delusions Inthral thy mind in severall sad confusions That thou mayst hear and do thou knowst not what And follow men and leave the Lord thy Saviour Therefore saith he in time be ware of that If thou wilt gain an everlasting favour So shall thy soul continually be at rest and not with fear and vain device opprest Martin at this being troubled in his mind This sacred counsel to deny or do A love to what was told him could not find But from this admonition soon did go For this good seed was stoln by those that flie About the world betwixt the earth and skie And now a many quickly enter in Some on this manner saying some on that At last a whited black one did begin To talk and to delude him by his chat Humble he seem'd with coat and visage trim To hide his foul deformity most grim Believe not thou quoth he that voice that spake And told thee Stories of the Scriptures preaching Hear me who am sent hit her for thy sake To let thee know the Conscience secret teaching's The Light within to which thou must take heed Not that which thou dost in the Scripture read The Scripture's a dead Letter void of Life That Christ no Saviour who at ' Salem died Thy Saviour is within thee form and strife 's amongst men who in Scripture rules abide Let Scripture rules alone what light 's within thee Let that sure light in all thy works begin thee What 's Baptisme with water but a toy What 's Bread and wine receiv'd with faith in Jesus A fruitlesse form the hid light will destroy These outward things which too too much displease us Who do deny the precepts of that Preacher Whom men call Jesus Christ the Gospel Teacher That outward Christ who at Jerusalem died And all those outward things from him profes't Are of no worth but to be laid aside The Inward light will make thee these detest And though men think through Faith to have Salvation In Mary's Son it 's a vain Imagination None are redeemed or are saved by him Redemption's not by any thing without The light within the womans seed espy him That 's thy Redeemer of which have no doubt Mind that within thee and obey its teaching Beleeve not Christ or Scriptures preaching It is a Doctrine damnable and vild To say the Spirit is received by preaching Of the Apostles faith in Mary's child And hearing and obeying to their teaching They 'r filthy creatures serpents dogs and swine That so to Scriptures teachings do incline Without the Apostles preaching in the Letter The Spirit is received and Christ within Look but within thee there thou l't find him better Then by th' Apostles t is the man of sin That bids thee hear the Apostles for salvation All that lock there for Christ find desolation Thus have I told thee where thou Christ shalt find Even in thy self thy teacher there doth dwell Those who seck Christ within the Scripture's blind With such false teachers see thou do not me'll Obey the light within so shalt thou be A perfect man and from deceivers free This voice so well did Martins pallet please That he himself himself might onely teach That he could be a Christian now with ease And ne'r submit to what the Scriptures Preach The Doctrines of regeneration taught Are now by him esteemd a thing of naught He 'd always Christ within be ne'r was lost So Christ the Saviour needs not come to save him His Christ within saves him without that cost But that false Christ will even of life bereave him This light that thus in Martin doth arise Is even the light of the old Pharisees They would have life denying Marys Son And of the Heavenly kingdom would be free Without Christ Jesus and would headlong run In self-ish lights against Christs verity Hating the Doctrine taught them by the Saviour ' thout whom there is no everlasting favour So Martin by his meritorious works ' thout faith in Jesus thinks to gain Salvation But that 's the enemy which in him lurks And fills him with a vain Imagination To look for life where life he cannot find Thus strang Delusions make deceivers blind J. J. FINIS