The Quaker Quashed AND HIS QUARREL QUELLED: IN An ANSWER to a Railing Pamphlet written by MARTIN MASON of Lincoln.  
ENTITLED THE Boasting Baptist DISMOUNTED AND The BEAST DISARMED and Sorely WOUNDED Without any CARNAL WEAPON.  
Whereunto is added Eighteen several MEDITATIONS usually Received by the QUAKERS at their first Entrance into that Delusion.  
By JONATHAN JOHNSON, a Servant of Jesus Christ.  
To the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them,  Isa. 8.20. 
But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you, which privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation,  2. Pet. 2.1. 
There be some that trouble you & intent to pervert the Gospel of Christ, but though that we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you otherwise then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,  Gal. 1.7, 8. 
LONDON, Printed for Francis Smith in Flying-Horse-Court in Fleet Street, near Chancery Lane End, 1659.   

TO THE READER.  
AS Books are censured according to the judgement of the Reader so I expect no other from thee, whomsoever thou art; it is my satisfaction within myself, that I have no other end in sending this forth into the world, but to maintain that which I know to be truth against those who grossly and absurdly do oppose it, as I hope will be plainly seen, and manifested to right Judgement.  
As for Martin Mason, the man whose rail slanders and unparaleld evil speakings against me, are sounded abroad in the Nation, and for no other cause that I know of, for my love to the truth of Christ Jesus his Gospel: and for desiring to draw him from that thick cloud of darkness under which I see him lie, by the deceiveableness of unrighteousness, suggested into him by that power, that darkens the Son and the Air, and which a long time have striven to hid that light and Spirit of truth, which is received by the hearing of faith preached, and believing according to the Scriptures; and now as much as ever (so far as their power serves) in this generation called Quakers: who bouldy and audatiously deny Christ and his Apostles teaching, to be the Word of God, or Rule of righteousness, or power of God to Salvation, contrary to the plain testimony of the Scripture, and calling the Scriptures teachings, dead letter, and lifeless book, with innumerable suchlike, wicked reproachful terms, as in the Pamphlet that I am now to deal with is manifested, and in many others, and as they are in their writings, so they are in their words, as I can witness and have others to witness with me, the one of their generation to my face told me I was a filthy creature, a liar and a beast, with more such foul words, for saying Christ had a body & was like unto us in allthings save only sin, for said he, Christ had not a body of substance but the form only of a body.  
And when I alleged the Apostle Paul's complaint of his infirmity in the flesh, against their pretended perfection: he using the same language of Beast and Liar and like told me, Paul was no Christian when he wrote that.  
But I say, as for Martin Mason: I did expect to hear of his acknoledgment in his evil in what he had written agaist me for declaring the truth, which would have stayed me from sending this into the world, which I have had almost two years by me, but failing of my expectation I sent to him now, at least to know if he were come to a sight of his folly and evil therein, and if he were; that he would acknowledge it, if not, I must send into the world to vindicate the truth against him, for said I, many blind ones boast of thy folly and my silence, and many who clearly see thy ignorance and evil therein, wonder why I will let such stuff pass unrebuked; but no retnrn had I from him but persisting in the same mind using his old language, without any acknowledgement at all. I therefore thought myself further engaged, to send this forth which I had written.  
The Scriptures do abundantly foretell of the coming of these who in the name of Christ shall deceive many.  
As there is no Name given under heaven whereby men shall be saved but by the Name of Jesus Christ, Acts 4.12.  
So the Enemy of the Salvation knows, there is no Name but that only to take up to deceive by, and under pretence of that to bring in his low devices which are destructive to the Soul: there is no other way then to be sure of safety in these dangers, when truth and falsehood hath taken both one name, but to look only to the Sriptures, where the Name of Christ is fully made known with power, and by which whomsoever comes to right knowledge shall deserve all false cryars of lot here and lo there, and truly know the Name and voice of Christ from strangers, who take up that name to deceive by, and will not stand to the true trial of the Scripture, but by false glosses and evil interpretations pervert the plain and manifest truth, and when all that will not serve, boldly deny the life and authority of Scripture, and labour to pull them from men's hearts and minds, that their own falsehood may be set above them, as is plainly seen in this generation called Quakers; like to their predecessors the Papists, all which are alike deniers of Christ as he hath revealed himself in the Scriptures: Therefore whomsoever thou art that truly desirest to bear the Name of Christian weigh what thou readest in the right balance, and whatsoever thou findest to hold weight with the Truth, approve and receive it; and if any thing fall short of that, impute it to my weakness, for my desires are unfeignedly to own the Truth although it be found against me. To the true trial I commit my writing, who am a lover of all those who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity.  
jonathan johnson.   

Truth Triumphing.  
NOT yet dismounted Martin from that Station,  
That dwelling place of God's beloved Nation:  
Nor sorely wounded, with the windy push  
Of Martin Mason, with his quaking Rush.  
It is no Satyrs, Apish, Babel-frown,  
Can pull the least of Gods beloved down.  
How canst thou think thy Scrith-Owl nightly skriking,  
Can from God's Truth take any Saints goodliking?  
Can those who in old Babel's ruin dwell,  
Reach up to Zion, or her Towers tell?  
Can Owls and Bats, that flutter here below,  
Mount up like eagle's Zions strength to know?  
Or there dismount from of the Fort so strong,  
The Lambs Beloved, singing Zions Song?  
The more thou strivest those sacred walls to scale,  
Greater thy loss, the more thy strength will fail.  
Martin keep thou below, reach not too high,  
Till thou be cleansed from thy impurity.  
Thy false conceited Wisdom, void of Light,  
Lays op'e thy folly, unto wise men's Sight.  
Thy boasting brags to Wound and to Dismount  
Doth show thy shallowness; all men account  
(But night eyed bats) thy railing Pamphlet foolish  
And thy hot zeal, to true Religion coolish:  
Vain are thy thoughts thinking to strike Truth down  
With railing words, it never yet was known,  
That Truth was overcome by railing foes,  
Tho' many times she in her Covers goes  
With bloody face, and Martered sore by such  
As ather beauteous hold appears, think much:  
Leave thou these bold assaults 'gainst Truths rich Palis  
Think not that Truth can be over ' come by Malis.  
The more thou strivest, the more thou'lt have the foil,  
And sorrow'l be thy wages for thy toil.  
Shut not thy windows at the glorious light  
Which in the Gospel's day doth shine so bright.  
Were it not madness in the brightest day  
To light a candle, to show men their way?  
What use for candles, where the Sun doth shine?  
As little use for that dull light of thine.  
Thy light within more sit for secret place  
Then where the sacred Sonlight shows his face.  
It must in Dungeons be, and caves below,  
Where Heavens bright Lamp, his face doth never show,  
There where the nightly dancing Satyrs dwell  
Who likes no light but what's within their Cell:  
Pleased with the light themselves there kindled have,  
And will no Son light let into their grave.  
Happy for thee if thou couldst thrust away  
That darkening screen which hides thee from the ray  
Of Gospel Son light, which would let thee see  
Those glorious things which from thee hidden be.  
Leave thou those foolish fancies of self-teaching,  
And ope' thy ear to Scriptures sacred preaching.  
Obey those truths that therein written be,  
'Twill make thee of God's holy City free,  
And bring thee to a right regenerate mind  
And let thee know that now thou'rt deaf and blind,  
J. J.   

THE QUAKER QUASH AND HIS QUARREL QUELLED, IN An Answer to a Railing Pamphlet, written by MARTIN MASON of Lincoln, etc.  
Martin,  
THOU canst not leave thy old way of boasting, as in thy former Paper, so in this thou criest up thyself a man of valour & strength, it seems thou fearest thy own Works or Neighbours will not praise thee, therefore thou contrary to Wisdoms advice, Pro. 27.2. wilt praise thyself, I told thee in my former Paper, That wise men will not boast till the putting off their Armour, but thou, notwithstanding, wilt cry Victory before Conquest, or touching thy Adversaries with any blow, to give the cause of encouragement: thou (Bragadotio like) sayest thou wilt not give one intch of ground or turn thy back on the uncircumcised Philistine, by which thou wouldst have the world to think thy David's heart and engagement will conclude in Victory. But if David had taken thy way of railing and boisterous bragging the room of combat, or without blow he had never overcome: May not I fitly compare thee to a whore taken in her whoredom, yet rails on those who take her, and cries whore first: I took thee in thy Boasting, as is witnessed in our former papers, thou runest out into the world and cries me for the boaster. But I am so far from Boasting that knowing my own infirmities and weakness, I would rather keep silence & let thee spend thy breath in vain, the wage words to maintain any such right, but I knowing that thy railing is against the Truth, which thou serest thyself to oppose; I am moved through mindfulness of the Lord not to keep silence. But to declare against thy deeds of darkness & presumptuous words against the most High & his Saints, let this my engagement be compared with David, and thypresumptions words with Goliath, and it will make known who is the uncircumcised Philistine.  
The more thou strivest the more thy weakness within is manifested, and thy strokes throws thee backward.  
Thou sayest, the weapons of your warfare, are not carnal, yet all thy defence, or offence, is by carnal foul and filthy words, of which, but dispossess thee, and thou wilt be left without either words or shields. And though thou talk of the conquering Sword of the Spirit, saying, it is thy weapon, it is little manifested in thy denial of the word of God, for the conquering Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, Ephes. 6.17.  
Therefore, although thou steal these words of weapons, not being carnal and Sword of the Spirit, that which thou callest, the dead Letter, yet art thou far from the exercise of spiritual weapons, or knowledge of them, for if thou wert not, thou woulest testify more purity and peace. If thou say, thou hadst these words, the Sword of the Spirit, or, Spiritual weapons, from the light within thee, without the Scriptures, (which thou callest dead Letters) all that hears thee Impartialy, will say, thou speakest not Truly. And so will thy own conscience if thou open that Book. And will also let thee see how asuredly evil it is for thee to call the Scriptures dead Letter, and yet fetch those words which thou deliverest for spiritual Declarations from thence. Thou sayest (among other things) thou askest me, hath every one that comes into the world heard and read the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, as they are transcribed in the Bible, and thou sayest. I answer, they have all heard, thou repliest must the Liar in thee be received for the Oracle of God.  
Answ. Thou hear dealest falsely with my answer, not delivering as I did, I said, have they not all heard, thy error in this is because thou knowest not the Scriptures which will tell thee, Mat. 28.20. Mark. 16. 15. Act. 2, 5, 6. Rom. 10.18. Whether this be my Lie or the Scriptures speaking, let the hearers Judge, as also who is the Liar, whether I for alleging plain, Testimonies of Scriptures, or thou for delivering my Answer, otherwise than thou receivest it, may not Millions of Men and Women, sayest thou, who dwell in those parts of the world, not counted Christendom wittness against thee: if an Egyptian mist had not blinded thee, thou couldst not have been so besotted as to back thy Lie with those places of the Letter, Mat. 28.19, 20. Mark. 16.15. Which in effect prove Christ's Command to his Disciples, when they were upon earth, to go preach the glad tidings of the Gospel to the generations they lived in.  
Answ. Couldst thou fetch those Millions thou speakest of for thy defence, yet could they not witness against me, the Word of the Lord is a sure witness against thee, and all opposers of the universal precahing of faith, or sound of the Gospel of Christ in all the world, and to every creature, therefore as formerly, so I say now, as the Apostle doth demand, Rom. 10.18. Have they not all heard, but they have not all obeyed, as verse the 16. Therefore those Million which thou sayest are not counted Christians, if they be not Christians, 'tis not because they have not heard, but because they have not obeyed; read Act. 1.8. and Luke. 24.27. Which tells thee, the Apostles shall be witnesses of Christ Jesus to the uttermost part of the earth, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all Nations. Now let all who have ears to hear, judge whether an Egyptian mist and besottedness be not rather in thyself, to allege these whom thou never sawest, or heard, (but by the report of others, to be thy witness against me, and the Scriptures. There is two many nearor hand, who if their non obedience must witness against the Scriptures, that they have not heard the preaching of Christ, and his Apostles do witness fully, of which namely Martin Mason is one, who is too full of fury, and wrath against the preaching of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles, to yield obedience thereunto.  
Thy saying that Mat. 28.19, 20. Mark. 16.15. In effect proves Christ command to his Disciples, when they were on earth, to go preach the glad tidings of the Gospel to the generation they lived in: Dothplainly show, how desirous thou art to out short the Commission of Christ, and stop the mouths of his Apostles, in their preaching by that Commission in these times; whose power and promise with that Commission, as it was to all the world, and every creature, so it is to the world's end, as is manifested in the Scriptures, verse the 20.  
By which is discovered what relation thou hast to Christ, or love, or acquaintance with his truth; If thou didst know Christ, as the truth is in Jesus, thou wouldst know, that though the Apostles be not personaly upon earth, yet their word by which belief in Christ is wrought, John. 47.20. and by which the world shall be judged, John. 12, 48. Rom. 2.16. and by which the word of God is manifest, Tit. 1.3. and which is a witness to all Nations through the whole world, Mat. 24.14. yet remaineth, notwithstanding thine and Millions of opposers, and deniers thereof. And thus that Egypian mist and sottishness which thou sayest is in me, is manifested in thyself, who as thou goest about by London way to speak with me, who lives by thee in Lincoln, so thou runest to the unchristianed world (as thou callest them) who live many thousands of Miles from thee, to be thy witness against me, that the Gospel is not preached by Christ and his Apostles, and against the Scriptures also: And our own knowledge, who have their preaching sounding in our ears continually. Would any but a misted blind man, bring a candle to witness against the Light of the Sun. Thy confusion is further manifested: In thy acknowledging the Scriptures, in effect proves Christ command to his Disciples, to go preach the glad tidings of the Gospel: For thou deniest, and opposest, that Christ which they preached, and also in his Ordinances, and therefore most miserable is thy condition in that, to acknowledge it the Command of Christ, and the glad tidings of the Gospel, and yet fight against it.  
Thou sayest thou never questionedest Christ's Commission, or their execution thereof, yet thou thyself deniest obedience thereunto, and wouldst bring Millions of non Christians, to witness against it, what greater question can be against that Commistion to all the world, and every Creature in the world, or the execution thereof, then to say Millions of people in the world, have never heard of that Christ. Thou bidest me see my foolishness, and be ashamed, but if that blend, which befottes all senses that oppose the Truth, were not it thee, thou wouldst see thyself amongst these Owls, and Bats, whose nightly noise is heard in the ruins of Babylon. But that wine being in thee, 'tis hid from thy Eyes.  
Thou repeatest thy question, How is the Gospel preached to every Creature under Heaven, if not by the Principal of light in the Conscience.  
Answ. And I answer thee again, In the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, which worketh the principle of light in the Conscience, which is the light of Christ, that lighteth every man that cometh into the World. And whatsoever pretended light in the Conscience, that is not enlightened from thence, and leads not to the obedience of that preaching, 'tis darkness and not light, it is two secret and desert, for the Saints and Diseiples of Christ to go out to it, Mat. 24.26. and lead but where the foolish Woman brings her dead guests, Prov. 9.18.  
Take away thy Letter (sayest thou) and by this man's Doctrine, there would be no principal of light, arising in thy Conscience.  
Answ. Take away the preaching of Christ in the Scriptures, which thou callest dead Letter, & there would be the same in the Conscience in relation to light, that would be in thy tongue, for hadst thou not their speakings to still thy mouth with what Name of Christ, or Spirit, or Spiritual weapon; or Gospel; or Conscience, or Light itself wouldst thou have: all that hear thee knows that thou hast none of these expressions but from thence. Those who spoke by thy Spirit, when Christ was personally upon earth, might likewise say, take away this Carpinter, mary Son, and there is no Mesias or Son of God, or Light and Saviour of the world; for as they contemned and despised Christ Jesus, because of his seeming meanness or outward manly estate, so thou dost contemn and despise his Word, therefore his Word shall judge the in the lay day, John. 12.48. Shall men despise the way and means that God hath given, for teaching and correcting in righteousness, and which is able to make men wise unto Salvation, 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. Because 'tis brought home to them in words and writing, such despisers shall wonder, and vanish away at the beholding the work of God by that which they so despise. Martin take this further with thee, to consider of in way of answer, that whosoever takes away, or denys that which thou callest dead Letter, shall find no light of Conscience but what leads to destruction, the Scriptures are either the voice or speaking of God, or nothing, or worse, if they be nothing or worse, why dost thou sometimes say thou ownst them, or why dost thou speak by them, and steal their word to fill thy mouth with and allege them? And if they be the voice and speaking of God (as even they are) thou that wouldst take them away and callest them Dead and Life-less, wouldst take away the voice and speaking of God and call it Dead and Life-less, and so art a plain opposer and set enemy against God, which manifesteth thy dead and dark mind. Thy swelling words against me of gross darkness, and calling me Babylonian, and Liar, and shame cover thy face, and the like, I slight them as Big words of wrath, for want of matter.  
Thou askest me, If there was not a Principal of Light in people before Moses writ the Letter.  
Answ. There was the preaching of the Gospel, the word of Faith which is the sure Principle of Light, before Moses writ the Letter, witness Abel's offering, and Abraham's believing, compared with Gal. 3.8. and Heb. 11.4. As also the preaching of the Gospel, or righteousness by Noah, to the 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 Ceremonies 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 persuaded, 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 persuade them to hear the Gospel of Faith: therefore what is the principle of light before Moses writ the Letter, to thy denial of the preaching of Christ and his Apostles in the Scriptures. Cornelius had as much light as thou canst allege, 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: than it must needs be (sayest 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, than sayest 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 thyself to shuffel out the Apostle and sayest in thy own pretended Light, leaving out my word, their sound, applied to the Apostles, and putest in thy word, the sound, applied to thy darkness, and then sayest, 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 Logic in thy former Paper, which thou toldst 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 days, have come where Christ and his Apostles have not been before you. And to that I joined 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, persuade others against the truth delivered by me; but they are weak discerners that seethe 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 Baptism 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 Prophecy, 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 Prophecies 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 Baptism of Repentance, for so did Peter, Acts 2.38. which thou deniest 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 & bold 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 ways, 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 knowledge of the woman's 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 woman's seed, and he who broke the Serpent's head, and loossed the works of the Devil, by his death, and blood-shedin that flesh, in which he came and dwelled amongst men; and the unction, or, Christ within, is the Spirit of promise sent from Christ, into those who believe in him, John 16.7. Mat. 29.20. But thy woman's seed, and thy Christ within, and unction, or word, is thy feigned light which thou tellest people, is in all consciences, though in the state of unbelief, or unregenerate, and thither wouldst thou send people, to seek Christ in their own dark hearts, and false speakings in the desert 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 denial manifested to be busy 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 smoke arising from below, to cover men's eyes from the light of the Son; so there is in its two pernicious evils, the one is, it stays 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 everlasting life through faith in him. The other evil is, it makes men listen to the false imaginations, and deceitful persuasions 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 practices, and bold 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 Serpent's 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 denial of the death of Christ, who by his death and bloodshed in that once suffering at Jerusalem, did break the Serpent's head according to God's decree, and appointment: but thou in denial of that, and to give him a plaster, 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 Serpent's head, no other breaking of his head wouldst thou have them to believe, and thus wouldst 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 stolen from Scripture, and some thy own Imagination, and to conclude, what sayest, but this is a mystery.  
Answ. To which I answer, 'tis 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 sayest to me, poor man how hath thy father befooled thee, hath not the God of this world blinded thy mind 'tis 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 alleged, Gal. 3.2. Acts. 2.38, the truth of which thou not being able to gainsay, smitest me thus with thy tongue for revenge 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 thyself which thou condemnest in me, thy words were these, Did not the Galatians receive the Spirit, by the hearing of faith, that is (sayest 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 thyself, and yielded the victory, 'tis in vain for thee to take up for another charge.  
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 exclaiming against me, for saying what the Scripture saith, when thou sayest the very same with me, and with the text of Scripture alleged; 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 acknowledge 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 remembered (sayest 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 remembered that thou sayest with me, that light is by the hearing of faith preached by the Apostles.  
Then in thy former paper, toldst 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 myself.  
Answ. Martin, this is just like thee, to show so little cause for so large accusation, thy labour hath been great enough, were it known to prove that thou cannot; but I will show 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 show them Christ the Saviour, and light and truth, there I discovered all to be nothing but a crucifix, and false feigned lights, and trifles 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 enlightening, thyself 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 terms, a Brat of thy own begetting, why wilt thou father it upon me, charge it not upon me, but challenge thy own.  
Is not thy foundation (sayest 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 denied by none but the raiging Heathen, and disobedient deniers 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 denial 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 Coppersmith, 2 Tim. 4.14, 15. The Load reward thee according to thy works, and let all men beware of thee, and all such, for you withstand the Apostles preaching sore, 'tis well thou art no wiser in thy evils, but to destroy thy work with thy own hands, and let thy blindness in wickedness to appear to all men, not only in this thy gross denial of the plain truth, but in thy sometimes acknowledging that which thou hear deniest 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 sayest 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 clapped 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 frivolous questions, thou would not thus spend thyself and time, look in thy former paper, & thou may find this saying first from thyself, quoting Acts 17.13, 18. where 'tis said Paul preached the word of God, and that he preached Jesus these Scriptures, would satisfy 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 sayest in thy former paper, that my fancy is found to be built upon the sandy foundation of literal 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 thyself, 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 thyself therein, but as scolds have one against another, which is to exercise a foul tongue, calling me liar again and again, and high flown Pharisee, and the like, but in the midst of all thy collar bustling to free thyself, thou hast sunk thyself 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 sayest 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 thyself 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 crier 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 thyself into, as all do who take up arms against the truth.  
Thou tellest me in the next place I am puzzled, and tormented, because in thy paper thou criest not up the letter.  
Answ. Thy friends will tell thee thou art more puzzled and tormented in crying it down, who in thy struggling to cry it down, and against that which thou acknowledgeth, to be given forth by the pure Spirit of the living God, art thyself thrown down headlond, so far from the state of a faithful Minister, of the everlasting Gospel, (as thou call'st thyself) that thou neither showeth 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 herdsmen, where thy friend looking upon thee, will see who is dismounted, and sorely wounded; boasting brave doth seldom conquer, but the truth will overcome.  
Answ. Thou askest why the Heathen rage, and the men imagine a vain thing; 'tis men's offence at Christ Jesus, against whom they band themselves, and assemble together, Warring against, the Lord, and his anointed, witness, Martin Mason, and his fellows, whose raging words, and not without blasphemy, and vain Imaginations, is manifested to all who have eyes to see, or ears to hear.  
I said in my former paper, that the baptism of repentance, hearing of faith preached, and believing, is the inlet to the Spirit of promise, as these Scriptures testify, 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 falsehood 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, sayest, by this man's 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, 'tis a word brought only by thyself for reproach, when thou wantest an answer: in which thou dost but show how thou runnest into holes, and Caves of thy own digging and scratching, to hid 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 man's doctrine none have the Spirit that how not to his quaking, wouldst thou not call me Liar, and deal me a 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 stuff, neither would I, but that I knew my silence would make thee boast and be wise in thy own consent, therefore I choose 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 disowns his false feigned light; but he owns the light of the conscience, enlightened by the preaching of faith according to the Scriptures. Thou askest me if I will be a Liar, whether thou wilt or no: as though thou had the making, and disposing of Lies, as a Child belonging to the Father of Lies: but though thy will like thy Fathers, be to have all Liars like thyself, yet thou must want of thy will in me, for I neither love or make Lies, neither canst thou prove any Lie against me, though thou call me Liar, but it is a small matter to find a Lie in a foul mouth.  
I am willing to refer what is said to the wise in heart to judge, who is the Babbler and bondslave in Babylon, and says, and unsayes: which is the esteem 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 believing 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 shown where I said so, lest they that find not any such saying of mine, must needs say thou art a Liar whether they will or no; I deny, thou hast them words from me; water administered upon repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. I would have where it should be according to Gospel teaching, that is the Baptism 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 yourselves from the appearance of truth, but your cover are too scant, which makes your nakedness be seen of every passer by.  
Who ever (sayest 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 allege 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 denial of the Baptism of repentance; the denial of which is manifested in thee, in thy hot words of contempt against it: being thyself 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 thyself, 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 Baptised 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 murder 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 Whoredom, and Drunkenness, and Murder, and Theft, and the like, therefore thou criest 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 persuade those who are deceived that they are Saints, when they are the quite contrary; and now to give our Audience a right knowledge of what we contend for, and the difference thereof, that so they may make right application of truth or falsehood, 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 died 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 deniest 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 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 deniers of Christ, to be come in the flesh, for whosoever are deniers of that Christ Jesus who died at Jerusalem, for man's 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 John's brand upon them, 1 John ●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 only 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 thyself 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 only 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 Altar Christ Jesus; and therefore is a strange fire, and so an abomination, from which fire hath been the kindling of men's 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 washed 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 falsehood 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 claws of the beast, to kill and rend the Saints as the former did, yet it hath the mouth or voice of the Dragon, to accuse and curse and smite with the tongue, those who deny to receive their false devices, by which voice 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 blasphemy, 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, Scythian, bond and free.  
Answ. If Martin's 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, Scythians, etc. 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 Jews, 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 shall be the condemnation of all mankind, 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, sayest thou.  
Answ. The condemnation of the condemned, shall be for not believing in the name of that Christ, who died 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 died 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 enlightened by Christ that never heard of him, Rom. 10.14, 15. Here thou hast Ensnared thyself, now thou must either acknowledge with me, that the enlightening 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 soothe thee up withal, 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 denial 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 of man's belief, not belief the cause of man's 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 denier of both.  
In the next place, thou hast broken (in thy blindness) thy forehead against a rock, that lay full in thy way, for thou art forced to confess, that I say something to the proof of Baptism of Repentance, in alleging, Acts 7.59. If I, and my friends, can witness such a condition as those convicts did in the four last verses.  
Answ. My friends and I, witnessing the condition required, verse the 38. do manifest conversion which is more than 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 friends, and I, do witness against thee, and all who deny to follow Christ in the Regeneration, or Baptism 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 Baptism 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, 'tis a denial of faith, and is hypocrisy; turn thy eyes to those of thy own generation, and see if thou can spy 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 clothing of the regeneration. If my friends 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 Baptism, 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 Baptism 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 babbler be silent) it will be more wisdom, and that lying pride and passion, which here and so often thou would persuade the world of against me, would not so plainly appear in thyself, 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 baptism 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 Christ's Baptism consist of outward water. I answer, if it did, Martin Mason were a Baptised man, for he hath had outward water; but wanting in ward repentance, and faith in that Christ, whose ordinance Baptism is, therefore he is not Baptised but denyeth that council of God against himself, as his predecessors in denial thereof did, Luke 7. I also will ask thee a question, whose Baptism was it that Philip Baptised the Eunuch with, Acts 8.38. And that Peter commanded Cornelius to be Baptised with, Acts 10.47, 48. If thou acknowledge it Christ's Baptism, thy fable is answered; If thou say it was not Christ's Baptism, 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 rail; and when thou knowest what the Baptism of repentance is, by a right conversion wrought in thyself, thou wilt know what it is to suffer with Christ, and what the Baptism 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 alleged to prove the same; but thou having no mind to acknowledge 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 Prophecy 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 denial 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 falsely and ignorantly would persuade, 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 thiefs and robbers: compare this thy saying, with the sure word of Prophecy which shined in their dark hearts, which they knew not; with what thou sayest before, that the unction, the woman's seed, the Christ within, is that light which is in all consciences before faith, and without; & before the Apostles preaching; so that by thy Doctrine, the Apostle preaching the word of truth; or, Jesus the word of God, brought nothing to the Ephesians but what they had before, for if they had the unction, the Christ within, which is the Spirit of promise, before, then were they Sealed before; but the Apostle telleth them, Ephes. 2.12. that before they believed they were without Christ, so that I must either deny the Ephesians conversion by the Apostles preaching of faith, and the Apostles saying, that after they believed they were Sealed, and that before they were without Christ, and so make the Apostle a liar, (which God forbidden) or tell Martin Mason he cannot escape being the liar, and therefore by the sentence of his own mouth, must have his mouth stopped: a many foul and wicked words proceed from thee, in the next place, which I will leave to all who have learned to let their words be few, and gracious, to see by what Spirit thou art led? and to Judge whether such expressions, (to avoid answer) be the new tongue speaking of a Saint, or speaking like the Dragons.  
Thou asks me if I shame not to tell thee with my false tongue, that thou contemns the faith in the sufferings of Christ,  
Answ. I would thou wert repentantly ashamed at thy contempt of the sufferings of the Lord Christ, that died at Jerusalem: which contempt of thine is manifested in these words, in thy paper. But thou (speaking to me) and the drunkard, and scum of the earth, who fed yourselves with the mere frothy verbal faith in the sufferings, of that single man Christ Jesus at Jerusalem; and yet wallow in your wickedness, are not saved or redeemed from your sins. And in the same Raper alleged, 1 John 4.2. Sayest thou, did the Apostle here signify, that every one that confesseth Christ come in the flesh, of the single person at jerusalem; that every one confessing this is of God, why then the Pope will say he believes this?  
Now let the honest hearted in the Nation, whom thou calls upon to Judge, let them I say Judge, whether this language be not a contemptuous speaking: Thou (as the manner of thy generation is) when thou calleth others to Judge, leaveth out that which thou knowest will most evidence thy contempt, as here, thou leaves out the word single man, and single person, which were thy words to me, but here thou leaves them out, and then callest to the wise in heart to Judge: will not thy light within, let thee see this to be falsehood and dissimulation: Christ Jesus was the Son of Mary according to the flesh; but thy brethren who called him the Carpinter, Mary's Son, Mar. 6.3. speak that in despising contempt against him. So he was the Man Christ, and a person like unto us in all things save only sin: but thy calling him single man, and single person, at Jerusalem, is from the same spirit of despising contempt, as the honest hearted will tell thee. Martin thy light leading thee in ways contrary to the way of faith, only in that Christ, that suffered at Jerusalem, leadest thee from the true and everlasting light & life, to the place of death & darkness: for there is no life or light leading to Salvation, but by faith in that Christ only who suffered at Jerusalem, which thou plainly dost deny, and ragest so against me for discovering thy flying to any, whose faith thou callest merely frothy and verbal, will not help thee in thy denial of faith to Salvation: for such is no faith, the Scripture tells thee, there is one faith, Ephes. 4.5. which faith Justifieth & saveth, Gal. 2.16. Ephes. 2.8. but whence hast thou thy frothy verbal faith, that is the device of thy Spirit of delusion, which as it would have many Christ's to deny that one Christ who suffered at Jerusalem, so it would have many faiths, to deny that faith which is to Salvation, according to the Gospel: thy telling me of wallowing in my wickedness with the drunkards , and scum of the earth, is but thy raging at rebuke, for thy bold Blasphemy against the Lord that bought thee. Now Judge sayest thou, O ye wise in heart; is the Scripture, 1 Tim. 2.5. call not him who suffered at Jerusalem, the man Christ Jesus; and may not I use the language of the Apostle.  
Answ. The wise in heart, (are not formal Quakers) will tell thee thy language is quite contrary to that of the Apostles, for the Apostle in that Scripture, calls the man Christ Jesus, the Mediator betwixt God and man. But thou calls him the single man, and single person; in contempt of faith in him, and to make men deny his Mediatorship, the Apostles language is a confirmation of their belief in that Christ Jesus, who believe in God, thy language is to destroy their belief in that Christ Jesus, who believe in God, and so thou art manifested to deny both the Father and the Son, 2 John 9  
Thou bids me peruse thy paper again, and see if thou saidst not, no other Jesus do I own but the Lamb of God, which was slain from the beginning of the world.  
Answ. Thy expressions in that, is but the liberty thou takes for occasion, and to deceive thereby those who hear thee; for the name of Christ or Lamb slain, or Redeemer, or Anointed, thou dost but use them words, to exalt thy pretended light within, that so thou mayst bring down and deny that Christ whom thy fellows slew at Jerusalem, and this all may see, who have but half an eye of discerning, to be the whole drift of thee, & the rest with thee; hadst thou said no other Jesus do I own but the man Christ, who died at Jerusalem, and faith in him only to be Salvation, thou hadst some cause to bid me peruse thy paper, but whoever peruseth thy paper or thee, shall not find that, and that not being in thee, all thy expressions of Christ, and light, or unction, or woman's seed, and the like, are falsely applied to thy secret invention.  
Thou sayest, I tell thee in two several places, that thou crucifies Christ again; and that I break forth into rage, because thou tells me he is slain in me.  
Answ. I told thee thou would crucify the Son of God again, and good cause had I, when thou told me, not only that he is slain in me as thou here sayest, but also that he is still slain for me which here thou sayest not; which is the continuance of thy deceit, to leave out that which thou knows will most discover thy falsehood: is not this plain lying, and dissembling in thee? to tell the world I said that, which I said not, and to cry out against me, and dissemble the cause; But thou art ashamed truly to declare to the world what I said to thee, and the occasion, because thou knew it would confound thee: that which thou calls my raging, was my alleging the Scriptures against thy false affirming Christ to be still slain for me: which Scriptures prove that Christ the Lamb that was slain is alive for evermore, Rev. 18. and that he once sufferered for sins, the just for the unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. and that he was once offered to take away the sin of man, Heb. 9.25, 26, 28.  
But thou (said I) dares say is still slain for me; was his first death insufficient, and shall Christ from his immortal and glorified being be brought down to die, and suffer again; let the Reader now judge what breaking forth into rage is in this? he who affirms Christ Jesus to be still slain for sinners, must 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 sayest 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 sayest, the heaven which contains Christ, is a mystery to my dark mind: But I answer, 'tis 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 liar, 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 wisdom, John 9.8. the Leopard sayest thou cannot change his spots, and 'tis hard for thee to leave thy lying; thou sayest, 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 lie 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 sayest, 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 outcry against me of lying, be not justly returned upon the head of the crier.  
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 war 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 commandments 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, 'tis 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 amongst those thou accounts thy enemies, who knows no other burial with Christ, but burial in water, calling them the chief 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 thyself against Baptism 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 sayest I call them the chief Princes of Meshech and Tubal, but let my paper be looked on with impartial eyes, and it will be told thee, 'tis applied to thee, and thy generation, and all who are found to band themselves against the Baptism 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 sayest I have invented an abominable lie, besides nonsense in two lines, and this abominable lie and nonsense, is because I say, thou bids me prove whether Christ commanded Baptism 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 Baptism, see my answer to James naylor's sixth position set down in thy former paper, my words there are these; it is not faith but a fancy, to run to other helps, than 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 denial of obedience in that faith required, as in the Baptism of repentance, and the like; thou undertaking to reply to this, said, 'tis indeed thy darling, thy Diana which must down: is thy sprinkling with water the Baptism 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 & nonsense: whether in me, who answers thee according to the matter in question, or whether it be not rather in thyself, who to fly 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 thyself as thou seems to be, to think that any who can hear right from wrong, will not hear thy guiltiness of Lying and nonsense: to call upon me to prove Sprinkling which belongs not to our question, to avoid thy answer in denial of Baptism. 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 noise in railing accusations, thinking thereby to take off the Reader from seeing thy folly: but the wise will soon discern thy poverty, and miserable nakedness.  
Thou thinks it not enough to tell me, I vent an abominable lie & nonsense, (for speaking truth) but fearing that insufficient to effect thy will, thou tellest me, thou never knew of one pretending to more piety than I, that excelled, or equalled me in the devilish 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 denial of truth in me, is to cover thy denial of truth in the Scriptures, as in the matter in question, the Baptism of repentance, which yet remains a Conquering truth, over all thy Sprinkling, and Lies, and nonsense, which paper-walls thou patches together, to defend thee from answering what was charged upon thee in the point of Baptism.  
Thou sayest, in the art of Lying, I am a noble servant to my Master.  
Answ. That doth but show the pride of thy father's child, who would have a servant under him.  
In which pride, thou sayest 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 Employment; 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 Baptism 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 Baptism, 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 dipped 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 thyself in not being Baptised, as thy brother Expounders and perusers of Scriptures did, Luke the 7.30.  
Thou sayest, 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 denial of Saptisme with water upon confession of faith; and for the necessity of that Baptism, the Apostle Peter in that Text gives full satisfaction, both in ask who could forbid water, and also in commanding them to be Baptised; it appears none of thy Spirit was there, for then there would have been a denial of it: but there was no denial or forbidding, but submistion, and command for it, both in Peter and the rest, and for the Holy Ghost being received before that Baptism, that is nothing to thy denial thereof, for none in denial of Baptism, 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 precedent for thee or any in opposing, and denying it: but to condemn your disobedience, Cornclius did manifest as much, and more light than 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 administered in the name of the Lord Jesus; In which Name, any thing commanded and practised by the Apostles, and believers was accounted necessary, and still is, but where the Spirit of error doth Blaspheme, and deny the Lord in his Ordinances. Did Christ himself, give an example of righteousuess in being Baptised 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 denial thereof, surely none will give ear to such strangers, and enemies to truth, but such as know not the Lord, and have no acquaintance with his voice.  
Thou sayest Act. 8.36, 37. intimates, that it is but a thing indifferent, if thou believest, saith Philip, thou mayst; as much as if he had said, if thou believest outward water to be necessary to Salvation, thou mayst be Baptised.  
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 mayst be Baptised: but Philip said not so, 'tis Martin Mason that saith so, in which he hath manifested himself in a Lie, as much as if he had sa●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 Baptism, he must deny belief in Christ, which only is necessary to Salvation, and to fit for Baptism, for there is nothing can fit for Baptism, but only faith in Christ: water administered upon that faith is necessary to obedience, which the Eunuch observed from Philip's preaching, desiring water, but Philip's preaching, and the Eunuch believing, was in that Christ only as vers. 35. doth manifest, according to Christ's command, Mark 16.15, 16. Mat. 28.19, 20. Of whom should the Eunuch know, and why should he desire Baptism, 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 sayest, 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 thyself.  
This indifferent Spirit of thine, which would take men off from the commands of Christ, & practice of his Disciples, is a Spirit of error and Doctrine of Darkness, and none but those who are led by such en evil Spirit, would or durst so grossly oppose the plain teaching of the Scripture, and bring their own lie against it. The next proof thou fairest I clap in, is no better than the rest, which is, Acts the 8.12. They were all baptised both men and women, but water was wanting.  
Answ. There is no want of water where the baptism of repentance is truly ministered, as there it was, and the Baptism 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 Baptism, 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 baptism, because it names not water, thou audatiously deniest water, & sayest its 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 thyself a vain Jangler, and adds to and diminisheth of the Scriptures, teaching to hid and deny the truth, let the reader Judge; thou sayest John was a Prophet, therefore his Ministration must end in Christ Jesus, who is the fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets.  
Answ. What's all that to thy denial of the Baptism of repentance, or baptising 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 Prophet's 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 Baptism ceased when John ceased, is not only a tying the teachings and commandments of God to man's mutability, but is also a plain denial 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 Baptism, 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 baptism, I should be a denier 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 Baptism because 'tis 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 sayest, they were both by permission, not by precept: thou speakest falsely; 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, knows and will acknowledge, but those on whom the sun is gone down, night is to them for a vision, and darkness for a divination. Thou sayest in my reply to the seventh Position, thou findest me so puzzled 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 puzzle me with, which paper if thou wert not ashamed to show to the world with my answer, it would manifest who is puzzled, 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 condemn thee, let thy offensive words (which testify 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 sayest I shuffle thee off with, the Apostle, there saith to his brethren, in many things we sin all: In the room of an answer, sayest thou, doth he plead against perfection as thou dost? to which I answer, Thou must acknowledge he doth, or say he calls sin perfection, see if thou can shuffle this off.  
Thou sayest, 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 (sayest thou) thou would infer, that in Paul dwelled 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 falsely of me, saying, I would infer; had I brought the Second commandment to a Papist against his worshipping of Images, and he answer, hence thou would infer, that God should not be worshipped, it had been an answer equal with thine.  
Thou ought rather to answer that Scripture, or acknowledge thy error, Paul had the holy Ghost, yet Paul saith, in him, that is, in his flesh dwelleth no good thing; but thou sayest 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 'tis a bad perfection that is in Martin Masons flosh, in whom dwelleth the Spirit of error, as is manifest in his abuse of Scripture, and fight against the truth.  
And then sayest thou, away with Paul's 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 outlive all the generations of falsehood, and be a continual witness against men's devices, as is plainly manifested in this.  
Thou sayest that I alleged, Phil. 3.24. is to me a mystery.  
Answ. I have so much of the mystery as to allege it for that which thou art not able to answer, therefore in that I need not say to them, babbler be silent; thou sayest my piece of Logic shows what a Pagan I am.  
Answ. And thy silence argues thy consent, to the right reason in that piece of Logic, for thou givest no answer to it, whether it be more 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 alleged 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 acknowledge thy error, or speak plainly that all may hear thee, as one of thy generation did to me; alleging that Scripture to him, who adorning his speech with thy manner of language, of beast and liar, and filthy 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 'tis a lying Spirit, and cometh but to deceive.  
Had not, (sayest 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 days, and had they any outward writing given them, etc.  
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 commandments of God or Law of faith, before Moses writ the Law, which if it were not by writing, yet it was by voice, which is all one, for that which was given to Abraham by voice was written for our learning, and what was given to the Apostles by voice, 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 denied, 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 commandments of God by faith, the same Spirit now doth lead men to obey all the commandments, 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, (sayest thou) receive the Spirit of truth by virtue 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 voice without them.  
Thou sayest, That which thou broughtest out of 1 John 2. as to the anointing 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 destroys her own house) for 'tis 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 marvellously beaten back in your assaults against it: what hast thou to do with the anointing spoken of, 1 John 2. it doth not belong, nor is it in the deniers of Christ, 'tis only 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 thyself, 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 calls himself Christ's Vicar, (or Christ on Earth) and thou and thy generation, so many as there are of you, would be so many Christ's, like another of your Predecessors, Henry Nicolas, the Father of the Familists, whose breath some years agone hath blown these swarms, that thus darken the Sun, and infect the Air; He denied Salvation by Christ who died at Jerusalem, as 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 yourselves 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 less; which is, that the Apostle means, 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, lo here and lo there, which are false Christ's, 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 Liar (sayest thou) that tells 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 Judge's 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 Christ's 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 tells 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 Judge's place thyself, and so to exalt thyself above Christ, and then sayest, he is thy witness. O bold presumption, was ever a greater exaltation in a caitiff so low!  
Christ came not (sayest thou) to send peace but the sword, to the Man of sin whom thou servest.  
Answ. And yet I am fare 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 Spiritual 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 Spiritual man's 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 unfaithfulness, and thy tongue will be taught more tameness, then to smite others therewith, for then the Spirit of God will tell thee, that thou hast nothing to do to judge another man's Servant, he stands or falls to his own Master, Rom. 14.4. than thou wilt learn to speak with a new tongue, and that old blasphemous cursing presumptuous tongue, that runs without guide, will be plucke● out, and be no more the loud bellman to a corrupt heart.  
Thou askest me, By what authority. I judge thee for an enemy of righteousness, 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 righteousness, in warring against that Word. Where have I judged the people thou callest Dippers, or called them the chief Princes of Meshech and Tubal, show 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 wouldst shelter thyself 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 strait surely, thou takest me for some foreign enemy, that wilt thus claw thy domestic 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 shall leave the judging or censuring them and all men to him to whom all judgement doth belong, and myself, shall not judge or pass 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 itself.  
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 , saying, I affirm the Letter, which is a word of thy own and not of mine.  
In another place (sayest 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, 'tis no contradiction of the former, seeing the word of Christ and Spirit of God in the Apostles were one, and spoke one and the same thing. The truth is Martin, thou wouldst 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 sayest, the Spirit of God in the Apostles, at their death returned to God that gave it them, but (sayest thou) wouldst thou have me as sottish as thyself, to say and unsay, and own their Writings to be the Spirit of God: This thou writest to deny the Apostles preach and teachings to be the infallible Rule to try the Spirits whether they be of God.  
Answ. That Spirit which the Scriptures speaks 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 moving 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 blindness in thee, thus to use Scripture words against Scripture teaching, to pervert them to extinguish if thou couldst, 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 rise and out-burning of the man of sin; and by that which is written, which thou callestdead, & wouldst 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 Seven Churches that are in Asia: Compare this with that which follows in that Book written, Revel. 2.7. Let him that hath an car hear, what the Sprirt saith to the Churches; By which 'tis plain, (to the dashing down of thy denials 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 ridiculous, 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 Spiritual, 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 sayest, thou are not so sottish as I, to own this: It seems thou hadst rather (truly) be a fool to be esteemed wise in this world, then be a fool that thou mayest be truly wise. See whether this be sottishness in thee or no, 1 Cor. 3.18.  
But howsoever, thy wisdom in disowning the Scriptures to be the speaking of the Spirit, doth show thee to be neither Prophet or spiritual: therefore the Spirit of God will disown thee, the wolf would persuade the weak, that he will keep them for worrying when the danger is only in himself.  
Thou sayest, I charge that for a Liar, for saying I own the Letter to be the rule, but one thing is, sayest 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 Liar, 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 lie but makes it a greater , what plainer  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 Gospel's declaration, the Turkish Koran, and I say that Declaration of the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to all that hear and obey it, canst thou reply and say, I own the Turkish Koran 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 than I, it is thou that calls it the dead letter or Alcoran and not I, & therefore the lie must needs lodge with thee. Thou sayest I also call the words of Christ, or Scripture dead Letter; twice in a following argument of mine.  
Answ. For the truth's sake, and that the Liar 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 tried by the true touchstone, the infallible rule, 'tis an infallible sign his Spirit is not of God, he is guided by the Spirit of error.  
But thou Jonathan Johnson deniest to be tried by the living principle of God, the light of Christ in the conscience, the Spirit of truth: and wouldst be tried 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 liar 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 tried by the true touchstone, the Infallible rule, 'tis an infallible sign his Spirit is not of God, he's guided by the Spirit of error.  
But thou Jonathan Johnson, deniest to be tried by the principle in Martin Mason, and wouldst be tried 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 falsehood of thy argument, and slander against me without ground or proof, I who can better tell my own desires and denials, than thou canst, to declare truly the same, framed thee this argument.  
He that desires to be tried by the true touchstone, 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, 'tis a sign his Spirit is of God, he is guided by the Spirit of promise.  
But Jonathan Johnson, desires to be tried as above said. Therefore 'tis 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 liar remooved his lodging, which every passer by will now behold, thy bosom being unbuttened. I have not yet told thee what I call the dead Letter, though thou say I call the Scripture so, by which is manifested, who is the liar. But now it puts them out of doubt, and to satisfy 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 than an Idol, set up like the mass 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 sayest I do) than we say both one thing, by thy own acknowledgement; But I say the dead Letter is the Quakers Books: therefore thou sayest the same with me, repent thou of thy error in calling the Scriptures dead Letter.  
Thou sayest thou never readest, grosser contradictions to thy knowledge then hath dropped from the pen of this Painted Pagan: (as thou callest me)  
Answ. I believe, Martin, the Painter is mistaken, and spoils his work for want of colour; this surrilous way of thine, with all the falseness of thy allegations will discover thee to all that read the Papers: Loud accusation, and little proof lays open folly, it is a small matter for a man of thy language to be large upon charging evil upon others; but very scant in making good what you charge. Thou sayest 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 farewell, in an argument, which for substance (thou sayest) is thus, etc.  
Answ. I will leave thy substance, and bring the whole substance itself, 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 than they have already preached, must needs be the true touchstone, and infallible trial of Spirits, whether they be of God or no; and denial to be tried by them, is a plain testimony of an evil cause, and that the Spirit is the Spirit of error, and liar.  
But the Apostles were they, who by an infallible Spirit were Master Builders, etc. As these Scriptures testify, 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 trial, 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, wilful, lying Beast. Did not he even now (sayest thou) a little before, in his other argument say, that he desired to be tried by the light in the Saint's conscience, and not by the dead Letter, and yet taxeth me; O blush and be a shamed.  
Answ. I am neither Beast or Liar, 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 touchstone and trial of Spirits; I have not in any place called them dead Letter, but have always 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 Liar, and blush, and be ashamed; there not being a word in thy tongue to answer, of which if thou could be ashamed, there would be hopes of thy repentance, and good cause hast thou to blush and be a shamed of this proclaiming thy folly for 'tis 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, (sayest 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, Scythian, 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 thyself for a wise Master builder, for which read thy motto, Pro. 26.12, 16. Thou joins several declerations of the Apostle together, to pervet them if thou cold, from his Gospel order of teaching to thy own corrupt sense, and foists in thy own words amongst, to make fit a lie, 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 sayest 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 could hear) verse 10. where Christ is in all, which is in all them who have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge; 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 persuade 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, (sayest thou) did at the hearing of the voice of the Son of God live.  
Answ. That which hear thou sayest 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 voice of the Son of God live, what greater confused nonsense can be delivered, then to say Christ, the Son of God lieth dead, till he hear the voice of Christ the Son of God and live; can such babbling 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 almost weariness, thou follows with something to the poor hears (as thou callest them) whom thou sayest are wedded to their water, and counts no Saints who submit not to their ceremonies, thou bidest them answer thee in good earnest, can their Diana satisfy a hungry Soul.  
Answ. To which the poor hearts reply, that it were better for thee to sit down and rest thyself after thy great labour and hot chase, except thou findest thyself so tired, that thou desirest the refreshment of those waters, to which they are wedded, to cool thy heat of blood, 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 baptism, 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 God's mind and will in the Scriptures of Truth: They drink of Shiloh, the Fountain 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 prise your Garlic and Onions above it, the art of sowing and growing of which you learned in Egypt.  
Thou talkest of washing the body with outward water, and the answer of a good Conscience towards God, and who (sayest 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, fight 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 tired man in Spirits: Produce if thou can that, in any of them, and they will acknowledge 'tis 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 uprightness of yea and nay in thy dealing, thus falsely with us accusing us without ground or proof: They deny with formal 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 falsehood is in the heart, is not the language of Saints. Thou thy  art fare from that yea and neigh in thy dealing or communication with Christ's 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 customs and fashons of the Heathen, and art not yet brought to the bridling of the tongue.  
Answ. These words are thy own, and better applied to thee, then from thee, the Customs, 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 Customs, but deny them and therein deny thee, and thy generation, and your Groves, and Altars, and Calves at Dan, and Bethel. And for an unbridled Tongue running at random, cannot be more manifested, then in what is breathed from thee; in which all that hear thee with right understanding, will say 'tis not the Language of Zion, or new tongue speaking of a Saint, but the Language of Babel, and speaking like the Dragon.  
Thou sayest, Paul told the people he had not shuned to declare unto them all the Counsel God: but where did he mention water Baptism 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 deniest 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 Baptise Crispus, and Gaius, and others; and into whose name did he Baptise 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 condemn, and confound thy abominable denial thereof: may not the question be rightly put to thee, that our Saviour put to the Scribes, and Priests, Mark. 11.20. Concerning that Baptism, whether it were from Heaven, or of man, will it not dazzle thee as it did them; thou not only denying that Counsel of God against thyself, 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 thyself in denying it to be the Counsel of God: and thy saying, 'tis of men makes John Baptist a transgressor, in doing man's divices in Divine service, and Christ a consenter with him in it; and so the Apostles teaching, and practise in that Baptism, 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 allege the second Commandment, to prove the worshipping of Images; & is it not as great folly in thee, to allege Scriptures, to deny Baptism, that is so plainly for it; thou must as the Papists do, and as thou and thy fellows, follow them, either maintain your divices by unwriten very lies, which you call verities, and so make men believe as the Church believes, or the Father of yourfamilies, or the more you allege Scripture to hold up your Idol, the more it falls, and is broken apeices.  
Did not Paul (sayest thou) foresee, that thing to be Idolised in his days.  
Answ. No Martin, that is the false device of thy generation, from whom thou hast received it, witness James naylor's Book, tituled a Hand held forth to the help-less, to lead them out of darkness, etc. where he delivers it plainly, and grossly, in the point of Baptism, 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 Idolise Baptism, 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 Baptism, 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 to Cew the Cude upon (if thou wert a Clean Beast in thy feeding) which is, that the Baptism of repentance cannot be Idolised by any, water may be Idolised, or something else in the Inventions of men, instead of that Baptism: any ordinance of Christ, (whose ordinances are all ordinances of faith) cannot be Idolised, for where Idolising 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 died 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 sayest, Paul knowing Baptism to be a permissive practice 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 Baptism, or that he laid it aside; If Baptism were not a precept, the Apostles were transgressors to preach, and command; and practise in their Master's name, that which he had not commanded, and Baptism being a command, thou wouldst report them transgressors like to thyself, saying, they laid aside the practice and teaching of their Master's precept: what plainer precept, to those who desires to obey the Lords command can be given, then that, Mat. 28. Go teach all Nations, and Baptise them in the Name of the Father, etc. And Acts. 2.38. Repent and be Baptised, and Acts. 10.48. He commanded them to be Baptised. 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 denial must be in those Children of falsehood. 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 falsehood, in perverting and denying of these Scriptures, to which you give no answer, but instead thereof, have blown forth big and boisterous words of slander, and accusation, from the bellows of that forge, where all your falsehood 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 baptise, 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 Baptism of Repentance, or water upon Repentance and faith, as Acts 2.38. and 10.47, But neither paul or Peter were sent to Baptise, 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 baptise.  
Paul did neither deny to be baptised himself, (as thou and thy generation doth) as appears, Acts 9.18. with 22.16, neither did he deny to baptise others after they had heard his teaching, and believing, for than he had both denied the command of Christ, Mar. 28.19. and his own practice upon those he baptised, as 1 Cor. 1.14, 16. for to baptise in the name of Christ, and deny it to be a precept, or ordinance of Christ; doth condemn the doer: and so wouldst thou condemn Paul in his righteous proceeding, according to the Gospel: but it is a condemnation of thyself, 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 (sayest thou) speak plain enough to the prudent, doth he account water baptism any better than 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. Peter's speaking would be plain to thee, to be the baptism of repentance; not water without repentance, nor repentance denying water: though thou wouldst divide them as all Antichristians have done: though Peter calls baptism 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 baptism, without the answer of a good conscience, and that saveth not, shows how thou strives to violate that Scripture and manifest thy ignorance of what baptism is.  
Which of you (sayest thou) would you be truly honest to the light of God in you, durst positively affirm ontward water to be the Baptism of Christ, Is not his a baptism of suffering?  
Answ. Martin, if outward water; (as thou hast been told before) were the baptism of Christ, than thou, and all thy generation who have had outward water, by the order of the Sea of Rome, were baptised; but wanting faith according to the order of the Gospel, you have not the baptism of Christ, they (whom thou callest the poor hearts) are so honest to the light of God's truth revealed to them by the Gospel's preaching, that they, do affirm water, administered upon repentance, and faith, is the baptism of Christ, that is according to Peter's teaching in the Scripture afore all edged. That outward water is not the figure that saveth but baptism is; and also they further affirm, that thy division of water from repentance in baptism, that thou may deny the Gospel Baptism, dost manifest thee a child of those Antichristain predlcessors from whom thou receivest thy outward water. doth not thy fingling out the Baptism of suffering only, to deny the baptism of repentance, by reach also, to the denial of the bap isme of Christ: but talk not thou of the baptism of sufferings, till thou suffer Christ's baptism of repentance, to talk place in thee, none ever suffered for Christ's name sake; who denied him in his ordinance? thou bids the poor hearts not be afraid to take up the dally Cross, but like vallent Soldiers enter the field etc.  
Answ. The entering into Christ by the Baptism of repentance, Is the taking up of his Cross, and deny ill of that Baptism in all Ages since Christ, hath been to avoid and deny the Cross of Christ, and therefore whatever cross thou or thy fellows meets withal, Is not the Cross of Christ, or worthy, of thename of suffering for Christ, or Gospel Humiliation; 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 heart's obedience to the teaching of Christ in his ordinances, as in the Baptism of repentance doth manifest their love, excluding fear, in taking up the Cross 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 trial, their streng this small. And then they violate & make void (as to themselves) he Baptism of rapentance, they so much plead for, denial of which Baptism (as hath been said) is device to keep men from the Cross of Christ, for that baptism brings a man to the lowest estare of self denial 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 always got the victory, and so shall those whom thou callest the poor hearts continuing faithful in the Lord's truth, an promise, not giving ear to those pretended lights of men's 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 consummation determined to be powered upon the desolate, Dan 9.27.  
jonathan jonson.   

MARTIN'S 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 falsehood wallow:  
And as he thus sat musing all alone,  
Attendance straight 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 feigned things wiled him departed.  
He let him see the ill of their estate,  
Who make Religion nothing but a prate.   

They in obedience to the royal Law  
No Faith produce, but self-inventions frame  
From love of heavenly truth men's minds to draw,  
And keep them from the ever saving Name.  
And what they practice hath no Gospel warrant,  
And thus this Messenger began his Errand.   

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 vainness of men's talking.   

He must the Scriptures hear in what they teach him,  
And yield 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 baptised saith this Message  
And God will seal his Covenant in thy heart  
Deny not Martin to receive th'ambassage,  
Which God by his, doth to thee thus impart  
And it will bring assurance to thy soul  
Of heavenly favour and of sins control   

But if thou wilt not hear this voice of life  
And show thyself obedient to this call,  
Then several cries 'mongst which there is such strife  
Will thee assail and round about thee fall.  
And with their evil Charms and strong delusions  
Enthral thy mind in several sad confusions.   

That thou mayst hear and do thou know'st 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 oppressed.   

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 stolen by those that fly  
About the world betwixt the earth and sky.   

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 seemed with coat and visage trim  
To hid his foul deformity most grim.   

Believe not thou (quoth he) that voice that spoke  
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 Baptism with water but a toy,  
What's Bread and wine received with faith in Jesus?  
A fruitless 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 profesed,  
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 woman's seed, espy him,  
That's thy Redeemer, of which have no doubt.  
Mind that within thee, and obey its teaching,  
Believe 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're 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'lt find him better  
Then by th' Apostles, 'tis 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 thyself, 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 Martin's pallet please,  
That he himself, himself might only teach,  
That he could be a Christian now with ease  
And ne'er submit to what the Scriptures Preach.  
The Doctrines of regeneration taught,  
Are now by him esteemed a thing of naught.   

He'd always Christ within, be ne'er 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 Ave-maries Son,  
And of the Heavenly kingdom would be free,  
Without Christ Jesus, and would headlong run,  
In self-ish lights against Christ's verity.  
Hating the Doctrine, taught them by the Saviour,  
‛ thou't whom there is no everlasting favour.   

So Martin by his meritorious works,  
‛ thou't 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 strange Delusions make deceivers blind.   
J. J.  
FINIS.