An end of One controversy: Being an ANSWER OR LETTER To Master LEY's large last Book, called Light for Smoke.  
One of the ASSEMBLY at Westminster. Which he writ lately against me.  
In which the Sum of his last Book, which relates to the most material Passages in it, is gathered up and replied to.  
By JOHN SALTMARSH, not revolted (as Master LEY saith) from a Pastoral Calling; but departed from the Antichristian ministry by Bishops, and now a Preacher of the Gospel.  Isai. 5. 20. 
Woe be to them that put darkness for light.  Acts 19 32. 
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the Assembly was confused, and the most part knew not wherefore they were come together.  Vers. 41. 
And when he had spoken this, he dismissed the Assembly.  
London, Printed by Ruth Raworth for G. Calvert, at the sign of the Black Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Paul. 1646. April 17●●   

The Law of Nature giving a man leave to speak fairly in his own just defence, and the Law of Grace requiring him to speak zealously in the defence of Truth, I think it equal that this answer to Mr. Ley should be printed.  
April, 15. 1646. John Bachiler.   

THE LETTER.  
SIR,  
FOr the controversy in substance betwixt us, I can not think the Truth I defended so weak as to need a new Treatise to bear it up. I see it is otherwise with you, who dare not let your former Books stand by themselves, without another to support them. It is indeed the way of the Popish Schools to fill the world with Volumes and Tomes, and rather to astonish then convince: and this is one thing hath made the world wonder after the Beast. 
Eccles. 12. 12.  There is no end in making many Books. How hath Truth been carried out of sight from the Reader in the Labyrinth of Replies and rejoinders. yourself gives us an Experiment in this Book: for, how are you puzzled to let the Reader know what was yours, and what was mine at first, and what is yours again, and what was mine afterwards, and what is yours again in answer to mine, and what Truth is after all this.  
I find it to be the wisdom of the Spirit of God, to leave the world a sufficiency of Scripture and Truth; but not to write all, 
Joh. 21. 25.  lest the world should not contain it. And Pilate was not amiss in that: What I have written, (says he) I have written, when they desired him to write more.  
So as things being thus, I hope I shall write you as much, if not more, in One Sheet and an half, as you have writ me in Seventeen: for he that writes any thing of Truth, more properly writes much, than he that writes against it, though in more Paper.  

The sum of your Book is this.  
1. YOur Epistles, which are a competent treatise of themselves, and the very cistern of your reasoning, from whence you fill all the other Pages of your Book.  
2. The Parts of my Treatise, with your answer, or rather much of your former reply, which in things of most weight is no refutation, but a reference to other Divines, who have writ of the like subject, &c. it seems you have a common stock of learning amongst you, or an Argumentative treasury, to which you refer us with much ease; but I cannot take this for good payment, to be put over to another man, when you are bound to pay me yourself: I could turn you over thus to as able Divines as you do me, to Mr. Tho. Goodwin, Mr. Burton, Mr. John Goodwin, Mr. Nye, Mr. tombs, Mr, Pryun, Mr. Burrough, Mr. White, Mr. Eton. Mr. Denne, Mr. Knolls, &c.  
3. The appendix to your book writ by a master of Arts, whether your friend, or yourself, for I know not whom you make the two letters C. D. to stand for; who brings in testimonials of your abilities, learning, piety, good carriage, worth, &c. who methinks speaking so much to your praise as he doth, stands a little too near you; we should not seek glory one of another, our praise should be of God, not of men.  
Thus I have contracted you, to save you some evil in the multitude of your words, now to your matter.  
(1) THat they should counsel me, 
In Epistles to Sir William Strickland●●d M. Grimston, and in Epist. to myself.  not to cry down the Government. (2) That no Presbytery Parochial, &c. assumes such power as the Prelatical. (3) That if the Question were rightly stated, men would be convinced, magistracy and Christian liberty would be preserved. (4) That I should restore such tithes, if unlawful, as I formerly received, because the sin till then is not remitted (5) That I would have men believe as they list (6) That he was wished rather to a neglect of me, than a loud Conquest over me. (7) That he had rather confute Bellarmine, than my new-sprung Notions. (8) Because I am against logic and forms of Art, I am no right Disputant. (9) That I am an Ubiquitary in my Belief, because of the Opinions set down in The Smoke, &c. (10) That I am an Antinomian, and deals with some late Divines as some with Luther. (11) That I am unstable. (12) That I glory in the quick dispatch of my work: To which Tertullian, and some old Poetry, and other Authors, with a Story of a nobleman and a Brewer, is brought. (13) That my Interposition is like to be no delay to the Government. (14) That he may be better employed then in writing: and others shall undertake me.  
To the first.  
1. ARe you in such fears of your Government, that you make friends to me to be silent? Is it so weak, that it may be cried down?  
To the 2. Is Presbytery, because Parochial, Classical, Provincial, less Tyrannical than Episcopal, because many rule in that, and in this but one? or rather not more tyrannical, because one Tyrant is not so much as many together? Evil in a Community, is stronger and more diffusive than in unity.  
To the 3. Is not the Question of the Presbytery yet stated? Yea surely: What else hath your Assembly and othersibeen doing? Is it not a power in your Eldership and presbytery, how little or large soever, over the Churches and Congregations? independent upon the Magistrate, coercive to all that believe not as they believe, as to heretics and schismatics? And yet men are not convinced, nor is Magistracy or Christian liberty so preserved as you say: let both the Magistrates and Christians judge, who in the mean time you would be Judges over.  
To the 4. For my restoring of tithes, now unlawful to me; I have done it; I have returned to the State my property of a full years Arrearag: nor did I take tithes since I was in Kent, but the people's free composition from the first; and being even convinced against that too, a year since, I forbore it. But take heed how you put forgiveness of sin upon restitution; for that is not only Popery, but like the Pope you would sell pardons only to the rich, and none to the poor; and you would put more upon Sacrifice then upon Mercy.  
To the 5. Nor would I have men believe as they list, as you say of me: I would only not have men forced to believe as others list, as you or your Brethren list: I would have Faith wrought by the Spirit of God, not by the spirits of men, who have no dominion over Faith.  
To the 6. And why do you speak so of a loud Conquest over me? Truth is not conquered, when the man is trampled on. It is not your being great, can make you a conqueror, no more than your calling by the Bishops a true Presbyter.  
To the 7. And for your desire rather to deal with Bellarmine than me: I did not think I had been so formidable an enemy; but I will not presume. Indeed Bellarmine is a more easy adversary, because he opposes the Truth; and I, though a weak one, may be more considerable, because Truth defends me, rather than I the Truth: for I will rather make it my champion, than myself a champion for it. And for my new-sprung Notions (as you say:) call Truth Notion, or new, or what you will; you can never call it out of its own nature or essence: And Truth is God's own notion; neither mine nor yours: and new only to the old man, not to him who after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 
Eph. 4. 4.   
To the 8. Nor am I less a Disputant in Divinity, because against forms of Art and logic (as you say.) I may dispute in Christ's School, though refused in the School of Tyrannus. And if you will challenge me in any point of philosophy, I shall not refuse you there in logic or Forms of Art. They are forms only for the wisdom of men, not the wisdom of God. Nor dare I take my discoveries of Christ from Reason, nor seek the glory of him in forms so much below him, and fashion the Creator like to the Creature, who is God blessed for ever. You and I must die more to vain philosophy, to the wisdom of the Greek, to the rudiments of the world. I allow Learning its place anywhere in the kingdoms of the world, but not in the Kingdom of God.  
To the 9 For my being a ubiquitary (as you say) in belief, and your proof of this from the several Opinions stated in my book: Can you be so unfaithful to that Book I Can you, who would be counted an Orthodox, and a Divine, thus force and compel those Opiniont upon me, or not rather upon the Paper only where they are printed? Because I stated the Opinions of men, Am I therefore a man of all those Opinions? The best is, the world may convince you of this, and of my purpose in that: And now you are thus unfaithful in a little, I may suspect you for more. Are you one of those who pretend to be in the mount with God, and to give Laws for Religion? Can we trust you in the more excellent mysteries of the Father, while you trifle thus and deceive the Brethren?  
To the 10. For my being an Antinomian, If to say we serve not in the oldness of the Letter, but in the newness of the Spirit: If to say, The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ: If to say, We are not under the Law, but under Grace: If to say, We are delivered from our enemies, that we might 〈◊〉 him without fear, in holiness and righteousness: If to say, The Commandment is holy, just, and good: If to say, Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid: If this be Antinomianism, I am one of that sort of Antinomians I know no other for my part, though you have filled the world with a noise, if this be heresy, so worship we the God of our Fathers; nor have I misquoted any, but only singled out that truth from many, in one leaf, before they spoiled it in the next, and like Pilate, who asking only what truth was, would not tarry by it, but departed.  
To the 11. And for my unstableness: If to be sometimes darkness, and now light in the Lord: If to put off the old man with the former lusts, and to put on the new: If to come out of Babylon when the Spirit calls: If to add to faith, virtue; to virtue, patience; to patience, godliness &c. If to grow in the increasings of God, to a fullness of stature in Christ: If leaving things that are behind, and pressing to things that are before, be unstableness, let me be always thus changing, till he who can only change our vile bodies, fashion me like unto his own glorious body.  
To the 12. Nor do I glory I hope in the quick dispatch of what I do: but do not you as well over deliberate, as I over dispatch, and glory in that? but are you no better acquainted with the Spirit, in the things of God? Are we to be ever consulting with flesh and blood? did the disciples and Brethren when they spoke the Word of God, tug first amongst so many schoolmen? so many Fathers? so many modern Divines? so many Commentators? so many old Poets as you do? Or rather, only with the Word and Spirit, and power of Christ: and for that of your poetry, and your Brewer, I desire not to show so much of the oldman, or former corruption, as to sparkle so lightly with you.  
To the 13. 
Epist. p. 1.  For my Interposing, being no delay to the Government (as you say) Why do you say then in other places, I presented you wish a former Book, against Mr. Saltmarsh his Remora: And again, Mr. Saltmarsh Quare, to retard the establishment? I pray now, be friends first with yourself, before you be too much an enemy to the truth, or to me; and though I cannot stand in the way of the establishment; I am the least in my father's house; I am but as the fly upon the wheel; yet truth is mighty, and of that power, as it can weigh heavy upon your Chariot-wheels, when you would be driving into the red Sea of persecution, and pursuing Israel.  
To the 14. Whereas you say you are wished to be better employed then in writing, they are your friends indeed that wish so, you cannot be worse employed I am su●● then in speaking ill of your brethren, in advancing yourselves, in Lording it over the heritage, in triumphing upon the vantage ground of your place, and power; in applicating, and at the same time judging the Magistrate: or in a word entreating them that they may rule, not you, or your presbytery, but whom you allow them from your preraytery.  
And for others undertaking me, as many as please, for I fear not an host, nor a multidude of pen-me●; I see more for us then against us, I know this present presbytery may have many pensioners; there are such great livings of hundreds a year to spice the government; the silver shrines had many that cried great was Diana of the Ephesians.   

Mr. Ley's Treatise.  
1. THe gradual subordination of Assemblies is made good by the learned book of Mr. Rutherford against the congregational Independency.  
2. 
p. 12.  The subordinate Presbyteries are not Churches out of Churches, as yours are, not in such singularity, with free choice, more conveniency in Parishes, 
p. 13.  more for preservation of Peace, more agreeable to the Apostles, Acts 15. more authorized by Parliament.  
That tithes are spoken against by those that scruple not at slander or sacrilege, 
p. 19 20.  that they usurp upon God and his Ministers that alienate them from his Worship and Service.  
That Old men are more honourable than the Young, 
p. 25. 26.  therefore called Senators, Elders, Sages; that Dreams are more glorious than Visions, because of more Communion with God in the sleep, then waking, and because of many divine things revealed in dreams, and that John was old when he had his vision.  
That it is lawful to jest at misapplication of Scripture by God's example in Gen. 
p. 40.  by Eliah's, by others, &c.  
That the other Church-Government comes not under such trials of the Parliament as presbytery, but is set up without their authority.  
That Gospel patterns are as much in the letter, as the Legal, 
p. 62.  because written.  
That Mr. 
p. 82.  Prinn, Dr. Bastwick, Mr. Burton, Mr. Lilburne, were cruelly used by the Bishops, Mr. Lilburne whipped from Fleete-Bridge to Westminster, so cruelly, that the cords bruised his shoulders, and made them swell as big as a penny loaf; and the Warden made him be gagged, as if he would tear his jaws.  

Answer.  
THat the gradual subordination is made good by Mr. Rutherford, &c. 
to 9  Is this reasoning or reference? And this you have done all along, referred us either to yourself, or some other to answer for you.  
That your Presbyteries are not so singular, 
to 21.  more free, convenient, more peaceable, more Apostolical, more authorized than other Churches: These are good commendations; but had half so much been proved by the Word, your government had passed before this.  
For that of sacrilege, 
3.  and usurpation upon God in alienating tithes; never did Prelate, no nor Bishop Montague plead an higher title for tithes. What sacrilege and usurpation to deny tithes! Where are you? in the Covenant or no? is it not a Parliament Ordinance you take them by? and will you set up a divine right over that now? surely they may justly now withdraw their Ordinance for tithes, and leave you to your divine right, and see what the people will pay you.  
To that of your commending old men and age; 
4.  I reverence age, and old men, but not the old man in them. And for dreams being more excellent than visions; It is a curious speculation, and enough may be said for both; 
Act. 2.  yet if you take Visions more spiritually, they are more glorious a way of Revelation then that of dreams: but what are these dreams to yours? Surely reformation in blood, or by persecution, is but a dream of such as have slept long in Prelacy.  
Why are you so much in the defence of jesting, 
5.  and so serious in your Scripture proofs so it? take heed of strengthening corrupt nature by Scripture; God and Eliah saw errors more clearly than you or I, who may as soon laugh at the Scripture itself, as something beside it.  
And for other Church Governments not coming under the trial of Parliament, 
6.  nor coming out by their authority, I know not any that would not 〈…〉 lay down the●… Scripture order to that honourable Senate, and rejoice that they would take it up to discuss, and for not coming out under their authority; I know none of the rest so ambitious 〈…〉 to solicit them to compel their order upon all their Brethren, and all must be heretics and schismatics that will not, though they cannot believe so.  
For Gospel patterns being as much in the letter as the Legal, because written, are you such a stranger to the spirit's notion of Letter and Spirit in the New Testament? Know you not that the Temple or Legal worship before was said to be in the oldness of the Letter? Know you not that Gospel patterns are more seen by the Spirit now then before? and though both be written, and in Letter, yet not both equally literal, but the one more glorious in the ministration, the other l●sse.  
For that of the sufferers, Mr. Prynn, Mr. Burton, Mr. Lilburn, and Mr. Baestwick; And Mr. Lilburne written in such capital letters of blood, as you justly say; and can you name these, and call for the power in your hands as you do? Can you thus remember Prelates, and yet petition to be such Presbyters? Can you see these yet bleeding, and desire to persecute by such a precedent of Blood?  
FOr Salmasius his testimony, with the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: and his testimony that the presbytery is but of human and positive right, not of divine; He is mine, and not yours, and all your pains and quarrelling, and after quotations, cannot make him more yours, or less mine; and it is no little disadvantage to you, that one so great a scholar, as your whole Assembly affords any, hath thus witnessed with the truth, which so many scholars oppose.    

C. D. his Treatise printed with Master Ley's Book, in Master Ley's Commendation: whether made by himself, or some other, he best knows.  
HIs Title is, 
Pag. 4.  One of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster. 
☜   
And there you might have known of what account he was among his Reverend Brethren  
He was chosen chairman of the Committée of examination of Ministers, and of the Committée of Printing; and one of the Triers, and one of the Ordainers of Ministers; next after the two Doctors, chairman. [I remember not any of the Apostles in such Offices and Titles.  
You might have known him by his pattern of piety, his Book on the Sabbath; by divers Sermons of his in Print, his Annotations on the Pentateuch: and he hath much more prepared for the press than is already printed: All which are approved by those most able to judge of judicious and learned Labours. [Give them leave to speak themselves in this point.  
The Greek Anagram made on his name when precedent of Zion college; THE SUN IN Zion; with Verses. [If the Sun be there, why no more Light there then?  
For his Name, you would think it too venerable &c. John in the Hebrew signifies Grace; and Ley in Spanish, the Law.  
With some Letters in his Commendation, in pag. 19, 20 &c.  
THus I have gathered up all in your Book that concerns you materially, and your friend printed on the backside of yours: And for other particulars more substantial, your Books and mine are both abroad; let them speak for themselves: the Readers must now judge in the Spirit, what we both write in the letter; for I intend not to puzzle the world with any more of this controversy. Some Truth may be seen: and what is more, is but you and I.  
SIR, I was unwilling to set your failings before you and the world: but since you printed them once over in mistake, I thought I might print them over in a clearer letter, that you may see things for errors, which before you took for Truths.   

Conclusion.  
THus I have replied to your Positions, not to your passions nor repreaches; in which you are something larger than I had thought becomes an Orthodox Divine.  
And for the dirt you cast in my face, I have only wiped it off, without casting it back on yours: I had rather let it fall in the channel, which best becomes it.  
For your Revilings, sleight●ngs and railings, if they trouble not yourself to write, the press to ●●●int, and the Reader to read, I promise you they trouble not me. And though I am much below many, yet I am in this above you, by how much he that can pardon, is greater than he that offends.  
I thank you for your ill ●sage you cannot do that against me which works not for my good; for I am learning to bless them that curse me, to pray for them that despitefully use me.  
And truly this advantage I shall make of your taxing me for faults which I have not, To tax myself of the many other faults which I have indeed, which you and the world see not.   
FINIS.