The Nutcracker crackt by the Nutt, being the vindication of honeſt men againſt private aſperſions.

ALthough the people of God are commanded to render to no man evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke, nor to revenge them­ſelves, nor be overcome of evill, but to overcome evill with good, and although Solomon ſaith anſwer not a foole according to his fooliſhneſſe leaſt thou be like him, yet hee ſaith again anſwer a foole according to his fooliſhneſſe leaſt he be wiſe in his own conceit, and for as much as he ſaith, hee that is wiſe in his own conceit there is more hope of a Foole then of him, and again, a foole is wiſer in his own eyes then ſeven men that can render a reaſon, & again ſeeing the natural man diſcerneth not the things that are of God, they being ſpi­ritually diſcerned. 1 Cor. 2.14 And ſeeing I muſt anſwer a foole accor-to his fooliſhneſſe, leaſt•e be wiſe in his own conceit. I muſt herein endeavour to walke circumſpectly and overcome thy evill with good.

And yet as Paul ſaith, 1 Tim. 5.20. Them that ſinne rebuke before all that others may fear.

I am I confeſſe naturally apt to anſwer thee with ſcoffs for thy re­proaches wherewith thou haſt reproached God which are fallen upon me. But I ſay to thee as Michaell the Arch Angell to Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, ſo ſay I to thee which art in this action, his Sonne the Lord rebuke thee, for Chriſt denominates the children of the devill by do­ing his luſts, which was theſe two, firſt a murtherer, 2. a lyer, John 8 44. and Paul calleth Elimas the childe of the devill becauſe hee per­verted the ſtrait way of the Lord, as thou here by lying doeſt in the title of thy book. For thou bringeſt the word of God to maintain thy ly, for thou calleſt part of thy booke a Nut cracker for an unnaturall Nutt, whoſe ſhell (thou ſaiſt) is as hard as the ſcales of Leviathan, and the kernel of his heart as hard as the nether milſtone I pray thee Bake­well dideſt thou ever ſee my face, or ſeeke to enforme me, if not, how impudent is this ly of thine, which thou blaſphemouſly bringeſt the ſacred Word of God to prove, Iob. 41.15, 24. See I pray thee if that prove thy affirmation, if not, confeſſe thy ly and bee aſhamed of it.

And further, I ſay if by Anabaptiſts thou meaneſt Antebaptiſts, that is, oppoſers of the Bap­tiſme of the Goſpell, let all judge whether thou be not the man for thou maintaining the ſprinkeling of infants, without any warrant from the Law or Goſpell to be the Ordinance of Chriſt, and neglect the dipping beleevers, held out in the whole Tenour of the Goſpell, peculiarly to be the alone Ordinance of Chriſt, and to keepe the poore people in ignorance, the Prieſts being the tranſlators of the Bible, where they ſhould have ſet the Engliſh word Dip, that all might un­derſtand, they have ſet the Greeke word Baptize, that ſo they keeping the people ignorant might ſprincle infants, pretending it the Ordi­nance of Chriſt without any Scripture to prove the ſame, and being aſhamed of the name due to your practiſe, namely antebaptiſts, you caſt the aſpertion of that name upon them that practiſe the dipping beleevers according to the Ordinance of Chriſt in the teanour of the Goſpell, as a cunning thiefe being purſued, cryeth among others; ſtop thiefe, ſtop thiefe, to cauſe the people not to ſuſpect him.

And further; for as much as thou haſt not one word of God to beare thee out, judge thy ſelf, if thou be not exceeding audacious to ſay that thou haſt fully anſwered in this they libellous booke whatſoever is or can bee ſaid againſt it.

So that you conceive although God doth not ſhew mecanick fooles his miſteries, as you ſay my booke teacheth, yet mecannick wiſemen, ſuch as your ſelfe, he doth, and that in ſuch ſort as none can after ar­gue againſt it but he is already anſwered. Now I ſhall without ſcoffing or deriding thee, as a man who art a wiſe man or elſe thou art deceived, but I think few elſe judge thee ſo, and pittying thee as conſidering thee a poor ignorant ſelfe-conceited man. Yet I must not hate thee in my heart, but I muſt reprove thee, Deut. 19. And that before all that others mny fear. 1 Tim. 5.20. but any thing thou haſt done againſt me, the Lord lay it not to thy charge, Act. 7.

Firſt, thou falſly ſaiſt I am an Anabaptiſt, and ſo as I ſaid before, the Thiefe cry ſtop thiefe: and ſecondly, thou ſaiſt, that thou ſuppo­ſeſt me to be the ſon of the old Mouſe-catcher, who ſome yeers ſince cried Mouſe traps: Doe not thine owne conſcience give thee the lie, for if thou doeſt not ſuppoſe, ſo art thou not a liar, and of thy father ther the Devill, as aforeſaid. And thirdly, thou ſaiſt, I profered ten pounds to be Hangman, hath thy father aforeſaid prevailed with thee ſo to byely me and my Father, whom thou never knewſt, who neither of us ever attempted to be hangman, no, nor to make a Pillorie for Bakewell the falſe baker:

Again, thou ſaiſt, that having but little trading for my Axe; I uſe it to cut off men in bodies politicke: What more lies yet? I confeſſe, thou mighteſt not lie ſo willingly as before, for I inſtanced indeed in bodies politick for illuſtration? but thou mayſt ſee that I conclude, that our Saviour ſpeaks there of a ſpirituall bodie, or Church, of vi­ſible Saints, or ſuch as viſibly appeard ſo to be, which he owns for his viſible Church, and ſearcheth the heart himſelf.

Again, thou ſaiſt, I dare not tell what the offence is, leſt I ſhould be hanged, ſee thou wilt imagine lies rather then thou wilt be out of the exerciſe of them: whereas the Reader may ſee I did but ſuppoſe ſuch a thing for illuſtration, as in the Offending Eye, pag. 25.

Again, as never wearie of lying, thou ſaiſt, that for his being a Ma­giſtrate, that offending the Anabaptiſts, is that for which I would have him cut off: although he were faithfull to King and State, the which I and thoſe whom thou Antebaptiſt reproachfully calleſt Ana­baptiſts, do utterly denie and abhorre; and do heartily deſire the exe­cution of all civill Laws eſtabliſhed by the Word of God, and grieve that the good Laws of England are no better executed. And thou further ſaiſt, that I think Magiſtrates ought to be cut off for maintain­ing the Wars, wherein both Parliament and Magiſtrates will con­demne thee for a liar, who know that I have uſed my utmoſt endea­vours to further their deſignes, but indeed, with deſire of as much ſpare of bloud as might lawfully be.

Then thou chargeſt me that I ſay that the members of the myſti­call bodie whereof I uſed not the phraſe muſt be cut off, but I ſhew not the offence, wherefore I anſwer thee, poore ignorant ſoule, that if thou kneweſt what it were to be a member of a Church of Chriſt, thou wouldeſt know that owning and maintaining any ſin againſt God is offence to his true Church, and to every true living member in it. And whereas thou ſaiſt that I would have them cut off for every ſin. I anſwer, the Churches of Chriſts dare not cut off any member till they appeare to be ſuch as Chriſt would have to be cut off name­ly rotten or unſound ones: which the wilfull owning any knowne fin againſt admonition, denominates any to be. And whereas thou ſaiſt thou wilt rake the hammer of Gods Word, anti-ſpirit my ſhell, and give a farther taſte of the devilliſh kernell that is in me, p••re ſoule, if the Lord would pleaſe to make thee an inſtrument in•••s hand, to diſcover to me that devilliſhneſſe that is in mee, which yet I ſee not, I hope I ſhould thankfully take notice of my ſin, and praiſe him for thee as his inſtrument, but poore heart thou knoweſt not yet how to handle that hammer to break thine own heart, if thou canſt caſt the beame, or if but a moat out of thine eye, thou ſhalt ſee the cleerer to help thy brother, Mat. 7.5. And whereas thou demandeſt of me, if the not cutting off a member from the viſible bodie or Church, cauſe the body to bee caſt into hell. Judge you whether if a foot that carrieth the bodie, or a hand that draws or drives, or an eye that di­rects the bodie thitherward if it be not cut off, will not bring it thi­ther. Again, thou ſaiſt, that if Chriſt were on earth again, I would be offended at him, for many were offended at him, it is true; and thou poore ſoul art offended at him, and oppoſeſt his way as truly as Paul did when he was going to Damaſcus, although thou thinkeſt not ſo, The Lord, if it be his will, ſhew thee himſelfe as he did to him. Then thou affirmeſt, that the meaning of cutting off a member, is the cut­ting off the corruption of the members: then I conceive, it would be ſaid, Waſh or clenſe thy members, as elſe where, clenſe your ſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit. 2 Cor. 7.1.

But thou affirmeſt, that if wee cannot cut off luſts without the members, we muſt cut off the member, and ſaiſt we ſhall have it at the Reſurrection. I pray thee doth not the Apoſtles ſay, No man ever hated his own fleſh but nouriſhed it, and whereas thou ſaiſt we ſhould be as much offended with the evill of ſin, that is in the eye, as the evill of pain in the tooth: I pray thee cōſider, doth not Chriſt ſay that from within, namely, from the heart, comes evill thoughts and luſts, and ſo do not the heart employ the eie, the tongue, the care, the hand, and all to ſerve its turn. And ſo as our Saviour ſaith, An evill man out of the evill treaſury of his heart, bringeth forth: evill things: he doth not ſay, Out of the evill treaſure of his eie, or hand, or foot, but of his heart, and marke thy abſurdity, which poor ſoule thou canſt not ſee: Thou ſaiſt when all means is uſed, & our eie, hand or foot will not be reclamed: we muſt cut them off, or pluck them out rather then employ them to our eternall ruine of bodie and ſoul. Marke, you ſaid even now, if wee could not reclaime them, and now yee ſay wee employ them; then if the fountain fill the channels will it find fault, and cut them off for running, when being filled from it, they cannot ceaſſe running: ſo if the heart employ the eie, hand, and foot, and enforce their acting, and without it they act not good or evill, will or can the heart cut them off for obeying its command. Again, thou, as never weary of thy lying, chargeſt me that I ſay to Chriſt, if thy hand, foot, or eye offend thee, do ſo and ſo; whereas there is not ſuch a word in my book. Again, where as thou blinde ſoul ſaiſt, I ſpeak of two eyes, two hands, & two feet in his my­ſticall bodie, and carnally aske which is the right eye, or the right hand, I an­ſwer thee, pittying thy ignorance, though a body politicke looſe half the mem­bers, it is a whole body ſtill: As the Corporation of London, if there were a 1000 members more it were but a body: ſo if it looſe 2000, it is a compleat body ſtill: although if many of them taken away were eminent, it would ſeem as a maimed body in compariſon of what it was before. And whereas thou ſaiſt, that all the brains in the Nutt, knows not how to anſwer thee; I anſwer, if he do know, no thank to him: but whereas thou ſpeakeſt of two eyes in a Church, and ſaiſt if one offend and be excommunicate, and the other die in the mean time, that ſo it leave all blinde. I anſwer thy carnall objection thus: that in a body politick, every member in a greater or leſſer meaſure ſhould execute the office of the eye, hand and foot, and of every other mem­ber for the good of the body ye may all propheſie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted, 1 Cor. 14. and ſo ought all to bee helpfull to the body, although the bodie may eſpecially chuſe thoſe beſt gifted. Then thou ſaiſt, Well thus you ſee that Chriſt here ſpeaketh of our naturall mem­bers but doeſt thou judge ſo, or thinke that any that have any ſpirituall know­ledge of God do judge it ſo: ſurely if thou doſt it, is becauſe thou feareſt not God, for he revealeth his ſecrets to them that fear him, Pſ. 25.14. Again, thou ſaiſt, that a man in grace muſt needs grieve to ſee his members act ſin, I aske thee, whether the heart or ſome other part of the body it be that grieves for thoſe actions of the eye, hand, or foot, if it be the heart: conſider I pray thee, do that grieve that its ſervants do its will, for from it they ſpeak, look, & act: And whereas thou ſaiſt that the Word if, is not a word of diffedence, where it is ſaid? If God be God follow him, I ſay ſo alſo, and never ſaid againſt it, yet I do ſay, it implies if he be not God, do not follow him, and ſo of the reſt, thou bringeſt for that purpoſe. And whereas thou ſaiſt, we ſhould binde our eyes, hands & feet with the cords of a Covenant, and then inſtanceſt, Iob 31.1. and ſaiſt, Iob made a covenant with his eyes not to look on a maid: whereas hee ſaith no ſuch thing, but ſaith; I made covenant with mine eyes, why then ſhould I think upon a maid. Whence I infer, that through grace, he having reſolved againſt acting ſin, through the ſtrength given him of God he is now grieved with himſelf: and implore ſtrength from God againſt the firſt thoughts and motions thereunto. And thus I conceive, he intends, I am by grace reſol­ved not to commit a luſtfull action with; nor caſt a luſtfull look on a woman: but then why am I yet troubled with the firſt motions and thoughts of it; Lord help me aginſt them alſo, and ſpeaks not of, nor intends any other cove­nant, as if the heart and the members were at one time different one from the other: for then that body were divided againſt it ſelf; and ſo as a King­dome divided could not ſtand, Mat. 12.25. & ſo there needs no tying together with the cords of a Covenant, as you affirme. Then, as never weary of lying: thou ſaiſt that my expoſitiou is that the eye there intended, is the Miniſter, I anſwer, ſo it is? But thou ſaiſt, I ſay, if he be blinde, all the Annabaptiſts are blinde alſo, whereas I ſay no ſuch thing: but if he be an hereticall wicked man, and they walk by his light, they namely, every man and woman of that body walking by the light of their wicked eye or Miniſter, which is darknes, they namely, all the body or Church will be full of darknes, Mat. 6.23. and except they obey God in plucking out this wicked eye, they are not his true Diſciples, but ſeeming ſo, and ſo they being blinde, are led by their blinde eye, or Miniſter, till both fall into the ditch, namely Hell: Again, to leave many of thy ignorant fooliſh erationall reaſonings, becauſe anſwering a fool accor­ding to all his fooliſhneſſe were to be like him; which were to make my book tedious, as thine is, but now another palpable lye, as the thief crying ſtop thief, thou fathereſt upon me, as any that will be pleaſed to read my book, called the offending eye, hand and foot, which they may have for a penny, being that which thou oppoſeſt, may ſee. But to returne to another lye of thine, that it ſeemes cannot refrain lying thou ſaiſt, I flatly contradict Chriſt, ſaying, that I ſay, that the taking away of corruptions; wounds the man, which is the expoſition of thy blinde guides whom thou ſo adoreſt, and that the reader may know thy lying and falſehood; I will quote the pages in my book which thou oppoſeſt: this thy laſt lie may be found in pag. 21. of my book called The offending eye, hand and foot: Again, thou askeſt how I will conſter the two hands, two feet, or two eyes of the viſible bedy of Chriſt, for that is my term, not myſticall as thou falſely affirmeſt, thus I anſwer that it is Chriſts compa­riſon taken from a naturall body that hath but two of each of thoſe members, and thefore he ſpeakes ſo of them in the name of 2 of each of thoſe members, but you ſee in civill bodies politique, as in this City there is every yeere a new hand of power, nomely, a L. Major, ſo alwaies in bodies politicke, either ſpirituall or temporall, though many be cut off by death or otherwiſe, yet there are more to come in their places by order of the ſurviving or living mem­bers: but poore ſoule thou having not received the love of the tryth; but re­jected it, Chriſts words are given to thee yet in parables, that hearing thou underſtandeſt not, and ſeeing thou perceiveſt not; the Lord open thy ſpirituall eyes and eares, and give thee unnerſtanding what his Spirituall body is; and make thee a true ſpirituall member thereof, for his glory and thy comfort.

After this thou falſely taxeſt me to ſay that your Miniſters have no faith, which I deny, but do ſay they are not faithfull Miniſters, by vertue of any thing they had from the unpurged fountaines of the Univerſities. Then you come to prove yours the Miniſters of Chriſt, and you begin to ſhew that he recei­ved his miniſtery of his Father. And the Apeſtles delivered what they received of Chriſt in his power and way, which we grant, and them we own for his Miniſtrs, but as the Devill ſaid, Ieſus we know, and Paul we know, but who are ye, ſo Chriſt we acknowledge, and the Apoſtles we acknoſhledge; but who are your Miniſters, if you or they can prove themſelves the Miniſters of Chriſt, we will thankfully hear and joyfully ebrace them. Again, you ſay, if your Miniſters build their doctrines upon the Apoſtles and Prophets, with­out addition or detraction: the Goſpell will remain in its integrity. Alaſſe ſilly creature can any thing deſtroy the integritie of the Gaſpel. Wherefore break off thy blaſphemies, and intreat God with Simon Magus; if it be poſ­ſible, the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee, which my ſoul humbly entreats the Lord to do for thee, for his glory and thy comfort. Farewell.