THE NUTCRACKER Cracked by the Nutt, And the Backers cake stark Dow: Being the Vindication of honest men, from The scandalous aspersions of Thomas Bakewell the Baker in hanging-sword Court near Fleetstreet Conduit.  

Thomas Bakewell heretofore a Baker,  
Yet now through want is turned a Nutcrack maker;  
Who for abusing much the word of God,  
Without repentance cannot escape his rod:  
Whose want is not of money nor of learning,  
But poor soul 'tis of spiritual discerning.   
AS You may see in his learned book called the confutation of the Anabaptists, with a Nutcracker.  
THE Which is Cracked by the Nut against whom it was made, who admonisheth Bakewell to turn to his old trade of Baking again; and mend his manners therein: lest his false Wait cause that trade to fail, as his writing lies hath spoiled his Poetry, in the which he abuseth the Word of God, to prove his lies: As also he belly the Licencer, to Authorise his book, who denying the same faith he never saw it till he saw it in Print on the Exchange.  
THUS In this following Discourse you shall see the slanderous liar found out: The fool answered according to his foolishness, and the Baker's Cake stark dow:  
By Thomas Nutt.  
LONDON: Printed, in the Year, MDCXLIV.   

TO THE READER.  
GEntle Reader if you desire to see his learned book, called the confutation of Anabaptists with a Nntcracker, wherein he, as his Father, being a liar from the beginning, joh. 8.44.  
He taxeth those to be the despisers of government, who most earnestly long and pray for more strict execution of justice therein, & in the mean time himself so resisting the Government of God and good Laws, that his heart and brain, his hand and pen, not only unchristianly but also uncivilly plotteth mischief and setteth abroach lies. And judge which is easiest numbered, the ounces which his bread wants of weight, or the lies printed in his book, of which whosoever will have a batch, let them inquire for Mr. Bakewell in hanging sword Court near Fleetestreet Conduit, where I think you may have his book of lies, but first read over this following discourse and see if I do not slander him with the truth. And persuade him if he hath done or written truth that he would come to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God, Jo. 3.21. and mine if it be false by the light will reproved and so let the evil doer undergo the blame, either before honest men, godly Magistrates or Parliament, which he please, and if either in my Preface or following matter, it shall appear I have wronged him, I will acknowledge it, and to my power give him satisfaction. (Thomas Nutt in Angel ally in Whitechappel, who in regard of myself although he libels against me and my book, would not answer him, but being against God and his people, although not worth the answering, yet I cannot forbear, but must answer a fool according to his foolishness, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Thus if I reprove a scorner he will hate me, but if a wise man he will love me. Pro. 9.8.  
Bakewell heretofore a baker, and now turned Nutcrack maker,  
Plaspheming the word of God in his Nutcrack,  
Must feel his heavy rod upon his back,  
A● Solomon saith, A whip for the horse and a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fools back.   

The Nutcracker cracked by the Nutt, being the vindication of honest men against private aspersions.  
ALthough the people of God are commanded to render to no man evil for evil nor rebuke for rebuke, nor to revenge themselves, nor be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good, and although Solomon saith answer not a fool according to his foolishness lest thou be like him, yet he saith again answer a fool according to his foolishness lest he be wise in his own conceit, and for as much as he saith, he that is wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a Fool then of him, and again, a fool 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 fool accorto his foolishness, lest ●e be wise in his own conceit. I must herein endeavour to walk circumspectly and overcome thy evil with good.  
And yet as Paul saith, 1 Tim. 5.20. Them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear.  
I am I confess 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 Michael the Arch Angel to Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, so say I to thee which art in this action, his Son the Lord rebuke thee, for Christ denominates the children of the devil by doing his lusts, which was these two, first a murderer, 2. a liar, John 8 44. and Paul calleth Elimas' the child of the devil because he perverted the straight way of the Lord, as thou here by lying dost in the title of thy book. For thou bringest the word of God to maintain thy , for thou callest part of thy book a Nut cracker for an unnatural Nutt, whose shell (thou sayest) is as hard as the scales of Leviathan, and the kernel of his heart as hard as the nether millstone I pray thee Bakewell didst thou ever see my face, or seek to inform me, if not, how impudent is this  of thine, which thou blasphemously bringest the sacred Word of God to prove, job. 41.15, 24. See I pray thee if that prove thy affirmation, if not, confess thy  and be ashamed of it.  
And further, I say if by Anabaptists thou meanest Antebaptists, that is, opposers of the Baptism of the Gospel, let all judge whether thou be not the man for thou maintaining the sprinkling of infants, without any warrant from the Law or Gospel to be the Ordinance of Christ, and neglect the dipping believers, held out in the whole Tenor of the Gospel, peculiarly to be the alone Ordinance of Christ, and to keep the poor 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 Greek word Baptise, that so they keeping the people ignorant might sprinkle infants, pretending it the Ordinance of Christ without any Scripture to prove the same, and being ashamed of the name due to your practice, namely antebaptists, you cast the aspersion of that name upon them that practise the dipping believers according to the Ordinance of Christ in the tenor of the Gospel, as a cunning thief being pursued, cryeth among others; stop thief, stop thief, to cause the people not to suspect him.  
And further; for as much as thou hast not one word of God to bear thee out, judge thyself, if thou be not exceeding audacious to say that thou hast fully answered in this they libellous book whatsoever is or can be said against it.  
So that you conceive although God doth not show mecanick fools his mysteries, as you say my book teacheth, yet mecannick wisemen, such as yourself, 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 pitying thee as considering thee a poor ignorant self-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 falsely sayest I am an Anabaptist, and so as I said before, the Thief cry stop thief: and secondly, thou sayest, that thou supposest me to be the son of the old Mouse-catcher, who some years since cried Mouse traps: Do not thine own conscience give thee the lie, for if thou dost not suppose, so art thou not a liar, and of thy father there the Devil, as aforesaid. And thirdly, thou sayest, I proffered 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 Pillory for Bakewell the false baker:  
Again, thou sayest, that having but little trading for my Axe; I use it to cut off men in bodies politic: What more lies yet? I confess, thou mightest not lie so willingly as before, for I instanced indeed in bodies politic for illustration? but thou mayst see that I conclude, that our Saviour speaks there of a spiritual body, or Church, of visible Saints, or such as visibly appeared so to be, which he owns for his visible Church, and searcheth the heart himself.  
Again, thou sayest, I dare not tell what the offence is, lest I should be hanged, see thou wilt imagine lies rather than 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 weary of lying, thou sayest, that for his being a Magistrate, that offending the Anabaptists, is that for which I would have him cut off: although he were faithful to King and State, the which I and those whom thou Antebaptist reproachfully callest Anabaptists, do utterly deny and abhor; and do hearty desire the execution of all civil Laws established by the Word of God, and grieve that the good Laws of England are no better executed. And thou further sayest, that I think Magistrates ought to be cut off for maintaining the Wars, wherein both Parliament and Magistrates will condemn thee for a liar, who know that I have used my utmost endeavours to further their designs, but indeed, with desire of as much spare of blood as might lawfully be.  
Then thou chargest me that I say that the members of the mystical body whereof I used not the phrase must be cut off, but I show not the offence, wherefore I answer thee, poor ignorant soul, that if thou knewest what it were to be a member of a Church of Christ, thou wouldst 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 sayest that I would have them cut off for every sin. I answer, the Churches of Christ's dare not cut off any member till they appear to be such as Christ would have to be cut off namely rotten or unsound ones: which the wilful owning any known fin against admonition, denominates any to be. And whereas thou sayest thou wilt rake the hammer of God's Word, anti-spirit my shell, and give a farther taste of the devilish kernel that is in me, p●●re soul, if the Lord would please to make thee an instrument in ●●●s hand, to discover to me that devillishnesse that is in me, which yet I see not, I hope I should thankfully take notice of my sin, and praise him for thee as his instrument, but poor heart thou knowest not yet how to handle that hammer to break thine own heart, if thou canst cast the beam, or if but a moat out of thine eye, thou shalt see the clearer to help thy brother, Mat. 7.5. And whereas thou demandest of me, if the not cutting off a member from the visible body or Church, cause the body to be cast into hell. Judge you whether if a foot that carrieth the body, or a hand that draws or drives, or an eye that directs the body thitherward if it be not cut off, will not bring it thither. Again, thou sayest, that if Christ were on earth again, I would be offended at him, for many were offended at him, it is true; and thou poor 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, show thee himself 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 cleanse thy members, as else where, cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. 2 Cor. 7.1.  
But thou affirmest, that if we cannot cut off lusts without the members, we must cut off the member, and sayest 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 sayest we should be as much offended with the evil of sin, that is in the eye, as the evil of pain in the tooth: I pray thee consider, doth not Christ say that from within, namely, from the heart, comes evil thoughts and lusts, and so do not the heart employ the eye, the tongue, the care, the hand, and all to serve its turn. And so as our Saviour saith, An evil man out of the evil treasury of his heart, bringeth forth: evil things: he doth not say, Out of the evil treasure of his eye, or hand, or foot, but of his heart, and mark thy absurdity, which poor soul thou canst not see: Thou sayest when all means is used, & our eye, hand or foot will not be reclaimed: we must cut them off, or pluck them out rather than employ them to our eternal ruin of body and soul. Mark, you said even now, if we could not reclaim them, and now ye say we 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 cease running: so if the heart employ the eye, hand, and foot, and enforce their acting, and without it they act not good or evil, 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 blind soul sayest, I speak of two eyes, two hands, & two feet in his mystical body, and carnally ask which is the right eye, or the right hand, I answer thee, pitying thy ignorance, though a body politic lose 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 lose 2000, it is a complete 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 sayest, 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 sayest if one offend and be excommunicate, and the other die in the mean time, that so it leave all blind. I answer thy carnal objection thus: that in a body politic, 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 prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted, 1 Cor. 14. and so ought all to be helpful to the body, although the body may especially choose those best gifted. Then thou sayest, Well thus you see that Christ here speaketh of our natural members but dost thou judge so, or think that any that have any spiritual 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 sayest, that a man in grace must needs grieve to see his members act sin, I ask 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 sayest 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 sayest, we should bind our eyes, hands & feet with the cords of a Covenant, and then instancest, job 31.1. and sayest, job made a covenant with his eyes not to look on a maid: whereas he 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 lustful action with; nor cast a lustful look on a woman: but then why am I yet troubled with the first motions and thoughts of it; Lord help me against 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 itself; and so as a Kingdom divided could not stand, Mat. 12.25. & so there needs no tying together with the cords of a Covenant, as you affirm. Then, as never weary of lying: thou sayest that my expositiou is that the eye there intended, is the Minister, I answer, so it is? But thou sayest, I say, if he be blind, all the Annabaptists are blind also, whereas I say no such thing: but if he be an heretical 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 darkness, they namely, all the body or Church will be full of darkness, 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 blind, are led by their blind 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 foolishness were to be like him; which were to make my book tedious, as thine is, but now another palpable lie, 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 return to another lie of thine, that it seems cannot refrain lying thou sayest, I flatly contradict Christ, saying, that I say, that the taking away of corruptions; wounds the man, which is the exposition of thy blind 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 construe the two hands, two feet, or two eyes of the visible bedy of Christ, for that is my term, not mystical as thou falsely affirmest, thus I answer that it is Christ's comparison taken from a natural body that hath but two of each of those members, and therefore he speaks so of them in the name of 2 of each of those members, but you see in civil bodies politic, as in this City there is every year a new hand of power, nomely, a L. Major, so always in bodies politic, either spiritual or temporal, 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 poor soul thou having not received the love of the tryth; but rejected it, Christ's words are given to thee yet in parables, that hearing thou understandest not, and seeing thou perceivest not; the Lord open thy spiritual eyes and ears, and give thee unnerstanding what his Spiritual body is; and make thee a true spiritual 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 faithful Ministers, by virtue of any thing they had from the unpurged fountains of the Universities. Then you come to prove yours the Ministers of Christ, and you begin to show that he received his ministry 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 Devil said, jesus 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 Gospel will remain in its integrity. Alas silly creature can any thing destroy the integrity of the Gaspel. Wherefore break off thy blasphemies, and entreat 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.  
FINIS.