any competent depth for men to dip in?
But perhaps what Mr. Baxter saies concerning Aenon upon the report of tra∣vellers viz. that even the River Aenon it self where Iohn baptized because there was much water, is found to be a small brook, that a man may almost step over, or as I find it expressed to me in a letter to a neer and deer friend of mine, upon the credit of eye witnesse historians, Aenon was but a small purl scarcely knee deep at the deepest, so Mr. Simpson may say, but it is on his own head if he do, concerning these brooks, that were about Ierusalem, to all which I shall for brevities sake dispatch this answer here now I am about it.
And first I intreat Mr. Simpson to consider that this serves not his turn howe∣ever, if Cedron and Siloam, and the rest that were without the City, and the stream also that ran through the City, from the fountain of the old pool into Ce∣dron, should be all such as Aenon is supposed to be, sith the fishpool Bethesda, at which lay a great multitude of impotents, and into which one amongst the rest desired to be put, or cast (for the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) but could not, was both deep∣er and broader then so, and convenient for many to dip in at once, for if we may credit Bethesda it self, the very name instructs us in no lesse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 being in english no other then the house of flowing down, so called for the concurrence, and confluence of many waters thereinto, see Calvin upon the place, who tells you that it was a pool he thinks, into which water did flow down continually, through either channels or pipes, that the Priests (for it was neer the Temple) might as well be furnisht with water for their sacrifices, as the people were with sacrifices themselves in the sheep market wherein it was; others think, and as I take it Be∣za in his Anotations, that it was a pool at which cattel drank, and in which they used to be plunged; whereof saith he there could not but be great store in Ieru∣salem: so much may well serve without any more to salve the sore eyes of Mr. Simpson.
As for Mr. Baxter ile bate him his almost, and yet he will not get much by the matter, for as I have seen others baptized by totall dipping in the like, so was I seen to be baptized my self in a place of so little latitude, that an active man might make shift to step over, not almost but altogether, in which yet there is wa∣ter enough left behind to baptize a thousand, if not a million more in the same man∣ner, and so, not to say how possible it is, if not a thousand to one that Ae∣nons eye witnesses never sounded Aenons depth in all places, nor secondly how possi∣bly a brook might be much swerved up since then, & somwhat shallowed in so ma∣ny Generations, nor thirdly how possible it is to deepen the shallowest stream that is very easily in order to such a purpose, for I have seen ancle deep streams so ordered as I speak of, more then once or twice for a need, though that Aenon had need to be made deeper in those places, where Iohn did baptize, may be twenty times told by some Travellers, that love to hear themselves talk, before I shall believe it once;
Not to say any thing I say of these, let Aenon be but knee deep if you will, ex¦perience hath so taught the expedience of knee deep to dip in to my self, and other Baptizers that I know, that as we have dipt persons oft where it hath not bin so deep, so, except in such a channel where we cannot well avoid it, we choose now not to go in much deeper.
See Fourthly how all your three Worthies Mr. Blake, Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cook do deceive you, as being indeed deceived themselves, and that in a manner so plain that none but Blind Seers can look beside it, for though each of the three were a∣lone in each of those other errors, which they severally utter in your last joint quo∣tation, and confident commendation of them, yet (wo is me may England say that my leaders are so mifled) the whole Trinity of them is at unity, but against all veri∣ty in this, even in the very thing in which principally you would have us mind them, for whereas, as an instance that baptism was not by dipping, they all alledge that