this objection may also be retorted if all things which we need to pray for upon any occasion whatsoever be contained in one short set form of prayer much more may they be in many of greater length But all things we need to pray for are comprised in a short set form of prayer to wit our Lords prayer as S. Austine saith in expresse words although saith he we vaire never so much in our prayers and say other words then those which Christ hath sanctified in his holy form of prayer yet if we pray as we ought we say no other thing then that which is set down in the Lords prayer Ergo all things we need to pray for may be comprised in set forms which may be thus easily demonstrated there is no ex tempore prayer which may not be taken by characters and then either read or said by heart and so made a set form of prayer for all men in the like case OBJECT V. Reading a prayer is no more praying then reading a prophesie is prophesying or reading a Sermon is preaching But where a set form of Liturgie is used the minister only readeth certain prayers and collects Ergo he prayeth not nor is his ministerie therein Divine Service ANSWER First bare reading a prayer simplie without any more then lip-labour is not praying but reading a religious prayer with understanding intention and affection is praying and godly devotion For what is prayer but a lifting up of the heart to God with a lively faith and fervant affection out of a quick sense of our wants and calling upon him for such things as are agreeable to his will This whether it be done within book or without book with our own words or borrowed from another it matter not at all Secondly the reason holdeth not from praying to prophesying and preaching for prophesie is an extraordinarie gift of the holy Ghost and preaching a speciall facultie acquired by many years studie now especially since the extraordinarie gifts of the Spirit are ceased but prayer is a common dutie of all Christians and therefore though it will not follow such a man readeth a prophesie Ergo he is a prophet or readeth written or printed Sermons Ergo he is a preacher Yet we may rightly conclude such a one readeth godly prayers constantly after a religious manner therefore he is an humble orator and petitioner to his heavenly Majestie for Christ said to his Apostles when you pray say Our Father c. Saying therefore or rehearsing a set form is praying Thirdly this objection may be thus retorted if reading the law in the synagogue be preaching it in the language of the holy Ghost then reading holy and heavenly prayers of the church is praying but the text saith expressely that reading the law is preaching Act. 15. 21. Moses of old hath in everie Citie them that preach him seeing he is read in the synagogue everie Sabbath day Ergo reading prayers is praying The Anabaptists having thus disgorged their poyson against set forms of prayer in generall the Brownists who ingender with them thus spit their venome against the Liturgie of the Church of England in particular EXCEPT I. First they except against it that it is a meer humane invention and hath no warrant from Gods word ANSWER But this exception is weak and false First weak for if all things in the service of God wherein mans invention skill and art is exercised are to be rejected and abandoned what will become of the partition of the Bible into chapters and verses the translating it into the mother-tongue putting Psalms into meeter and setting tunes to them Catechismes confessions of faith forms of administring sacraments nay conceived as well as read prayers and all commentaries homilies and sermons for all these have something of Art and are the issue of our meditation invention and contemplation We must therefore of necessitie distinguish between the doctrine and the method of a sermon the matter and the form of a prayer the substance and circumstance of Gods worship in the former there is no place for mans art wit or invention in the latter there hath been alwayes and must be Secondly it is false for the booke of Common-prayer consisteth of first confessions of sinnes and of faith secondly lessons out of the old and new Testament thirdly thanksgivings or blessings generall and speciall fourthly Psalmes read and sung fifthly prayers for our selves and for others but for all these we have precept and president in scripture namely for confession of sinnes Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confesse my transgrlssions to the Lord. Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth them and forsaketh them shall have mercie Dan. 9. 20. While I was praying and confessing my sinne and the sinnes of my people Ezra 10. 1. 11. Now when Ezra had prayed and confessed weeping and casting himself down before God 11. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers Math. 3. 6. And were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sinnes For confession of faith Math. 10. 32. whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I confesse before my father which is in heaven Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be readie alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you For lessons to be read out of the old and new Testament Deut. 31. 11. Thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing Esay 34. 16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read Luke 4. 16. He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read Acts 13. 15. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets Acts 15. 21. Moses being read in the synagogue every Sabbath day 1 Tim. 4. 13. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine For thanksgivings Neh. 11. 17. And Mattaniah the sonne of Asaph was the principall to begin the thanksgiving in prayer Psal. 26. 7. That I may publish with the voyce of thanksgiving and tell of all thy woundrous works Psal. 50. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God Ephes. 5. 20. Give thanks alwayes 1 Thess. 5. 18. In every thing give thanks For Psalmes read and sung Psal. 95. 1. O come let us sing unto the Lord. 1 Chron. 16. 9. Sing Psalmes unto him Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs Iam. 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Rev. 15. 3. And they sang the song of Moses the servant of the Lord. For prayers for our selves and others 1 Kings 8. 28 29 30 38. Have respect unto the prayer of thy servant Math. 21. 13. My house shall be called the house of prayer Luke
thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Christ saith it is life Eternall to know the Father to be the onely true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ but it is not life Eternall to know Christ onely as man but as true God and man and so a perfect Mediator neither is Christ said only the Son of God in respect of his temporall generation as man but also in respect of his eternal generation as he is the second person in Trinity this answer therefore of yours is not sufficient nor pertinent M. Doctor the company is not satisfied with their Answers I pray resolve the doubt your selfe I will as soone as they have propounded their objections for I moved these Questions only to make it appeare to the auditors how unfit these men are to take upon them the office of Teachers who are so imperfect in the fundamentall poynts of Catechisme Now let them propound what questions they please What is the nature of a visible Church what is the matter and fâ—rme of it or what is the visible Church of Christ made up of by authority of the Scriptures Your Question is Quid constituit visibilem Ecclesiam what makes a Church Yes I answer according to the Scriptures and the joynt consent of of all protestant Churches in the world French Dutch c. in the harmony of confessions that the sincere preaching of the Word and the due administration of the Sacraments constitutes or makes a true visible Church The Papists make many notes of the Church as antiquity universality succession miracles and diverse other but the reformed Churches make but two onely namely those above mentioned What is a true particular visible church A particular companie of men professing the christian faith knowne by the two marks above mentioned the sincere preaching of the word and the due administration of the Sacraments Is the church of England such a church It is so How prove you that First I answer I need not to prove it but you are to disprove it For as Hooker teacheth in his Ecclesiasticall Politie they who are in possession are not bound to prove their right but they who goe about to thrust them out are to disprove their right aud bring a better title for themselves Secondly yet to give you further satisfaction thus I prove the church of England to be such a church Every church in which the word of God is sincerely preached the sacraments lawfully and rightly administred is such a church But in the church of England the word is sincerely preached and the sacraments lawfully administred Ergo the church of England is such a church I denie that in the church of England the word is sincerely preached or the sacraments rightly administred I have here two things to prove 1. That the doctrine of the church of England is agreeable to Gods word 2. The sacraments are rightly administred in it First the doctrine of the church of England is contained in the 39 Articles Secondly the due administration of the sacraments in the communion-communion-book But both the one the other are agreeable to Gods word Ergo the preaching of the word and administration of the sacraments in the church of England are agreeable to Gods word I denie that the 39 Articles and the book of common-prayer are agreeable to Gods word 1. I wil prove that the book of Articles is agreeable to Gods word In the book of Articles the first which concerneth the blessed Trinity the 2. 3. 4. which concern the incarnation of Christ Jesus his death and resurrection the 5. which concerneth the holy Ghost the 6. the perfection of scriptures and the 18. following which impugn popery are agreeable to Gods word and you cannot name any one of the rest which is not agreeable therefore they are all agreeable If you know any one that is not agreeable instance in it and I will presently shew how it is agreeable to scripture For the 39 Articles I know not what they are I never saw them that I remember Then for ought you know they are all conformable to scripture at least you can except against none of them Now for the book of common-prayer it consists partly of Psalms Epistls and Gospels partly of Prayers and the form and manner of administration of the sacraments But the former are taken out of scripture the latter are agreeable to it What doe you except against it I except against your administration of Baptism it is not rightly administred in your church for you baptize children and that is not agreeable to Gods word if you say it is how doe you prove it by scriptures This D. F. undertook to prove out of scriptures but before he alledged any text of scripture for it another Anabaptist interposed You say your church is a true church that cannot be for the true church compells none to come to church or punishes him for his conscience as the church of England doth Iosiah was supream governour of the true church in Iudah and Israel but Iosiah compelled all Israel to come to the house of God and worship him there 2 Chron. 34. 33. So Iosiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that appertained to the children of Israel and compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God Ergo men may be compelled by the civill magistrate to the true worship of God Josiah compelled them to come to Jerusalem but that law is not now in force There is a three-fold law of God delivered by Moses 1. Ceremoniall 2. Judiciall and 3. Morall The ceremoniall and judiciall are not now in force but the morall is and Iosiah did this by the command of the morall law For the text saith not that he compelled them to come to Ierusalem but to serve the Lord their God which is a dutie required by the morall law and the law of nature For though the place of Gods Service and the manner be changed yet the substantiall worship of God still remains and princes are now as much bound to compell their subjects to the true worship of God as Iosiah was And moreover it is to be noted that Iosiah did this by vertue of a covenant which he made before the Lord to walk after the Lord and keep his commandements with all his heart and all his soul 2 Chro. 34. 31. And the spirit of God sendeth this testimony after him 2 King 23. 15. Like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to the law of Moses which words have an apparent reference to that first and great commandement Deut. 6. 5. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
Muâ—â—erus his doctrine at Alset and it very much took with the common people who presently left working and what they wanted they took by force from them that had it Seventhly with the Enthusiasts and their joynt issue is That the Scripture is not our onely rule of faith and manners but that God revealeth his will to his children at this day by visions and dreams and therefore Iohn of Leidan after he had set himself to sleep and had dreamed three dayes and nâ—ghts when hee awaked fained himselfe speechlesse and called by signes with Zacharie for a table-table-book or pen and ink and there writeth down certaine positions as revealed to him from God and commanded the preachers to publish them the first and principall whereof was that a man was not tyed to one wife but that he might have more and this doctrine he put presently in practise martying three wives at once and fifteene before he left Eightly with the Iesuites and their joynt issue is That it is lawfull for the people to lay hands upon the Lords anoynted and depose and slay hereticall and wicked magistrates the Iesuites hold this to be lawfull after a declaration and sentence of deprivation by the Pope the Anabaptists upon a revelation from one of their prophets And this doctrine the Anabaptists practised in the yeare 1527. and pulled downe all magistrates where they had any strength Ninthly with the Arminians and their joynt issue is That there is no originall sinne or at least that none is damned for it alone that election is upon fore-seen faith and repentance that God giveth all men sufficient grace to be saved that man hath free will of himselfe either to accept or refuse Gods grace that Christ dyed indifferently for all that a true beleever who is in the state of grace may fall away totally and finally Tenthly with the Brownists or Barrowists and their joynt issue is That there ought to be a paritie in the church that the government by arch-bishops and bishops c. is Popish and antichristian that the service and ceremonies of the church are idolatrous and superstitious that in regard of these and such like abuses and corruptions the church of England is no true church of Christ and consequently that all that have a care of their soules must of necessitie separate from her Eleventhly with a peculiar sect called the Separati and their joynt issue is That no Christian may goe to law or in any case to right himselfe by arms or violent means Secondly such as are peculiar to their sect and these are six First That none are rightly baptized but those who are dipt Secondly That no children ought to be baptized Thirdly That there ought to be no set forme of Liturgie or prayer by the book but only by the Spirit Fourthly That there ought to be no distinction by the word of God between the Clergie and the Laitie but that all who are gifted may preach the word and administer the sacraments Fifthly that it is not lawfull to take an oath at all no not though it be demanded by the magistrate Sixtly that no Christian may with a good conscience execute the office of a civill magistrate ARTIC I. Concerning Dipping ANABAPTIST None are rightly Baptized but those who are Dipt THE REFUTATION Though Dipping may be used in Baptisme and if the childe be strong and the weather and climate temperate it is very fit to be used and the church of England both alloweth it and practiseth it yet it is no way necessary or essentiall to Baptisme neither ought they who have been washed or sprinkled according to the form prescribed by our Saviour In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost by a lawfull Minister by any means be rebaptized which I prove ARGUMENT I. That which Christ who is the Authour and Ordainer of Baptisme requireth not cannot be necessary or essentiall to the right administration of that Sacrament But Christ no where requireth Dipping but onely Baptizing which word as Hesychius and Stephanus and Scapula and Budaeus the great masters of the Greek tongue make good by very many instances and allegations out of Classick writers importeth no more then Ablution or Washing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they in their Lexicons and Commentaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est lavo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lavatio ablutio which may be done without Dipping Ergo Dipping is not necessary to the right administration of Baptisme ARGUMENT II. If the words Baptize and Baptisme are often used in holy Scripture where the persons or things said to be Baptized were not Dipt then certainly Dipping is not necessary to Baptisme neither will the word Baptize inforce any such thing But the words Baptize and Baptisme are used in Scriptures where neither the persons nor things were Dipt as appears by these texts of holy Scriptures Matth. 3. 11. be shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire which promise Acts 1. 5. is applied to the sending down of the holy Ghost in the shape of fiery tongues and Acts 2. 3 it was fulfilled when the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with other tongues yet were they not Dipt into that fire that came down from heaven but as the text saith the cloven tongues like fire sate upon each of them And again Matth. 20. 23. Christ foretelling his disciples that they should partake with him in his sufferings and drink deep of the cup of trembling expresseth it by the phrase of Baptizing saying Ye shall be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptized with yet neither was Christ nor any of his disciples that we read of dipt into blood but onely sprinkled washed or besmeared therewith Likewise Mark 7. 48. we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word baptismes of cups pots tables or beds yet cupts or pots when they are washed or rinsed as viz. at a pump are not necessarily Dipt into the water but onely water powred into them and upon them with rubbing c. And for tables and beds they are not washed by Dipping for in mens houses they have no commodity of so great lavers or broad wells wherein tables may be Dipt and the dipping especially of beds will do them more hurt then good Lastly we read 1 Cor. 10. 2. of baptizing in the cloud and Heb. 9. 10. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divers Baptismes or Washings and carnall ordinances imposed on the Jews untill the time of Reformation yet were not the Jews who are said to be baptized dipt in the cloud but they were onely washed with it as men are in a shower of rain neither did Moses in the ceremoniall law prescribe different kindes of Dippings though he did severall kindes of cleansing purifying or washing nor did the Apostle deliver any doctrine of many Dippings but ablutions Ergo Dipping is no way necessary to Baptisme ARGUMENT III. If the
the Anabaptists in this section And therefore I come briefly to examine his second assertion or rather aspersion of the whole Christian world in these words in the frontis-peece of his book Against the anti-christian faction of pope Innocentius the third and all his favourites that enacted by a decree that the baptisme of the infants of beleevers should suâ—ceed circumcision These words vertually contain this proposition that the christening children is the practise of an Anti-christian faction which was brought first into the church by the decree of Pope Innocentius the third Of which enunciation I may say as Tertullian doth of the Chameleon quot colores tot dolores or rather quot dicta tot maledicta so many words as there are so many grosse errors and scandalous reproaches For the baptizing infants is not the practise of a faction nor a part but of the whole not Anti-christian but truely Christian church Neither was it introduced by Innocentius the third but is of far more ancient date and was derived even from the times of the Apostles themselvs First it is well known that the Greek and Latine churches or the Eastern or Western were the membra dividentia of the whole church and that the christening of infants was approved of and practised by the Greek church is evident by the testimonies of Gregorie Nazianzen orat 40. in bap Origen hom 8. upon Leviticus and 14. of Luke and that it was likewise approved and practised in the Latine church is clearly collected from Ambrose lib. de Abrahamo Patriarcha Ieron cont Pelag. l. 3. Augustin l. 10. de Gen. ad lit c. 23. Cyp. ep 59. ad Fidum Now if the Greek and Latine churches were Anti-christian where were there any Christians in the world Secondly Pope Innocentius the third as it is well known to all the learned lived in the twelfth age of the Church and flourished about the year 1215 in which year he called the great Councell at Lateran Before him Gregorie the great whom M. Cornwell himself alledgeth page 11. out of M. Fox in his book of Martyrs about the year of our Lord 599. above six hundred yeares before Innocentius the third resolved Austine the Monk that in case of necessitie infants might be baptized as soon as they were born and two hundred yeares before Gregorie S. Austine wrote a treatise de baptismo parvulorum and for the lawfulnesse thereof in his 28 epistle and in his third book de pec mer. remiss and by occasion elsewhere also alledgeth a testimonie out of S. Cyprian to that purpose who wrote in the year of our Lord 250. nay which is most considerable Origen in his Comment upon the epistle to the Romans c. 6. l. 5. quoted by M. Cornwell himself p. 10. affirmeth in expresse tearms that the church from the Apostles received a tradition to baptize children whence I thus frame my argument All Christians ought to hold the traditions which have been taught them by the Apostles either by word or epistle 2 Thess. 2. 15. But the baptizing of children is a tradition received from the Apostles as Origen affirmeth loc sup cit Austine l. 10. de Gen. ad lit c. 23. de bap cont Donatis l. 4. Ergo the baptizing of children ought to be retained in the Christian church Thus M. Cornwell hath spun a fair thred of which a strong cord may be made to strangle his own assertion Yea but M. Cornwell chargeth all ministers deeply to answer this his negative demonstration saying O that the learned English ministerie would informe me lest my bloud like Abels crie aloud from heaven for vengeance for not satisfying a troubled conscience how shall I admit or consent to the admittance of the infant of a beleever to be made a visible member of a particular congregation of Christs body and baptized before it be able to make confession of its faith and repentance lest I consent to separate what God hath joyned together That which God hath joyned together no man ought to separate But faith and baptisme God hath joyned together Mar. 16. 16. Acts 8. 37 38. 16. 33 34. Gal. 3. 27. Ephes. 4. 5. Ergo faith and baptisme no man ought to separate ANSWER This argument is so far from a demonstration that it is not so much as a topicall syllogism but meerly sophisticall therin any who hath ever saluted the University and hath bin initiated in Logick may observe a double fallacy The first is fallacia homonymiae in the premises The second is ignoratio elenchi in the conclusion First the homonymia or ambiguity is in the tearm joyned together for the meaning may be either that faith and baptism are joyned together in praecepto in Christs precept and that no man denieth all that are commanded to be baptized are required to believe and all that believe to be baptized or joyned together in subjecto that is to say all who are baptized have true faith and that none have true faith but such as are baptized in this sense it is apparantly false and none of the texts alledged prove it for the thiefe on the crosse had faith yet not the baptism we speak of as also the Emperour whom S. Ambrose so highly extolleth in his funerall and many thousands besides again Iulian the Apostata and all other who after they came to years renounced their baptisme and Christian profession had baptisme yet no true faith which as M. Cornwell himself will confesse cannot be lost totally or finally Secondly in the former syllogisme there is ignorantio elenchi he concludes not the point in question they who most stand for the baptizing of children will not have faith and baptisme severed for they baptize children into their fathers faith and take sureties that when they come to yeares of discretion they shall make good the profession of the Christian faith which was made by others at the font in their name and for them nay so farre are they from excluding faith from infants that are baptized that they beleeve that all the children of the faithfull who are comprised in the covenant with their fathers and are ordained to eternall life at the very time of their baptisme receive some hidden grace of the Spirit and the seeds of faith and holinesse which afterwards beare fruit in some sooner in some later Neither is this any paradox or new opinion for S. Ierome advers Lucifer and Austin ep 57. ad Dard. and Zanchius de tribus Elohim affirm that the holy Spirit moveth upon the waters of baptisme and that as the Spirit in Genesis 1. 2. rested upon the waters incubabat aquis that he might cherish and prepare them for the producing of living creatures so the holy Ghost resteth upon the waters of baptisme and sits as is were abroad upon them and blesseth them and thereby doth cherish the regenerate and animate the elect S. Leo speaketh most elegantly and fully to this point in his sermons of the birth of
lives to the law of God they are also purged from the guilt of their sinnes and Christs righteousnesse is imputed unto them though they have no sense or feeling thereof till God worketh powerfully upon their hearts by the preaching of the word and they apprehend Christs merits by an actuall faith As a flower in the winter lyes hid under ground in the root which at the spring shooteth forth the leaves thereof so in children that are baptized there remaines that root of sanctifying grace in their hearts which in riper yeares putteth forth the leaves thereof by a holy profession and bringeth forth fruit by a godly conversation They argue à pari if the sacrament of baptisme be to be administred to children then also the sacrament of the Lords supper for both are seales of the same covenant But the supper is not to be administred unto infants therefore neither is baptisme But we answer that the inference is not good for though both are seales of the covenant of grace yet there is a three-fold disparitie in them which looseneth the sinewes of the argument First baptisme is the seale of our new birth but the Lords supper of our growth in grace and ghostly strength baptisme is a sacrament of initiation the Lords supper of perfection Now it will not follow that because a punie or novice may or ought to be admitted to the lowest form in the school of Christ therefore he may and ought to be set in the highest the Lords supper is strong meat and not milk and therefore no fit meat for sucklings Secondly the sacrament of the Lords supper was instituted for the commemoration of Christs death As oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup saith the Apostle ye shall declare the Lords death till he come But children neither can apprehend nor shew forth Christs death therefore that sacrament is not ordained for them Thirdly before the receiving the Lords Supper every one is required to examine himselfe which children cannot do But before baptisme there is no such examination required Though if any in riper years be converted to the Christian faith it is most requisite that he be examined by the minister who baptiseth him and that he be able to give a good account of his faith but every one who is fit to be baptized is not presently to be addmitted to the Lords Table without precedent preparation and a more strict examination of himself both concerning his growth in faith and sinceritie of repentance and unfained charitie with an earnest desire of that heavenly repast They argue from Christs example who was not baptized till he was thirtie years of age But we answer that Christs example alone without a precept doth not bind us For Christ neither instituted nor administred the holy Supper till the day before his death and then he both administred and received it after Supper and that with his Apostles only yet we are not bound either to defer our receiving to the day before our death or to administer the Eucharist after Supper or to participate only with such a number and those Priests or Ministers of the Gospell Secondly Christ in his infancie was circumcised circumcision then being in force neither was baptisme then instituted but now circumcision is abrogated and baptisme succeeds in the place thereof Thirdly though Christ were not baptized in his infancie for the reasons above alledged yet was he baptized if I may so speak in the infancie of baptisme it self For as soon as Iohn began to baptize Christ came unto him and required baptisme of him When the fulnesse of time was come in which God had appoynted to manifest him to the world and appoynt him our teacher by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him According to whose example we ought not to defer our baptisme but upon the first opportunitie offered unto us receive that seal of our new-birth in Christ and admission into his church I conclude the answer to this argument with an observation of Gastius that Christ because he was Lord both of the people in the old testament and of them in the new therefore he would receive the sacraments of both and was both circumcised in his infancie and baptized also as soon as baptisme was in force Since the examination and confutation of this second Article of the Anabaptists there came to my hands a small pamphlet dedicated to the house of Commons intituled The vindicathâ—u of the royall commission of king Iesus wherein the author Francis Cornwell master of Arts and sometimes student of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge frameth many arguments against the ordinance of the church in baptizing infants Of which I may truly say as Martiall doth of Caecilius who made disverse dishes of one and the self same kind of course root Atreus Caecilius cucurbitarum Sic illas quasi filias Thyestae In partes lacerat secatque mille Gustu protinus has edes in ipso Has prima feret alterave mensa Has coenae tibi tertia reponit Huicseras Epidipnidas parabit Hoc lautum vocat hoc putat venustum Unum poâ—ere ferculis tot assem Thou cheatest my stomack with varietie of dishes in all which there is but one sorie root drest after a diverse manner in all of them not a half-pennie worth of good and solid meat So this new Anabaptisticall Proselyte endeavours to cheat the judgement of the reader with varietie of syllogismes and enthymems in which there is but one or two arguments at most propounded in divers forms and in all of them not the weight of one solid reason the summe effect of his whole book is contained in the title-page wherein he affirmeth that the christening of children doth universally oppose the commission granted by king Iesus Mat. 28. 19. 20. Mark 16. 15. 16. and that paedobaptisme is a popish tradition brought into the church by Innocentius the third upon these two notes he runs in division through his whole book The first hath no colour of probabilitie and the latter is a grosse ignorant untruth if the baptisme of infants oppose the coÌ„mission granted by Christ Mat. 28. either it opposeth it in words or in sense not in words for there is no mention at all of children in either of those texts much lesse any prohibition of baptizing them neither doth it oppose it in sense For the meaning of our Saviour there apparently is that his Apostles and their Successors should go and convert all Nations and plant Christian churches in them first teaching them the Gospel and principles of Christian Religion and after administring the sacraments unto them which they have done accordingly first teaching the parents and baptizing them and after their children into their faith But the objection from these texts is fully answered and retorted in the end of the conference and in the solution of the first argument brought by
gain nothing by their fathers or mothers faith but rather lose For if they remained still in their Judaisme not beleeving in Christ yet their children were to receive the outward seal of the covenant to wit circumcision whereby they were reckoned among Gods people and had such outward federall holinesse as that sacrament might give them Sith therefore this glosse of the Anabaptists no way agreeth with the scope and intention of the Apostle nor with the truth it selfe it remaineth that we admit of that interpretation which the best of the ancient and latter Expositors give of the text to wit the unbeleeving husband is so far sanctified by the faith of the wife and the unbeleeving wife by the faith of her husband that their children thereby are entitled to the covenant of grace and therefore the Ministers of God have a good ground and warrant to administer baptisme unto them which is the seal of their entrance into that covenant ARTIC 3. Concerning set forms of prayer ANABAPTIST NO set or stinted forms of prayer ought to be used in publike on private but all that pray ought to pray by the spirit in a conceived form variable according to severall occasions THE REFUTATION Though we condemn not all conceived or ex tempore prayer especially in private when we lay open our wants to our Father in secret and rip up our consciences before him yet set or stinted forms of prayer in publike are not only warrantable by Gods Word and verie profitable but in some case necessarie ARGUMENT I. What God appointed in the old testament as appertaining to his substantiall worship it being no part of the abrogated rites of the ceremoniall law may and ought to be observed by us under the Gospell But set forms of blessing thanks-giving and prayer were appoynted by God in the old testament and are no types and figures of Christ nor parts of the ceremoniall law Ergo they may and ought to be observed by us under the Gospell Of the major or first proposition there can be no doubt for that cannot be evill whereof God is the author and though the rites and ceremonies are different yet the substance of Gods worship is the same both under the law and under the Gospell The assumption or minor proposition is confirmed by the expresse letter of these texts Numb 6. 23. 24. 25. 26. Speak unto Aaron and his sons saying on this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace And Deut. 26. 5. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God a Syrian readie to perish was my father and he went down into AEgypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a nation great mightie and populous c. And Hosea 14. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips And Ioel 2. 17. Let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch the Altar and let them say spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people where is their God ANABAP ANSWER The forms mentioned in holy Scripture were composed by those that were prophets and immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost such are not the composers of our liturgies and therefore the argument will not follow from the one to the other REPLY First the question is not now whether we ought to use no form but such as is immediately inspired by the holy Ghost but whether set or stinted formes either inspired or not inspired may or ought to be used in the church that they may we prove by Gods own command which must not be restrained to prayers immediately inspired and dictated by the holy Ghost for then none should pray but Prophets and by that reason as none that are not immediately inspired might use set forms of prayers so neither conceived or extempore prayers Secondly though none now pray by immediate inspiration yet we have now the spirit of supplication and we pray by the assistance of the holy Spirit and if our prayers in matter and form are agreeable to Gods word they are acceptable unto him and they cannot be unacceptable unto him hoc nomine for that they are delivered in set formes because God himself was the first author of them and hath left them in scripture for our direction and imitation Thirdly in our Liturgies a great part of the formes of prayer and thanksgiving used by us are formes composed by prophets immediately inspired by the holy Ghost as namely the Lords Prayer the Psalmes of David the Magnificat the Benedictus Nunc dimittis and the close of all our prayers The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. Why then doe they not at the least joyn with us in rehearsing these set formes If these may be rehearsed without quenching or restraining the Spirit why may not others also framed according to these patterns ARGUMENT II. Whatsoever the prophets and saints of God practised in the substantiall worship of God under the law may and ought to be a president for us But they used set or stinted forms of prayer and thanksgiving Ergo their practice may and ought to be a president for us The major or first proposition needs no proof because the substance of Gods worship is the same under the Law and under the Gospel and what the prophets and holy men of old did or spake they did or spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. The assumption or minor is abundantly proved by manifold allegations out of the old Testament as namely Numb 10. 35 36. And it came to passe when the Ark set forwards that Moses said rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee and when it rested he said Returne O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel and 1 Chron. 25. 6 7. All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord with Cymbals Psalterie and Harps for the service of the house of God according to the Kings order to Asaph Ieduthun and Heman so the number of them with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the Lord was 288. And 2 Chron. 29. 30. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing prayses to the Lord with the words of David and of Asa the Seer and they sang prayses with gladnesse The words of David are those which are extant in the book of Psalmes under the name of David the words of Asa are comprehended in those Psalmes which bear this title A Psalme of Asaph as namely Psal. 73 74 75
for none may prophesie or preach except he be sent Ier. 14. 14. The Prophets prophesie in my name and I sent them not Jer. 27. 15. I have not sent them yet they prophesie Rom. 10. 15. How shall they preach except they be sent And the Christian Church now knoweth no other sending then by laying on of hands by the successours of the Apostles and commending them to particular charges And if such Episcopall Ordination be an Antichristian Rite we desire to learne from them what is the Christian forme or manner of admitting men into holy Orders for no other Ordination was heard of for 1500. yeeres or at least approved of and more during which time if there were no lawfull Calling there were no Pastors feeding and governing the flocks if no lawfull Pastors no visible Churches 2. As the Anabaptists have no outward Calling so neither inward for whatsoever overweaning conceit they may have of themselves yet certain it is they who take upon them to be their leaders and teachers are such as S. Ierome complaineth of in his 8. Epistle Who become Masters of the unlearned before they were scholars of the learned And S. Bern. We have many cocks in the Church but few cesterns they who derive to us the heavenly waters are so charitable that they poure out rather then stay to have any thing poured into them more ready to speak then to heare and apt to teach that they never learned Though they can very phrases and out of broken notes hold out a discourse upon some passages of Scripture for an houre or more yet they are no wayes furnished with gifts requisite to a faithful Shepherd and able Minister of the Gospel for they understand not the Scripture in the Originall Languages they cannot expound without Grammar nor perswade without Rhetorick nor divide without Logick nor sound the depth of any Controversie without Philosophie and Schoole Divinity Neither may they fly to immediate Inspirations of the holy Ghost and the miraculous gifts of Tongues and Prophesie for such have ceased in the Church for these many hundred yeeres The Anabaptists Objections answered You have heard how strong our Arguments are for the truth now ye shall heare in briefe how weake the Adversaries Objections are against it First they alledge out of Ioel 2. 28. I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames That though under the Law the people were ordinarily to heare the interpretation of the Law of God from the Priests yet that under the Gospel God so plentifully powreth his Spirit upon all congregations that all Beleevers are enabled to Prophesie and to speak to instruction to edification and comfort But we answer That the Prophet there speaketh not of any ghostly power to open the Kingdome of Heaven and remit and retaine sins given by Christ to his Apostles and their successors but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning graces as also of extraordinary gifts of Tongues and Miracles as the Apostle Saint Peter himselfe expoundeth the Text Act. 2. 15 16 17. As there is a greater measure of knowledge given to the people under the Gospel then under the Law and a more copious effusion of the Spirit so also to the Pastours and to whom more is given more shall be required This Text therefore proveth not that all Sheep should be Pastours and all Scholars Teachers but that both Teachers and Disciples should have a greater measure of knowledge then before they had under the Law Secondly they alledge out of Colos. 3. 16. and the 1 Pet. 4. 10. that all Christians ought to communicate their knowledge and other gifts of the Spirit one to another and thereby to teach and instruct and edifie one another Therefore all Lay persons who have the gift of Supplication and Interpretation of Scripture ought to make use of them for the benefit of others as the Ministers of the Gospel doe But we answer that as the clouds when they are full drop and the eares shed and the fountaines flow so all who abound in knowledge ought in such way as they are able according to their calling derive it to others but hence it will not follow that all men have ghostly power to dispense the mysteries of â—alvation and administer the Sacraments and remit and retaine sins which peculiarly appertaine to the Pastorall calling There is a double teaching and admonishing Publique and Private Publique by expounding the holy Oracles of God and revealing to Gods people his whole counsell for their salvation Private by Catechizing a mans family or conferring with his Christian Brethren and rehearsing in some particular what he hath learned from the Scripture and other holy Books or the mouth of his Pastour or by giving good advice and shewing him his errours or encouraging him in a good course ministring unto him a word of comfort or advise or admonition in due season And of this latter kind of teaching and admonishing the Apostle speaketh as appeareth by the words following Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thirdly they alledge that Eldad and Medad Numb 11. 27. and Saul 1 Sam. 10. 11. and Philips daughters Act. 21. 9. prophesied that the Prophet Amos was a Herds-man Peter and other of the twelve Fishermen and S. Paul a Tent-maker Why then may not Tradesmen and the like if God bestowes gifts upon them preach the Word and administer the Sacraments But we answer that extraordinary instances ought not to be taken for presidents or drawne into ordinary practise else false Prophets might now expect to be admonished of their errours by brute beasts because once God opened the mouth of the Asse and by it reproved the madnesse of the Prophet Balaam and all Souldiers that fight the Lords battaile blow rams horns in stead of trumpets because once with them the walls of Iericho were blowne downe or arme themselves with lamps and broken pitchers because Gideons souldiers with such weapons discomfited and routed the Midianites All these had a calling from God and proved this their calling by strange and wondrous effects as by certainly fore-telling things future or speaking with tongues which they never had learned or by miraculous cures or the like Let our new Enthusiasts and Brownists prove their extraordinary calling in like manner and we will not deny them the exercise of the Ministeriall function It is to be noted that none are now borne in holy Orders or may challenge the Priesthood by birth but before they take holy Orders upon them given them by the Church they are meere Lay persons Neither doe we find fault with any simply hoc nomine because they have been before of other professions or trades though it were to be wished that there were no necessity of admitting such into the Ministery whose education or