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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57955	A vindication of the baptized churches from the calumnies of Mr. Michael Harrison, of Potters Pury in Northampton-shire. Being an answer to his two books, intituled, Infant baptism God's ordinance. By William Russel, M.D. A lover of primitive Christianity.	Russel, William, d. 1702.	1697 (1697)	Wing R2360A; ESTC R218555	79,105	138

Amity with him And therefore their opposing force to force in their own Defence and for the maintaining the Liberties of Europe cannot be otherwise than lawful This is our Case Mr. Harrison after himself was become a Dissenter could not be contented to enjoy the Liberty of his Conscience to Worship God by the Favour of our Rulers who have permitted him the quiet and peaceable Exercise of Religion in his own way but he must be disturbing his quiet and peaceable Neighbours Preaching and Printing against them in such a shameful and unpresidented manner that they were not able to be silent but Necessitated to write in their own Defence Whatever therefore is the Consequence of this Vndertaking we are to be excused and the blame must lye at his Door he being the Aggressor After his first Book was published Mr. Hercules Collins did write an Answer thereto which was sufficient to have silenced him from any further prosecution thereof together with that addition made by that eminently Learned Minister Mr. Richard Claridge But as if nothing had been done of this kind he runs over his old Nine Arguments again in his second Book without giving a solid Answer to any thing that those Gentlemen had said And for want of Truth Reason and Argument to defend his own Position he stuffs his Book with scurrilous and abusive Language railing and reviling ridiculing and reproaching both them and the whole Party So that his Books can be esteemed by sober judicious Christians no other than scandalous Libels And if this be the first Fruits of his Labour in print it 's adviseable he either stop here or alter his Mode of Writing for in both these Tracts he hath dipt his Pen in Gall and Vinegar yea in the Poyson of Asps That this is true will appear if we consider That he is not contented only to accuse the Baptists in general who whatever he thinks are no inconsiderable Party with Error Heresie and Blasphemy in Points of Doctrine but Vnchristian Carriages fearful Curses yea with Murder it self and that their Imployment hath been to Play with Rattles ride on Hobby-horses and wallow in their own Dung with much more of this kind which I have faithfully Collected from his two Books and placed together at the entrance of my own that the World may see what a Monster of a Man I have to deal with in this Vndertaking If therefore I have let drop any words which may savour of great Indignation against such a procedure I hope the Reader will make a Charitable Construction of it For as the Apostle saith in another Case He hath Compelled me Having thus given this brief Account both of the Occasion and Manner of Manageing this Vndertaking I shall commit it to thy serious and impartial Perusal and Consideration Begging that the Father of Lights may assist thee therein that thro' his Blessing it may be a Means of thy Illumination in the Truths of Christ and through his Grace of the Salvation of thy precious Soul W.R. The EPISTLE of the Author to Mr. Michael Harrison Teacher of a Presbyterian Congregation in Potters-Pury in Northampton-shire SIR YOur Person I know not but I can with great facility discern your Spirit and the Frame and Temper of your Mind by your two Books for it 's discovered almost in every Paragraph thereof I have endeavoured to shun following your Example Quoad potest with respect to the Nature of the thing and instead of Railing to give you Scripture Reason and Argument for what I have said But whether after all as to your self I have not lost my labour you are best able to resolve For my own part I have little hopes of such who set themselves to oppose and contradict the Truths of God in such a way as you have done However I have according to my power endeavoured your Conviction being exhorted by the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.25 In Meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth But Dear Sir remember that in the Judgment of the Apostle it 's but a peradventure be not therefore high minded but fear For as our Lord said to Paul It 's hard for thee to kick against the Pricks to spurn against the Authority of Jesus Christ in his Word Sir One Eminent Instance of your Wilfull Opposition to Truth and the Conviction of your own Conscience is that you tell us about Aenon in John 3.23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized Now Sir You tell us it could not be supposed to be done by dipping nay almost impossible it should because of the extream scarcity of Water that there was not Water to dip such multitudes in That at Aenon where John was baptizing there was not much water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but Oculus an Eye a very little Fountain now here you speak directly contrary to the very Letter of the Text For the Holy Ghost saith There was much water And you say There was not much water Which must we believe This is a bold and daring Assertion Now Mr. H. Collins in his Answer to your first Book sufficiently confutes this Assertion of yours not only from Scripture but by the Authority of Learned Men who also were for Infant-sprinkling as the Learned Lightfoot Dr. Hammond Erasmus and that profound Critick Mr. Poole who all testifie there was Pools of Water many Waters gushing Streams of Water and that the Word so signifies both in the Greek and Syrian Languages Now if you had confessed your Error in your Second Book you had heard nothing from me about it But in your second Book you persist in your opposition hereunto for you say in page 33. Mr. Collins saith I have contradicted the Scripture in saying there was not much Water there Which you are pleased to say is no contradiction for notwithstanding the Scripture saith otherwise yet you say what I have said is true And you bring the Evidence of the Learned Piscator after all this to contradict your self The words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videntur significare plures rivos c. That the words signifie many Rivers c. If there was many Rivers as your Author saith no Man can doubt but there was much water and that it was a fit place to dip multitudes in And why you brought this Testimony unless to confute your self I know not The next Testimony you bring is Hierom Aquae multae erant illic there was much water there But because that would have directly contradicted your self you say which Holybuse Englishes many Waters And you say the Town had its Name from some Fountains of Water springing there And you further say That Aenon come from the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnajin a Fountain A Man would have thought all this had beeh a full Confutation of your self and you had been

A VINDICATION OF THE Baptized Churches From the Calumnies of Mr. MICHAEL HARRISON Of Potters-Pury in Northampton-shire Being an Answer to his two Books Intituled Infant Baptism God's Ordinance By WILLIAM RVSSEL M.D. A Lover of Primitive Christianity None of old were wont to be Baptized but in a grown Age and such as desired it Ludovic Viv. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. Cap. 27. Baptizing of Children was not in use in Paul's time Erassmus on the Romans There 〈…〉 such thing as Sprinkling used in Baptism in the Apo●●●●…s time nor many Ages after them Mr. Mede on Titus 3.5 The Baptism of Infants hath not been practised in England for about sixty Years Infant Rantism being introduced in the room thereof Why therefore should Mr. Harrison revive an Abdicated Controversie and force his Discourse upon us about a Non-entity For having laid aside the Commandment of God ye hold the Tradition of men making the Word of God of none effect Mark 7.8 13. LONDON Printed for the Author in the Year 1697. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Reader OUr real Purpose and Design in presenting this small Epistle to thy View and serious Consideration is to satisfie all who patiently wait for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ and all who have perused that scandalous Pamphlet set forth by Mr. Michael Harrison of Potters Pury But especially to the satisfying of all poor Souls who may be dissatisfyed inhabiting in and about Stony Stratford Yardly Gubbin Potters Pury Pauls-Pury and elsewhere and also to clear our selves from all those uncharitable Reflections and scandalous Aspersions which Mr. Harrison hath ungratefully given forth against us who are falsly called Anabaptists Therefore seeing the Cause of God lye at stake and his Holy Truth defamed can do no less than endeavour to clear our selves and Vindicate our Lord and Master's Cause owned by Us and held forth in Holy Writ That we are no Disturbers of the Publick Peace but endeavour to live in Love and to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace is very well known to some of you And that we are not either envious or troublesome in Matters of Religion wherein we are obliged to excel in Love and Virtue which may evidently appear in our Carriage towards Mr. Harrison when first he came into these parts who more ready to Vindicate him and to stop the Mouths of them that reproachfully defamed him than we have been But Mr. Harrison Ahab like 1 Kings 18.17 retorteth on us as though we were the Troublers of Israel when he at the same time is setting up his Posts by God's Posts and Contemning our Lord and Saviour's own Ordinance and Appointment and instead thereof sets up Will-worship and Humane Tradition as the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book declares they doubt not but that God favourably allows this Charitable Work of theirs in bringing Infants to Holy Baptism Do but Observe the Words and how plainly they are laid down then any Unprejudiced Man may see how Mr. Harrison Contradicts the Church of which he was a Minister so many Years But what is that and many more of his sayings but to darken Counsel by Words without Knowledge Job 38.2 But he hath Confidence enough when he thinks to prove Infants Baptism to be God's Ordinance in a Book of a Groat whenas his Predecessors with all their Study and Pains could not do it with all their great Volumes But Christian Reader that thou mayest be informed of those Ignorant or Wilful Abuses Mr. Harrison throws upon us and how he Contradicts himself like Mr. Baxter whose Arguments are his Proof and his Reflections his Arrows which he shoots furiously at his despised Neighbours beyond the Rule of Christianity yea of Civility But that thou mayest know whether Mr. Harrison's Heart and Tougue goes together consider these following Particulars First That he asserts from the Pulpit and the Press in his Printed Book that our Way of Baptizing over Head in Water is not lawful but a heinons sin and after this Book was printed and published Mr. Harrison confessed and declared in the presence of many he did believe and allow our way of Baptizing to be lawful and warrantable by the Word of God Secondly Mr. Harrison declared in his own House in Potters-Pury in the presence of us and many others That God's Decree was before his Foreknowledge Herein we hope his Fallacy will plainly appear to the World as it doth in many more of his Assertions which you may see viz. when he saith That God hath from all Eternity decreed a particular number of Mankind to be unavoidably damned and leaveth them without any Means of Mercy or Hopes of Recovery And further he adds That Christ never dyed for them But these things being so Erroneous in the Eyes of most Christian People he would fain cover his Opinion with applause viz. That Christ dyed not for all alike contrary to his former Assertions Thirdly Mr. Harrison hath greatly defamed the Works of Mr. Henry Danvers in his last Book and since that same Book was Published Mr. Harrison hath declared publickly that he had never seen any Book of Mr. Danvers's Writings which is admirable that he which pretends so much Honesty and Civility should abuse a Man of so much Wisdom Larning Honesty Sobriety and Holy Conversation though now deceased and yet to confess he knew him not nor his Writings all which shews his Prejudice against the Truth And many more things he hath unjustly charged against us but not being willing to burthen the Impartial Reader nor tire your Patience with Mr. Harrison's Book which is so full of Contradiction to his own Confession at other times and therefore we shall not particularize that which is so full of Errors but shall commit the following Treatise to your Perusal So Christian Readers Desiring your Christian Consideration and wishing God may be pleased to give you a Discerning Spirit to discern between Truth and Error and to weigh all things herein by the Word of Truth so wishing all good Success to your Holy Progress and that ye may go on in Holiness and be Happy here and Eternally hereafter is the Desire of us who are and desire to remain Servants to all in the Bond of the Gospel George Boulton John Brittain jun. William Wright THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Courteous Reader IT is my unhappy Lot at this time to be engaged with Mr. Michael Harrison in this Controversie Not spontaneously but by the Importunity of others The Cause I am engaged in is good not only as it is Causa Dei but also as it is in the just Defence of his people from those invidious Calumnies he hath thrown upon them All Men esteem a Defensive War lawful because it 's to preserve themselves in their own just Rights Mr. Harrison hath dealt by the Baptists as the French King hath by the Potentates and People of Europe entered into a War against them who did him no Injury but lived in Peace and

them For as it 's another word so it hath a different respect and signification Matheteusate in Mat. 28.19 importing that the Apostles should teach and instruct the Gentiles who were Strangers and Aliens in the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel that they might believe it and become Disciples of Christ But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 20. Teaching them vero docere significat eos qui jam discipuli redditi sunt Magisterio nostro jam addicti By which it 's plain that you have no reason to imagine that Infants can possibly be here intended qua talis because the first word intends such as were to be made Disciples by their Ministry and the latter respects their being instructed in all those other Duties this new Master of theirs the Lord Jesus required of them after they were first made Disciples and believed and were baptized that they might be made perfect and compleat in all the will of God How false therefore and incougruous is that rendring of the Words Matheteusate panta ta ethne Discipulize all Nations as you have done to say Go disciple me all Nations teaching them when the plain meaning is That they were first by their Ministry to be made Disciples of Christ and then to be baptized as it follows in the Text. And not as you say That when the Parents being taught believe they are discipled and their Infants with them For if that be the meaning of the Word Matheteusate that such who are so taught as to believe are discipled their Infants not being capable to be so taught by the Ministry of the Apostles as to believe they cannot be Disciples in your own Understanding from any meaning can be put upon these Words by you recited Mat. 28.19 But further here is an express Command to baptize some Persons That they were Believers we affirm because it 's said in that Parallel Text Mark 16.15 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved That any Infants can be intended by it you must deny because you say there is no express Command to baptize them For in Part 1. page 41. you put this Objection But we have no express Command in the New Testament to baptize Infants Your Answer is I have shewn there needed none And in page 37. you bring in this Objection If it be God's will Infants should be baptized why is there no Command for it as there was for their Circumcision Your answer is There was no need of any particular mentioning of them And further say It had been absurd to have given a New Command for Children and your saying that the general Command includes Children and yet never tells us what it is or where to be found is a covering too narrow for you to escape this consequence For if there be an express Command in Mat. 28.19 given by Christ to his Apostles to baptize fome Persons or other and there be no express Command by your own Confession in the New Testament to baptize Infants then Infants are not at all intended in this great Commission And I pray Sir tell me how it is then an Ordinance of God if it be no where commanded by him in his Word For baptism is a part of instituted Worship And you ought to shew the Institution or else forbear practising it any more I will now shew you what Grounds we have from Scripture for baptizing penitent Believers that are adult Persons able to give an account of their Faith And because Mr. Richard Baxter is an Author you so much esteem I shall give you his Arguments from Scripture for proof thereof in his Book called The second Disputation of Right to Sacraments p. 149 150. in these words upon this very Text Mat. 28.19 20. This is not like some occasional mention of Baptism but it is the very Commission it self of Christ to his Disciples for Preaching and Baptizing and purposely expresseth their several works in their several Places and Orders Their first Task is to make Disciples which are by Mark called Believers The Second Work is to baptize them whereto is annex'd the promise of their Salvation The Third Work is to teach them all other things which are after to be learned in the School of Christ To contemn this Order is to contemn all Rules of Order for where can we expect to find it if not here I profess my Conscience is fully satisfied from this Text that it is one sort of Faith even saving that must go before Baptism the profession whereof the Minister must expect Of which see what is to this purpose before cited by Calvin and Piscator which Words are mentioned by him p. 85. and are as follows Calvin upon Mat. 3.6 saith Therefore that Men may rightly offer themselves to Baptism Confession of Sins is required othewise the whole Action would be nothing else but Sport And Piscator upon Mark 1.4 saith It is called the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of Sins because John preached the Remission of Sins to the Penitent Believers Mr. Baxter further saith p. 149. If there can be no Example given in Scripture of any one that was baptized without the profession of a saving Faith nor any Precept for so doing then must we not baptize any without it But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequence To prove this Assertion he produces the several Examples in Scripture which he saith might afford us so many several Arguments but I shall put them together viz. First John as I have shewed you required the prosession of true Repentance and that his Baptism was for the Remission of Sin Secondly When Christ layeth down the Apostolical Commission the Nature and Order of the Apostles work is first to make them Disciples and then to baptize them That it was saving Faith that was required of the Jews and professed by them Acts 2.38 is plain in the Text. The Samaritans believed and had great Joy and were baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ Acts 8.12 whereby it appeareth that the Understanding and Will were both changed And they had the profession of saving Faith yea even Simon himself ver 37. The Condition upon which the Eunnch must be baptized was If he believed with all his Heart which he professed to do and that was the Evidence Philip expected Paul was baptized after true Conversion Acts 9.18 The Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles before they were baptized Acts 10.44 Lydia's Heart was opened before she was baptized and she was one the Apostles judged faithful to the Lord and offered to them the evidence of her Faith Acts 16.30 The Example also of the Jaylor is very full to the resolution of the Question in hand He first asketh What he shall do to be saved The Apostle answereth him Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy House So that it was a saving Faith that is here mentioned He rejoiced and believed with all his House and was baptized the

Covenant made between parties as Aquila translateth it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Testiment or disposition of ones last Will as the word is used by the Apostle Heb. 9.15 And the learned Dr. Coxe in his discourse of the Covenants pag. 5. saith Covenant relation to God and interest in him doth not immediately result from the proposal of a Covenant and terms of Covenant relation to man but it is by restipulation that he actually enters into Covenant with God and becomes an interressed party in the Covenant it is a mutual Consent of the parties in Covenant that states and compleats a Covenant-relation and this is called an avouching of the Lord to be their God by consent to the terms of a Covenant proposed to them It includes mutual ingagement But what Rutherford saith is not at all agreeable to the nature of Man's entring into Covenant with God under the Gospel because the Subjects he speaks of viz. Little Infants are not capable of understanding much less of giving themselves up to God in baptism in the way of a Covenant Engagement And I remember a saying of Mr. Richard Baxter in a Sermon I heard him preach some years agoe which is as follows It was the practice of the Church generally for the first five hundred years not to admit any to Baptism but such that did first make a publick profession of their Faith before the Church But for as much as the Church hath alter'd the time of Baptism and doth administer it to such that are not capable to make such a profession of their Faith were I a Pastor of a particular Congregation I would admit none to the Lord's Supper but such who should first make a publick profession of their Faith before the Church for we ought to avouch the Lord to be our God Now by what Mr. Harrison saith in his Book concerning Mr. Baxter I take him to be of that sort of Presbiterians which are called Baxterians And if he will abide by the sentence of his Master then Infants can make no restipulation and so not be actually in the Covenant For they cannot avouch the Lord to be their God and consequently can have no right to Baptism by vertue of the Covenant if they are not actually in it But further Mr. H. saith If this displease we will stand by Mr. Stephens his Syllogistical Frame upon the Text viz. That they who have a right to be baptized by the word of Promise they also have a right to be baptized by the word of Command But the Infants of Believing Parents have a right to be baptized by the word of promise therefore they have a right by the word of Command Who this Mr. Stephens is I neither know nor care but this I know that his Argument is nothing to the purpose he brings it for For 1. He doth not toll us what this word of promise is Nor 2. Where it is written And therefore we are at as great a loss as before But if there be any consistence betwixt Mr. H. and him it is in Acts 2.39 and if he reads the Text but once more without Mr. Stephens his Spectacles he will not find any promise there that Infants shall be baptized I may with far better Authority argue thus If there be no Command in all the Scripture that Infants should be baptized nor any promise of any blessing to them in being baptized then they have no right to be baptized But there is no Command in all the Scripture that Infants should be baptized nor any Promise of any blessing to them in being baptized Ergo They have no right to be baptized The major is undeniable the minor is proved from that universal silence throughout the whole Book of God there ●ot being the least word spoken concerning it either directly or indirectly of any such command or promise And yet for all this Mr. H. according to his usual way of ludere sacra trifling and fooling with Holy Things saith He hath now answered our desire here is both a word of Command and a word of Promise But it is in his Friend Stephens his Argument and not in the Holy Scripture But seeing he hath promised he will stand by Mr. Stephens his Syllogistical Frame we have reason to conclude he values it above any thing that can be said to the contrary tho' never so plain evidence be given him from the Holy Scriptures But if it were not the gain of filthy lucre that incited him thereto perhaps he might as well change his mind about that as he hath done about some other things when he left a small Benefice under Episcopacy to get a better Livelyhood under the form of Presbytery I have said enough to this of the Covenant to satisfie any man that is willing to receive satisfaction either from Scripture or the reason of the thing But if neither of those will prevail we must leave such to stand and fall to their own Masters For all the benefit we can expect from the best of means where it is willfully rejected is that they will still persevere in their old practises contradicting and blaspheming the way of the Gospel as the Jews did in opposition to the Apostles Doctrine to their own Destruction CHAP. V. Shewing that the right manner how Baptism ought to be administred is by Dipping Plunging or Overwhelming the whole Body of the Person baptized under Water And that it is not by sprinkling or otherwise applying Water to the Person baptized as Mr. Harrison saith MR. H. tells us The Anabaptists confidently affirm the right manner is dipping the whole body under water and say they if not so performed is no baptism at all Answ There are many who do thus affirm and that truly but that the Anabaptists do so I know not for I do not know of any Anabaptist in the World If he means those that do baptize believers upon profession of Faith they cannot be called Anabaptists because they do not baptize any who were before baptized and I hope he is so good a Master of the Word himself uses as to know the Etymology thereof For the word Ana signifies again and we do not baptize any that were baptized before And indeed it 's neither like a Man much less a Scholar to beg the Question but to prove it Besides he knows we deny sprinkling to be Baptism and till he hath proved himself or any of those he sprinkles to be baptized he hath no reason to call us Anabaptists Now for dipping in Baptism saith he they plead 1. That the Greek Word signifies to Dip. 2. The manner of baptizing in the primitive times was by dipping 3. John's baptizing at Aenon 4. The word Burial being buried in Baptism Answer A man would suppose that this plea were good but it seems not pleasing to Mr. Harrison For 1. He saith we say the word baptizing in Greek signifies to be Dipped They say to baptize in English is to dip And what