a standing Pool or River doth It was not simply the blood of Christ but the blood of Christ shed by which we have a Redemption and Remission of sins Now though water in a Pool or River might in a dull way represent the blood of Christ yet the sprinckling or pouring of it out doth more aptly set forth the shedding of this blood We may well presume that his precious blood did trickle down from his most sacred Temples Hands Feet and Sides when he was upon the Cross all which I say is more significantly represented by Sprinckling than by Dipping 2. A little Water sprinckled and poured out upon a person doth more lively and significantly set forth the value worth and excellency of Christs blood than a great standing Pool Pond or River instructing the beholders thereof that it is not the quantity but the quality the dignity of Christs blood Though it be but as the blood of a Lamb yet the Lamb being spotless and without blemish that hath purchased redemption and remission of sins the Scriptures take no notice how much the blood was but what the dignity of that blood was that was shed Act. 20.28 God hath purchased the church with his own blood Heb. 9.14 It is the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot c. that purgeth the conscience 1 Pet. 1.19 You are redeemed not with silver and gold c. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot It is true a great Pool Pond or River might better represent the blood of Bulls and Goats Oxen and Heifers Rams and Lambs c. altogether making a great Pool or lake of blood which is corrupted and cannot justifie but a little water sprinckled doth more aptly set forth the value worth and dignity of Christs blood which is as it were freshly running out of his veins and besprinckled upon the subject in Baptism 3. The Sprinckling of the water in baptism doth hold a conformity unto and preserves the commemoration of the legall sprincklings in the Old-Testament Exod. 24. compared with Hebrews the 9th you will finde that Moses after he had preached and spoken the Law of God unto the people he took the blood of calves and of goats c. and besprinckled the book and all the people the tabernacle the vessels of the ministry c. all things were purged by the sprinckling of blood And the Author to the Hebrews refers all to the purging and purifying of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10.22 Heb. 12. ver 24. You are come c. to the blood of Sprinckling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel the blood of sprinckling that is the blood wherewith you are sprinckled alluding to that blood of the Old-covenant mentioned Heb. 9.20 So we are sprinckled with the blood of Christ c. This is more lively represented in the sprinckling of water in baptism then in dipping or dowsing the subject of baptism so much insisted upon 4. This ceremony of sprinckling or pouring out water in baptism doth more lively represent the performance of severall promises of sanctification unto the Gentiles mentioned by the words sprinckling and pouring out of water then that of dipping doth Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinckle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all yuor filthiness and from all your Idolls will I clense you and a new heart also will I give you c. So again in Isa 52 23 24 25. it is prophesied of Christ Behold my Servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high c. he shall sprinckle many Nations c. So again Isa 44.3 I will poure out water upon him that is thirsty c. I will poure out my Spirit So again Joel 2.18 I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh c. upon all Flesh as well as upon the Jews Thus the ceremony of sprinckling or of pouring out of water in baptism doth help a mans faith in the believing and expecting the performance of these promises after a more effectuall manner than dipping doth SECT XLII 5. IN the fifth and last place Sprinckling and pouring out water upon the subject of baptism better answers the end of that Ordinance than dipping the subject of baptism or burying him under water let us compare your dipping with your notions and apprehensions thereof together with sprinckling and our apprehension thereof and then see which is most likely to be the truth and to answer the nature of a Sacrament We have usually considered three things in Sacraments the outward visible sign The thing signified thereby and the inward spirituall grace As to instance in the Supper of the Lord the Bread and Wine are the outward visible signs The Body and blood of Christ the things signified Our spirituall Union with Christ refreshment by Christ interest in Christ c. these are the spirituall graces c. So now consider in our Notions and apprehensions of baptism by sprinckling The outward visible sign is Water the thing signified by it is the Blood of Christ The inward and spirituall graces they are remission of sins sanctification spirituall washing clensing our selves from all pollutions c. the spirituall graces of any Sacrament being very many and vatious Now let us consider your Notion of Dipping intended by Christ as you say therein viz. to shew forth the death buriall and resurrection of Christ for sinners and the sinners death unto sin suffering with Christ Resurrection to all newness of life here and glory hereafter Let us then examine it First Here is water the outward visible sign What must this signifie Or what is the thing signified by it Is it to answer the Death and Buriall and Resurrection of Christ What answers Water Is it the death or blood of Christ So far we grant also that the Water signifieth Christs Blood So far I believe you are right and this doth more lively represent the Blood of Christ trickling or sprinckling down by drops and gushes viz. the sprinckling or pouring out of water than dipping into water But to make it represent the buriall of Christ how will you make the parallel Let us try how things will agree 1. Here is water whereinto the subject is dipped or dowsed this is the outward visible sign 2. What is thereby signified The Blood of Christ cannot be here the thing signified for Christ was not buryed in his own blood but in the earth Then the thing signified hereby is the earth and it can be nothing else what ever be the inward and spirituall graces Now I offer Where do we ever find water in Scripture to represent the earth It doth frequently sign fie the Spirit the blood of Christ the pure word of God whereby men are made clean when they are polluted refreshed when thirsty c. But never doth it signifie the Earth as it must here
Vision of it and causing them to stand at a convenient distance from it having prepared and raised up the devotion of their minds with much gravity of speech at last with very low genu-flections once and again and the third time also with all reverence he took off one mantle and then with the like ceremony he took off another and another until he came to the very last which was of very rich scarlet When he came to that he required them with all serious devotion of mind and thought to gather up all their visive faculties and to look stedfastly and fixedly upon the said Relique when he should unfold that last mantle which he said he was to do and to sold it up again with all holy celerity and expedition and having most nimbly opened the said mantle and with the like speed folded it up again he demanded whether they did not see it Some held their peace others said they faw nothing How said the Priest what saw you nothing did you shut your eyes are you wilfully blind Pray Sir said some of them having a little more courage then the rest pardon us but tel us what it was What it was said the priest I am sorry that you have eyes and cannot see or which is worse you wil not see but I 'le tel you what it was mary it is the breath of the Asse upon which Christ rode to Jerusalem when the people cried Hosanna unto him At which they that were silent before did professe they saw it very plainly and wondered that the rest did not see it and so they departed very thankful very much satisfied and wel apaid at their bargain In like manner Mr Lamb hath filled the eares of the World round about him vvith the mighty noise of the great truth of God concerning baptisme on his side that it is most apparently evident in his book and by the light thereof that the baptisme of believers at age in opposition to Insant baptisme is the great truth of God and that the separation from such societies as are not of the same saith and practice therein is justifiable by the Word or God that the baptisme of such persons only and that by dipping them under vvater is the initiating Ordinance into Church-fellovvship that all Congregations othervvayes gathered are little betterthen the Synagogue of Sathan though they cal themselves Jews I mean the Churches of Jesus Christ that it becomes all men and Women that would be accounted visible christians to become devout Voraries hereunto And this grand Truth is as visible in hiâ— book that ever and anon Heaven and Earth God Angels and meâ— are called to Witness mens dovvn-right vvilfulness in shutting their eyes vvhen they might see the same and do homage thereunto We have the talk of Truth in the Title truth in the trunck or body truth in the taile of the book truth in the praescripts truth in the grand-scripts truth in the post-scripts but though you unfold mantle after mantlâ— seaf after leaf page after page paragraph after paragraph all vvhich I confesse are richly trimd imbroidered and laced vvith many holy scriptures and devout expressions yet though you should gather up all your visive capacities and abilities of ingenuity knovvledg and Wisedom you vvil find nothing of that vvhich you seek for in this kind but meer aire and breath yea sometimes breath of a very loathsome savour proceeding from distempered and ulcerated Lungs Nay the truth is if an ingenious Reader should dismantle his book 1. Of all the impertinent passages 2 M. Lambs Book fill'd and stuff'd with impertinences Of all the Quotations of scriptures irrelative to the businesse for which they were quoted â—l Of all the vain flourishes and displaying of his colours after his conceited Victory expressed in such words as these Good Reader judg c again What man is he that doth not glory in men whose faith and practise standeth not in the wisedom of men c but must conceive c again be astonished therefore O yee Heavens and horribly afraid O earth c again good Reader what saist thou hath not Mr Goodwin the wrong end of the staff c again I appeal to the Conscience of the judicious Reader c. again Heavens Earth judge with many more of the same kind 4ly Of all his unbrotherly and unhandsome reflections upon M Goodwin let his book I say be dismantled of these and their likes he shal find it a meer skeleton a starved carkasse like one of pharaos lean kind not having so much spirit life and strength of argument to the busines he pretends unto as to be able to crawl up down in the considerations of any out blind Votaries that can discern offer sacrifice unto meer air and breath folded up in many sheets of paper For the eviction whereof let us consider that that follows in the next place viz his Epistle to the Reader which begins thus Good Reader M Lamb. GOd knoweth with what regrett of spirit I publish this Answer to M Goodwins Book c. SECT IIII. THou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord wil not hold him guâ—â—â—ese that taketh his Name in vain Reply How desirous are you to preach into us a strong belief of your great candor of spirit unto Mr Mr. Lamb pretends much candor of spirit to M Goodw Goodwin that ever and anon throughout your Book after you have given him a rap as you suppose you fall a stroaking him againe First strapado-like you lift him up then down with him again then up again Doth not this argue there was a sore contest between your conscience and concupiscence in the writing thereof and the Victory is deplorable If you have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts saith James glory not Mr. Lamb perplexed in his conscience about writing his Book James 3 14. Rev 8 11. Were you not under the maligne influence of the star called Wormwood mentioned by John when you wrote that book against Mr Goodwin which makes more then the third part thereof so bitter against him do you not believe it Then let me tel you How a man may know conscience from concupisence and when he is acted by the corrupt principles of the flesh viz popularity spiritual pride and vanity of mind even in seemingly devout and religious performances preaching praising printing discoursing about good things and when by the holy Spirit of God is a Question the answer whereunto would be more profitable fit for you and me to study and to understand then to contend and make war with the chariots and horsemen of Israel in and about the controversie in hand And were I to give my opinion in the question I should think it would not be an impertinency to offer this for one answer viz that in cases disputable and controversall among the godly The spirit of God doth not compel in controversal points learned
now and somwhat at another time speaks unto his people Whether I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me HEREAFTER said Christ to Peter 13 John 36. But to returne to my dear friend the Antagonist how many Exhortations have we in scripture to love to edifie one another to build up one another in our most holie Faith can these things be done by seperations and departing away one from another How many dehortations are there against schisms rents and divisions against forsaking the fellowship of the Saints and the Churches of Jesus Christ which you have owned us to be by your pen and I know You cannot without violence offered unto Your soul and conscience yea You dare not denie it And had your Conscience judgment affections been enlightned and heated by the fire of Gods sanctuarie you would have better considered then so suddenlie and rashlie have rent your selfe from us and written so impertinentlie for the justification thereof But to proceed You tel your Reader the several reasons why you wrote that Book As pure Conscience c. so now compelleth me to make Answer to that Book c. not only TO DEFEND THE TRUTH to the therein opposed c. Mr Lamb to the Reader SECT VI. TO defend the truth opposed by Mr Goodwyn Error always defended under the notion of truth Everymans way is right in his own eyes The Turks stile themselves the only Mausulmans or true beleevers in the world The Papists the onlie Catholicks the Jew the holie Nation the peculiar people the gnosticks of old the onely knowing men * The Manachees derived their name from Manna as if what they taught was to received as the only food that came down from Heaven what Sect partie or faction professing any Religion but doth it under the pretence and notion of Truth and withstand their opposits as do those that defend the truth the very Banters Shakers Quakers do they not all plead truth do you defend the truth with untruthâ— by scandalizing abusing the defenders of the truth as you have M. Goodwin wherof you must hear know before we have done with your book but do you defend the truth with the meer name of truth without any spirit or power of truth Let any man that hath as much ill umination inspection or abilitie as to discern truth from untruth in the ABC things of the scriptures he shal see that your greatlie conceited swords spears darts which You have prepared in your Book to defend the truth as you cal it are but straw stubble rotten wood to those against which you contend And indeed you make use of them as these Egiptians do of their darts which they shoot against the sunne that scorcheth them But alas it is out of their reach scorch them it wil wil they wil they and their darts fal down again upon their own heads But you say you wrote your book not onely to de-defend the truth but first To vindicate your self with some others from the heavy charge therein given to the whole world against you as faith and trust-hreakers sacrilegious Church-breakers c. SECT VII YOu wrot your book not onely to defend the Truth but also you might have said chiefly to vindicate your self c I remember when Christ said unto his Disciples that one of them should betray him he that was guiltie was forward to demand Master is it You writ your book to vindicate your self from the heavy charge therein viz in Mr. Goodwins book given against you Are you so much as once named in that book do not you expose your self by name to be that man of an abused and distempered fancy of disingenuity of a wonderful and strange alteration for the worse which by name you were never charged to be Did you not plight your faith to walk with them whom you call holy and beloved Brethren as a member of that Church whom you stile a Church can this he done by your separation from them have not you broken trust and promise with them And could this arise from any thing but a most miserably abused and distempered fancy Have not you indeavoured to divide Pastor from people and people from pastor to demolish and tear up by the roots as thriving as loving as wel governed a Church a Church as ful of charity and good works as beautiful an edefice where Jesus Christ hath dwelt and manifested his delight therein by the comfortable influences of his truth and presence upon the hearts of your self and Brethren as eyes beheld is not this sacriledg Return return O blacksliding Isâ—aâ—ite remember from whence you are fallen and repent Your second reason of writing your book is in these words 2ly Mâ— Lamb to the Reader To make the world Judges whether we are at Mr Goodwin represented us persons of a misused and distempered sancie of stupifled Judgments to whose understanding common sense is a mistery inaccessible witâ— abundance more to the sâ—me purpose SECT VIII HEre is I fear in this reason also more of the secrets of your heart then you wel consider Reply Mâ— Lamb greatly conceited of his own abilities manifested in his Book For what is the meaning of it is it not to make the woâ—ld Judges that you are men of solid Judgements great parts strong abilities Why let them look upon your book and then let the world be Judges whether men of such abilities parts and reason as are evident and conspicuous therein are such men as Mr Goodwin doth thus undervalue Let the world be Judges if they wil but read your book whether that one of your arguments doth not chase ten and five an hundred and an hundred of yours put ten thousand of Mr Goodwins to flight That every one of your reasons is as a King against whom there is no rising up that when your sun of light appeareth all Mr Goodwins twincling stars must hide their heads Hence it is that you so often invite the Heavens and the Earth and the world to behold and look upon you and Ms Goodwin upon a publick Theater in print and see how handsomlie you handle your sword and hit and thrust M Goodwin therewith ever and anon how you can fight with him with arguments fight with him with scriptures nay fight with him with his own weapons his own Writings how you can wrastle with him and give him fall upon fall and fal after fal and make good sport for the spectators Remember Solomons councel Be not wise in thine own eyes and Pauâ—â— direction he that would be wise must be a fool that he may be wise A conceit of wisdom bars out wisdom If M Goodwin or any others by pen or other way should so much injure the happiness of the world as to hide you from them that they cannot behold your glorie this is a cup that you are not able to drink of a baptism that you cannot be baptized withall Your glorie
you have too long been a Discontinuant Gods gifts groan under dis-use or misuse Well Remember your own Law we shal have occasion to use it Thus you give it out HE who spotteth the beautifull face of Truth Mr. Lamb to the Reader tho ignorantly much more if presumptuously must expect a stain in his own credit and be content to suffer so much as to make the Truth whole SECT XII I Hope you wil not deny to undergo the Doom and Sentence of your own law Reply but accept of the punishment of your sin and transgression thereof if found guilty Whether you have not bespotted the beautifull face of truth I am sure very arrogantly tho ignorantly especially in some things ascerted by you concerning Mr. Goodwin yea and in and about the controversie beetween us will appear in due season THe same person may desâ—ve at the same time both Thanks Mr. Lamb to the Reader and Reproof To return the one is a point of gratitude to administer the other in love and in the Majesty of Gods word a point of Faithfulness SECT XIII TO that of Gratitude Reply it well becomes you to be thankfull to Mr. Goodwin To that of Reproof it doth as ill become you to reprove him as you do to lash him with the Scourge of your Pen as a puny-Boy to jerk him as the Bishops and their shavelings did Henry the second Mr. Lamb conceited of his majestick Pen. of England until they made him bleed But whereas you presume that your pen is cloathed with the Majesty of Gods VVord as if it dwelt in Light and were like the bright Morning-Star or rather the Sun at Noon in his Majesty Consider Pride is a piece of maduess and many poor creatures cloath'd in Rags being distempered in their heads have conceited themselves Kings and Queens and their Rags to be Robes I have heard of a Merchant at Athens who being distracted by great Losses at Sea and undone thought that all the goods that came to the City were his and busie was he from day to day at the water-side to look after his Goods And severall Merchants agreeing together to use the best means they could to have him made whole again it was at last accomplished and then the poor man seeing his poverty and feeling the smart thereof wish't the Merchants had not undertook his cure For then said he I had all things every mans Goods were mine but now I see I have nothing at all but am a poor miserable man Thou knowest not thou art poor blind and naked said God to the Church of Laodicea IF in this Contest thou findest any passages savouring of too much sharpness Mr. Lamb to the Reader though in Answer to Mr. Goodwins Highest Provocations look upon me as disowning them and minde the Reason of the place SECT IV. VVHat is the meaning of this Reply Mr. Lamb at contest with his Conscience What strivings and contendings were there between your pen and your conscience in writing this Book Why did you suffer your self to he overcome of your own evill and did not rather strive to overcome your evill with good Was not Conscience and concupisence hard at combeate in your thoughts Did not the Flesh lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Did not your heart smight you when you began to dip your inconsiderate pen in the blood of Mr. Goodwins Reputation Did not your hands tremble when like Mezentius the Tyrant that did use to tye the living with the dead you bound Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Edwards together with the same Cord of dishonour and snacie when you chained him with the dis-ingenious and froward six Book-sellers in the Postscript Will you not own those sharp Passages Who must own them But it is worth our observation The highest provocation that ever Mr. Goodwin gave Mr. Lamb. that Mr. Goodwins VVater-Dipping c. the Book of your quarrell you confess to be the highest Provocation that ever he gave you wherein notwithstanding you are not so much as once named no not so much as with the two first Letters of your name The Provocation only was because he cannot bow to your Baptism but writes against it Nebuchadnezers heart was hotter than his Oven against those Worthies that would not bow down to his Image Remember He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly Alexander in his hot blood stew'd his dearest friends whom he would have revived again with his heart blood if he could To be angry with a Brother without a cause is dangerous Is it a Provocation of the highest nature to write against your way and shew unto the world the undue behaviour of the Professors thereof without the least whisper of your Name therein Is this like that meek that mortified temper and disposition which appeared in you when you walked with us Is not here a fearfull Metamorphosis CHrists Counsell is not to resist evil Mr. Lamb to the Reader but whosoever will smight me on the right Cheek to turn the other to him But besides it becommeth me to hear much evill from that hand by which I have received so much good SECT XV. HOw easie is it to preach and hard to practise truth Mr. Lamb acteth contrary to his knowledge of Christs command Have not you endeavoured to buffet Mr. Goodwin on both his cheeks who hath not so much as lifted up his little finger against either of yours Have you taken two blows for one Nay have you not given ten for none Do you know your Masters will and practise it no better Is not the knowledg of Christs will a great dispositum a rich Talent and do you improve it thus You confess you have received much good from him and it becommeth you to bear much evill from him Have not you requited the good you have received very unkindly Much good you have received from him for which of those good works have you thus written against him I know you will be ready to say with those Iews for the good he hath done me I have not written against him but because he hath blasphemed the Doctrine of Baptism and the professors thereof Those Iews were holy persecutors in pretence at least Maximinian thought the blood of Christians an acceptable sacrifice to his Gods And so did the Popish persecutors hold the same Opinion of the blood of the Protestants in all times since the name of Protestantism was heard amongst them Do you think such a sacrifice as the spoyles of Mr. Goodwins reputation God will be so well pleased with that the first fruits of your Pen being so bitter against your great Benefactor in the things of Iesus Christ should be so acceptable unto him Do not you think in your conscience that God will call many to account for the injury that they have done that man in his name and reputation for his service in the Gospel And will not you be ashamed of your self to be found
amongst them at that day Well take heed of haltering up that conscience of yours that tels you you have received much good from him and cannot but be sore of the wounds you have given it by your thus writing against him SECT XVI IN the close of your Epistle to the Reader you commend your book to his serious consideration with an ingenious praycr for his illummâ—ation to discern the truth or mistakes therein contained and that he might chuse that that is good and refuse the evil thatshal appear unto him in the perusall thereof To your Prayer I can heartily say Amen and do believe that he to whose understanding the very Grass-Hopper of an Argument is not a burthen will be able to go on his way contrary to yours in respect of the point in controversie rejoycing and be no more troubled at the great noise of your loud pen then men of understanding are at the popping off of childrens Gun-pots SECT XVII HAving finished your Epistle to the Reader as your first Court-Gate you lead us through another before we come to your building and that is another Epistle to the Church from whence you have rent your self and this indeed is like Sampsons Hair that wherein your strength lyes which being clipt off I hope you will appear even to your self tho now you seem to have the strength and confidence of seaven men that can render a reason to be as weak as other men are This Epistle you thus superscribe TO my worthy Friends and Brethren of like precious Faith walking with Mr. John Goodwin Mr. Lamb in his second Epistle in the right Faith though not in the right Order of the Gospel SECT XVIII VVE suppose our selves in the right Order Reply as wel as in the right Faith of the Gospel and that you have disorderly and unduly departed from us and that your concluding your selfe in the Right and us in the wrong the matter being sub judice and not yet determined is nothing but a flourish before the Battel and a boasting even before your putting on your Armour as if you were putting it off But before you beat us out of the Field it wil cost you hot water as wel as cold But you court us thus HOly and Beloved I have been long your Debtor Mr. Lamb to the Church it is fit I should now pay you your own with Interect by Answering the substance of Mr. Goodwins Water-Dipping no firm footing for Church-Communion c SECT XIX HOly and beloved and yet not Holy enough nor Beloved enough for your company Reply and therefore you have withdrawn yourâ— self from us as more Holy than we I confess you have been long our Debtor even ever since your undue departing from us having broken your promise made at your first joyning with us and by neglecting your Office being chosen an Elder amongst us thereby betraying your Trust which with all readiness of mind you took upon you at your Ordination and inauguration into your Office withdrawing from us not only without but against the leave liking and Vote of the Church But I presume this is not the Debt of your meaning but the Booke you wrote was the Debt you meant How you became a Debtor to us in that respect I know not Most certain I am if you had never paid it it had never been demanded And now we have it we are not two Mites the richer for it except it be by the discovery of your self and not of God unto us You have paid us I confess with a witness if not with a vengeance by paying our honoured beloved Pastor for the blessed Commodities of life and peace which you have received from him in such Coyn which bears the I mage superscription of the Prince of Darkness upon it scandalls and reproaches rendring him evill for good doubtless to the great trouble and disquiet of his soul You have paid the Church also the Covenants and bonds which you made signed sealed and delivered unto them in the presence of God Angells and men with Cain out of the same treasury viz. by seperations rents and divisions being it seems the Commodities of the Countries where you have traded since your departure from us In the next place YOu go to unfold the Riddle of your departing from us which you call at least by insinuation a strangeact but as Christ Jesus 2 Iohn 15. did a strange act contrary to his genius to the amazing of his Disciples viz. whip the Buyers and Sellers c. out of the Temple Yet when they called to mind that that was written 69. Psal 9. The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up this satisfied them In like manner you bid us wondring at your sudden departure from us to do as they did viz. To Plough with the heifer of the Scriptures and then we shall understand the Riddle c. SECT XX. JConfess your sudden departure from us was a Riddle and is stil as anigmaticall as ever all your writings notwithstanding as for your instance of Christs whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and the satisfaction that the Disciples had touching that strange act by calling to mind what was written of him c. What Oyntment can we draw from hence to annoint our eyes to perceive this Riddle Help us to draw the parrallel Christ whipt the buyers and sellers of Doves Sheep Oxen c. out of the Temple Even so Mr. Lamb left departed and rent himselfe from that Church of Christ whereof Mr. Iohn Goodwin is Pastor What an apt and concinne Analogie this is The Disciples of Christ wondred at this strange act Even so the Members of the said Church wondred at Mr. Lambs strange act of separation from them The Disciples remembred that it was written The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up Even so must we Plough with the Heifer of the Scriptures and then we shall easily understand this Riddle viz. of Mr. Lambs leaving of the Church of Christ whereof Mr. Iohn Goodwin is Pastor Where is the man that shall read this unto whose understanding common sense is not a mystery in-accessible but may now easily understand this Riddle But yet there is more truth in the writing Mr. Lambs separation is a ful filling of Scripture Prophesies Iohn 12.51 than happily was meant in the writer The High Priest prophesied when he spake he knew not what that Christ should dye for that Nation of the Jews Even so Mr. Lamb in this saying viz. that if we Plough with the Heifer of the Scripture we shall understand the Riddle of his departing from us stumbles and falls at the very truth and like a blind man with a flaming Torch in his hand gives us light to see him walking in darkness Let us therefore go and plough with the heifer of the Scriptures 2 Pet. 2.15 We have a prophesie that there shall be some that shall forsake the right way and go astray Heb. 10.25
imagined that he did see his own shape and picture stil going before him So it seems in those pathes of the Scripture where you walk you suppose you see the shadow of your opinion about baptism yea the truth in that shining with the majesty of God You argue with the Scriptures as the Papists your great pattern in the mount in more things than in this do to prove their fanatick notions and practises The text saith give not holy things to dogs Mat. 7.6 that is say they the Scriptures to the ignorant again Mat. 6.11 Give us this day our dayly bread Ergo we must communicate in one kind What 's your second reason why godly persons scrupling baptism after your manner are reckoned with God in respect of right to churchmembership among fornicators covetous c. It is this 2. Because he praised the Church of Corinth for keeping the Ordinances as he declared them unto them Just thus your foresaid pattern There are seven Sacraments for Christ brake and divided to the people five Loaves and two Fishes Mat. 14.19 Well your third reason 3. Because Order he looked upon as a beautifull thing Coll. 2.5 Ergo What do you tell us of the steadfastness of your faith without you be dipt away with you among your companions fornicators covetous idolaters drunkards railers and the rest of that cursed crew Well proceed 4. Because he cautioneth the Church to take heed of Philosophers that through vain deceit would bring them into disorder 2 Coll. 8. Coll. 2.8 what need we any further witness he that will be blinde let him be blinde can you not see baptism by dipping and believers unbaptized reckoned among the rabble of wretches in this reason also yet a little more to cure our dull eyes say you 5 Because when any disorder grew he took such care to have them corrected Tit. 1.5 If this be not light sufficient to convince the world that holy men not baptized according to our way and opinion are to be reckoned in respect of right to Church-membership among dogs without there is no hopes of conviction Yet again you proceed 6. Because he saith his word was not yea and nay as fallible mens are now 2 Cor. 1.18 I hope now it appears clearer than the Sun if clearer may be that in Pauls judgement godly and holy persons though one with Christ Jesus by faith that scruple baptism and are not baptized after our way and manner have no more right to Church-membership than those that are one in communion and fellowship even with the Devill himself or else Paul would pull down with his one hand what he built up with another Having kill'd Mr. Goodwins Argument dead six times over so that it lies at his feet like murthered Abel at his brother Cains hark how the Drums beat the Trumpets sound the Coolurs are displayed no noise but Victory Victory to be heard in the Camp see how he glories in the Triumph Good Reader Doest not thou think in thy conscience Mr. Goodwin hath the wrong end of the staff in this controversie and whether the putting this question doth not discover it and who it is that buildeth upon light conjectures loose suppositions presumptuous self-imaginations M. Goodwin or his poor brethren of the dip as he calleth them SECT LVII MR. Goodwins 13th Consideration touching the offensiveness burthensomness and grievousness of water-dipping to the natural flesh together with what others have written hereabouts and what you have answered I shall leave to men of sense that have felt it and of reason to judge upon the whole whether this be according to that Gospel freedome from such yoaks mentioned in the Law which the New-Testament speaks of The Law indeed chastised the Jews with whips but you make the Gospel like Rehoboam to chastise the Gentiles with scorpions 1 King 12.11 which as you manage your conceits of the power and vertue of baptism as if men without it and that at such time and in such manner and upon such tearms as you plead for it is as acceptable unto God as the whips of the Papists upon Good-Fryday lashing their backs until they bleed again Mr. Goodwins 14th consideration viz. that for persons to mistake about baptism is as venial and pardonable mistake all things considered as likely can be and therefore if punishable it should be with the lightest punishment that may be therefore to inflict the heaviest curse such as the unchurching men is the rendring men abhominable in the sight of God this is indeed more than summumjus yea summainjuria SECT LXVIII TO this you speak several words as if you knew not what the consideration said nor whereof it affirmed your answer seems to be to another thing I think your self cannot tell to what as if like Babels builders you understood not the language of the consideration but that it spake in an unknown tongue for say you 1. The Apostles did foresee there would be an apostacie from the primitive practise c. 2. This apostacie did fall out accordingly c. 3. Why did not the judgement of the learned stop your Mr. Gooodwins mouth and tearing your self from the national Church c. 4. You Mr. Goodwin plead stiffly for some things which rendreth you more alone than we c. What is the meaning of all this you might as wel have told us that Lots Wife was turned to a Pillar of Salt which had been as savoury an answer as that you gave unto the consideration propounded SECT LXIX YOU say the 15th Consideration saith nothing but what hath been said before and therefore you have no more to say to it I have therefore no more to say to you concerning it but I believe the judicious Reader of that consideration and your answer will find it like Moses Rod devouring all that you have said in your whole Book to invalid the same SECT LXX MR. Goodwins 16th Consideration you have summ'd up thus Infant-baptism though per sprinckling is as efficacious as the baptism you plead for 1. For declaring persons the professed Disciples of Christ 2. For obliging persons to be the loyal Disciples of Christ 3. For mutter of edification and comfort to the inner man To this you answer by denying all that hath been said touching those three ends of baptism and my reply shall onely be That it is too evident to be denyed and too easie an answer to satisfie men in their wits unto matter of such palpable argumentations and to what Mr. Goodwin hath said hereabout the Reader may please to peruse Page 94 95 96. besides many other places in this reply Mr. Goodwins 17th Consideration is indeed as you have said to this purpose SECT LXXI It doth not ap pear from Scriptures that any Church of Christ was commanded to be dipt reproved for not being dipt therefore high presumption for any to lay their own commands herein upon such penalties as you do c. You have answered it is very true