of more credit concerning the Antiquity of Infant-baptism then Augustines who as I shew Apology sect 6. and elsewhere did often inconsiderately call that an Apostolical tradition which was commonly observed in his dayes within the compass of his acquaintance Cyprians speech if it be rightly brought by Mr. B. will prove all still-born Infants to be lost being not of the visible Church Catholick That which Mr. B. page 266. saith fully satisfies him part of it is false the rest so frivolous that I can impute his satisfaction to no other cause then his inconsiderateness The very same or like plea will serve for communion of young children in which yet Mr. B. is not satisfied But to me it is very good satisfaction that baptizing of Infants is but an innovation neither agreeing with the institution of Christ nor the Apostles practise nor known till it began to be conceived necessary to give grace and to save from perishing yet then disswaded and not practised but in case of iminent danger of death nor maintained on any other ground till Zuinglius his dayes What the Churches of Anabaptists so called have done in London that Mr. B. should so much lament till I know what it is I take to be a Calumny That Anabaptists have been in danger by the instigations of Preachers and writers it is a marvel to me that Mr. B. should not understand who can hardly be ignorant whence the ordinance against blasphemies and heresies came That any of my Antagonists are turned out of house and home is unknown to me surely not for non-conformity to rebaptizing most certain that if any such thing hath been done it was never by my procurement nor I think any of the Churches of Anabaptists That which Mr. B. page 267. saies that the same men that subscribe the Anabapiists confession have many of them written other kind of doctrine elsewhere I doubt whether it be true I find him onely naming Paul Hobson page 147. and citing some passages of his of which that which is most liable to exception Mr. B. himself gives us this excuse in his Saints evelasting rest part 2. chap. 1. sect 2. page 169. not understanding that they affirm and deny the same thing in several expressions so that however his expressions be dangerous yet it is probable he held not the Socinian opinion which he contradicted in the subscription to the confession but onely discovered his weakness And yet Mr. B. I think is not ignorant that so holy learned a man as M. Pemble near the beginning of his Vindicae gratiae hath a like conceit of Gods never hating the elect but being reconciled from eternity taking reconciliation for an immanent act in God which as I imagine Mr. B. would excuse in Mr. Pemble so might he with a like charity excuse the other in Paul Hobson What he cites out of Cyprian I wish Mr. B. had Englished it and that both Anabaptists and their opposites would learn it Page 268. he saith if my book of scandals were read men may perhaps receive a preservative from my own hand from the danger of my opinion to which I say I wish my book of Scandals were more read nor do I fear that my doctrine will be the lesse embraced for reading it if my interpretation of my own words justified even by Mr. B. be received as I shew before Page 269. he tells us the Levellers were Anabaptists but I cannot yet learn of any of them he names except Den that was so though I deny not but there might be sundry of them such likely of the Free-willers disclaimed by the seven Churches in London and that they were but few in comparrison of the rest by the Newes-books I gather the Levelling businesse was carried on by such as were in no gathered Church but lived above ordinances As for Mr. Bs. dark criminations I can give no answer to them unlesse I could plow with his heifer and find out his riddle But my hope is those great instruments of God to break the enemies of those that are termed Sectaries though Mr. Bs. words seem to forebode and misdeem evil of them will and do prove better then he discribes them though I imagine they be not Anabaptists Nor do I like Mr. Bs. obscure satyrical criminations they having some shew of a malevolent mind Whatever Mr. B. may conceive of the danger of the Anabaptists way in other things I am sure if they would keep themselves onely to this to be baptized upon profession of faith they should be in a safe way even in the way of Christ. SECT XXII The speech that no one Countrey is gathered into Christs visible Church contains no malignancy to Christ but is a manifest truth MOst of that which is in Mr. Bs. answer to the last section of my Antidote hath either been replied to before or in some other part of my writings or will fall into the main of the dispute wherein I doubt not but I shall fully vindicate my argument against the visible Church-membership of Infants from the different cause of the Jewish and Christian Church though the thing be so manifest to wit that the Christian Church was otherwise gathered then the Jewish that I see nothing but meer wrangling in the questions Mr. B. propounds And to his words page 279 280. Sir if you were my Father I would tell you that when you say Christ makes no one City Countrey Tribe his Disciples you speak most malignantly and wickedly against the Kingdome and dignity of my Lord Jesus I answer I meet so often with Mr. Bs. high charges upon palpable mistakes and weak proofs that I fear his misguided zeal or natural distemper hath brought him to an habit of ill-speaking My words were not as Mr. B. sets them down but thus no one Countrey or City or Tribe together were gathered by the Apostles or other Preachers into the Christian visible Church but so many of all as the Lord vouchsafed to call by his word and spirit which hath neither wickedness nor malignancy against the Kingdome and dignity of the Lord Jesus but a manifest truth expressely taught in the Holy Scripture as congruous to the glory of God and the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. 28 29. Not many wise men c. Ergo not the whole Nation Revel 5. 9. out of every Nation Ergo not the whole Nation as he did the Jewes in the Wilderness The relations in the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles plainly prove it true that by John Baptist Christ the 12. and 70. Disciples was no entire Nation City Countrey or Tribe gathered into the visible Church-christian but parts of them and those fewer then the adversaries who in every place were so numerous when the Christians are counted at some few thousands as that even at Jerusalem and elsewhere they prevailed to disperse Christians by persecution Nor do Mr. Bs. questions prove that into the Christian visible Church any one whole Countrey City or
better in reasoning and amplifying then interpreting Scripture which I think he had need study better then I can yet perceive he hath done He takes notice page 191. of an interpretation as he is told of mine of Mat. 11. 28. which he censures for a foule interpretation He saith Sure it is the guilt of sin and accusation and condemnation of the law with which persons are said to be weary and heavy laden But I look for better assurance then Mr. Bs. word I confesse I finde nothing in the text for that sense but the coherence with ver 25 26 27. shewes ver 28. to be an invitation to come to Christ as a Teacher and ver 29. is an expression of the end of coming to him to take his yoke on them that is his doctrine and commands which is expounded by learning of him which is confirmed by the motive ver 30. which is that his yoke is easie and burden light which can be understood of no other then his doctrine and commands parallel to 1 John 5. 3. as our translators Beza new Annot. Pareus Piscator Grotius c. conceive And he useth sundry arguments to draw them 1. From the burdens on them which I conceive to be rather meant the whole context leading thereto of such Burdens as are mentioned Mat. 23. 3. then of sins which are not named 2 From his mecknesse and low linesse such as should be in a Teacher 2 Tim. 2. 24. opposed to harshnesse superciliousnesse disdaine c. which is propounded rather as an encouragement to them to learne his doctrine then as Mr. B. and others learn to be meek by my example 3. From the rest they should find to their soules contrary to distraction and disquietnesse by Pharisaical doctrine 4. From the ease of his commands contrary to the rigorous impositions of those Doctors And this interpretation seemes to me to be no foule interpretation but so faire as that I can discerne no other in the words SECT IV. Mr. Bs. citations from my writings advantage him not AFter the speech of Tertullian he filles a whole page and more with passages out of sundry of my writings and in the beginning gives this terrible title to them Mr. Tombes self condemnation and ad hominem as if he had an argument from my self against me The first passage is out of my treatise of scandals pag. 323. where I reckon Anabaptists among Hereticks and grievous wolves To which I answer 1. Mr. B. knowes I deny my self to be an Anabaptist though not my own baptisme after believing or baptizing of believers which Christ injoyned me Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. with preaching the Gospel Nor doth Mr. B. or ever will prove that for this I am to be termed an Anabaptist or that the pretended baptism of Infants is a discharge of that duty Christ requires of being baptized into his name common to all Christians Ephes. 4. 5. 2. Mr. B. himself pag. 10. yields me an absolution in these words on the one side some think it no lesse then heresie to deny infant-baptism and to require rebaptizing not that the generality of Sober Divines among which I hope Mr. B. reckons me do so but for the rest of the errors which almost ever do accompany it which Mr. B. might have imagined to have been my mind in the passage he cites having been my answer in a Sermon at Bewdley to this very objection of the Parson there in the pulpit of which I can hardly think Mr. B. to have been ignorant Other considerations of the time of printing that book might have occasioned M. B. to have put that construction on my words were he or any of my Antagonists willing to give my words or actions their due interpretation The other passages condemne me not till I be proved an agent for separation seedesman of tares which Mr. B. cannot prove though he tells me pag. 188. he hath as good evidence that I am a Sect-Master as that I am a Christian because I preach dispute talke and endeavor as zealously to promote my opinion as I do for the Christian Faith To which I answer my opinion is no other then the command of Christ and if we speak according to scripture to preach for baptisme of believers is to preach for Christian faith 2. Yet I deny that I preach with a like zeal for that particular point as for greater points of repentance from dead works faith towards God in Christ incarnate dead risen ascended to come again c. my Bewdley auditors besides others will I doubt not witnesse against this calumny 3. But were it true that I did preach so zealously for my opinion yet sith my actions tend not to make a party to follow me but only endeavour to reform a corruption like those our Saviour opposeth Mat. 23. Mark 7. there is no shew of making a sect in my actions though I were mistaken in them The passage from the same treatise pa. 103. concerning an Hypocrites falling foully doth not justify his exposition of Mat. 7. 16. It proves we oft know an hypocrite by his actions it is nothing at all to prove a false prophet by his evil manners The other two passages yield him no advantage for his proving infants disciples from Acts 15. 10. but are against him For his prooflies on this That the yokew as put on Infants and nothing was put on them but circumcision but those passages speak of the ordinances of the Jewes and with circumcision all the legal ceremonies If Mr. B. mean more by the yoke Acts 15. 10. as the doctrines and commands sure the Teachers did not put that on them till they taught them which was not in infancy And therefore my words will not help him as will appear in the examining his first argument All hitherto produced by him though by his placing it in the forefront he seems to have made account of it is but paper-shot brutum fulmen a crack without force I go on to the Epistles SECT V. Mr. B. unduely suggests many things in his Epistles AS for the Epistle to the people of Kederminster I rejoice with him in their unity excepting wherein they agree against the truth I think if they will use their understandings as they should they will find more reason to be unsettled in the point of infant-baptism by Mr. Bs. book then to be settled by it and that they had little cause of a solemne thanksgiving for Mr. Bs. mannaging the dispute My exceptions against his Aphorismes of Justification are communicated to him I wish his life may continue to Gods glory and the good of his people and particularly that he may undeceive whom he hath deceived by his dispute and this book In his Epistle to the people of Bewdley he mentions a flame of error and discord at Bewdley blown by my breath and that he came to quench it by the importunity of their Magistrate Minister and many of their people And his words are often
was because I knew it would be likely to stirre up passion and settle prejudice in the people in which I find by that he hath printed chap. 1. 2. especially in the very beginning I was not mistaken and I hoped to bring the dispute to writing which is the best way to clear truth and I suspected as I had cause Mr. Borastons and the then Magistrates and those reputed godly persons devices and motions which were then by many conceived to be contrived for the Parsons endes the continuing his power and profits by keeping up that rite which ingratiates the profane and formal persons to him Whereunto that Mr. B. hath been subservient is the grief of many and might well befit Mr. B. to repent of When I saw I could not get Mr. Bs. arguments in writing I got what notes I could of the dispute from others writing or my own memory and knowing that vauntes were given out of Mr. Bs. victory I did as well as I could summe up his arguments and answer them Jan. 20. and after went to him upon his motion Jan. 25. to confer with him which was friendly on both sides yet that which I hoped and I conceived he promised that though he would not send me his arguments in writing which I again moved yet he would transcribe them for such as should come to him to be resolved in that point after sundry puttings off was not obtained But instead thereof in March the weeke afore I removed from Bewdley I met with the passage in his Epistle Dedicatory to the people of Kederminster to which I after opposed my Valedictory Oration in Bewdley chappel March 17. 1649. and printed the same in effect in my Antidote in May following Now Mr. B. alleadgeth he had reason for his not sending his arguments to me to keep me from erring they being not desired for my self but my people I remained very confident of my self that when I sent to him I heap'd so many untruths about matters of fact I knew that he durst not answer me lest the very naming my untruths might cause me to say he reproached or railed that his conference was with me in private because he thought my pride of spirit would not permit me to confesse truth openly that he wrote the passage in his Epistle to Kederminster out of zeale for God compassion to mens souls my opinion and preaching being like to do more hurt against the Church of God then drunkards and whoremongers and therefore he had cause to be bitter in his writing To all which speeches I reply He had reason to conceive I desired satisfaction for my self by my desiring his Animadversions and by my letter to him Sept. 10. If not yet to have given them in writing which he had as he saies before at Coventrey preached and were ready by him had been a neighbourly part to men that were his frequent hearers But his prejudice against my opinion and uncharitable conceit of my pride as heretofore Mr. M. and Mr. Ley interpreted my most equal motion in humility of spirit in the end of my Examen to be the challenge of a braving Goliath so now any opposing what 's determined by Synods and leading writers must be condemned as comming from pride are a sufficient reason not to gratify me but to do what he can against me and this must be counted zeale for God and his insolent bitternesse justifiable as being in pretence against a pernicious sin not yet proved but indeed against a truth discovering an error whereby the prime ordinance of Christianity is miserably corrupted He speaks of a fearful passion a feaver of passion I was in when I first read the passage in his Epistle against Anabaptists such as he would not be infor all my revenues if I had not a free vent for my spleen in pulpit and presse he doubts it might have spoiled me 'T is true when I first read it unexpectedly in Mr. Ds. house I was stirred in my spirit out of the sense of the wrong done to me and the truth by it and not meeting with the book before I wrote out the passage but that by word or carriage I shewed such passion as he speaks of I am certain is his tale-tellers addition whose conscience may perhaps one day tell him of his ill Offices in opposing truth and nourishing differences between me and Mr. B. Mr. B. hath a jerke at my Revenues by which he would have the world believe it is very great and such as were desirable for himself whereas his outward estate considering his being an unplundered or not much plundered single young man heir of a good estate in Land besides his sequestration is more likely to suffice his uses then my estate my uses though I blesse God it is better with me through the favour of some eminent persons sensible of my hard usuage then it would have been if the party opposite to me had prevailed and I could reasonably hope when for no other cause but the publishing of my Examen my remove from the Temple in Londen with my wife and children above a hundred miles in the middest of winter was necessitated Not content with this jerke about my revenewes page 202. He tells me in print of being Parson of Rosse Vicar of Lemster Preacher of Bewdley Master of the Hospital of Ledbury besides meanes of my own and yet complaining of want I and my family might be put to in my bookes and he addes You made so light of having no lesse then four market-townes to lie on your shoulders as if it were nothing and then sath Pious sober men think it his duty to say what he did To which I reply Mr. M. is taken for a pious sober man yet in his Defence of his sermon page 3. he accused me most deeply of a Socianian plot of questioning all conclusions inferr'd by consequence from scripture the injury of which I shewed in my Apology sect 11. yea his own words in his Defence pag. 205. You neither there nor here deny this argument from a consequence to be sufficient for practice of some things in the worship of God which are not expressely laid down in the N. T. refute this calumny yet to this day I never found that he did any thing to right me The like may I say of Mr. Robert Baillee of Glasgow in Scotland notwithstanding his false criminations before mentioned and my writing to him about them How Mr. Geree used me is shewed in my Apology sect 6. yet his Vindiciae vindiciarum was presently after published without any shew of remorse of conscience for what he did And now Mr. B. tells me pious and sober men advise him to say that which as he puts it down is false and exceeding injurious to me to wit that I had foure market-townes on my shoulders which every one will interpret to be 4. beneficial places under my charge together besides meanes of my own and yet complain in my bookes of
the truth And then discourseth that the monsters in New England were the extraordinary directing finger of God and addes Would Mr. T. have us so carelessely regard Gods judgement c. yea and rather judge the contrary It seemes if he had seene the wonders of Egypt he would not onely have been hardned as Pharaoh but judged God laid them as stumbling blocks Who would not tremble to hear the holy God to be accused by man as if he led his people into evil by his wonders and then sets down two propositions 1. That true miracles are never to be distrusted but believed what ever they teach that they are Gods testimony John 15. 24. 2. That some wonders that are not proper miracles in their nature may yet have a plain discovery of the finger of God in the ordering of them and so when they are not against Scripture but according to it should exceedingly confirm us and such he conceives those monstrous births were and that the forgetting them among us is no small aggravation of our sin To which passage I am nccessitated to answer being so deeply charged upon such mistaken grounds 1. That I hope the Lord hath ordered this Shimei-like loosenesse of his pen to discover two things for his own good and the good of them that doate on him and his book 1. His extreame bitternesse or uncharitablenesse towards me and those he termes Sectaries 2. His hasty inconsiderate rash and immoderate censures misconstructions and determinations For wherein do I fight against heaven and dispute againstmiracles rather then let go my error In which words did I either weaken the credit of the testimony of God or sacrifice freely Gods glory to my fancies or regard so carelessely Gods judgement or rather judge the contrary to Gods judgement Whence may it seeme I would have been hardened as Pharaoh and judged God laid his wonders as stumbling blocks Or accused God as if he led his people into evil by his wonders Let Mr. B. prove any of these without his childish exclamations and vaine Rhetorick and I will confesse my self worthy to be held an Anathema if not let him be dealt with lege Remniâ or rather lege Divinâ Deut. 19. 18 19. Were I minded to retort I might take up some of Mr. Bs. Rhetorick and apply it to the Author of the passage in the Epistle to the Church at Kederminster in which in all likelihood the thanksgiving daies for victories against the Scots are termed offering a sacrifice to Mars and keeping holy-daies for killing the Saints In this manner will not this man fight against heaven weaken the testimony of God sacrifice freely Gods glory to his own fancies regard carelessely Gods judgement judge the contrary to Gods judgement c. Who dare ascribe those glorious workes of providence in giving victories to a weake and farre smaller Army brought into a great streight over an Army double the number when solemne appeales to God were made on both sides to shew whose cause he owned to chance of warre and call the thansgiving for that victory offering a sacrifice to Mars using though a Preacher of the Gospel such a Heathenish profane censure and language concerning the actions of praise to God enjoined by a Christian State and performed by holy Christians who had by prayer obtained such a signal mercy But I forbeare any more of this and proceed to examine what Mr. B. saies 1. That I call them onely strange things Answ. If they be referred to miracles wrought by God which is in the next period and in Grammer construction should be the accident then it is false that I call them onely strange accidents and not miracles if to the monstrous births in New England I do call them onely strange accidents in that place being willing to use a general terme abstracting from miracles and wonders which are differenced by Mr. B. himself in his Saints everlasting rest pa. 2. c. 4. s. 1. yet using a terme that signified they were from remarkable providence Even Mr. B. himself I do not find to terme those accidents in New England miracles but the extraordinary directing finger of God the evident hand of God wonders of providence which I also freely acknowledge 2. He saith I compare it to the falling of the house which might easily come from a naturall cause Answ. 1. He changeth them into it and so leaves it doubful what he meanes that I compare with the falling of the house But I imagine he meanes the monstrous births because he addes that the falling of the house might easily come from a natural cause But the truth is I did not make any comparison between the one and the other accident as if the one were no more observable then the other but onely gave an instance to prove that it is not safe to determine of a doctrine whether pleasing God by an accident sith that accident in appearance to them was as evident a providence of God as could be that while they were debating the matter it should then fall on one side where married Priests were and not on the other side where were Monkes And in respect of the time it was in shew a more likely evidence of Gods disproving marriage of Ministers then the monsters in New England of disproving Mr. Wheelwrights doctrine they not happening at the time of his preaching or the Assemblies sitting at Cambridge in New England August 30. 1637. or the Courts proceeding against them Oct. 2. 1637. but at another time and place though near them and not in so open a manner to publique view as that was though after evidenced sufficiently at the taking up of Mrs. Dyers child And though the fall of a roome might come from a natural cause yet it falling at such a time on one part and not on another I believe if Mr. B. had been then present he would have been apt to take it as an extraordinary providence of God against married Priests as Doctor Gouge in his priented Sermon and many others did the fall of the house at Blackfriers on Drury Redyate Popish Priests c. Oct. 26. 1623. against the Papists 3. That I disswade from judging of doctrine by such accidents To which I answer My words are plain I conceive no safety of judging what doctrine is true or fals but by going to the law and testimony and trying thereby and therefore bid men take heed how they follow Mr. B. in his direction and of so adhering to the voice of God in monsters or other providences as barely upon them to judge a doctrine to be false And this I still think good advice 1. Because the Scripture is the sufficient and onely rule which now we have to judge doctrines by whether they be true or false 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. 2. It is the command of God Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. notwithstanding the doing of a signe or wonder yet to look to the doctrine of a prophet The like is Isai.
page 273. and said it was of dangerous consequence And indeed I think it so still For I think it will follow that except a Magistrate can shew his commission from Christ that he is an usurper and then none is bound to him but to suppresse him then no infidel is a lawfull Magistrate who denies Christ and it will be questionable whether this will not extend to a non-churchmember or an excommunicate person then a Magistrates doing of right to an infidel against a believer or to one believer against another as putting him to death is an act for Christ as Mediator and if because all power is given to him in heaven and in earth therefore magistracy so as that all power must be derived from Christ as Mediator then a Fathers power over his child but sure that is in a Father by nature nor do I think it any part of the curse then ruling Presbyters should do the acts of civil Magistrates as having plain title to rule under Christ. Nor do I think Mr. B. hath answered these arguments or the rest but that however he proves Magistracy to be from Christs appointment and to be subordinate to his laws and accountable to him and ought to act for him yet not that the commission of every lawful Magistrate is from him as Mediator I think it will follow if Mr. Bs. position be true that supposing Christ had not been Mediator there had been no lawfull Magistrate and that Dominium fundatur in gratia which was heretofore denied And sith Christ is heir of all things and believers onely are Christs and all theirs 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. it would be considered whether by parity of reason the Saints might not intitle themselves to all power and all mens estates which was charged on Anabaptists at Munster But I find I digresse and therefore stop till more liberty draw me to a fuller handling of it SECT XX. Many learned men with the Oxford Convocation of former and later times take Infant-baptisme onely for an unwritten tradition MR. B. proceeds to answer my Antidote termes it a Corrective for a circumforaneous Antidote but the Antidote will appear to be good if taken notwithstanding his disgraceful term of Corrective without vertue Page 299. He prints two passages of Dr. Whitakers for the late Oxford Convocation to reade and referres to the like in Davenant But whatever Doctor Whitaker thought yet that the Antients did take Baptism of Infants to have been an Apostolical tradition unwritten seemes to me from that which is said in my Examen part I. sect 5. not avoided by Mr. Ms Defence In the Council of Basil in the oration of the Cardinal of Ragusi it is asserted Item nusquam legitur in canone Scripturae S. quod parvulus recenter baptizatus qui nec corde credit ad justitiam nec ore confitetur ad falutem inter fideles crudentes computetur Et nihilominus Ecclesia it a determinavit et statuit c. And in principip hujus Sacramenti baptizabantur solum illi qui per se sciebant fidem interroganti respondere To which purpose Walafridus Strabo many hundred years before and Vives about that time whose words are alleged in my Exercitation the title page and sect 17. Erasmus resp Archiep. Hispal ad artic object 61. Sunt et alia innumera quae prisci non ausi sunt definire sed suspensae pronunciatione venerabantur quod genus est an parvuliessent baptizandi And commonly the learnedst Papists do instance in Infant-baptism as an unwritten tradition in force and whereas it is objected that Bellarm. and others do bring Scripture for it Becan manual lib. 1. c. 2. sect 24. answers aliqua possunt probariex Scriptura quando constat de vero legitimo Scripture sensu So he saith it is concerning Infan-baptism which is proved from John 3. 5. but that the sense whereby to prove it is onely manifest by tradition Which is confirmed in the Canon law and Schoolmen an Infants-baptism was not reckoned perfect till the Bishop laid on hands which act was called Confirmation to wit of the imperfect Baptism in infancy Molinaeus in his Vates l. 2. c. 7. cites the canon dist 5. de consecratione as determining that without the Sacrament of Confirmation no man is a full Christian. Can. omnes et Can. ut jejuni Thomas 3. parte summae q. 72. art 9. dicit hoc sacramentum esse perfectionâ—m Baptismi innuens Baptismum esse imperfectum nisi accesserit Confirmatio Lumb l. 4. sent dist 7. A. omnes fideles per manus impositionem Episcoporum post Baptismum accipere debent in Confirmatione Spiritum sanctum ut pleni Christiani inveniantur Bellarm. tom 3. de sacr confirm c. 12. confirmatio est complementum perfectio baptismi Lib. 2. de effec Sacram. c. 8. est Confirmatio quaedam perfectio consummatio Baptismi Jewel Defence of the Apolog. page 218. allegeth it as Caistans tenet that an Infant for that he wanteth instruction in faith therefore hath not perfect Baptism Consonant hereto is the conceit of the common people that they have not their full Christen dome all they be Bishopped But that it may appear even learned Protestants speak near the same I will cite some of their speeches Among which I will forbear to recite the speeches of the Lord Brook and Mr. Daniel Rogers alleged by me in my Exercit. sect 18. and cleered in my Apology from Mr. Rogers his latter glosse nor the opinion of Mr. Bedford who judged with the Romanists that the Scripture gives us proof onely of the reasonableness of Infant-baptisme as I gather by Mr. Bs. I answer to him page 305. Dr. Field of the Church fourth book chap. 20. The fourth kind of inadition is the continued practise of such things as are neither contained in the Scripture expressely nor the examples of such practise expressely there delivered though the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of such practise be there contained and the benefit or good that followeth it Of this sort is the Baptism of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely delivered in Scripture that the Apostles did baptize Infants nor any expresse precept there found that they should so do Yet is not this so received by bare and naked tradition but that we find the Scripture to deliver unto us the grounds of it Doctor Prideaux fasci Controv. Theol. loc 4. sect 3. q. 2. Paedobaptism rests on no other Divine right then Episcopacy Doctor Jeremy Taylor in his Liberty of prophesying sect 18. num 34. after he had ventilated the point on both sides saies there is much more truth then evidence on our sides meaning Paedobaptists To all which I will adde the words of Theophilus Philakyriaco Loucardiensis that is Mr. Young as I am informed an eminent man in the late Assembly and Mr. Marshals friend that holp him in the first part of his Defence in his Dies Dominica lib. 1. c. 10.