was dark and so hard to find 12. As Beleivers Baptisme agreeth to particular Churches gathered out of the world by the Word so doth Infant-baptisme agree to the National Church and Communion therein which you have renounced because by Baptisme they are immembred into the Church and so capable of Church Communion yea 't is their right if their Baptisme be reckoned valid because according to Scripture Acts 2.42 All baptised persons were added to the Church and continued in the Apostles fellowship breaking bread and prayer by what rule then can the Parishes be withdrawn from when they are esteemed duly baptised persons till legally proceeded against for disorderly walking If then you will reject their Church state as good as you do by withdrawing from them you must not allow their Baptisme because their Baptisme if good giveth right to it Indepency then rejecteth the fruit but letteth the tree stand that beareth it If it be objected that some though not all of the Independents disallow the Baptisme of some children namely such whose Parents beleive not T is true in words but not deeds where is there one man in all the Independent Churches the truth of whose Baptisme was ever called in question 13. Infant-baptisme agreeth to the carnal interest of those men who take up preaching for filthy lucre whereas Beleivers Baptisme altogether frowneth on it Infant-baptisme taking in high and low rich and poor into the Church maketh both more and richer Customers to the Minister Beleivers both fewer and poorer because they are but few that beleive comparitively and for the most part of the poorer sort so that which way soever I looked on Infant-baptisme I found the signes of a plant which the heavenly Father never planted and on the contrary Beleivers Baptisme every way answering the breathings of the Spirit of God in Scripture and consequently that it became me as a friend to Truth and for the honour of Jesus Christ not onely to obey Christ by submitting to the Ordinance my self but to strive the restoring it to its primitive puritity to which I take my self obliged 1. By the Scripture Jude 3. It was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith ONCE delivered to the Saints 2. By the example of holy men of old that when they set upon reformation in the worship of God Neh. 10.19 2 Kings 23 25. Jer. 6.16 Mal. 4.4 2 Châ—on 33.8 had respect to ALL the Law in reforming both before and after the Captivity which also was according to the express Command of God 3. By Gods high approbation of such his Servants who did accordingly as you may see in the instance of Josiah 2 Kings 27.25 David is called a man after Gods own heart Acts 13.22 because a fulfiller of all his will and Caleb so highly dignified Josh 14. from 8. to the 14. because he fully followed the Lord his God Solomon is disparaged by this 1 Kings 11.6 That he went not FVLLY after the Lord as did David his Father 4. By the Covenant that the whole Church entered into with the rest of the Nation to reform both in doctrine and discipline according to the Word of God But you cannot think Baptisme any part of Christs Law and so the practise rather a piece of will-worship than fully following of Christ To which I answer When the doctrine of universal Redemption first sounded in your ear it was as hard to bear as Beleivers Baptisme is now and as farre from your thoughts to be the mind of Christ but that which was hard then is easie now that which was darkness then is light now and that which was wood hay and stubble then is gold and silver and pretious stones now yea those doctrines that when time was in your hast you were ready to say he deserved to loose his eyes that preacht them now for your joy could almost be content to pluck out your own eyes in gratitude to him that brought them Is it not true And again concerning the Church way mind Mr. Goodwins words to Mr. Thomas Goodwin when he was in Holland Your authority graces learning parts judgement and example have made the stone of separation amongst us so massie and heavie that we are constrained to be at double paines and labour in removing and rouling it from the consciences of men A great part of our imployment is to stanch the issue of that fountain of bloud which you have opened in the womb of our Churches here But yet since Mr. Goodwin hath found cause to build up that which then he threw down with so much zeal and industry and I verily beleive if a man should have said to Mr. Goodwin at that time Sir the time may come when you may find cause to separate from the national Church and gather a particular he would have said Am I a Dog that I should do this great thing Oh how he sweat at it then to roul that heavy stone of separation from the consciences of men at last found it too heavy to be done at all and so thought fit rather to lie under the weight of it than heave any longer at it I write not these things to shame Mr. Goodwin it is no shame to a man that he knoweth but in part and that he is not Master of all knowledge at one and the same time The path of the just being as the shining light Prov. 4 18. which shineth more and more to the perfect day If more spiritual light shine not into the judgement if it not a sore sign that the path of such men is not the path of the just And if when it is come into the judgement if it shall not appear in practise then it is a sign of a heart glued to some carnal worldly interest or other which causeth the person to withhold the truth in unrighteousness T is not changing simply that the Scriptures find fault with but being GIVEN to change Changing as the case may be is so farre from being a fault Prov. 24.21 that it is a sign of a growing soul in grace of walking after the Spirit of a self denying upright soul that lieth naked before the truth unmarried to any secular interest Truths faithful friend that so truth may get up careth not though it self go down This therefore is the glory not the shaâ—e of Mr. Goodwin that when the truth came into his judgement as it is in Jesus he consulted not with flesh and bloud but with Paul preacheth the faith which once he destroyed for which many glorified God in him I beseech you therefore let no man mis-judge me in the ground of tâ—is relation as if I intended hereby to cast the least disparagement upon him whom for the good I have received from God by his hand I am bound above many to love and honour But if you ask wherefore then serveth this story I answer that you should not think of
into with hands lift up to the most high God wherein we vowed to go one before another in the work of reformation mark well TO GO ONE BEFORE ANOTHER not to stay one for another till all were satisfied and that both in doctrine and discipline according to the Word of God Now that it was Mr. Goodwins own sense as well as ours that every man was to judge for himself what was according to the Word of God and not another for him appeareth by his own practise upon it shortly after for notwithstanding all the obligations of love and friendship which the Parish of Coleman-street had put upon him to continue fellowship with them in that old way and notwithstanding all the promises of service on his part made to them upon their fetching him from Norfolk to Coleman street yet because of this solemn Vow to the most high God with other reasons in conjunction he thought himself bound in conscience to withdraw from them and actually did so and made this solemn Vow and Covenant one argument that induced him thereunto And did this solemn Oath before the most High justifie him in the like practise and will it fail us Or will Mr. Goodwin be so monstrously disingenious as to construe any after promise to walk with the Church in contradiction to this solemn Oath And yet thus he dealeth with us for which God forgive him that we may look like normous transgressors Our after promise to walk with the Church in the way we then was must either be understood conditionally that we found not the Word of God reproving it or else we supposed to make promises that should disable us from performing the matter of our solemn Vow attended with so many dreadful circumstances which a very little before we entred into which surely no ingenious man that considereth will ever imagine either that we did so or that it was the sense of the body we should do so And how unreasonable a thing it is and destructive to the honour and glory of God that any such engagement should be understood absolutely appeareth by the grosse absurdities that follow upon it for then Men should be locked up from any further progress in the work of reformation let the light shine never so bright and the call of the Scriptures be never so loud and that upon the penalty of promise breaking Nay if Mr. Goodwin himself hath not at another time said enough and more than enough to justifie our practise and condemn himself in this rash and hasty charge of us let the world judge In his fifth caution for Reformation according to the Word of God he hath this passage They who would have this golden Motto written as well in the heart as in the face of their Reformation must be FREE from all collaterall engagements unto other patterus besides the Word of God Mark Mr. Goodwin saith they must be free and yet calleth us faith breakers trust betrayers promise breakers because we use our liberty against a collateral engament to another pattern He addeth further in these words They meaning hearty reformers must not encline not so much as a dust in the ballance amounteth unto to any Reformation of any Church whatsoever further than they are reformed according to the same Word Further thus Doubtless no man ever covenanted to reform according to the example of any Church whatsoever in opposition to the Word of God or if they did they have cause to abhorre themselves in dust and ashes for it Why then do you force upon us such a sense of promising which standeth in such direct opposition to it Nay in the Margin thus To violate an abominable and accursed Oath out of conscience to God as surely that would be that kept persons from following Christ fully and held them in a half reformation is a holy and blessed perjury Good Reader this is Mr. Goodwins Text I leave thee to make the interpretation and give judgement whether we by his own principles deserve to bear the heavy burthen of faith and trust betrayers which he loadeth us with not onely in the beginning of his book but very frequently almost to the end thereof as if he took a kind of secret delight to mention us with dishonour Or whether Mr. Goodwin by making the charge proveth not himself inexcusable altogether both in the sight of God and Men and guilty to a high degree of breaking the royall Law of love to his Neighbour yea his friends and brethren of like pretious faith that ever had him in double honour and sought his good and comfort as their own and that too while he passionately complaineth of us for breaking the morrall Law His second Consideration for substance this THat supposing our way to be the sole Baptisme Ordinance of Christ the Churches which are not actually baptised with our very Baptisme are yet according to the estimate of God baptized our way with our very Baptisme and ought so to be estemed by us because they have a willing mind so to be To which I answer First it is a great and clear mistake that the Churches which are not actually baptised with our Baptism are yet notwithstanding esteemed to have been so baptised by God upon the accompt of a willing mind so to be Doth the righteous God of heaven and earth judge contrary to the truth doth he judge men to have actually done that which they never did 'T is one thing for God to deal gratiously by men as if they had been obedient because of a willing mind another thing for him to judge them actual obeyers of that command which they never did obey because thereof Though God accept the will in some cases for the deed where doth he judge the will to be the deed In the 2 Corinth 8.12 It is indeed thus written as Mr. Goodwin alleadgeth If there be first a willing mind a man is accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not But what then Doth Gods accepting a man according to that he hath prove him judging a man to have actually done that which he never did which yet is the conclusion Mr. Goodwin maketh to follow these premises For his other instance Math. 5.12 where he saith VVho so looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery Christ saith it is onely in his heart that is desire Yet because there wanteth nothing but opportunities for actual adultery the demerit of that sin may be imputed to him but the sin of actual adultery in a formal proper sense is not imputed to him In the Phil. 2 11. he saith God worketh in you both to will and to do therefore to will is one thing and to do is another and are they two things in themselves and doth God esteem them to be but one But secondly Though it should be granted that a through desire to obey a Command which yet is not obeyed for want of conviction that it is a
acknowledge their indisposition to the obedience of it made them indulge every weak argument to the contrary and that they were never able to submit to the truth of Christ in the naked simplicity of it till God gave them the command of their own spirits Pro. 25.28 Isai 28.9 1 Cor. 3.18 Ioh. 5.44 till they became like Children weaned from the breast In a word till they were able to become fools for Christs sake and resolve to delight their soules with that honour that cometh from God onely But whether the fault of non-obedience be chargeable upon the wills of men or the want of conviction notwithstanding all good meanes used to come at it that God onely knoweth as also the truth and falshood of mens faith but however the Church is not without ground to fear the truth of that faith that boggleth at obedience to Christ in those commands which distinguisheth the Disciples of Christ from Moses his Disciples it is not obedience to the morral Law doth that that God is to be worshipped was Moses his Doctrine as well as Christs That men should be merciful and just which is the substance of the second Table was as well the Doctrine of Moses as Christ so that by obedience to the Law morral a man may as well be said to be Moses his Disciple as Christs because they are both one in that But by obedience to the iustituted Law of Christ given for the ordering us in his worship a man is truly said to be Christs Disciple in distinction from Moses whose Ordinances were far different provided it follow repentance from dead works and faith towards God without which I confess it signifieth nothing in which respect doubtless both Jewes and Gentiles are said in baptisme to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 But more especially hath the Church cause to suspect the truth of that faith that sticketh at obedience to the positive Law of Christ because it is that chiefly that putteth men to shame and casteth out their name as evill 'T is not the simple worshipping of God that bringeth men disgrace no not with carnal men that have not sinn'd away their first principles of conscience but honour rather because every man by those principles is prompted to some worship but that which offendeth is the worshipping of God after his own way which the world cannot bear if men could be content with the Religion of Christ it self corrupted they might live at Rome and be applauded So for the other part of the morral Law which consisteth in Justice and Mercy Mercy and Justice offendeth not the generallity of men but onely some particulars where their own interest is struck at by it and the reason clear because the morral Law is written in every mans heart so that he that liveth up to that liveth to the conscience of every individual soul and consequently compelleth revereate from all men that have not sinn'd away the light of nature But for the Law of institutions they being forreign to the hearts of men found onely in the written word and in themselves of a despicable complexion and withal crossing the desires of the flesh and consequently contrary to the religion of the world which is formed by her worldly wise men according to her carnallity and to fit their own worldly interests It cometh to passe unavoidably that whosoever will follow Christ in the way of worship which he hath set up in the naked plainness and simplicity of it he shall be put to shame scorned contemned disgraced persecuted at least by tongue and pen especially by the learned whose interest is struck at by an effectual following the Lamb in his own way But suppose the faith of those that refuse Baptism to be as good as the best yet I utterly deny that it giveth them an immediate right to full communion with the Church simply upon that account The reason this because Jesus Christ himself who is the God of Order hath appointed the Communion of the Disciples to be orderly so that though persons be Disciples by faith and so have a remote right to all priviledges of Church Communion yet have not an immediate right thereto till they desire it in that way which Christ hath appointed That Christ hath establish'd order for regulating the communion of the Disciples is evident from the Coloss 2.5 where the Apostle hath these words Joying and beholding your ORDER and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him or after him as the Preposition in is expounded at the 8. verse And not after Christ now that by in him or after him he meaneth after his teachings appeareth by the 7. verse Rooted and built up in him and stablish'd in the faith as you have been taught And that the teachings of Christ respected their order in worship as well as their faith appeareth by the 8. verse where he opposeth the Jewish Ordinances which he calleth the rudiments of the world to Christs and in the 12. verse mentioneth Baptisme by name where in he affirmeth they were buried with Christ Again that Christ hath established order for the regulation of the Disciples Communion appeareth by the 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle blameth the Church for disorder in their eating the Lords Supper and that their sin of disorderly walking might appear the more hainous to them he telleth them at the 23. verse That which he dâ—livered them that is those rules which he had delivered them to order themselves by in their communion which they had sinfully transgressed he received from the Lord. And in the 1 Cor. 14 40. exhorteth them that all things in the Church be done decently and in order and that matter of order is a thing strictly to be minded appeareth by Titus 1.5 For this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in order Now if it be askt how it appeareth a disorderly practise for persons to be admitted into the Church and sit down with them in full communion without Baptisme I shall first enforce some of my brother Allens Arguments and take off Mr. Goodwins exceptions against them and then add one or two more The substance of his first Argument is this If Baptisin was the next thing immediately to be done by the order of Christ after being discipled P. 17 Of his Answer to Master Goodwins 40. Queries about Communion then to sit down with the Church in full communion before it is a disorderly practise But Baptism was the next thing immediately to be done by the order of Christ That Baptisme was the next thing immediately to be done appeareth by the Commission Math. 28.19 Go teach or Disciple all Nations baptizing them where we see Baptisme is the next thing to be done after discipling and accordingly the Apostles practised it Act. 2.41 Act. 8.12 which putteth the matter out of all doubt to all ingenious men as all the instances of the
than your separating from the Parish Churches is not our ground the very self same which yours then was And what can you say to Mr. Baxster who chargeth you with Schisme for with-drawing from the Nationall Church P. 193. Of his Scripture proof which we cannot answer you with He calleth you Church-Renter as you do us and an undone person amongst others upon that account that are as pillars of Salt in his eye And is it not strange that Mr. Goodwin should be so busie with the word Schisme schismatick and schismatical as to use them eight times in 30. lines against his freinds for doing that which himself hath given them an example in upon the same ground But 3. and lastly As the fatall Apostasie from the pure Ordinances of Christ and the example of the Primitive Churches in worship was graduall so hath the recovery of primitive purity been now a little and then a little as it hath pleased God to communicate light to his upright ones that he hath used in the reformation but it hath been won as it were by inches and still been made costly to the Names at least of the Instruments they all bear this burthen which now Mr. Goodwin chargeth us with of schisme The Pope crieth Schisme and Heresie after the Church of England for renouncing communion with the Church of Rome The Pishops cry Schisme after some of the Pres byterians The Presbyterians cry Schisme after Mr. Goodwin and all Separatists from the National Church which withdrawings have been so many steps towards primitive purity Now Mr. Goodwin crieth Schisme pretty liberally too after us who have gone a few steps farther in the same path which as yet his heart serveth him not to proceed in that we may reach the things we have heard from the beginning Which Rule Calvin confesseth the Church took liberty to depart from 1 John 2.24 That we may stand compleat in ALL the will of God Colos 4.12 And walk in ALL the Ordinances and Commandments of God blameless as Zachary and Elizabeth did Luke 1.6 And keep the Ordinances as they were delivered to the Churches of old by the Apostles from Christ which was matter of praise to the Church of Corinth as long as they so kept them 1 Cor. 11.2 Which that we may doe we find the same cause to renounce the National Baptisme which Mr. Goodwin hath done to renounce the National Church which is the very basis and foundation of it and that without which it is not easie to conceive how it could come to passe at first or how it should stand long Well Sir it s not long ere your work and ours will be tried you have judged early but our comfort is that this is but mans day Christ is not farre off whose cause we plead 1 Cor. 4.3 and then not he that commendeth himself is approved but he whom God commendeth then shall every man have praise of God Come Lord Jesus come quickly 1 Cor 4.5 Your ninth Consideration is THat it is but a carnal Ceremony and so acknowledged by Mr. Lawrence now Lord President whom you stile one of the gravest Authors of the Antipaedâ— baptisticall faith But Sir though Mr Lawrence hath stiled Baptisme a carnal Ceremony I pray Sir where hath the holy Spirit called any of the Ordinances of the New Testament carnal Ordinances 'T is true the Ordinances of Moses are called carnal Ordinances by the holy Spirit Hebr 9.10 which lasted untill the time of reformation saith the Text or Christs time wherein the Church hath new Ordinances given by Christ himself whereof Baptisme is one and given by Christ as a Reformer of what was carnal therefore to call Christs Ordinances carnal I humbly conceive agreeth not to the form of wholsome words and the rather because beginning with the Gospel as the Galatians did who beleived it and put on Christ in Baptisme they are said to begin in the Spirit Galat. 3.3 unto which the carnal Ordinances of the Law are opposed under the word flesh Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh But 2. When Mr. Lawrence calleth it a carnal Ceremony it is onely in regard of the outward act which respecteth the flesh or outward man abstract from the spiritual design of Christ in it but otherwise in his judgement as well as ours an Ordinance very spiritual and full of the wisdome and Spirit of God for proof of this I referre the Reader to his book of Baptisme but especially to his Discourse from p. 101. to 113. 3. And lastly That the want of it rendreth beleivers unfit for any spiritual communion I am farre from thinking so but that it rendreth them unfit for that full communion which a Church of Christ in the right order of the Gospel enjoyeth that I do beleive and have given a full account of it already in answer to your third Consideration And as for making work for a second Crucifixion of Christ I suppose Sir that which made it at first is most like to doe it the second time and that was sin and disobedience not righteousness and full walking with Christ according to the rules received of him Your tenth Consideration for substance this IGnorance in some things concerning the mystery of Christ found either in a Church or particular persons hindreth not their lawful communion in a Church way for then there would be none fit because the best know but in part therefore not to be looked for that they should be practised in full If by the word Church be meant an orderly joyn'd Church made of fit matter according to the Command of Christ 't is most true that you say that Ignorance in many things will not render their communion unlawfull and your reason good and sound But this will not prove that baptised Disciples may lawfully sit down in Church bodies with unbaptised because such conjunctions are disoderly as I have proved at large and consequently sinful and so not to be indulged but corrected and set strait according to the Rule But why doth Mr. Goodwin tell us so often of judging our brethren unclean for communion Is it we that judge you Col. 2.6 or is it not rather the Rule of the Lord Jesus All Christians are commanded to walk after Christ and that in matter of Ordinances as well as faith and if so doing judge you it is not we that judge you but Christ T is true in a sense we judge you Heb. 11.7 as Noah by obedience judged the old world but it is our grief that there is occasion for it But have we judged you any otherwise than you have judged the godly Presbyterians of Coleman-street if we be sinners herein you cannot be righteous except the same action may be grace and holiness in one man which is sin and unworthiness in another and that too when done under much the like circumstances Therefore thou art inexcusable oh man who ever
judge righteous judgement and not take face for heart shadow for substance what our gain is we think it becommeth us to speak modestly of that and to strive to make it good by actions wherein oh mighty God help us rather than words And now good Reader to convince thy conscience that we were not like to doe any such strange things soon after our Baptisme that should render us such savage beasts Thou must know that Mr. Goodwin and the Church were the dearly beloved of my soul our relation thereto and fellowship therein I reckoned one of the cheifest comforts of my life I wanted not but abounded with respects from them above what my conscience told me I deserved and who that knoweth me knoweth not this to be true I doe profess in the fear of that God whose I am and whom I serve that if I know my own heart no body could have hired me from the bosome of that Church with hundreds a year And when the time came that for pure conscience I must be seperated from the embraces thereof teares was my meat day and night my greif was such at that time that it made the thoughts of death sweeter to me than ever they were in my life before my study and secret workings of heart were how to make my withdrawing as little offensive to Mr. Goodwin and the Church as I could devise how to do with a good conscience I perceived they were not able to bear any publick discourses to the point in difference Mr. Goodwins teares at the mention of something relating thereto went to my heart and weakened my hand to those further applications which I had thought to have made to them The truth is my high indeed undue respects to Mr. Goodwin kept me in a kind of bondage that I was not at that perfect liberty to discharge all the parts of that duty which their respects obliged me unto So great was my respects to Mr. Goodwin and the Church that besides my own frequent addresses to the Lord for the communication of that light to them which he had vouchsafed to me and some others I got some time solemnly set apart by some godly friends and for his cause cheifly did we bow our knee this was the frame of heart we were in honest Reader soon after our baptising and whether then we were like to perpetrate any such unworthy things as Mr. Goodwin writeth of I leave to thy conscience to determine or rather whether this Water dipping therefore be not the very monster of ingratitude Mr. Goodwin hath indeed calumniated us stoutly supposing that something will stick on us and I beleive doth which if it cost him not teares here I am sure will shame hereafter from that God that vindicateth the innocent and then Mr. Goodwin will find the vanity of sporting himself with the ruine of the good names and reputations of the people of God which are as much his interest as their estates health or any dear injoyment they possess and as much against the law of love to violate I consess the pleasantness of Mr. Goodwins wit-in writing is so lushious that it is marvellously apt to tickle and please the flesh but as the soul of any man groweth seasoned with the salt of heavenly wisdom it is affected more with sollid matter than enticing words it is ready to cry what will great words do good at the judgement day yea I bless God I have lived to that day to value more the breathing of Gods Spirit in a holy humble gratious soul than the greatest words of the gallantest Rhetorician in the world and that I have got since my Baptisme I confess for Mr Goodwin set aside these controvertal writings and consider him in the tenor of his conversation I think him nay I know him to be a pattern of patience humility meekness temperance neither do I remember one Sermon that ever he made to the point of Tythes or any consideration for preaching in all his dayes though I lived under his ministry almost twenty yeares and more than all this all the Arguments of the Gospel and out of the Gospel to preferre holiness and close walking with God I beleive there are not many men in his time if any at all that hath managed them with more authority life and power I say it I say it again and delight to speak it and will persist in it to my last breath though he grind us to pouder with his mill stone language Some change Mr. Goodwin may find in my Genius I confess it for heretofore having his person in admiration it was to some degree a snare upon me to call him Master in that sense wherein the Lord Jesus dehorteth from it Math. 23. whereas now that by the help of Gods Spirit and my own experience I see clearly that in the communication of light in the things of God God tieth not himself to this or that man I consult with Christ and lean not to the understanding of any man I see by experience that God taketh liberty to reveal to babes the truth which at some time he hideth from the wise and prudent Math. 11. And the more self-sufficient any man groweth in knowledge of the reason of things the lesse is he led by examples 'T is more noble for a man to eschew evill and do good because 't is evill and good then because such and such men that are good do so And though I was apt enough to leane that way and to those opinions Mr. Goodwin leaned too that under God had been the great meanes of any spiritual comfort and edification yet I blesse God I was not so rankly guilty of that evill but when Mr. Goodwin came to open that text Math. 28.19 and to give it for truth that by the word Teach in the Commission was meant not actuall discipling but the saying such things onely which was proper to make men so I palpably discerned the Text wronged and the interpretation was like gravell in my mouth and not onely mine but that persons also of whom Mr. Goodwin said at his buriall his worth was so great that it was a temptation on him to break promise to speak of it and enough to cast a man into an agony of sorrow to think of his death I say he was as much distasted as I at that stroke of the Text. Except in these respects or some others like these I know no change in my Genius nor I am sure no body else doth But I confess there was one unhappy mistake of a word of mine by one of the brethren which gave me a visit soon after my baptisme which hath more appearance of evill in it of my part than any or all the things can be laid against me I am sure to which I desire to give both you and all the Church satisfaction and that was this That brother spoken of before giving me a visit at my house where some part of the Church was wont
to meet on munday nights to edifie one another in faith and love Amongst other discourse which I cannot now remember I affirmed that the sight of them meaning our friends was a greif and burthen to me which following some words of easie misconstruction he concluded they proceeded from an absolute fall of affection to them and so presented them to others of the brethren that were wont to meet there which conceit got further rooting in the minds of the brethren by another unhappy circumstance The brother appointed to speak the next meeting before he began his Sermon began with this story making it the ground of no more meeting at my house To which I answer 1. Those words The sight of the Church was a greif and a burthen to me I said but the principle of them was not the want but the abundance of affection to them I say again the abundance of affection to them God is my witness who had indeed obliged me much which made parting with them the more grâ—â—vous and the necessity of that made me willing to be estranged from them that I might the better undergo the burthen this is the perfect truth which God the searcher of all hearts knoweth and this also was one main reason amongst others why I estranged my self from Mr. Goodwin afterwards But if it be ask'd why I did not reply to the brother who understood just contrary I answer I intended to do it after he had done his Sermon for it was before his Sermon that he began to speak of it but after his Sermon falling upon some discourse with Mr. Goodwin relating thereto I quite forgot being pressed with trouble and grief at some high words Mr. Goodwin then gave me This is the truth which the righteous God of heaven and earth knoweth for whose sake we now suffer by Mr. Goodwins unmerciful Pen To be injured by a common enemy 〈◊〉 no matter of wonder but to be wronged by ones father as it is a matter of more strangeness so of harsher recentment But it may be God hath bid you to cuâ—se me to take me off all glorying in men that I may be the more intire to himself me thinks I now find that Scripture hath a fresh edge upon my spirit Cease from man whose breath is in his nâ—strils Isaiah 2.22 for wherein is he to be esteemed 1 Cor. 3.21 Therefore let no man glory in man Your three and twentieth Consideration is THat there is no substantiall Argument produced to justifie such a practise nor you beleive ever will be Whether we have not given Arguments to justifie it more than one and that grounded upon the Scriptures and your own principles and indeed the principles of all the learned I referre to the judgement of the Reader As for that which you say by way of reply to my Brother Allens answer to your fourty Queries about Church communion I shall leave him to answer or be silent as he findeth cause onely it lieth much upon my spirit to shew unto your self if may be if not to your self yet to the unprejudiced Reader the palpable suffering of many of the Scriptures engaged in that service The first is the 2. of Acts 41. which Text my Brother Allen urgeth to prove addition to the Church and fellowship in it to follow Baptisme not goe before it and that 1. Because the Text saith they gladly received the Word 2. Were baptised 3. Were added to the Church 4. Continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship Now Mr. Goodwin will have it that Baptisme might be left out of the chain and yet they might have been Church members notwithstanding 1. Because those who are said to have been baptised in the former part of the verse are not said in the latter to have been added to the CHURCH but simply they were added or added unto Mr. Allen understandeth the Relative to those words added to to be Them according to the present translation and whereto both he and the Translators are guided 1. By the mention of the hundred and twenty Disciples in the Chapter before at the 15. verse to which these that were now converted were added which in the 47. verse of this 2. chapter are called the Church in plain English And the Lord added to the CHVRCH dayly c. And that the Relative to those words ADDED to were the Church or the hundred and twenty Disciples spoken of before Mr. Goodwin himself in his fourty Queries which I do not think were written above half a year before this Water dipping so understood it mark his words It cannot be demonstratively proved from the Scriptures that those hundred and twenty Disciples unto which it is here said P. 6. Of 40 Queries Acts 1.15 that three thousand were ADDED c. which a little before he himself calleth the Church in the same page But now all of a sudden Mr. Goodwin altereth his mind and will not let the 47. verse expound the 42. though the context as faiâ—ly leadeth to it as heart can wish but runneth us to the 11 of Acts 24. to know the Relative to the words added to in the 2. Acts 41. because there it is thus written And much people was added to the Lord. Here again you insinuate a difference in sense between those words added to the Lord and those added to the Church whereas in your Letter to Mr. Tho. Goodwin p. 5. you expound the joyning to the Lord spoken of Acts 11.24 of immembring into the Church your words these There is mention made of many that were added or joyn'd to the LORD i. e. say you were immembred into the CHVRCH Now what construction can any rational impartial considerate man make of this your shifting too and fro in this manner but as an evident demonstration that in fighting against us you labour to engage the Scriptures in a warre they have no mind too and so you loose your way and know not well where to set your foot not what ground to stand on The Lord make you sensible of it But again you say 2. It is said Acts 2 47. And the Lord added to the Church WHO saith Mr. Goodwin such as were baptised No but such as should be saved or were saved which was not by being baptised but beleiving Here Mr. Goodwin saith two things 1. That those that the Text speaketh of that were added to the Church were not such as were baptised but c. If this be not a strange proposition and as contrary to the Scripture as light to darkness I am under the enchantment Mr. Goodwin upbraideth me with so often for though it be true that those that were added to the Church were such as should be saved yet it followeth not that those that were added to the Church were not baptised nay it is plain they were by the 41. verse Then they that gladly received his word were baptised and the same day that is that they received the Word and were baptised there
were added unto them or the Church about three thousand soules who continued in the Apostles fellowship But by this doctrine of Mr. Goodwins Baptisme should be a crime rather than an act of obedience because he maketh the Church not to consist of such persons as have been baptised is this doctrine according to the form of wholsome words Doth not the Apostle write to the CHURCH of Corinth 1 Cor. 1.10 13. Rom. 6.3 4 Col. 2.12 Gal. 3.27 and CHURCH at Rome and Church at COLOSSE and the CHURCHES of Galatia and were they not made up of baptised persons But 2. Mr. Goodwin saith The Lord added to the Church such as should be saved which say you was NOT by being BAPTISED but beleiving Here Mr. Goodwin opposeth Baptisme to beleiving in reference to salvation but it is not by vertue of this Text He that beleiveth and is baptised shall be saved And by vertue of what Text of Scripture he doth it I know not for though Baptisme should not be looked upon as a condition of absolute necessity to salvation as faith is yet sure it is some way necessary to salvation it is plain in the Text and therefore not to be put in opposition to faith in reference thereto what a wide difference there is between making Baptisme equaâ— with faith as conditional of salvation which is the judgement of many learned men as you know and making it stand in opposition to faith in reference thereto as you doe Sir will that God that ordained Baptisme to be Faiths companion to serve the same interest of the pretious soules of men will he take it kindly that you toil thus to make them look like enemies rather than friends In a word Sir this doctrine is altogether unscriptural and as pleasant to the tast of a healthful soul as vinegar to the teeth But 3. and lastly you say though it should be read thus Then they that gladly received his word were baptised and the same day there were added to the Church yet the recording their addition to the Church after their Baptisme doth not prove their addition was BY their Baptisme The cause doth not require it neither doth my Brother Allen affirm it from this Text but onely that addition to the Church followed it and did not goe before it which was your own words heretofore as I have shewn already and we think it is safest to follow the Scripture pattern partly because of what you said heretofore that all others were but seducers but cheifly because of the express Word of God But whatever the matter is you think now one may goe another way and doe as well The second Scripture which in my apprehension suffereth under your pen is Math. 28.19 which I have proved at large already p. 13 14 15 16. of this book where I have laid down my Brother Allens Argument from the words and answered Mr. Goodwins objections against it in doing which the Reader will easily perceive that Text complaining of hard usage The third is the 1. Corinth 12.13 which I have also discharged the service Mr. Goodwin employed it in p. 18 19 20 21 22 23. of this book because the truth is it is not pleased with it The fourth which doth not onely whisper but cry out of injury is the 8. of Acts 27. And Phillip said if thou beleivest with all thy heart thou mayest The words its evident are an answer to the Eunuch who asked Phillip upon the sight of water what hindred that he might not be baptised Mr. Goodwin supposeth by these words THOU MAYEST he not saying to him THOU MUST is noted a liberty which he calleth an Evangelicall liberty concerning external Ordinances implying he might be baptised if he would he should not sin or he he might refuse without sin This I take to be the most unnatural unkindly and indeed injurious stroke of the Text of any that hath been touched Gird up therefore the loines of thy mind and consider good Reader that thou beest not hurt by this dangerous gloss of the Text. 1. If Phillip should have propounded Baptisme to the Eunuch upon such slight termes not as a duty on him but a thing indifferent he should have done that he had no warrant for from Christ Christ gave all his Commands to be obeyed not to be trifled with John 15.14 Ye are my friends if you doe WHATSOEVER I command you Revel 22.12 14. Blessed are they that DOE his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life Acts 3 22. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you him shall you hear in ALL things WHATSOEVER he shall say unto you And it shall come to passe that every soul that wil not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from amongst the people that by hearing is meant obeying in this Scripture is your own sense Luke 6.46 Why call you me Lord Lord and DOE not the things that I say So that if Baptisme be one of the Commands of Christ Mat. 28.19 Acts 2.37 Mar. 16.16 as I have proved from Acts 2.37 and might do it from many others And 2. that Christ gave all his Commands to be observed John 15.14 Rev. 22.14 Acts 3.22 And 3. that he counteth those no friends of his that baulketh any of them 4. That he threateneth them with destruction that observeth him not in whatsoever he commandeth without exception of any thing yea that he distateth any ones calling him Lord that doth not obey him Then I think it followeth roundly enough that if Phillip should have propounded Baptisme to the Eunuch upon such termes of indifferency he should have betrayed his trust Reader what thinkst thou 2. To evince that Phillip by those words THOU MAYEST did not intend them by way of indifferency as to the Eunuchs obedience appeareth by this because then he should act by a differing Spirit from all the rest of his brethren the Servants of Christ that were imployed in the Lords work But he was acted by the same Spirit I shall take that for granted that the Spirit that said unto Phillip Goe near and joyn thy self Acts 8.29 that it was the Spirit of the ever-living God which acted Phillip thorough that negotiation he had with the Eunuch Now that Spirit inspireth Peter to COMMAND Cornelius and his Company to be baptised after faith Acts 10.47 Peter did not say you may or you may chuse but though they were deeply baptised with the Spirit yet Peter commandeth them to be baptised with water for all that In the Name of the Lord Jesus which was in full pursuit of his Commission which also is a clear interpretation of it that when Christ saith Disciple me all Nations baptising them his meaning was that they should having discipled them command the Disciples to be baptised In the Name of the Lord Jesus that they should lay it home to the consciences of the Disciples and a duty to be baptised into his Name and so bear the