equalising Antichristianisme with Gentilisme the one being an Apostate Church the other no Church The one partaker of the word Sacram though with much coruptioÌ„ the other partaker of neither at all the one professing Christ Teaching many truths of God so many as the elect therby might come to faith Apoc. 18.4 The other neither professing Christ nor teaching any truth of God wherby any might be converted to Christ become Gods people in the estate of Gentilisme And thus having made plaine the different estate of the first planted Churches ours in Apostacy I answere fi st That Churches now are to be constituted if repairing be not a fitter speâ—ch as in the Apostles tymes that al such as are receaâ—ed in as members being vnbaptized must be receaved in by baptisme but for such as were baptized in Apostate Chuâ—che their repentance is sufficient without rebaptisatioÌ„ as it was to the Apostate Israelites who vppon their repentance returning to Ierusalem were receaved of the Church without any new circumcision therfore to adde a second baptisme with the Anabaptists is to Apostate from Chr. not to enter into his covenant And in that the Apostles receaved in members by baptisme they could doe no otherwise seing the whole world was vnbaptized but if they had met with any that before had bene baptized into the name of Chr. as they that receaved the baptisme of Iohn as we are I make no question they did not nor would not have rebaptized them theâ—for the conclusion wil not follow that we are now to receave in by baptisme them that are already baptized Iohn Smyth The next thing in your answer is a solution of the arguments brought by mee to prove the truth viz. That Antichristians converted are to bee admitted into the true Church by baptisme This truth of the Lords I have proved vnto you by three reasons The first â—hereof may bee framed thus So are Churches to be restored or constituted after the defection of Antichr as they were erected by the Apostles at the first But the Churches were at the first erected by baptisme in their primitive institution by Iohn Chr. the Apostles Ergo so are they now to be restored therfor the members are to be receaved in by baptisme as they were then As in the former point for baptising of infants you were compelled to runne to the old Testament from thence to fetch the cheef corner stone of your building viz. from circumcision So in this second point you vtterly forsake the new Testam of Chr. the true constitution Apostolique of the Church of the new Testament set vs againe to Schoole to Moses as if Chr. had not beeÌ„ faithful enough to teach vs his new Test but we must go learne the new Test of the old Testament Chr. of Moses The Gospel of the Law And first I would know why we may not aswel with the Papists Prelates goe fetch one high Preist from Moses a sacrificing Preisthood from Moses succession in the ministery from Moses a succession in the Church from Moses as a succession in baptisme from Moses in effect you do fetch a succession of the Church from Rome For in fetching a succession of baptisme from Rome which is the forme of the Church in fetching a succession of the matter of the Church which is the seed of the parents baptized you of necessity make the Church of Rome a true Church For if infants of the Church of Româ— have true title to baptisme by reason of the Faith of some of their auncesters oâ— forfathers that were Faithful then are they the true visible matter of the Church if by reason of that title to baptisme they receave true baptisme in substance as you say in the Church of Rome then they have the true visible forme of the Church for they that have the true matter forme of a true Church vppon them are the true Chuâ—â—â— so are the infants of the Church of Rome a true visible Church in the constitution essential causes therof so as in the old Testament the Church came by succession of genealogie in respect wherof they made so much account of genealogies carnal Philip. 3 3-5 1. Timoth. 1.4 So in the New Testament the Church commeth by succession of carnal Genealogie through the Church of Rome to our dayes then as the matter of the Church viz infants descending of baptized parents is by Genealogie the forme of the church viz baptisme vppon these infants is by descent therfor the Church is by succession I demaund why may not the ministery be by descent succession aswel as the Church then why is not the Church of Rome or England a true Church the ministery of the Church of Rome or England a true Ministery so why may not you returne back againe into England take vp your former ministery renounce your Schisme which you have made so I heare that some are mynded to doe truly for my part I hold it as lawful to retaine the Church Ministery of England as to retaine the baptisme when I shal yeeld to the truth of the baptisme of EnglaÌ„d I wil yeeld to the truth of the Church ministery of England I wil confesse I have been a Schismatique returne acknowledg my error but bicause I know the ministery Church of England is false therfor it must needes be that the baptisme which is the forme of the Church is false essentially therefore having Seperated justly from the Church Ministery of England for the falsehood of them I must needes also Seperate from the baptisme which is false for the Church is false bicause baptisme the forme of the Church is false if baptisme the forme of the Church of England be true the Church of England is true also You are to know therefore so I wish you all the Seperation to mynd it well the Lord give you eyes to see harts to vnderstand that all the old Testament was carnal taken from the Elementes of the VVorld thereby to type out to teach them heavenly things therefore their Church was carnal to type to vs in the New Testament a Spiritual Church The matter of their Church was a carnall Israelite the matter of the Church of the New Testament is a true Israelite in whom ther is no guile The forme of their Church was carnall circumcision a carnal seale Genes 17 10-14 The forme of the Church of the New Testament is the circumcision of the hart a new Creature the Holy Spirit of promise whereby wee are sealed which is manifested by confession baptisme in water Act. 10.47 Ephes 1.13 Gallat 3.27 6.15 Iohn 3.5 Matth. 3.6 Roman 10.9 Act. 8.36.37 Their carnall Church in the matter forme came by carnall Genealogie so they all of them were gendred vnto bondage vnder
baptisme is false â— the L. never appointed that the party should be baptized without his owne confession conseÌ„t to the contract that the L. maketh in baptisme therfor the Apo. Peter saith that in baptisme ther is the question of a good conscience into God Paull saith that when the body is washed with pure water the hart must be sprinckled from an evil conscience 1. Pet. 3.21 Heb. 10.22 therfor infants are baptized which cannot Stipulate or contract themselves vnto the L. therfor the L. doth not contract with them for Chr. the husband of the Church wil not contract in marriage with a bride or a spowse that is vnder age Gal. 4 1-4.3 the L. did never appoint that baptisme should seale vp his new Testament to infants or that infants should by his baptisme be admitted into the body of Antich into the Church ministery worship government of Antich or that his baptisme should set a character indelible vpon parties baptized or should give grace ex opere operato al which or most of which are done in Antich baptisme but the end of Chr. baptisme is to manifest visibly that the partie confessing his faith sinnes is sealed by the Spirit vnto the day of redemption that he hath visibly put on Chr. that he is mortified crucified dead buryed risen againe ascended with Chr. Rom. 6 1-6 Col. 2.12 Gal. 3.27 Col. 3 1-5 these are the true ends of baptisme instituted by Chr. Seing therfor the matter forme end of baptisme in the false Church is from man even from Antich the for the L. is not the author of this baptisme but the baptisme is antic wholy although he vseth the words In nomine Patris Filij Sp. Sancti amen as the papists do in sprinckling holy water in baptising their bels as conjurers do in their charmes yet this cannot make true baptisme but rather is a most notable profanatioÌ„ of the holy Scripture even as it is profaned in ther Sermons dayly worship performed by them I affirme therfor againe againe that the baptisme receaved in the false Church is none of the L. ordinance but antichr devise essentially corrupted in matter forme end or vse therfor wholly to be rejected with the oynting breathing crossing c. Heer you endevour to prove that Israel was a false Church bicause it Seperated from Iudah bicause they joyned together in a new Church communion vnder a false ministery worship became a harlot wherto I answer that so was Iudah a false Ch when they worshipped Idols vnder every greeÌ„ tree in the high places if you so vnderstand a false Church viz meetings or companyes of men assembled together in a wrong place to a wrong worship vnder a wrong Preisthood I yeeld Israel so to be a false Church but I deny that to be the true definition of a false Chu for a false Church is contrary to a true Church now a true Church is descerned in the true causes essential so a false Church is known by the want of those true causes essential the true essential causes of the Chu of the old Test was the posterity of Abrah or proselytes circumcised the want of these things only made a false Chur So long as the Israelites retained circumcision they were the true carnal constituted Church of the old Test Israel Iudah are called harlots not for that they were a false Church but for the worshipping of God in Idols as before the calves at Dan Bethel or the Idols in Iudah this is plaine enough in the History So that I coÌ„clude against you that Israel was no false Church in the constitutioÌ„ but had a true matter forme viz circuÌ„cised Israelites though vnder a false ministery worship government as I have already shewed in the former treatise Lastly you bring vs in a double respect or consideration of members of the Chur. of Antich 1. as they are members of those false Chu 2. as they are the children of beleeving progenitors who receaved the covenant for themselves their posterity in 〈◊〉 first respect they are not vnder the covenaÌ„t or seale therof in the second respect they are vnder both for the Fathers sake Rom. 11.28 so their repentance shal serve their turne when they come to the true Church without rebaptising I aÌ„swer divers things first I do not deny but that meÌ„ may be coÌ„sidered two waies visibly as members of Antich body invisibly as aperteyning to the L. election that is the meaning of the A p. Rom. 11.28 but I deny that hence it foloweth that when they come from their invisible being in Ch. to a visible being in the true visible Chu they shal enter in any way but by the dore which is baptisme For wheras you intimate that a man being invisibly elect beloved of God invisibly having thâ—se to the covenant holy things of God may therevppon first visibly enter into the false Chu by false baptisme then vppon his repentance come to the true Chu enter therinto not by baptisme but that the dore of Antich Chur. shal open him the way into Chr. Church long before he come into Chr. Church wheras I say you intimate vnto vs so much you do herby teach contrary to our Saviour Chr. who saith that we must goe in by the dore not climb vp by the window that wee must first bee taught made Disc theÌ„ baptized into Chr. but you in the Kingdom of Antic are first baptized falsely then made Disciples flat contrary to Christs commaundem Secondly I say that no man is vnder the covenant or vnder baptisme for the pareÌ„ts sake that is not the meaning of the Ap. Ro. 11.28 but his meaning is that the elect of the Israelites are beloved for the promise God made to Abrah Isaac Iacob in respect of Chr not for that the children shal be pertakers of that covenant bicause of their parents faith or bicause of Gods covenant made with the parents ther carnal infants but bicause the L. elected them predestinated them in Chr. to life salvation invisibly therfor I do confidently deny you are never able to prove that the carnal infants are actually possessed of the everlasting covenant God made with Abrah for their parents sakes do you indeed think that God loveth any man for an other mans sake or do you think that God loveth not al men of his meer mercy or for Chr. sake neither is it the carnal line that is beloved of God for his mercy sake or for Chr sake but it is the Spiritual line of Abrah the faithful onely elect that are beloved for the â—â—hers that is for the covenant made with Abrah Isaac Iacob our Fathers in the faith so it is true that God loveth men in the false Chu of An. for Abrah Isaac Iacob that is for his
the rudimentes off the VVorld vnder the carnal Testament or covenant Gallat 4.24.25 our Spirituall Church in the matter forme thereof is by Spirituall Genealogie that is the Genealogie of the Fayth of Abraham the Father of vs all vnder the Spirituall New Testament Gallat 3.7.9.14 Roman 4.10.11 Their parents in the carnall Church was carnall Abraham carnall Hagar all their carnall parents who according to the Flesh with carnall seed begate carnall Ismaell the type of the carnal Israelites our parents in our Spiritual Church is Abrah Spiritual al our Spiritual parents who by the word of God by faith begat Spiritual Isaac the type of the children of promise after whose manner we are Gal. 4 22-28 Rom. 4 19-21 Heb. 11.11.12 1. Pet. 1.23 Their ministery was a carnal ministery by carnal genealogie of the line of Aaron Sacrificing Preists our ministery is by Spiritual genealogie of the election of the true Church that is Spiritual Thus if you would compare the Type the Truth together you should easily discerne the sandy Fondation of your false Church ruinated your false baptisme quite abandoned who continue a Church by succession of a carnall line a baptisme by succession vppon the carnall Line through Popery VVhereas the true Church is onely by the Spirituall Line of Fayth true baptisme by the Spirituall succession vppon that Spirituall Line of Faythfull men confessing their Fayth their sinnes which was typed by that carnal Line of the Old Testament you therefore that introduce a carnal Line into the Church to bee baptized viz all your Children according to the Flesh that by succession fetch baptisme vppon that carnal Line through the Church of Rome into your Church following the president of the Old Testament in that carnal circumcision by succession of Genealogie doe therein vnawares make Rome a true Church your selves Schismatiques set vp Iudaisme in the New Testament so are fallen from Christ are become a new second image of the Beast never heard of before in the VVorld For such are you of the Seperation This being premised as a ground which I earnestly in treat you even in my best love vnto you al the Seperation especialy the leaders of them well to weigh ponder not to be ashamed to learne of their inferiors juniors I come to āswer the exceptions which you take at my first Argument The summe of your exception is this That seing wee are the posterity of baptized persons the Iewes Gentiles in the Apostles tymes were not so Therefore wee need not assume baptisme in our entrance into the Church which wee had in our Apostacy but wee may enter into the Church without rebaptizing as the Apostate Israelites did without recircumcising so we must not in the new Test be framed according to the paterne taught in the new Test in entering in by baptisme but according to the paterne of the old Testam the Apostate Israelites therein c. I answer divers things First I say that the New Testament is as sufficient for the direction of al the affaires occasions that befall in the tyme of the New Testament as the Old Testament was for the occurrences that befell vnder the Old Testament Seing Christ is as Faythful as Moses the New Testament as perfect as the Old Gal. 3.15 therefore if the Lord had intended to put a difference betwixt the Apostolique constitution of Churches our constituting of them in respect of the persons to be admitted into the Church in respect of baptiting not baptising or rebaptising of them he could would have done it but seing it is not done in the New Testament but left in silence seing the New Testament of Chr. is perfect sealed with his blood you that put this difference add to the new Testament bring in a new Christ a new covenant a new Gospel a new Church new baptisme wo be to them that ad to the word Rev. 22.18 as they were accursed that added to the old Test Deut. 4.2 12.32 So much more shal they be subject to the cause that add to the new Test of Chr. Heb. 12.25 in this respect ther for your answer is insufficient Secondly I affirme that as the Holy Ghost saith the Antichristians are in condition equall to Pagans therefore as I have said they are not called Israelites or Samaritanes but Babylonians Egyptians Sodomites Gentills but the Holy Ghost knoweth what how to speak And therefore as the Babylonians Egyptians Sodomites Gentils washings were nothing no more is the baptisme of Antichristians any thing For the Holy Ghost foreseeing that the Antichristians would abolish the true baptisme of Christ by baptising infants so by admitting into the Church the carnal seed of the Flesh would disanul that Holy ordinance of baptisme so abolish the true constitution of the Church in heavenly wisdom for our instruction calleth persons Apostating from the true constitution of the Church Babylonians Egyptians Sodomites Gentils therby teaching vs that he esteemeth no otherwise of their Church or baptisme then of the Synagogues of Babylon then of the washings of Egypt then of the worship of Sodom the Pagans these comparisons will fit you well against the assemblies Temples of Antichrist and I know no reason that they thould not fitt vs aswell against your Babylonish Egyptians Sodomitish and Paganish washings of infants which which though it bee done into the name of Chr. yet is no more avayleable in the Holy Ghosts testimony then washing of Pagans Babylonians Egyptians Sodomies Children Thirdly wheras you say that repayring the Church now after the Apostacy of Antichr is a fitter speech then constituting herein do you both taxe your selves off the vse of that word constitution plainly signifie that you incline to maintain the Churches of England Rome to be true Churches wherin whither you doe not forsake your first faith turne with the dog to the vomit look you vnto it let al indifferent men judg but your writings are against you sufficient witnesses in this case Fourthly I say that the Iewes that were converted to the Faith new Testament of Chr. by Chr. Iohn the Apostles in your account were in a far better estate thē Antichr For they as you say were of the same body with the Church of the New Testament their circumcision was a seale of the new Testament as you say they were in Chr. Iesus as you say were washed I doubt not many of them into the Messias whose blood they typically saw in their manifold baptismes purifications with water al of thē had been partakers of the word Sacraments in the Chur. of the Iewes why might not they by Christ Iohn or the Apo. be admitted into the Church without baptisme if therfor Chr. Iohn the Apo. would needes baptize them so by baptisme constitute them