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B09923
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An epistle concerning baptism. [occai]sionally written upon the sight [of] two treatises published by Thomas James father of a Presbyterian congre[ga]tion at Ashford in Kent : who [ha]th reflected upon the baptized [C]hristians / [by] [W]illiam Russell.
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Russel, William.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing R2357B; ESTC R187283
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23,383
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34
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peteret baptisnum intelligeret quid sit baptizari None of old Time were wont to be baptized but in a grown Age and who desired it themselves and understood what it was to be baptized Erasmus in his Annotations on the Eâistle to the Romans affirms That baptizing of Children was not in use in Paul's Time And Dr. Field in his learned Treatise of the Church pag. 729. affirms That many very antiently who were born of Christian Parents put off their Baptism a long Time insomuch as some were elected Bishops before they were baptized As we read saith he of Aââbrose c. The Learned Bossuet speaking of the manner of administring Baptism saith We never read in the Scripture that any were baptized otherwise than by Immersion And we are able to prove from the Acts of Councils and antient Rituals that every-where in the whole Church throughout the World for the space of 1300 Years Baptism was never administred but by Dipping except only in Cases of Necessity And Bellarmine saith Infant-Baptism is called an Apostolical Tradition not written because it is not found written in any Apostolical Book Tom. 1. lib. 4. cap. 2. Where by the way I shall note That if a Man of his Parts and Learning could not find it there I believe others will have as little Success in their search after it And it had been his Interest to have proved it from Scripture as much as any because ãâã say a greater stress upon ãâã than ãâã and these of his Religion for they assert it to be necessary ãâã ââation Let Mr. Jaââ know we do not bring the Testimonies of Hurâ he Writers because we think the Holy Scriptures ãâã to justify our Cause For I may say with Tertullian Lib. contra Hermogenem Adoro Scripturae pleâitudiââ c. I adore the Fuluess of the Scripture let âââgexes shew that it is written But to satisfy the World that we are not singular in our Judgments about these Matters as also to obviate an Objection of your Pastor who tells us in his last Trease Pag. 20 That at the rate some Baptists write and ãâã report the Words of the Learned they would perâââ swade silly People all the Learned Men were almost ãâã Anabaptists and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã self-condemned being ãâã as they are in Opinion though of a contrary Practice I answer That although they are of a contrary Practice I hope that can be no Bar to us from reciting their words in favour of our Opinion For Firmum est ãâã prohationis quod ab ipso adversario sumitur ut veritas ãâã ipsis inimicis veritatis probetur It is a forcible kind of Proof which is taken from the Adversary himself when âe Truth is proved from them that oppose the Truth ând I have herein followed the Counsel of Lactantius ãâã 1. c. 6. Eos suorum Testimouiââ revincere c. To convince âhem by their own Testimonies which is the strongest Conviction that may be As it is truly said by Chrysostom Tunc illos maxime revinââus cum suorum in eos dicta retorquemus We do most ârcibly convince them when we can retort their own âyings against them And therefore as Lactantius de vera sapientia cap. 12. faith Satis firmum Testimonium ad probandum veritatem quod ab ipsis perhibetur inimieis That is a sound Argument for the proving of the Truth which is setched from the Enemies of the Truth Yea suppose it were but weak in it self yet it hath great weight against him that brings it For as the Roman Orator observes in the like Case Tuum Testimonium quod in alienare leve est in tua quoniam contra te est gravissinum esse debet Thy Testimony which is but light and frivolous in another Man's Cause yet is weighty in thine own when it is against thy self Now I fancy that the Reason why Mr. James would not have us urge the Testimonies of the Learned for fear of shewing how contradictory some of their Opinions have been to their Practices is lest in so doing he also should be found to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã condemned of himself and that in many places of his Book particularly when he brings a Poet to prove that Christ was not baptized by Dipping And in Pag. 20. he saith I would fain know who can prove our Lord Jesus Christ was dipped or plunged in his Baptism or any of those baptized Ones spoken of in the New Testament were so dipped or plunged I will give you the Opinion of some Learned Men upon it in this very Place altho I have said sufficient to it elsewhere and then shew you how Mr. James is condemned by his own Pen. Now if any one saith Maldonate ask why the Evangelists use the Word of Ascending c. It was because Christ ascended or went up out of the Water in the which he had been dipt or drowned Lucas Brugensis saith upon the Place Matth. 3.16 Christ descended into the River after the manner oâ others that were baptized as deep as his Thighs oâ his Navel for the rest of his Body was dipt by Johâ and not sprinkled only with Water And the Learned Cajetan tells us upon the Place Christ ascended out of the Water therefore Christ was baptized by John not by Sprinkling nor by pouring Wateâ upon him but by Immersion that is by dipping oâ plunging in the Water Many more Testimonies might be brought from Men ãâã use Rantism instead of Baptism but that I have alââ exceeded my first Intention But I shall now shew ãâã that Mr. James like the rest of those I have quoââ hath contradicted himself For in the same 20th ãâã of his Book where he vapours so mightily and âenges us to prove that Christ or any others were ââized by Dipping as you have seen above yet preâây he tells us That Baptism was oft performed by âping I gainsay not And in the very next Page he ãâã I do not produce these Testimonies as tho I would ââtain that our Lord Jesus was not dipped It seems ãâã Conscience began to check him whilst he was writâââ And again in Pag. 25. Who speaks against the Antiâity of Dipping I thought Mr. James had But he goes ãâã Dipping there might be in Christ's Time and that the ãâã way of Baptizing Very well then it seems we praââââ the most Antient and the best Way of Baptizing Mr. James's Acknowledgment And himself doth praââââ the contrary and therefore must needs be self-conââed as practising the worst Way especially if he ãâã consider That there is neither Precept nor Precedent ãâã Infant-Sprinkling in all the Word of God But to close this Head I am upon If this be true that ãâã of the Apostles nor first Ministers of the Gospel ãâã ever practise the Sprinkling of Infants there must ãâã some good Reason why they did it not And the best ãâã think of is because Christ had not commanded them ãâã do But on the contrary