have baptized you with water and he will baptize you with the holy Ghost And in the 19. of the Rev. 21. ver it is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is word for word they were slain in the sword yet must it be translated they were slain with the sword not in the sword Notwithstanding I grant that Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the river and that such baptisme of men especially in the hotter climates hath been is and may lawfully be used yet there is no proof at all of dipping or plunging but only washing in the river But the question is whether no other baptizing is lawfull or whether dipping in rivers be so necessarie to baptisme that none are accounted baptized but those who are dipt after such a manner this we say is false neither do any of the texts alledged prove it It is true dipping is a kind of baptizing but all baptizing is not dipping The Apostles were baptized with fire yet were they not dipt into it tables and beds are said in the originall to be baptized that is washed yet not dipt The Israelites in the wildernesse were baptized with the cloud yet not dipt into it the children of Zebedee were to be baptized with the baptisme of blood wherewith our Saviour was baptized yet neither he nor they were dipt into blood Lastly all the fathers speak of the baptisme of tears wherewith all penitents are washed yet there is no dipping in such a baptisme As for the representation of the death and resurrection that is not properly the inward grace signified by baptisme but the washing the soul in the laver of regeneration and cleansing us from our sins However in the manner of baptisme as it is administred in the church of England there is a resemblance of death and the resurrection For though the child he not alwayes dipped into the water as the rubrick prescribeth save only in case of necessitie which would be dangerous in cold weather especially if the child be weak and sickly yet the Minister dippeth his hand into the water and plucketh it out when he baptizeth the infant The second error of the Anabaptists which A. R. strenuously propugneth is their decrying down paedo baptisme and with-holding Christs lambs from being bathed in the sacred Font. This foul error or rather heresie for it is condemned for such both by the primitive and the reformed churches he endeavoureth to blanch in part if not to quite clear from all aspersion and justifie by four arguments which I will propound in his own words that he may not say I shoot his arrows without their heads the first I find p. 27. PART I. The administration of baptisme which hath no expresse command in Scripture and which overthrows or prevents that administration of baptisme which is expressely commanded in Scripture is a meer device of mans brain and no baptisme of Christ. But the administration of baptisme upon infants hath no expresse command in Scripture and it overthrows or prevents the administration of baptisme upon disciples or beleevers which is expressely commanded in Scripture Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 4. 1. 2. Act. 2. 38. and 8. 37. Therefore the administration of baptisme upon infants is a meer device of mans brain and no baptisme of Christ. This argument stands as it were upon two legs and both of them are lame the one is that nothing may be done in the worship of God without expresse command in Scripture This is an ignorant and erroneous assertion For first there is no expresse precept in Scripture for beleeving and acknowledging in terminis three Persons in the unitie of the deitie and yet Athanasius faith in his Creed that whosoever beleeveth not and worshipeth not the Trinitie in unitie and unitie in Trinitie shall perish everlastingly Secondly there is no expresse command in Scripture to confesse the holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son tanquam distinctis personis yet it is not only an article of religion in the church of England but also set down in the confession of the Anabaptists lately printed Thirdly there is no expresse precept for the abrogating of the Jewish sabbath and religious observing the Christian yet no Anabaptists hold themselvs bound to keep holy the Saturday or Jewish sabbath neither have they yet to my knowledge oppugned the observation of the Lords day Fourthly there is no expresse precept in Scripture for womens receiving the sacrament of the Lords Supper For though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup is a common name to both sexes yet the Apostle useth the masculine article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so there is no expresse command but for men yet no sectaries upon record no not the Anabaptists themselvs exclude women from the holy Communion Fifthly there is no expresse precept for re-baptizing those who in their infancie were baptized by a lawfull minister according to the form prescribed by our Saviour in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost nay rather there is an expresse prohibition in the words of the Apostle one faith one baptisme and in that clause of the Nicen Creed I beleeve one baptisme for the remission of sins yet re-baptizing is a prime article of the faith of this sect from whence they take their very name of Anabaptists that is re-baptizers If A. R. here will stretch expresse precept to any thing that is commanded in Scripture either immediatly or mediatly either in particular or in generall either in plain or direct tearms or in the true sense of the text so I grant all the four former orthodox tenets may be proved by Scripture And so also I have before proved the lawfulnesse of baptizing children though there be no expresse Scripture for it intormini◠The other leg also upon which his argument standeth is as lame as the former For the baptisme of infants no way over-throws or prevents the baptizing of any disciples or beleevers instructed in the mysteries of salvation of whom the texts alledged are meant but there-baptizing of such who were before baptized in their infancie which re-baptizing is no where commanded in Scriptures and as if all nations were converted to the Christian faith there needed no more conversion so if all were admitted to the church by baptisme in their infancie they should need no other admission by re-baptizing them but there will be alwayes some to be converted till the fulnesse of the Iews and Gentiles also is come in and till then there will be use of that precept of our Saviour Mat. 28. Go teach all nations baptizing them the second Argument of his against paedo-baptisme PART 2. The second I find p. 20. If they ground the baptizing children from
the institution of circumcision then they ought to observe it in everie thing and baptize males only and that precisely on the eighth day ANSWER This argument is fallacious and childish called in the schools fallacia accidentis as when a Sophister argueth on this wise If thou didst eat that which thou boughtest in the market thou didst eat raw flesh but thou confessest thou didst eat what thou bought'st therefore by thine own confession thou didst eat raw flesh The argument is captious and fallacious wherein the Sophister subtily argueth from the subject to the accident from the substance to the circumstance it is true he ate what he bought in substance or kind were it flesh or fish but not in what qualitie or condition he bought it for he bought it raw he are it rost or boyl'd in like manner M. Bradbourn fallaciously argued before the High Commission for the observation of the Saturday or Jewish sabbath What the Iews were commanded in the â—ourth commandement that we Christians are bound to perform But the Iews were commanded to keep holy the seventh day from the Creation therefore we Christians are bound to keep that day In this syllogisme as the former there is fallacia accidentis For the Sophister as I noted before argueth from the substance to the circumstance from the same day specie to the same day numero in the week It is true we Christians are bound by vertue of that command to appoynt a certain day for the publike service of God and no lesse then one in seven or a seventh day every week yet are we not bound precisely to keep that seventh day viz. from the Creation which they did The Quartodecimani used a like Sophisme if our Easter succeed the Jewish passe-over then we ought to keep the fourteenth day precisely as the Iews do But our Christian Easter doth succeed the Jewish passe-over therefore Christians ought to keep their feast of Easter precisely on the fourth day of the month whether it fell on the first day of the week or not In like manner A. R. argueth If baptisme succeed circumcision then all children ought to be baptized on the eighth day this will not follow no more then that children ought to be baptized in the same part where they were circumcised The answer is very easie the one sacrament is to succeed the other in substance but not in each circumstance their circumcision was expressely confined to the males and to the eighth day so is not baptisme Only it will follow that because circumcision was administred to the infant as soon as it was capable thereof or could receive the sacrament without danger therefore children ought to be baptized as soon as conveniently they may And this is agreeable to the resolution of S. Cypr. 1400. years ago in his Epistle to Fidus and of a Councell held at Africk in his dayes The third argument I find p. 25. None may be warrantably baptized untill they do manifest and declare their faith by profession thereof this is apparant by the doctrine and practise First of Iohn Mat. 3. 6. 89. Mar. 1. 4. Secondly of Christ and his Apostles Ioh. 3. 22. compared with the 4. 1. 2. Act. 2. 20. 41. and 8. 36. 37. and thirdly by the tenor of the commission Mat. 28. 29. Mar. 16. 15. 16. ANSWER Though the sinews of this Argument have been cut before and the texts alledged answered yet for the further satisfaction of the reader I further adde First that none are required to manifest and declare their faith before baptisme but such who have been taught and have use both of reason and speech For the rule of the schools nemo tenetur ad impossibile holdeth in all sacramentall acts as well as others neither can they hence infer that children therefore ought not to be baptized because they can make no declaration of their faith no more then it will follow that children ought not to eat because they cannot labour for their living For though the Apostles rule be generall Let him not eat that will not labour yet all agree it must be understood of such as are able to labour so likewise all the texts of Scripture which require confession of faith must be understood of such who have the use of reason and of the tongue wherewith they may confesse Secondly children make profession of their faith and repentance both at their baptisme by their sureties and if they live to years of discretion in their own persons PART 2. The last argument I find p. 30. The administration of baptisme which over-throws the vese nature of the covenant of grace and whole Gospell of Christ is Anti-christian and abominable But the administration of baptisme upon infants doth so because it stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the covenat by naturall generation only or by the meer profession of faith in the parents or sureties without faith in their own persons whereby faith is made void and the promise which is the Gospell and object of faith is also made of none effect and so the preaching thereof becomes uselesse and vain also Rom. 4. 14. Therefore the administration of baptisme upon infants is Anti-christian and abominable ANSWER Here is thunder without lightning thundering in the conclusion the baptisme of infants is anti-christian abominable but no lightning in the premises no proof at all that the christening children overthroweth the nature of the covenant of grace the whole Gospell of Christ. For that which is built upon the covenant of grace to wit I will be thy God and the God of thy seed and is nothing else but the setling to the seal of the covenant of grace upon pre-supposition of faith present or future in the person of him that is baptized can be no over-throwing of that covenant but a confirmation and establishing it rather If we taught that children were heirs of the covenant by the law then as the Apostle teacheth us we should make faith void and the promise of none effect But now sith we teach that Abraham the father of the faithfull and all his seed are heirs of the kingdom of heaven not through the law but through the righteousnesse of faith we confirm the covenant of faith and in the christening of children accomplish the promise Act. 2. 39. The promise is to you and your children and to those that are afar off and to as many as the Lord shall call by the ministerie of the Gospell into his church Yea but saith he the administration of baptisme upon infants stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the covenant by naturall generation only or by the meer profession of faith in their parents and sureties without faith in their persons This is a false charge we teach no such thing but that children have interest in the covenant by vertue of Gods promise above mentioned and not without faith in their own persons as without may signifie the
Apostles without a precept doth not necessarily binde the Church as may be proved by many instances for Christ washed his disciples feet before his supper and he administred it at night and to twelve men onely and no women yet we are not bound so to do In the Apostles dayes widows were maintained to serve the Church at the publike charge yet we are not bound to have such Likewise the first Christians sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men and lived together and had all things common Acts 2. 44. yet are not we obliged so to do Secondly The reason is not alike at the beginning Christians had no Churches nor Fonts in them and therefore they were constrained to Baptize in such places where were store of waters besides the climat of Iudea is far better then ours and men in riper yeers that were converted to the Christian Faith were Baptized in great multitudes and they might without any danger go into the Rivers and be Baptized after such a manner but now the Gospel having been long planted in these parts we have seldome any Baptized but children who cannot without danger to their health be Dipt and plunged over head and ears in the Font or Rivers especially if they be infirm children and the season very cold and the air sharp and piercing Lastly They urge the custome of many ancient Churches in which a three-fold Dipping was used and if they Dipt those that were Baptized three times it should seem they thought Dipping very necessary But we answere First that what those Ancients did they had no precept for it and if they follow some of the Ancients in Dipping the Baptized why do they not follow the example of all the ancient Churches in Christening children Secondly Those ancient Churches which used the trina immeâ—sio they speak of did it for this end To expresse the three Persons which may as well be done by thrice sprinkling or washing the Baptized as well as thrice Dipping But the truth is that neither is requisite because the Trinity is sufficiently expressed in the very form of Baptisme when the Minister saith I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Thirdly We answer with the Apostle That though some of the Ancients had such a custome for a time yet now we have no such custome neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. ARTICLE II. Concerning the baptizing of children ANABAPTIST NOne ought to be Baptized but those that professe repentance and faith and consequently no children ought to be Christened THE REFUTATION The children of such parents as professe Christian religion and are members of the visible church sith they are comprised within Gods covenant made to the faithfull children of Abraham and their seed may and ought to receive the seal of that covenant which was Circumcision under the law but now is Baptisme which I prove ARGUMENT I. That which extends to all nations belongeth to children as well as men for children are a great part if not the half of all nations But Christs command of Baptizing extendeth to all nations Matth. 28. 19. Go therefore teach all nations baptizing them and Mark 15. 16. Preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Ergo Christs command of Baptizing belongeth to children and they ought to be baptized as well as men ANABAPTISTS ANSWER Christs command extends onely to such as are capable of teaching and instruction which children in their infancy are not for Christ saith Teach all uations baptizing them REPLY First the words of onr Saviour are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is make disciples and though children in their non-age cannot be taught yet they may be made Christs disciples by being admitted into his school their parents giving their names to Christ both for themselves and their families And in Christs precept teaching doth not goe before but follow Baptizing ver 20. teaching them to observe all things c. which is punctually observed in the children of the faithfull who after they are Baptized when they come to yeers of discretion are taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded Secondly Though children in their infancy are not capable of teaching or instruction because therein they must be active both by apprehending what is delivered to them and assenting to the truth thereof yet are they capable of Baptisme wherein they are meerly passive being washed in the Name of the Trinity prayed for and blessed and received into Christs congregation this may fitly be illustrated by Circumcision which by the command of God was to be administred to children at the eighth day though then they were no way capable of teaching or instruction in the Spirituall meaning of that outward signe made in their flesh and our Argument drawn from the analogie of Baptisme and Circumcision may be truly called in regard of the Anabaptists pons asinorum a bridge which these asses could never passe over for to this day they could never not hereafter will be able to yeeld a reason why the children of the faithfull under the Gospel are not as capable of Baptisme as they under the Law of Circumcision If they alleadge that these cannot be taught being but sucklings neither could they If they alleadge that these know not what is done unto them nor have any sense at all of the Sacrament neither had they save that they felt the pain of the knife as these do the coldnesse of the water and often shed tears at their Christening as the others did at their Circumcising If it be further said That they were of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh it may be truly rejoyned that these are of the seed of Abraham according to promise and his children as he is the father of the faithfull and so they have the better title of the two Thirdly It is no way safe to defer Baptisme till riper yeers for by this means millions of children might go out of this world without the ordinary means of their salvation which were an unsufferable if not a damnable abuse for though we like not of that rigid opinion of the schools ascribed to S. Augustine who in that regard was stiled durus pater infantum that children dying unbaptized are necessarily damned yet we must take heed of declining to the other extream in denying Baptisme to be the ordinary means of salvation for them and thereby slighting our Lords precept It is true God is not tied to his own Ordinance he may and in charitie we beleeve doth save thousands of the children of the faithfull who are still-born or dye before baptisme neither will he punish the child for that which it is no way guiltie of yet Gods ordinance ties us and the parents and governours are guiltie of a hainous crime before God who in contempt of Christs command or
those duties of not resisting evill nor revenging our selves and loving our enemies in which the Anabaptists as well as Papists place Evangelicall perfection were required by the law Deut. 32. 35. To me vengeance belongeth and recompence I will repay saith the Lord And Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy hunger feed him if hee thirst give him drinke ARGUMENT II. A holy and divine office can be no derogation to Evangelicall perfection But such is the office of a Magistrate For they are stiled Gods Psalme 82. 1. 6. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the Gods I have said yee are Gods and 2 Chron. 19. 6. 7. You judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment and in the execution of their office they are the Ministers of God both to reward them that doe well and to execute wrath upon them that doe evill Rom. 13. 14. Ergo the execution of the office of a Civill Magistrate can be no derogation to Christian perfection ARGUMENT III. That dignity and power wherewith most holy and religious men and highest in favour have been invested may well stand with Evangelicall perfection But most holy and religious men have been invested with the dignity and power of Magistracie as namely Melchizedec a singular type of Christ Ioseph a man inspired by God and a revealer of his secrets Iob a perfect and upright man Moses the servant of God Ioshuah the Captaine of the Lords Host David a man after Gods own heart Daniel a man beloved of God Iedidiah Hezekiah and Iosiah after whom the Holy Ghost sendeth this testimony Like unto them there were no Kings before them that turned to the Lord with all their heart and all their soule and all their strength according to all the law of Moses nor after them arose any like unto them 2 Kings 23. 25. Ergo the dignity and power of Magistracie may stand with Evangelicall perfection ARGUMENT IV. That which was foretold and promised for a singular blessing to the Christian Church cannot be repugnant to the rules of the Gospell But the government and protection of Kings and their supporting and maintaining the Gospell is foretold and promised as a singular blessing to the Christian Church Psal. 68. 29. Kings shall bring presents unto thee Psalm 72. 9 10 11. They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust the kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents The King of Sheba and Saba shall bring gifts Esay 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens shall bee thy nursing Mothers they shall bow downe to thee with their face towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet Ergo the government and protection of Kings cannot be repugnant to the rule of the Gospell ARGUMENT V. The use of that authority must needs bee a blessing to a land the want whereof is noted by the Holy Ghost and threatned as a great plague fearfull judgement upon a people But the want of a civill Magistrate to sway the sword of justice is noted by the holy Ghost as a great plague and fearfull judgement Iud. 17. 6. 18. 1. 21. 25. Hâ— 3. 4. Ergo the use of the Civill Magistrate is a blessing to a land ANABAP ANSWER The people of the Iewes being stiffe-necked and stubborne needed to bee curbed and kept in by the power of the Civill Magistrate but Christians who are meek Lambes need not so REPLY 1 What meek Lambes the Anabaptists have beene it appeareth by Pontanus who relateth that by tumults raised by them in Germany Holsatia and Swethland there were slaughtered within a few yeares no lesse then 150000. 2 It is true that the Jewes were for the most part a stubborn and stiffnecked people and therefore are said by the Prophets to have sinews of iron and I pray God divers Christians at this day have not nerves in their neck of the same metall But yet the Holy Ghost in the places above quoted ascribeth not the great disorders in those dayes to the perverse and froward disposition of that people but to the want of a Soveraigne Magistrate In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every one did that which was right in his owne eyes which words are repeated verbatim c. 21. 25. that we should take speciall notice of them and they imply that whensoever there falls an Interregnum this mischiefe will ensue thereupon that every man will doe that which is right in his own eyes and his lust shall be his law Whence Calvin rightly inferres that the Anabaptists could not take a more ready way to ruine all Empires and Kingdomes and introduce all carnall liberty and villany then by wresting the sword out of the Magistrates hand ARGUMENT VI. Their authority is established by the Gospell to whom all are bound to submit and obey But all Christians are bound to obey the Civill Magistrate Rom. 13. 1. 4. 5. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13 14 15. Ergo the authority of the Magistrate is established by the Gospell ANABAP ANSVVER The Magistrates that then were were Infidels and Heathen to whom the Christians could not with a good conscience obey because they made many cruell edicts against the Christian faith the meaning therefore of the Apostle can be no other then that we should yeild them passive obedience REPLY Saint Augustine rightly distinguisheth between Dominum temporalem and Dominum aeternum the souldiers under Iulian the Apostata when the Emperour commanded them to advance in Battaile against the Persian they executed his commands and acquitted themselves valiantly against their enemy but when he commanded them to offer sacrifice to his Idols they preferred their Eternall Lord before their Temporall and absolutely refused to doe it In like manner all good Christians can put a difference between Civill Religious commands such things as appertaine to the government of the State and such things as belong to the immediate service of God In the former they yeild their obedience even to heathen Magistrates for God in the latter they comply not with them because such their commands are against God Although it bee true that the greatest part of our Christian duty which we owe to wicked Magistrates oppressing and tyrannizing over those that are truly religious making havock of the Church is to submit to their power and glorifie God by our sufferings yet the very Text of the Apostle requires more Tit. 3. 1. not only to bee subject to Principalities and Powers but to obey Magistrates and to bee ready to every good worke namely all such good works as tend to the Peace of the Common-wealth and well managing the affaires of the State If evill Magistrates may not bee resisted much lesse good if wee ought to honour and humbly obey and pay tribute to Princes and Governours that are averse from the Christian faith how much more to religious
of the Gospel both by the Law of God and by the Law of nature vers 7. Who goeth a warfare on his own charge who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock and vers 13. Doe ye not know that those that minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar be partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel He saith not God permitteth or alloweth of it but ordaineth and commandeth it And lest these two strings should not be strong enough to keepe the bow still bent he addeth a third to wit an Apostolical injunction let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Moreover when we read that Abraham and Iacob gave tithes I demand by what Law whether by the Law of nature or the Leviticall or Evangelicall not by vertue of the Leviticall for that Law was not then enacted and by that Law Levi was to receive not pay tithes Yet Levi himselfe in Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedech if they paid it by the Law of nature that bindeth all men if by the Evangelicall Law it bindeth all Christians to pay their tithes towards the maintenance of Melchisedechs Priesthood which endureth for ever And Saint Austine fearfully upon this ground threatneth all those who refuse willingly to pay their tithes that God would reduce them to a tithe and blast all the nine parts of their estate Thirdly I except against the thirty ninth Article viz. that baptisme is an ordinance of the new Testament given by Christ to be dispensed only upon persons professing Faith or that are disciples or taught who upon a profession of Faith ought to be baptized Here they lispe not but speak out plaine their Anabaptisticall doctrine whereby they exclude all the children of the faithfull from the sacrament of entrance into the Church and the only outward meanes of their salvation in that state but the best of their proofes fall short the word only which only can prove this their assertion is not found in any of the texts alledged in the margent nor can the sense of it be collected from thence For though it is most true and evident in the letter of those texts that all Nations that are to be converted and all men in them of yeers of discretion that have been taught the principles of Religion ought to make profession of their Faith before they are baptized as all that came to mens estate among the Jews or proselytes ought both to know and to give their assent to the covenant before they received the seal thereof to wit circumcision yet no such thing was or could be required of children who notwithstanding were circumcised the eight day so by the judgement of all the Christian Churches in the world the children of beleevers who are comprised in the letter of the covenant may receive the seal thereof to wit baptisme though they cannot make profession of their Faith by themselves for the present but others make it for them and in their stead the affirmative is true that all that make profession of their Faith and testifie their unfained repentance are to be baptized but the negative is most false that none are to be baptized who have not before made such profession of their Faith when by reason of their infancie they are not capable to be taught But this hereticall assertion is at large resu'ed by manifold Arguments drawne from Scripture Fathers and reason and all their cavils and evasions exploded Article 2. to which I refer the Reader Fourthly I except against the fortieth Article viz. The way and manner of dispensing of this Ordinance the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body under water it being a signe must answer the things signified which are these 1. The washing of the whole soul in the blood of Christ 2. That interest the Saints have in the death buriall and resurrection of Christ 3. Together with a confirmation of our Faith that as certainly as the body is buried under water and riseth again so certainly shall the bodies of the Saints be raised by the power of Christ in the day of the resurrection to reigne with Christ. This Article is wholly sowred with the new leaven of Anabaptisme I say the new leaven for it cannot be proved that any of the ancient Anabaptists maintained any such position there being three wayes of baptizing either by dipping or washing or sprinkling to which the Scripture alludeth in sundry places the Sacrament is rightly administred by any of the three and whatsoever is here alleadged for dipping we approve of so far as it excludeth not the other two Dipping may be and hath been used in some places trina immersio a threefold dipping but there is no necessity of it it is not essentiall to Baptisme neither doe the Texts in the margent conclude any such thing It is true Iohn baptized Christ in Iordan and Philip baptized the Eunuch in the river but the Text saith not that either the Eunuch or Christ himselfe or any baptized by Iohn or his Disciples or any of Christs Disciples were dipped plunged or dowsed over head and eares as this Article implyeth and our Anabaptists now practise Againe the bare example of Christ and his Apostles without a precept doth not bind the Church and precept there is none for dipping it is certaine Christ and his Apostles celebrated the Communion after Supper and in unleavened bread and with such a gesture as was then in use among the Jewes yet because there is no precept in the Gospell for these things no Christian Church at this day precisely observeth those circumstances and therefore dato non concesso that Christ and Saint Iohn or their Disciples used dipping in Baptisme it will not follow that we ought to baptize in the like and no other manner Besides it ought to be noted that in the beginning Christians had no Churches nor Fonts in them and there being many hundreds nay thousands often to be baptized together there was a kind of necessity that this Sacrament should be administred in rivers or such places where were store of waters as there were in Enon neare Salem where John baptized But now the Church hath better provided there being Christian Oratories every where and Fonts in them most convenient for this purpose whereunto I shall need to adde here no more having fully handled this point both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the discussion of the first Article Fiftly I except against the 41. Article viz. The persons designed by Christ to dispence this ordinance the Scripture hold forth to be a preaching Disciple it being no where tyed to a particular Church Officer or Person If the eye be