blushing at the lives of those men who stiled themselves their successors I have done with the câ—…uses of his heresies and come to his design The design of the Heretick even this Heretick of Hereticks the CCClergy is to propagate his Error and as his grounds are wicked so are his manners in mannaging of them intrat ut vulpes regnat â—…tleo he pretends verity but intends onely vctory that he may reign over the kings and people of the earth and that they might all stoop to his commands directions and under pretence of verity at first he did get victory at last over the whole world so that Pape Oh strange the whole world wondered after him and doted upon him as their Lord God and became slaves in chains to his Priestly will yea as he loved to be supreme and overcome so the lord let him for a time that he might manifest his own power the more in the overcomming him for ever in the end yea power was given him to make war by the beast that bears him even all nations of Christendom which he overcame first against the Saints and to overcome them also and so to be filled with his own inventions he gives out when any disputes against him that his desire is to be satisfyed by disputing and so perhaps he would but t is with riches more then rightousnesse with tith more then truth for in truth he seemes if he must meet with such as charge him with error in his doctâ—…ine of baptism tith forced maintenance forcing conscience as if he would renounce his opinions and practises in these points if any can prove them to be corrupt but seeks onely opportunities to spread his odd opinions of what sc'â—…ism and sacriledge and robbing of God it is if submission be not acted and tithes be not offered to him among the vulgar among whom his Ghostly pretences produce a kind of aweful affrightment and dread of doing any thing against what he saies being resolved before hand never to be convinced of the truth as t is in the word for that overturns him in all his preferment projects and plucks him up from all the profits of his present princely posture which is such a right eye to him that he hath not faith enough to believe that it can possibly be more profitable to him to part with though Christ himself till him tis then to preserve and perish with it His disciples are for the most part not such as the noble Beraeans that would take nothing upon trust from the very Apostles mouths but searched the Scripture dayly whether the things were so or no not onely men but honourable women too not a few but rather meer idle implicit forefather faitht men simple and weak women who try nothing but keep their Church and believe as their Church believes and as their good churchman saies led away with diverse lusts and pleasures leaning onely on their Priests understandings pinning all their Religion upon their sleeves adoring all that their Orthodox divines deliver at a venture ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as t is in the word whose honest ignorant devotions he hath won to himself by his cunning artifice of pretended piety voluntary humility seeming zeal to the truth long prayers or rather multitudes of short prayers and praises Pater Nosters Miserere Meâ—…'s Magnificats Te deums Gloria Patri's per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrums and such like devoutries and being once gained are so carried on with the streme of corrupt custome present fashion foolish affection that no reason in the world can reclaim them he deterreth lay people as much as may be from reading expounding or too much prying into the Scripture alledging unto them the perils they may incur by misinterpretations he hath laid his foundations so firmly in the dark consciences of men women by perswading them of his own infallibity Ecclesiastical Authority his Ius Divinum in the Government and guidance of the Church as here in Britain and even of his Temporal jurisdiction too as at Rome over both heaven and earth hell and purgatory of his power in the agony of mens souls to forgive sin that men and women are becharmed into beleif of him he hath woven himself so far into their credulity that all his sayings are received as oracles all his doings as divine all his traditions as truth it self all his Adminstrations as Apostolical all his doctrines as Orthodox all his Arguments though confessed by himself to be weak as unanswerable and all others Administrations Actions Answers Arguments though never so consentaneous to the true sense of Scripture valued at that price which he sets upon them as if the holy chaire of Papall determination Episcopal Convention Synodical constitution could not possibly be mistaken yea the Scripture it self is but a nose of wax with him of what shape soever the CCClergy casts it into of no more authority then Aesops Fables with the Papists if the Pope say the word so as to disdate digrade it or put any part of it out of commission of no other sense then the Bishops and Synod seem to say is the sense on 't with their good Protestants so altogether Oraculous is the Pope among his the Bishop among his the Presbyter among his and even all the three several CCClergies among their three several sorts of CCCreatures that their different ipse dixits are ipso facto divine directory and discharge enough too for these different doters on them insanire cum ratione to dote to and fro by Authority so as to do and undo and do and undo and do by In a word he is too bold to be born down not so much from such things as mae the righteous witnesses to truâ—…h as bold as Lioâ—…s before God and men viz. the goodnesse of his cause for that is stark naugh and rotten nor the clearnes of his call â—…ther to his Clerical function or any actions he goes about by vertue and in persuance thereof for t is clear enough that his orders emission commission as to the external etymology of them are more from the Pope then Christ and the true Church nor any good answer of a good conscience for either his conscience is so cloudy that he cannot or so cowardly that he dares not or so resolved that he will not see or else so clear that he is condemned of himself wâ—…en tâ—…uth shines plainly upon his face but rather from either his great interest in or directive authority over the civil power that hath long back as well as bellyed him as in England or his having it all in his own hands and dispose as at Rome where â—…e duo gladii both swords are in the Clergyes clutches so that he can quickly correct those that conâ—…radict him he is too clamorous to be silenced calling out with such a heavy noise and divine ditty against the truth and condâ—…ing it with such an
of thus saying that by the Field is meant the Church not the World as we say and Christ himself interprets it in that place Secondly that the servants who ask whether they should pluck up the Tarts yea or no and are bid to let them grow together with the Wheat are not the Civil Magistrates but Christs Disciples who had nothing to doe to pluck them up and â—…o the civil Magistrate may do it no withstanding to this purpose I have been answered when I have askt in way of querie the sense of that place To which I say First that by the Field is most necessarily meant the World and not the Church First Christ so expounds it himself the field saith he is the World but say they the World is oft used to expresse the Church and so may here I reply first I deny that the word world in any one place of Scripture signifies the Church onely it signifies sometimes the fabrick of the Universe Secondly it signifies all man kind good and bad collectively Thirdly sometimes the wicked onely that lie in wickednesse 1 Iohn 1. 13. Iohn 17. abstract and in contradistinction to the godly and the Church but never at all the Church the godly the Elect alone abstract and as in contradistinction to the wicked and though I know how far forth to maintain their absurd doctrines in other cases some Divines divine such a matter yet till they shew more for it then they have ever shewed to me or I am sure can shew out of the word not denying but that there is a number electorum i. e. all that believe and obey Christ exmundo electus their Mundus electorum is haud mundus dialectus Secondly here it cannot be the Church however because it is vox secundae intentionis a speech that is expounded by Christ to be the sense of the other speech of fieâ—…d he used before for if the word world were ever used for the Church it must be by a figure synechdoche whereby a smal snip of it is signified by the whole and then Christ speaks figuratively again in his Exposition of the other figurative word field which were incertum per incertum to open one paraboricall ex pression by another as paraboricall as that which who can think Christ did to his Disciples to whom his intent was to speak more plain that they might understand him but understand him they could not well if while he spake figuratively at first he did not speak properly at last however for whereas he had told them the field was the World they had as much need to have asked again what the world was if they could not think he meant plainly as he said Thirdly the Church is exprest usually by the name of Christ's Garden Vineyard c. which are places more peculiar and sequestred as Cant. 4. 12. 16. Isaiah 5. 6. Ez. 15. and the world or part without the Church by the name of Field Forrest c. wherein Tares wild bores briars thornes as well as wheat and Saints may live Fourthly if by Field and World here is meant the Church then t will follow that sith the Tares i. e. false Worshippers Hereticks Antichristians are bid to be let alone untill the harvest that such as these may be tolerated not in the world or civil state onely with the Church but also in the very Church it self which toleration cannot be for God chides that Church that suffers Iezebel to teach fornication in her and if the P P Priesthood plead for such a Toleration as this as he had need considering how his Church is filled with tares more then he is either able or willing to root out then he is for a tolleration far more intollerable then that we plead for for we would have Hereticks and Schismaticks and Erroneous false worshippers and nominall Christians Antichristians no neerer the Church then in the world with them i. e. the same States Towns houses but not in one and the same Church-fellowship or Congregation but they would have them stand in the Church for which sure Christ gives no permission much lesse a strick Commission as here is that they should But say you Christ does not here mean that they shall stand as if none had to do pluck them up but onely forbids these servants who were his disciples from meddling with them to evâ—…ry of whom he gives not Authority to pass câ—…nsures and punish but some may have Authority for it for all that Some who are those I trow it must be then either the Ministry or the Magistracy not the Ministry for it is far more cleer that by the servants here that took notice of the tares to the housholder is meant the servants of Christ in the office of Ministers that would fain have been meddling as the false Ministry ever does to root 〈◊〉 all both out of Church and world too that is not of institution by Christ in their opinion and such a spirit may too much shew it self in the true too see the like Spirit in his own disciples the first Ministers Luke 9. 54. 55. Mat. 15. 12. 13 14. for which Christ gives them a check and tells them they knew noâ—… what spirit they were of and bids them let the false plants alone to the heavenly Father to pluck up in his time saying let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind and will both in due time fall into the ditch t is far more clear I say that t is his Ministry he here forbids then common disciples for why should not their Ministry complain of them as well as they yet he bids these let them alone which shewes too that t is the World and not the Church they are to stand in for it belongs properly enough and primarily to the Ministers with consent of the Church executively to passe the censure of putting them out of the Church Secondly not the Magistracy for if it were the Church as they say it is how miserably do they mope and yet so the Priest does that make him the highest officer in the Church to cast persons out of the Church who is though the highest officer over the Church and World too yet in truth no Church officer or Minister in the Chuch qua Church at all Besides lastly which puts all out of doubt the prohibition is to all men as well as some and sounds forth the mind of Christ to be that the tares shall stand in the Field till the harvest and not be pluckt up by any at all but stand till the harvest they cannot according to his will if according to his will either Magistrate or Minister might pluck them up out of the field what field ere t is that is here spoken of his will is not only that such shall not pluck them up but that they shall not be pluckt up until the harvest i. e. the end of the world till he sends his Angels to gather the tares all
and ride back at least a little way toward Rome or do you hold as some Presbyters do your ordination O Independents from the Magistrate if so he was ordained a minister of God in other cases but neither per se nor per alios to ordain and authorize Ministers for Christ Churches yet me thinks I sent you comming somewhat neer that when you propose onely that such shall be declâ—…red right constituted Churches whose Pastor shall be approved by the committee to be able godly and Orthodox which Independeht proposition I hardly know what to make of it is so odd what Sirs does the denomination of a right constituted Church depend upon the Pastors being approved to be able godly and Orthodox a right constituted Church is that which is built upon the foundation or principles of the word of Christ and the Apostles Heb. 6. 1 2. Ephes. 2. some of which you Independents yet want but go on in your light for me till you see it darknesse I can speak but obiter to you here yet know that if you settle not upon all the foundation even your Church will be a come down castle too ere long a right constituted church is that which hath right matter viz. baptized professors â—…right â—…cim i. e. free fellowship of such togetâ—…er in one body in breaking of bread and prayers whether they have yet a Pastor over them yea or no for the churches were rightly constituted first and had elders after ordained among them as they were found gifted yet with you the church that hath no Pastor and he not approved Orthodox is yet not to be declared a right constituted church what if the Pastor prove Heterodox does the church looâ—…e its true constitution or I would I knew what you mean by constitution for perhaps I do noâ—… and why do you talk in singulari so much of the Pastor and Pastor of a Church as if you were of the miâ—…d that a church might have no more Pastors and Overseers over it but one whereas tâ—…s most evident that there may be more Elders Pastors Overseers these are all one 1 Pet. 5. 1. in one Church and that not without need neither when that one flock or congregation grows numerous for then they oft grow out of the observation too much of one eye see Act. 20. Paul sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus whether any Church ever had but one Pastor or Overseer in it or no if any at all I know not but I am sure the use was to ordain more then oâ—…e to one Church Act. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. but one cannot Lord it so well if others be i th traces with him but however why must all this business of declaring which be right constituted Churches Orthodox Pastors which not hang upon the Committees approving or not approving of the Pastors what if the Committee should chance to be Heterodox it self or the Major part of it or the Major part sitting at that time when this Pastor comes for approbation what shall a true constituted Church lose or keep her name of a true constituted Church at a venture upon the vote of a Committee and what need at all that the Committees be so cumbered with the care of such affairs and what vanity to venture the determination of which be true Churches of Christ which the Scripture declares plain enough whether the Committee see it yea or no upon the verdit of a Committee to whom other affairs are most properly committed let all the Churches come before the Committee and all people declare their ways and their God and he whom the Committee saies is God let him be God and not the rest will you have it sâ—… if you will I will not take truth upon trust from the vote of any Committee man under the Sun and if you would not have it so you were better never trouble Committees with such matters at all then not commit them finally to them so as to agree to act at a venture as they determine in matters meerly of Religion and that the true Churches of Christ who know no King but Jesus in church and conscience will never do but prove themselves to be true constituted churches of Christ and preach the Gospell too as it is in Iesus where ere they 〈◊〉 people ignorant of it whether they will hear or forbear though all the Com mittees yea and all the Kings and Popes and Priests and People in the world should declarâ—… against them Beloved Friends me thinks you look too like a national Ministry to be of the right stamp yet I had hoped Independents would never have turned State Ministers and have lookt so much after State honour State help State approbaâ—… State preferment State Maintenance for ministering to either their Churches or to the purblind nation as I see they do but Sirs if you be true constituted Churches of Christ indeed I do not say you are nor is it my businâ—…sse here to prove you are not though you are not till you own his baptism but if you be as you imagine you are know that Christ hath set in his Church Aâ—…stles or Messengers to be sent forth not by the State but by the Church it 〈◊〉 â—…o preach his Gospel to the world at the Churches and not the worlds charges and 〈◊〉 preach the Gospel to the Parishes without pilling the poor parish people â—…king way for the Gospâ—…l and the truth by force and law whether they be free to have it to buy and receive it on such terms as you tender it on yea or no therefore send forth and maintain your messengers among your selves you are rich enough and let them preach the Gospel to them gather Churches but alas now I think out how can they preach the Gospel by the halves and gather true constituted Churches that yet own not as ye O Independents yet do not all the principles of the oracles of God nor all the first doctrines of Christ as that of baptismâ—… laying on of hands upon which together with the rest the true visible Church stands as on her foundation and are yet not onely unbaptized but unwilling to be baptized or to baptize with any other baptism then that Rantism that ran down hither through Rome You propound that when any of the Pastors of right constituted Churches dye or leave them to take up some other imployment they choose and present another Pastor within six moneths and may have one settled among them within 12 moneths by approbation from the said Committe or to dissolve or disperse themselves into other Churches Good Sirs what mean you by this shall the Parliament and their Committees never have their liberty to attend onely and perfectly the true liberties of the subject nor be at quiet from this wearisome work of approving and setling of ministers that are men mostly so unsetled in their minds that they 'l never if they have such liberty to leave as you
then to each Argument in it's order The Generale praecognitum which I would have you and all men take notice of is this first either that you do not dispute but rather most miserably mis-pute besides the Question as stated between us and the Position you took upon you to prove which was only that Infants of believers are to be baptized as is laid down in the second Proposition pa. 1. for you run on all along in such generall terms viz. Children Infants little ones little infants little children seldome or never naming the term of believing parents which ought of right to have been exprest in every Argument that past you in order to distinction of those Infants whose cause onely you plead whose peculiar right to Baptism you profess to prove from all other Infants viz. of Infidels or unbelievers and this I observe is your manner in all your discourses for when ever you come to dispute this point you state your question still in terms too narrow and such as are no more adaequate to your proofs then to your practise for in your question you dare affirm no further then that such children only as are born of believing pa rents are to be baptized but as your practice over reaches this by far while you dispense your Baptism Rantism to all infants even those of such parents who in your preachings are noted for no believers so in your proofes you overlash as much and shoot far more wide from your Principle and profess'd opinion which is that no infants but those of believers have right to Baptism when yet you huddle over all in such indefinite language as pleads the baptism of all infants as well as some Or else secondly if yee will needs have us to understand you all along as meaning believers infants only in contradistinction to all other infants to whom your selves say baptism at all belongs not then you and all may see how curiously you come off how egregiously your genius hath gull'd you all along for verily if mine own Minerva may be credited by me there 's not one inch of Argument dictated to you nor tittle of consequence brought by you for the evincing the right of the one to baptism viz the Infants of believers but if it tended truely to such a purpose it would tend as truely and undeniably to evince the other viz. the right of baprism to unbelievers Infants also to whom in pretence you deny it as well as we yea I appeal to all rational men in the world to judge whether you have brought one argument in either your Account or Review which may not as well be used though that 's ill enough too on behalf of one of these sorts of Infants as to the clearing their right to baptism as of the other There is but four general heads for all the rest of your proofs are but subordinate to one or other of these from whence you inferr not only that it is lawfull to baptize believers Infants but also that it is wickedness to deny it viz. First The being and appearing of the Holy Spirit to be in Believers Infants Secondly The Deteriorty of the Gospel-Covenant Comparatively to that of the Law if when little infants of the Iews were all circumcised little infants of believing parents may not now be baptized Thirdly the Desperateness or Cruelty that is in the denyall of Baptism to infants of believing parents or the destructiveness thereof to all hope of their salvation in the hearts of their parents and down-right endangering their Damnation so dying if baptism be denyed them Fourthly The practise of the Universall Church which having for many hundred years together administred baptism to infants may not without damnable blasphemy be once thought to have erred so long a time in so necessary a matter as baptism All which four considerations not to speak as yet of their utter invalidity to prove the baptism of any infants at all for so I must do by and by I am now to shew how they do not a jot more prove the warrantableness of baptizing of believers infants to whom we deny that Ordinance then of the infants of very Infidells and unbelievers to whom your selves Doctrinally deny it also As for the last which I le begin with first and so go back to that which is first indeed viz. the practise of the universal or Catholique Church I confess indeed that what you and the Pope too do call the universal Church viz. Christendome or to use your own phrase the Christian world which with me rather is and hath been for many ages Antichristian that vast voluminous Church body and Ecclesiasticall Empire or seven headed ten horned universall beast that the Whore or C C Clergy hath so universally bejaded this hath universally baptizid or rather but rantized infants universally I say not only in respect of time and place i. e. in every nation province and parish within her Verg in every age of her Reign but also in respect of the subject viz. all infants that are born in those several nations of what parents soever whether believers or unbelievers without exception and by so much more to infants of very unbelievers then of believers by how much as your selves witness in your pulpits Christs flock in respect of the rest that are none of his even in Christendome it self is but a little flock yea and the number of unbelievers in the very Protestant and most reformed nations of it which dispense baptism to infants as universally as the other is even many to one surpassing the number of believers But Sirs what is all this to you purpose I say to your purpose which is to prove by example of the universall Church the practise of baptism to infants of believers onely Suppose this which you mistake so to be were the true Church of God indeed and that her practise were set for our example and such a true Topick as Priests and Papists make it from whence to fetch good warrant to do the like yet I pray Sirs doth it not as well warrant the baptism of unbelievers infants against which you plead together with us as of such infants as are born of believing parents only the baptism of which infants only you plead against us will you argue from the universality of the Christian worlds doings to the particularity of your own sayings as if the universal baptizing of all unbelievers infants as well as others in all Christendome were an Argument â—…b exemplo and a plain As for Example that the infants of believers only are to be baptized Sirs what if a man were minded in jest to become a fool so far in order to the convicting you of folly as to maintain against you who deny it that not believers infants onely but those of unbelievers also must be baptized and should argue this ab exemplo might he not as D. Featly saies to us in another case kill you with your own Dudgen dagger for seriously
manifest to the world nor to any of those in it that do not and other such like precious performances in all which he officiates peculiarly towards the Saints onely that submit to him not wicked resisters of him to which Saints or true Disciples of the Lord Jesus he was promised to be given under the Gospel in a fuller measure then in former daies and sent to be their comforter whilst to such as entertain him not but a bare convincer in which respect he is call'd the spirit of promise as being promised in this sense to all those that obey Christ that believe repent and are baptized into his name for remission of sins and ask the father for him and to be set as by office to minister in way of succor to the mournful spouse in the bridegrooms absence to help poor soules that give up themselves to be lead by him and accordingly was is and ever shall be given to those that do not grieve resist and quench him and that are found observing all things that ever Christ commanded non-observation of which disingages Christ of his promise so that it failes not though he be not with men that name themselves his Church for ages and generations together In which senses he is not at all in infants in their infancy neither doth he at all guid or provoke them how far forth soever he may guard and protect them till they come to such capacity as to have good or evil fasten'd on them by perswasion nor doth he any of the aforenamed good offices for infants in whom there 's yet no need they should be done nor doth he delight ordinarily to be where either he must be idle as he must in infants of one two or three daies old or unless he work miraculously imployed altogether to no purpose As to that of Iohn concerning whom 't was promised he should be filled with the holy spirit from the womb besides the singularness and extraordinariness of the case which renders it unfit for you to argue from who deny that such examples are to be drawn in as an ordinary rule to judge by and confess that ex particulari non est Syllogizari I add moreover that there 's no necessity for such an immediate acceptation of that word from the womb as to make the sense of it thus viz. in the very moment of his birth for it may well be taken as elswhere the same phrase must be viz so soon as ever he should be capable to receive it and be assisted and guided by it which might be in his tender years but was not I believe in such meer non-age as you wot off thus the wicked are said Psal. 58. 3. ab alinare se ab utero to estrange themselves from God from the womb to go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies stopping their ears not hark-ring to the voice of the Charmer which terms do all denote actuall sinne by which your selves confess infants cannot bar themselves p. 5. or deserve exemption it must therefore be understood thus viz. so soon as ever they are capable to do this or that to take the right away or the wrong or to know and act either good or evil I assert therefore once again that the spirit in this second sense is not in infants in their infancy nor know I in what sense they can be said to have him as to have right thereby to baptism unless you can assign me some more senses out of Scripture which if you can do I shall tell you what to say to them and as I cannot find they have the holy spirit in them so neither find I any promise of the holy spirit in such non-age as you wot of if by the spirit you mean the spirit of promise as you must if you plead a right to baptism there from and if you should refer me to Act. 2. I find there no more made to any then to all indeed it s said the promise is to you and your children but I advise you to consider first that t is not said to you and your infants neither are children and infants all one in signification the one expressing the age or rather non-age the other the Relation to the parents of whom they are born all infants are children of some parents or other but all children are not infants Infants are at least such younglings as cannot speak but children may be children in respect of their parents though the parents be eighty years old and the children sixty so that the promise of the spiriâ—… might be to them and their children too i. e. their posterity as well as to the Gentiles that were yet far off in both time and place and their posterity to all succeeding generations and be made good too on the same terms upon which and the same time in which it s made good to the parents themselves viz. the terms of faith and the time of their believing and yet all this while not be made to them and their infants as in their infancy moreover it appears most evidently that these parents were yet in unbelief and bare inquiry after what they should do having acted neither faith nor repentance as yet when Peter said thus to them repent and be baptized and ye shall receive the holy spirit for the promise is to you and your children therefore it may seem rather to be to unbeleevers children by that place then unto belieuers children but in very deed t is to all men and their children throughout the world as they and their children should believe repent receive the word gladly come to God at his call and that in all ages and places to the worlds end and as children of unbelievers have as much promise of the holy spirit so as much manifestation of it as the other and that is just none at all But say you these appear to have it first by their faith i. e. as other mens infants do not by their faith Sirs this is no demonstrative Argument I am sure that they have the Spirit for demonstratio est ex notioribus conclusione but this is Ignotum per ignotius or at least per aeque ignotum for now you have much more ado by something else hoc aliquid nihil est to demonstrate to us that they have faith then before you had to demonstrate them to have the spirit yea this will puzzle you the more by how much the last error is worse than the first and more confuted in other places by your selves however we will consider your Argument and supposing still that you speak of the right subject viz. infants of believing parents we will cast this your Enthusiasm into this Enthememe Disputation Little children of believing parents have faith Ergo little children of believing parents have the holy spirit Disproof First I deny your Consequence secondly your Antecedent as both stark false and that is as much as can well be false in an
the natural seed of believers be they never so ungodly in their own persons must be faithful to fulfil his own part and their ungodliness non obstante make it good to them concerning their salvation which drives you oft to such a Dilemma in discourses that for your ears almost you dare not answer distinctly to us when we ask you what that Gospell promise is which is made as you say to believers infants and upon what terms it is made to them beyond the infants of unbelievers Babist We do not say that being born of believing parents only intitles persons to the Gospell promises but they are heirs thereof and of all the glory and priviledges and salvation held forth therein as they shall hereafter believe themselves also and live godly when they come to years and not otherwise Baptist. Yea say you so then pray how doth the promise of the Gospel appear to belong one joâ—… more to believers children then to unbelievers for the believers child it seems by you now cannot by promise be saved upon his parents faith unless he believe also himself and then he may and what is this more then I can say to the full of all unbelievers children yea and as well of all unbelievers in the world for even the children of Turks and Pagans and all the children of all the men upon the face of the Earth shall be saved upon these terms viz. believing and obeying the Gospel themselves when they come to years whether their parents ever obeyed it yea or no where then is the preheminence of your believers seed above unbelievers if you go this way to work either therefore grant the one or else the other viz. either that believers children are heirs of salvation upon their fathers faith onely without their own or if you say not so but by their own faith t is that they must be saved then that the Gospel promise belongs not to believers children beyond other mens and that one mans seed hath no such birth-priviledge and preheminence as you dote of about anothers for unbelievers children may as well as they by promise be saved upon their own faith when they come to age without their Fathers Babist We can easily answer you to all this by distinguishing upon the promise thus The promise of the Gospel is either of salvation life remission of sins the holy spirit as the earnest and the inheritace it self to come or else of external priviledges only and participations of Ordinances as Baptism Churchmembership c. the promise of the eternal inheritance life and salvation we grant is not made much less made good to any upon terms of the parents faith but upon our own personal belief and obedience but the promise of outward priviledges and of right to participation of ordinances as to be baptized and inchurchâ—… this belongs to children upon their fathers faith so that believers children are children of the promise in this sense when others are not and in this last sense it is that Peter saies the promise is to you and to your Children c. i. e. you and yours have the priviledge of right to baptism Baptist. Then it seemes you quit the former sense I pray therefore let us here no more of that till next time however but let me tell you one thing by the way concerning that first sense before I say ought to your second viz that if the promise of salvation belong to persons upon their own personal belief and obedience as undoubtedly it doth according to the whole tenor of the Scripture as to men at years and such onely then as very a sigment of ours as you feign it to be t will put you to your shifts to find out what way dying infants are saved in unless you own another way then that which the Scripture tenders it to men in for the justification and salvation of infants viz. the presentment of the righteousness of Christ for them without belief in them or any other kind of obedience And sith in such sense as this only you own the Gospel promise to be made by Peter Act. 2. to believers infants viz. that they shall by right be admitted to outward priviledges as baptism and membership when others shall not I beseech you consider what a poor piece of promise is made by him and what a miserable comforter the Apostle is made by you in making as if this were all his meaning and all that he intends by that precious word of promise I suppose his drift was to support the Jewes now smitten down under sense of sin and the guilt of Christs blood which then lay upon them by propounding to them some ground of consolation but here is cold comfoâ—…t in what he saith if that be all which you saie is the sense he speaks in he had spoke little to their purpose and as good he had said never a whit as never the better for this promise as you take it hath more matter of mourning in it then otherwise to say you shall be brought nearer to the Church but never the nearer to salvation thereby further then you do that which others doing that are further off the Church shall be saved so doing as well as you Sirs you had as good cut off the entail of that piece of promise which you intitle believers infants to as cut of the best part of the promise from them which yet you seem to entail as from their parents to them for this is not worth a rush without the other for abstract this great priviledge you seem to invest them with from that which you divest them of by this distinction and its worth little or nothing if not plainly worse than nothing without the other what better to be under a promise of being priviledged with and what priviledge at all to be admitted to this and yet to be no more nor upon any other terms under the promise of the inheritance it self then others such as were yet never at all signed to it Is it not râ—…ther a burden and a bondage for outward ordinances verily are part of the preceptory part of the Gospel and the precept in point of ordinances as well as in point of manners is part of the yoke and burden of Christ and of the hard sayings of his which flesh and blood brooks not to hear off for though the way of Christ is light and easie and not grievous where it is lessened by thoughts of the recompence of reward yet is it in it self a burden and a yoke and such a one too as considering the sufferings of all such as submit to own it well nigh wearies them that walk under it though under clearest title to the Kingdome for which they suffer much more may it be a misery and not a mercy to such who have a promise of being barely admitted to it but no more of life and salvation or at least upon no other terms then such as have not the
by birth priviledge to be baptized p. 27. which yet is more birth-priviledged then Abrahams own seed could have Mat. 3. even before their birth priviledge did perish from them such as have a large and full right to all the ordinances of God and priviledges of the Church appertaining to members as they shall be capable of their use by personall faith and good demeanor when at years and grown up and I wonder who hath not the like upon those terms even infants of infidels surely as well as they when at age and whilst infants they are no more capable of the use of any ordinance then the other He tells us these by birth are of the houshold of God of the Citizens of the Saints t is much he said not fellow Citizens in Pauls phrase Eph. 2. sure t was because he bethought himself of their uncapableness of fellowship for all their membership He tells us that these are orderly admitted i. e. by baptism then which Scripture knows no other admission for no sooner do we read of a convert saith he but we presently hear of his baptism whereas of all the converts in Christendom that sit under the ministry of the Pope Prelate and Presbyter I never knew one in all my daies baptized after their conversion of him by preaching till being converted from them to the Truth as it is in Iesus they convert and come to us and then we immediately baptize them indeed but as for them t is impossible for them so much as to preach the Gospel in all Christendome in the way and words in which Peter Ananias Philip Paul and all the first and purest preachers did while they suppose all they preach to to have been baptized in infancy for what Priest in Christendom can say to his parish repent and be baptized for remission of sinnes arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved as they of old said Mark 16. 16. Act. 22. without gross absurdity having christn'd them all long before he ever preacht to them neither do they baptize any at all after conversion and the best baptism they dispense in token of remission of sins so long before either sins commission or the sinners conversion is at best but meer rantism neither He tells us that those have right to all the immunities of this house to all the priviledges of this City of God meaning the Church here below and have title to all Christs visible ordinances that they belong to Christ and therefore must partake of that which is of Christ and being of the houshold they must therefore have of the food of the houshold yea the stewards of the mysteries of God must be accountable in case they deny it them And yet till they are at years not any one of them may participate as themselves say of any one of those visible ordinances viz. neither praying preaching hearing nor the supper nor any thing else which is the food of the houshold after baptism by which they are barely entred in infancy and onely thrown ore the threshold into the house and then ly starving for many years together without bit or crumb of any other food at all being utterly denied to be communicants at the supper the use of which their folly will once be manifest who say they are lesse capable of in infancy then of the use of baptism for as shall appear more hereafter howbeit they are truly capable of neither they are as truly capable of both as of either yet are they deni'd a share in that service of the supper by these shewards of the mysteries of God the ministry themselves and that for no less then 16 years together at least according to the rule of the old stewards the episcopacy that have almost given up all their earthly account and I know not for how long by the will of the new stewards i. e. the Presbytery for if their rule be to practise it no oftner then they practise it indeed some of them have had no supper at all in their parishes neither for young nor old for about seven or eight years together last past and when they will no body knows and how they can with a good conscience I cannot tell nor never could while I stood among them they standing all and their people all universally unbaptized to this day for which neglect of theirs to give persons their meat in due season order and manner feeding them with a break-fast in baptism before they are fit to be fed so much as with that milk and then denying them any supper at all when they come to years though they then both pay for it and are at least as fit to feed thereon as they were in infancy to feed on baptism the Lord of that supper and of all the other holy ordinances of his which they have dispenst more after their own minds and mens tradition will and Testament then his own will call them ere long to give account of their stewardship too and let them be no longer stewards And yet a little more to trace Mr. Blake to and fro as he daunceth the hay up and down in that trifling treatise he tells us that these are a holy seed of the noblest birth yea though they be the children of loose living parents of misbelieving parents p. 4. 5. 25. 26. of apostatized parents of excommunicate parents of fornicating parents and consequently a very bastard brood which under the law that Mr. Blake himself professes to be tried by were unclean and not admitted into the congregation unto the tenth generation of papistical parents for even these are but misbelievers and Christians in name still and as himself sayes no insidels though to go round again holding such damnable errors in the faith p. 30. as shâ—…t them out from the happiness and therefore I think from the holiness too of Christians yet all this notwithstanning to go round again if the children but of believing parents that are of the Church and to go round again not true believers neither as believer is opposed to unbeliever misbeliever or Christian in name onely with all which he confesses the Church may abound but as believer is opposed onely to infidel p. 25. between which terms unbeliever and infidel which are not synonimaes it seems with him yet the Scripture makes no more difference then is between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same greek word that expresses both and is translated into latin by infidelis and Englisht by either unbeliever or infidel notwithstanding all this I say if born in England or any where else in any nations or of any parents that are but Christian in name onely or of but one such Christian parent the other being an Indian that is with him an infidel indeed they are with him a holy seed still that God ownes and challenges for his yea frrom the womb Gods heritage a seed so nobly
t is most certain that they had been not onely spectators of Iohns Baptism but dispensers of baptism themselves also long enough before this time to have been instructed in the true subject of it for the bringing of those infants was after Iohn was beheaded but Christ by his disciples had baptized in Iudea before Iohn was in prison and whilest Iohn was yet himself baptizing in Eâ—…on yea and had made and baptized more disciples than Iohn Besides the ground of their rebuke of those that came with little children was no doubt their care and loathness to have Christ too much prest in which case they sometimes rebuked others when they throngd upon him so fast for healing that they had no leasure so much as to eat bread Secondly that they came not now under Imposition of hands in that sense the Dr treats on is most evident First by the Dr own quotations of Mr Calvins and Mr Cottons readings concerning the practise of the first times for so far are they from clearing such a thing as he alledges them for that they clear the clean contrary the subjects of that imposition of hands they speak of being only professors of the faith and not infants yea how doth D Holmes belabor himself to prove it that those to whom the primitive Churches dispensed Imposition of hands were persons grown to years more then doth his cause good and more then any wise man puts him to by the denial of it but those that were brought to Christ for it here spoken of none other then very infants in their nonage Secondly in that this ordinance of laying on of hands was not likely yet in use and being in this prae-primitive-period wherein Christ laid his hands on these infants the ends in order whereunto it was enjoined and practised when it was being such as in this juncture not only infants but also the very disciples themselves were uncapable of viz. as the Doctors own quotations truly shew perfect and full fruition of confirmation in Church state Gospel Church liberties Church-fellowships in all Church ordinances viz. the Supper and suppications and also the receiving of the holy spirit none of all which were yet given to any in such wise as afterwards they were no not to the Disciples till either just before as the Supper or else after Christ was crucified for howbeit matter for the Gospel Church and fellowship was fitting preparing and gathering in by preaching and baptizing even from Iohn who began the Gospel two or three years before that and the Gospel Church was as it were in a certain Chaos or Congories of matter not yet digested into its perfect form somewhile before the Jews Church was ended in Christ death yet it came not to have its own formall constitution in point of visible order posture fellowship government officers discipline endowments with the spirit whereby they might be built up an habitation of God and ordinance of laying on of hands in prayer specially relating thereunto till after Christ crucified and ascended the holy spirit being not yet come because Jesus not yet glorified Thirdly they came not for this but for another kind of Imposition of hands which is otherwise called touching which who ever had from him were in case of diseases made whole They came surely for that laying on of hands which Dr Holmes himself speaks of p. 57. out of Hophman viz. a laying on in order to healing for which healing by a touch of him many men women and children came or else were brought to Christ while others that were well came to hear him Mark 5. 27. 28. 29. 30. Luke 6. 17. 18. 19. Mat. 14. 13. 14. 34. 35. 36. This Imposition of hands therefore that these infants had was not that which persons when past infancy only had in the Churches after and for Dr Holmes to say the Apostles and ancient Churches confirmed persons by prayer and laying on of hands when they were past infancy and not in it therefore surely Christ to the same intent and purpose laid hands on these in infancy is equally absurd as to argue thus viz. the Apostles and primitive times practised baptism to men and women onely confessing sin and professing faith therefore it is most fitting and likely now to be the will of Christ that persons should be sprinkled in their non-age so brittle are all the bottoms you yet build on but to proceed Disputation Know ye not that the spirit of God is in you except ye be reprobates and they dare not say that little children are all reprobates Also Review page 16. They are not Reprobates Therefore Christ is in them Disproof Nor do we say that little children are all reprobates nor durst you say that any of them are reprobates if meer blindness did not embolden you thereunto for the truth is consider them yet living in the capacity of infants and so though in foro Dei in esse intentionali conditionali i. e. with God who calleth things that yet are not as though they were and foresees both what they will do and what he accordingly will do with them hereafter they are already known to be either of one sort or the other yet in foro hominum and in esse actuali i. e. actually and in the sight of men they are finally neither reprobated nor elected till they finally receive Christ or reject him yea I wish you were all but as sure to be saved as it is sure that none are quoad nos rejected or devoted in the word which is the coppy of Gods decree to eternal damnation but upon account of their own actual transgression and as t is sure that none at all of them that dy in infancy and no more of those that live to years also are damned but such as finally put salvation away from them and so judge themselves most worthy of the other for though of Iacob and Esau they being yet unborn neither having done any good or evil it was foretold by God who foresaw what good and evil they would do in time and what he thereupon would do unto them that the Elder should serve the younger yet this was foretold of and fulfilled in their posterity and not their persons for though Edom served Israel yet Esau in person served not Iacob but Iacob rather bowed before him and as for that viz. Iacob have I loved Esau have I hated which you wot was spoken of them as from the womb you shall find if you look again that it was not spoken of their persons but their posterity nor yet secondly of those without respect to Edoms wickedness above the other much less thirdly before Iacob and Esau was born and had acted good or evil but so long after Iacob and Esau were born and had done good and evil that they were also ere that time when this was spoken Mal. 1. many years since dead and rotten but this would lead me into another controversie of as large extent and
Priesthood not onely confesse to be agreeable and conformable to that custom of circumcising children under the law but also contend with all your might to â—…ave them baptized now upon no other account mainly then this upon which Paul plain ly seems to forbid it for you say t was the custom and manner of old to circumcise children therefore though circumcision it self be ceased and baptism come in the room of it yet thus far at least we must follow the fashion of the Church of the Jews that as they then circumcised infants so we in like manner must baptize them but Paul saies plainly that we must forsake Moses and neither circumcise children now as of old they did nor yet walk after the manner of circumcision nor conform to such Jewish customes therefore we may not now baptize them which to do your selves as you contend so to have it so confesse it to be after the manner of circumcision Whether therefore we shall believe him or you in this case judge ye This as it is of weight in it self so it must needs be an argument ad hominem however of force enough to stop the mouthes of all such as though they yield the law it self and circumcision to be ceased yet will needs in point of Priesthood nationall Churches Tythes Temples outward administration infants admission have all things at least after such a manner as the Jews had and specially to Mr Marshall and Dr. Holms and all such as assert that the very command that was given to circumcise infants of old is vertually the command to us to baptize them for thus saies not onely Mr. Marshall but Dr Holmes also out of Aâ—…nsworth p. 9. and 7. of his animadversions fetching his argument for infant baptism as far as from the first book of Moses called Genesis thus Where there is a command for a thing never remanded or contramanded there the thing is still in force But there is a command for signing the infants of a believer with the sign of the Covenant of Grace Gen. 17. 7. 9. never yet remanded or contramanded Ergo signing believers children with the sign of the Covenant of Grace namely baptism now is still in force The Minor of which argument hath no lesse then three false assertions in it For First circumcision was not a sign of the Covenant of Grace as baptism now is nor did any further relate to the Covenant of Grace then all other things under the law did viz. as types and shadows of the things to come but that Covenant of which circmcision was giyen to be immediately a sign and token was of that earthly Canaan made with Abrahams fleshly seed onely nor Secondly were they believers infants only who were there commanded to be circumcised but all the male infants and male servants also of every houshold of Abrahams posterity by Isaac onely through their several generations though the parents and masters were unbelievers as the Iews were for the most part of them in all ages and both they and theirs neverthelesse to be circumcised while that Covenant of circumcision lasted Thirdly whereas he saies that circumcision of infants for that 's it he falsely signs there with that name viz. the sign of the Covenant of Grace was never yet remanded or contramanded it is as false as all the rest for we see plainly that it was remanded by that text I am yet in hand with viz. Act. 21. 22. Babist But baptism which is the sign now was never remanded Baptist. I grant it is not yet I le prove it to the faces of you all that t is as much remanded and contramanded as ever it was commanded in Gen. 17. Sith then Mr. Marshall and Dr Holmes both say and so indeed you say all in effect that the command for circumcision of infants was a command to us to baptize them and therefore unless we can shew that command to be remanded again it is still in force to bind us to baptize them I dare be bold to tell them that if infant circumcision and infant baptism were both commanded together in that one and the same precept Gen. 17. 10. where God bidds Abraham and his seed to circumcise their children then they are both uncommanded again in that one and the same prohibition wherein God by the mouth of Paul forbad the Iews to circumcise their children any longer I say if infants baptism were commanded in that very command for the circumcision of infants then by Analogy for contrariorum contraria est ratio infants baptism must needs be remanded in the remanding of infants circumcision the remanding of which by Paul among all the Iewes that dwelt among the Gentiles where he mainly exercised his Ministrie is related plainly Acts 21. 21. To conclude then though I utterly deny as being well assured that nor Dr. Holmes nor Mr. Marshal neither have yet nor ever will make it good that the precept for circumcision is so much as a virtual or consequential command to baptize infants yet if it be I hope they will receive the sâ—…me Law they give and rest satisfyed in it that this Countermand to circumcise infants is a consequential and virtual countermand also to baptize them By all which it appears still that there is not only no precept but also plain prohibition enough of infant-baptism And as there is no precept so neither is there any president of baptizing infants as there was of circumcising them of old from which practise of circumcision therefore there is no consequence to infant-baptism there is not one example to be found any where upon the file of such a thing as infant baptism unless it be in your Parish Registers and there indeed you may shew us not only three or four hundred as vpon occasion of our calling for example Mr Kentish in a discourse we had with him and Mr Glenden at Swevenock said he could but as many as we can shew you of baptized believers in the Scripture-Register viz. no less then three or four thousand but this though it satisfy them that live by the example of the world yet will in no wise serve their turns that live by the example of the Word and therefore Ms Kents negative precept of non express prohibition and Mr Kentish his popish president of parish church admission may go both together as things that can never pass for currant among the true Christians of Kent though they pass for good proof of infant-baptism among most Kentish Christians and Priest-ridden people As for the Scriptures there 's not so much as the least shew of any example of baptizing infants iâ—… them for howbeit you draw in the several housholds that were baptized as that which you would fain seem to make somewhat of to this purpose yet how well they serve your tum that way judge ye when as whether there were at all any one infant in any one of them is confessed to be uncertain by your selves so Mr. Blake
out of Irenaeus who lived toward the end of the second Century which Englisht are thus viz. Christ came by himself to save all all I say who are born again unto God infants and little ones c. it s not likely that in this sentence that father by the word born again meant baptism as Mr. Blake and Mr. Marshal contend for by that sence they father such absurdity upon that their father as children that pretend to honour their father may be ashamed of whilst they make him say Christ came to save all infants that are baptized when as neither all infants that are baptized are actually saved quâ baptized nor are any unbaptized infants damned quâ not baptized but both alike saved as both alike they either dye before they have bard themselves by actual sin and derserved exemption or living to years believe and obey Christ and both alike damned as living to years they both alike obey not his Gospel but however let Mr. Blake and Mr. Marshal squeeze what they can from the quotation it must yet remain as doubtful whether the speech of Irenaeus if it were his own were at all of infants baptism as it doth whether the speech fathered on Iustin though it be of infants baptism were at all his own and so what dubious evidence the second century affords so much as de facto that infant baptism was then in being all men may see whilst you can say no more then perhaps it was so and a fool may say as much as perhaps it was not which is a proportionable answer to that argument for t is commonly said in the Schooles saies Mr. Marshal that fortè it a solvitur per fortè non Secondly but what if your testimony de facto concerning the practise of infant baptism in the second century were as clear as t is cloudy yet what green headed anuquity is this in comparison of that we plead from viz. the Apostles themselves when you are stormed out of all your strong holds then you send us still to ages above us and cry out your practise is of 1500 years standing but sith you cannot say as we can of ours t is above 1600 years old nor is yours now likely to live to it as good you had said but 15 for our way onely being found in the first century and yours not at all before the second we are a people so much elder then you upstarts that your antiquity is but novelty with us whoregardlesse of what by mans wisdome was foisted in in after ages can aver with as much confidence as you can that now it is that from the beginning it was not so nor yet in end shall be I much marvel why Mr. Marshall contents himself to preach positively no otherwise then thus p. 3. viz. this priviledge of baptizing infants the Christian Church hath bin in possession of for the space of 1500 years and upwards he might as easily have said 1600 had his ground been as good for that as for the other and yet his ground for the other is so infirm and sinking under him that I believe he must fall down as low as the third century before he find sure footing for his proof of no more then the bare practise of infant baptism As for the Ius of it its nere the nearer if he could prove the matter of fact to be in the second though that still is the main question betwen us sith t is confest by Mr. Marshall that he uses not the Testimony and judgements of the Antients to witnesse to the truth of it but onely to prove a then practise of infant baptism and the question de jure whether infants ought to be baptized no one of the fathers nor yet the joint consent of many saith Mr. Blake p. 58. of his to Mr. Blackwood is a competent Iudge therefore if any of you who stand so much upon that young antiquity of it and plead the authority of the Church and fathers shall argue thus t is 1500 years old therefore it is 1600 you live below that candor ingenuity and discretion that I find in Mr. Marshal and Mr Blake who both deny your consequence and in this case close with us in the very truth Thirdly as for the third century t is somewhat more then probable that such a superstition as infant baptism was comming in at least or else t is like there would not have been such pro and con as was about it for true Origen if the Testimonies fathered on him be his own which he who well weighs what evidence is put in to the contrary by Mr. Blakwood p. 34 of his Rioynder to Mr. Blake where he saith that the original of Origen is lost that the Translator confesses he added many things of his own that Erasmus saies one cannot be sure whether one read Ruffinus or Origen that the learned put his commentary on the Romans among his counterfeit works as much sophisticated by Russinus and also what is said by Mr. Tombs too notwithstanding all that Mr. Marshall brings p. 15. 16. 17. 18. of his to Mr. Tombes whereby to salve it will find small ground to believe Origen I say a man of many errors stiles it a tradition received from the Apostles which if you will believe implicitly you may but else you need not for t is no more then a bare scripturelesse assertion Cyrian also and a Councel of 66 bishops almost contemporary to Origen are supposed to be of some such mind but upon such silly grounds as you that now plead infants baptism are ashamed of witnesse Mr. Blake p. 40 who denies them not to be erroneous as Mr. Blakwood calls them and therefore you may as well be ashamed of their opinion and expression of it also it being for all their reasons as scriptureless as that of Origen who brings nothing to prove what he said Babist But Mr. Marshal p. 18. tells you that it was because none opposed the lawfulness of infant-baptism which if they had Origen would no doubt have maintained by Scripture as well as affirmed it to come from the Apostles Baptist. This is strange when it is most evident and Mr. Marshall himself denies it not that famous Tertullian the first of that Century that might in respect of his Seniority to Origen and Cyprian be stiled a father to them both perswades by many reasons to deferre the baptism of children as most profitable Saying Let them become Christians when they know Christ. And in another place It behooves them that are about to enter into baptism to pray with frequent prayers fastings kneelings watchings and with the confession of all their sinnes past which things infants we know cannot do First then I appeal to your own consciences and Mr. Marshalls also whether this be not a plea against it as unlawful for to decline what 's most profitable is unlawful Secondly whether here be not pro and con among the Fathers about it and so though their
testimony serves to prove what Mr. Marshal brings it for viz. that it was practised in their times yet it serves not to your purpose who upon the Fathers and their churches authority would gather and ground the right of that practise for who but children will go about to prove the verity of a practise by the Authority of those Fathers whose witnesse agrees not together and who are contradictory to one another in their testimonies of it and some of whose testimonies in that thing are quite and clean contradicted by the testimonies of such as concurre with them almost in every thing else for so I may truly say the testimonies of Father Austin are who in one place viz. ad Volusianum Ep. 3. according to Mr. Blakes quotation of him p. 51. writes thus viz. The Custome of the Church in the baptizing of infants is by no means to be despised nor to be accounted superfluous nor yet were it at all to be credited were it not a tradition of the Apestles Thus this Father who though inferior to the other in time yet is not inferiour to the chiefest of them in your Account but he brings no Scripture neither any more then Origen for the same yet it is like some sleighted it as superfluous in his daies but Ludovicus vives a man so observant of Austin that he wrote Annotations upon him in those very Annotations of his upon the 27th chapter of the first book De civit Dei according to Mr. Denns quotation of him p. 51. against Dr. Featley is so far from crediting that he corrects Austin rather as to that piece of faith saying That of old it was the custome to baptize none unless they were of full ago and did desire baptism in their own persons and did undeestand what it was to be baptized Now who can safely build so much as you do unless he mean to be both blindly guided with you and a blind guide to the blind on the authority of such Fathers as saving their honesty in what they knew and eminency in some things were yet so silly in some others that they did the Church no such good office as they wot of who ere they were that canonized them into such fatherhood over the faith that their opinions must be as Oracles for all to act by witnesse good Saint Bernard the last in that Catalogue who saving that he knew some truth as other honest men did in those dismal daies wherein he lived was wrapt up into a mist of so many other errors besides that of infants baptism that we may boldly use the proverb viz. Bernardus non videt omnia for as Mr. Blackwood quotes out of his 65 ser. in p. 31. of his storm speaking of some Christians that opposed the popish stream he saith thus They laugh at us because we baptize infants because we pray for the dead because we require the praiers of Saints All which doctrine though falling from a father is yet indeed too ridiculous to be received for truth in these daies of its return from captivity by any but meer children in the Gospel Thirdly I appeal to your consciences not to Mr. Marshalls and Mr. Blakes here for they from the Fathers assert no more than matter of fact that infant-baptism was then whilest you matter of faith that it ought to be whether that foretold testimony of Tertullian may not ballance with those of Origen Cyprian c. who were not so â—…ear the pure times of the Apostles as he and whether he were not as likely as Origen and Austin to know if it had been so that infant-baptism was a Tradition from the Apostles and in case he did know it to what end he should deny it to be now dispensed or do you imagin him a man of so mean a conceit of the Apostles wisdome and so highly conceited of his own that he would forbid that as unprofitable which the Apostles prescribed and prescribe a more convenient way himself sure he must know as well as they if it were Apostolicall and they possibly might not know so well as he that it was not being all Iuniors to him and one of them viz. Cyprian so much beholding to him for much of what he had that he dignified him with the name of his Master such a diligent disciple i. e. reader and learner of Tertullian was he that Da mihi Magistrum was his common speech of him so that his rational diswasion from infant-baptism cannot but be a more cogent ground of faith on one hand then Origens Scriptureless position and Cyprians Antapostolick and reasonless reasons and perswasion to it are one the other unless you will needs so father it over the Fathers themselves as to authorize which of them and which of their sentences you please disowning the rest as not Orthodox or Authentick further then they serve your own turns and then by my consent they shall be no longer fathers to you but you fathers over them and us too in their stead But Mr. Marshall who hath a longer arm then every body reaches us a rap yet by a certain quaere which he propounds to Mr. Tombs p. 35. 36. 37. to which till he hâ—…h some answer he will conceive we are so sick of Tertullian that wee le say no more of him his quaere is this Babist Why may not the diswasion cited out of Tertullian de baptismo infantium reasonably be interpreted of the infants of infidells only whose baptism he would have deferred till they come to years and to profess faith themselves and not of the infants of Christians I am inclined to believe that to be the true meaning of the place for such considerations First because Tertullian alledges this double reason why he would have the baptism of little ones delaied viz. least their Sponsors or Sureties be in hazzard of not fulfilling the promises they make on their behalf by either their own mortality or the childrens proving untoward or inclineable to iniquity for whom they undertake Secondly Because t is clear and evident by the 39th Chapter of Tertullian book the 18th Chapter whereof hath this disswasion to baptize little ones that Tertullian did acknowledge that the children of believers are by birth designati sanctitatis salutis counted holy from 1 Cor. 7. 14. not sancti till they be born of water and the spirit and have a kind of priviledge and prerogative by nature yea such a sanctity and the very same as is called faderall or covenant holinesse that gives right to baptism Baptist And so saies Dr. Holmes also p. 122. upon the same text of Tertullian Mr. Marshal quotes and out of which he raked his 2 reasons to which second reason of Mr. Marshal I answer First and that thus confessing that that good old Father who is no more infallible than your selves so that his Sentence without reason proves any thing at all to be de jure doth seem to me to erre together with you though not
their fleshly seed quá tales unless they also believe when they come to years for if they be taken away in infancy both they and all other infants of whom I find not where God requires faith so dying may be saved without it and are too though it cross your cruel conceit of heathen infancy this promise I say was made by Peter to unbelievers and their children yea and is in very deed to all men in the world and their children Jewes or Gentiles neer or far off whether in time or place yea to every Creature that then was hath been since now is or ever shall be to the worlds end is the promise made Mark 16. 15 16. by Christ himself who is the purchaser of eternal salvation for all men though actually the eternal saviour of none of those to whom his Gospel is preached save only such as obey him Heb. 5. 9. yet none of all this warrants your sprinkling believers infants onely in their infancy any more then it warrants your sprinkling of so many hundreds of unbelievers infants as you do still as sâ—…riet as you lace up baptism to believers infants onely in the state of your question for to say no more then the truth that 's another of your Hâ—…us pocus's which when your customers come to find out they will be ashamd of you you of your selves if you be not past it you I say yea specially you of the strict Presâ—…ytery who cry out upon your parish people as for the most part profane and ignorant impenitent and unbelieving in such a wretched condition that except they bâ—… converted they will perish nor dare you admit them to the Supper least they eat and drink their own damnation and yet their children are the seed of believers with you still to whom belong the promises and right to the seals for their sakes Yea O ye several parishes where these men preach not in the city only but in the Countreys of Kent Sussox and other places let me Apostrophize a little to you least your Clergy should not heed it if I speak onely to them have you not heard your teachers thundring you as Malignants for the most part tâ—…reatthreatning you to come in and to be reconciled to God as those that are yet enemies to him and his people meaning those few that are better friends to them then the major part oâ—… you are calling to you as crucifiers of Christ and preaching Peters doctrine Act. 2. by the halves saying repent repent for how beit they should say somewhat more to such sinners as you seem to be in their eyes viz. repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Christ for remission of sins yet they put themselves out of all capacity of preaching and you of practising thus whilest they make you believe you are aforehand in the business of baptism because of something like or rather very unlike it which was dispensed to you in infancy called sprinkling which they have sprinkled into the name of baptism yea have not some of them kept the Lords Supper wholly from you all for as many years together as they have lived among you and the rest kept back many hundreds of you as wicked and unworthy from that ordinance communicating in it with two or three score upon such like pretence of Scripture viz. what communion what part hath light with darknsss Christ with Belial the Temple of God and Idolators believers and infidells for what else can they pretend for if you were all believers and all walking in the light as God is in the light ye might have fellowship one with another therin the blood of Christ his son cleansing you from all sin as to the Supper therfore you are unbelievers yet are you not all or at least the most of you believers when you have children to be sprinkled you are unbelievers when your Minister is in the Pulpit and at the â—…able but owned all as believers while he stands at the Font or Bason whose persons for want of faith repentance and better behavior they will not admit to the Supper do you not see how you are nosed and gulled and Priest-ridden whilest with them you are ungodly persons and yet godly parents Church-members and belivers at one time and yet neither this nor that at another one while sheep specially at washing and sharing time whose little ones are lambs that must be bosom'd and brought to Christ and baptized as those to whom the Kingdome of heaven and priviledges of it are intailed and belong by right of generation and birth of Christian professors and many such good morrowes another while viz. at next Communion that entail is cut off again you being unbelievers and perhaps to go round again at next child you have to christen its tack on again so that when they are pleased or rather profitted by that title you are the flock of God purchased with his own blood over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers both to feed and feed on and when they please to improve the power and turn the key of the kingdome upon you they shut in with an hand ful of their own leaven as the true Turtle choise Church spiritual Spouse Synagogue of Saints and lock twenty to one of you out from feasting with them as a company of Carrion Crowes of Carnal Christians hateful haâ—…gbyes Servants of Satan as a heard of Wolves and Goats and Dogs and Swine Again some of you say Paedobaptism is a tradition of the Church as Dr. Gouge who used such an assertion to Mr. Barber as an Argument to him to take the oath ex officio and therefore belike being like to offend his fellowes if he did he would not at any hand deliver his opinion pro or con in answer to Dr. Chamberlain whether the sprinkling of infants were of God or man also Mr. Daniel Rogers who saith it is as reverend a Tradition of the Church as any but confesses himself unconvinced by any demonstration of Scripture for it others say it is an Apostolicall Tradition and institution of Christ and among these some say there is neither expresse nor positive command or example for it in the New Testament as Mr. Hunton yet good consequence for all that from the Old to prove it Christs Ordinance yea as good from the New as there is for women to eat the Supper as Mr. Marshall though the best consequence that I find the wisest of you make is to me as far fetcht as Peter had the keyes given to him therefore the Pope may sell pardons for money and save as many souls as he pleases and that 's a ground or conseqence as far short as an improbabillity yea as an impossibility is to a certainty in respect of that which is for womens fellowship in the supper for there 's as much president and precept too for that as there is for mens if either women may be disciples believers and Church
Therefore good Sirs fall back a litttle and begin again and make a prosyllogism or two if you please before this Syllogism takes its turn and do not beat the air and let flie such hot bullets as accusations of damnable blasphemy before you have any adversary appearing against you for verily you first falsely suppose us your opposites in that wherein we agree with you and bestir your selves to fight us in such a fierce fashion as if you would fright us out of our cause before you come neer us and set your selves to prove that which whoever doth yet I for my part do not deny for verily t is the minor and not the major in the Prosyllogism which we quarrel with and as for this Syllogism of yours I honour it not so farre as to own it neverthelesse if it be lawful to make a formal answer to an unlawful argument and least you take it ill and think much on 't if I sleight it so as to give no other reply then that above I le make bold to answer it now it s brought by you for infant-baptism as you do when the same is brought by Rome for other traditions viz. that this tradition you plead for is not universally practised therefore taking your words in a true sense and in their largest latitude though I dare not be so damable in my doctrine as you viz. to bring every one under blame of damable blasphemy who holds a possibility of error to befall the universal Church i. e. the whole state of Christs Church which is but imperfect here on Earth yet can I not say nor do I that in esse actuali the universal Church hath erred in the practise of this point of baptism so as that she hath been totally diserted by the spirit of God and that Christ hath not made good his promise to her any more then your selves yea really if you use the word universal Church in its due and proper extent viz. in respect of both time and place and in the like latitude in which Dr. Featley from whom you borrowed this argument and some of the â—…est and might as well have sent us to him for it as troubled your selves to hold it out here in a new harnesse uses the word universal Church as expressing All the assemblies of Christians in the world that ever were from the Apostles dayes to this present which he stiles the formal Church this universal Church cannot be impeached with error in the point of infant-baptism for it hath not universally owned it neither was it in use from the beginning there have bin some ages and places wherein the Churches practised baptism so agreeably to Christs will that you shall never be shent by him as failing in that point if you do it no otherwise then it was done then and there viz. the dayes and places wherein the primitive Churches dispenst it for they were all so wholly strangers to your infant baptism that not so much as the sound of such a thing was ever heard among them and howbeit Dr. Featle tells us a tale p. 16. out of Origen on the Romans whose originall is lost and into which work of his on the Romans t is shrewdly suspected by the learned that Russinus and the Romans have Sophisticated such a sentence that the Church had infant-baptism from the Apostles and thence very goodly grounds A positive argument of very great moment saith he that may convince the conscience of any ingenuous Christian viz. that the Apostles in their dayes began to baptize infants and the whole Catholique Christian Church in all places and ages even from the Apostles dayes hath admitted the children of Christian parents to holy baptism therefore t is no error Yet I must tell you that Origens bare word and single say so if it were his own is no warrant whereupon all men may safely muchlesse must necessarily believe it was so but the word of the New Testament of which the Apostles mostly were the Pen-men is warrant enough to us to believe that it was not so were the word onely silent about it how much more whilest it hath so much against it that we may say t is exclusive of it Howbeit therefore you say that infant baptism hath been universall it is sufficient proof of its non universallity in that you can never prove that it hath been universall and we have proved that in the Apostles dayes it was not so that in the first Century t was not so nor in the second for ought any man living can possibly shew how ere it began to creep in about the third and howbeit it hath been never so universally and erroneously practised from the fourth or fifth Centuries till now yet neither will it follow that the universall Church hath practised it nor that the universal Church hath erred in it nor that Christs promise Mat. 28. 20. Ioh. 16. 13 14. 16. 17. 29. concerning the spirits abode and guidance is not true for that 's not more made then made good to those that perform the condition and terms on which it was made viz. the observation of what he commanded in which case the spirit is ever present and ever was and shall be with those few that keep the truth as for the most when they began to dote on mens teachings and traditions and to fashion themselves more at a venture after the words of the wise and prudent then after the word of God it self and to Idolize the dictates of Synods and Ghostly fathers so as blindly to subject themselves to their sentences as their onely Oracles then Terras Astrâ—… reliquit Christ who did ingage to lead them by his spirit who would be led by it was dis-ingaged and true enough in his promises though he left the world to lie in darknesse and to be filled with their own wayes and with the fruits of their own inventions Moreover t was not the Church in the capacity of a Church in respect of outward form and order but his disciples to whom that promise was made to whom also it was performed and made good in all ages according and in such measure as they kept close to him for in the time of the treading down of the Temple and holy City and the true worship and worshippers and of all that visible fabrick and Church posture which stood in the primitive times and even in the grossest darknesse God gave power to his two witnesses i. e. by his word and spirit in the hearts and mouths of his Saints impowered them to prophesie and testifie to the truth against the traditions of Rome and against infant baptism as well as other of her superstitions and heresies how else could Bernard have said as he doth Serm. 65. super cant of some that opposed the corruptions of his time They laugh at us because we baptize infantâ—…s because we pray for the dead and require the prayers of Saints yet even to those Martyrs that did witnesse to
if universality perpetuity or antiquity either I mean that post primitive Antiquity of the fourth or fifth Century may pass for president more current then the primitive the Pope and his priesthood may prove the protestant priesthood to be but upstart Novices to them by this way of arguing from the antient perpetual universal practise of their Church I write not this as taking the Papists part against the Protestants for so far am I from justifying the Iesuites that I rather fight with Dr. Featley and his friend against them in this case holding with them that no succession of true visible and rightly constituted Churches can be shewn of either your way or ours in all that time of popish unity and universallity but I do it to this end onely ut hosâ—…uo Iâ—…gulemus gladio as Dr. Featley saies of us p. 88. that I may fight against Featleys followers in the point of infants baptism with Featleys own Fauchin i. e. saâ—…isfie them concerning the narrownesse novelty and invisibility of our Church in times of popery when they say where was our Church before Nicholas Stock the very same way and no other then that wherin they excuse the non-appearance of their Protestanâ—…s Churches then to the Iesuits when vaunting in their own visible universallity they ask them where was your Church before Luther for verily if it must be taken from you by the Papists as evidence good enough that your Churches are the true Churches and lineally descended from Christ though none of them ever visibly appeared before Luther in all that time of the Popes Peterdome ore his fellows because your doctrine is truer then that of theirs and specially since several witnesses successively held it out against Romes contradictions then I hope it shall be taken from us by you Protestants as good evidence that our Churches are yet truer then yours and such as have been as much as yours have been in visible constitution from the time of the treading down till this modern resurrection because our doctrine and practise is that of the primitive and purest times specially since we can evince it as clearly that many witnessed the truth of it against infant-baptism in times of priestly tyranny as you can that any have witnessed yours at all For howbeit you say your infants baptism was not so much as questioned till of late if you had your wits so well about you as you should you could not but see that t was almost ever opposed for though it were never heard of in the first Century yet that it hath been ever withstood since it came up is most evident by the conflicts of corrupt times for it for what made such controversies among the fathers about it what mâ—…de Cyprian and his 66 Bishops conven'd in councel lay their heads together to find out such superstitious stuff as your selves are ashamed of wherewith to support it what made Bernard complain that t was laught at among other ridiculosities as praying to and for the dead what made Imperiall lawes and Synodical cannons enjoin it under such strict penalties what made Pope Innocent 3. who together with the 600 Bishops and all the rest of the Clergy which in the councel of Lateran determined Transubstantiation confession were called fooles and block-heads seducers of the people hereticks and blaspemers by Iohn Purvey one of Wickliffs followers p. 17 of Luth. praedec what I say made that Innocent among other things decree so strictly as he did that the baptism of believers infants should succeed circumcision if that tradition found no Traitors which sought the death out and if the risets up against it were hardly heard of before Luther Either then the verity of doctrine in Churches reformed from Romes downright dotage doth prove as Dr. Featley sayes well it doth a perpetual duration of it so that it must needs have professors in all ages or it proves it not if not then the main argument whereby Dr. Featley defends Protestanism to have been perpetually before Luther doth not vindicate you in your Religion from the name of Novellists any more then us and so the Pope by his plea for the verity of his Church from perpetuall visibility universality c. carries the cause clean from us all but if it doth then as we deny your infant-baptism to have been perpetuall because its false doctrine and our Church and way of baptism we hold in contradistinction to you being as consonant to the word and primitive pattern as the truest of those doctrines you hold in contradistinction to the Pope is vindicated by Featleys own argument to have been as perpetually before Luther as the purest piece of Protestanism and party of Protestants whatsoever Again an ennumeration of a successive number of particular persons barely professing the truth in the times of all Christendoms erring from it but not visibly constituted into any right Church form or order either doth prove Christ and his spirit to have been with his people alwayes and in all ages according to his promise and consequently his promise in that particular to be true notwithstanding the worlds so universal erring for a time or else it doth not prove it if such an ennumerarion of single professors successively witnessing to the truth against Romish error doth not clear Christs promise to be true then your selves are as justly charged by the Iesuites who use the same argument against you that you use against us to be guilty of that damnable blasphemy of denying Christs promise to be true as we are charged to be guilty of it by your selves for as much as all that you say towards the salving of Christs promise of his perpetual presence with your Church while he left Rome from fault of falshood is but an induction of certain persons that before Luther testified to your doctrine yea he that answers the Iesuites question sayes no more confessing that a succession of Protestant Churches cannot be shewed but if it doth prove Christ his promise to be true then I hope it serves to prove it in our case as well as yours or else it s a hard case indeed for as much as though a perpetual succession of such visible Churches as ours are is not to be shewed through all ages of the Clergies crushing down the truth yet we can give as full evidence of a sort of single Sâ—…ints that testified against infant-baptism even in those times as you can of such as testified against any other popish tradition whatsoever By this time you may see the fore-man in your for-lorn hope that is sent before as a subtil scout in a sophistical coat to entrap us is not onely discovered in his drift but divested also of his deceltful dresse disarmed and disabled from your service and laid a bleeding neverthelesse sith he opens his mouth and prates against us â—…ll with malicious words falsely chargâ—…ng us again and bespattering us what he can with his tongue because he sees he cannot hurt
us with his teeth we shall be constrained to lend him one or two blowes more toward the dispatching of him out of the way and then we shall be ready to meet with the force that follows Review And indeed they do conclude the whole Church of God to have erred most fearfully in one of the most necessary points of religion as if she had been totally deserted by the spirit of God and Christ had not made good his promise Re-Review First I observe that when ever it seems best to serve your turn so to do you stile baptism so necessary a matter one of the most necessary points of Religion abouâ—… the administration of which to erre is most fearfully to erre litâ—…le lâ—…sse then downright damnable otherwhile again as when you would modifie mens spirits towards your proceeding in infant baptism from proceeding so eagerly against that practise in case it should prove to be the error and ours the truth then you speak as diminutively of it as may be as if it were a matter which it matters not so much whether it be done your way or ours in childhood or at years by dipping or sprinkling so it be done an error which is not worth so much ado and striving to râ—…prove and rectifie as the Anabaptists make of such indifferency that t is not fit sith t is now the custome that the peace of the Church should be disturbed about it as if this truth of the Church though troden down must not have an hand lent it to help it up again for fear of displeasing and awaking the Church from her swâ—…et sleep of superstitious security till she pleases not so fundamental a defection which hand soever it lies but that it may be left ad libitum dispensed ad placitum so that such as will have their infants sprinkled may and such as will not or cannot be satisfied that is the true baptism may chuse and be baptized themselves if they please or not at all if they please and yet not be disowned so far one by another but that they may notwithstanding different judgements in so fiddling a thing as that is fall together but it will be by the ears sure at last into one fellowship and I know not how much such prety prate doth passe from your partie sometimes to lull us in as it were to wink at small faults and to make no noise about such a petty matter if infants baptism should be as many Priests know it is e. g. Dr. Gouge yet know it not no more then a meer Tradition of men At Pater ut gnati sic nos debemus amici Si quod sit vitium non fastidire What a deal of Patheticall Popisticall perswasion to this purpose as to pacify peoples spirits towards your errors in small points passes from you p. 26 27. of your paper viz. to avoid a querulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at agnat giving over the company of the flock of more goats then sheep for every rub alias refusing to reform seperating from the congregation alias the parish church of the Popes congendring for a ceremony alias some small thing which to synodical prudence it hath seemed good to add to the ordinances of Christ as if his wisdome had not made things full and fine enough e. g. the surplice the forced gesture of kneeling before the railes and Altar yoking of sheep and swine together in the Supper and in baptism the crosse the form of slatting two or three drops of water with wet fingers on the face instead of dipping and orewhelming and this too but to an infant instead of a professed believer by which ceremonious quiâ—…ks they brought in not so much alterationem as aâ—…erum and ceremonized the whole substance of what Christ required quite away to endeavour after a true temper of a son of the church humbly to submit to the judgements of others sooner then our own alias to see through the Priests eyes and say we see it not what ever we see to the contrary not to dare to contend with any much lesse Superiors alias Popes Counsels whole Classes of Clergy men for they will bite Mic c. 3. 5. without strong and evident and convincing reason for our assertions which if we have not for our baptism against yours never men had in any controversy since truths resurrection from under the pawes of the Pope and Priesthood to this day not to see things amisse alias go on hoodwinkt with implicit faith if we cannot but see things amisse to hide and cover them specially the nakednesse of our father and shame of our Mother alias the Pope and Clergy out of whose loines and the Catholique Christendome in whose womb almost all error is ingendred least if their spiritual fornications should be rendred too discernable reformation should prove too desirable and that too destroyable to their enjoyments not to let a light matter alias so light aâ—…d vain a thing as the vanity of infant-baptism work dislike in us much lesse departure and divorce not to depart by seperation save in case of a great and unsufferable crime alias some worse and more fearful error then can well be about the dispensation of baptism of which there 's dispair of redresse which was the Protestants case with the Church of Rome and our case also with the Protestant nations in which though we reprove them roundly for it as well as declare against it we see little forwardnesse to forbear their infant-sprinkling which by your leave gentlemen for all your soothing and smoothing and smothering over the thing as no great one if it be one sometimes for your own ends yâ—…t to take you at your own words in this place is little lesse than an unsufferable crime and a business in which to erre is most fearfully to erre in one of the most necessary points of religion and either betokens a totall desertion by the spirit of God or else you shew your selves but ignorant men in speaking so of it and that is the very truth of it indeed for though an error about the subject and essential from of baptism be at no hand to be set so light by as t is by you when you see men resolved to depart from your societies in case of your refusal to reform that double error which in that point remaines yet among you while you Rantize infants yet neither is it to be so mightily magnified and made such a hydeous such a fundamental such a dangerous such a damnable error unlesse persevered in willfully against light or conscience and then a smaller matter then that may prove of sad consequence to any soul is as inconsistent with all possibility of their salvation that in times of ignorance did happen to hold it or puts all such persons under an absolute impossibility of having any thing of the spirit of God in them as meerly by reason of non
the sharpest seasons conversion falling out as ordinarily in winter as in summer whose present health both proves the falsnesse and reproves the madnesse of your prophet Yea I have cause to know a little better then every one and a little more then Mr. Baxter in this Expertus loquor I speak by experience against which no Argument of his availes I have seen since my five or six years converse among the commonly called Anabaptists many a one baptized totally in cold water and weather too by others besides toward two hundred by my silly self many of which have come forth covered though not with yee as Mr. Cook phrases it out yet with that water which yee truly covered but just before yet never saw I any one so baptized in all that time who was not if not better in meer bodily respects yet at least as well after it as before he tells you if you will believe him that totall dipping is for nothing but to dispatch men out of the world that are burdensome but then I wonder how the Creature called Anabaptist that is so burthensome to Mr. Baxter doth not dy out of the way by hundreds and thousands and so save him and others that labour of dispute against their growth but rather grow from hundreds into thousands so fast that they are not likely to be dispatcht out of the world till they are such a burthensom stone as will press them to death i.e. the whole Priesthood that is troubled with them He tells you if you will believe him that dipping will destroy men except they be preserved by Miracles why else doth he say speaking specially as to this ordinance of dipping God hath not appointed ordinances in his Church that will destroy men except they be preserved by miracles now if it be not so as hee sales viz. that it is a miracle to be dipped and not destroyed then what a strange man is he to say so but if it be so indeed viz a Miracle to be dipped and not destroyed then â—…o fools and slow of heart to believe the truth though the Lord confirm it to you with Miracles which are wrought day by day amongst the Disciples who are dipped Winter and Summer as occasion is yet are not destroyed Yea whereas Mr Baxter dares say that in Cities like London and amongst Gentlewomen that have been tenderly brought up and antient people and weak people and shopkeepers especially women that take but little of the cold aire dipping in cold weather would in the course of nature kill hundreds and thousands suddenly or cast them into some Chronical disease I dare say that in the City of London there is hundreds if not thousands dipped in cold water and as it happens in cold weather too many of which are Gentlewomen tenderly brought up and antient and weak people and shop keepers and women that take but little of the cold aire and yet by the course of grace they are preserved from perishing by either cold or suffocation yea and out of the City of London too for these hands have baptized of all these sorts in the Countrey viz. Gentlewomen most tenderly brought up very antient people very weak people shopkeepers and specially two women both alive at this day which I 'l become a fool in telling you of them sith Mr. Baxter compells me did take so little of the cold aire that one of them if my memory fail me not and if I were truly informed was but once out of her house in 5 year before by reason of a dropsy and that was with much adoe and but a little before her dipping and to hear this doctrine notwithstanding which weaknesse and such swellings that she was wellnigh twice as bigg as now she is and scarce able to betake her self to the water she was dipped and was rather better in body then worse after it and after sending for some elders of the Church toâ—… pray over her and anoint her with oile in the name of the Lord according to his own institution in that behalf Iam. 5. was within a while so asswaged in her swellings that she is now as slâ—…nder as in former times before ever he distemper took hold on her The other had scarce been out of her Chamber in two years together and durst not dip her finger in cold water and was ready to have her breath stopt with the least annoyance that could be yet was dipped and was better after it through Gods mercy for a pretty while so as to go abroad though she now is weak and much what as she used to be before If then you will not believe the words of God believe the works believe the Miracles for it is by Miracles that they are preserved who are dipt in cold water and not destroyed saâ—…es Mr. Baxter which if it be then God hath wrought very many Miracles among the men you nickname Anabaptists of late for they are constantly preserved from perishing by either cold or suffocation yea I have known many a one better in body but I nere knew any one of whom I could safely say they were the worse in body or Soul for being dipt save such as turned from the truth after turning to it for the latter end with such indeed is worse then their begining Yet how rashly do these men shoot their bolts to the murdering of the truth whilst they make the ordinary practise of it no lesse then flat murder it self and that undeniably to any understanding man unless there be a preservation by a miracle for else it destroyes men quoth Mr. Baxter it directly tendeth to overthrow mens lives in the course of Nature it will kill hundreds and thousands of them but if a man scape perishing with cold yet how can he i.e. how is it possible for him to escape being choaked quoth Mr. Cook and stifled with the water if he must be plunged over head to signify his death to sin 2. Secondly kept under water to signify his burial How can a man escape choaking Sirs if he be put and kept under the water why I tell you that either he can or else he cannot if he can why then he can and so Mr. Cook is confuted if he cannot in the course of nature without miracle then it being certain that thousands do scape choaking it should seem God by Miracle secures them and yet for all this nor Mr. Baxter nor Mr. Cook are convinced whether it be the more shame for them or no not to be so I leave it to themselves and all understanding men to consider Or perhaps Mr. Cook means how can a man escape choaking if he be kept three daies under water for so quoth he the disciple must as Christ abode three daies under water if Christs burial be represented but not onely his own party for mora sub aqua quantulacunque saith Tilenus quantumvis momentanea saith Bucan abode under the water for never so little a while doth most lively resemble
and have no pleasure in the truth Me thinks I see National Ministers of singular piety in peoples eyes prove men of singular pravity singularly bewitched into an implicit belief of the base tales that vain fellowes raise of the way of truth and singularly bewitching their people into implicit belief of them that so it is as they say that neither Priest nor people may obey the truth but both stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and ashamed each of other in the end Good Lord how is the practise of the truth made a reproach unto thy people and a derision dayly for I have heard the defaming of many report say they and we will report it possesse the pulpit and make the Priest believe it and then all the Country shall ring out and the people soon be diabolized into the faith on 't but hear ye rude reprochers of that people that are reprovers of the wayes whereby you run a whoring from the Lord you shall not prevail by such sleights such plausible pretences you shall be greatly ashamed you shall not prosper and unlesse you repent of your belying the truth of God your everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten It is too bad to be credulous to flying reports worse so violently to vent them worst of all malevolently to â—…invent them I dare not say nor dare I deem Mr Ba. to be guilty of the last but of the two first I cannot clear him sith I perceive that he takes it for a truth that we ordinarily dip naked and thereupon disputes against it as our usuall practise and then not confidently onely but of a certain relates to the whole world that it is no bare word nor any doubtful thing but an experience a known practise if he can clear himself he hath leave to do it for me who also summon him in the name of Christ Jesus whose true disciples he hath done such dispite to the Lord keep him from despiting the spirit of grace the people of whose love are the people of his wrath to prove it our practise ordinarily to dip naked yea to produce but one instance of any women of maids that ever he saw dipt naked in all his daies and I le abate him much of that I now accuse him of in the court of my conscience but if he say as indeed he does in effect that he never saw any dipt at all whilst p. 134. he saies that all that ever he saw baptized had water powred on them how can he say Epertus loquor it is his experience he having never so much as seen such a thing unlesse it were upon the brazen fac't front of Featleyes book where he fasly feignedly and filthily describes men and women dipping in that fashion or else upon the Titlepage of Ephraim Pagit who there paltrily pictures out this people practising thus and there I believe he hath experienced it or if he only hath it from the the mouthes of such as heard it from the mouthes of others who never saw it but receive it by tradition as well as he and that originally â—…o from the mouthes of some that made it and in such a manner very likely it was first bruted for I am perswaded there was never such a thing done of late in England unless by some Arch Knave and Arrant Whore in way of mockage to the Gospel which is rather a glory then a shame to Christ his truth then let Mr. Ba bear the blame of his blind blaspheming tho people of the everliving God Or if he know indeed that such a thing as baptizing maids and women naked hath been done in serious wise by any persons I further challenge him to make some proof of it and to print the names of such men as have done it and such maids and women that have suffered themselves to be dipped naked and the names of such credible eye witnesses as will testify it as in the fight of God which if he can though I shall not give place to him thereupon so as to be satisfyed therby for his overlashing in asserting it to be our practise to dip naked or for condemning and denominating a whole party much more their cause by the defects abuses of some persons whom the cause disclaimes for then there was 12. devils because one among the twelve and then what an Augaean stable is your Church of England by many members of which notorious roguery is committed every houre Yet I shall satisfy him so far as to undertake that the Church or Churches where such are shall declare every such person as hath wrought such abomination incommunicable without solemn repentance for that sordid practise or be themselves incommunicable by all o her Churches But I believe he cannot do it though I cannoâ—… positively possibly prove a Negative much more am I confident that he cannot make good his charge against us viz. that it is our ordinary and usual practise for besides no lesse then between one and two hundred which in grosse I can ghesse at which with these hands I have baptized I have seen with these eyes many a one more baptized by others yet never did I see male or female baptized naked to this hour nor nex to naked neither if I understand Mr. Baxs meaning in that bawbling phrase of next to naked Yea I suppose I may safely say my converse for these 5 years together and upward hath been with them that are commonly called Anabaptists and my businesse hath been for so long time at least among that people more then I perceive Mr. Baxs hath and much more then among any other people being more or lesse acquainted with a score of their Congregations yet howbeit Mr. Blake flings a little at us too and hath his fingers so far in this spatter as to say page 8. Those that have put a kind of necessity upon dipping have spoken much of being received naked â—…n bapâ—…sm I never heard the least speech of such a thing nor a syllable among them to such a purpose And if Mr. Ba. cannot prove it to be our ordinary known practise to dip naked then in the name of the Lord Jesus before whom he and I shall shortly both appear I intreat Mr. Ba. who as concerning zeal yet persecutes the Church of God poures out reproach upon true Christians giving his voice for them with as much modesty as Haman Est. 3. 8. as for high way Murderers alias that they may all suffer execution being through blindnesse and excaecation exceedingly mad against them that of an ignorant Saul he would become a seeking a searching a seeing a preaching Paul of the faith which he hitherto destroies and though he verily thinks with himself that he ought to do what he does against the truth yet I beseech him to know that he is but as others have been bâ—…fore him zealous of God but not according to knowledg sith it is but of the Traditions of his Fathers Gal.
that more is required to make a disciple then a servant yea verily the consequence holds sound from Christs disciple to Gods servant but from Gods servant to Christs disciple which is his way of arguing a very novice may see it rotten and invalid there is enough in all the creatures the earth and heavens which as books wherein we may read it though not as men that make any verball narration of it declare the glory of God Ps. 19. 1. to denominate them Gods servants Psa. 119. 91. Nebucad Nezar had enough to denominate him Gods servant Ier 43. 10. as Mr. T. truly tells him but not enough to denominate him Christs disciple Yea I appeal to Mr. Ba. own conscience whether at that time when Christ exercised his ministry among the Iews the whole Nation of the Iews as well as those he mentions out of Levit. 25. 41. and in the self same sense with those were not Iure Redemptionis by right of his Redemption of them from Egypt the servants of God had relatively a peculiar people to himself yet how few of them were Christs disciples viz. those onely that attended to his law in which respect though he stile all Israel his servants yet he distinguishes those few onely from the rest that harkned not to his law by the denomination of his disciples Isaiah 8. 16. And whereas he saies of infants may they not be called Gods servants from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to them p. 20. I answer who doubts of that but may they thereupon be called disciples and be baptized if so then from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to all men all men may be called Gods servants as well as they and so consequently be baptized as Christs disciples He tells us further p. 21. that infants are capable of being subjects of Christs kingdome taking kingdome not in the larger sense as it contains all the world nor in the strictest as it containeth onely his elect but in a middle sense as it conteins the visible Church therefore consequently capable of being Christs disciples and of baptizing and to prove the antecedent viz. that they are subjects of Christs kindome i. e. members of the visible Church he uses this medium they are capable of being subjects in any kingdome on earth and therefore why not of Christs kingdome saith he i. e. of the visible Church of Christ Now if this be a good consequence they are capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth and therefore to be subjects of Christs Kingdom i. e. his Church then the infants of heathens as well as these being capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth are consequently as capable to be subjects of Christs Kingdom and Church and consequently to be Christs disciples and in their infancy to be baptized but Mr. Baxter himself will say non sequitur unto this He tells us further that Christ would have some infants i. e. believers infants for those he meanes to be received as disciples therefore some infants i. e. such are his disciples To prove the antecedent he jumbles together a number of places out of Mat. Mark and Luke viz. Mat. 18. 5. the 10. 42. Mark 9. 41. Luke 9. 47. 48. in one of which places because Christ saies of a child who so shall receive this child in my name receiveth me by comparing this place with the rest where Christ saies to his disciples and of them also not of infants whoso shall give to you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ or as Matthew hath it in the name of a disciple he shall not loose his reward he gathers that some i. e. believers infants are disciples and to be received to baptism as such for saith he in Christs name and as Christs disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one in Christs language To which I answer First by denying that in Christs name and as a disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one for in Christs name is a Term of larger extent and latitude then the rest so that we may be said to do good in Christs name to some persons whom yet we cannot do good to as belonging to him in that neer relation of his disciples in the name of Christ besides severall other significations which the phrase hath is as much sometimes as for Christs sake who requires it and to do good to others in the name of Christ is to do good to them for Christs sake and then we may be said to do good for his sake not onely when we do good to them that are disciples of Christ upon that account of their belonging to him as his but also when we do good to them that are none of his disciples upon the meer account of his command who injoines all persons as occasion is to do good to all though especially to the houshold of faith whereupon also I perswade my self varily nor is it very unworthy of observation that the spirit when it speaks of doing good to profest disciples indeed Mar. 9. 41. he incourages to receive them not onely in the name i. e. for the sake of Christ so requiring but as belonging to him also as his disciples in the name of a Prophet in the name of a righteous man in the name of a disciple but when he speaks of our doing good to that child Luke 9. 48. he saies no more then barely in the name of Christ i. e. for the sake of Christ owning such an action but expresses not the other notion and account of discipleship and Relation to him as that on which he would have him to be received Moreover were it otherwise it would make little to the purpose of Mr. Ba. who brings it to prove some such sucking infants as men sprinkle i. e. believers babes to be disciples sith that it was a believers child of which Christ there speaks or that he speaks of such children rather then of the children of other men is much more then Mr. Ba. can ever clear and that it was a child of such a stature as to come to Christ when he cald him and therefore no infant of a span long nor such as is the subject of your sprinkling is too clear for Mr. Ba. to gainsay without clear contradiction of the Scripture Mat. 18. 2. These are far fetcht faddles whereby Mr. Ba. backs his people in the blind belief of his fond and false opinion that all believers infants are Christs disciples and thereupon to be baptized The mediums whereby he manifests their membership in the gospel-Gospel-church are many more then a good many and not more many then manifestly weak and utterly unavailable to such a purpose Rantist Many more then ever will be answered easily by you or any other that set so light by them as you do Baptist. That may possibly be too for I think no wise body will immittere pecus in pratum vbi non est sepes
have declared my sense of it before so I testifie again is so clear against the standing of infants as members in the family of Abraham or Church of God now under the Gospel that he is as blind as a beetle that sees any thing in it tending to the proof of it for it seems plainly that the natural branches or seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob themselves that stood the children of the Church before without faith upon the meer account of being their naturall branches cannot stand children of the Church now unlesse they be also spiritual branches as Abraham Isaac and Iacob were yea if being the fleshly seed of a believer could ingraft persons into the Gospel Church as it did of old into the Jewish Church without faith then the Jewes to this day being asmuch believing Abrahams natural seed as ever might by that birth stand Members as truly as any Gentile believers seed but they cannot yea the same persons that were members of that Church without faith were not admitted to passe from that Church to membership in this for want of faith but when very forraigners that had no relation to nor descent from Abraham became his children in the Gosspel sense and members of the Gospel Church by personal faith the very naturall seed of Abraham was cut off through unbelief so that the standing before was by a fleshly birth of Abraham of some believing proselited Gentile but the standing now in the Church is not by a birth natural of any parent no hot of Abraham himself unlesse there be faith in the persons themselves as Mr. Baxter believes not there is in any infants for to the confutation of the Ashford Pamphlet which pleads infant-faith Mr. Baxter p. 98. Makes the very essence of faith to lie in assenting to it that Christ is King and Saviour and consenting that he be so to us and whether infants do thus both assent and consent let Mr. Ba. be judge of it if he please Because of unbelief the natural seed were broken off thence Mr. Bax. argues that infants stand still in the Church but thence I argue they cannot stand because those that stand now stand by faith ver 20. i e. personal not parental thou standest saith Paul by faith i. e thy faith not thy Fathers for then we may as well say the just shall live by his fathers faith not by fleshly descent though of Abraham Isaac and Iacob themselves as of old they did and infants cannot stand by faith unlesse they had it and therefore not at all Mr. Baxter argues it was the Jewes own Olive tree or Church they were cut off from for unbelief Therefore infants stand in it still But theâ—…ce I argue that our infants cannot stand therein for if god spared not the Naturall Branches of Abraham but broke them off their own root their own father Abraham and his family so as to be counted no longer his children their own olive tree the church so as to abide no longer in it because they believed not the terms of standing church-members being now no fleshly descent but faith then much lesse will he admit any Gentiles that are not naturall branches of Abraham to be grafted into the good olive tree without faith and therefore no infants that believe not Mr Ba. tells us that some branches only were broken off therfore not infants It is true all were not broken off and why because some believed and so abode in the family others and those the most believe not when they should others and those all infants nor believed nor yet could and therefore could not abide nor have a visible being a visible membership a visible standing in that visible church the termes of standing in which is only and alone by faith Mr. Bax. argues that Israel shall again be grafted into their own olive tree and saved even the children with the parents and therefore infant-membership in the Gospel church is not repealed I answer it is true that if they abide not still in unbelief they shall be grafted into their own olive tree the visible Church and family of Abraham that is so many as shall believe onely this infants do not but whether they believe or believe not when the Redeemer i. e. Christ Jesus shall come all Israel shall be saved and be owned and made the most glorious people upon earth and enter into a flourishing state indeed but not in this way of baptism and membership Mr. Baxter speaks of who I perceive is not a little ignorant of this mystery as yet how long blindnesse shall happen unto Israel and in what manner their calling shall be of which I also have at this time as little list as leasure to inform him Mr. Ba. argues from the samenesse of the Olive tree the Jew was broken off from and the Gentile was grafâ—…ed into that therefore as infants stood members then so they must now I answer it is true there is some kind of indentity between the Jewish and the Gospel Church but not such as concludes an indentity of membership for infants they are the same ingenere visiblis Ecclesiae they agree in the common name of Church and visible Church elected and segregated from the world but there 's little else that I know of wherin they are the same they differ in circumstantials in their accidental forms in their officers ordinances customs constitutions subjects members that being constituted of one whole nation of people or fleshly seed of Abraham taken out from all other nations this of a spiritual seed of Abraham i. e. believers scaterred here and there taken out of any nation as they happen to be called almost every nation some the ceremony of inchurching Abrahams own much more any other mans meer fleshly seed being ceased Mr. Bax. peddles on a pace and brings a company of Scripures in proof of infants Church-membership and baptism which though he stile them as indeed his whole book Plain Scripture proofs for those two yet a man that is not minded to force the Scripture into the Service of his own fancy because it does not serve it freely may look till dooms day before he see in them any plain perspicuous proof of either one of these or of the other Christ saith he Mat. 23. 37 would have gathered Ierusalem oft as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but they would not therefore sure he would not have put them or their infants out of the Church the strength of the consequence lies here saith he he would have gathered whole Ierusalem and that into the visible Gospel Church therefore infants also Now that Christ does not speak of whole Ierusalem here as he saith he does both men and infants the circumstances of the text do fully evince to us for he speaks of the same persons he speaks to and the same persons he complains of saying ye would not the same and no other are they to whom he speaks when he saies Oh
their nonage as if in infancy they be admitted to both it may so fall out and mostly it did among the Iewes that a lifting up to heaven in respect of participation of outward priviledges and ordinances may prove an occasion unhappily through their abuse of it of their sinking deeper into hell His next Argument is drawn from Deut. 29 10. 11. 12. a place that doth as well prove that all the wives and the servants and the slaves even all the hewers of wood and drawers of water are to be taken into Covenant with God as his and admitted into Church-membership upon the Membership of Masters and Husbands as little ones upon the membership of the Fathers and so indeed it was in those daies wherein the whole body of the Nation was inchurched together though not so now therefore though I might easily discover that yea he is blind that sees it not in the same chapter notwithstanding it is alledged in that allusion of Paul in the tenth chapter of the Romans to that place to be no other then that covenant which was made with the nation in particular which God brought out of Aegypt yet I shall trouble my self to say no more to it then so His 13 Argument is from Rom. 4. 11. where circumcision is said to be a seal of the righteousnesse of the faith which Abraham had is answer'd above where I have given out the genuine sense of that place and disproved that crooked construction which is by others aswell as him commonly made of it therefore I le say no more to it here His 14 Argument is also answered but a little above where I have shew'd the inchurching of that fleshly seed to be ceremonial and also what it typed out therfore no more of that also in this place His 15. plain Scripture-lesse proof for infants present churchmembership and baptism is this viz. If all infants who were members of any particular Church were also Members of the Universall Visible Church then certainly the Membership of infants he means by vertue of the membership of their parents is not repealed But all infants who were c. Ergo. The consequence saith he is beyond dispute because the universal Church never ceaseth here yea the whole Argument so clear that were there no more it is sufficient To which as unanswerable as he judges it I answer first by denying the consequence of his Maior as most flatly false and inconsequent Secondly by saying as Mr. T. did whose answer is both solid and sufficient viz. that infants membership in the universal visible church was only by reason of their then membership in that particular national church neither can Mr. Ba. while he breathes prove them to have bin members of that universal visible as he calls it but as they were members of that and therefore when that particular nationall church of the Jewes ceased the standing of infants as members upon the meer account of their parents membership ceased also therewith as one of the things that were not essentiall to a church but circumstantial onely to that church as one of the particular accidental ceremonies pertaining onely to that individual nationall church for accidental ceremonies Mr. Ba. himself confesses and must confesse did cease still with that particular church to which particularly they related otherwise he will be paid home with his own weapon and in his own coin yea if Mr. Baxters consequence be true and if it be not so as we say that accidentall ceremonies and so this accidental ceremony and circumstance of infants being members upon the membership of their parents did cease with that particular church of the Iews t will passe all the braines Mr. Ba. hath in his head to answer his own argument if we retort it on him in proof of that which he denies as much as we do the inchurching of infants upon the fathers membership viz. the inchurching of wives and servants to this day upon the membership of their husbands and masters for whereas he argues thus viz. if all infants who were members of any particular church were also members of the universal visible church then certainly the membership of infants by vertue of their parents membership is not repealed but all c. Ergo What answer will he make if we answer him by arguing back upon him thus viz. if all wives and servants who were members by vertue of their husbands and masters membership of any particular visible church were also members of the universall visible church then certainly the membership of wives and servants hewers of wood and drawers of water by vertue of their husbands and masters membership is not repealed but all c. Ergo. I leave it to wise men to consider and examine whether Mr. Bs. argument doth not as fully tend to the proof of it that the wives and servants ought as of old to stand members in the visible church now upon the husbands and masters membership as infants upon the membership of their parents Several other palpable absurdities are obvious to every observant eye in his amplification of this argument which whoever notes will take heed of pinning his faith implicitly on Mr. Bs. sleeve and of listning to his Logick so as to be led by it besides all sense and reason To say nothing to his universall visible which is little lesse then a visible bull for sensus adeoque visus est proprie solum modo singularium intellectus universalium the proper object of sense and so of sight is particulars onely and universalls onely properly of the understanding yet this universal visible church is the universal vision and dream of the universal Clergy but to bate them the baldnesse of that term and grant that there is a Catholike visible church is there any unversal visible church but what is existent in and made up of all the particular visible churches I trow not yea that was wont to be good Logick and Theology too heretofore to say that all the particulars make up the unversal that the universall visible Church and all the particular visible Churches are adaequate and convertible yea Dr. Featley p. â—…2 makes the universall visible church and all the particular visible churches equivalent the universal or formall church saith he i. e. all the assemblies of Christians in the world the whole is not broader then all its parts collectively taken nor without its parts for omne totum ex suis partibus constituitur ordinatur mensuratur determinatur every whole consists of its parts is measured and determined by its parts and so the whole universal visible Church and all the homogeneall parts of it simul sumtae i. e. all the particular visible churches taken together are of equall latitude so that he that is of a any particular visible church must needs be of the whole and he that is of the whole universall visible must needs be of some particular visible church yea cui adimuntur omnes partes totius
this foundation of no salvation for infants without the visible Church on which he frames his present Argument flat on the ground to allow the bounds of the visible Church to be no broader then all the particular visible societies that are actually baptized and in formal fellowship in breaking bread and prayers so as to say he is no member of the visible Church that is not actually entred and solemnly stated in some particular congregation or other therefore being politick he premises this among the rest 3. You must understand saith he but a man may understand a little better if he will that to be a member of the visible Church is not to be a Member of any particular or politick body or society Nay more to make his own matter good and that he may find out a way of his own whereby to hope well of all the infants of believers before baptism that they may be saved for let all other dying infants damn for him he cares not for harbouring any hope of them and finding no way but one whereby to help himself to any hope of those i. e. by feigning them to be of the visible church he fetches the visible church so far that he makes it larger then the number of visible baptized ones and holds all believers infants to be in the visible Church from the womb and though in the last page but two of his book he disputes against twice entring into the visible body he feigns them to enter first into the visible church when they first enter into the world besides and before their second first entrance into the visible Church by baptism I wonder whether he hold those believers infants to be of the visible Church or no that were once alive yet dy again in the womb But for all these flim-flames Mr. Ba. will once know I hope that the true visible church is no other then all those particular politicall assemblies in whicâ—… baptized believers hold fellowship together and that to be a member of the visible church is to be a member of some political society or else how can such be ruld admonisht complained on to the church as Mat. 18. and excommunicated if need be in case of obstinacy if under no Ecclesiasticall Government and yet to hope well of the salvation of all infants that dy in infancy too without either baptism or visible membership in those visible societies And if he will not agree with me about it that the visible church is all the visible assemblies of Christians onely will he agree with Dr. Featley who defines the true visible church to be where the word is truly taught and the sacraments duly administred where therefore neither word is taught nor sacraments at all administred as to unbaptized infants I judge they are not nor baptized infants neither there 's no visible church Again the universal visible church that is saith he all the assemblies of Christians in the world the visible church and all the assemblies are adaequate with him at least therefore unbaptized infants cannot be of it for they were never entred into the assemblies but if Mr. Ba. will agree with neither of us we shall perswade him I hope to agree in this with Mr. Ba. for nowbeit Mr. Ba. will needs reckon upon the very unbaptized infants of believers as not in right to the visible church onely but of it in it visible members of it as as soon as born for let him study his own book how oft does he beat upon that saying there is but two states for them to be in or members of the visible kingdome of the devil or the visible church of Christ but believers infants before baptism are not in the first therefore in the visible church of Christ though I say he speak of them as in the visible church before baptism as not knowing else how to hope their salvation if they dy without it yet if any man living do deny infants or any other to be of or in the visible church before or without baptism Mr. Ba. denies it with whom how often is it exprest that baptism is the first visible entrance into it Yea to say nothing of his own definition of the visible church p. 75. to be such as were baptized and continued together in fellowship in breaking broad and prayers which ought to conclude the whole church so defined unlesse he have defined it by the halves in his plea for the continuance of baptism against the seekers p. 342. 343. he saies so and saies moreover that we must not admit any to be of the body without it that it is the appointed ordinary way of ingrafting all into the body that are ingrafted and p. 24. 25. he saies baptism still is to be at and not after persons are stated in the Church at and not after our admission at and not after our igrafting and entrance into the visible Church making baptism and our first being in or of the visible church so simultaneous that we may not must not be supposed to be in to be of to be visibly members of the visible church before baptism which if it be true as indeed it is that none can be counted to the body as one of it though in never such right to it first before baptism ordinarily at least as he pleads how doth all this hang together and agree with what he pleads here and in the foregoing argument p. 71. where he saith it is not the deniall of baptism directly that leaveth infants in the visible kingdom of the devill I would every one and Mr. Ba. himself would consider this grant of Mr. Ba. for then what ever necessity there may be of supposing them as he doth to be visible members in infancy and even before they are baptized we can suppose them in as good a state as he yet at least there will be no need to baptize them whereby to put us into more hopes of their salvation if they dy in infancy for if I can hope the salvation of some believers infants that die without Baptism upon that account what ere t is I may as well hope the salvation of them all dying without Baptism and so save the frivolous pains of baptizing infants at all he goes on thus t is true saith he that many unbaptized are in the Kingdome of Christ meaning his visible church but no man who is known to be out of Christs visible church ordinarily can be out of Satans visible kingdome I say how do these things square hear what he saies no entring into or being in the visible Church but by baptism and yet many unbaptized are in the visible Church viz. all believers infants before baptism viz. from the womb Either Mr. Ba. must hold two first entrances into the visible church viz. natural birth and baptism or else he must hold that baptism is not the first entrance or else that believers infants are not entred and if not so not in the visible
supposed to be members of the visible Church a priori before they can be warrantably supposed to be of the invisible i. e. to be such as shall be saved for if a person be of the invisible Church he must be thought to be of the visible much more for the visible containes the invisible in it saith he p. 72. and ordinarily we may not judge any to be of the invisible Church he means in real state of salvation who are not meaning first of the visible p. 72. But now I say and suppose the clean contrary viz. that persons must be first supposed to be of the invisible Church a priori before they can be warrantably supposed to be of yea or so much as to have right to be of the visible who backs Mr. Ba. in his sinister supposition I weigâ—… not let him chuse his second if he will I le chuse Mr. Bax. himself to back me and to be witnesse to the truth of mine whose words are altogether the same with mine p 73. viz. if we were fully certain by his own externall discourses that any man were not of the invisible Church that man should not be taken to be of the visible In order of time therefore persons were to seem to be members of the invisible church and were visibly in a state of salvation first before they could have any right at all so much as to be baptized which with Mr. Ba. himself was the first entrance into membership in the visible church but with me is not so much as an immediate entrance into it but that which is necessarily to go before it therefore persons may be seemingly in a state of salvation and not yet in present right to membership in the visible Church much lesse actually and visibly in it And now concerning infants of whom Mr. Ba. asserts that they must be members of the visible Church or else cannot be seemingly or visibly in a state of salvation upon such slender grounds as these he concludes it to be clear viz. First because it is the body that Christ is the Saviour of and his people that he redeemeth from their sins and his sheep to whom he gives eternal life and those that sleep in Iesus that God will bring with him and the dead in Christ that shall rise to salvation and those that die in the Lord that rest from their labours and the Church that Christ will present pure and unspoâ—…ed all which places I appeal to Mr. Bas. conscience whether they speak not of the misticall body and invisible church of Christ to which all and onely they square and are adaequate and not to the visible Church which he was to speak to or else speaks nothing to the purpose to all which visible church and to onely which these things agree not for neither all those that are of the visible churchare saved nor onely those of the visible Church saved witnesse many infants of believers whom Mr. Ba. dares not say are damned some never living to enter the visible Church so farre as to baptism and some once alive coming dead out of the womb which he is blind that ever saw to be in the visible church so that he sits here beside the saâ—…dle Secondly and Thirdly because there is no divine revelation for the salvation of any without the visible Church that yields good ground of Christian faith or hope that any such shall be saved as notwithstanding he saies there â—…s not yet I shall shew there is by and by Fourthly because it is said Acts the 2. 47. that God added to the visible church dayly such as should be saved which though he did yet t was not all nor onely such but onely such men and women not such infants as should be saved Concerning infants in proof of the proposition above viz. that some infants may be in visible State of salvation and yet not be in nor yet in present right to membership in the visible Church I argue thus downrightly First if all infants are in infancy in a visible state of salvation and no infants are members or in any right to be members in their infancy of the visible church under the Gospel then some infants may in infancy be in a visible state of salvation and yet not be in nor yet in present right to membership in the visible church But all infants c. and no infants c. Ergo some infants ut supra The first proposition is most undeniably clear the Minor hath two parts which I shall prove successively one ofter another and then I have done with this argument of Mr. Ba. I le prove the last first and the first last and here I dare-say I might easily muster up scores if not a century of solid arguments toward the fuller clearing of it that no babes now but the new born babes spoken of 1 Pet. 2. 2. 3. 4. 5. i. e. at least in appearance spiritually born babes such as those 1 Iohn 1. 1 Cor. 3. 1. Heb. 5. 13. are to be baptized and built upon the foundation i. e. doctrine of Christ and the Apostles a spiritual house a holy templâ—… i. e. visible church unto Iesus Christ now in these daies of the Gospelâ—… and that no mans fleshly seed or natural posterity no not Abrahams own barely on such an account as being his bodily seed much lesse any believing Gentiles who hath not mâ—…re priviledge then his seed I think but onely the at least seeming spiritual seed of Abraham i. e. those that are children of God and Abrahams too by faith in Christ Gal. 3. 26. 28. as no infant is have right to dwell in this family the babes the seed of Abraham circumcised in heart the children of the heavenly promise pointed at and typed out by the Iews babes and that circumcised seed of Isaac and those children of that earthly promise of the old Canaan these are the true sons of the free woman the Gospel visible church before whom the bond woman and her son i. e. Abrahams meer fleshly seed though by Isaac are cast out that they may dwell alone in the house as Hagar and her son were cast out of Abrahams house of old before Isaac and his seed that they might dwell alone for look how Ishmael and his seed stood in reference to Isaac and his that were the children by promise of the earthly Canaan viz. but servants that must not abide the house longer when the other came in to stand so Isaac the type and his seed themselves in reference to Christ the true Isaac and his seed i. e. believers viz. as servants that must be packing when he comes in and not abide in the house together with him see Iohn 8. Galatians 4. ult But that were to begin the work again which I have finisht above where I have given a touch of these things and but a touch in comparison of what might be said And of multiplying Arguments and making many books there is
of infants that are not capable to believe But then saies Mr. Ba. the same may be answered to the argument from Mat. 28. against infants being disciples and to be baptized To whom I reply thus First if he saies as we of Mark 16. 16. of Mat. 28. 20. viz. that go teach all nations baptizing them is meant of men at years onely and not of infants then he grants as much as we desire and confesses that Christ in his commission to teach and baptize the nations doâ—…s not mean discipling and baptizing infants but men and if the commission to baptize extend not to infants as the subject then what warrant to baptize them Secondly if that place be meant of men onely and not of infants then Mr. Ba. was well busied the while when he brings that very place in the very front of his plain Scripture proofs for his infant membership and baptism its ill stumbling at the very threshold But I shall not multiply nor improve as Mr. Ba. hath done to the utmost but give one argument more against infant membership and so come to the other member viz. If all that can be said in proof of the visible Church-membership of infants may be disproved as weak and inconsequent utterly to that purpose then sure there is enough if one would stand upon it to be brought against it But all that is said by Mr. Ba. in his two dozen of arguments who improves himself to the utmost to say as much as can be said in proof of the visible Church membership of infants is well nigh already and will be altogether by and by disproved as weak and inconsequent Ergo there must needs be enough against it for contradictoriorum uno negato statuitur probatur alterum If all that can be said on one side to the proof of this that infants ought to be members of the visible Church will not avail to evince that to be the truth then that infants ought not to be members of the visible Church of Christ is a thing will prove it self well enough And so I have done with one member of my proposition that I may say a little also to the other which is this viz. Though no infants have right in infancy to be baptized and joined to the visihle Church as I have already proved yet all infants in their infancy are in a visible state of salvation Mr. Ba. finds out or rather fancies to himself certain grounds whereupon to hope that some dying infants are saved viz. some of the dying infants of the faithful as in opposition to all the dying infants of the wicked I say some of them for he dares not say p. 78. that his own grounds yield a certainty though a probability of the salvation of all such neither so doth he narrow up the grace of God to that innocent age of infancy for all he would seem so merciful as to plead its cause against those cruel conceits which he conceives are conceived of it amongst us yet he finds no good ground whereupon to hope the salvation of the dying infant of any godly man but the same on which he conceives them of nececessity to that salvation to have also a right to membership in the visible Church but such a necessary dependance of them each on other that suppose one to be no member at least in no visible right to membership in the visible Church of that person so dying there can be harboured no hope at all of his salvation but what if I can make it good from one of those very grounds of Mr. Baxters own bringing that there 's a ground to hope the salvation of one such dying infant as of whom it is most palpably evident that it was neither actually a member of the visible Church before it died nor so much as in any visible right to membership in the visible Church if it had lived Mr. Ba. will then I hope let go his wretched conceit of a necessity of dying infants membership in order to our having hopes of their salvation And in order to the making good of this I instance in the very same child which himself brings in as his fifth ground page 77. and alludes to as his example of the contrary viz. the child that David had by Bathsheba while she was yet the wife Uriah of whom I testifie the very same that Mr. Bax. does viz. that Davids comforting himself concerning his dead child because he should go to the child but the child not return to him was an evident argument that David was confident that that child of his should not be damned and yet he could not hope so upon any such account as his childs dying a member of the visible Church for the child never lived so much as to the 8th day nor to be circumcised and thereby entred into the visible Church for its plain 2 Sam. 12. 18. that it died on the 7th and if Mr. Ba. say it was a member de jure though not de facto i. e. in a right to have been a member had it lived I deny that with as much confidence as the other for a bastard was not to be admitted into the congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation and its evident that that child was a bastard I conclude therefore contrary to that round Mr. Ba. runs about in like a horse in a mill making a necessary concatenation between being in visible right to Church-membership and in a visible state of salvation proving the one by the other concluding sometimes that infants of believers are children of the Gospel promise so visibly in a state of salvation therfore they must be baptized and in churcht or else they could not and others may not sometimes that infants of believers are in visible right to be admitted into the visible Church and therefore we may have sound ground to hope their salvation so dying as denying their right to membership we could not have and of other infants we cannot I conclude I say that there may be sound ground whereon to hope the salvation of some dying infants that dye without actual membership in the congregation or visible Church of Christ and without any right to it also in their infancy had they lived longer And if we may hope well of some infants that dy without membership and without right to it also I know not why we may not hope the like of all for all Mr. Baxs impropriating the unlimited and boundlesse grace of God and ingrossing all hope of the salvation of dying infants to the dying infants of none but faithful parents specially considering besides what grounds more of my own I shall add in proof of it by and by two more at least of Mr. Baxters own grounds whereon to hope the salvation of believers infants are grounds whereon to hope the salvation of other dying infants as well as them the Scriptures he refers to for them speaking if of infants at all
then of the whole species of the whole kind of that Stature called infants and not of infants of one kind more then another For first whereas his 6th ground for the salvation of believers dying infants and of being without any fear of their damnation is this viz. because it is said Psal. 127. 3. 4. 5. children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb his reward c. if that be spoken of infants at all as it seems rather to be spoken of children that are grown up that are the strength of their father and his family it is surely spoken of all infants as well as some and he that particularizes that indefinit term of children and the fruit of the womb where ever the Scriture speaks hopefully of such so as to understand it universally to expresse and sound forth no more then those individualls viz. the seed of believing parents and yet thus Mr. Bâ—… muzzles up all such Scriptures and makes them sound no more then he would have them doth little lesse then force the word to his ownfancy Secondly whereas his 13th ground is from Mat. 18. 10. where he argues thus If little ones have their angels beholding the face of God in heaven then they shall be saved for that is a mercy peculiar to the people of God I argue that if little ones litterally taken i. e. if infants be there meant as he saies but never shewes they are saving per alios and not per se then surely all infants as well as some for he speaks not there of the little ones of believing parents in special but of what kind of little ones soever he speaks he speaks of that kind of little ones in general without exception whether it be of infants or of his disciples and if yet it must needs be understood of infants onely that they shall be saved it is understood universally of them and so much Mr. Ba. might have seen and would have said had he consulted the 14. verse but just below where it is thus said of all little ones that are lost and so of all as well as some viz. it is not the will of your heavenly father that one of these little ones shall perish And sith Mr. B. so suches it out below p. 104 105. c. from Mark 10. 14. 15. saying that of such is the kingdome of Heaven must needs be meant viz. by kingdome of Heaven salvation which I grant and by such as I le grant also at this time however sith thence I shall have another Argument ad hominem to give hope by of the salvation of all dying infants not such as are like infants but infants themselves and that not of those individuals onely that were then brought which whether they were children of believing parents or no too is more then Mr. B. ere can demonstrate there being many that came to Christ for healing of themselves or theirs as t is most evident that these did of whom not more then one of ten were as they should be for of 10 leapers clensed where were the nine I say not of those individuals onely but of the very species of infants yea how oft ore and ore and ore again does he inculcate this upon us in that place saying it was the species of infants the very species infants in specie and not those individuals whom Christ saies the kingdome of heaven i. e. salvation doth belong to I appeal to Mr. Bâ—… own conscience whether there be not out of his own mouth a strong Argument of hope if not of assurance from Christ himself that the whole species of infants so dying i. e. all infants and not some onely shall be saved for the â—…pecies of infants expresses not some infants onely but all infants or infants quâ tales so that quatenus ipsum evermore including de omni whatver belongs to infants inspecie i. e. to the kind or to infants as suchbelongs toall infants quod convenit homini purely qua est homo convenit omni homini and so what ever belongs to any thing as t is such belongs also to all that is such But Mr. B. teaches us the truth in this that the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs by Revelation from Christ himself to infants not in individuo onely i. e. not to those infants onely that were then brought to Christ nor any other but to the kind to infants in specie i. e. all infants as infants therefore the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs to them all and so did that kind of comming to Christs person while he was on earth with infants not for nor by baptism but for healing belong to all infants that needed it as well as some that were then on earth as comming to Christ with infants by prayer to him to help and heal them in whatever malady since his person is absent belongs to all infants in the world and not to believers infants onely and yet not baptism and a standing in fellowship in the visible Church for they indeed are not fit for fellowship Therefore though Mr. Ba. contracts the grace of God to infants as concerning their everlasting salvation into little a little corner yea good lord how few dying infants does he hope shal be saved that hath hope of none but of some i. e. believers infants which are but one of many and also not of all but onely some of them yet to conclude this in a way of resemblance to Mr. Bâ—… conclusion of his Argument from Mark 10. p. 107. I blesse the Lord Jesus Christ King of the Church though he gave no order to baptize and inchurch infants here on earth yet for having a greater tendernesse towards the eternal state of all dying infants then Mr. B. is yet aware of and towards all that live to years such a tendernesse as to invite them to himself universally and bid them wel-come and so great a care to inform his Chutch in his Word and Gospel concerning his good will to all men and to all insants also in that particular so as to speak it so plainly that plain minded men that are not minded never to change their minds as I hope Mr. B. is not may well see his mind in this case even as if he had therefore done this because he foresaw that some would arise so carnally and so cruely conceited as to suppose it impossible to be and but in vain to hope it almost that Gods saving mercy should extend to any more dying infants then those few and not all those few neither of their own and for my part I gladly accept Christs information and submit to his discovery let them resist it that dare And lastly one more Argument of hope that I have within my self that all dying infants must needs be saved is this yet because I could never find since I lookt for it as also none ever shall that look not without their eyes what should nor what save the
FOr as much as I have been several times sollicited by several persons both by word of mouth and otherwiseâ—… to give out unto them the grounds ends and arguments in writing of my continuance in the practise of water baptism and other ordinances of Christ as laying on of hands prayer breaking of bread church fâ—…llowship c. according as the Churches of Christ in the primitive ages of the Gospel did and for that I find it an easelesse and well nigh an endlesse businesse to write the same things in private letters about one particular subject to every of those particular persons that may successively desire it I have therefore thought good being called to the presse by sundry challenges of the Priesthood and more specially by not only the publication of that abusive pamphlet concerning the Ashford-disputation for infant-baptism but also their professed expectation that I should give some answer or give the cause to insert here this ensuing account of my own reasons for the right of our remaining in the use of ordinances till the return of Christ and animadversions of what little reason the Ranter hath to run from them and redeem himself from that bondage which he deems to be in the observation of them before the time appointed much more to run beyond the bounds of modesty and all good manners also as not all but many if not most of those do first or last who despise any of the ord nances of the Lord Jesus and herein as I shall be plain using no other form method and order then what the Lord gives into me as I write so I must be brief the foregoing part of this volume having risen already unawares to a far greater magnitude then was meant to the whole when I first cast the bulk of it in my mind and there remaining also something yet to speak and I know not well how much to the Priests concerning themselves in way of return to the last piece of that pedobaptistical pamphlet which was pu forth by who knowes or rather by who knows not whom in order to the plainer disquisition of the truth in this question viz. whether the ordinances of Christ that were in use of old are of right to be practised still as there are foâ—… services then in use the necessary use of which is now denied viz. baptism in water laying on of hands breaking of bread â—…d church-fellowship so I shall addresse my self to prove the practise of these four severally to stand even de jure till the second coming of Christ which is yet to come And because baptism in water though most strenuously denyed by many to be so much as lawfull to be either dispensed or submitted to and by many even of those that have submitted to it to be necessary or any other then a matter of indifferency is yet the first in order to be practised and that without or before which we are not once to meddle with the other I therfore propound it as the first in order to be proved and in order to the proof of at least the lawfulnesse thereof against such as say its siâ—…ful for this will be included in the other I shall by the help of God prove a necessity of it against such as judge it needlesse or superfluous and by several Scriptures shew it to be such a service the present performance of which is so far from being sinful that it is no lesse then sin and rebellion against Christ himself to leave it unperformed The Scripture which I shall most directly make use of to this purpose and lay as the very basis and foundation of this businesse and make as a certain cardinal 〈◊〉 from whence to argue and whether to reduce all the rest which I shall more collaterally handle is Mat. 28. 18. 16. 20. All power is given c. in which place these things chiefly are observable as subservient to the proof of the point in hand First we find Christ pleading that absolute power which was given him by the father to be the Soveraign Lord and Supream lawgiver to the whole world thorowout all nations and generations of it from thenceforth even to the end in these words viz. All power is given unto mâ—… both in heaven and in earth i. e I am he to whom this prerogative is granted to give out to all men what laws and rules they shall be guided and governd by what wayes they must walk in in order to that eternal salvation which as a Priest I have purchased them to by my own blood if ever they mean to attain it I am that Prophet which the Lord hath raised up unto all people now instead of Moses who was the faithful giver out of Gods will mind or Testament to Israel of old whose voice all must now hearken to in all things what ever I say unto them and whoever harkneth noâ—… to me shall be cut off from among the people behold God hath given me for a wiâ—…nesse to the people a leader and commander unto the people Secondly After he had thus shewed his authority and commission from God to be the only Lawgiver whereby to summon the sons of men to so much the stricter attention to him he next begins to act according thereunto to act like him self to make out his mind to his disciples concerning them and all men most expressely and plainly about this matter of waterbaptism and to give order to them both when and to whom both in what time and to what subjects they should dispense it and likewise both how and for how long he would have the nations as by command from himself commissionating his disciples so to teach them to practise the same dispensation of water baptism in the two following verses Going out therefore teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Where note first in general three things First That he gives order to his disciples to teach the nations and baptize them in water in his name ver 19. going out teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father son and holy spirit Secondly that whatever order is given out by Christ to his disciples concerning this businesse of water baptism as to the order of its administration and the term of its continuance the very same and no other doth Christen join his disciples to give out to the disciples that should be successively in all nations to be observed as his will concerning them v. 20. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Thirdly that what ever he gives out as his will concerning both them and the disciples in the nations that they should make he gives out as his standing will and Testament to them and their standing duty to him in all ages of the world as well as
your selves when you speak plurally of it in your fifth question had he meant more kinds of imposition of hands then one for though hands be the plurall number yet laying on which is the phrase you speak to or else you speak nihil ad Rhombum is a substantive of the singular number both in the English and in the Greek and suppose the spirit had spoken plurally of more imposioâ—…s of hands then one must that that was Act. 8. 17-19 6. on baptized believers be ever the more excluded or the more incuded rather in all likelyhood among the rest and because the Apostle does not speak particularly enough nor distinguish nor expresse plainly enough what he means by shewing the end purpose and event of the imposition here spoken of therefore belike he meant that no body should ever own this principle at all but the truth is he speaks of no more impositions then one Therefore to conclude with the Enquiâ—…ers question propounded thus to themselves we desire to know what safety it is for any man to conclude that question to be worthy of an answer that is so falsely grounded as this of the Enquirers is and to conclude that Heb. 6. 2. is meant of more layings on of hands when it expresly speaks but of one And so deâ—… Friends whom I love too well to spare speaking plainly to you in a case whâ—…rein upon occasion of your putting on too too rashly in print little lesse then against it a precious truth of Christ lyes at stake between us since you are pleased to urge and importuâ—…e us so earnestly at the close of your questionâ—… by the opportunity that you have thereby put into our hands to justify our practise viz. laying on of hands upon all baptized believers as we love the glory of God and the promoting of that which we so highly esteem and hold to be truth as we will declare our love to the truth by countenancing men who diligently make search after iâ—… as we tender the union and communion of the Churches c. that we would discharge our duty and try if we could make it appear by the word of God which I confesse with you is able to instruct us in all things and therefore though much might be said from the constant practise of the Churches in and boâ—…dering upon the primitive times to the further clearing up of the truth in this point yea men far better studied that way then I am who yet see sufficiently to my satisfaction â—…ell us that all Antiquity teacheth laying on of hands after baptism yea and some that never practised neither it nor true baptism yet I wave â—…ll such Arguments aâ—… of no weight without the word Since also you promise us that if we so do then you shall acknowledg the truth thereof to the glory of God and your own shame in being ignorant so long and speedily imbrace it if God so assist you by his word professing you will to that purpose expect our faithfull care to be expessed with chearfullnesse without making delaies in a matter of so great importance which may unite and establish us in one mind hereupon I could not in conscience but take so much notice of your questions they meeting me also just in the mouth whilest I was musing to say some little but not a quarter so much as here is to evince the noncessation of this service as well as that of baptism as to give this transient answer as I travel along being bound also as you hint to me to give to every one that asketh it a reason of the hope that 's in me with meeknesse and fear so desiring the Lords blessing upon it towards you and upon you in your examination of it and as you have light your execution according to it that such excaecation as the Ranter who is run out of the reach of reason hath by little and little queried himself into may never overtake you I remain both yours and every ones servant for Christs sake Thus much concerning the continuation of that practise of laying on of hands now as to the present use of the ordinances of breaking of bread and church-fellowship I shal speak but briefly to that forasmuch as these are services the continuance of which to the end is denied doctrinally by none for ought I know but the Ranter that is run up above all saving that the Rigid Piesbyterians though in words they own the supper yet in works do deny it for many if not most of them live in the neglect of that administration of the supper in their parishes some four some five some six seven eight years without any use of it at all as if there were no such matter as that now in being for others I mean a certain mixt sort of Independents that are rife in these dayes they own and practise it and Church fellowship too more then enough unlesse more orderly in respect of that Antecedency to these of all the principles of the doctrine of Christ which ought to be now as it was in the primitive times which times they pretend to reform by taking in Omnium generum an Omnigatherum of persons men and women whom they take to be believers into fellowship in one visible body in breaking of bread and prayers some whereof having renounced their Rantism as null are truly baptized some as yet but meerly Rantized yet supposing themselves sufficiently baptized because of that which can be of no use to them as a sign for they remember it not some hanging in the air between both not satisfied whether they were truly baptized in infancy yea or no some doubting whether any water baptism at all be needful to be used in these times some convinc't that they ought to be baptized but not yet finding any Administrator that fits their fancies some resolved to be baptized but Christ who expects it from them must wait their leasure none reproving their procrastination nor saying to them as Ananias to Paul and now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord or as Peter to the Iews repent and be baptized Some resolving never to be baptized but roundly renouncing all water baptism as nothing concerning them yet leaving them at liberty to act according to their light that have a mind to submit to it and who see it their duty as if the plain word of Christ in this point of baptism were such a nose of wax as might be moulded and metamorphosed into any model according to every mans mind and temper or quite canceld disanuld melted into no word of Christ at all at every mans haughty humour that is loath to debase himself so far as to submission to it as if my Lord and my Lady and Sir such a one had more dispensation from Christ thenevery ordinary body to shew for their non-obedience to that dispised dispensation some of them that are baptized under prayer
should be a departure from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. so that if the foretelling that there should be a falling away from the truth of ordinances prove that therefore there must be no practising of them now at all then there being a prophecy of a falling away from the right belief of the Gospel will evince that there ought now to be no right believing and so belike we do as ill in believing the Gospel now as in practising the ordinances of it but this will not not hold and therefore certainly not the other More over that thou maiest see how contrary thou art to the Apostles not in thy actings only but in thy arguings also consider that whereas thou admonishest men thereupon to be carelesse as concerning ordinances they even from their own predictions of a falling away from the purity of the primitive way stir the Saints up to so much the more dilligent and strict attendance to it Iude ver 3. 4. from the very consideration of a future falling away exhorts the Saints not therefore to let go but earnestly to contend for that faith which was once delivered to the Saints and I appeal to the understanding of any one that hath not shut up his eyes from seeing and searching after the mind of God in the Scripture whether Paul doth not charge Timothy 1 Tim. 4 16. 5. 21. 6. 13. 1 Tim. 3. 14. to whom he had told it before in 1 Tim. 4. 1. that there should be a departure from the faith even therefore as he would answer it before God to observe those things concerning outward discipline and Church order offices and ordinance in point of laying on of hands and other things of that kind as well as other that he in the name of the Lord had commanded him and to keep them without spot and unrebukeable even to the appearing of Jesus Christ and not onely to continue himself in the doctrine and things that he had learnt from Paul among which many were instructions for the right ordering of Churches 1 Tim. 3. 15. but also to take special order for the continuation thereof downwards to succeeding generations without the least hint of any term or period of time wherein they of right should cease the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able i. e. after thy decease to teach others also 2 Tim. 2. 2. and not onely so but whether he doth not in that very place thou alledgest viz. 2 Thess. 2. 15. even therefore enjoin the Saints to hold fast the traditions or ordinances for so the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used here is truely enough rendred 1 Cor. 11. 2. because he had told them above that there should come one that should delude many with lyes whereas if Paul had argued as thou O Reasonlesse doest he must have said thus viz. there shall come a falling away from the purity of ordinances by a wicked one that shall tread them down therefore be not too stuff in standing for them but let go the ordinances which have been taught you whether by word or Epistle Peter also foreseeing and accordingly foreshewing that there should come scoffers in the last daies walking after their own lusts not Christs commands wills the Saints that should be in those last times as Malachi did the Jewes after a long deformation to remember the Law of Moses with the statutes and judgements Mal. 4. 4. in which we now live to look back to and be mindful of the words that were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. 3. 2. as Iude also does in the self same words and upon the self same account Iude 17. And this I find to be the course of the Apostles all along upon foresight of the dark and declining time to refer the Saints of the last times to their primitive orders and by Arguments drawn from the stedfastnesse of the word of the old Testament in every tittle to shew much more a stedfastnesse in the new and a liablenes to punishment for every transgression and disobedience to this as there was for that Heb. 2. 2-10 28. every jot of which was so stedfast that even tith of Mint Annis and Cummin which the Pharisees did ill indeed in so doting upon as to neglect the weightier matters of judgement mercy c. was neverthelesse not to be neglected Matth. 23. 23. on pain of being accounted Robbers of God Mal. 3. 8. and howbeit the greater and higher things of the Gospel as faith holinesse of life c. are not to be forgotten while we attend to lesser and lower yet how the law of Christ was so stedfast as that of Moses if it ly in the power of man or Angel to disannul the least particle of it till Christ himself who is the only abolisher of old dispensations and establisher of new do by his own next personal comming put an end to this as he did by his first comming unto that I am not able to imagine Thou tellest us Suppose the Saints and churches ought to have held fast their administration of ordinances 〈◊〉 â—…his day yet what of that the Churches have lost and let go that first outward form of service and Iezebel the whore hath got into the Temple and filled all with Idolatry and trod all the true way under foot and instead thereof set up her own ordinances and traditions the Clergy hath corrupted and depraved all that first face of outward worshâ—…p therefore â—…s now no more to be meddled with for ever there must be no more raising the holy City in that form and way wherein it stood before no more Churches nor ordinances but did every any rational spirit argue thus viz. because the true appointed way of Gods worship was lost when it should have been therefore it must not be found recover'd nor returned to again when it may be surely the same rule reason warrant and command by which the Church was bound to have stood in the way of truth without falling away by the same is she now bound to rise from whence she is fallen or else I know not what Christ means when he saies to the Church at Ephesus Rev. 2. 4 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works c. Secondly by the same reason and ground that the Jewes returned from Babylon to Ierusalem and built the holy City and Temple that was the type when by the enemy Typical of our Gospel Babylonians the Priesthood and his people that have led the Church captive from her own border for a time times and a half even 70 years it was trodden underfoot and began again to practise the word worship and ordinances of the old Testament so long abolished agreeably to Gods will by the same I say may the Gospel Church having now both light and liberty
his heart to the grief of it another way that the power and purity of Christs ordinances are a 1000 fold more strictly stickled for according to the Covenant by us then by all those Orthodox ones he talks of who the more shame for them do so zealously and constantly oppose us we therefore cannot rationally be denominated Hereticks and Sciasmaticks in separating from and practising contrary to you in the point of baptism so long as we keep close to the primitive truth gladly both preaching and receiving the word as t is preacht by Peter Act. 2. â—…aying repent and be baptized every one of you repenting and being baptized accordingly and after that continuing in the rest of the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and prayers and though we draw never so many disciples from you after us yet the man is out of his Christian wits that deputes and declares this to be Heresie and Schism sith so far are we herein from rending from and refusing to be reduced to the Church that we indeed earnestly endeavour to reduce them to the true Church to the true head Christ the true constitution the true Baptism and Gospel order from which they are rent and run astray wondring after a false Church a false head viz. a Lording Priesthood and Parochial posture both which derive all their being from Dâ—…ephes i. e. his prating Preheminence the Pope But now as for your selves the PPPriesthood of the Nations who mostly deny not but that the primitive baptism was of believers and dispenst in Rivers or places of much water which was needlesse if sprinkling was then the way you have a thing among you indeed which you call Baptism but t is not that one Baptism that old Baptism then urged and used but another a new Baptism and yet to say the truth neither another nor A new Baptism but A-no-Baptism Rantism Babism a toy of your own taking up by tradition from your forefathers but not the first fathers that were the founders of the Christian Church for you find it not there but fetch it further from thence by such consequence as besides the remotnesse of it is too weak and rotten to carry it downwards to these times you are they that dissent and rend from the truth in this point of baptism and draw all the world to Sectarize and erre after you by a law by your subpaena directories yea you pretendedly reforming Presbyters who peculiarize the term of Orthodox to your selves even you as to the right administration of the outward right of baptism are not a whit lesse Erratical Heretical Schismatical and Heterodox then the Pope for as he hath another baptism then that which was in the primitive times viz. infant rantism which by the mouth of his cardinal Bellarmine he confesses to be but a tradition of the Church so you have no other then the same yea you own that for good baptism which is done at Rome or else how to prove the Popish Bishops to be baptized themselves that baptized and ordained you Presbyters you plainly know not yet you falsely father it upon Christ and fain it to be an ordinance of his then which nothing is more clear then that it is not And as in point of baptism you all erre not knowing or at least not doing according to the Scriptures all means used to reduce you thereunto notwithstanding so in the supper and many more matters pertaining to that visible Church order that was in those times as namely impropriating to your selves sole power of speaking in your Churches i. e. steeple-houses so that your members may well say men mutire nefas it is not for them to open their mouthes there unlesse to answer when you catechise them whereas then all the Church were to covet to prophesie i. e. to speak mutually to the exhortation edification and comfort each of other and being gifted might all women onely excepted prophesie one by one and every one minister as of the ability God gave them great or small that God in all things might be glorified and all judge of the doctrine delivered but with you what doctrine ere ye deliver men may try it if they will but must take it whether they will or no the mouths of all must be muzzled up save such as in your sense are ministers i. e. have some Parchment Preachment orders to shew from such as can shew their orders from his Highnesse the head of the Church not Christ but his Holinesse the Pope who had his from the beast Rev. 17. who had his from the devill Rev. 13. yea verily as to the external face and fashion of the first Churches you have altogether altered it from what it was and brought in a businesse of your own heads being all gone aside and altogether become vain in your wayes as to your administrations of Gospel ordinances so that there is none of you that are in the right way of the primitive Churches no not one yea ye are separated from and make a head against the true head of the Church Christ Jesus and take upon you to head the Church your selves for this is not the fault of P the Pope onely but of PP i. e. you Prelates and Presbyters too who howbeit you seem to throw off that supremacy or headship which the Pope had once and laies claim to still in the protestant part of Christ'ndom yet in your several Christ'ndoms you have been not nominally but really as supreme in Church work as he and that not over the people onely but civil powers also to whom in all cases Ecclesiasticall and civill though you say you grant the headship or Supreame Government under Christ yet how doth that appear sith they only Corrective but you Directive till of late have done all for the Bishops and Sinods and General Convocations of the Clergy and assemblies of the Kirk seeundum te must determine what is to be done by Magistrates in Church affairs and they do it accordingly The Priests must give out the word and sentence what is the worship the way the faith the truth what Heresy and Schism who are Hereticks and Schismaticks and then the Princes in all their Dominions establish the one and root out the other as Rogues at their appointment in which cases saving the bare name of supremacy over the Churches which hath been allowed it is difficult to me to discern whether Christian Kings have not been as of old under the Popedome so more lately under the very Protestant Clergy as the Bosholder under the Constable at his discretion direction to whip the beggars and though you may say and so saies the Pope too that you claim to head and order the Church directive no otherwise then under Christ yet in very deed as he for all his saying so you have presumed to set your selves above Christ the only head Counseller Lord and Lawgiver to his Church for as the Pope hath done no more then
broken his lawes changed his ordinances trampled his truth made void his commandments and subpaena damni Temporalis et eternae damnationis imposed mens Traditions arrogantly in their stead so you in your severall lines have done no lesse yea you also make people to erre with all your might and whatever tender consciences find Christ piping to the contrary in his word yet if they dance not after you pipe when it sounds to the tune of Tithes and put not into your moneths you cry peace but bite with your teeth and prepare war against them Mich. 3. 5. possessing the world with prejudice against them as a sort of seditious Sectaries damnnble Hereticks and Schismaticks yea exceptis excipiendis saving some few scatterings here and there of more sober and moderate minded Ministers like so many graines of salt to keep the rest from stinking too much in these states where you have or would have raigned who have not been so hot spur as their fellowes by the good will of P. the Presbiter as well as of P. the Prelate and P the Pope many an honest mans native countrey for non-conformity to his Gangraenaticall domination should ere this have been made too hot to hold him so far therefore as separa from the true church and her orders may denominate a people Heretical Schismaticks and Divines themselves place the Nature of Heresie much in seperation and Schism the Denomination seems to be your due O P P Priests who are departed from the primitive church and not ours for departing from you ye are are those Schismatical Teachers that are rent all from the primitive plainesse of the Gospel and present pompousnesse of each others way and have seduced the whole world into spiritual thraldome idolatry and superstition and inticed them into a carnal liberty of calling all things according as your carnal ends and interests impose the names of Heresie or truth upon them you are S S She that having got the good liking of the Kings and Kingdomes of the earth to confide in you do close the eyes of their judgements as Dr. Featley faines we do with your birdlime of Schism from the true church and head thereof Christ Jesus and bewitcht them into an implicic submission to Papism Arch-bishopism Occumaenical Synodism Provincial Classism and so lead them as you list into Anti-gospelism Antiscripturism c. making a prey of them and though Featly had the faculty of faining the Baptists â—…o be such yet you are indeed devisers of new religions and Spiritual Impostors falsely pretending to Christ as the Patron and Authorizer of your new doctrines of which Paedo-baptism is one which because there is not the least dram of evidence for it in the word of Christ therefore when people begin to question it you amuse the vulgar with the names of some divine Authors or other not Peter nor Paul c. but St Austin S â— Gregory S Chrysostome c. at Rome his Holiness the Pope the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ghostly Fathers c. and in places where those subterfuges are not regarded Reverend Sinods of grave Orthodox Divines Ministers of Christ Suffrages of all the learned Divines in the Reformed Churches c. and this you do to secure your Tenets from the hazards of disputes and exempt your persons and actions from the test of examination as if there were such infallibility herein that it is no lesse then blaspemy to doubt or call in question the Dictates or Directories c. of such and such thus bearing your selves up with bombasting termes of Fathers Spiritual Ius divinum c. you gain to the captivating of the reason of men so far that they resign up themselves â—…urare in v v vostram sententiam and will be as their Priests are and never believe but that they believe the truth when all this while there is nothing but humane authority and humanum est errare for most things you do yea you are indeed the greatest Schismaticks or Rentmakers in the seamlesse coat of Christ that the Earth bears you are they that have caused divisions and offences contrary to that doctrine which was at first received at Rome and in all Churches and by good words and fair speeches viz. decency order c. have deceived the hearts of the simple so as to make more conscience of serving those belly gods the Priests then the Lord Jesus according to his own will therefore when you talk so much to us of the Church and your Church crying out as the Pope does against the Bishops for theirs and the Bishops against you Presbyters for your departure from them Hereticks Hereticks that disturb the peace of the Church forsake the Church infringe the unity of the Church yet I say what Church so long as there is no other Church constitution among you to this day then that of parishes into which the Pope put all Christ'ndome what Church so long as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles on which every true Church is built is cut off disclaimed and exploded and neither the word purely preached nor the Sacraments duly administred which by Calvin and Featley themselves are both made such true notes of the true visible Church that wherever they are there is the true Church and where not there 's no true Church what ever there may be in pretence yea verily so far are you from due administration of the sacraments giving the Supper to such as were never at all much lesse truly baptized many of you Presbyterians not administring it at all to your flocks whom you contend were truely initiated into your Church by baptism that indeed as you have substituted infant rantism instead of it so you preach down that due administration of baptism and the Supper which according to the primitive pattern Acts 2. is at this day to be found amongst us withall the vehemency you can proclaiming us Schismatical hereticks for declining your disorderly administrations and according to our covenant pressing on to that purity of administration of Gospell ordinances which lies now in such plain English before mens eyes that all your glosses wil beguile them but little longer there is no danger therefore of being rent from the Church of Christ in departing from participation with you in your oppositions of the truth therefore never glory so much in these vain lying words the Church of God the Church of God which is indeed the Common tone of all you Romanists each to other in your rendings each from other for there is none of you all three have a true visible Church of Christ among you nor yet right any administration of the things you call Sacraments whether we speak of either baptism or the Supper My answer then to the whole PPPriesthood of Christ'ndom even ye Protestant Clergy also from all whom as well as from the Pope we who are fictitiously stiled Anabaptists and charged as Schismatical Hereticks for so doing and troublers
of the unity of the Church are departed shall be the very same that you Protestant Clergy do make in your own defence when you are charged by your old father Caiphas and his Catholicks as Hereticks and Schismaticks in your rending from them and as infringers of the unity of their Church yea in the very words of Calvin to whom you my Ashford opponents are pleased to send us who saith thus of them as I do with him of you all Inst. l. 4. c. 2. S. 2 Magnifice quidem c. They do indeed gloriously set out their Church unto us that there should seem to be no other Church in the world and afterward as though the victory were gotten they decree that all be Schismaticks that dare withdraw themselves from the obedience of that Church that they paint out and that all be Hereticks that daâ—…e once mutter against the doctrine thereof But by what proofs do they confirm they have the true Church S. 1. If the true Church be the pillar and stay of the truth it is certain that there is no Church where lying and falshood have usurped the dominion S. 3. There is therefore no cause why they should any longer go forward to deceive by pretending a false colour under the name of the Church which we do reverently esteem as becommeth us but when they come to the definition of it not onely water as the common saying is cleaveth unto them but they stick fast in their own mire because they put a stinking harlot in place of the holy spouse of Christ that this putting in of a changling should not deceive us be side other admonitions let us remember this also of Augustine for speaking of the Church he saith it is it that is sometime darkned and covered with multitude of offences as with a cloud sometime in calmnesse of time appeareth quiet and free sometime is hidden and troubled with waves of tribulations and temptations He bringeth forth examples that oftentimes the strongest pillars either valiantly suffered banishment for the faith or were hidden in the whole world S. 4. In like manner the Romanists do vex us and make afraid the ignorant with the name of the Church whereas they be the deadly enemies of Christ. Therefore although they pretend the Temple the Priesthood and other such outward shews this vain glistering wherewith the eyes of the simple be dazled ought nothing to move us to grant that there is a Church where the Word of God doth not appear for this is the perpetual mark wherewith God hath marked them to he his He that is of the truth saith he heareth my voice Again I am the good shepheard and I know my sheep and am known of them my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And a little before he had said that the sheep follow their shepheard because they know his voice but they follow not a stranger but run away from him because they know not the voice of strangers Why are we therefore wilfully mad in judging the Church whereas Christ hath marked it with an undoubtful sign which wheresoever it is seen cannot deceive but that it certainly sheweth the Church to be there but where it is not there remaineth nothing that can give a true signifition of the Church for Paul rehearseth that the Church was builded not upon the judgements of men nor upon Priesthoods but upon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but rather Jerusalem is to be severally known from Babilon and the Church of Christ from the conspiracy of Satan by that difference wherewith Christ hath made them different one from another He that is of God saith he heareth the words of God ye therefore hear not because ye are not of God In summe forasmuch as the Church is the kingdom of Christ and he reigneth not but by his word can it be now doubtful to any man but that those be the words of lying by which Christs kingdome is feigned to be without his scepter that is to say without his holy word 5 But now whereas they accuse us of Schism and Heresie because we both teach a contrary doctrine to them and obey not their lawes and have our assemblies to prayers to baptism to the ministration of the supper and other holy doings severally from them it is indeed a very sore accusation but such as needeth not a long or labor some defence they are called Hereticks and Schismaticks which making a division do break in sunder the communion of the Church And this communion is holden together with true bounds that is to say the agreement of true doctrine and brotherly charity whereupon Augustine putteth this difference betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks that Hereticks indeed do with false doctrine corrupt the purenesse of faith but the Schismaticks sometime even where there is like faith do break the bond of fellowship But this is also to be noted that this conjoining of charity so hangeth upon the unity of Faith that faith ought to be the beginning thereof the end and finally the only rule Let us therefore remember that so oft as the unity of the Church is commended unto us this is required that while our minds agree in Christ our wills also may be joined together with mutual well willing in Christ Therefore Paul when he exhorteth us to that well willing taketh for his foundation that there is one God one Faith and one Baptism Yea wheresoever he teacheth us to be of one mind and of one will he by and by addeth in Christ or according to Christ meaning that it is a factions company of the wicked and not agreement of the faithful which is without the word of the Lord. S. 6. Cyprian also following Paul deriveth the whole fountain of the agreement of the Church from the onely Bishoprick of Christ he afterward addeth the Church is but one which spreadeth abroad more largely into a multitude with increase of fruitfulnesse like as there be many sun beams â—…ut one light and many branches of a tree but one body grounded upon a fast root and when many streams do flow from one fountain although the number seeâ—… to be scattered abroad by largeensse of overflowing plenty yet the unity abideth in the original take away a beam of the sunne from the body the unity suffers no division break a branch from the tree the broken branch cannot spring cut off the stream from the spring head being cut off it drieth up so also the Church being overspread with the light of the Lord is extended over the whole world yet there is but one light that is spread every where Nothing could be said more fitly to expresse that undividual knitting together which all the members of Christ have one with another we see how he continually calleth us back to the very head Whereupon he pronounceth that Heresies and Schismes do arise hereof that men do not return to the original of truth nor do seek that head
peraphrasticall amplification and genuine application thereof so that both you and the World may read as it were in text letters your own abstâ—…act from that of mine when you please and signing the Titles of the CCClergy whether true or surreptitious with three letters in the front as C. C. C. P P P c. most commonly when I speak of â—…hem in the lump to denote the three P P Parts into which that great City B B Babylon which they make stands divided I proceed as followeth That Herestes must be the Apostle hath said yet it makes no more for a tolleration of them in the true Church I mean though others mean in the civil state than that of our Saviour of offences saying foreseeing no question how by means of the Clergies crying out Heresie Heresie Schism against the way of truth being once turned aside to Heresie themselves the world would be offended at his little ones for walking in it They must come but wo to the man by whom they come the Apostle reckons Herestes among the works of the flesh Idolatry Witchcraft c. Gal. 5. 20. which alone to argument sufficient against the Patronagâ—… and Invitation of them unless withal license in the true Church should be given to all other carnal sins why should the Church of God upon Earth make much of those against whom the Kingdome of Heaven shall be â—…ut her pale is not so strong to keep them out from breaking in upon her like wild bores and wolves to spoil and wast her but her good will should not be so great to them as to wellcome them in to her fellowship till they repent from their dead works of superstition bloody tenet of persecution for cause of conscience worshipping God after mens traditions blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven trampling the holy City Heresie Schism from the primitive truth c Neverthelesse how beit to tolerate and harbour Hereticks in communion with them whilest they oppose the true way of Christ would be an error and an evill too intollerable in a true Church of Christ yet I hold that opinion of the C C Clergy not onely intollerably Heretical in it self but intollerably hurtful also to themselves that Hereticks may not be tolerated in a civil state for if Fines Prisons Banishments Racks Wâ—…ips Tortures headings hangings burningâ—… and such like punishments with the civil sword were the due of every Heretick and Schismatick in the faith as the C C Clergy have for ages and Generations born the world in hand that they are to the causing of all these their national Church censures to be inflicted on the Saints when they have once blindly sentenct them to be Schismaticks to the civil power if this I say were the due of every Heretick or Schismatick and every true Heretick and Schismatick had his due too good Lord how have the C C Clergy condemned themselves out of their own mouthes to devastation when the civil powers shall find them to be the Arch-Hereticks in the world if taking them at their word they shall do with them as they say they ought to do in this case concerning others but God forbid that with what judgement they judge they should be judged and with what measure they meet it should be measured to them again at our suggestion if their own Cheek-by-jole carriage to the Stern-men of the State do not pull it unavoidably upon themselves yea verily though as far as those that oppose themselves against the truth of Christ they may well challenge the name of Schismaticall Hereticks and though Amen might justly be said by the Magistrate in this point to the opinion of Gangraena and his Gang and might Amen be said to his wise wishes as concerning us who teach and practise baptism in its primitive fashion we could expect to be suffered in the Common-wealth no more then High-way Murderers yet dare we not desire their extirpation out of any of their native rights in the several states wherein they are nor such uncivill suppression of them meerly for their erroneous Tenets as they have sollicited the higher powers to concerning us we have not so learned Christ nor would they if they had heard him and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus for howere it comes to passe that the C C Clergy whose own the worst would he if that were true and execution done accordingly are so besotted as to believe that Hereticks and Schismaticks from the faith men of false waies worships religions though elsewise never so peaceable and innocent must not onely be dischurched but discommunicated also from the patronage of the civil power and cut off from the priviledges of other Subjects yet neither Christ nor any of his Apostles as from him gave any order for such rigid rejection indeed the Apostle Paul wills in his Epistle to Titus cap. 3. who was a Church officer that a Heretick after a second and third admonition be rejected i. e. from the Church and Gal. 5. 12. wishes that they were cut off from the Church that did trouble the Church and Rev. 2. 20. 21. the Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and seduce his servants to fornication i. e. false worships c. but it will noâ—… follow therefore that such may not have license to live civilly in civil states for the weapons of the Churches warfare wherewith she is to fight against Heresies and which she is ever to have in readinesse to revenge all disobedience to Christ by are noâ—… carnall 2 Cer. 10. 4 5 6. not such as are used by the officers of States but onely spirituall as admonition reproof and in case of obstinacy putting out from among them delivering up to Satan and not delivering up to the secular power as the Popish Priesthood used to do when any of their creatures specially of their Clerico-creatures turned Hereticks i. e. departed from their Heresies to the truth saying pray take him into your power and be merciful to him meaning hang or burn him for a Heretick The Church I say is neither to use the carnal weapons of the State nor yet to stirr up the State so to use them on 〈◊〉 and truths behalf as to imprison sine hang burn or banish false worshippers unbelievers misbelievers or Hereticks further then they are withall as by meer unbelief they are not offenders against the civil State I find the Lord Christ foretelling by himself and his Apostles that for the most part the more is the pitty the Rulers Kings Governours and Princes of the world would be such enemies against his Gospel that his Disciples should be hald before them as evill doors for his names sake Matth. 10 18. that not many mighty and noble men would own his truth 1 Cor. 1. 26. that rich men would oppresse the Church and draw them before their Judgement seats and
blaspheme that worthy name wherby the poor in this world which commonly are the richest in faith are called Ia. 2. 6. that the Kings of the very Christian Nations would throw down their crowns and give up their power and strength unto the beast commit fornication wiâ—…h the W W Whore and at her instigation make war with the Lamb and at last be overcome by him Rev. 17. 14. 17. and be put down together with all their rule authority and power as very enemies though once his ordinance under his feet 1 Cor. 15. â—…4 25 I find also Ephe. 4. that he hath sit in his Church Apostles Pastors c. for the work of the Ministery and affairs of it but I no where find in his will and Testament that Christ intended the Magistracy as his Ordinance though undoubtedly in other cases the supreme ordinance of God to men whether in the Church or out of it for civil good to officiate so immediately in matters of Religion saith church order c. as to execute Church-discipline Church censure for â—…er Church disorders Church Divisions Church offences or so as to make all men within their jurisdiction and yet though their Churches be no true Churches neither so the CCClergy would have it to believe as the Church believes worship as the Church worships and be members of the Church whether they will or no if not to pray with them yet at least to pay to them or else to be excommunicated out of all they have and under the name of Hereticks dischurcht out of the world for so verily they do doctrinally at least who teach such false doctrine that men of false relegions whether heathens Jewes Turks or Pagans or men erring most grosly about the true as Papists or whatever else though never so submissive in all civil things to the civil Powers yet may not lawfully be licensed to live in civil States or in any Common-wealth under the Sun for by the same reason that Iews Turks Heathens Hereticks may not without sin be tolerated in one Nation but must ex officio be rooted out of it upon that meer account of denying and defying Christ which is as high as ever any Heretick went they may not without sin be permitted to be in another and so either some nations must sin in allowing these to live in them or else though de facto they cannot by reason of their number yet de jure they ought as far as they well can by Kings and Princes among whom few or none are so well acquainted as they should with what is Heresie and what truth to be driven quite out of the world and so the poor Iewes whose conversion the Priests pray for with much zeal and compassion must in quiet live no where at all that they may be converted but must belike be turned altogether into the sea Besides the notion of their being Christians adds nothing to mens power as Magistrates so but that if such magistrates as are Christians are Church officers as Magistrates then other Magistrates as heathen Magistrates must be Church officers as well as they and then how well that Christian Church is likely to be served and governed whose head Church-officers are Heathens a fool may see Yet whether the Magistracy be Heathens or Christians it matters not to the Church so long as they are the ministers of God and Christ to them and others too for civill good to punish evil doers that are injurious against the common or any mans proper weal Church-member or other in body goods or name by stealing lying murder defiling defaming defrauding c. whereby any are prejudic'd in point of their outward well being mean while whether he be the minister of God onely or Christ also and that not onely as God but God man also it matters not so long as he is an ordinance to us for civil good so that if any matter of Division of inheritances or of wrong and wicked lewdnesse be brought before the Magistrates committed whether by a church-member or any other it is all one reason wills that the Magistrate should hear it and be they Heathens or be they Christians who stand before him determine and destribute ac cording to the equity of his civil Law and as much as Mr. Baxter looks askew at this assertion p. 120. as if he thought the Magistrate were to do a Pagan no right against a Christian without partiality not favouring a Christian in a civil cause against a Heathen a Turk an Egyptian a Pagan so as to take the Christians part further then the equity of his cause in hand may justly call for it more then the others though the Magistrate himself also be a christian and a brother to the christian whose cause depends before him or a member of the self same congregation with him not balking to do civil justice against Church-members they deserving punishment as if the church were exempted from his jurisdiction in civil things because he is no christian but a heathen nor yet denying to do right to church-members if they be injured by others for if he do any of this I am sure he does no justice in his place whereupon Gallio the Depuputy Governour of Achaia who was not a little to be commended in one thing was no lesse to blame in another Act. 18. 17. in that when the Greeks in a rude and barbarous manner took Sostenes the chief Ruler of the Synagogue and beat him for letting Paul preach in it before his face and before the very judgement Seat too yet he cared for none of those things for those were the things that fell duly and directly under his cognizance as he was a magistrate and so the minister of God to men for good whether they be Christs disciples or no for the redresse of such civil abuses neither is Christ yet in his own person Luke 12. 13. 14. nay nor yet by any Church-officers of his qua sic unlesse they be civil Magistrates also and then as in that capacity they must do that right that concerns them as such as meer church-officers to be judge in those outward cases and as therein the outward man onely is concerned for then Paul one of the chief Apostles and officers of the Church being then present might have taken upon him in the behalf of Sostenes and himself as the Pope and the PPPriesthood do for the most part in their religions to have determined for themselves in that civill dissention but Christ as man and his church as his Church are yet no judgers nor dividers over men but the Magistrate by Gods and if I say by Christs appointment it hurts us not is made as onely in such so the only judge and divider in such civil matters but if it be a question and a brabble about Heathenism Turcism Iudaism Christianism and about Religion worship and faith and Iesus and words and names as Antinomists Arminians Anabaptists Pelagians Socinians
that it have as mutuall protection from them as it yields subjection to them for this is the good will of God concerning them as such and whether they be Heathens or Christians they are Gods Ministers to attend continually upon this very thing viz. to render unto all men their dues as men viz. a room in quiet in the world of what wayes of religion soever yea though Indians and redress of any civil wrongs as they expect to have all men of what religions soever within their power to render to them their dues of tribute honour custome fear for for this cause pay they their tribute also because Magistrates are Gods Ministers to the world ward and to the Church as part of the world and in no other sense then as to the rest of the world to attend continually on this very thing to dispense praise or punishments for civil good and evil among men not spiritual for then they may punish evill thoughts proud looks ignorance non-profiting by the word not Gods Church-ministers to dispense good or evil for good or evil done in the Church but as the same actions may have reference to the state also as theft or the like civil abuse which comes one way under the Churches censure and another way under the Common-wealths they are not I say Church Ministers nor Ministers to the Church qua Church as the Priests principle seemes to make them for then they may claim not only Tribute but Tith also as well as the Priest but that he will be loath to part with though in truth it belongs to him for his Church wasting work full as little as to the other I humbly beg therefore I say of the Powers that truth which hath been trod under foot may be tolerated among them in their several civil States Common-wealths and Kingdomes and to the end it may undoubtedly be so let all that which the Powers in the several Nations do judge in their own consciences to be truth in point of Religion have toleration and protection and no more countenance by them as Magistrates but bare protection from injury as other waies also may have and not such extraordinary supports from a power Heterogeneal to that of the Church nor such extraordinary gratulations gratuities revenews incomes preferments and portions out of the common State-stock let their own private purses be as open to them such as professe it pay to its Ministry as much as they will for besides the partiality of this thing of making other Religions and wayes that judge themselves to be the truth as well as that pay and be tributaries to the true one and the grumbles it will ingender in mens minds this proves the greatest mischief under heaven to the truth when the Ministers who should expect nothing but shame and suffering with their Master who was Beelzebub are slusht with the outward pomps and vanities of this world till they forget themselves so as scarce to know what ground they stand on and howbeit Magâ—…trates may mean honestly in their high honourings of them as that good man Constantine the great did yet as his high embraces and graces done to Christi in Bishops proved besides his intent the stirrup whereby those Lord beggars got up on horse back and rode to the devil for so hath that Romish whore rid both her self and the beast under her which is Christ'ndome so though I hope it never will yet it may possibly be so again if care be not taken against it witnesse the two other more seemingly modest and maidenly Minions Episcopacy and Presbitery which qua Ministry came out of her loines wâ—… have not brought the world so far out of that old Babilon towards Sion as they pretended to do by reformation as else they might have done being slugged luld asleep by benefits and benefices in the way for posit â eadem causà ponitur idem effâ—…ctus sublat â tollitur golden cups ever yet made wooden Priests and ever will do let truth have liberty and peace it will desire no more of the State if it be truth indeed And Secondly let all other wayes and religions besides that which the Magistrate judges to be truth that judge themselves to be in the truth save that of those whose very way as abovesaid is no way but dishonesty and whose way isto root out all wayes but their own by civil power be also tolerated practised and protected from outward violence and oppression as well as that for this besides the knitting of the hearts of men of all wayes under one civill power in intire love and strong affection to that Power that domineers not ore their conscience besides that I say this tolerating all practices in point of religion save that practise of non toleration of any but it self in civil states must needs tolerate the truth among the rest whether it ly in this way or that and so the Power shall be out of all danger and hazard of coming under the guilt of truth treading which the P P Priesthood hath engaged the civil power in for 1260 years together as else it cannot for if toleration be of no way but one then if that chance to be the wrong and themagistrates are no more sure then other men that they are in the right yea 100 to 1 they are not if they use civil violence to others First because the false wayes are many and bread and easie and fine and the true way but one and that so streit and narrow mean and base that not many noble and mighty and men of power ever find it 1 Cor. 1. 26. Secondly because as King Iames said persecution is a certain note of a false Church then truth is unavoidably smothered by them and will first or last pull vengeance upon that power Rev. 6. 11. 12. though it be under the name of Heresie onely that he suppresses it and plucks it up under the name and notion of weeds and taâ—…es that would else choak the wheat besides therefore a most strict charge that Christ gives Mat. 13. that in the world i. e. the civil States and Common-wealths of it the Tares should stand together among the wheat untill the harvest which alone is an Argument putting all out of doubt in this controversie he gives this good reason viz. least in plucking up the Tares the wheat also chance to be rooted up with them t is for the wheats good therefore for the Tares to stand and for the wheats sake that Christ wills they should though not in the Church yet in the world to the very end thereof And because the Divine cannot yet divine that to be Christs meaning in that scripture that false worshippers hereticks c. may lawfully if not civil offenders be licenced to live in civil States let us consider how sinister his own conjectures are upon it I have met with some and some of chiefest note in this County of Keâ—… who have shifted it
things that offend every plant that the heavenly father hath not planted out of his Kingdome which taken at large is the whole world and to bundle them for the fire To all these many more reasons may be added why the Magistrate may not force men at all in matters of faith repentance Religion worship see Barbers answer to the Essex watchmens watch-word p. 7 c. the Magistrate receives no charge from God about Religion neither is cura animarum but cura corporum onely committed to him Luther himself was of this mind that the Lawes of the Magistrate extended no further then to the bodies and goods that which is external and that God would have none to rule in the soul but himself therefore where the Magistrate goes about to govern in the conscience he usurps that jurisdiction which God reserves to himself certainly this is that great arrogany in the Whore or Woman of sin which God will severely punish in that SSShee gives lawes to the conscience and sits in the Temple and Church of God as a God King Iames in Parliament 1609 said That it is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church with violence and blood and again in his Apâ—…logy for the oath of Allegeance p 4 speaking of the Papists that took the said oath That he gave a good proof of it that he never intended persecution for conscience but onely desired to be secured of them for civil abuses that it was usually the condition of Christians to be persecuted but not to persecute Again Faith and repentance to acknowledgement of the truth is Gods gift and if wee 'l believe our Clergy no way in every mans power no not by gift from God to perform and so the Magistrate must punish mâ—…n belike because God who gives where he lists does not give them to believe c. Again Blasphemers Persecutors as Paul Idolators as the Corinthians yea Iewes Turks and Pagans may be converted in time by the word therefore are not to be plucked up out of the Earth for then they can never possibly repent Again persecution was never taught by Christ nor practised by his Apostles but arose among Heathens and was continued by the Roman Antichrist and his Ministers Yet there 's one way more whereby they evade all this and that is by denying that by the Tares here are meant Hereticks False Worshippers and Antichristians and asserting them to be Hypocrites in the Church and this is the way of Mr. Cotton whereby you may see again how Divines are divided among themselves in all things almost as well as some which Mr. Cotton in a book which the Bloody Tenet relates to gives ouâ—… as I remember that by tares is meant hypocrites in the Church who are so like the wheat that they cannot well be discovered nor discetned from it and so must be let alone in the Church by the Ministers of the Church least they mistake and pluck up wheat instead of tares and cast out men for hypocrites who its possible may be sincere for ought we know In answer to which I must confesse men that cast out persons for Hypocrites had need be pretty wary and not overhasty yea better an inconvenience than a mischief betâ—…er erre in letting some Hypocrites stand in the Church then for hast cast out one that seemes to be so to us and yet is not But this is not the sense of our Saviour in this place for as it cannot be the Church that the Tares are here bid to be let alone in as I have shewed above so much lesse by the tares can be meant hypocrites so neer the wheat i. e. true Saints in shew and likenesse and pretence as to be hardly discâ—…rned from them For First Though Hypocrites are like Saints and appear so to be oft it may be alwaies to the deceiving of us yet the Tares are not at all like the wheat nor at all to any but such as are stark blind appearing to be wheat Secondly an Hypocrite in the Church who is one that appâ—…ars to be what he is not must be supposed while he is in the Church to be discovered or not discovered so to be when not discovered he is no hypocrite to us to whom things are as they appear what ere he may be to God but as true a Saint as the rest and when discovered till when to us he is a Saint and must stand under the notion of a Saint then he must not stand in the Church which is not to harbor any that are palpably wicked and who is so palpable as he whose simulata sanctit as is dulplex iniquitas But now First the tares heâ—…e spoken of are plainly said and seen to be tares and appeare to be tares and a distinct stuff from the Wheat and yet for all that they are bid to be let alone in the Field as Hypocrites must not be in the Church when they appear to be such But in the field i. e the world t is true enough that hypocrites may stand even after they are cast out of the Church unlesse they act any thing that civil justice will reach them for and so also may Antichristians and all false Worshippers T is evident then that in this place as well as Matth. 15. 13. 14. that in the time of the Gospel Church Tares that much hinder the wheat that are mingled in the same Field world Civil States Countreyes Common-wealths of Satans sowing among the Wheat Weeds Nettles Bryers Thorns Plants that are not of the heavenly Fathers planting Faâ—…se worshippers Hereticks men and their Ministryes of false Religions doctrines faiths waies of serving God may and ought by permission and commission from Christ be let alone and allowed to stand by no means in the same Church by all means in the same world or part of the world locally considered for the Church is not locally considered as a place measured by and consistent of such or such a compasse of ground as the Popes parish Churches did whereupon they went on procession once a year lest they should forget the bounds of their Church but mystically of such or such a company of men however scattered locally here or there yet in one fellowship I say in the same part of the world nation City Countrey civill corporation with the wheat Saints true Church under the protective power of civil Magistracy free from molestation meerly for their religion so be they live justly soberly and peacably with all men any thing said to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding by the Priest who of all men hath least reason to be against toleration of tares in the world and of plants which the heavenly father never planted if he consider what he is himself and unlesse he desire to be rooted out in hast by the civill power before his time See the parable and read it with the exposition of it Mat. 13. 37. c. He that sowed good seed
in the field is the son of man i. e. Christ the field is the world therefore not the Church the good seed or wheat are the children of the Kingdom i. e. the Saints the true Church and worshippers the tares which while men slept and did not mind it the enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ—… beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians gâ—…w up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the pâ—…inciple of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pâ—…ue whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus â—…aesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—…n why he would have the tares to be leâ—… alone least by rooting out the taâ—…es the wheat be roâ—…ed out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all peâ—…ple may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4. 5. then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and â—…o there 's quiâ—… for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall
at any that any persons should be spared or but so much as favoured in any measure in such a case for their religions sake though it be the tâ—…e one and they of never so high account and eminent standing in it For howbeit the men who are commonly but not properly called Clergy but specially the Clergy immediately under the Popes supremacy were priviledged so far as to stand exempted from the reach of the civill law and to save themselves the trouble of being hanged when they had deserved it as much as other men by a businesse called the benefit of the Clergy i. e. the immunity of the Clergy from the civil law some relikes of which benefit the Clergy once had and still hath in some places seem to me to remain in our civil Courts wherein we see in some capital crimes the malefactour si legat ut Clericus if he can but read like a Clerk or Clergy man he escapes execution when else he should have died without remedy which favour is also called the benefit of the Clergy yet we desire that no manner of men may have exemption from the course of civil Justice yea if we whom they call Anabaptists do any thing at any time wordly of death by the civil law rightly regulated we refuse not to die but as we desire that others should so are we willing our selves in civil matters to stand at Caesars i. e. the civil Magistrates judgement seat where we ought to be judged in such cases and thus did Paul when accused by the Priests as a Pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition meerly for preaching the Gospel To the Jews saith he have I done no wrong nor yet against Caesar have I offended c. therfore no man may deliver me to them I appeal unto Caesar Act. 24. 5. 12. 13 14. 20. 25 8. 11. where we see that in case of civil injury charged upon him as committed by him he appeals to Câ—…sar to judge though Cesar was a heathen and he a Christian and not of Cesars Religion which he had been a mad man in doing had the question been simply about the right Religion yea when any question a aroâ—…e in the Church about Religion as in the point of circumcision Act. 15. the Apostles Elders and brethren considered of it among themselves consulting the mind of the spirit in the word and had they not agreed it they would not have referred it nor had any not conformed to their determination in that point would they have complained of them to Câ—…sar and as Paul would not stand at Cesars judgement seat in Religious as he desired to do in civil so Cesars Deputies would not meddle at all as Magistrates in Religious cases for when the Jews set Paul before the judgement seat of Gallio deputy of Aâ—…haia and complained saying This fellow perswadeth men to worship God contrary to the law Gallio said if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lowdnesse O ye Iews reason would that I should bear with you but if it be a question of words and names of your law look ye to it for I will be a judâ—…e of no such matters and he drave them from the judgement seat as who should say we are set to keep civil peace and right among you but not at all to determine you in your worships Oh therfore that the Magistracy would consider it that they are set not to force men to submit all to one worship nor yet sorcibly to suppresse either Heresie or truth but to prevent tumultuoulness about either If Demetrius and the craftsmen of like occupation who make shrines for Diana have a matter of wrong against any let the civill law be open and let them plead each other there but if the enquiry be concerning other matters as namely setting at nought their craft prophaning the Temples of their Goddesse and destroying their false worships by plain preaching of truth what 's Heredox what Orthodox in worship c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let that be determined in a lawfull Assembly i. e. as the word is in the Greek insome lawful Church congregation or select meeting for that purpose Last of all though the Lord prohibit the standing of Idolators c. in the Church 2 Cor. 6. Rev. 2. yet he himself who could presently root them out if t were his mind permits not onely true but also falseworshippers Hereticks c. to have a being in the world and therefore me thinks Gods Vicegerent should not be against it It is according to the will of God himself permitting not approving them that heresies do arise but its according to his good will approving and in his word appointing that they shall stand in the world when risen further then they can be annihilated by the word And as the Scripture shewes how far he himself tolerates them so the Divines themselves as shy as they are of having them tollerated do Give these good Reasons of Gods suffering of Hereticks 1 For the discovering of the sound that Gold and Silver may be known from hay and stubvle that by the Devills sitting of us the good corn may be discerned from chaâ—… it is the Apostles Reason 1 Cor. 11. 19. that they which are approved may be known for who they are that with the weapons of the Churches warfare are valiant for the truth indurers of hardship as good Souldiers of Christ c. would not appear if there were no Hereticks False worshippers Antichristians Truth treaders c. to try them true love to Christs truth can never be seen if never tryed nor tryed if truth never opposed hated hunted and that to death too sometimes by the fierce wrath and cruel malice of its enemies 2. That truth may be discussed and fetcht out as fire from the concussions of flint and steel Truth had not been fetcht half so far out of the dark nor from under that Popish Smoother of traditions at this time as it is had not the C C Clergy so hotly hunted it and so fiercely clasht against all that came out to clear it If there had not been an Hereticall C C Clergy crying out Heresie against all truth the world had never heard so much of it in these latter daies as now it hath and I verily perswade my self that as the day breakes and the shadowes fly away the way of truth in the hearts of the Just and in the eyes of the of the world by how much the CCClergy calls Heresie upon it shall shine more and more still to the perfect day if Luther and Calvin had not been and that so fiercely slung at by Popish Priests because they preached against indulgencies and selling pardons for money and against the Lordlines of the Popish Hirrachy they had not heard so much against them but that they might have sold more pardons then they have done since and the 2 latter litters of Spiritual lords that qua CCClergy came out of the
me saith the Lord yea had you been sprinkled with holy water it self yet except you repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for remission of sins through his blood which so doing saves even them that shed it you are not onely by eating and drinking unworthily i. e. disorderly at the Supper which baptism must precede in Gospel reformation but also by your cruelty to his disciples whom you would have crusht if you could tell how become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord however repent or repent not this I say unto you from the Lord that your bloody principle of persecution for conscience and forced conformity to your foolish forms canons creeds chatechisms dictates directories shall utterly perish from off the earâ—…h I wish the Independents for their turn 's next look to it in time and take heed of turning aside too much from that precious principle of depending upon no King but Christ in conscience cases neither state Councells nor Church councells nor Classes save onely for conscience to Christ to be subject freely in all meer civill cases to the one and for cognizance sake to consult in meer church and conscience cases with the other and whom else they please keeping Church and State as distinct as t is possible which the CCClergy have confounded so together that we have lost the true Peculiarities of either and as not suffering such sawcy doings as to have most general Assemblies of the Kiâ—…k quâ Church Assemblies to be tampering at all with state affairs so not troubling any officers of state qua State officers no not the highest nor Committees nor Sheriffs to wearinesse with representations of things pertaing purely to churches and church orderes expecting no more then a passive permissive influence from them to the church-ward i. e. to let all Churches and all religions Jewes themselves alone to their light till they see the true one so be they live faithfully under them and quietly peaceably and civilly one by another but me thinks I smell a mixt mongrel Independency too much on foot and creeping on an Indepency by the halves a Presbyterian Independency Independency too dependant in church work upon the state for state pay enquiring after parish maintenance telling some truth and taking as much tith as they can lay their hands on lending liberty to themselves to have no supper in the parishes when they please yet resolving to make the people pay for it so long as they preach whether they eat a bit of it at all yea or no A thing I cannot well tell what to call it that has a smack too much of Smectimnuus and yet t is not so tyrannical neither nor yet so tender towards a toleration of all consciences and Religions though of all tender conscienced Christians as that the poor Jew or natural Israelite can have any room or creep hole by it into the Common-wealth in order to his conversion he must keep out unlesse he be so converted before he come as to resolve heel own Christ and not speak against him as not the Christ which what power in any State under heaven can banish a Jew out of any nation for doing I plainly know not an Independency that is willing to let Israel go but not to let another Israel come into the Land so as to promulgate his principle which I'm sure is contrary to the principles of Christian Religion oâ—… if the Jew may deny Christ and yet live in the world in quiet why not another unlesse the word can gain him to the belief of it as well as he Independents a word or two with you by the way no hurt I hope if you will have but patience I find proposals presented Fâ—…b 11. 1651. that make me amazâ—…d to think that they should come from Independents for I took Independents till of late to be genuine Independents indeed but I see there 's nothing but may have something like it which is not the same and such is your Semi-demiindependency to me For supply of all parishes in England with Orthodox Ministers it s propounded that the Sheriff of each County give account to the Committee what parish hath no Minister â—…hat maintenance each such parish hath what Ministers that reside in each County have no livings and such of them as are Orthodox be placed there as the Committee shall think sit For settling right constituted Churches that all Churches that are or shall be gathered signifie to the Committee of the Universities or elsewhere whom they have or shall choose for their Pastors and that such and such onely shall be declared right constituted Churches whose Pastor shall be approved by the Committee to be able godly â—…nd orthodox Fye Fye Sirs that you will still have such a minglement of Sheriffs Committees Ministers Churches in a kind of Omnigatherum about the Gospell and your Churchwork and that you will trouble the Sheriffs to find what pay is in parishes what parishes want Ministers and what Ministâ—…rs lack means if your Ministers lack meanes cannot they look after it themselves and bestow them selves in some honest calling or other to get a living out on or if they cannot cannot your Churches see to them a little what they lack or do you lack to have the tithes and parish pay turned ore to you now as the Presbyters gaped after augmentations from the Bâ—…shops Deans and chapters lands if you do I hope the State will save your longing as they did theirs and take them sheer away root and branch and let those Churches that have Ministers maintain them if they need and let the Gospel be preached freely by Messengers from Churches to the Gentiles to the world without charging them with it till converted to it for such you suppose the nation to be now as well as we and not a Church of Christ why else do you gather Churches of Christ out of it will you gather Churches of Christ out of Churches of Christ what rule have you for that surely Churches must be gathered out of the world and if so that the nation be no true constituted Church of Christ it s no true Church of Christ for Christ hath no falsely constituted true Churches that I know of and so her Ministers no true Ministers of Christâ—… for Christs Ministers are not Ministers of no Church but such as came remotely as to their ordination and parish posture baptism and all from the Pope whom if you also look upon with such favourable construction as to own him and his ordinations and his baptism and administrations and what the Prelate and Presbyter sucks in a way of succession from thence as Apostolical so as to stand Ministers and baptized by it I shall think the world goes round then indeed and that whoever chances to get on horseback and sit in the Saddle here in England whether Prelate Presbyter or Independent they cannot chuse for customes sake but face about still
spiritual gifts shall be lost for lack of buying if a fee be lookt for yea how few are dispensâ—…t freely and fairly from the spirit and not rathet from the slesh i. e. some base corrupt rotten fleshly respect and selfish end or other in the spiritual patrones how little or no spiritual preferment is there to bigger benefices Bishopricks or what ever ecclesiasticall dignity in any almost of the three Hierachies but it s either bruitishly bought for money or basely beg'd for some trencher service or bestow'd on men quâ—… befriended more then qua befitted with Gospel spirits for Gospel service or in some sinister way of legerdemane or other most paultrily purchased but specially under the Papacy where si nihil attuleris ibis Hemere foras Calvin saies vix cente simum quodque beneficium in papatu sine Simonia conferri c. searcely every hundredth benefice is bestowed at this day in the Papacy without Simony as the old writers desined Simony I do not say that they all buy them with ready mony but shew me one of twenty that cometh to a benefice without some by commendation some either kindred or alliance promoteth and some the authority of their parents some by doing of pleasures do get themselves favour Finally benesices are given to this end not to provide for the Churches but for them that receive them therefore they call them benefices by which words they do sufficiently declare that they make no other account of them but as the beneficial gifts of Princes whereby they either get the favour of their souldiers or reward their services I omit how these rewards are bestowed upon Barbers Cooks Moil-keepers and such dreggish men And how judaical Courts do ring of no matters more then about benefices so that a man may say that they are nothing else but a prey cast afore dogs to hunt after Is this tolerable even to be heard of that they should be called Pastors which have broken into possession of a Church as into a farm of their enemie that have have gotten it by brawling in the law that have bought it for money that have deserved it by filth services which being children yet scantly able to speak have received it as by inheritance from their uncles and kinsmen and some bastards from their fathers But this is more monstrous that one man I will not say what manner of man but truly such a one as cannot govern himself is set to govern six or seven Churches A man may see in these dayes in Princes Courts young men that have three Abbacies two Bishopwricks one Arch-bishoprick but there be commonly Canons laden with with five six or seven benefices whereof they have no care at all but in receiving the rev nues Inst. lib. 4. cap. 5. Sect. 6. etc. Thus they yea the Popes studied nothing more saith Helin Geog. p. 184. then to advance their Nephews for by that name the Popes use to call their bastards hence came the saying of Alexander the third viz. the laws forbid us to get children and the devil hath given us Nephews in their stead and though Lâ—…her add Calvin were themselves men of more moderate minds then to purchase preâ—…eminencies titles dignities to themselves yet though somewhat better then at Rome it hath been too bad among the Successors of both in Clerical capacity as to that corrupt kind of climbing to the chiefest punctillioes of earthly eminency they canattain toâ—…yea verily there 's very few of them but they are Papalis Ambitionis homines of Popely aspiring minds seeking superiority gaping after glory of this world not that to come liking to be lookt upon with distinction as men not like other men as men of worth when their worth lies more many times in what they have then what they are affecting to be applauded for their very Sermons to be humb'd when they come to a period in order to which I blâ—…sh to think how they were wont to pause and look foâ—…'t in university pulpits and sometimes too when to their greater shame they went without it and to be thankt for their great pains when they have done thus surfeiting upon self-conceit and being drunk with affectation they erre in affection to the rule of faith for how can yâ—… believe saith Christ when ye receive honour one of another and seek not that honour that cometh from God onely Iohn 5. this honour from beneath is the very element in which and not in God save as they are his creatures these Chaâ—…aelens the CCClergy live move and have their being The aâ—…r of popularity is the breath by which the Heretick lives vain glory the stirroy by which he mounts into such magnitude and towers so high as to overtop not onely all other people but all other Princes also of the earth and to exalt himself above all that is worshipped and called God he lackâ—… to make himself a name like to the name of the great men that are on the earth for the name of Minister or Servant to so plain and disrespected a Master too as the Master Christ was whose name was cast out as evil who made himself of no reputation and would have all hisServants specially the Servants of all his Servants to be of the same mind and follow him through scorn shame suffering and not be above him here if they mean to reign with him hereafter this was too mean a name for him to be known by he must be Dominus Dominorum here KKKing it over the Kings of the earth Paschalis the first caused the Priests of certain parishes at Rome by reason of the neernesse of his person their presence at his election and to honour their Authority with a more venerable title to be called Cardinals they are now Mates for Kings and numbred about 70 Helin Geog. p. 182. And howbeit Christ forbad his ministers the seeking of glory from men in this world as not the time for them to come to the crown in or to any thing but the cross yet his desire was Dicier hic est to be cryed up by the people as Supreme Moderator in all the matters of Christs Church and civil State too against the plain will of the old master in his word and to be sought after as a new Master Our Saviour saith of the Pharisees they loved the praises of men and the present priesthood of the Protestant nations lay this to our charge who are Christs Messengers and Servants to his Churches whom they call Anabaptists calumniating us so far as we are zealous and follow on according to the many covenants which both they and we have taken to reform fully by the word as if we sought nothing but glory and to be seen of men and meerly to make our selves Masters of a sect and such like which if we do we shall dearly answer for the sin of seeking and serving our selves of Christs service at the last as well as they but me thinks if blindnesse in this
O Presbyters against Prelates Deans and Chapters c. without regard to the several disturbances that were like to be consecutive thereto yea the true subject and manner of administration of baptism which when it serves your turn so to do you call a circumstantial matter a ceremony for which if you should erre therein none but weak querulous consciences will complain and separate an indifferent thing for which why should we make so much ado a gâ—…at not to be streind at and such like is so necessary a matter one of the most necessary points of Religion which those that erre in do most fearfully erre and are totally deserted by the spirit of God these are your own words Thirdly you talk much and t is the language of the Pope to your selves since you reat from his Church of the Church and our holy mother the Church and Ghostly fathers of the Church and good and true tempered sons of the Church and the peace of the Church and Schismaticks in the Church c. wherewith you astonish the vulgar but I protest this day before God and men not onely against him against whom you are Protestants also but against your selves also his Schismatical sons who own his ordinations and still walk in some of his ordinances viz. Rantism Parochial posture c. as those that are little lesse ignorant then he and his good sons of both the true Church and true peace thereof whilst the truth to which she should submit is not regarded by you and the very things that make a true visible Church and are de esse and constitutive of it so that abstract them and you null it viz. true matter i. e. believers baptized and true form i. e. free and not forced fellowship both which are so in the Churches of England Scotland Italy France and Spain are not onely wanting but also trodden under your feet Fourthly the peaceable way wherein we propagate these opinions were you as sure they are erroneous as I am tha tyou'l once find them to be truth will yetexcuse and acquit us from all guilt of disturbing the peace of either the world or your Church which is the world in reference to the true one and unlesse you can say the Gospel of peace which where ere it comes occasions dissentions is the cause of them as in no wise it is but mens lusts rather that rage and take on against it you cannot say our Gospel is for it propounds them to the world in no other way then that and that way was no other then bare propounding them and as Christ and his disciples did not judge them here though they will judge them most severely hereafter who reject their words by the power of the Magistrate by the civil sword by nailing to pillories cutting off ears slitting noses whippings fines confiscations prisons bonds banishments fightings fire and fagot the bloody wayes whereby BBBabilon hath edified it self to that height of abomination the Arguments whereby the CCClergy were wont to convert Hereticks quickly from all error to dust and ashes so if any man hear our words and reject them well may we rebuke him sharply as they also did but we judge him not in that way whereby the Tribe of Levi that hath levied war for his lusts sake against the whole earth hath bereft all men of peace neverthelesse the words that we speak to him being those that Christ and his disciples have spoken in the world the same will judge him at the last day Secondly why sith it must needs be supposed there be many Godly men among the Ministers of the Nations though the most of them be wicked yet I do not except and exempt them when I inveigh so heavily against the CCClergy or why I do not rather forbear and spare to speak so broad at all and so generally as I do against that generation as an evill one for the sake of those good ones that are among them To which I say First that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godly men properly are those onely that worship God aright i. e. according to his own will and institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which well weighed might possibly put the best men among you to your trumps to make good your title to that title and denomination of godly by Scripture record sith while you stand among the rest even you as well as the worst do preach and practise for doctrines of Christ some traditions of man if you had no more enjoined you by them on whom you wait for your instructions then barely the sprinkling of infants by which you make void what in you is the true baptism of Christ. Yet not denying but that there is a sprinkling of honest hearts quorum meliori luto sinxit praecordia Titan whom the sun of righteousnesse as he lightens every man that cometh into the world hath hatcht up into a higher predicament of Godlinesse then their fellowees who are drawn up into some higher streins of devotion then the rest I adde further Secondly what are these littles to the lump what is the gleaning to the vintage here and there one good man to the whole corrupt crue of them that like Locusts and Caterpillars have spread themselves together with the smoak of errors over the earth in three several swarms or armies can some scores of well meaning Priests give the denomination of an holy PPriesthood godly Ministry to those legions of them that lie in wickednesse you may as well say there 's a million of Saints among the men of the world therefore reprove not the world for their sakes such as these who out of meer simple honesty rather then sinful sophistry and mystical iniquity do stand and act and argue against the true way as they do are Rarae aves very few to the multitude of humanists and sensual ones and subtle subverters of the Gospel which yet they would seem to be Ministers of for their own ends by whom they are commonly so hated too so far as they have any more strictnesse and sincerity then ordinary that they are among the other of their brethren as I was for querying after truth while I stood among them as owles and bats baired by other birds which few good grapes were they better then they are cannot denominate the whole vintage as una â—…irundo non facit ver BBBabilon is BBBabilon still and SSSodom is SSSodom and must be called so though Lot live in it and he called out of it too unlesse he mean mean to perish with it Thirdly those good men that are there the mores the pitty that they are so ought not to be suffered nor spared but spoke to the rather themselves and that very roundly too for being and abiding in a bad way and not the way it self and those many bad men that are in it scape declaring against as bad because of them there must be down-right dealing with upright men when they are in a wrong way
Pope and that the Pope was his Godfather and Rome his Godmother and thâ—… Antichristian Prelacy was but spilt Popery half dyed Papistry terming them also children of Babell when also I say you of the Presbytery are challenged by the Bishops and the Prelacy by the Popes for revilers in the words wherein you challenge us and wherein Paul was questioned for his term Thou wâ—…ited wall viz revilest thou Gods high Priest you can excuse your selves no otherwise then he did i. e. we wist not that you are Gods high Priests but are assured you are rather what we call you even so if you shall say to my self revilest thou the Ministers of Christ I say Sirs I wist not that you are Ministers of Christ any more then the Pope himself i. e. as much as just nothing for as quod 〈◊〉 tale must be magis tale vertually at least if not formally so nâ—…l 〈◊〉 quod in se non habet so that the Roman Antichrist being no true one himself and in no commission from Christ to make his Ministers could not secundum te O Presbyter make those true Ministers that made those that made them that made these that make you and so what ere you are as from him yet as from Christ you are no Ministry at all but in very deed the very same that I cal you v. z. of the Beast and of the Dâ—…agon as also the three fold CCChristendome of whom you say that they are Jewes i. e. Christians when they are not are no other then the Synogogue of Satan In all which so far am I from reviling that I speak the words of sobernesse and truth which whoever does may not unlikely be reviled as a reviler by you but is a faithfull reprover indeed for it is not simply vile terms spoken that make a reviler if spoken both seriously and in season but their non agreeablenesse to them they are spoken of for else undoubtedly not onely your selves who spake as vâ—…lely of the Pope as I of you but Iohn Baptist Peter Paul yea and Christ Iesus himself none of which reviled at all though upon occasion of their enmity against God they called men whom else they respected well enough too by the name of Satan evil and adulterous generation Generation of Vipers children of the devil enemies of all righteousnesse bruit beasts Foxes Doggs Swine c. must all be revilers with you too This take therefore from me and let it satisfy viz. that I le never fasten any terms upon you which by your works you first fasten not on your selves yet know that persisting as you have done under the notion of Christs Ministers in pride and perversenesse against his Gospel though I should never call you Deceivers Antichristian and the WWWhore of BBBabylon yet you l prove your selves to be so in the end Now therefore Oh HHHarlot hear and fear for I have heard from the Lord of Hosts a consumption determined upon thee throw out the whole earth thou hast being well mounted harnased and attired upon the back of thy beast made warr against the Lamb in his Saints thy Hereticks for fourty two moneths a time times and a half or 1260 years and power hath been given thee and the beast which thou spurrest to overcome them and over kindreds tongues and nations so that all that dwell upon earth have worshipped him and thee on him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yea thou hast opened thy mouth in blasphemies and caused thy beast under thee to blaspheme the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven yea thou hast spoken great words against the most High and worn out the Saints of the most high and thought to change times aâ—…â—…wes and they have been given into thy hand so that who was like to thee and thy beast who was able to encounter and make war with him but now behold thy proud times are ended and the Lamb will overcome thee for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful and thou that hast led into captivity shalt go into captivity and thou that hast killed with the sword must be killed by the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints And the very ten hornes themselves even all the kingdomes of Christendome into whose hearts it hath been put to give thee all their power and strength â—…s well as the tith of all their glory and riches and carnall things upon thy preteâ—…ce of ministring to them in spiritual all which thou hast swom upon been born up and fortifyed by as Babylon of old by the River Euphrates and with all which thou hast as with so many hornes of a savage beast tossed bruised gored the sides of Saints under the name of Sinners even these shall now turn upon thee and unhorse thee yea they shall hate thee O Whore and make thee desolate and naked and burn thy flesh with fire so that all thy lovers great and small and thy Merchants that have been rich by trading as in other things so especially in bodies and souls of men shall bewail and lament when they see the smoak of thy burning saying Alas Alas for thee whilest Gods people that are first come out of thee yea whole heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets who now suffâ—…r under thee for telling thee the truth and shall be avenged of thee shall rejoice over thee at thy downfall You will hardly give audience O ye Priests to this word but some of you rather cry out against me as multitudes of your Churches good children did some few dayes since in Smithfield when by one of the City Marshals meerly for preaching the Gospel to thousands there assembled to hear it I was betrayed into their hands to be a bused saying away with him away with him hang him t is pitty but he should be â—…oned and such like 〈◊〉 and cryes as were heard of old others of you Seers may be ready to call to me scoffingly out of your mount Sier watchman what of the night watchman what of the night but whether you will hear or whether you will forbear I tell you Sirs the morning cometh and also your dead night therefore if you will enquire enquire quickly return and come to the truth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you or if it may not be said as of old it was that many of the Priests were obedient unto the faith yet Oh that many of your people would know in their day the things that make for their peace before they be hid from their eyes and partake no more of your sins least they partake of your plagues but if IIIezeb and her lovers will lie in bed together and not repent when God gives thâ—… space to repent of their fornications then me thinks I hear a noise