condition as the children of Turks c. It was Adams disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit that put all his posterity equally into a sinfull and miserable condition H Storming of Antichrist p. 53. This opinion puts all infants of beleevers into the same condition with Turks and Indians Answ As the infants of Turks and Christians dying infants are all alike free from actuall sin being onely guilty of originall why may they not partake of the same benefit of free grace why may we not have charitable thoughts concerning the salvation of Turkish infants seeing we know nothing of their damnation and we reade not of any one in Scripture damned meerly for originall sin the innocency of all infants so dying is the same in respect of actuall sin I Bakwels Answer p. 2. Here I doubt they exclude all infants that die in their infancy from salvation because they are not capable of such knowledge of God and Christ you answer saying you know not what is this knowledge neither hath the Scripture revealed any such that were saved K Tombs Apology p. 64. The truth is I neither leave infants in the Devils nor Gods visible Kingdome for I conceive they are in neither Kingdome visibly till they declare by their profession to whom they belong visibly Ibid. p. 66. I suppose in reference to the present point this is the truth that however every infant is either in the invisible Kingdome of God or Satan that is elect or reprobate yet no child till he make profession doth visibly belong either to the one or to the other I acknowledge that in the visible Church of the Jews the infants were reckoned to the Church and the reason was from the peculiar Church State of the Jews L Gangren first Part p. 20. There is no originall sin in us only Adams first sin was originall sin M Ibid. p. 1. of the second division Henry Den in a conference with M. Strong delivered that Christ did satisfie for the sins committed against the first Covenant Being urged that the Heathen then must all be saved because their sins against the first Covenant were pardoned and they had never sinned against the second which was never revealed to them he answered the Heathen had Christ preached to them in the creatures Sun Moon and Stars N Ibid. p. 110. The Independent Churches in Somersetshire deliver that a Minister baptizing Infants is a false Prophet also that Adam was created in sin and that he was as sinfull before his fall as after and that Christ was a sinner his nature being defiled with sin as well as the nature of other men is O Vide supra N. P Gangren first Part second division p. 24. Nichols in Moore-fields maintained that God was the Author of all sin Q Treatise of Baptisme p. 148. It is not a hope you must goe upon for the giving of Ordinances and holy seals but a judgement Paul called the Saints positively faithfull and elect when we come to admit members if they give but onely ground of hopes we let them stay for their own profit and the discharge of our duty till they can give us the ground of a judgement the Apostle says positively they are holy you ought to assure your self they are so Ibid. p. 252. A male infant is the subject of circumcision but a beleever is the subject of Baptisme R The vanity of childish Baptism first Part p. 29. They of the separation grant that no children save onely beleevers children are in the Covenant or have right to Baptism their Parents by their own acknowlegement being ungodly whence it will follow that they themselves being baptized in their infancy had not the baptism of Christ and so by consequence are yet unbaptized persons Garner of Baptism p. 14 15. Beleevers by Baptism do orderly enter into the body or congregation of Christ hence I may take occasion to satisfie such if the Lord please as are opposite unto beleevers baptism and their entrance into the Church by baptism and contend much for their entrance into a Church estate by Covenant or contract without baptism S Declaration by Cocks c. p. 13. The baptizing of infants doth deny Christ to be come in the flesh T Tombs Apology p. 66. I confesse that they who hold that members are added to the Church by baptism and not otherwise and hold a nullity of paedobaptism must needs say the Churches that have no other then infant baptism are no true Churches nor their members Church members but those points of the necessity of right baptism not onely to the right order but also to the beeing of a visible Church and Church member and so voluntary separation barely for the defect of it I have ever disclaimed V Gangren second Part p. 8. A godly Minister related that Oats an Anabaptisticall Emissary was followed in Essex by many loose persons he spoke it upon his knowledge that notorious whoremongers and drunkards follow him such as have been convicted by witnesses and taken notice of by the Countrey and are such still yet go after him where he preaches from place to place X Vanity of childish Baptism p. 8. The institution of Christ requireth that the whole man be dipped all over in water whosoever is not dipped is not baptized and he that is only sprinkled or hath water onely imposed upon him is not dipped whence this consequence clearly results That all those that have the administration of Baptism either by sprinkling or by any washing without dipping have not the Baptism of the New Testament and by consequence are unbaptized persons Y Vide Gangren first Part second division p. 5. Z M. Tombs exercitation presented to the Chairman of a Committee of the Assembly of Divines and an Apology for the two Treatises against the unjust censures of Doctor Homes M. Geere M. Marshall M. Lee M. Hussey M. Black M. Calamy M. Vines AA Tombs Apology p. 64. Why doth he make my opinion odious as if I put all the children of the whole Church out of the Covenant of grace as I do the children of the Turks and acknowledge no more promise for the one then for the other whereas when he hath said as much as he can for them he can bring no more promise for them then I doe nor dares reject the limitations I restraine them by M. Marshals defence pag. 85. To my understanding you here clearly yeeld the infants of beleevers to be in the same condition in reference to the Covenant of grace which the infants of Turks and Indians are in no more promise for the one then for the other which so oft as you consider me thinks your Fatherly bowels to your own children should be moved within you Ibid. p. 98. I confesse I suspect you have a further meaning not onely because you here mention the temporall blessings before the spirituall and call the land of Canaan the Covenant made with Abraham but especially that expression which you own from Cameron
the prophecying and questioning of private men in the face of the Church Unto their new gathered Churches of rebaptized and dipped Saints they did ascribe very ample priviledges for first they gave to every one of them a power of questioning in publick before the whole Congregation any part of their Preachers Doctrine N Secondly to every one of their members they gave a power of publick preaching O Women preachers are from them This liberty they gave no lesse to women then men for they had among them not only preaching and prophecying women but also some who took so much upon them as to professe themselves to be the Christ and Messias to all of their own sexe P Thirdly Their Pastors must renounce all former ordination take their full call of new must come from the hands of their people to their particular Churches they gave power of electing and ordaining such of their own Prophets whom they thought fittest to be Pastors to the rest whoever was not elected and ordained whoever had not their full calling from the people alone and did not renounce what ever ordination they had from any other to them were no Pastors at all Upon this ground among others they refused to hear any of the Ministers of the reformed Churches because they did not renounce their former ordination and calling to the Ministery that they might take it again from the hands of their new gathered and separate Congregations Q They required no letters in their Preachers Fourthly in their Pastors they required no secular learning R yea to them all secular learning was abominable they did burn all books but the Bible as impediments and hurtfull instruments to the Ministery of the Gospel S Fiftly they required their illiterate Pastors to work with their own hands for their livings T Merchandize or any other Calling wherein there was no personall and handy labour to them was unlawfull V Sixtly they cried down all tythes X The crying down of tythes and all set stipends is from them yea all set stipends for any Church Officer Y But it would be considered that they did avow it was as unlawfull to pay any set rent or yearly duty to any Landlord as a stipend to a Minister Z Seventhly Independency of congregations and the peoples power in Church censures is their invention unto their single Congregations they gave a supreme and independent power to judge in all Ecclesiasticall causes not only judicially to pronounce all questions about their Pastors Doctrine but also to proceed to the highest censure of excommunication as well against their Pastors as others when they found cause AA Their excommunications of one another were so frequent and for so light causes The Seekers who deny all Churches are their disciples that sundry of them fell to the opinion and practice of those whom we call Seekers they served God single and alone without the society of any Church finding no Churches on earth with whom they could agree BB The Anabaptists usurpation upon the authority of the Church did quickly lead them to the same practice upon the State as they took upon them to deprive their Pastors and exempt themselves from all Ecclesiastick jurisdiction of Church Synods so likewise they broke in peeces the yoke of all civill subjection to Magistrates Princes Parliaments or any temporall judicatories At first they denied the power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion alone First they cried down the Magistrates power in matters of Religion asserting a liberty only for their conscience that it might be free from the controll of all superiour power they esteemed every Law of the Magistrate in matters of Religion to be unlawfull Next in all matters even civill and the smallest penalty to be a Mosaicall compulsion of the conscience and a true persecution CC But forthwith they went on to deny the Magistrates power absolutely in all things whether Ecclesiastick or civill crying down his very calling and office how well so ever regulate as an unjust tyranny Together with the Magistrate they condemne all Judicatories all wars Yet they took to themselves an absolute civill power first over all them in their own Churches all defence all oathes DD For all this they permitted not that sword which they had stricken out of the hand of others to ly long upon the ground but immediately they plucked it up themselves At first they exercised their usurped Magistracy only upon the persons within their own Congregations judging all their causes as well Civill as Ecclesiastick proceeding herein to capitall sentences and executions as they found the crimes of their members to require EE Next over all Princes and people in the whole world This exercise of justice was so agreeable to their humour that quickly they thought meet to extend it much beyond the limits of their own Congregations they did anon proclaim their right not only to deny but to take away with their sword all the Princes and Magistrates of the earth as Tyrants FF And because these few persons who were Magistrates had not blood enough to quench the thirst of that cruell spirit which led them they went one step further proclaiming a Commission they had from heaven to kill not only all the Magistrates but also all the wicked people of the whole earth GG And how many Nations and Languages came within this compasse you may judge by the narrow circle within which they inclosed all the godly no more were Saints and to be saved then joyned to their Churches and received their Anabaptisme all the rest to them were wicked and to be cut off HH The were strong millenaries To this very dangerous practice they were led by another principle Muncer among his other Enthusiasms did bring forth to his followers the dream of Christs visible and ovtward Kingdome upon earth II confirming it by the same Scriptures which our late Chiliasts bring for the same fancy albeit a little refined Upon this ground he built many of his grossest practices for he gave out that then the time of that kingdome was come KK that the Saints the members of the Anabaptistick Churches were the members thereof that it was the will of God they should take and kill all who were opposite thereto that they had a just right to enter in possession of the spoyl of Christs Enemies and to enjoy all their lands and goods as the Israelites did those of the cursed Canaanites LL They made adulteries and murders lawfull To these dreams of Muncer John Becold and his fellow Prophets at Munster made some Additions That in this visible kingdome there behoved to be a King over the Saints MM That this King was to rule according to the revelations of the Spirit That all disobedience to his voyce was to be vindicate by present death NN Among the rest of King Becolds commands this was one That the Polygamy of the old Testament should be renewed
infants I but the Independents will be wiser then their Fathers Anabaptism no there is so small a peâ—câ—diâ—â—â— that it deserves no censure at all K they are most willing to retain the Anabaptism in their bosome L but here the pâ—y no caresses can keep the most of Anabaptism in the Independent Congregations so 〈◊〉 as they begin to weigh their own principles they â—inâ—e their infant baptism a 〈◊〉 and so a 〈…〉 upon thâ—â— to be 〈◊〉 M The Independent 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 this Sacrament they cannot choose 〈◊〉 go 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Anabaptism 〈◊〉 by the 〈…〉 in their Churches where alone they can partake of baptismâ— for as yet I never heard that either Independent or Brownist was willing to rebaptize any who in their infancy had received that Sacrament of initiation But for the more clear and distinct demonstration of these things consider yet further They avow all their members to be holy and elect and some of them are for their perfection first that in the qualification of members the Anabaptists go as farre as either the Independents or Brownists the Confession of the seven Churches do clearly bear this much N but others go further avowing with their Fathers the Dutch perfectists that all of their society are so perfectly holy as they may not pray for the remission of any the least sinne O That those of them who are for grosse Antinomy and Familism should maintain so great a perfection on earth in their Society as can be obtained in heaven P and that M. Saltmursh after his renunciation of all baptism as well as of infants Q should be permitted by Divine Justice thus far to wander R I do not so much wonder as when I behold the Confessionists the most modest and orthodox of all in this way to stumble upon the conceit of perfection S though after deliberation they become so well advised as in the second Edition to â—est content with the true hollinesse of their fellows scraping out what before they had put in of their perfection T As for the second the naturall result of the former After they have separate from all other Churches they run next away from them their own selves a separation from all other reformed Churches an impure it is clear by their constant uniform practise which M. Kiffen one of their prime Confessionists does justifie at length against his opposite M. Ricraft V In this separation they run on so rashly that themselves know not where to stop it for first with the Separatists they divide from all other Protestants thereafter they shake off the Separatists for the most intelligent and zealous among them refuse to remain in any Congregation either of the Independents or Brownists X Lastly they break among themselves in many pieces However their way as yet lies much in the dark yet so much of it does appear to the world as dâ—monstrates their small concord amongst themselves what else was the cause that to the very second Edition of their Confession no more hands could be obtained then of seven Churches when of that way there are some hundreds of Congregations for of all the Sects they are incomparably the most numerous why does M. Spilbery complain in Print of the unstablenesse of many their dear friends who separate from these seven Churches as Antichristian Y Also my charity permits me not to beleeve that many of them can keep communion with the professors of so grosse Heresies and horrible blasphemies as divers of those who impugne the baptism of infants are guilty of They charge one another with Antichristianisme For the third their laying of Antichristianism to the charge of all other Churches we need not doubt of it though it did not appear in their writs since they impute that crime not only to all paedobaptists without exception either of Brownists or Independents but also to the best of their own number the flower of their own flock the Confessionists themselves as M. Spilbery the first of the Subscribers informs us Z They are Independents Concerning the government of the Church what ever their Fathers of old did teach the Brownists they are perfect disciples therein to the Brownists this day for they acknowledge no Nationall Church nor any Church visible but a Congregationall AA which they make absolutely Independent and uncontrollable by any superiour Synod BB Though they should break out in never so many the grossest heresies and schisms yet they have no remedy against them none on earth must pretend any Jurisdiction any power to inflict the least Ecclesiastick censure upon their Congregation or any member thereof though guilty of all imaginable blasphemies They put all Church power in the hand of the people But the worst of it is that this supreme absolute and Independent Jurisdiction of every one of their Congregations must be placed not in the officers nor any company of them but in the whole multitude CC they are for an absolute Ochlocracy and popular Government giving to every member of their Congregation a decisive voyce in all Ecclesiastick causes and a power as to elect They give the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments to any of their gifted members out of all office so to ordain and when they finde cause to depose exauctorate and excommunicate their Pastor and all their Officers together With the power of censure they joyn the power of preaching all their members who finde themselves gifted are permitted to prophecy in the face of the Congregation DD this priviledge of men out of office is by them so highly esteemed that they proclaim the want of it to be a just ground of separation EE but herewith they rest not content for unto their members out of office they ascribe not only the power of censure and of preaching the word but also of celebrating the Sacraments this is clear of baptism for they require in a baptizer not only no office but not so much as baptism it self all of them avowing the lawfulnesse for a person not baptized to baptize FF and as it seems to celebrate the Lords Supper for these two Sacraments ordinarily they conjoyn admitting all upon their baptism immediately to the Lords Supper GG and some of their greatest Doctors hold it no wise incongruous to admit persons to the Lords Table before they be baptized HH However all of them do place the power of all the ordinances in the whole multitude and the exercise of that power in any to whom the people thinks meet to give their commission II and somtimes they do give their commission to exercise any of the ordinances unto persons whom they think not fit afterwards to elect or ordain for Officers KK Only in this they are more distinct then the Brownists Even unto women many more of their women do venture to preach then of the other Attaway the Mistresse of all the She-preachers in Colemanstreet was a disciple in Lambs Congregation and made Antipaedobaptism
and Elders the Independency of every Congregation from Presbyteries and Synods the thousand years of Christs visible raign upon earth All this new light did shine first and still burns most brightly among the Anabaptists Although many of the Tenets mentioned in the former Chapter be dissembled and denied by divers of this Sect Their Antipaedobaptisme and dipping shall here bee briefly and plainly considered yet all of them will acknowledge as their own what ever almost is practised either by the Independents or Brownists and besides two Tenets more Antipaedobaptism and Dipping all who carry the name of Anabaptisme though through ignorance they know not or through better instruction they dissent from many positions of their Brethren yet will avowedly and oft with passion professe their minde against the sprinkling of infants paedorantisme to all of them I ever heard of is an abomination It will not therefore be amisse before I leave them to speak something to those two points which all of them are content to take upon themselves as a Characteristick distinction from any other Sect. Let us then consider First whether it be lawfull to baptize any infant Secondly whether sprinkling be sufficient or if it be necessary to dip over head and eares all who are baptized Concerning the state of the first Question The state of the first question we need not controvert the quality of the infants to be baptized Whether they must be the children of true beleevers or onely of professors without scandall whether of Church members only or if it be enough that their Parents be Christians in the largest signification all this belongs to another place The onely point pertinent here is Whether any infants may be baptized The champions for the Anabaptists side in their Declaration of the publick Dispute intended by them with the City Ministers for their Tenet set down their These in these expresse terms No infants ought to be baptized The formall contradiction hereof is Some infants ought to be baptized for this Position I propone some few Scripturall reasons Who have leisure to see this point debated at length may look upon the worthy and judicious Writs of M. Marshall M. Black M. Geere M. Ainsworth also in his last Writ and M. Cotton in his latest learnedly and zealously maintain this truth against the Anabaptists The first reason for the affirmative My first reason I frame thus Who ever have a good right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament ought to be baptized But some infants have a good right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament Ergo Some infants ought to be baptized The major is naturally clear it needs no more for its proof but the explication of the terms of the Proposition for Baptism and the first Sacrament of the New Testament are one thing and ought to be baptized is nothing else but to have a good right to Baptism Who have right to the chief promises have right to some of the seals which God has appointed to be a means of assurance of these promises unlesse the Lord himself have made a speciall exception All the question lies in the minor which thus I prove Who ever have right to the chief promises of the New Testament they have right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament if the Lord have not put some impediment to their participation of that Sacrament But some infants have right to the chief promises of the New Testament and the Lord has put no impediment to their participation of that Sacrament Ergo. About the major I see one and but one makes some velitation all the rest give it for granted for it is grounded likewise on the nature of the terms of the proposition the chief promises of the New Testament and the first Sacrament this is the sign and seal that the thing signified The reason proceeds not from every thing signified to every sign but from the chief thing signified to the first sign some of the blessings which Circumcision did seal belonged to Melchisedek to Lot to Job and others who were not so farre as we reade circumcised but the main promises sealed by Circumcision In thy seed all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed The Messias comming of the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Covenant of grace as it was administred under the figures of the Ceremoniall Law did belong to the people of Israel alone and to the proselytes who joyned themselves to their body Nor do we speak but of the first sign for unlesse there be a right to this there is a right to none and where the Lord has appointed signes to seal up thereby the assurance of his promises to deny to them whom God wil have to be assured of the promise the use of all the seals which he has instituted to be the spirituall means of that assurance were on mans part a great unjustice except the Lord himself have put a barre to the participation of these seals as in the Sacrament of Circumcision of old he did to women and to male infants before the eighth day and to all born in the Wildernesse during the time of their fourty years wandering therein But it is upon the minor that our Adversaries bestir themselves to purpose they deny stoutly both its parts Infants have good right to the promises of the Covenant of grace all the Scripturall objections which they can make against infants baptism they count impediments put by God to paedobaptism and upon this ground they deny the last part of the minor this we shall consider when we come to answer their objections it were not so pertinent in this place The first part likewise of the minor they deny affirming that no infants have right to any promise of the New Testament before the time of their actuall faith which they say cannot possibly be in them before the years of their discretion This is the greatest and most dangerous knot in the whole debate for we do not so much contend for the outward Sacrament to infants as for their spirituall right in God and his promises all our adversaries deny to all infants all right in God all interesses in his promises and Covenant as much as they do to Turks and Pagans Some of both say they may be elected and saved but neither of both have any place in the Covenant of grace or any Gospel promises till they be called by the Word and by an actuall faith have embraced the Gospel If therefore we make good the right and interest of any infants in the chief promises of the New Testament we establish the main hinge of this whole controversie For this end we will endeavour to clear from Scripture these four propositions First that the infants of the Jews had reall and true interest in the Covenant of grace even before the comming of Christ Secondly that the infants of the Jews had that same right in the Covenant of
have all their children excluded not onely from the seals but from the covenant it self and all its gracious promises either of grace or glory and from every spirituall blessing It must be a very clear Scripture that ought to perswade so great a change of Gods administration of his covenant and its seals so much to the worse of that which is confessed was before his usuall practise and command A fifth reason Arg. 5. from Christs laying of his hands on infants and blessing them Whosoever by Gods expresse direction and practise is admitted to his favour and blessing and to the outward signs and seals thereof may be baptized But by Christs expresse direction and practise some infants are admitted to his favour and blessing and to the outward signs and seals thereof Ergo. The major is grounded upon the nature of baptisme which is a seal of Christs blessings they to whom the blessing of Christ and the outward seal thereof belongs why should they not be admitted to baptisme when once the Lord has solemnly declared his will to initiate all to whom his blessings belong by the seal of baptisme The minor is clear from Mat. 19.13 Mat. 19.13 Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands upon them and pray and the Disciples rebuked them but Jesus said Suffer little children and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heaven and he laid his hands on them also Mar. 10.13 14 15 16. Mark 10.13 14 15 16. And they brought young children to him that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said unto them Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not and he took them up in his arms put his hands upon them and blessed them Here the Lord commands children to be brought to him he is much displeased and reproves his Disciples for stopping of them he laid his hands upon them and blessed them declaring that of such was the kingdome of heaven Exceptions against these places tâ—ken off To this argument three things are answered First that the children mentioned were not infants but grown to such years as made them capable of instruction Secondly that their blessing was not spirituall but a temporall health Thirdly that the sign and seal mentioned is not baptisme but imposition of hands To the first we reply that the children were not of so many years as made them capable of instruction for the text cals them expresly young and little ones Secondly they were so young that they could not walk they were brought to Christ they did not come but in the arms of their parents Christ also took them up in his own arms Thirdly if they had been capable of instruction the Apostles could not have been offended for they knew that it was their masters office and delight to instruct all who were capable and the comming of such to the great Doctor could have given no offence To the second the text gives not the least hint that any bodily cure was either required or given Secondly the blessings given were such as Christ is desired to seek from the Father by prayer and these could not but be the best blessings even spirituall and everlasting Thirdly it 's expressed in the place that the greatest of all blessings was theirs even the very kingdome of heaven While this is denyed by the adversaries affirming that the kingdome of heaven belongs not to infants but onely to those who are like them the text refels this their shift for the kingdome of heaven must belong much more to themselves then to such who were onely like them The scope and intention of Christ in this place is not to speak of the condition of others like to infants but of infants themselves who were unjustly stopped by the Apostles to come to him and the Lord is pleading for the admission onely of infants to him upon this reason that heaven belonged to such which had been an impertinent argument for his conclusion if heaven had not belonged to infants at all who upon this reason are required to be admitted to him Farther if infants were to be admitted to Christ because heaven belonged to these who resembled them in some qualities it would follow that doves lambs serpents stones and trees might have been brought to him upon this reason as well as infants for men resembling these creatures in their good qualities are to goe to heaven As for their third answer it is very true that the signe in the place alledged was not baptism this was never alledged for we read nothing of the baptism of the parents of these infants who were presented to Christ as yet the command of baptism was not made so publick as afterward when the Lord at his ascension sent out his Disciples in the power of the holy Ghost to gather a formed Church and to baptize beleevers and their children the reason proceeded not from baptisme but to baptisme and that à loco disparatorum since imposition of hands a seal of Christs grace and blessing and of the kingdome of heaven belonged to infants that therefore baptisme a seal of that same kind when once the Lord had solemnly at his ascension appointed it to be the ordinary seal of initiation into his Church ought not to be denyed unto them A sixth reason Arg. 6. Infants under the Law were baptized Infants were baptized as well as their parents by Moses baptisme Ergo Infants as well as their parents ought to be baptized by Christs baptisme The antecedent is the Apostles 1 Cor. 10.1 2. 1 Cor. 10.1 2. M râ—over brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea The Father 's baptized in the cloud and in the sea were the whole people as well young as old for no doubt the infants went as well through the cloud and the sea as their parents The consequence is proved thus the reasons which may be brought for the exclusion of infants from being baptized with their parents by Christs baptisme militar as much against their being baptized with their parents by Moses baptisme Therefore if notwithstanding they were admitted to the one baptisme they may as well be admitted to the other If it be said that the infants did with their parents in the wildernesse eat of the Manna and drink of the rock yet may they not now be admitted with their parents to eat and drink at the Lords Table We answer there is no such necessary evidence of the infants eating of the Manna and drinking of the rock as of their passing through the cloud and sea this necessity was simple and absolute the other not so for infants may live on their mothers breasts and the milk of cattle without
IIII Historia Davidis p. 139. Menno avowed that David was to be taken for Antichrist the Man of sin the Child of perdition a false Prophet a Robber and a Deceiver KKKK Clopenburg p. 63. All the Mennonists agree in their deniall that Christ is the true son of Mary and Mary the true Mother of Christ LLLL Ibid. p. 18. That grosse errours of the Anabaptists is to be considered whereby with Socinus and Vorstius they deny the immediate omnipresence of the Divine essence and so the attribute of Gods infinitenesse MMMM Ibid. p. 10. The Mennonists in the mystery of the Trinity reject the word Person Ibid. p. 12. Their nicenesse about the word Person is from this that they do not unanimously nor constantly beleeve that Christ is a divine Person different from the Fathers begotten from eternity before his birth of the Virgin Mary And p. 17 We see the orthodoxe faith of the Trinity corrupted by the Mennonists NNNN Clopenburg in his preface in that harmonious discord of the confession of all the Anabaptists I laboured to take off the deceitfull faird of their Syncretisme which doth consist only in the ambiguity of words OOOO Ibid. p. 132. A few years ago among the Flemish Anabaptists three new sects were added to the former who excommunicate one another The occasion of this division was Thomas Benks the Bishop of the Anabaptists at Franeker who at the rouping of a certain house did elude the design of a friend who first intended to buy it this merchandize many of the Anabaptists did approve as honest but others of them did not only disallow it as deceitfull but also pronounced that deceit worthy of excommunication Vpon this occasion a rent was made but while these two parties are at variance there ariseth a third party of mid men and neutrals who did disallow the bargain as fraudulent yet did not judge that fraud so hainous as to deserve the rigorous censure of excommunication in the mean time these three sects howsoever unanimous in the chief heads of their doctrine yet they bolted out fearfull excommunications one against another and refused all mutuall communion PPPP Ibid. p. 431. the Hamaxarii and Borboritae were these Anabaptists who separating themselves from the old Mennonists because of their rigidity in censuring received in their Communion any that were excommunicated by the other Sects and so did heap up together all filthinesse QQQQ Master Marshals Defence against Tombs p. 76. The London Anabaptists Confession is such a one as I beleeve thousands of our new Anabaptists will be far from owning as any man may be able to say without a spirit of divination knowing that their usuall and received doctrines doe much more agree with the Anabaptists in Germany then with that handfull who made this confession CHAP. II. The Tenets of the old ANABAPTISTS THE errours of the Anabaptists and their divisions amongst themselves are so many The most applauded Tenets of our modern Anabaptists are the self-same with what the old Anabaptists did invent that to set them down distinctly in any good order is a task which I dare not undertake much lesse can I give assurance what is common to them all and what proper to their severall sects only that I may demonstrate the same very spirit to breath this day in the Anabaptists of Britain which inspired their Fathers of former times in Germany I will remark what tenets Authors of good credit ascribe to both hoping that this discovery may be a means to bring many simple wel-meaning people who are not yet plunged in the deeps of obstinacy to a more accurate triall and greater suspicion of their ways when they shall see it made visible and palpable upon undeniable evidence that their most beloved tenets and practises which they beleeve to be full of truth and holinesse are no other but the same very singularities which the known event doth now convince all who without prejudice can but read unquestionable Histories to have been the inventions and dictates of the false and unclean spirit which acted and moved in Muncer Becold David George and such like abominable monsters of mankind Their first and prime Tenet was a necessity of gathering Churches out of Churches and of separation from the best reformed in their time because of mixt communion The first and leading tenet of the old Anabaptists was a necessity to gather new Churches out of these which Luther and Zuinglius and their followers had reformed from Popery A It is remarkable that these men had never a stomach to trouble themselves with any labour to make converts from Popery or prophanenesse only so soon as gracious persons had drawn any Cities or Countries out of the kingdom of Antichrist then they fell on and every where did much disturb the work of the new Reformation B At the beginning they dissembled the grossest of their errours and their intention to quarrell infants baptism they did only presse a greater measure of holinesse and mortification then was ordinary C in this all good men went along with them but when they began to teach that the Church behoved to consist of no other members but such as were not in profession and aim alone but also visibly and really holy and elect and therefore that new Churches behoved to be gathered and that all the old any where extant behoved to be separate from as mixed and so corrupted societies then Luther and Zuinglius did oppose themselves to this schismatick humour D When they found themselves disappointed of the assistance of Luther and Zuinglius and all the rest of the orthodox Preachers without more delay they fell upon their intended work themselves alone first by private conventicles E then by preaching in the open streets they gathered and set up Churches after their own mind F consisting meerly of Saints G who did forbear communion in religious exercises with all other Churches H whom they avowed to be for the most part but worldly carnall and prophane Gospellers I and their best Preachers especially Luther and Zuinglius to be but Scribes and Pharisees false Prophets large as evill as the Pope and his Antichristian Priests K Antipaedobaptisme became at last their greatest darling For the stricter ingagement of the Saints and godly party their adherents and for the clearer distinction of them from the prophane multitude of all other Congregations they thought meet to put upon them the mark and character of a new Baptisme making them renounce their old as null because received in their infancy and in a false Church At the beginning this rebaptization was but a secondary and lesse principall Doctrine among them for Muncer himself was never rebaptized neither in his own person did he rebaptize any L yet thereafter it became a more essentiall note of a member of their Church and the crying down of infants baptism came to be a most principall and distinctive Doctrine of all in their way M They the authors of
p. 13. I am assured if I whose eyes God hath opened to discern this Popish corruption if I should hold my peace and so justly perish with the Antichristian Synagogue that denieth Jesus is the Christ I Turners heavenly Conference p. 41. Question What if any deny children of beleevers in a Church estate baptism of water Answer They make void the promise of God made to children of beleevers by that their Tradition Q. May such as deny children baptism be permitted members of a true Church A. No they ought to be cut off from all Christs congregations K Apologeticall Narration p. 9. Excommunication should be put in execution for no other kinde of sins then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practises of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if in opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himself and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the Churches and no other sins to be the subject of that dreadfull sentence L Gangrena part 2. p. 13. For the present the best Independent Churches are mixed assemblies consisting of persons whereof some are Anabaptists some Antinomians some Libertines others hold Arminian and Socinian Tenets M. Symonds Independent Church at Roterdam is overgrown with Anabaptisme and he hath written into England that he is so postered with Anabaptists that he know not what to do M Tombs Apology p. 66. I confesse they that hold that members are added to the Church by Baptism and not otherwise and hold a nullity of paedobaptism must needs say the Churches that have no other then infant Baptism are no true Churches nor their members Church members Cornwels Vindication p. 15. They who enter not into their Church fellowship by teaching the Gospel and dipping as Jesus and his Disciples entered are thieves and robbers N The confession of faith Artic. 29. All beleevers are a holy and sanctified people the beleever is in truth and really separate both in soul and body from all sin and dead works whereby he also presseth after a heavenly and Evangelicall perfection in obedience to all the commands Storming of Antichrist pag. 3. There hath been a mistake in the matter of the Church for many hundred years men taking mixt multitudes for the matter thereof when the Scripture makes Saints in profession the matter thereof Also p. 8. Beleeve it we are beholden for the recovery of this truth to our Brethren nick-named Independents which is as precious a truth about Church order as ever was recovered from the spoyls of Antichrist for if the matter of Churches be wrong let the wisest and holiest do what they can they shall never bring things into a comfortable order O Gangrena second Part p. 126. Being urged in point of prayer for forgivenesse of sins with the Lords Prayer the Lievtenant said that the Lords prayer when Christ gave it to his Disciples was spirituall unto them but is not so to us The same Lievtenant being urged with Davids practise of bewailing sin and craving pardon answered David was under a double Covenant of the Law and of grace we only under that of grace and though a beleever should commit as great sins as David murther and adultery there was no need for him to repent and that sin was no sin to him but a failing Also p. 120. One of the followers of M. Sympson the Antinomian said it in the hearing and presence of divers M. Sympson being then also present that if a child of God should commit murder he ought not to repent of it and M. Sympson never reproved him for it though by one present in the company he was spoken unto to do it P Benjamin Bourns description and confutation p. 53. The seventh errour is divided into two branches the first handled in this chapter by way of question whether perfection in the highest degree both of grace and glory be attainable in this life yea or no. Q Saltmarsh Smoke p. 15 16 17 18. These places commonly taken for the commission for Christs Baptism as Matth. 28.18 have no such thing in them baptizing in Mat. 28. cannot properly be understood of baptizing by water but farre more probably of the Spirits Baptism or Baptism of the holy Ghost Christs institution of water as his own Baptism in his own person cannot be made appear out of all the New Testament none ought to give Baptism now because there is none can give the gift of the holy Ghost with it Baptism by water and by the holy Ghost being joyned together both in institution doctrine and practise are not to be separated nor given in such a time wherein that of the holy Ghost is not given for what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder That the fulnesse of time is not yet come for ordinances for as there were severall seasons for the givings out of truths before so now R Saltmarsh Free grace p. 140. A beleevers glorious freedome the Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as free from hell the Law and bondage here on earth as if he were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve that he is so S The Confession Vide supra N. T Confession second Edition Artic. 29. The beleever presseth after a heavenly and Evangelicall obedience V Kiffins Answer to Ricraft p. 18. If your eyes were opened to peruse your own ways you would than see that we could better free our selves from the guilt of schisme from these reformed Churches then you your selves from the notorious guilt of schisming from Rome X Tombs Apology Vide supra M. Y Spilsberry in his Preface to the Saints interest I intended not the title of adversaries to all that do not fully close with us in judgement but to those that so oppose us as that they deny us to preach any Gospel to hold forth any true faith or to administer any true Baptisme who have openly called us the gates of hell their open enemy c. Z Vide supra Y. AA The Confession Artic. 47. And although the particular congregations be distinct and severall bodies every one as a compact and knit City in it self yet are they all to walk by one and the same rule and by all means convenient to have the counsell and help one of another BB Declaration concerning the publick dispute p. 12. We dare affirm that the Presbyters have nothing else whereby to perswade the people to subject their consciences unto their Synodicall and Classicall authority c. CC Confession Artic. 42 43. Christ has also given power to his whole Church to receive in and cast out by way of excommunication any member and this power is given to every particular Congregation and not one particular person
their Coventicle house and there before many people said that Brother Kiffen and Patience anoynting her she suddenly recovered SS Vide supra O. TT Gangren first Part p. 27. That all singing of Psalmes as Davids or any other holy songs of Scripture is unlawfull and not to be joyned with that the singing which Christians should use is that of hymnes and spirituall songs framed by themselves composed by their own gifts and that upon speciall occasions as deliverances c. sung in the Congregation by one of the assembly all the rest being silent VV Gangren first Part p. 23. This Den preacheth much against tythes he hath put down all singing of Psalmes in his Church XX The compassionate Samaritane p. 31 33. And hereby is maintained the necessity and excellency of Learning and the Languages and so of Vniversities and a supposall that the Arts likewise are necessary to a Divine As Diana was so is learning the crafts-mens living and the peoples Goddesse the people may if they please dote upon that which hath been their destruction they ought to account better of them that having no by-ends or respects have studied the Scriptures for their own and others information and do impart the same to the people out of a desire of their good for nothing as the Anabaptists doe to their Congregations See also Bloudy Tenet p. 173. YY Vide Disswasive p. 48. Browns life and manners of all true Christians p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority Hath not every lawfull Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not only shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it but these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. pag. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do and it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church the Lords kingdome is not by force neither durst Moses or any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church government but after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline discipline that is for a civill forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and enquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward provision and outward justice they are to look but to compell Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiasticall government by Laws and penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church ZZ Disswasive p. 49. EEEEE FFFFF Also the modell of Church and civill power composed by M. Cotton in the bloudy Tenet p. 156. The Magistrate hath power to forbid all idolatrous and corrupt assemblies who offer to put themselves under their patronage and shall attempt to joyn themselves into a Church estate and if they shall not hearken to force them therefrom by the power of the sword Ib. 101. Tolerating many Religions in a State in severall Churches beside the provoking of God may in time not only corrupt leaven divide and so destroy the peace of the Churches but also dissolve the Continuity of the State especially ours whose wals are made of the stones of the Churches He hath also power to compell all men within his grant to hear the Word ZZ 2 Tombs Apology p. 13. Being acquainted with a Law made in New England and proceedings against those that denied baptizing of Infants I yeelded to the sending of my examen thither and therewith I sent this short Epistle Reverend Brethren understanding that there is some disquiet in your Churches about paedobaptism c. AAA Apologetick narration p. 19. To the Magistrates power we give as much and as we think more then the principles of the Presbyteriall government will suffer them to yeeld BBB Burrows Irenicon at length CCC Apologeticall narration p. 9. We judge that excommunication should be put in execution for no other kinde of sinnes then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practises of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if an opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himself and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the Churches and no other sins to be the subject of that most dreadfull sentence DDD John Goodwins Theomachia p. 37. Concerning other civill means for the suppression and restraint of these spirituall evils errours heresies c. as imprisonment banishment interdictions finings c. both reason and experience concurre in this demonstration that such fetters as these put upon the feet of errours and heresies to secure and keep them under still have proved wings whereby they raise themselves the higher in the thoughts and mindes of men and gain an opportunity of farther propagation Ibid. To hold that the persons so elected the Members of the House of Commons chosen by men unworthy and strangers to the power of godliness have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws and Statutes in matters of Religion and to order under mulcts and penalties how men shall worship and serve God as it is a means to awaken the eye of jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive unto the undermining not only of their power but of their honour peace and safety also then any thing that is found in the way so ill entreated so is it the setling upon the electors of such persons I mean upon the promiscuous multitude of the Land a greater power then ever Jesus Christ himself had at least then ever he exercised EEE Anabaptists Confession Edition second Article 48. in the margin Concerning the worship of God there is but one Lawgiver Jesus Christ who hath given Laws and rules sufficient in his word for his worship and for any to make more were to charge Christ for want of wisdome or faithfulnesse or both in not making Laws enough or not good enough for his house Surely it is our wisdome duty and priviledge to observe Christs Laws only FFF Ibid. It is our duty to do and we believe it is our expresse duty especially in matters of Religion to be fully perswaded in our mindes of the lawfulnesse of what we do for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as we cannot do
the Brownists But beside all which the Brownists can like of the Anabaptists proceed to a further reformation as they account it they become Antipaedobaptists Hereby they ingage themselves in these practises and Tenets They avow the nullity of our Baptisme first they refuse to Baptize any infant they refuse to admit to the first Sacrament any who gives not a confession of their own faith they esteem paedobaptism a great sin which according to their temper they expresse in harder or softer terms the meekest of them count it a nullity and will-worship A Secondly They presse on us a rebaptization they make it necessary to baptize over again all who in their infancy were baptized and from this they carry the name of rebaptizers It is true they deny with passion all rebaptizing for infant baptism they call a nullity so when they baptize in riper age them who before were baptized in their infancy they esteem this their action to be but the first baptism which they repeat no more B But we who know paedobaptism to be no nullity but a true and valid Sacrament cannot but call their action a second Baptism and repetition of the first So with great reason the name of rebaptizers is given unto them But to put the equity of this reproach out of doubt their great patrons now are come to defend the lawfulnesse of baptism not only twice but if ye will ten times yea so oft as you repent for sin which ought to be oftner then once a day so of Anabapâ—â—â—ts they become Hemerobaptists and more C Thirdly they exclude all infants from any interest at all in the Covenant of grace D They exclude all infants from the Covenant of grace and make circumcision a seale only of carnall promises they grant that the Jewish infants had interest in some earthly priviledges which Circumcision did seal unto them but they deny that any children whether of Jews or Gentiles have any promise of grace made to them till they come to age and beleeve so they will not have Circumcision a seal of the Covenant of grace E to any of the children of Abraham while they are infants but only of temporall benefits F By this means they make the infants of faithfull Christians and of the Turks and Pagans all equall G some of both to belong to eternall election but none of either to have any interest in the Covenant of grace till they become actuall beleevers This makes them uncertain what to say of infants dying before conversion some save them all H others incline to the damnation of them all I others professe the uncertainty of the thing whether infants before their conversion be within the kingdom of Satan or that of God K Many of them deny originall sin and assert all the articles of Arminius Fourthly many of them stumble upon originall sin some deny it altogether as if infants were not born with any sinfull corruption L or what ever sin they are born in they will have it taken away by vertue of Christs universall redemption in all mankinde as well Pagans as Christians M making baptism no more needfull in the one nor in the other for the removing or sealing of the removall of that which is removed without the means either of Word or Sacraments by vertue of a generall Covenant made with all mankinde in Adam after the fall From this ground they are drawn away to all the Tenets of Arminius Others of them flie out to the contrary extremity avowing that Adam before the fall in his very creation was corrupted with sin N and by a huge blasphemy make the very humane nature of Christ to be sinfull O and God to be the Creator of sin both in the first and second Adam P They separate from all who renounce not paedobaptisme Fiftly by their rejecting of infant Baptism they fall into the errour of rigid Separation they baptize none but actuall beleevers such as give them satisfaction of their actuall faith and holinesse thus far going along with the rigid Separatists Q But hence they proceed to another ground whereupon they leave the Separatists and 〈◊〉 who follow them not to Anabaptism R they take Baptism fâ—â— a Sacrament of initiation for a door and mean of entring into the Church these who are not baptized they count not Church members infant Baptism they pronounce a nullity and such a disobedience to the Gospel as infers Antichristianism and a reall deniall that Christ is yet come in the flesh S So the Separatists who are all baptized in their infancy and refuse to be rebaptized to them are no better then unbaptized and Antichristian rebels not capable of Church membership or of any Church communion Upon this ground as their great Patron acknowledgeth they are forced to declare the Independent and Brownistick Congregations how dear otherwise soever to be but Antichristian Synagogues and no true Churches T But here self-love does much blind them Yet they admit into their Churches many much worse then these from whom they separate for they who are so precise as to separate with the Brownists from all the reformed Churches because of their impure admissions and from the Brownists also because of their infant Baptism are notwithstanding ready to receive into their Churches those who for life and doctrine are much more impure then many from whom they separate if so be they are willing to renounce their paedobaptism as they call it and to receive of them a new true Baptism V In this they stick not to their own principles nor to the practise of their fathers for so strict were they that a small scandall in life or a little difference in doctrine would have quickly procured a cutting off from the Church by the censure of excommunication but now the world abroad may hear both of adulteries and thefts and the grossest heresies of their members without any ejection from their Churches Sixtly they esteem sprinkling no Baptism at all Sprinkling to them nullifies baptisme they will have the whole body to be plunged over head and ears in the water X this circumstance of plunging they account so necessary and essentiall to Baptism that the change thereof into sprinkling makes the Baptism to be null That such a plunging draws upon some sicknesse and death and upon women great shame and scandall while they are stripped and must stand altogether naked in the presence of men and of the whole Congregation these and other inconveniences they do not much regard Y Seventhly M. Tombs new way of those who impugn paedobaptism some go a new way of their own wherein as yet they have very few followers if any at all for to this day I have heard of â—one M. Tombs a learned and very bold man at this time when so many new ways are in hand hath thought meet to make a hotch-potch of many of them together first He is a rigid Antipaedobaptist yet
not against sprinkling with all his strength and greater diligence then any before him he impugnes paedobaptism Z Secondly though as yet I have marked nothing to fall from his pen neither from any of the old Anabaptists for the rite of dipping or against our custome of sprinkling yet in spoyling of Christian infants not only of Baptism but of all interest in the Covenant of grace He spoiles all infants of all interest in the Covenant of grace as much as the children of Turks and Pagans in making Circumcision a seal to the Jews only of earthly and temporall priviledges in denying to Jewish infants all right to the new Covenant AA He is a friend to the worst Anabaptists injurious to all who oppose them till in their riper years they became actuall believers in giving a power to persons unbaptized to baptize others BB in making apologies for the worst of the Anabaptists even those of Munster CC and invectives against the best that oppose them the first reformers DD the Assembly at Westminster EE the Church of Scotland FF M. Marshall GG M. Goodwin HH and others HH 2 he flies as high as any civill and discreet Anabaptist I have met with but in those things he goes far beyond all the Anabaptists I have heard of He makes baptisme a rite needlesse either to young or old First he esteems Baptism so unnecessary a rite that men who are meet to receive it may very well be without it as Constantine Ambrose and others did delay to their old age that Sacrament II and as it seems himself is carelesse to this day to be baptized for his infant Baptism according to his arguments must be null and another Baptism as yet it seems he has not received for he professeth an unwillingnesse to joyn himself as a member to any of the Anabaptists Churches KK I suppose they are unwilling to baptize any who will not joyn in cōmunion with them Secondly when a man is baptized according to his own minde he allows him to be oft thereafter rebaptized He allows of a frequent rebaptization even so oft as he repents for sin which by the godly is done at least ought to be done every day oftner then once LL He admits unbaptized persons to the Lords Table Thirdly he makes it lawfull for persons before they be baptized to partake of the Lords Supper MM Fourthly to shew how little inclinable he is to joyn with the Anabaptists he declares himself a compleat Erastian He is a grosse Erastian avowing that no scandalous professour ought to be kept from the Lords Table NN also that there is no such thing as any censure of excommunication OO further that Christ in Scripture has not appointed any particular government for his Church PP but that the governing of the Church belongs to the Magistrate only and to such whom he appoints to that service by vertue of a commission flowing from himself QQ The third head we proposed to speak of is the Tenets which too many of the Anabaptists are pleased to borrow from the Arminians Antinomians Antitrinitarians Familists The most of the Anabaptists are Arminians Antiscripturists and blasphemous Atheists For their Arminianism M. Marshall gives abundant testimonie RR Some years ago when Anabaptism did begin under M. Mortons Ministery to spread at London the most of them did turn grosse Arminians SS and published that hereticall Dialogue against which M. Ainsworth a little before his death did print an answer and after him M. Robinson another It is true The second Edition of their Confession is not so free of Arminianisme as the first the late Confession of the seven Churches seem to reject clearly enough all the five Articles of the Arminians but as our former witnesses testifie thousands of them care not for that Confession yea I professe I cannot conjecture at the reason why the second Edition of this Confession which alone was offered to the Parliament does change so many materiall passages of the first which point-blank did militate against Arminianisme unlesse it be their farther declination to Arminianism at the penning of their second Edition For instance the seventeenth Article in the first Edition stood thus He hath fully performed all these things by which God might reconcile his elect only In the second the word only is put away as if Christ by his sacrifice had reconciled to God all mankinde as well as the elect This our suspicion is increased by finding the same alteration acted over again in the Article twenty first where the first Edition reads it thus Christ by his death did bring forth salvation and reconciliation only for the elect in the second Edition the words reconciliation only are omitted Also in the nineteenth Article these words which are the reprobate in the second Edition are scraped out and in that same Article The execution of Gods determinate counsell whereby he delivers up his enemies to a reprobate minde to be kept unto judgement are scraped out in the second Edition Likewise in that same Article I finde two more alterations In the first among the fruits which the elect have of Christs Priesthood are set down their justification adoption regeneration and sanctification all those are omitted in the latter Edition In the first Edition it is said of the Spirit that he is never taken away when once given but doth still abide begetting and nourishing faith unto immortality this is omitted in the latter Edition I grant it is put in the 23 Article which is clear enough against the Arminian errour of perseverance had not the addition of one little word cast it all loose for in the former Edition the 23 Article did run thus Those that have this precious faith can never totally nor finally fall away but in the latter all is added all these cannot fall away c. which is very true if some few persevere albeit many and the most part of these who have justifying faith should fall away totally and finally If the ground of these and many more alterations in the second Edition of that Confession proceed from any farther inclination to Arminianism in any of the prime Leaders of these seven Churches at the time of the second subscription more then appeared at the first I cannot affirm only M. Spilsberry the chief penner as it seems of that writ does now finde the Arminian errours so troublesome among his friends that he is forced to publish a particular Treatise against them VV The chiefe Churches of the Anabaptists are grosse Arminians But what ever be the condition of the seven Churches certainly M. Lambs Congregation the greatest as they say and most fruitfull of all their Societies without comparison is pestered with this gangren the great Preachers in that flock M. Oats and M. Den make it their ordinary Theme that Christ died for all for Judas as well as for Peter XX That all the sins of the first Covenant are
actually taken away from all mankinde That the common doctrine of election and predestination is false YY That the Sun Moon and other creatures do sufficiently preach Christ to all the world ZZ That the will of man has power to reject the most efficacious grace AAA That our Doctrine of perseverance is false BBB These men be the chief Apostles and Evangelists of the Anabaptistick Churches who are sent out by the rest to the adjacent Counties to preach and baptize CCC For this their false Doctrine laid to their charge long ago in Print we never heard that either of them has been so much as rebuked by any of their Churches or that M. Spilsberry though he writ against the Tenets did ever yet refuse communion and the right hand of fellowship unto any person whom he knew to professe them Unto the Arminian many of them do joyn the Antinomian Errors these are the chief charms whereby multitudes of people are drawn to their company as M. Weld doth well remark DDD Nothing is more attractive of people then the Doctrine of licentiousnesse gilded over with the pretences of the most eminent piety It is not only Oats Den Lamb Clarkson and the like who preach against the Law and all duties telling us that the morall Law does not binde any Christian to obedience EEE That Magistrates may not punish murderers if they be Church members for the sixth command Thou shalt not kill doth not concern Christians FFF they have nought to do with Moses nor any of his Laws GGG That all the sins of the Saints that either they have or shall commit are so taken away by Christ that they ought not to be grieved for any of them HHH That all Preachers who presse repentance and sorrow for sin are Legall III That God is not displeased with any sins of the Saints and will not have them be displeased with any of their own iniquities KKK That God requires no duty from those whom he will save not so much as faith That faith it self is a work a Legall condition LLL That all our duties are done for us by Christ That he has repented for us and beleeved for us MMM That no more under the Gospel is required of any but to be meer patients NNN This is the new glorious light wherein not only the common Antinomians do glory but their most precious and spirituall men have too many strains of the same kinde M. Hobson proclaims all his wonted religious exercises to be but legall duties which he professes to give over OOO He avows that Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice for no mans sin nor done any thing for the reconciling of God to men with whom he was never offended and to whom if once he had been offended he could never again have been reconciled PPP he makes it Christs only labour to reconcile man to God and to manifest not to procure Gods love to man QQQ M. Saltmarsh so great a Champion for the Antipaedobaptists that he rests not till he have exploded the Baptism as well of old as of young makes it now his greatest work to write against our orthodoxe Divines in favour of the Antinomians SSS The Author of that neatly printed Treatise of Baptisme from whom I should have as little expected as from any other an apostasie from the Independents to the Anabaptists and a transition from Anabaptism to any point of Antinomianism does tell us that all anxious labouring about sins and the pardoning of them is a great impediment to holinesse of life TTT The Confession of their seven Churches does not so flatly contradict these errours as the former of Arminianisme but rather countenances them it sets down such a justification as acquits us before God of all sin past present and to come VVV The second Edition omits that sentence of past present and to come I wish this correction did proceed from a dislike of the conclusions which the Antinomians draw from the words omitted but in both Editions they expresly exclude the necessity of the Laws Ministery to bring the soul to any repentance before or in the time of its calling and conversion to Christ XXX The Antinomian controversies are not as the prime Independents doe make them only about words and methods of Preaching I should be glad that all the question here were onely about words and phrases or methods of preaching as some would make it but expâ—rience proves the difference to be too too reall for we see that their words phrases and method of preaching does carry their hearers to the grossest crimes without any remorse of conscience or thought of repentance When some of them are catched in theft they scorn either to be grieved or ashamed for it YYY others encourage themselves to commit adultery upon their Doctrine ZZZ some of them do constantly work in their handy-trade every Sabbath day AAAA others make all repentance and prayer for pardon of the grossest sins to be sinfull and a fruit of misbeleef BBBB finally if the report of those who pretend to be acquainted with their carriage hold good too many who have been noted for strictnesse of life have fallen evidently after the embracing of these Tenets into a loosenesse of conversation CCCC Many of the Anabaptists are become Seekers denying all Churches all Officers all Ordinances We have already demonstrated a farre enough progresse of this Sect into the ways of errour yet the spirit that reignes in Anabaptism carries many of his followers beyond all we have spoken Their injury not only against infants but all the Churches in the world that dissent from them in spoyling the first of all interest in the Covenant of God and comfort from the holy Sacrament in depriving the other of all the priviledges of true Churches closing up all these blessings within the narrow bounds of their own seduced companies this their unjustice is recompenced by God upon many of their spirits giving them over to stronger delusions Very many of the Anabaptists are now turned Seekers denying the truth of any Church upon earth for many ages past denying that there are any Pastors now on the earth that there may be any preaching of the word any joyning in prayer any celebration either of Baptism or of the Lords Supper any Church discipline at all or any Church Act Church state or Church ordinance whatsoever while God from heaven send new Apostles to work miracles and set up Churches which for the space of fourteen hundred years at least have totally failed in the whole world Hitherto M. Williams DDDD M. Clarkson EEEE Mr. Attaway FFFF are come from their Antipaedobaptism Hitherto also it seems M. Saltmarsh does drive while he not only defends the Seekers as well as the Independents and Anabaptists but himself also positively avows that there is no lawfull Baptism this day in the whole earth and that there has been none rightly baptized since the days of the Apostles also that to lawfull Baptism and
remedies provided for this monstrous evill but it is a pity to see the strange stupidity and feneantise of the most even of them whose interest in God ought to make them upon all hazards much more diligent agents for the relief of his strangely contemned and pitifully trod down truth I speak not of temporall punishments if the Magistrate will employ none of his power for the honor of that God who has set him in his place and preserves him therein nor for the relieving of the perishing souls of the people over which he rules let him prepare to answer for it as he may for it will be the principall Item of his great account onely let him be content to want the compassion of all beholders when God little to his honour shall vindicate his own glory and when Divine Justice lets the seduced multitude fully loose to pull out of his hand all power no lesse about civill then spirituall objects which easily might have kept the people in order and obedience both to God and him if it had been in any season or even yet were in any wisedome or courage imployed towards them But that which I most regrate is to see sundry unto whom God has committed the keeping of his truth and whom he has indued with very notable parts above many so sparing and coldriffe so sober and temperate so calme and wise in managing the Battels of their Master against the Enemies of his dearly beloved truth as if all their zeale were no more mixed but totally overmastered and well-near drowned in their moderation and prudence It is the opinion of many that the enemies of the truth have been assisted in their evill work of seducing millions of the Sheep of Christ by no one means more then the tepidity of some gracious and orthodoxe yet too wise and somwhat fearfull and faint-hearted Divines How desperate soever the faults as well of good as of evil men have made the disease of the Church this day yet it must never be altogether too late and unseasonable for the servants of Christ to get up from their sleep and with some peece of more zeal towards their Masters honour and of pity towards their perishing Brethren to set upon their too too long neglected duties The Testimonies of the fourth Chapter A Treatise of Baptism p. 356. There may be many great fails in an action which may not make it null or nothing but these essentiall fails which may be said to nullifie it can never be repaired by any act afterwards such are the fails of infant Baptism as enter into the very essence of it namely the formall and materiall causes so as if you ask what I lay to the charge of infant Baptism I say that it is nothing as the Scripture saith an idoll is nothing of what act soever ye may justly say this is a nullity no act can repair that to give it a being I may affirm with more equity and reason that infant Baptism is not a Sacrament but a rash mockery for deceiving by no means to be endured in the Church The vanity of childish Baptism second Part p. 30. That administration of Baptism which overthrows the very nature of the Covenant of grace and whole Gospel of Christ is Antichristian and abominable It is most certain that the Baptism of infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous a consequence as ever the Man of Sinne brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders pag. 30. B Treatise of Baptism p. 36. If this be not to be repeated because neither in precept nor example you finde it so then must this be the first because in precept and example you finde it so and never otherwise In a word Baptism of old hath been called and not without reason Sacramentorum Janua C Tombs examen p. 23. Because it goes so currant that rebaptization is not onely an errour but also an heresie let me begge of you one good argument to prove it unlawfull in se or intrinsecally I mean without respect to scandall or in the like cause by accident for a man that hath been baptized rightly to be baptized again We are regenerated by Baptism and a man is born but once but are we not born again by the word and must that be but once preached is not sin mortified the Church sanctified by Baptism and are not these often and for example if there were as good for paedobaptism as that Acts 19.5 6. for rebaptizing the controversie were at an end with me M. Marshall challenges him upon this new errour but he still defends it p. 53. As for M. Marshals arguments they are not convincing to me nor is the holding rebaptization such a new opinion as he would make it D Richardson against Featly p. 6. Paedobaptism tends to make Gods holy Ordinance a lying sign to confirm that which visibly is not secret things belong to God and revealed things to us Deut. 29.29 And seeing such infants appear not to have any right in the Covenant they are not to have the seal of the Covenant it being against the light of nature to set a seal to a blank and that any should have a visible right to the seals c. and yet not godly is strange Doctrine E Declaration concerning the publick dispute by Knols c. p. 16. Beleevers onely themselves and not their infants are accounted the spirituall seed of Abraham or his seed according to faith Vanity of childish Baptism p. 18. None of Abrahams children nor the naturall seed of any other in the world are to be accounted the seed unto whom the promise and Covenant is made untill they beleeve Ibid. p. 21. Circumcision was not by God ordained nor by Abraham understood to be to the persons circumcised a seal of their being in the Covenant and much lesse of their being regenerated F Cornwels Vindication p. 5. This Popish consequence of Baptizing the infants of beleevers doth instate all the infants of the beleeving Gentiles to be born in a Covenant of grace and to have a right of a promise of life in Christ Jesus The vanity of childish Baptism second Part p. 4. The children of beleevers are not in the Covenant of grace G Ibid. But here they object and say Hath the children of beleevers no more priviledge then the children of Heathens Turks and Infidels Answ In respect of the Covenant of grace and salvation none at all Ibid. p. 19. Beleevers are Fathers of their own children no otherwise then they are Fathers of Jews and Turks children which is when they beleeve and not before Declaration by Cocks p. 17. But some may think that this will put the children of beleevers into as bad a condition as the children of Turks Heathens and any other wicked men and this they are perswaded is a horrible thing and a dangerous opinion we put not the children of beleevers into as bad a
that circumcision did primarily seal the temporall promise and signified sanctification but secondarily I know the Anabaptists in Germany shame not to say that the Covenant made with Abraham was a meer carnall thing and had nothing to do with eternall life as for the expression of learned Cameron if by primarily he meaned immediately that it sealed these things first in order as they were types of spirituall things it may then passe cum grano salis but if by primarily he intended principally that circumcision did chiefly seal earthly blessings the opinion is too unsavoury to be received BB M. Marshals Defence 245. For my own part I seriously professe that supposing infant Baptism a nullity I cannot understand how any in the world should this day be lawfully baptized unlesse it can be made good that a person unbaptized himself may be a lawfull Minister of baptism to others Tombs Apology p. 54. That none be admitted to the Lords Supper till he be rightly baptized I professe is to be stood upon in point of prudence for right order yet if it be stood upon in point of conscience so as in no case the contrary is to be permitted it will of necessity make many superstitious perplexities for besides that it may be doubted whether all the Apostles were baptized who yet were admitted to the Lords Supper by Christ himself when Constantine the Great and others did deferre their Baptism so long it is not likely they never received the Lords Supper before their Baptisme CC Tombs Apology p. 31. I do count the story of the Anabaptists to contain in it many things the true reasons of which and the true knowledge of the circumstances concerning them will not appear till the day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God DD Ibid. p. 32. How farre the Anabaptists sought reformation I cannot tell it is plain that Carolostadius and Pelargus and some say Melancthon would have reformed it in Saxony had not Luthers pertinacy in that as well as Consubstantiation and Images withstood it and Baltazar Hubmer sought it at Zurick and was denied it is known I think the reformed Churches have been to blame and so may be our present reformers that they have never yeelded to reform it in a regular way EE Ibid. p. 106. M. Marshals Book it appears was contrived by divers I believe the ablest of the Assembly I wish it were declared whether the paedobaptists would stick to that work or any other FF Ibid. p. 93. And though many magnifie the vertue and benefit of their juridicall excommunication yet the best intelligence I have makes me question whether it hath not b en rather an engine of much harm as being used rather against dissenters in opinion and opposers of profit then men openly vitious managers of that censure generally shewing themselves irreconciliable to them that dissent from them but favourable enough to vitious living GG Ibid. p. 57. I was told there was a very intelligent man that said he was sorry that I had M. Marshall for my Antagonist as knowing him to be apt to mistake which he conceived would be a vexation to me and indeed I finde his words true p. 69. I must confesse I finde M. Marshall still so confused a Disputer that I know not to what purpose his manner of writing in this point should tend but to puzzle his Reader and weary his respondent HH Ibid. p. 19. M. Marshall says that I vilifie M. Thomas Goodwin as a man who by spinning out similitudes and conjectures deceives his auditors I say still that I expected from M. Goodwin arguments but counted my self deluded with his conjectures finding nothing to his purpose in any of these Texts which were the main he alledged HH 2 Ibid. p. 3. I saw few or none regarded for clearing the truth but popular Orators such as relate to great men or are usefull to uphold a party are the men esteemed And p. 95. I may rather say that by my two Treatises there is such a wound given already to infant baptisme that however men may play the Mountebanks and skin it over it will never be cured at the bottom II Vide supra BB. KK Ibid. p. 10. I durst not justifie such a practise as to gather a separated Church LL Vide supra C. MM Vide supra BB. NN Tombs Apology p. 92. I doubt much how hence may be concluded any power of suspension from the Lords Supper for every emergent scandall so judged by a congregation or congregationall Presbytery OO Ibid. p 91. I have said that I doubted whether ever excommunication a sacris or the Presbyterian or the Independent Ecclesiasticall Government would be proved to be Jure Divino by Christs appointment and I doubt whether the power of the Keyes Matth. 16. be any other then doctrinall and whether Matth. 18. contain any other direction then about particular injuries betwixt brother and brother or Let him be to thee a Heathen and Publican be any other then shunning familiar converse PP Ibid. I confesse that I take it to be but a matter of prudence whether each congregation have its compleat power within it self or that it be ordered in some things by an Assembly of select persons out of divers congregations and whether congregations and Pastors be fixed or unfixed p. 93. I suppose in the manner of doing these things we have not certain precise direction from Gods word but that we are left free by God to order such things though pertaining to Christians as Christians by alterable rules of prudence QQ Ibid. p. 93. Nor doth the Church lose by having a Christian Magistrate if that jurisdiction be wanting sith I suppose it is better provided for by the constant care of a Christian Magistrate if conscientious in executing judgement if not such censures have been seldome executed with conscience or good effect RR M. Marshals Defence p. 73. Have not multitudes of our Anabaptists swallowed down all Arminianisme SS A Defence of the lawfulnesse of infants baptism in answer to M. Spilsberry VV M. Spilsberry peculiar interest of the elect in Christ and his saving grace XX Gangren first Part division second p. 23. M. Den exercises in Lambs Church the usuall theme that he is upon is Christs dying for all for Judas as well as Peter he often preaches this Doctrine as those who have heard him do report this is the everlasting Gospel to beleeve that Jesus Christ hath dyed for all men Turks Pagans and that all the sins of men committed against the morall Law were actually forgiven and pardoned when Jesus Christ shed his blood and none of them that ever men had committed or should were imputed to them but men were onely damned for not beleeving in Christ and for nothing else YY Ibid. p. 36. Oats who is a great Dipper and Preacher amongst them delivered in Bell-Alley in Colemanstreet not long ago that the Doctrine of Gods eternall election and predestination was a damnable Doctrine and
life SSSSSS M. Bourn to the Reader I shall in the Treatise following lay open to the view of all men not at the second hand but by experience having often heard them both preach and dispute what is that which commonly goes under the name of Familisme what I shall say concerning it is not out of malice to any person neither shall I speak at randome TTTTTT Gangren first Part second division p. 27. There is one Clement Wrighter in London an Arch-heretick and fearfull Apostate sometimes a professor of Religion and judged to have been godly about seven or eight years ago he fell off from the communion of our Churches to Independency and Brownism from that he fell to Anabaptism and Arminianism thence to Mortalism holding the soul mortall after that he fell to be a Seeker and is now an Antiscripturist a Questionist and Skeptick and I fear an Atheist CHAP. V. The lawfulnesse of Infants Baptisme I Have at some length in the preceding Chapters set down the way and Tenets of the Anabaptists both here and over Sea The extreame malignity of the Anabaptistick spirit both of the present the former times wherby it may appear to all who are willing to see how malign a spirit has ruled in that Sect from its first beginning to this very day a spirit carrying to the greatest errours and the grossest vices that ever any who were called Christians have stumbled upon a spirit as much opposite to the honour of God and to the salvation of men It s enmity to the salvation of men as any that ever troubled the Church since its first foundation It s favour towards the salvation of man appears in its great zeal to cast out of the Church and deprive of the means of grace almost all mankinde with the exception of a very few if of any at all When the most reformed of the Protestant Churches come before the fan of their censure at the first shake they blow away that largest and most innocent part of them their infants all children who have not attained to the acts of faith and repentance are to them in the flesh under the power within the verge of the Kingdom of Satan as well as Jews Turks Pagans and others who are not so much as entred within the hedge of Christs sheepfold and lest the spoiling of children of all the grace and gifts of God had not been a sufficient vastation they are carried on by the spirit that leads them to make as great havock and desolation among those of riper years they Unchurch the most of those whom otherwise they love as their best friends they charge all the Independents and the Brownists and the most rigid of the Separatists for their baptizing of infants with no lighter a burthen then Antichristianism and a clear deniall of Christs Incarnation Neither here does their rashnesse stand the small remnant of Christians the Anabaptistick Societies which alone they will honour with the title of true Churches seem to them too many to be saved therefore new separations are run into and those so severe that there lives not an Anabaptist upon earth who by multitudes even of Anabaptists is not condemned with all who adhere to his subdivision as a man in a false way not only without but in opposition to the true Church In its di honoring of God be setting up a liberty first for all errours This their extream cruelty against the souls of men wont to be coloured with the shew of zeal to the truth and honour of God but this varnish is now almost quite wiped off Behold whither their zeal to the truth and honour of God is now evanished They for some times were so eminently zealous against errors and vices that very small ones were wont to draw from them an ejection out of the Church a deliverance to Satan and where the Civill Sword was in their hand a putting out of this life a publick execution by the hand of the Hangman when their Princes and Prophets were not at leisure to administer Justice in their own persons Notwithstanding the loudest note that this day sounds in their song is liberty and freedom from all punishments for what ever crimes when all abominations imaginable are publickly proclaimed when many more and much viler errours walk in our streets then ever any one place in any time did hear of the great zeal of these religious men breaks out daily in all the discourses they please and actions they dare for the safeguard of the cursed instruments of these errours passionately denying all power in any on earth to restrain in the least measure the open propagation of the most abominable lies which Satan is able to utter by the tongue of any creature no matter of Religion say they can fall under the cognisance of any State the false Church has no right to censures or any Church Ordinance the truest Churches can meddle but with their own members they who never were of them or have renounced membership with them are without their Jurisdiction so neither State nor Church can put any barre of the smallest censure upon the propagation of any errour And next for all vice And lest vice the neer kinsman of errour should finde any harder measure any greater stop from the hand of superiour powers this Sect with all the speed it can is posting back to its first principles the overthrow of the civill State as much as of the Church That when ever they are found in the practise of their Doctrine of the lawfulnesse of adultery and incest robbery and murder there may be none upon earth to controll them For this end they cast down the King and Parliament Commons as well as Lords all Incorporations all Judicatories in Burgh and Land that an absolute Monarchy a full liberty for every man to do all his pleasure without any fear of punishment may be set up That the Crown and Scepter the Kingship and absolute Soveraignty may at last be restored to the onely true owners the free-born people of England the individuals as they love to speak of the whole Nation All this much more have they set under their own hands as may be seen in the former Chapters Their Brownistick and Arminian Tenets I have refuted in other Treatises I have neither time nor minde to dispute all their positions in my little Antidote against Arminianism I have in a short and popular way impugned it their Tenets against the Protestant Churches in the heads of election redemption grace free-will and perseverance In the first Part of my Disswasive I have debated at length enough the chief of those errours which they have taught their children the Separatists The reall holinesse of all Church members the necessity of separation for want of satisfaction in this point alone the power of every member of the Church to preach the word to ordain and to excommunicate when there is cause their very Pastors
Testament where the administration is much changed the new covenant wants not both its sacramentall ceremonies and the promises of this life but none of those adjuncts doe change the state and nature of the principall it remains ever a covenant of pure grace without any mixture it is neither in the whole nor in any substantiall part turned into a covenant of works it may not lose its denomination if it keeps its nature it may neither be counted wholly a covenant of works nor a mixed covenant of grace and works For the other part of the similitude that Circumcision and Baptisme as they are seals of the same covenant so they are both initiating seals Both Circumcision and Baptisme are initiating seals ceremonies whereby the first solemn entry into this covenant is made is scarce controverted by any of circumcision the thing is evident whatever covenant it sealed it was an initiating seal thereof for it was the very first ceremony exercised about any person they of age at their profession of the faith were circumcised and infants in the eight day of their life no uncircumcised person might enter the Tabernacle or Temple or eat of the Paschall supper The same is true of Baptisme upon those of age who professe faith Christ immediately puts Baptisme Goe preach and baptize none may participate of the Lords Supper who is not before baptized this was the order of the Apostolick Churches Acts 2.38.41 42. The Apostle exhorts his hearers first to repent and be baptized this being done thereafter they goe to the breaking of bread M. Tombs the over-turner of this order is deserted herein as in many other of his notions by all the Anabaptists I know Thus the parts of the analogy which we touch upon are made good as for our inference that Baptisme being an initiating sign of the same covenant in which Circumcision initiates therefore as Circumcision was administred to infants in their solemn admission to the covenant under the Law so baptisme ought to bee administred to infants in their solemn admission to the same covenant under the Gospel The main things objected against this conclusion are two first that neither under Law nor Gospel infants were admitted to any covenant of grace I grant if this exception were made not to the conclusion which is an informal way of answering but to the consequence or antecedent or some proposition it is very relevant if it were true but in the former argument I have demonstrated from divers clear Scriptures its falshood Their other exception is There needs not a particular command for the application of a sacrament to the divers ages and sexes and conditions of persons that the parallel were it most harmonious in never so many things yet if it be to the purpose it must hold also in this that as Circumcision had an express command for its application to infants so must Baptism We answer that this exception is the very point in question which this whole argument and the former and all that follows intend to prove that for the application of Baptism to infants there is so much of a divine commandment as is requisite in such a case That expresse cōmands are not required for the application of ordinances to the diverse ages sexes and conditions of subjects is clear in a number of instances Who ever did require a particular command or expresse institution for admitting of women to the Lords Supper for the baptisme of old men the baptisme of Kings of Queens of Merchants and so forth If the premises therefore be granted as we have proved them from Scripture that infants are in the covenant of grace that Circumcision was and Baptisme is a Sacramentall seal initiating and solemnly bringing into this covenant all who are admitted thereto and that Circumcision did initiate infants therein it will not in reason be avoided but Baptisme must still do the same and that to deny Baptisme the initiating seal of the covenant of grace to infants is nothing else but the excluding of them from the covenant of grace it self It is Mr Tombes remark that under the very Law Baptism was in use Infants Baptisme under the Law and Mr Marshall addes very judiciously from the Talmud from Maimonides and other Authors that who ever were circumcised among the Jews were also baptized infants as well as their parents women as well as men That this custome of baptizing all who were added to the church children as well as parents did constantly continue in all ages of the Christian church is proved by many without any satisfactory reply but we intend here to dispute from Scripture alone Our third argument we take from Mat. 28.19 The third argument from Mat. 28.19 Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost Hence we reason thus To whom that commission of the Apostles to baptize did extend they are commanded to be baptized But to some infants that commission of the Apostles does extend Ergo. The minor only is questionable we prove it by these reasons first To whom the chief matter of that commission does belong to them the commission does extend But to some infants the chief matter of that commission does belong The promises of the Gospel belong to infants for the chief matter thereof was the glad tidings of salvation in Christ the holy covenant and mercy promised to the Fathers the oath sworn to Abraham as Zachary expounds it Luke 1.72 73. Now that the covenant and promise in the very tearms of it concerned infants as much as any appears by the words of God to Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God and the God of thy seed and Peter Acts 2.39 does preach expresly that this promise did belong as well to his hearers children as to themselves Infants are not in a worse condition under the Gospel then under the Law A second proof if this commission of the Gospel of salvation and its initial seal extend not to any infants then the extent of the covenant of grace should be much straiter among the Gentiles then it had been among the Jews for infants are a great part of every Nation and among the Jews the covenant in the promise of grace and of glory and in the seals of both was extended to infants as well as to any others so if among the Gentiles now under the Gospel infants were excluded it would be a very sensible and pitifull restraint of the covenant but a very absurd one for every christian Nation has the covenant of grace communicate to them in no worse but in much better tearms then the Jews of old All who are baptized needs not be capable of teaching The great objection against al this is this argument None are the objects of baptisme but who first are the objects of teaching But infants are not the objects of teaching Ergo. We answer that both the
propositions may be denyed there is no necessity of the major for although the commission of teaching and baptizing goe together yet this infers not any necessity of applying these two commands to the self same persons be it so that these two acts are ever conjoined and that teaching must ever goe before baptizing for the parents ought to be instructed before the children be baptized and in the right administration of baptisme the nature of the covenant is always declared before the seal of the sacrament be appended yet it follows not that the same persons who are to be baptized are at that same time to be taught as in the commission for Circumcision Gen. 17. all the precepts concern not the self same persons but some the parents onely some the infants only and some both v. 12. he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you this belongs onely to infants but the 11. v. ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin this belongs onely to the parents and those of age for no other could obey this injunction and v. 10. every man-child among you shall be circumcised belongs alike both to old young Even so that in the Law of Baptism some of the injunctions should belong only to the Pastors as the act of preaching and baptizing and others onely to the elder people that are to be baptized as that of being taught and others as that of being baptized to the younger also who are not able to bee taught there is no absurdity The minor also is denyed upon divers grounds Infants are Disciples I speak not of that which divers maintain of the actuall faith of children and of the application to infants of that of Isaiah they shall be all taught of God from the least to the greatest But I desire that to be considered which many more affirm and divers of the Anabaptists themselves doe presse that the word which Christ uses in his commission to the Apostles is matheteuein which signifies say they not to teach but to make Disciples now infants may very well goe under the name of Disciples for they are brought to the School of God the visible Church and there they are dedicate to Gods discipline and have their names given up to be the Lords subjects and scholars Sundry scriptures also are produced where infants are counted Disciples as Act. 15.10 why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples Circumcision is the yoke whereof the Apostle is speaking now they on whose neck ordinarily that yoke was put were onely infants A third reason for the proving of our first minor is this Infants have interest in the Trinity To whom the form and end of Baptisme expressed in the place in hand does belong to them the commission set down in Mat. 28.19 does extend But to some infants the form and end of Baptisme expressed in that place does belong Ergo. The minor is grounded upon the words of the text for they make the form and end of Baptisme to be a dedication of the person baptized to the Father Son and holy Ghost and an interessing of the three Persons in the baptized party now the necessity to dedicate christian infants to their Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and the interest of all the three Persons in the infants of their servants so dedicated unto them is evident A fourth reason for the probation of that first minor whosoever may lawfully be baptized to them Infants may be lawfully baptized the commission in hand does extend for the baptism of women of old men of Kings of Beggers and of all sexes ages and conditions is grounded upon this command though neither their names nor their qualities be therein expresly set down nor can be fetched frō thence but only by consquence Now we assume that some infants may lawfully be baptized this both the present argument and the two former and these that follow doe prove and the Apostle Peter Acts 2.39 does evince by this argument To whom the chief ground of Baptisme does belong they may lawfully be baptized But to some children the chief ground of baptisme does belong to wit the promises of the new covenant those says he belong to you and to your children and upon this as a principall foundation he builds his exhortation to them to be baptized Arg. 4. from the Baptism of whole families Our fourth main argument is this The blessing which God bestows on whole families without exception of any infant ought not to be denyed to all infants But baptisme is such a blessing Ergo. The major is grounded on that laudable conformity which ought to be in all men with God when hee is good our eye without reproof may not be evill the minor is proved from divers Scriptures where the Apostles did baptize not only them who are declared to beleeve but with them their whole household whose actuall beleeving is not at all expressed Acts 16.15 Acts 16.15.31 when she was baptized and her houshold ibid. v. 31. thou and thy house shall be saved and v. 33. he and all his were baptized and 1 Cor. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.16 I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas No exception here is made of infants and if any should except them because they cannot hear the Word and beleeve they must exclude them also from the other spirituall benefits mentioned in these places even from salvation it self for as our Saviour speaks to Zacheus Luke 19.9 This day is salvation come to this house and the Lord shewed by the Angel to Cornelius that Peter should tell him words whereby he and all his house should be saved Acts 11.14 So Paul tels the keeper of the prison that upon his faith himself should be saved and his house Act. 16.31 How great a wrong it were to exclude infants either from the promise or from the seal of salvation when both are conferred upon whole housholds whereof infants are the most innocent parts may be seen in all the preceding practises of God from the first institution of any initiating sign to that day What ever man either Jew or Gentile was moved by God to joine himself to the visible church as himself did hear and make profession of his faith and receive the seal of Circumcision so also all his male infants were circumcised though they could neither hear nor beleeve This bounty and kindnesse God did never afterward retract and for any man to doe it it were a great presumption for so the Jews in the New Testament where their comforts are enlarged should be in a more sorrowfull condition then the very Gentiles were in the Old for then the Proselytes upon the profession of their faith had all their infants though unable to beleeve taken within the covenant and all their children admitted to the seals thereof but according to our adversaries position the Jews themselves in the New Testament though never so zealous of the faith must
either eating of bread or drinking of water but however there is a positive precept that hinders them from participation of the Lords Supper they cannot remember the Lords death they cannot examine the state of their own heart no such impediment is put in their way by the hand of God to keep them from baptisme M. Tombes observes it that long before John the Baptists days baptisme was in use among the Jews and M. Marshal adds from the Talmud Maimonides and other Authors that it was a very ancient custome to baptize all that were circumcised infants as wel as their parents women as well as men and that this custome of baptizing all that were added to the Church as well children as others did continue in all ages among Christians is proved at length by many without any satisfactory reply but we intend here to dispute from Scripture alone 7. Argument Infants are partakers of remission of regeneration of life eternal Wee shall bring but one other reason and so passe on To whom the Lord gives the whole signification of baptisme from these men ought not to withhold the outward sign thereof But to some infants the Lord gives the whole signification of baptism For the proof of the major we need not alledge the equity of giving the lesse to them that gets the more of not denying the shell and the cask to them who enjoy the kirnell and the pearl for the Apostles words prove it sufficiently Acts 10.47 Acts 10.47 Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord the Apostle here reasons from one part of the signification of baptisme and that but a temporary blessing the extraordinacy gifts of the holy Ghost to the outward sign of baptisme how much more may we conclude it from its whole ordinary signification The ground of this reason is granted by the principall of our adversaries who profess their willingnesse to baptize any infants of whom they were certain that they had the saving graces of the holy Ghost avow their exclusion of infants from baptism upon this ground mainly that they beleeve they are excluded from the covenant of grace remission of sins the saving graces of the Spirit till in the years of discretion they be brought actually to beleeve The minor that some infants have the whole signification of baptisme is thus proved Who have remission of sins regeneration and right to eternall life they have the whole signification of baptisme But some infants have all these The major is clear I prove the minor None enters into heaven but they whose sins are remitted who are regenerate and to whom life eternall belongs But some infants enter into heaven Ergo. The minor is not questioned for the words of Christ of such is the kingdome of heaven and the confession of the adversaries puts it out of doubt The major also is clear from Revel 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth Nothing comes into heaven but what is perfectly purged justified sanctified glorified also Ioh. 3.5 Iesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God and Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man many shall be made righteous As Adam makes all that are descended of him sinners infants as well as others so Christ communicates his righteousnesse to all who are in him to all whom he receives and acknowledges to be his without any distinction of Jew or Gentile male or female young or old who ever have interest in Christ are justified and sanctified by him Now that some infants especially these elect ones who die before the age of discretion have interest in Christ and his covenant hath oft been proved If it be said that infants by this argument may be admitted to the Lords Supper we deny it for the Lord himself hath put a barre to keepe them off from that Sacrament also they are not capable of the whole signification of the Lords Supper for the thing signified therein is not the Lords body and blood simply but his body to be eaten and his blood to be drunken by the actuall faith of the communicants of this active application infants are not capable but in baptisme no action is necessarily required of all who are to be baptized for as the body may be washed without any action of the party who is washed so the vertue of Christs death and life may be applied in remission and regeneration by the act of God alone to the soul as a meer patient without any action from it CHAP. VI. The Antipaedobaptists Objections answered M. 〈◊〉 c. M. â—omâ—s and M 〈◊〉 Oâ—jectiâ—â— THE exceptions which use to be taken to infant-baptisme goe about in a number of late Treatises the principall are as I take it in the three last which I have seen upon that subject the declaration of the publick dispute intended betwixt sixe of the prime Preachers of the Anabaptists and some City Ministers Mr Tombs exercitation and the namelesse Treatise of Baptisme In the first are nine Arguments in the second eight and some more in the third Who desire to see large and solid answers to all these and to what else is brought to any purpose by any other of their companions let them look upon M Marshals Sermon and its vindication M â— Blacks three Treatises and M. Cottons Dialogue for the time they who are in haste may have this short reply to the main arguments of the three named Authors They are in effect but few all invented by the old Anabaptists Take upon all these two generall observations First that what ever any of them has is all borrowed from the old Anabaptists in whom the spirit of the worst heresies did rage who will be at the pains to compare the writs of the Authors in hand with that which Zuinglius Bullinger Guy de Bres Ainsworth and others have set down in the name and words of the old Anabaptists shall finde that our late opposers doe adde little that is considerable to the arguments of their Fathers Secondly that all the arguments which either the elder or later Anabaptists bring against Paedobaptisme are but two or three at most when they are increased to a greater number it 's but the same body put in many diverse habits by a needlesse variation of shapes M. Cox first Argument 〈◊〉 makes examples alone a full rule The nine Arguments of the publick disputants have not as yet so far as I know been honored w th any answer neither do I think was there any necessity of it for the Disputants do so insolently out-bragge the City Ministers and the matter of their Arguments has so often been answered in divers
Church visible but reprobates The argument to the contrary that only Jews are Abrahams seed according to the flesh is not good for these very Scriptures Gal. 3. 4. which they cite for its ground do distinguish the children of Abraham according to the flesh and according to the promise the children of Sarah and Hagar these that were born of the free-woman the Jerusalem above and the bondwoman Sinai and Jerusalem upon earth all this is applied to the Galatians who were Gentiles the one part of the distinction to those of them who were justified by faith the other to those of them who pleaded for a justification by the works of the Law and thereby lay under the bondage and curse of the Law If both parts of the distinction may not be applied to the Gentile Galatians the ground of the Apostle his argument and of his whole discourse is overturned This Arg. many ways absurd The other part of the minor is far more absurd That only actuall believers are the children of the promise for if so then first at one breath all Christian Infants are blown out of heaven none of them have any more interest in Christ in grace and in salvation then Turks and Pagans Thus farre the most of the Anabaptists wont not to goe but the Disputants professe it is their reall meaning their retortion here upon us is very silly that we do put Christian infants in as evill a condition as they by granting all infants to be born in originall sin for they know that we joyn to this a second assertion That the elect infants of believing Parents though born in sin and the children of wrath by nature as well as others yet by supernaturall grace and mercy are born under the new Covenant and have their right and interest both in the Covenant of grace and the seals thereof Secondly by this Doctrine the Disputants cut off all Jewish infants from any interest in the promises of grace Isaac himself Jacob and Joseph cannot be children of the promise in their childhood but according to the Disputants they must be children according to the flesh totally flesh without the Covenant of grace that so they behoved to remain till they came to those yeares wherein they did actually believe and by this actuall faith became children of the promise which promise before their actuall faith did no more belong to them then to any other of mankinde Thirdly by this argument Circumcision is made to be a seal only of a Covenant of works So Isaac and the rest of the Patriarchs by their Circumcision had no promise of grace sealed unto them all of them except Abraham at the time of their Circumcision and many years after were under a Covenant of works only all of them to the years of their discretion and actuall faith were incapable of any interest in the Covenant of grace strange absurdities Fourthly by this argument they must professe that none but true believers justified sanctified and elect persons are under the Covenant of grace that such onely have right to participate of the Sacraments the seals of that Covenant and that such only can be lawfull members of any true Church They reject our distinction of an outward and inward Covenant of grace We teach that the Covenant of grace in the outward administration thereof both in preaching the promises and applying the seals of the Sacraments is to be proponed by Gods appointment to all the outward visible members of the Church But the inward saving grace of this Covenant whether in preaching of the word or administring the Sacraments is by the holy Ghost conferred onely upon the true living invisible members of Christs mysticall body By this common and necessary distinction we escape easily that blot of Arminianism which they would lay upon us for although we put all whom we baptize and all to whom we preach as to Church members under the outward administration of a gracious Covenant yet do we not grant any true saving grace to any but the elect and regenerate who do never totally and finally fall away But the most of our adversaries are full grosse Arminians yea their refusing to distinguish betwixt the outward and inward Covenant or something equipollent does draw them to all these and greate absurdities Thâ— 7 8. and 9. Arg. are but repetitions Their seventh argument is a meer Battology Infant Baptism say they is unlawfull and will-worship because not administred according to the rule of the word having neither precept nor example nor rule for it Ans We need not repeat what was said before to the same thing only we observe that they insist upon the baptizing of true believers only for they speak here in terminis that they only of the Gentiles might be baptized who did sincerely believe and they prove this from Acts 8.37 so then it shall be as unlawfull to baptize the fairest professors if hypocrites as to baptize infants Their eighth argument is another Battology to wit that infant Baptism is unlawful because Christ did not command his Apostles to preach and practice it Their ninth argument is of the same nature That infant Baptism is unlawfull because it is no part of the revealed will of God to those tautologies our former answers need not be repeated The absurdities of every one of the nine arguments These be the nine great arguments wherewith the Ministers of the City were to be confounded their mouths for ever to be stopped and the peoples eies to be opened so clearly that with chearfulness they might renounce their old receive a new Baptism yet I am in the opinion that the keeping of those arguments within doors had served much more for the honour of the Authors for every one of them is clogged with its own proper absurdity The first makes example alone a full and compleat rule of practice in all ordinances The second is grounded upon a wilde logick notion of such an essentiall difference as makes a man in his riper years differ essentially from himself in his infancy The third cuts off all reasoning from Scripture but in terminis were the consequence never so clear The fourth makes Christ and the Apostles ordinary practice of clearing their doctrine from the Law and the Prophets to be no lesse a wickednesse then Antichristianisme and the deniall of the comming of Christ in the flesh The fifth makes the personall example of Christ a full and compleat rule of all Gospel ordinances The sixth denys Isaac Jacob Joseph or any of Abrahams elect seed when they were circumcised to have had any right at all in the covenant of grace also it imports that no infant either of Jew or Gentile had ever any interest in God more then a Turk or a Pagan before they come to so ripe years as actually to beleeve and repent The seventh eighth and ninth are meer repetitions of the third and import clearly the unlawfulnesse of the baptisme and
New Testament p. 34 They deny angels and devils and souls They deny heaven and hell and eternall life They cast away all the Ordinances of God p. 35 David George to them was spirituall Christ much more excellent then Christ crucified Many people were ready to seal with their bloud all these abominations The monster David George did live and die in plenty and peace The best of the Anabaptists have very grosse errors The Mennonists deny originall sinne p. 36 In the points of election redemption grace free-will perseverance justification perfection they are grosser then the Arminians or Iesuites They are yet more absurd They deny the omnipresence of God They deny the Trinity And the truth of Christs humanity p. 37 They refuse all consequences from Scripture They refuse reasoning from the Old Testament The covenant with Abraham they make carnall They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace CAP. III. The modern tenets of the Anabaptists in England THe spirit of Anabaptisme clearly devillish p. 47 The fair profession of many English Anabaptists not to bee trusted What errours may be charged upon all what onely upon some of them p. 48 The confession of the seven Churches is a very imperfect and ambiguous declaration of their judgement Let no errour be charged upon any man which he truly disclaims A brief sum of all the Anabaptists errors Every Anabaptist is at least a rigid Separatist p. 49 Though the Independents offer to collude with the Anabaptists yet they separate from the Independents no lesse then from the Brownists as antichristian p. 50 They avow all their members to be holy and elect and some of them are for their perfection p. 51 After they have separate from all other Churches they run next away from their own selves They charge one another with Antichristianisme They are Independents They put all Church power in the hand of the people They give the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments to any of their gifted members out of all office p. 52 Even unto women They must not preach in a Steeple-house p. 53 All Tithes and all set Stipends are unlawfull their Preachers must work with theit own hands and may not goe in blacke cloathes They celebrate the Lords Supper in any common Innes after another feast All the new light of the Independents and Brownists is borrowed from the Anabaptists The anointing of the sick with oyle the rejecting of the Lords Prayer of all set Psalms of Vniversities and humane learning are the Anabaptists inventions The Independent Apologists are for liberty to most of the Sects 54 And some of their prime friends are for a generall liberty to all 55 The Anabaptists deny all power to Magistrates in any thing which concerns Religion Turkisme Popery Atheisme the greatest blasphemies they would not have punished with so much as a discountenance They presse a liberty for preaching and propagating openly all errours imaginable Yet they grant that errour is a soul-murder and a greater crime then the destruction of a King of a Parliament of a whole Nation p. 56 They hate the Covenant They are injurious to the Scots p. 57 All punishing of errour with them is persecution They presse liberty of conscience much out of policy p. 58 The granting of all this liberty will not assure the Magistrates of the Sectaries civill obedience p. 59 The tenets and practise of the Sectaries destroy Magistracy They professe their design to overturn from the ground the government of our State as now it stands Kings and Lords are no more tolerable Neither is the House of Lords any longer to be endured p. 60 The poorest begger in the land has a share of the Soveraignty above the King and Parliament All former Laws and Acts of Parliament must be abolished p. 61 The will of the multitude must stand for the Soveraign Law hereafter p. 62 The three fundamentall Laws of our new Vtopian Republick p. 63 According to reason and experience the present distemper of the Sectaries is posting on fast to a Dictatorship and absolute Tyranny in the hand of one The State in danger by the Sectaries principles p. 64 The greatest purchase which the overturners of States usually make is a late repentance p. 65 CAP. IV. Their Antipaedobaptisme Arminianisme Arrianisme Familisme and other wicked errours ALL Anabaptists are for Antipaedobaptisme They avow the nullity of our Baptisme p. 89 They presse on us a re-baptization They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace and make Circumcision a seal onely of carnall promises Many of them deny originall sin and assert all the articles of Arminius p. 90 They separate from all who renounce not Paedobaptisme Yet they admit into their Churches many much worse then these from whom they separate p. 91 Sprinkling to them nullifies Baptisme M. Tombes new way He is a rigid Antipaedobaptist yet not against sprinkling He spoils all infants of all interest in the covenant of grace p. 92 He is a friend to the worst Anabaptists and injurious to all who oppose them He makes Baptisme a rite needlesse either to young or old He admits of a frequent re-baptization He admits unbaptized persons to the Lords Table He is a grosse Erastian The most of the Anabaptists are Arminians p. 93 The second Edition of their confession is not so free of Arminianism as the first The chief Churches of the Anabaptists are grosse Arminians p. 94 Many of them are Antinomians laying aside all care of morall duties Making all grief for sin unlawfull p. 95 Denying Christs satisfaction and reconciliation of God to men The best of them are inclineable to Libertinisme The Antinomian controversies are not as the prime Independents doe make them onely about words and methods of preaching p. 96 Many of the Anabaptists are become Seekers denying all Churches all Officers all Ordinances Many of the Anabaptists are become Antitrinitarians p. 97 Richardson one of their prime leaders a blasphemer of the Trinity p. 98 Divers of them are abominable bl sphemers of Christs Person Others of them are become perfect Atheists They evert and reject the whole Scripture p. 99 Many of them are turned Familists denying the immortality of the soul Denying Heaven and Hell Angels and Devils Some of them make the world eternall others all creatures to perish p. 100 Some deny all resurrection others make the beasts rise to glory They teach abominable obscenities They follow David George in his greatest absurdities The divine light of their new Prophet The fall of Adam and the clearest Scriptures are but allegories The whole Divinity suffered in the Person of Christs humanity p. 101 The great light which this Prophet brings from heaven is that all the Devils and all the Reprobates shall be saved by his Gospel Randall his grosse Familisme p. 102 No resurrection no heaven no hell after this life The Saints in this life become as perfect as God The clearest Scriptures are false in a literall sense That God is
concerning a publick Disputation is but a needlesse vanity this was the cry for a long time of the old Anabaptists but when they had gotten their belly full of publick disputations what the issue was Munster and Zurick can bear witnesse The Disputants here themselves relate that it was no ways the fault of the City Ministers that they got not so many and so publick disputations as they wished but it appears that their gain by such disputations could not have been very great if their Arguments were not much stronger then any which in this Declaration they make publick The fourth makes it an heresie to make any use of any thing in the old Testament to clear any thing in the New Their fourth Argument is this Infant Baptisme denies Christ to be come in the flesh because it takes from him what the holy Ghost ascribes to him considered come in the flesh it destroyes his Propheticall and Priestly office for it brings light from Moses and the old Testament to clear Christs Doctrine of Baptism and so makes Moses a greater Light then Christ also it layes the duty of infant Baptism upon the Subjects of Christ without his warrant and so puts him from his Kingdome Answer The upshot and strength of this reason is no more then what was brought before that infants Baptism wants the warrant of Christ 2. We see by the form of this reason to how high a pinne those men do stretch our errour as they count it of paedobaptism it must be no lesse a crime then the deniall of Christs Offices and of his very Incarnation The people must hold us for very grosse Hereticks and such from whom a separation is absolutely necessary 3. The phrase which here is oft repeated Christ considered come in the flesh is very obscure or else a meer non-sense why considered come in the flesh rather then come in the flesh But the chief matter ground of the argument as here it is proponed is a new and dangerous crotchet which the most of the Anabaptists as I think will never own must it be a deniall of Christs Offices and Incarnation must it be a setting up of Moses and the Prophets as greater lights above Christ and the Apostles when any thing is brought out of the old Testament to clear some passages of the New When for the clearing of sundry things both in the Old and New Testament we bring passages from Pagan Jewish or Christian Writers either old or New do we hereby set up these humane Authors as greater lights above Scripture if the Disputants would admit of any consequences they might see what does stand at the back of such wild assertions but what ever be their minde of consequences yet some of their followers from this their position make two unhappy though very necessary deductions First the casting away of all humane Writs at least the making of their service towards the clearing of Scripture altogether unlawfull they make the use of all humane Arts and Sciences for this end abominable Secondly the laying aside of the whole old Testament as that which may not be applied for to clear any thing that is in the New notwithstanding Christ and his Apostles are very frequent not only in clearing but in proving the body of their Doctrine from the Law and the Prophets yet I hope that none of them for this practice shall be counted by the Disputants deniers of Christs Incarnation or any of his Offices Their fifth argument is this The fift argument making the actions done by or to Christ the full rule of our practice is a wild phansie That which is no part of righteousnesse may not be observed But the Baptism of infants is no part of righteousnesse because it was neither practised upon Christs Person nor by him upon any other person he was neither baptized in his infancy nor did baptize any infants Answer This reason is as strange as any of the former both the major and minor are faulty the major because in common speech and ordinary Scripture language righteousnesse is contradistinguished to holinesse so all acts of holinesse according to this argument behoved to be unlawfull being no parts of righteousnesse The minor also and its proof must both be denied Let the word righteousnesse be taken in as large a sense as they please for all duties either to God or man for all acts either of piety justice or charity yet to say that there is no act of righteousnesse which cannot be proved to have been done either by Christ or upon Christ is a very wild fancy For instance what will they say for the Baptism of women and the Baptism of old men will they deny those to be parts of that righteousnesse whereof they speak or will they affirm that these things were practiced either upon the person of Christ or by the person of Christ Christ did fulfill all righteousnesse when he payed tribute and did all those acts of justice which belonged to him though hee never medled with any duties belonging to others but were impertinent to him as nothing belonging to him or whereof his person was not capable The first argument concluding the unlawfulnesse of infant Baptism from the want of Scripturall example was absurd but this argument which restricts Scripturall example to the person of Christ onely to things done by him or upon him is much more absurd The sixâ—h arâ—ument will have none bapâ—iâ—â—d but who bâ—li ve and are elect Thâ—ir sixth argument is this Only they are to be baptized who are Abrahams seed either according to the flesh or according to promiâ—e But the infants of Gentiles are not of Abrahams seed either according to the flesh or according to promise because only the Jews are Abrahams seed according to the flesh and only believers are his seed according to promise Ans Upon this argument they triumph and cry out of a deadly wound given thereby to infant Baptism I will be loth to upbraid any man with presumptuous ignorance yet I cannot but marvell what the Disputants can mean to prejudice their friends in every one of their arguments a great deal more then their adversaries This their deadly reason is dead and rotten in all its parts the major according to their own principles is clearly false for if none may lawfully be baptized but the seed of Abraham according to the flesh or his seed according to promise and the one be only Jews and the other be only beleevers what will they say to Simon Magus and thousands whom themselves do baptize who are not Jews and so not the seed of Abraham according to the flesh nor believers and elect persons and so not the seed according to the promise nor the children of the heavenly Jerusalem The minor likewise is false in both its parts First some infants of believing Gentiles may well be counted the seed of Abraham and Israel according to the flesh such as are members of the