culpô To leave therefore these detestable Sectaries whom to detect is to consute and to name is everlastingly to brand there are but three only sorts to whom that name properly and peculiarly appertaineth The first broached their doctrine about the year 250. which was this That all those who had been baptized by Novatus or any other hereticks ought to be re-baptized by the orthodox pastours of the church The second broached theirs about the year 380. which was this That none were rightly baptised but those that held with Donatus and consequently that all other who had received baptisme in the catholike church by any other save those of his partie ought to be re-baptized The third broached theirs in the year 1525. which was this That baptisme ought to be administred to none but such as can give a good account of their faith and in case any have been baptized in their infancie that they ought to be re-baptized after they come to years of discretion before they are to be admitted to the church of Christ. For the first sort though their opinion and practise were erroneous yet some conceive causas habet error honestas that they had very plausible pretences for it namely that hereticks were miscreants and had no place themselvs in the true church of God and that therefore they had no power by their baptisme to admit any into it that they had not the holy Ghost and therefore could not confer the gifts thereof upon any that they were foul themselvs how then could they by their baptisme wash others clean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against this opinion and practise of theirs Pope Stephen mainly opposed himself and in a Synod held at Rome condemned it as being repugnant to the tradition of the church which as he affirmeth received hereticks upon their submission recantation of their heresies without re-baptizing them But St. Cyprian a famous bishop in Africa in those dayes and afterwards a glorious Martyr took Pope Stephen to task refelled his argument drawn from unwritten tradition by scripture and in a provinciall Synod held at Carthage whereof he was president Anno Dom. 258. with the joynt suffrages of 87. bishops condemns the sentence of the Roman Synod and determines the flat contradictorie thereunto namely that the baptisme administred by hereticks was invalid and Null and that all that had no better baptisme ought to be brought again to the font and be christened anew no otherwayes to be accounted members of the true church And truely Erasmus in his Preface to his Edition of St. Cyprian affirmeth it to be an even lay between both opinions and that though the church in latter ages took part with Stephen yet that they might as well have confirmed St. Cyprians opinion without any prejudice at all to the catholike faith Howheit with Erasmus his good leave be it spoken whosoever shall dive deep into the point and ponder what St. Austine hath written in his exquisite tractates against the Donatists especially in his third book where professedly he scans all the arguments alledged by St. Cypran and his colleagues in the above-named third Synod at Carthâ—go will find that St. Cyprian had the better parts and gifts but yet the worst of the cause and therefore in the first and most celebrious councell of Nice it is ordered can 8. that the Catharists or Novatians who shall renounce their heresie and seek to be reconciled to the church shall be received by imposition of hands without requiring any new baptisme of them yet in the nineteenth canon it is decreed that is the hereticks called the Paulians taking that name from Paulus Samosatenus fly to the catholike church that they shall be re-baptized by all means By which seeming contradiction of the decrees of this most sacred Synod as it were by the collision of flint stones the fire of truth is thus clearly beaten out That we must distinguish of hereticks whereof some destroy the foundation as the Paulians Gnosticks Cataphrygians and the like others held the foundation but built upon it hay and stubble as the Catharists and Novatians and such hereticks as had a right beliefe in the blessed Trinitie and the natures and offices of Christ yet upon this good seed super seminarunt zizania some depraved the essentiall form of baptisme prescribed by our Saviour as did that Arrian of whom Nicephorus writeth that after he had used an hereticall kind of form dipt his hand in the font to christen the child all the water suddainly vanished away others though they had ill opinions concerning other articles of faith yet were right in doctrine of the Trinity and maintained the true form of baptisme and all those who were baptized by these latter sort of hereticks the church held their baptisme good and therefore did not re-baptize them when they received them into the church but only enjoyned them publikely to renounce their errours but those who had been baptized by the former sort of hereticks in regard their baptisme was indeed no baptisme the church appoynted agreeably unto this decree of the Synod of Nice that they should not be admitted without a new baptisme For the second sort of Anabaptists they were far worse then the former for they made a separation from the catholike Christian church holding that none were members thereof but those that held with Donatus all other they accounted no Christians and therefore if any were converted or rather perverted to their heresie they christened them again The former sort of Anabaptists were accounted only erroneous and schismaticall but not heretical but these were stigmatized for heretiks also and that deservedly for confining the church of Christ only to Africa and their sect there they consequently denied a main article of the Creed viz. Credo sanctam ecclesiam catholicam I beleeve the holy catholike church and the communion of saints Yet with these hereticks and schismaticks our Iacobites Brownists and Barrowsts symbolize for as the Donatists refused communion with the catholike church in regard of some scandalls they observed in it so do these separate from the true church of England in regard of some abuses and as they tearm them popish corruptions in it As they excluded all from hope of salvation who were not of their pure precise sect so these go not much behind them in their uncharitable censures of all those who are not of their fraternitie and as St. Austine complains of the Donatists that wheresoever they bore sway they brake down the communion tables which he there metaphorically tearmeth Altars and defaced the churches so we have had but too just cause to complain of the like out-rages committed by some of the Zelots of that strain though some of them of late have not escaped the heavy judgment of God for it For the third sort of Anabaptists they have sunk deeper in the former quag-mire are drowned over head eares in it For they not only
Jesuite heretofore cast this in our dish we alwayes flung it back into his face with a confident denyall answering him in the words of the Arch-angel Iude 9. The Lord rebuke thee thou false tongue But now those whose Religion if they have any is a negative one and stands in a meere opposition to Popery notwithstanding herein strengthen the Papists hands against us and put us to that miserable Apologie of the Poet Pudet haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli It is a thousand pitties that not in the dawning of the day from the night of Popery and first glimmering of the light of Reformation as in Luthers first standing up for the Truth but now in the noone tide of the Gospel such owles and bats should fly abroad every where and flutter in our Churches and sile upon our Fonts Pulpits and Commnnion Tables and not either be caught and confined to their nests in barnes or rotten trees or put in Cages fit for such night-birds I wonder that our doores posts and walls sweat not upon which such Notes as these have been of late affixed On such a day such a Brewers Clerk Exerciseth Such a Taylor Expoundeth Such a Waterman Teacheth If we have Crow-Poets and Pye-Poetesses if Turners turn Bezaliels and Aholiabs to mend the polished works of the Temple if Cooks with Demosthenes deservedly reproved by S. Basil instead of mincing of their meat fall upon dividing of the Word if Taylors leap up from the Shop-board to the Pulpit and patch up Sermons out of stolne shreds if not onely of the lowest of the people as in Ieroboams time Priests are consecrated to the most high God but if like as Novatus consecrated himselfe a Bishop so these ordaine themselves Priests and Deacons if they enter not â—nto the Church but break into it if they take not holy Orders but snatch them to themselves doe we marvaile to see such confusion in the Church as there is As Christ sometimes spake Si lumen tenebrae quantae tenebrae If the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse So may we truly say If in Order it selfe there be Confusion how great is the confusion What are all the Prophets become mad that the asses mouth must needs be opened by miracle to reprove them Though some would be content to have it thought so and we must not refuse to weare our masters cognizance who was said by some of his kiâ—red to be besides himselfe yet we must tell them the case is far different for there the Asse saw the Angel in his way but here the Angels see the Asses in their places there the Asse spake once because he was twice struck but here the Asses speak often because they are not so much as once struck for their presumption Now if any man desires to know from whence this Clergie of Laicks come that he may not think that these Russet Rabbies and Mechanick Enthusiasts and profouâ—d Watermen and Sublime Coachmen and Illuminated Tradesmen of almost all sorts are dropt from the clouds Let him peruse the Catalogues of Heretiques written by Alfonsus à Castro Pontanus Slussenburgius and Ambrosius de Rusconibus together with the Historie of Sleiden Bullenger and Gabriel Abres and others and he shall find that they all proceeded Doctors out of the Schoole of one Stock the Anaâ— Of whom we may say as Irenaeus sometime spake of the Heretike Ebion the father of the Ebionites His name in the Hebrew signifieth silly or simple and such God wot was he So we may say the name of the father of the Anabaptists signifieth in English a senslesse piece of wood or block and a very blockhead was he yet out of this block were cut those chips that kindled such a fire in Germany Holsatia and Suevia that could not be fully quenched no not with the blood of 150000. of them killed in war or put to death in severall places by the Magistrates The fire in the reignes of Queene Elizabeth and King Iames and our gracious Soveraigne till now was covered in England under the ashes or if it brake out at any time by the care of the Ecclesiastical and Civill Magistrates it was soone put out But of late since the unhappy distractions which our sinnes have brought upon us the Temporall sword being other wayes imployed and the Spirituall locked up â—ast in the scabberd this Sect among others hath so far presumed upon the patience of the State that it hath held weekly Conventicles re-baptized hundreds of men and women together in the twilight in Rivelets and some armes of the Thames and elsewhere dipping them over head and eares It hath printed divers Pamphlets in defence of their Heresie yea and challenged some of our Preachers to disputation Now although my bent hath been alwayes hitherto against the most dangerous enemie of our Church and State the Jesuite to extinguish such balls of wild-fire as they have cast in the bosome of our Church yet seeing this strange fire kindled in the neighbouring parishes and many Nadabs Abinu's offering it on Gods Altar I thought it my duty to cast the waters of Siloam upon it to extinguish it Thine in the Lord Iesus D. F. Prisoner in Peter-house Calend. Ian. 1645. A TABLE of the especiall Contents I. A True Relation of a Disputation in Southwark with foure Anabaptists page 1. II. Aaditions to the former Disputation In which to cleere Texts of Scripture before alledged are adjoyned divers Arguments drawn from the testimony of the Fathers and consent of the Church and reasons for Childrens Baptisme 18 III. A Tractate of the names and severall sorts of Anabaptists 23 IV. Of the Errours of the Anabaptists both common to other Sects and those which are peculiarly thâ—ir owne 28 V. A particular confutation of six of their erronerus tenets 1. Concerning Dipping and the pretended necessity thereof 2. Concerning the baptizing of Children p. 39. To which is added A censure of Master Cornwell his Booke intituled The Vindication of the Commission of King Jesus p. 64. As also of A. R. his Tractate intituled The vanity of childish Baptisme 69 3. Concerning Set-formes of Prayer 84 4. Concerning the dâ—stinction of the Clergie and Laitie 129 5. Concerning taking oathes before the Magistrate especially the Oath Ex Officio 157 6. Concerning the office of the Civill Magistrate 178 VI. Remarkable Stories of the Anabaptists wherein it is proved experimentally 1. That they are an illiterate and sottish Sect. 199 2. That they are a lying and a blasphemous Sect falsely pretending to divine Visions and Revelations 204 3. That they are an impure and carnall Sect. 207 4. That they are a cruell and bloody Sect. 210 5. That they are a profane and sacrilegious Sect. 212 VII The fearfull judgements of God inflicted upon the ring-leaders of that Sect. 217 VIII Animadversions upon the Anabaptists Confession printed at London
thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Christ saith it is life Eternall to know the Father to be the onely true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ but it is not life Eternall to know Christ onely as man but as true God and man and so a perfect Mediator neither is Christ said only the Son of God in respect of his temporall generation as man but also in respect of his eternal generation as he is the second person in Trinity this answer therefore of yours is not sufficient nor pertinent M. Doctor the company is not satisfied with their Answers I pray resolve the doubt your selfe I will as soone as they have propounded their objections for I moved these Questions only to make it appeare to the auditors how unfit these men are to take upon them the office of Teachers who are so imperfect in the fundamentall poynts of Catechisme Now let them propound what questions they please What is the nature of a visible Church what is the matter and fâ—rme of it or what is the visible Church of Christ made up of by authority of the Scriptures Your Question is Quid constituit visibilem Ecclesiam what makes a Church Yes I answer according to the Scriptures and the joynt consent of of all protestant Churches in the world French Dutch c. in the harmony of confessions that the sincere preaching of the Word and the due administration of the Sacraments constitutes or makes a true visible Church The Papists make many notes of the Church as antiquity universality succession miracles and diverse other but the reformed Churches make but two onely namely those above mentioned What is a true particular visible church A particular companie of men professing the christian faith knowne by the two marks above mentioned the sincere preaching of the word and the due administration of the Sacraments Is the church of England such a church It is so How prove you that First I answer I need not to prove it but you are to disprove it For as Hooker teacheth in his Ecclesiasticall Politie they who are in possession are not bound to prove their right but they who goe about to thrust them out are to disprove their right aud bring a better title for themselves Secondly yet to give you further satisfaction thus I prove the church of England to be such a church Every church in which the word of God is sincerely preached the sacraments lawfully and rightly administred is such a church But in the church of England the word is sincerely preached and the sacraments lawfully administred Ergo the church of England is such a church I denie that in the church of England the word is sincerely preached or the sacraments rightly administred I have here two things to prove 1. That the doctrine of the church of England is agreeable to Gods word 2. The sacraments are rightly administred in it First the doctrine of the church of England is contained in the 39 Articles Secondly the due administration of the sacraments in the communion-book But both the one the other are agreeable to Gods word Ergo the preaching of the word and administration of the sacraments in the church of England are agreeable to Gods word I denie that the 39 Articles and the book of common-prayer are agreeable to Gods word 1. I wil prove that the book of Articles is agreeable to Gods word In the book of Articles the first which concerneth the blessed Trinity the 2. 3. 4. which concern the incarnation of Christ Jesus his death and resurrection the 5. which concerneth the holy Ghost the 6. the perfection of scriptures and the 18. following which impugn popery are agreeable to Gods word and you cannot name any one of the rest which is not agreeable therefore they are all agreeable If you know any one that is not agreeable instance in it and I will presently shew how it is agreeable to scripture For the 39 Articles I know not what they are I never saw them that I remember Then for ought you know they are all conformable to scripture at least you can except against none of them Now for the book of common-prayer it consists partly of Psalms Epistls and Gospels partly of Prayers and the form and manner of administration of the sacraments But the former are taken out of scripture the latter are agreeable to it What doe you except against it I except against your administration of Baptism it is not rightly administred in your church for you baptize children and that is not agreeable to Gods word if you say it is how doe you prove it by scriptures This D. F. undertook to prove out of scriptures but before he alledged any text of scripture for it another Anabaptist interposed You say your church is a true church that cannot be for the true church compells none to come to church or punishes him for his conscience as the church of England doth Iosiah was supream governour of the true church in Iudah and Israel but Iosiah compelled all Israel to come to the house of God and worship him there 2 Chron. 34. 33. So Iosiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that appertained to the children of Israel and compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God Ergo men may be compelled by the civill magistrate to the true worship of God Josiah compelled them to come to Jerusalem but that law is not now in force There is a three-fold law of God delivered by Moses 1. Ceremoniall 2. Judiciall and 3. Morall The ceremoniall and judiciall are not now in force but the morall is and Iosiah did this by the command of the morall law For the text saith not that he compelled them to come to Ierusalem but to serve the Lord their God which is a dutie required by the morall law and the law of nature For though the place of Gods Service and the manner be changed yet the substantiall worship of God still remains and princes are now as much bound to compell their subjects to the true worship of God as Iosiah was And moreover it is to be noted that Iosiah did this by vertue of a covenant which he made before the Lord to walk after the Lord and keep his commandements with all his heart and all his soul 2 Chro. 34. 31. And the spirit of God sendeth this testimony after him 2 King 23. 15. Like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to the law of Moses which words have an apparent reference to that first and great commandement Deut. 6. 5. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
which law is morall and perpetuall as all grant Prove that any ought to be compelled by the gospel That which Iosiah did agreeably to the morall law bindeth us under the gospel for Christ in the gospel both repeateth and confirmeth this commandement of loving the Lord with all our heart and all our soul calling it the first and great commandement Mat. 22. 37. 38. Therefore our princes are as much bound as Iosiah was to compell their subjects to serve the true God Yet farther to give you satisfaction I will prove that it is agreeable to the new law to compell men to come to church and hear Gods word and receive the sacraments for this Christ teacheth in the parable recorded by S. Luke chap. 14. 23. Of a King who made a great supper and bade many guests and when they made excuses he said to his servant gâ—e to the high-ways and hedges and compell them to come in that my house may be full To this nothing being answered D. Featley proceeded in his argument Besides this command in the parable thus I prove that you ought to come to our churches the Apostle commandeth Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the over-sight of you and submit your selvs for they watch for your souls c. To which if we adde those places in 1 Tim. 2. 2. and 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. An undeniable argument may be framed to convince your conscience after this manner All lawfull superiours either temporall or spirituall commanding lawfull things are to be obeyed But your lawfull superiours in church and common-wealth require you to come to our church which I proved to be a true church of Christ. Ergo you ought to obey them and you sin against God by your disobedience to lawfull authority if you come not The word of God doth not command us to come to your steeple-houses the King hath nothing to doe to command us in that kind The King hath power to command you in all things that are lawfull and not repugnant to Gods word indeed if he should command any thing against Gods word you ought rather to obey God than man by the example of the Apostle in the Acts 4. 19. But it is a thing lawfull and no way repugnant to Gods word but most agreeable thereunto to come to our steeple-houses as you call them where the servants of God assemble on the Lords day and other times to worship him in spirit and truth Ergo the King hath power to command you to come to our church The King makes an Idoll of the church where doth Christ command us to come to it Where he commandeth us to hear the word preached for in our church the word of God is preached and therefore there we ought to hear it I am not so averse but if one of our society should preach in Olaves or Mary Overis church I would hear them I would come where the church is gathered for therein I obey Christ. Then you will hear none but one'of your society as if your societie were the true church and none of the true church but those of your society I have proved already that we have a true church among us but you have none For where there are no lawfull pastors nor flocks there is not a true church But amongst you there are not lawfull pastors nor flocks Ergo no true church We have amongst us lawfull Pastours There are no lawfull Pastors but those who are sent Ro. 10. 15. No man ought to assume unto himself that honour but he that is called as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. all Presbyters are to be made by imposition of hands 1 Tim. 4. 14. 5. 22. 2 Tim. 1. 6. But your Pastors have no sending no calling no imposition of hands on them Ergo you have no lawfull pastors None amongst us teach but they have Ordination for they are elected examined and proved Have you imposition of hands of the Presbytery Wee are not bound to tell you if you will come to our Church you may see I pray you M. Doctor come to the point how prove you the Baptisme of Children to be lawfull by the Word of God It seems you will willingly fall upon no other point but this of Anabaptism which heresy was condemned neer fifteen hundred years ago Here after a long space the Scotchman puts in a word saying Not sixteen hundred years ago If it were but a thousand it is long enough being condemned by the whole Christian Church Greek and Latin Sir that is neither here nor there you know what the woman of Samaria said Joh. 4. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain and ye say that at Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship they continued in an error above 2000 years You are mistaken in your chronology for there were not 2000 years between Iacob and Christ. But to let that your errour passe the Samaritans indeed were in an errour a long time but this is no errour but a doctrine of truth that children ought to be baptized There are three sorts of arguments of great force with all understanding men the first and chiefest from 1. Scripture 2. From consent of the universall church 3. From evident reason I will produce all these for the baptisme of children We desire to have it proved by scripture Our proofs out of scripture are of two sorts some probable some necessarie First probable as where it is said in the Acts 16. 33. that the Apostle baptized the Gaoler with all that belonged to him and Lydia and her houshold Acts. 16. 15. and 1 Cor. 1. 16. that he baptized the houshold of Stephanas and in a whole houshold in all probabilitie there were some children I cannot tell that let 's hear your necessary proofe out of Gods word There is as good ground reason or warrant for the baptizing of children now as there was of old for circumcising them But of old children were to be circumcised many plain places there are where that was commanded Ergo now by the same warrant they are to be baptized We denie that there is the same warrant or ground now for the baptizing of children that there was of old for the circumcising of them For there is an expresse command for circumcising of children but there is none for the baptizing of any but those who can hear the word preached Mat. 28. Go teach and baptize 1. That which circumcision was in the old law to the Jews that is baptisme now to us the sacrament of entrance into the church for so St. Austine and all sound divines hold that our sacrament of baptisme answereth theirs of circumcision as the sacrament of the Lords supper doth their Paschall Lamb. 2.
such distinctions in the new testament We can for we read in the new testament of pastours and flocks they who feed with the word are the Clergy and the flocks who are fed are the Laity All are not pastours or teachers 1 Cor. 12. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers That is all are not so Deacons preached they were Lay-men therefore may Lay-men preach I instance in Steven c. The Deacons were not meer Lay-men but men full of the holy Ghost and of wisedom upon whom the Apostles layd their hands Acts 6. 6. Prove that any preached who had not imposition of hands Here that Anabaptist failing Cufin undertook it saying In the 8. of the Acts we read plainly that after that great persecution of the church at Jerusalem they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles and that they who were scattered abroad went every where preached the gospel and that God gave a blessing to their preaching it is plain Acts 11. 19. Again Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the spirit even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of Christ. If God have given us a talent it is our duty to improve it They that were scattered and preached the gospel were such as the Apostles had layd hands on and sent to preach and among them Philip the Deacon there mentioned For the text of S. Peter he speaketh not there of publike preaching and administring the sacraments which appertaineth only to pastours by their speciall function but of edifying one another and teaching and admonishing in private according to the precept of S. Paul Colos. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell richly among you in all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another this was no publike preaching or expounding the word but godly conference in private houses with those whom they met such as every godly master of a family useth in his house instructing his children and servants the best that he can telling them their duty out of Gods word It is true in time of persecution we read of one Frumentius a Lay-man who in his travailes converted some to the christian faith confirming the truth of christian religion by scriptures That is all we desire to do as Frumentius did That was no preaching publikely by vertue of a pastorall function or expounding scriptures but holy conference and exhortation such as that of Aquila and Priscilla And the historian addeth after the church had notice how God blessed Frumentius his labours in turning many heathen to christinity the bishops sent ministers unto them to confirm them and administer the sacraments unto them and himself also received holy orders to accomplish that work which he had so happily begun The scripture puts no difference betwixt publike and private it is as lawfull to worship God in a private house to preach there as in one of your Steeple-houses The Apostle puts a difference 1 Cor. 11. 22. What Have you not houses to eat and to drink in Or despise ye the church of God The word in the originall is ecclesia not templum which never signifieth your Steeple-house in all the scripture The word ecclesia is taken diversly in holy scripture sometimes 1. For a company of men and that either of the wicked as Psal. 26. 5. Odi ecclesiam malignantium Or of the godly Acts 20. 28. 11. 26. c. 2. For the place of their publike meeting and so the word ecclesia is here taken If the people of God meet in a private place is not that then the house of God There is a publike house of God that is a place sequestred from common use and dedicated to Gods service and there is a private house of God as we read Ro. 16. 5. where some of the faithfull privatly meet and that also is called the church greet the church in thine house in such private houses it is lawful to preach in time of persecution but not now when we have publike churches for the service of God to which we may and ought to repair and in these churches no lay-man ought to preach nor at all exercise the pastorall function either there or any where else Which I prove by two reasons especially First none ought to take upon them the office of pastour or minister of the word who are not able to reprove and convince Hereticks and all gain-sayers but your lay and unlettered men are not able to convince Hereticks and stop the mouths of gayn-savers because they can alledge no scripture but that which is translated into their mother-tongue in which there may be and are some errours for though the Scriptures be the infallible word of God yet the translators were men subject to errour and they sometimes mistook Will you say that those learned men who translated the bible at Geneva committed any error in their translation I will and for instance Luke 22. 25. in the Geneva translation printed 1569. we read the Kings of the Gentiles reign over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious Lords whereas in the originall it is Euergetai that is benefactors or bountifull yet this place hath bin much urged against the titles of our Arch-Bishops and Bishops as if Christ forbad any ministers of the gospell to be called by the titles of Lords or gracious wheras there is never a word in the text that signifieth either Lord or gracious neither dâ—th Christ there speak only to the ministers of the gospell but to all Christians Besides this I could produce many other errors in that translation which are corrected in the Kings translation Though we cannot prove the letter to be well translated that matters not much for the letter of the scripture is not scripture That 's blasphemy I pray take notice of it he denyeth the letter of the Text to be scripture The letter of the word of God is not scripture without the revelation of the spirit of God the word revealed by the spirit is scripture Very fine doctrine if God reveal not to us the meaning of the scripture is not the letter of the text scripture By this reason the greatest part of the Revelation and other difficult texts of scripture should not be scripture because God hath not revealed to us the meaning of them Here one that stood by demanded of the Anabaptist how prove you the bible to be Gods word By experience For whatsoever is written in the word of God commeth to passe concerning Christ and Anti-christ experience is the best doctor that teacheth us This reason alone will not prove the bible to be Gods word for Moses saith If a false prophet shall arise and fore-tell any thing and it come to passe Deut. 13.
given this power to the church yet some particular men in the church ought to execute this power of ordination The issue of the conference was first the Knights Ladies and Gentlemen gave the Doctor great thanks secondly three of the Anabaptists went away discontented the fourth seemed in part satisfied desired a second meeting but the next day conferring with the rest of that sect he altered his resolution and neither he nor any of that sect ever since that day troubled the Doctor or any other Minister in the Borough with any second chalenge Finis Additions to the former Conference IN the conference above mentioned D. F. promised to prove the baptisme of children 1. By scripture 2. By consent of the universall church And 3. by evident reason And the arguments drawn from the first head he prosecuted but was not permitted at that time to urge the arguments drawn from the second and third heads yet because they were desired by some persons of note it was thought fit they should be added to the former Next to the arguments drawn from expresse testimony of scripture for the baptisme of children we have a most forcible argument drawn from the consent of the universall church testified by their constant practise of admitting children to baptisme even from the Apostles dayes unto this present This argument if it be well weighed is of very great moment and may convince the conscience of any ingenuous Christian. For no Christian doubteth but that the Apostles were inspired by the holy Ghost and Christ promised his spirit to lead his church into all truth which promise he hath hitherto made good in such sort that it cannot be proved that ever the whole church of Christ unversally erred it is true particular churches have erred and may erre and generall councels which the schools tearm the representative church are subject to error and have sometimes decreed heresie and false-hood for truth but the formall church as they speak that is all the assemblies of Christians in the world cannot be impeached with error at any time whence I thus frame my argument That which the Apostles in their dayes began and the whole christian church scattered over the face of the whole earth hath continued in all ages and all countries where christianity hath been and is professed cannot be an erroneous practise But the catholike christian church in all places and ages even from the Apostles times hath admitted the children of faithfull parents to holy baptisme Ergo the practise of christening children cannot be erroneous or unwarrantable as the Anabaptists teach The major or first proposition is already sufficiently proved the minor or second proposition is proved by the testimony of Origen for the Greek church and S. Austin for the Latine and the Ecclesiasticall stories in all ages Origen in his Commentarie upon the sixt chapter of St. Paul to the Romans having alledged the words of the prophet David Psal. 51. 5. I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me addeth proper hoc ecclesia ab Apostolis traditionem accepit parvulis dare baptismum for this reason namely because all are conceived in sin the church hath received a tradition from the Apostles to administer baptisme to little infants And St. Austine l. 10. de genesi ad literam c. 23. Consuetudo matris ecclesie in baptizandis parvulis non spernenda est nec omnino credenda esset nisi Apostolica esset traditio the custome of our mother the church in baptizing infants is no way to be sleighted or rejected neither were it at all to be beleeved if it were not an Apostolicall tradition As for the continuance continuance of it the hystorie of all ages of the church confirms it neither can there be brought an instance in any Christian church in the world that denyed baptisme to children til this sect arose in Germany since the reformation began there in the dayes of Henry the eight After the testimonies of scriptures and the practise of the catholike church we have a third proof drawn from evidence of Reason against which if it be excepted that the eye of reason in matter of faith is but dim and therefore that such arguments are no way convincing I answer that it is true that such arguments drawn from reason as have no other ground but philosophicall axioms or sensible experiments are of little force in matter of faith which is above reason but such reasons as have ground and foundation in scripture and are firmly built upon those foundations are of exceeding great force and such are those I purpose to alledge First where the disease is there ought the remedy to be applied But the disease to wit originall sin is in children as well as men For all have sinned in Adam Rom. 5. 12. and are by nature the children of wrath Ephesi 2. 3. Ergo the remedy which is baptisme ought to be applied to children as well as men Secondly those who are comprised within the covenant of grace ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme For to them appertain both the promises of the new testament and the seal thereof which is baptisme But the children of the faithfull are comprised within the covenant of grace Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting covenant Ergo children ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme Thirdly no means of salvation ought to be denyed to the children of the faithfull whereof they are capable But baptisme is an outward means of salvation whereof children are capable under the gospel as well as the children of the Jews were capable of circumcision under the law Ergo baptisme ought not to be denied to children Fourthly all those who receive the thing signified by baptisme ought to receive the outward sign It is the argument of St. Peter Acts 10. 47. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we But the children of the faithfull receive the thing signified by baptisme to wit regeneration and remission of sins Ergo they ought to receive the sign to wit the baptisme of water The proposition or major is proved alreadie the assumption or minor is thus proved Christ bad children come to him and he blessed them and said of such is the kingdom of God Mar. 10. 16. and that their Angels continually behold his Fathers face in heaven Mat. 18. 10. and unlesse the Anabaptists will grant that children are regenerated and receive remission of sins they must needs hold that all children are damned which is a most uncharitable and damnable assertion The ANABAPTISTS Objection Yea but the Anabaptists object Mat. 28. 18. Go teach all nations baptizing them Whence they would infer that none are to be baptized but those to whom the gospel hath before bin preached consequently that children ought not to be
an Apostolicall tradition Origen having alledged the words of the Psalme 51. 5 I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me inferreth upon it propter hoc for this reason because we are all conceived and borne in sinne the Church hath received a tradition from the Apostles to administer baptisme to little children And S. Austine The custome of our Mother the Church in baptizing infants is no way to be slightened or rejected nor otherwise to be thought on or beleeved then as an Apostolicall tradition Thirdly it may be proved to be an Apostolicall tradition by that ground which S. Austine layeth and every mans reason readily giveth assent thereunto namely that whatsoever is observed uniformly in all churches and no man can tell when it began must needs be thought either to be done by the Decree of some generall Councell or to have descended from the tradition of the Apostles themselves But the baptisme of children hath been observed and practised through the whole Christian church as Austine affirmeth neither was it first appointed by any Canon of generall Councell that can be produced for though it be mentioned in the Councell of Vienna and the second Councell held at Brachara and in Synodo Gerundensi yet was it farre more ancient then any of those Councels neither can any name the time when first it began and therefore we cannot otherwise conceive of it then that it had its first originall from the Apostles ARGUMENT X. All members of the reformed Protestant churches in Christendome ought to conforme their judgements to the harmonie of the Protestants confessions set forth by the consent of all orthodox churches and firmly grounded upon deductions at least of holy scripture if not evident texts But the judgement of all the reformed churches delivered in the harmonie of their confessions is professedly for the baptisme of children and expressely against this renet of the Ans. baptist's Ergo let the Anabaptist either disclaime the 〈◊〉 of Protestants and children of the reformed churches 〈◊〉 renounce this their heresie for tâ—â—s pâ—rs quâ—â— nâ—m congruit â—otâ— Now for the Protestant confessions concerning this point I shall rehearse them in order beginning with the English Articles of Religion Artic. II. First the infants of Christian parents are not to be kept from baptisme because they care borne in sinne and belong to the people of God Secondly the Helvetion confession We condemn the Anabaptists who deme that children newly born ought on be baptized for according to the doctrine of the Gospel of such is the kingdom of God and they are within the covenant of God why therefore should not the soul of that covenant be given unto them Thirdly the Bohemian confession Though baptisme for the most part in the primitive church were administred to men of riper yeares yet children ought to be dedicated and consecrated to Christ according to his command Suffer little children to 〈◊〉 unto me Fourthly the French Article zy Although baptisâ—â— be a sacrament of saith and repentaunce yet in as much as children are reckoned with their parents in tho church of God we affirme that infants that are born of holy parents ought to be baptized by Christs authoritie Fifthly the Belgick confession We beleave that children ought to be baptized and signed with the sign of the covenant for the same reason for which the children in Israel were circumcised namely for that the same promises are made to them and to us Sixtly the Augustane confession they condemn the Anabaptists who dislike the baptisme of children and affirm that infants without baptisme and dying without the church may be saved Seventhly the Saxon confession We retaine the baptisme of infants because it 〈◊〉 must certain that the promise of grace belongeth also to infants and because of them it is said Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the kingdome of seaven To drive this nayl to the head I shall need to adde nothing save the capitall punishments inflicted upon such as taught and practised Anabaptisme those Christian States accounted it no light errour upon which they layd so heavie a load of punishment in some places the broachers of this heresie and practisers of rebaptizing have been punished with beheading in some with drowning and in some with burning There is a law against this sect in the Code of Iustinian written with blood rather then ink If any man be convicted to re-baptize any of the ministers of the Catholike sect let him who hath committed this hainous crime together with him whom he hath seduced to be re-baptized suffer the stroake of death At Vienna the Anabaptists are tyed together with ropes and one draweth the other into the river to be drowned as it should seem the wife magistrates of that place had an eye to that old maxime of justice quo quis peccat eo puniatur let the punishment bear upon it the print of the sinne for as these sectaries drew one another into their errour so also into the gulf and as they drowned men spiritually by re-baptizing and so prophaming the holy sacrament so also they were drowned corporally In the year of our Lord 1539 two Anabaptists were burned beyond Southwark in the way to Newington and a little before them five Dutch Anabaptists were burned in Smithfield If I have been somewhat the more prolix in the prosecution of the arguments which make for the baptisme of infants S. Austine shall plead for this my large plea for them We are in conscience bound to speak the more for poor infants because they are not able to speak for themselves Now there remaineth nothing but that we stop the mouthes of their adversaries by reselling such objections as they usually make and unchristianly urge against christening them at our fonts The objections of the Anabaptists answered First they argue from the Scripture negatively thus the baptisme of children hath no warrant in Gods Word for we find there no command for it no example of it no promise to it therefore it is to be rejected as an humane invention and condemned also as an addition to the Scripture But we answer that by the like argument they might prove that no woman ought to be admitted to the sacrament of the Lords Supper for there is no command for womens participation of the sacrament nor example of it nor promise to it in Scripture If they answer that women are comprised under the name of beleevers so are children under the name of whole housholds and families which are reported in holy Scripture to have been baptized if they say further that by a like reason women are to be admitted to the sacrament as men because Christ dyed as well for them as men and they are as wel incorporated into Christs mysticall body as men we rejoin in like manner for the same reason that children
have baptized you with water and he will baptize you with the holy Ghost And in the 19. of the Rev. 21. ver it is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is word for word they were slain in the sword yet must it be translated they were slain with the sword not in the sword Notwithstanding I grant that Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the river and that such baptisme of men especially in the hotter climates hath been is and may lawfully be used yet there is no proof at all of dipping or plunging but only washing in the river But the question is whether no other baptizing is lawfull or whether dipping in rivers be so necessarie to baptisme that none are accounted baptized but those who are dipt after such a manner this we say is false neither do any of the texts alledged prove it It is true dipping is a kind of baptizing but all baptizing is not dipping The Apostles were baptized with fire yet were they not dipt into it tables and beds are said in the originall to be baptized that is washed yet not dipt The Israelites in the wildernesse were baptized with the cloud yet not dipt into it the children of Zebedee were to be baptized with the baptisme of blood wherewith our Saviour was baptized yet neither he nor they were dipt into blood Lastly all the fathers speak of the baptisme of tears wherewith all penitents are washed yet there is no dipping in such a baptisme As for the representation of the death and resurrection that is not properly the inward grace signified by baptisme but the washing the soul in the laver of regeneration and cleansing us from our sins However in the manner of baptisme as it is administred in the church of England there is a resemblance of death and the resurrection For though the child he not alwayes dipped into the water as the rubrick prescribeth save only in case of necessitie which would be dangerous in cold weather especially if the child be weak and sickly yet the Minister dippeth his hand into the water and plucketh it out when he baptizeth the infant The second error of the Anabaptists which A. R. strenuously propugneth is their decrying down paedo baptisme and with-holding Christs lambs from being bathed in the sacred Font. This foul error or rather heresie for it is condemned for such both by the primitive and the reformed churches he endeavoureth to blanch in part if not to quite clear from all aspersion and justifie by four arguments which I will propound in his own words that he may not say I shoot his arrows without their heads the first I find p. 27. PART I. The administration of baptisme which hath no expresse command in Scripture and which overthrows or prevents that administration of baptisme which is expressely commanded in Scripture is a meer device of mans brain and no baptisme of Christ. But the administration of baptisme upon infants hath no expresse command in Scripture and it overthrows or prevents the administration of baptisme upon disciples or beleevers which is expressely commanded in Scripture Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 4. 1. 2. Act. 2. 38. and 8. 37. Therefore the administration of baptisme upon infants is a meer device of mans brain and no baptisme of Christ. This argument stands as it were upon two legs and both of them are lame the one is that nothing may be done in the worship of God without expresse command in Scripture This is an ignorant and erroneous assertion For first there is no expresse precept in Scripture for beleeving and acknowledging in terminis three Persons in the unitie of the deitie and yet Athanasius faith in his Creed that whosoever beleeveth not and worshipeth not the Trinitie in unitie and unitie in Trinitie shall perish everlastingly Secondly there is no expresse command in Scripture to confesse the holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son tanquam distinctis personis yet it is not only an article of religion in the church of England but also set down in the confession of the Anabaptists lately printed Thirdly there is no expresse precept for the abrogating of the Jewish sabbath and religious observing the Christian yet no Anabaptists hold themselvs bound to keep holy the Saturday or Jewish sabbath neither have they yet to my knowledge oppugned the observation of the Lords day Fourthly there is no expresse precept in Scripture for womens receiving the sacrament of the Lords Supper For though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup is a common name to both sexes yet the Apostle useth the masculine article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so there is no expresse command but for men yet no sectaries upon record no not the Anabaptists themselvs exclude women from the holy Communion Fifthly there is no expresse precept for re-baptizing those who in their infancie were baptized by a lawfull minister according to the form prescribed by our Saviour in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost nay rather there is an expresse prohibition in the words of the Apostle one faith one baptisme and in that clause of the Nicen Creed I beleeve one baptisme for the remission of sins yet re-baptizing is a prime article of the faith of this sect from whence they take their very name of Anabaptists that is re-baptizers If A. R. here will stretch expresse precept to any thing that is commanded in Scripture either immediatly or mediatly either in particular or in generall either in plain or direct tearms or in the true sense of the text so I grant all the four former orthodox tenets may be proved by Scripture And so also I have before proved the lawfulnesse of baptizing children though there be no expresse Scripture for it intormini◠The other leg also upon which his argument standeth is as lame as the former For the baptisme of infants no way over-throws or prevents the baptizing of any disciples or beleevers instructed in the mysteries of salvation of whom the texts alledged are meant but there-baptizing of such who were before baptized in their infancie which re-baptizing is no where commanded in Scriptures and as if all nations were converted to the Christian faith there needed no more conversion so if all were admitted to the church by baptisme in their infancie they should need no other admission by re-baptizing them but there will be alwayes some to be converted till the fulnesse of the Iews and Gentiles also is come in and till then there will be use of that precept of our Saviour Mat. 28. Go teach all nations baptizing them the second Argument of his against paedo-baptisme PART 2. The second I find p. 20. If they ground the baptizing children from
18. 10. Two men went up into the Temple to pray Acts 3. 1. Peter and Iohn went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer 1 Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing 1 Tim. 2. 1. Let prayers intercessions and supplications be made for all men 1 Thess. 1. 2. making mention of you in our prayers 2 Tim. 1. 3. remembrance of thee in my prayers EXCEPT II. Secondly they except against the Service-book that either all of it or the greater part is taken out of the Roman Missall and therefore is to be kickt out of the church with that superstitious piece of Romish devotion ANSWER But this exception is first insufficient secondly ignorant For if the prayers in our Service-book are holy and pithie if agreeable to the pattern of all prayer and favour of true pietie and devotion which they cannot denie they doe what skils it out of what book they were culled The Iews borrowed jewels of the Egyptians to adorn the Sanctuarie Solomon sent for timber and other materials for the Temple to Hyram king of Tyre S. Paul transcribed verses out of heaÌ„then Poets Virgil raked gold out of Enuius hic muck Christian Apothecaries gather simples to make sovereigne electuaries out of the gardens of Iews and Mahumetans the Lapidaries take out a precious stone called Bufomtes out of the head of a Toad Christ indeed forbids us to cast pearl before swine but no where to take a pearl out of a ring in a swines snowt if there be found any there Secondly this exception is guiltie of as much ignorance as weaknesse they who make it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot see afarre off of if they could they might have discerned the prayers in our Church-book to be farre more ancient then the Roman Missall The Bishops and learned Doctors who in the dayes of Edward the sixt compiled the Service-book at Windsor had farre more ancient Liturgies in their eye then the Roman Missall or Breviarie they drew not water out of that impure channell but out of a clearer fountain There are the same Epistles and Gospels in our book and theirs but they were not taken out of theirs but out of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament there are the same Psalmes and Hymnes but they were not taken out of their Psalter but out of Davids and Saint Luke there are many of the same Collects and Orisons but they are not taken out of their Breviarie but out of the Liturgies of Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome and other more ancient attributed to the Apostles themselves Lastly if in regard of that little which may seem to be translated out of the Missall into our English Service-book it might be tearmed as Spalatensis when he was present at the Service in Canterburie church called it Breviarium optime reformatum a reformed Breviarie I cannot apprehend how that should be any derogation to it for what saith Solomon take away the drosse from the silver and there shall come forth a vessell for the refiner This was the noble work of the learned Doctors and Martyrs who reformed Religion in England they took away the drosse not only from the Missals but from all other Offices and Service-books then extant all superstitious Rites either heathenish or Iewish all Legendarie fables all invocation of saints prayers for the dead all Dirige's and Trentals and whatsoever was not warrantable by holy scripture and retaining the rest supplyed what was wanting thereunto and hence came forth this Vessell for the refiner this Liturgie of our church more compleat then any now extant in other reformed churches EXCEPT III. Thirdly they except at three Popish absolutious as they tearme them the first in the beginning of the Service after the publique confession the second before the Communion the third in the visitation of the sick But this exception hath in it more strength of passion then reason for none of these absolutions are absolute but conditionall nor in the name or by the authoritie of the Minister but of Christ. The first is nothing but a declaration of Gods mercie who freely pardoneth the penitent and of the Ministers dutie to declare and pronounce this absolution and remission to the people The second is a prayer of the Minister to God to have mercie upon the Communicants to pardon and deliver them from all their sinnes and to confirme and strengthen them in all goodnesse The third is the execution of that Ministeriall power wherewith Christ invested the Apostles and their successours Iohn 20. 23. As my father sent me so I send you whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Here is our expresse warrant and commission from Christ for what we doe in this kind to revive the spirit of the humble and cheat up the drooâ—ing conscience reaâ—lie to languish in a featefull conflict with despaire EXCEPT IV. Fourthly they except against the reading of the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels in a corrupt translation in which there are many grosse errours as Psal 105. 28. And they were not obedient to his word whereas it should be translated and they rebelled not against his word and Luke the first 36. This is the sixth moneth which was called barren for this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren And Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the time for serving the Lord. And Galat. 4. 25. Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and bordereth upon the citie which is now called Ierusalem for and answereth to Ierusalem And Phil. 2. 8. He was found in his apparrell as a man for being found in fashion as a man And Ephes. 3. 15. Which is the father of all that is called father in heaven and earth for of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named But this exception is of little importance and may soon be philipp't away For first if no translation way be read in the church but that which is free from all errour then none at all ought to be read for there is none in which there are not some mistakes more or lesse with this ferula therefore they rap themselves over the thumbs Secondly those sores on which they fasten their nail have their salves they may see them if they please in Hooker Fisher and many others who have cleared those very passages Lastly neither is the Minister nor are the people tyed to that translation in the common-prayer-book but they may if they please in stead thereof read the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels according to the last and best translation neither were they to blame who in the first setting forth of the common-prayer-book appointed the scriptures to be read in that ancient translation for that was the best then extant neither is there any errour at all in it which concerneth faith or manners and other slips must be born withall in translations or else we must read none at all till we have a translation given
there is a prayer for the dead Remember not Lord the offences of our fore-fathers prayer against suddain death which may be a blessing prayer for all that travell by land or by water and so for theevs and Pirats for all women labouring of child and consequently for all queans and harlots there is rapping out of oaths and no better then exorcisms and conjurations by thy nativitie and circumcision by thy crosse and passion c. And therefore many who are in charitie with other prayers are frighted with the Letanie and as soon as the Minister beginneth it they run swifter out of the church then he over it But I may truly say with the prophet timuerunt ubi non erat timor they feared where there was no cause of fear like silly ducklings they were scared at the sight of the shadow of a Kite in the water For not to answer all their objections en passant they are not worth the stay or insisting upon any of them those words they first stumble at Remember not the offences of our fore-fathers are not a prayer for the dead but for the living that God would not so remember of offences of our fore-fathers as to visit them upon us according to that dreadfull menacie in the second commandement I am a jealous God and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me The suddain death we pray against is not a quick riddance out of pain or a speedie taking us away from the evill that is to come for that indeed were to pray against our own good but by mors repentina or suddain death there is meant unexpected or unprepared death when we are summoned by death as by Gods messenger to bring in our bills and books to be examined at the great Audit before our accompts be readie it is true wee should be alwayes readie but who of a thousand is so And if any be tardie as thou and I are shall any blame us for desiring a day at least to make even reckonings and perfect our account As for those passionate strains By thine agonie and bloodie sweat they are no forms of oaths much lesse conjuration as these ignorant Sectaries blaspheme them but a compendious and verie usefull recapitulation of the storie of the Gospel and an acknowledgment of the chief means of our salvation and a vehement obtestation by the meritorious actions and passions of Christ like to that 1 Thess. 1. I beseech you brethren by the Lord Iesus Christ. Neither are such kind of earnest obtestations unusuall in our petitions to men per dextram tuam Caie Caesar saith Cicero per connubianostra saith Dido If they are true Christians they beleeve that God hath and doth deliver us from all punishment due to our sin and from eternall death by these very actions and passions of Christ recounted in the Letanie and if these be undoubted means of our salvation ought we not to pray to God to save us by these means from wrath and bring us to his everlasting kingdome The preposition By hath many significations sometimes it is the note and sign of an oath sometimes and that most usually it signifieth the instrumentall cause and so it is taken in the Letanie wherein we doe not affirm or swear any thing to be so or so by Christs nativitie or circumcision or death or passion but we pray to God to deliver us from all the evils both of sinne and punishment before specified by these meritorious actions and passions of our Redeemer as by the only effectuall means to procure us such a deliverance And for the extent of our charitie and generalitie of our prayers as we are commanded by the Apostle while we have time to doe good unto all men but especially to those of the houshold of faith so we are likewise to pray for all men because there is no man so wicked and in so damnable a condition to whom God for ought we know may not give repentance unto life and we are indebted unto Gods mercie and restraining grace that we run not into the like excesse of not as they nor are as wide from the way of salvation as the farthest wandering sheep And though we pray indefinitely for all that travell by land or by water yet those all in the churches account are no other then such as travell in the way of a lawfull calling And as for women labouring with child we pray nothing for them but that they may be safely delivered nor for any that are in present danger but that God would preserve them and have we not expresse warrant for such a prayer both in the words of Iob O thou preserver of all men and of the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 10. God is the Saviour of all men especially of those that beleeve Upon which ground the Apostle himself inferreth a necessarie dutie of all Christians to pray for all men 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. I exhort you therefore that first of all supplications prayers and intercessions be made for all men for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth ARTIC 4. Concerning the calling of Pastours ANABAPTIST THat there ought to be no distinction by the Word of God between the Clergie and the Laitie but that all who are gifted may preach the Word and administer the Sacraments THE REFUTATION This prodigious errour which may be easily convinced not onely by the cleare light of Scripture and the practise of the Christian Church from the beginning to this day but also by the glimmering light of Reason and Custome of all Nations a mungrill sect of late betweene Brownists and Anabaptists have set abroach and thereby after a sort justified the scandall laid upon some in the Reformed Churches by Card Bellarmine that Protestants have no order at all among them but confusion that among them all sorts of Tradesmen and Artificers handle the Word and Sacraments with foul and unwashed hands to the great dishonour of God and prophanation of his holy Ordinances But let the Cardinall and all Papists know that we owne none of these russet Rabbies or Apron Levites but detest and abominate them as much as we doe that great Patriarch of the Anabaptists Cuiperdolin who in Munster at the Coronation of their Taylor King creeps upon all foure and passing through a great throng of people breathed into all their mouthes saying to every one in particular The Father hath sanctified thee receive the holy Ghost This Heresie may be felled downe at three blowes of the axe Saint Iohn Baptist speaks of laid to the root of the tree after this manner ARGUMENT I. No man may conjoyne or confound them whom God hath severad and distinguished But God in his Word hath severed the Clergie from the Laity distinguished the Priests from the people Nem.
cut off malefactors from the Church therewith But they weigh not the circumstances of the Text the Scribes and Pharisees intended not the execution of justice upon the woman but came a birding to catch our Saviour in a snare which they laid after this manner Will he judge this woman fit to be stoned according to the Law or not it he will not judge her we have a just quarrell against him for derogating from the Law of Moses if he judge her fit to suffer death and condemne her to be stoned wee shall have just cause to question him by what authority hee assumes to himselfe the office of a Judge Christ discerning the snare thus breakes it in sunder He that is without sinne among you saith he let him first cast a stone at her Which is as if he should have said The matter of fact is evident the woman is guilty and the law is as cleare shee ought to be stone◠but who are you who demand the rigour of the Law to be executed upon her are you free from this foule aspersion are you innocent from this great offence look into the book of your owne conscience or if not read what you see here written in the dust Thus touching on their sore they shrinke and withdraw themselves away one after another and the woman is left alone with our Saviour whom he dismisseth with a gracious admonition Goe and sinne no more vers 11. What will the Anabaptist conclude from hence that because Christ condemned not this woman to death according to Law that therefore no Christian may inflict corporall punishment for adultery by the same reason they might inferre against themselves and their owne practises that because Christ severed not this woman from the congregation that therefore no Minister of God or spirituall Magistrate may excommunicate for adultery or the like crimes That which we are from this example of our Saviour to learne for our instruction is first That Christ came not to destroy but to save not to punish but to forgive sinne not to bereave any of their Temporall life but to purchase for all true believers and penitent sinners a Spirituall and Eternall life Secondly that all they who are overtaken with any sinne or crime punishable by the Law ought not to prosecute the extremity against others who stick in the same mud with themselves The snuffers which were to mend the lights in the Sanctuary by Gods appointment were to be made of pure gold to teach us that they who take upon them to accuse and censure others ought themselves to be most free from blame especially in the same kind of transgression otherwise they are like to heare Physitian cure thy selfe or out of Rom. 12. 21. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe thou which preachest a man should not steale dost thou steale thou which saist a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery or as we have it Ioh. 8. 7. He that is without sinne ltt him cast the first stone Thirdly that the Ministers of the Gospell by the example of our blessed Saviour when sinners are brought before them confounded with shame in themselves and so strangled with their inward guilt that they are not able to speak a word in their own defence or for their excuse ought to have compassion on them and upon their repentance and humiliation send them away with some comfort aad godly admonitions as our Saviour doth here Hath none condemned thee neither doe I goe and sinne no more Lastly they argue very weakly ab authoritate negativè after this manner We read in holy Scripture of no Christians that ever sate upon the throne of Majesty or Bench of Justice neither in the age of the Apostles nor in the prime and best times doe we heare of any Civill Magistrate exercising any authority in the Church therefore Christians ought to exercise no such authority nor execute any such office But this argument like snow when the weather growes warme dissolves of it selfe For 1. As we read in the New Testament of no Christian Kings Judges Sheriffes or other Officers attending on Courts of justice so neither doe wee read of any that taught the Tongues Arts or Sciences or trades in foraine parts or exercised any kind of Manufactures now in use yet no man doubteth but many hundred did so and questionlesse Ministers of justice are as necessary in every City and Towne Corporate as Merchants or Artizens This argument therefore ab anthoritate negativè may justly bee answered negatively If there were no Christian Magistrates they could not bee recorded in Scriptures but it will not follow none are mentioned or recorded in Scripture Ergo there were none 2. Though the story of Abgarus King of Edessa his conversion to the Christian faith may be Apocryphall yet the story of the Eunuch related Acts 8. 27. A man of great authority under Candace Queene of Ethopia is Canonicall and Nicodemus a Ruler among the Iewes and Ioseph of Arimathea the Senatour and Theophilus to whom Saint Luke intitles his Gospell and Cornelius the Centurion and Publius the Governour of Melita and Sergius Paulus the Proconsull and Erastus the Chamberlaine and some of Neroes family whose names are registred in the book of life make good the observation of the Apostle that though not many Noble men not many mighty men not many in great place or authority yet some such were called even in the Apostles time which are sufficient to rebate the edge of this argument 3. Admit that there were few or no Converts in the Apostles dayes who held the place or executed the office of Magistrates yet that which is sufficient to prove the lawfulnesse and necessity of that calling Christ himselfe both acknowledged and submitted unto the authority of Pilat and paid tribute to Caesar and Saint Paul appeales to Augustus and complaines to Lysias of a conspiracy against him and was rescued by him Lastly though the Christian Church at the beginning was cast out as it were starke naked and lay in the open field weltring in her owne blood and no eye pitied her yet in processe of time the predictions of the Prophets were accomplished She had Kings to be her nursing Fathers and Queenes to be her nursing Mothers and all sorts of Civill Magistrates both supreame and subordinate to be her Gardians and Protectours And as the earth in Italy never bare so great a burthen on it nor yeilded so plentifull a crop as when it was turned up laureato ato vomere and the plough held by the hand of Camillus the Dictatour terra gestiente se coli à triumphali agricola so the Church and Common-wealth never so thrived as when religious Kings and Princes took the manuring and managing thereof Which happinesse God grant to these Realmes and Kingdomes even till Shilo come AMEN The Pythagoreans conceived the Celestiall Spheres to bee like Cymbals and by their regular motion to produce
of the Gospel both by the Law of God and by the Law of nature vers 7. Who goeth a warfare on his own charge who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock and vers 13. Doe ye not know that those that minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar be partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel He saith not God permitteth or alloweth of it but ordaineth and commandeth it And lest these two strings should not be strong enough to keepe the bow still bent he addeth a third to wit an Apostolical injunction let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Moreover when we read that Abraham and Iacob gave tithes I demand by what Law whether by the Law of nature or the Leviticall or Evangelicall not by vertue of the Leviticall for that Law was not then enacted and by that Law Levi was to receive not pay tithes Yet Levi himselfe in Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedech if they paid it by the Law of nature that bindeth all men if by the Evangelicall Law it bindeth all Christians to pay their tithes towards the maintenance of Melchisedechs Priesthood which endureth for ever And Saint Austine fearfully upon this ground threatneth all those who refuse willingly to pay their tithes that God would reduce them to a tithe and blast all the nine parts of their estate Thirdly I except against the thirty ninth Article viz. that baptisme is an ordinance of the new Testament given by Christ to be dispensed only upon persons professing Faith or that are disciples or taught who upon a profession of Faith ought to be baptized Here they lispe not but speak out plaine their Anabaptisticall doctrine whereby they exclude all the children of the faithfull from the sacrament of entrance into the Church and the only outward meanes of their salvation in that state but the best of their proofes fall short the word only which only can prove this their assertion is not found in any of the texts alledged in the margent nor can the sense of it be collected from thence For though it is most true and evident in the letter of those texts that all Nations that are to be converted and all men in them of yeers of discretion that have been taught the principles of Religion ought to make profession of their Faith before they are baptized as all that came to mens estate among the Jews or proselytes ought both to know and to give their assent to the covenant before they received the seal thereof to wit circumcision yet no such thing was or could be required of children who notwithstanding were circumcised the eight day so by the judgement of all the Christian Churches in the world the children of beleevers who are comprised in the letter of the covenant may receive the seal thereof to wit baptisme though they cannot make profession of their Faith by themselves for the present but others make it for them and in their stead the affirmative is true that all that make profession of their Faith and testifie their unfained repentance are to be baptized but the negative is most false that none are to be baptized who have not before made such profession of their Faith when by reason of their infancie they are not capable to be taught But this hereticall assertion is at large resu'ed by manifold Arguments drawne from Scripture Fathers and reason and all their cavils and evasions exploded Article 2. to which I refer the Reader Fourthly I except against the fortieth Article viz. The way and manner of dispensing of this Ordinance the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body under water it being a signe must answer the things signified which are these 1. The washing of the whole soul in the blood of Christ 2. That interest the Saints have in the death buriall and resurrection of Christ 3. Together with a confirmation of our Faith that as certainly as the body is buried under water and riseth again so certainly shall the bodies of the Saints be raised by the power of Christ in the day of the resurrection to reigne with Christ. This Article is wholly sowred with the new leaven of Anabaptisme I say the new leaven for it cannot be proved that any of the ancient Anabaptists maintained any such position there being three wayes of baptizing either by dipping or washing or sprinkling to which the Scripture alludeth in sundry places the Sacrament is rightly administred by any of the three and whatsoever is here alleadged for dipping we approve of so far as it excludeth not the other two Dipping may be and hath been used in some places trina immersio a threefold dipping but there is no necessity of it it is not essentiall to Baptisme neither doe the Texts in the margent conclude any such thing It is true Iohn baptized Christ in Iordan and Philip baptized the Eunuch in the river but the Text saith not that either the Eunuch or Christ himselfe or any baptized by Iohn or his Disciples or any of Christs Disciples were dipped plunged or dowsed over head and eares as this Article implyeth and our Anabaptists now practise Againe the bare example of Christ and his Apostles without a precept doth not bind the Church and precept there is none for dipping it is certaine Christ and his Apostles celebrated the Communion after Supper and in unleavened bread and with such a gesture as was then in use among the Jewes yet because there is no precept in the Gospell for these things no Christian Church at this day precisely observeth those circumstances and therefore dato non concesso that Christ and Saint Iohn or their Disciples used dipping in Baptisme it will not follow that we ought to baptize in the like and no other manner Besides it ought to be noted that in the beginning Christians had no Churches nor Fonts in them and there being many hundreds nay thousands often to be baptized together there was a kind of necessity that this Sacrament should be administred in rivers or such places where were store of waters as there were in Enon neare Salem where John baptized But now the Church hath better provided there being Christian Oratories every where and Fonts in them most convenient for this purpose whereunto I shall need to adde here no more having fully handled this point both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the discussion of the first Article Fiftly I except against the 41. Article viz. The persons designed by Christ to dispence this ordinance the Scripture hold forth to be a preaching Disciple it being no where tyed to a particular Church Officer or Person If the eye be
darknesse how great is that darknesse if there be confusion in order it selfe how great must the confusion needs be if all be Pastours where are their flocks if all be teachers where are their Scolars a preaching Disciple sounds as harshly as a Scholar Master or a Lecturing hearer it is true we grant that all who have received gifts from God ought to make use of them for the benefit of others and if any abound in knowledge hee ought to communicate to them that lack and freely give lumen de lumine Clouds when they are full powre downe and the spowts runne and the eaves shed and the presses overflow and the Aromaticall trees sweat out their precious and soveraigne oyles and every learned Scribe in the Kingdom of God brings out of his rich treasury new things and old Notwithstanding this necessary duty of imploying our talent whatsoever it be to our Masters best advantage none may take upon him the cure of soules without Commission nor divide the word and dispence the Sacraments without ordination and imposition of hands none may preach except he be sent none may assume the honour of the Priesthood except hee bee called as was Aaron none may open and shut the Kingdome of heaven except they have received the keyes from Christ neither a calling without gifts nor gifts without a calling makes a man of God if any have a calling without gifts their Ministery is without fruit if any gifts without a calling their Ministery is without power the former have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not every one that hath a strong voice is a lawfull cryer in a Court but he that is appointed neither is every one that can write a good hand a publick Notary but he that is sworne neither may every Mariner that is skilful in Navigation take upon him the office of a Pilot but he that is chosen But this error of the Anabaptists whereby they overthrow all order in the Church and confound shepheards and flocks Masters and Scholars Clergy and Laity I have professedly impugned and at large refelled Article 4. Whither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction Sixtly I except against the 45. Article That such to whom God hath given gifts being tryed in the Church may and ought by the appointment of the congregation to prophecie When Muncer a seditious Anabaptist first set abroach their doctrine at Mulchus and took upon him to reforme many things in Church and State Luther advised the Senate to demand of him what calling he had to doe such things he did and if he should avouch God for the Author of his calling then they should require of him to prove that his calling from God by some eminent signe for that whensoever it pleaseth God to change the ordinary course and to call any man to any office extraordinarily he declares that his good will and pleasure by some evident signe If the calling of the Anabaptisticall teachers bee be ordinary let them demonstrate it by Scripture if extraordinary let them prove it by miracle For the prophecy they spake of let them distinctly declare what kind of Prophecying they mean and whom they esteem Prophets for prophecying is taken in a double sense in holy Scripture sometimes according to the propriety of the Greek derivation for the prediction of things future sometimes in a larger sense for revealing the mysteries of God expounding his Oracles either coÌ„cerning things past present or to come and this two manner of wayes either with study and upon premeditation with the help of Arts and Tongues and by consulting the best Commentaries both ancient and latter or without any study or premeditation by immediate revelation or inspiration Prophecy in the first sense is an extraordinary calling in the last an extraordinary gift in the middle acception an ordinary Ministeriall duty And if that custome which Arch-Bishop Grindall would have introduced into the Church in the dayes of Q. Elizabeth and is in use at Geneva and among some other reformed Churches were put in practise in England and a certaine number of learned and able Pastours met at some set times and having before notice of the Texts to be handled should every one in their order deliver their severall interpretations observations and applications thereof which they call Prophecying we should exceedingly approve of it and questionles thereby the Ministeâ—s would very much improve their talents of knowledge But for rudeÌ„ and illiterate Mechanicks without calling without knowledge of Arts or Tongues upon a Scripture read in the Congregation to give their suddain judgements and interpretations thereof as is the manner of the Anabaptists we hold it an intolerable presumption in them and unsufferable abusâ— in the Church For those extraordinary revelations they pretend unto together with the miraculous gift of Tongues and healing for many hundred yeares agoe have failed in the Church If they could now doe as the Primitive Corinthians could not onely pray by the spirit but sing by the spirit if upon the first proposall of an obscure and intricate passage of the old Prophets or Apocalypse they can give upon the suddaine a cleare and rationall interpretation and deliver this in what Language soever if they can discover the secrets of the hearts of unbeleivers in such sort that they falling down on their face shall worship God and report that God is in your Assemblies of a truth then let the examples of the Primitive Christians in the Apostles dayes serve them for Precedents in this kind but of those irradiations of the Spirit together with the glisning of the fiery tongues have not been seen in any Christian Church these many ages if they come as short of the prime converts to the Christian Religion in extraordinary gifts as in time if they are so far from speaking with strange tongues that they cannot speak correctly and coherently in one if they are so wide of the sense of the place they expound that their Paraphrases are often without sense if they utter old broken notes taken from none of the best Sermons for new revelations if they furbish up ancient heresies that have layne long in the dark for Christian Armour of Light if in their interpretations they not only contradict the Scriptures but themselves and in stead of a musicall consent we hear nothing but vain janglings if their prophecyings for the time past have bin no better and none can prophecie or promise better of them for the time to come though they pretend never so much to the spirit and boast of visions and Revelations though some of them have a glib tongue and thereby slide into the approbation of the vulgar sort though in their contemplations they sore up so high that they lose themselves and their hearers though they draw their thinâ—e wier to a great length though notwithstanding they are often