The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS CONTAINING I. His humble Resolution to be a constant Conformist to the Scriptures and especially in these four great Duties viz. 1. To Honour all Men. 2. To Love the Brotherhood 3. To Fear God 4. To Honour the King According to 1 Peter 2. 17. II. His unfeigned endeavour for Unity in the Truth with the Church of England wherein is shewed what 〈◊〉 a distinction in Communion between the Parochial 〈…〉 those of the Baptized Believers Wherein fourteen 〈◊〉 lately published by Mr. N. T. M. A. in defence of Infant-Baptism are considered and answered III. His Plea for Church-Assemblies to be permitted to the Baptized Believers To which purpose is declared IV. The Nature of his Call to Christianity and to the work of the Ministry OCCASIONED By the great and long continued Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation BY THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ Job 21. 4. As for me is my complaint to 〈◊〉 And if it were so why should not my Spirit be troubled Causabon's Birth of Heresy c. 3. p. 11. In all Ages Men have never been contented with the true Adoration instituted by God But instead of external Signs instituted by God they have forged and brought in their own Inventions London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1684. The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them and all Christians to study to be Quiet and do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in two Sermons upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. By THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24. 21. But whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye Acts 4. 19. London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1674. To all the Baptized Believers in England c. Grace and Peace through Christ our Lord be multiplied THE great Apostle St. Paul having taught the Christian Churches in Creet their Duties towards God and towards Caesar and leaving Titus a Messenger of the Churches behind him there very strictly warns him to put them in mind of their Subjection to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Knowing how impossible it would be to propagate the Profession of Christianity if Christians did not adorn their Profession with a meek and harmless Conversation towards all Men and especially by their Obedience to those in Authority And considering the manifold Temptations that attend Christians in these days upon that account I thought it my Duty as one that has obtained Mercy to be faithful to do my best in giving warning to my Brethren lest any of them should be ensnared with ill Principles or specious Pretences to speak or do any thing that may be inconsistent with Gospel-Rules either in things relating more immediately to Almighty God or to the King's Majesty and those that are in Authority under him Such heady Persons there were in the Apostle's Days and therefore the less strange if now some such be found in the best of Churches as are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities All Ages and sorts of Christians have been troubled with such Evil-Workers And as it hath been the care of faithful Men all along to protest against them that the Truth which such Wretches only prophane by their Profession of it might not be worse thought of because of them So let it be our care to bear a faithful Testimony against all such in these Days And I beseech you Brethren whom God hath made as Guides to the rest that you give all diligence to teach and instruct those under your Charge in the Duties which pertain to every state of Life as well as in things which pertain to the Worship of our Gracious God For these are the things which become sound Doctrine and of these our Obedience to Magistrates is not the least I commit the ensuing Discourses to the Consideration of all Christians and to the Blessing of God and remain Your Brother and Servant in the Gospel THO. GRANTHAM The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them all to study to be Quiet and to do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in several Discourses upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honour the King THis great Apostle St. Peter having preached Christ in many Countries thought it meet to leave some Monuments of his holy Doctrine with all the Churches And having in two sacred Epistles assured them of the certainty of the Doctrine which he had preached and that it was no Fable or new Device but the very Truth which from the Beginning God made known to his Prophets He then exhorts them to Stedfastness and to hope to the end for the grace or fulness of Glory which shall be brought to all true Christians at the revelation or second coming of Christ He warns them to beware of Sin chiefly that root of Malice Envy and Hypocrisy for these are usually complicated in one for as it gave being to all our Misery and has been all along the ruine of Nations Churches and Communities so we are advertised that it will abound towards the end of the World To avoid this damning Iniquity we are willed to consider our new Birth and as new-born Babes to evidence our delight to be in the sincere Milk of the Word of God not in the Vanities of this World where we are but Pilgrims and Strangers assuring us that as Christ is the sure Foundation to support his Church So however some Builders do set him at naught he is the Head of the Corner and will certainly in time confound the Disobedient 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Howbeit lest Christians should be too impatient of the seeming delay of Christ's Exaltation and of the manifold Tribulations which in the mean time they must suffer he further warns them to be of an obedient and submissive Spirit to such as are in Authority and to adorn their Profession by an honest Conversation as the best way to silence their Opposers For so is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For tho it be very true that all Christians are the Lord's Freemen 1 Cor. 7. 22. yet they may not maliciously despise any Man nor dishonour any Man much less any that are in Authority Christianity being indeed the greatest Obligation that any Man can be
Cause why we think your pretended Baptism a Nullity for your Error about the Subject is more than the other 3. What you say further is to make us believe that Christ did not go into the Water that the Eunuch went to the Water only because the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ad to But your Conscience will tell you it signifies into as well as to and indeed you grant it and then to what putpose do you quarrel our Translation However we have proved that Christ was baptized in the River and 't is expresly said of the many Thousands which came to Jordan that they were all baptized in the River confessing their Sins Now Sir here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be rendred to the River nor with the River without egregious Folly and then 't is very plain that they were all dipped in the River for it had been absolute Folly to go into the River to sprinkle the Face Hand or any other part of the Body Seeing then they went into the River to baptize it shews it cannot rightly be done without going into the Water and therefore of necessity we must understand Dipping is the only true Mode of Baptizing 4. I marvel how any wise Man can look upon that Text John 3. 23. John baptized in Enon because there was much Water there and so much as think Sprinkling to be a lawful way of baptizing If he will use any of his Wit he cannot but infer Baptism could not be rightly done with a few drops of Water seein John chose Enon because there was much Water there And what tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify many Waters yet it does not signify many Rivers but by the Noise of many Waters is often meant the Noise of much Water in one Source or Channel However you say the Greek signifies the Confluence of these two Springs Jordan and Jaboc but yet you are unwilling that they should yield so much Water as might suffice to dip in And yet the Scripture tells you elsewhere that Jordan overflows all her Banks at certain times and Lithgow that was at it will give you an account that it is a River sufficient to dip a bigger Man than your self in But here you say is no mention of dipping Yes Sir but there is for when you hear that John was baptizing in Enon he was either dipping or sprinkling The latter would make the Speech absurd and nonsensical the former therefore was his Business for he was dipping in Enon near Salem because there was much Water there Your Church therefore is very much to blame in leaving the Way of Truth and following her own Tradition and is therefore the cause of our present disunion and will be till she turn to the Truth both in the Subject and Manner of Baptism or at least forbear to impose upon us without Authority from Heaven What you add by way of answer to some of our Objections against Infant Baptism is answered in my Reply to Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. J. Barret which is bound up with my Book of Primitive Christianity and to that I will refer you What you add about Sureties or God-Fathers c. I shall not take notice of at this time and indeed the usage is so odd that Dr. Jer. Taylor well said if it had been God's will to have had them It is to be supposed he would have given them Commission to have transacted the Solemnity with better Circumstances and given Answers with more Truth for if the God Fathers answer in the Name of the Child I do believe it is notorious they speak false and ridiculously And this is even enough to say to such an Innovation But what absurdity is it which being once made a Cannon by learned Men will not find some to daub it up with untempered Mortar Could Men but remember Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. they would fear to add to or take from the Ordinances of Christ under what pretence of Piety or Prudence soever Thus Sir I have briefly answered your Arguments and hope I have not mistaken your Sence in any Passage I except against And for a Conclusion I crave leave to say That the way to obtain that Unity which is so desirable between the Baptized Believers and the Church of England is not to fall to it by Disputation but by proposing what Abatements may be made about such things as are not mentioned in the Scripture as this of Poedo-Baptism is not or at least what mitigation may be hoped for as to the imposition of such things And on the other side I trust in the Lord that you shall call for nothing from us wherein we may submit without sinning against God but we shall gladly hearken to you In the mean time constant Prayer to God for the Blessing of Truth and Peace and friendly conference between the leading Men on both parts may do much to further so good a Work specially if his Majesty would be graciously pleased to permit such friendly Treaties But of writing many Books there is no end SECT IV. A Plea for the Church-Assemblies of the Baptized Believers MAny and very great has been the Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation since the publication of the Act entitled an Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles And if the meaning of the said Act be to restrict all Christian Assemblies except the Parochial to the number of four Persons besides the Families where they do assemble We see not how we can with safety to our Souls conform to the Limits thereby prescribed But forasmuch as the said Act pretends only the prevention and suppression of Seditious Conventicles We humbly conceive that those who are free from Seditious Designs in their meeting together to worship God are rationally acquitted from the Imputation of Sedition and consequently no Man can conscienciously prosecute any of us upon that Statute being utterly unable to prove any such Crime against us nor could any ever yet convict us of such an Evil nor by the Grace of God shall they I hope ever be able to do it Upon a due Enquiry it will evidently appear that it is the Lord himself that hath ordered his People to convene or congregate for the better discharge of the great Duties of Prayer Preaching and the Celebration of other his holy Ordinances to which holy Ends he has allowed not four Persons only but the whole Church in any Town or City to come together into one Place among whom also such as do not believe the Gospel are allowed to appear in order to their Illumination and this without any limitation in respect of Number So that it seems to exceed the due Bounds of humane Power to use Restraint where God hath given such gracious Liberty 1 Cor. 14. 23 24 25. Jam. 2. 2 3. Heb. 10. 24. Forasmuch then as God has not given any Power upon Earth to forbid any Christian or such as desire to know Christ to hear his
Word at any time or in any place but on the contrary commands every Man that hath an Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 2. 7. saying To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal 95. 7. Proclaiming to every one that thirsteth to come and take of the Waters of Life freely Isa 55. 1. To whose gracious Invitation the Spirit and the Bride the Church agreeth saying Come Rev. 22. 17. It must needs be very dangerous for any Man to say Do not come when they desire to drink of these living Waters which flow in the lively Preaching of the Gospel of Christ And how can we think that our gracious God who in Things pertaining to this Life will not allow us to say to our Neighbour Go away and come again to morrow and I will give when we have it by us Prov. 3. 27 28. will ever accept us with a Well-done good and faithful Servant if in the more weighty Matters of his Law we put Men off with delatory Answers Behold now is the accepted Time behold now is the Day of Salvation It must be granted that the Church is the Light of the World a City set upon a Hill that cannot be hid whilst therefore we are conscionably and we trust groundedly persuaded that we are a part of this Church a necessity lieth upon us to make manifest the Savour of the Knowledg of Christ in every Place For as it was truly said to Christ That no Man doth any thing in secret and himself desires to be known openly So neither must the Church of Christ obscure her Light by a secret Profession of Christianity lest she contradict her own Prayer and the Practice of the Primitive Churches held forth in these Words God be merciful to us and bless us and cause his Face to shine upon us that his Way may be known upon the Earth and his Saving-Health among all Nations And now Lord behold their Threatnings and grant unto thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And they spake the Word with boldness And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death And became Followers of the Churches of God having received the Word in much Affliction with Joy of the Holy-Ghost And if for the like faithful Testimony we must still suffer as we have done we shall rejoyce as Christ hath exhorted us The Church is taught of God to hold fast not her Faith only but also the Profession of her Faith and this not by Starts and Girds as Men give them License or Toleration but with all constancy and without wavering And surely our Lord foreseeing and by his Apostles foreshewing what would come to pass required that this Profession be held without wavering in the Business of Church-Assembling Heb. 10. 25. because without such Assemblies the whole Service of God in a Church-way is like to fall to the ground This Duty as it is of greatest importance so it is founded upon Heavens Authority Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together And it is granted by the learned Protestants That against the Law of God or Nature no contrary Custom doth ever prevail Dr. Field of the Church lib. 4. He that doth any thing by Command from the King contrary to the Command of God does not fear God saith Dr. Savage Chaplain to K. Charles II in his Dew of Hermon p. 36 to 39. And speaking of the first Preachers of the Gospel he saith Their Rulers enjoined them not to preach Christ and therein they did well to disobey for otherwise they had not feared God inasmuch as tho their Rulers were above them yet God was above them both For in commanding any thing contrary to the Word and Will of God they abuse their Power either through their Ignorance or Wilfulness and in that case meerly Passive Obedience is to be yielded These latter Sentences are the more remarkable being written by one of his Majesties Chaplains in Answer to a Book written by the Baptized Believers in this Age entitled Sion's Groans for her Distressed which Book whilst he pretends to confute he has confirmed it in the main scope and Intent of it As it is impossible by Mulcts and Penalties to overcome the faithful Professors of the Truth for that which is of God Men cannot overthrow Acts 5. 39. so neither will those that are zealous for Error be vanquished by that way And the mischief is their Errors are by their Sufferings made the more taking with those of weak Judgments What then is the result of Persecution for Religion Is it not commonly this That the Hypocrites or Time-servers do fill that Church which has the Power of the Magistrate on her side And suppose she have the Truth on her side yet those Temporizers come not to her Communion for the Truths sake and therefore cannot be a Blessing to her nor she to them nay these shall the soonest of all others betray her when ever Time shall minister occasion for those who are not true to God and their own Conscience will never be faithful to Men. They worship not the King of Heaven but the Earthly Crown and Scepter much like Euripus carried headlong sometimes this way sometimes that way Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 21. But shortly to sum up what is or might be further said in this Case 1. To restrict our Assemblies to the Limits of the said Act is to obey Man rather than God who gives liberty without limiting the Numbers of those that meet to worship him in a Church-way And whilst we believe our Assemblies are true Churches we must endeavour to meet in God's way whoever countermands it 2. For thus to limit our Assemblies to the Number of Four will certainly destroy all our Church-Assemblies For suppose some Congregation or Church consist but of an hundred Persons these being divided into Fours have no Church-Assembly unless every of these four be a Church And if the Magistrate have just power to divide us into Fours or Fives he has power to subdivide us into Two's and by consequence to dissolve all our Assemblies I confess a small Number may constitute a true Church Gregory Thaumaturgus tho a Bishop had a Church consisting but of seventeen Persons Basil de Spirit Sanct. cap. 29. Our Saviour has promised his presence where two or three are met together in his Name But then in his Name signifieth in his Authority and according to his Appointment Now Christ has no where appointed that four and no more should come together into one House or Place no tho an hundred Persons be come together if more do come they cannot be prohibited by all that Power which God has given to Man as we have shewed 3. Our zealous Country-Men of the Parochial Way would think it very unlawful to be limited in their Meetings to fours or fives and yet they ought to