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
Apostles without a precept doth not necessarily binde the Church as may be proved by many instances for Christ washed his disciples feet before his supper and he administred it at night and to twelve men onely and no women yet we are not bound so to do In the Apostles dayes widows were maintained to serve the Church at the publike charge yet we are not bound to have such Likewise the first Christians sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men and lived together and had all things common Acts 2. 44. yet are not we obliged so to do Secondly The reason is not alike at the beginning Christians had no Churches nor Fonts in them and therefore they were constrained to Baptize in such places where were store of waters besides the climat of Iudea is far better then ours and men in riper yeers that were converted to the Christian Faith were Baptized in great multitudes and they might without any danger go into the Rivers and be Baptized after such a manner but now the Gospel having been long planted in these parts we have seldome any Baptized but children who cannot without danger to their health be Dipt and plunged over head and ears in the Font or Rivers especially if they be infirm children and the season very cold and the air sharp and piercing Lastly They urge the custome of many ancient Churches in which a three-fold Dipping was used and if they Dipt those that were Baptized three times it should seem they thought Dipping very necessary But we answere First that what those Ancients did they had no precept for it and if they follow some of the Ancients in Dipping the Baptized why do they not follow the example of all the ancient Churches in Christening children Secondly Those ancient Churches which used the trina immeâ—sio they speak of did it for this end To expresse the three Persons which may as well be done by thrice sprinkling or washing the Baptized as well as thrice Dipping But the truth is that neither is requisite because the Trinity is sufficiently expressed in the very form of Baptisme when the Minister saith I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Thirdly We answer with the Apostle That though some of the Ancients had such a custome for a time yet now we have no such custome neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. ARTICLE II. Concerning the baptizing of children ANABAPTIST NOne ought to be Baptized but those that professe repentance and faith and consequently no children ought to be Christened THE REFUTATION The children of such parents as professe Christian religion and are members of the visible church sith they are comprised within Gods covenant made to the faithfull children of Abraham and their seed may and ought to receive the seal of that covenant which was Circumcision under the law but now is Baptisme which I prove ARGUMENT I. That which extends to all nations belongeth to children as well as men for children are a great part if not the half of all nations But Christs command of Baptizing extendeth to all nations Matth. 28. 19. Go therefore teach all nations baptizing them and Mark 15. 16. Preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Ergo Christs command of Baptizing belongeth to children and they ought to be baptized as well as men ANABAPTISTS ANSWER Christs command extends onely to such as are capable of teaching and instruction which children in their infancy are not for Christ saith Teach all uations baptizing them REPLY First the words of onr Saviour are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is make disciples and though children in their non-age cannot be taught yet they may be made Christs disciples by being admitted into his school their parents giving their names to Christ both for themselves and their families And in Christs precept teaching doth not goe before but follow Baptizing ver 20. teaching them to observe all things c. which is punctually observed in the children of the faithfull who after they are Baptized when they come to yeers of discretion are taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded Secondly Though children in their infancy are not capable of teaching or instruction because therein they must be active both by apprehending what is delivered to them and assenting to the truth thereof yet are they capable of Baptisme wherein they are meerly passive being washed in the Name of the Trinity prayed for and blessed and received into Christs congregation this may fitly be illustrated by Circumcision which by the command of God was to be administred to children at the eighth day though then they were no way capable of teaching or instruction in the Spirituall meaning of that outward signe made in their flesh and our Argument drawn from the analogie of Baptisme and Circumcision may be truly called in regard of the Anabaptists pons asinorum a bridge which these asses could never passe over for to this day they could never not hereafter will be able to yeeld a reason why the children of the faithfull under the Gospel are not as capable of Baptisme as they under the Law of Circumcision If they alleadge that these cannot be taught being but sucklings neither could they If they alleadge that these know not what is done unto them nor have any sense at all of the Sacrament neither had they save that they felt the pain of the knife as these do the coldnesse of the water and often shed tears at their Christening as the others did at their Circumcising If it be further said That they were of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh it may be truly rejoyned that these are of the seed of Abraham according to promise and his children as he is the father of the faithfull and so they have the better title of the two Thirdly It is no way safe to defer Baptisme till riper yeers for by this means millions of children might go out of this world without the ordinary means of their salvation which were an unsufferable if not a damnable abuse for though we like not of that rigid opinion of the schools ascribed to S. Augustine who in that regard was stiled durus pater infantum that children dying unbaptized are necessarily damned yet we must take heed of declining to the other extream in denying Baptisme to be the ordinary means of salvation for them and thereby slighting our Lords precept It is true God is not tied to his own Ordinance he may and in charitie we beleeve doth save thousands of the children of the faithfull who are still-born or dye before baptisme neither will he punish the child for that which it is no way guiltie of yet Gods ordinance ties us and the parents and governours are guiltie of a hainous crime before God who in contempt of Christs command or
other his Dominions unto whom the chiefe government of all estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Civill in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any forrain jurisdiction The Lawes of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences The summe of all is the Civill Magistrate is a divine ordinance and his chiefe care is or ought to be Religion for the defence and vindication whereof God hath put a sword in his hand to cut off the disturbers of the Peace as well in the Church as the Common-wealth and because he is the Minister of God for our wealth and safety his authority is to be obeyed by all sorts of men for conscience sake and not to be resisted upon paine of damnation And now Christian Reader thou hast heard a Harmony listen not to discords thou hast heard a consort of silver Trumpets hearken not to a single oat-pipe or the harsh sound of Rams hornes thou hast heard the suffrages of all the learned Divines in the Reformed Churches regard not the votes of a few illiterate Mechanicks much lesse the fancie and dreames of fanaticall Enthusiasts who because they are Anomolaes themselves would not by their good will there should bee any Rules because they are wandring Starres they would have none fixt because they are dissolute they would have no bonds of Lawes because they are Schismaticks and Non-conformists they would have no Discipline in the Church because they are dunces and ignorant both of Tongues and Arts they would have no learning nor Universities Lastly because they walke inordinately they would have no coercive power in the Magistrate to restraine them There was never more cause then now to take heed what thou hearest and to try the spirits whether they are of God or no for there is not one only lying spirit as in the dayes of Ahab but many lying spirits in the mouthes of Prophets not only Romish Priests and Iesuits who endeavour to seduce thee to spirituall thraldome idolatry and superstition but also diverse sorts of schismaticall Teachers who intice thee to carnall liberty prophanenesse sacriledge and faction When I first heard of the manner of taking Apes in the Indies I could scarce forbeare laughter but now seeing dayly men of worth and parts caught after the same manner by our new Sectaries I can hardly refrain tears The maner of taking those beasts is thus described he that goes about to catch Apes in those parts of America which abound with them brings a Bason with fair water and therein paddles with his hands and washeth his face in sight of the Apes and then steps aside for a while the Ape seeing the coast cleare steales to the Bason and seeing his face in the water is much delighted therewith and in imitation of the man dabbles with his feet in the cleare water and washes his face and wipes his eyes and after this he lyes in wait for him fetches away the Bason powres out the faire water and fills it againe with water mingled with birdlime and puts the Bason in the place where it stood before the Ape returning to the Bason and suspecting nothing puts his feet in the birdlime and with that foul mingled water washes his face and wipes his eyes which are thereby so dazled the eye-lids closed up that unawares he is easily caught In like manner these late Proselytes who invade many empty Pulpits in the City and Suburbs at the first in their Sermons set before thee as it were a Bason of the pure water of life wherin thou maist see thy face wash away the spots of thy soul but after they have got thy liking and good opinion confide in thee then they mingle bird-lime with the water of life the birdlime of Socinianisme of Libertinisme or Antinominianisme Brownisme and Anabaptisme wherewith after they have put out or closed the eyes of thy judgement they lead thee whither they lift and make a prey of thee Praemonitus praemunitus I have forewarned thee bee thou forearmed against them and the Lord give thee a right judgment in all things Gastius de exord Anabap. p. 495. Quia Anabaptistae à veritate avertunt aures idea Deus mittit illis Doctores non qui lingua medica sanarent ulcera ipsorum sed qui pruritum ac scabiem affectuum ipsorum commodè scalperent Because the Anabaptists turn away their eares from the truth God sendeth them teachers according to their desire not such as with their wholesome tongues and doctrine heale their sores but with their nailes scratch gently the itch of their carnall lusts and affections Remarkeable Histories OF THE ANABAPTISTS WITH OBSERVATIONS thereupon THE French after the first course of solid dishes entertaine their guests with Kicke-shoses and wee with fruit In the former part of this Treatise courteous Reader as well in the propounding our arguments for the orthodox faith as in the Refutation of the Anabaptists objections against it I desired to set before thee Solid and substantiall dishes to strengthen thee in the true doctrine of thereformed Church of England but in these ensuing relations and observations I make bold to set on the board Kicke-shoses and variety of strange fruits which though peradventure they will not much nourish thy faith yet eaten with a graine of Salt will some way irritate thy appetite and help thy digestion and concoction OBSERVAT. I. That the Anabaptists are an Illiterate and Sottish Sect. As Macarius who had the care and oversight of erecting that magnificent structure at Ierusalem built by Helena the mother of Constantine the great was happy in his name for Macarius in Greek signifieth blessed and as Theodoret testifieth a blessed man was he so on the contrary many Arch-hereticks and Boâ—tefeux of the Church and State have been happily unlucky in their names their God-Fathers at the Font proving Prophets and the names they gave them being presages of their qualities and fortunes and Characters of their persons Haymo noteth out of Iraeneus that Ebion the Father of the Ebionites signifieth in Hebrew poore and silly and a silly poore man God wot was he Manes the Father of the Manichees derives his name in Greeke from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insanio or à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insania madnesse and verily a franticke heretick was he Aërius the Father of the AërianÌ„s carieth wind in his name and a light giddy-braind fellow was hee blowne into his heresie with the wind of ambition as Saint Augustine declareth in his bed-roll of heresies What should I descend to Maldonate whos 's very name speaketh the abuse of his filts Maldonatus quasi malè donatus and to Ignatius the Founder of his Sect Ignatius Layola who as he hath Ignem fire in his name so he and his Disciples have proved the greatest Incendiaries in the Christian world I will trouble thee but with one instance more and that is
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
baptized before they can hear and understand the gospel preached to them ANSWER 1. The setting preaching before baptizing doth no more prove that preaching must alwaies go before baptisme then the naming repentance before faith Mar. 1. 15. Repent and beleeve the gospel proves that repentance goeth alwayes before faith which the Anabaptists themselves hold not 2. Christ setteth in that place preaching before baptizing for two reasons neither of which make any thing against the baptisme of children The first is because it is the more principall act of the ministeriall function for it is preaching which through the operation of the holy Spirit begetteth faith which the sacraments only confirme preaching draweth the instrument as it were of the covenant between God and us whereunto the sacrament is set as a seal Secondly because Christ there speaketh of converting whole nations to the Christian faith in which alwayes the preaching of the word goeth before the administration of the sacraments For first men beleeve and after are admitted to baptisme but after the parents are converted their children being comprised within the covenant are admitted to baptisme and whensoever any proselyte is to be made this course is likewise to be taken they must professe their faith before they be received into the church by baptisme but the case is different in children they have neither the use of reason to apprehend the gospel preached unto them nor use of their tongue to professe their faith and God requireth no more of them then he hath given them the like course God himself took in the old law before any men of riper years were circumcised the commandement of God was declared and his covenant made known unto them but children were circumcised the eight day before they were capable of any preaching unto them or such declaration Nothing remaineth but that the two objections concerning the doctrine of the Trinitie in the beginning propounded by D. F. for no other end but to try how well verst these ring-leaders of the Anabaptists were in the more necessary points of catechisme he answered The first was framed out of Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. If the Father be the only true God how is the Son or the holy Ghost very God Hereunto the Anabaptists gave two answers the first blaspemous the second unsufficient and impertinent as appears in the beginning of the conference The true answer is that Christ Ioh. 17. prayeth to God and not to any of the three Persons particularly for though he useth the word Father v. 1. yet Father is not there taken for the first Person in Trinity but as a common attribute of the deity as it is also taken Mat. 6. 9. Our Father v. 14. your heavenly Father Gal. 1. 4. God and our Father Jam. 1. 27. Before God and the Father 1 Pet. 1. 17. If you call him Father who judgeth without respect of persons So then the meaning is O God Father of heaven and earth This is life eternall to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. According to which interpretation this text is parallel to that of the Apostle one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. The second objection was out of Ioh. 15. 26. The spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father If the spirit proceed from the Father only how do we say in the Nicen creed and that other of Athanasius and in the Letany which proceedeth from the Father and the Son To this none of the Anabaptists gave any answer at all yet the answer is very easie for the spirit is said to proceed from the Father in the place above alledged because he proceedeth from the Father originally not because he proceedeth from the Father only for he is elsewhere called the spirit of the Son as well as of the Father Gal. 4. 6. And in this very text Ioh. 15. 26. it is said the spirit whom I will send you from the Father which sheweth that the holy Spirit hath a dependance from both To whom three Persons and one only true God be ascribed all glory honour power and dominion for evermore FINIS A TRACTATE against the ANABAPTISTS CHAPTER I. Of the name and severall sorts of Anabaptists THe name Anabaptist is derived from the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth are-baptizer or at least such an one who alloweth of and maintaineth re-baptizing they are called also Catabaptists from the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying an abuser or prophaner of baptisme For indeed every Anabaptist is also a Catabaptist the reitteration of that sacrament of our entrance into the church and seal of our new birth in Christ is a violation and depravation of that holy ordinance Of these Anabaptists or Catabaptists who differ no more then Bavius and Maevius of whom the poet elegantly writeth Qui Bavium non odit amat tua carniua Maevi Alstedius maketh fourteen sorts first the Muncerians 2. the Apostolical 3. the Separatists 4 the Catharists 25 the Silents 6. the Enthusiasts 7. the Libertines 8. the Adamites 9. the Hutites 10. the Augustintans 11. the Buchedians 12. the Melchiorites 13. the Georgians 14. the Menonists But in this as in other things he is more to be commended for his diligence in collection then for his judgement in election For although there are schismaticall and hereticall persons that have neer affinitie with Anabaptists known by all these names yet these are not so many distinct and severall sorts of Anabaptists For some of these differ only in respect of their doctors or teachers and not of their doctrines as the Muncerians Hutites Menonists others were hereticks more ancient then the Anabaptists properly so called as namely the Apostolicall the Catharists the Adamites and Enthusiasts though as I shall shew hereafter some of our present Anabaptists trench upon their heresies the Augustinians Melchiorites and Georgians are Anabaptists aliquid amplius though they agree with them in their main doctrine of re-baptizing yet they go beyond the ordinary Anabaptists holding far more damnable tenents then they For the Augustinians beleeve that none shall enter into paradise till the prince of their sect Austine the Bohemian shall open the way The Melchiorites expect Melchior Hofmannus to come with Elias to restore all things before the last day The Georgians blasphemously boast that their master David George was a holy person composed and made of the soul of Christ the third person in the Trinitie Lastly he omitteth one sort of Anabaptists called Hemerobaptists who in the summer time quotidiè baptizabātur were christened every day senserunt enim aliter non posse hominem vivere si non singulis diebus in aqua mergeretur ita ut abluatur sanctificetur ab omni
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
nullifie all baptisme administred either by Romish priests or orthodox Protestants but condemn baptizing of children simply which neither the first nor the second sort of Anabaptists did for both the Novatians and Donatists yea and Pelagians too though they denied originall sin yet they all allowed and practised the baptisme of infants The author of this third and worst sect of Anabaptists was as some say Muncerus as others Balthasar Pacimontanus against whom Zuinglius wrote as others Carolstadius but I subscribe to Melancthou who lived in those times and could not but be very well acquainted with those passages which fell out near the place of his residence And he affirmeth as I said before that Nicholas Stock was the first that broached Anabaptisme in Germany This Stock affirmed that God spake to him by an Angel and revealed his will to him in dreams promising him the place of the Angel Gabriel in this mans school was Tho. Muncer bred who kept such a racket in Alset a citie in the borders of Thuringia and after him Iohn Leydan and Cniperdoling who in the year 1532. infected and infested also Munster wherein though they consul'd it and king'd it for a time yet in the end were taken pinched with fiery pincers and after stab'd to the heart with daggers and their bodies shut up in iron cages which were hung upon the highest steeple in Munster where they dance in the aire And as Garnet the Jesuit the great patron and practiser of equivocation in his life time is said to have equivocated in some sort after his death for two faces of his were shewed by Roman catholikes the one upon an iron pole the other upon a straw so these ring-leaders of the Anabaptists who stickled so much for re-baptizing in their life time have been a thousand times re-baptized since their death by every shower of rain beating through their iron lettice CHAP. II. Of the errors of the Anabaptists both common to other sects and those which are peculiarly their own THose who have raked into this mud find severall beds of these slippery Eels or rather indeed Lampreys for they have all of them some string or other of poyson in them Their errours they rank into three kinds First ecclesiasticall or in point of the church or matter of faith Secondly politicall or in point of policie or matter of state Thirdly oeconomicall or in point of family-government First their ecclesiasticall errors such as peculiarly concern the doctrine or discipline of the church are First That Christ took not flesh from the Virgin Mary but that he past through her as the Sun beams do through glasse or rain through a spout Secondly That there is no originall sin Thirdly That children ought not to be baptized Fourthly That such as have been baptized in their infancie ought to be re-baptized when they come to years of discretion Fifthly That Lay-people may preach and administer the sacraments Gastius p. 35. Anabaptistae sumunt sibi omnes praedicandi officium Sixthly That men have free will not only in naturall and morall but also in spirituall actions Seventhly That absolution and the church-peace ought to be denied to such who are fallen into any grievous sin yea though they repent of it Eighthly That Luthers doctrine is worse then the Popes Secondly their politicall errors or in matter of state are First That the people may depose their magistrates and chief rulers Sleid. ib. licere plebets in magistratum arnia sumere Secondly That a Christian with a good conscience may not take upon him or bear the office of a magistrate or keep any court of Justice Thirdly That none may administer an oath to another Fourthly That no malefactors ought to be put to death Thirdly their oeconomicall errors are First That no man hath a proprietie in his goods but that all things ought to be held in common Secondly That it is lawfull to have more wives then one at once Thirdly That a man may put away his wife if she differ from him in point of religion and be not of their sect These indeed are the most of their known errors yet all the Lampreys are not found in these beds there be some straglers and to the end that none of them escape we will put them all as it were into two great weels All the errors of the Anabaptists are of two sorts First such as they hold in common with other heretiks Secondly such as are peculiar to their sect First concerning the common errors we are to note that as the wild beasts in Africa meeting at the rivers to drinke engender one with another and beget strange monsters whence is that proverb semper Africa altquid apportat novi so diverse kinds of heretiks and schismatiks meeting together at unlawfull conventicles and having conference one with the other have mingled their opinions and brought forth mungrell heresies Epiphanius instanceth in diverse ancient heretiks but I shall only at this time in those heretikes I am now to deale with viz. the last and worst sort of Anabaptists these joyn their opinions and if I may so speake engender First with the Millenaties and their joynt issue is That Christ before the day of judgement shall come downe from heaven and reigne with the saints upon earth a thousand yeares in which time they shall destroy all the wicked binding their Kings in chaines and their Nobles in links of iron Secondly with the Catharists or Novatians and their joynt issue is That they are a communion of all saints and that none that hath fallen into idolatrie or any other grievous crime for which he hath beene excommunicated ought to be restored upon his repentance to the church Thirdly with the Donatists and their joynt issue is That in the true church there are no scandals or lewd and vitious livers that the church of Christ is confined to their sect that we ought to separate from all assemblies of Christians wherein there are any abuses or scandals yea though the church alloweth them not but seeketh to reforme them that all such as have been baptized by any other then those of their sect ought to be rebaptized Fourthly with the Priscillianists and their joynt issue is That Christ took not flesh from the Virgin Mary Fifthly with the Adamites and their joynt issue is That clothes were appointed not so much to cover shame as to discover sinne and that therefore they being such as Adam was in his innocencie ought to goe naked and not to be ashamed Sixtly with the Apostolici that is a sort of hereticks who perversely and preposterously imitated the first Christians in the dayes of the Apostles and their joynt issue is That none ought to possesse any lands or goods to himself but that they ought to have all things in common This was
therefore it ought to be administred only to beleevers else we set a seal to a blank But children are no beleevers nor can be while they are such because they cannot understand the word nor give assent thereunto Ergo children ought not to be baptized But we answer that unbeleevers or not beleevers may be either taken for first such as when they hear the word of God reject it or secondly such who neither have means to hear it nor desire it such unbeleevers are to be excluded from baptisme For to give baptisme to such were worse then to set a seal to a blank it were to give holy things to dogs and cast pearl before swine Or thirdly for such who are born within the precincts of the church and care is taken that they shall be taught the principles of faith as soon as they are capable thereof These though they cannot give yet an actuall consent to the mysteries of faith are not to be rearmed infidels or unbeleevers positively but negatively only and we ought in charitie to beleeve that they will actually beleeve as soon as they shall have use of reason and God by his spirit shall open their hearts to attend to the word preached to unbeleevers in this latter sense as circumcision the seal of the righteousnesse of faith under the law was given so may baptisme though not in token of their present yet of their future faith Secondly the children of the faithfull parents whom the Apostle calleth holy receive some measure of grace even in their infancie as the text saith expressely of S. Iohn Baptist he shall be filled with the holy Ghost from his mothers womb Luke 1. 15. 41. as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe sprang in her womb Upon which words S. Ambrose commenting saith Iohn Baptist while he was yet in his mothers womb received the grace of the holy Ghost and his leaping with joy argued some sense and apprehension of that joyfull message Now sith children that dye shortly after baptisme have the full sight of Gods face in heaven why may they not have some glimpse of it even whilst their soul is in their bodie S. Austine is confident that God after a most hidden manner infuseth his grace into children and in his 57. epistle ad Dardanum it is a wonderfull thing yet true that God dwels not in some who know him as the philosophers Ro. 1. and he dwelleth in some who know him not as in infants baptized We may safely therefore conclude with Tilenus children have faith as they have reason in the seed though not in the fruit in the root though not in the leaf in some inward operation though not in any outward expression They argue also ab absurdo indeed absurdly after this manner signum frustra datur non intelligenti it is a vain and absurd thing to administer the sacrament to such as know not what it means as it is to no purpose to present a beautifull picture to a blind man or sound a silver trumpet in a deaf mans eare or minister physick to a dead bodie But children know not what the sacrament means when the cold water is powred on them they are offended with it and expresse their dislike with crying and tears therefore it is vain to christen children But we answer in this objection the Anabaptists Gyant-like fight with God For if there be any force in this argument at all it will be as available to overthrow the circumcising of children instituted in the old law by God himselfe as their baptisme in the new For the children among the Iews under the law who were circumcised the eighth day knew no more what circumcision meant then ours do what baptisme only they felt the pain of the knife as these do the coldnesse of the water yet were they circumcised by Gods expresse command Will they say that Christ uttered many parables and wrought many signs and wonders before his disciples and other of the Iews in vain because at the present they understood them not though afterwards they understood them and made singular use of them In like manner dare they affirm that Christ did in vain lay his hands upon children and blessed them because children knew not what it meant or that ministers in vain baptize them because at that time they know not what it signifieth or why it is done Secondly it is not in vain to offer to any that which may doe them good whether they be sensible of it or no Physick is ministred to children naturall fooles and mad men to cure them although in the case they are they have no knowledge what good it may doe them A man that is in a swoon hath strong water poured down his throat even when he is past sense and it fetcheth him again so though children perceive not what they receive yet the sacrament may be and is soveraign unto them for their soules health Thirdly though children for the present understand not why they are baptized and what is undertaken for them and what fruit they reap by baptisme yet order is taken by the Church that as soon as they come to yeares of discretion and actuall use of reason they shall understand and be perfectly instructed in this mysterie and that which is done to them in their infancie after they have notice of it will be altogether as beneficiall unto them as if they had known it at the time when the sacrament was administred unto them They argue from the effects of baptisme baptisme is the laver of regeneration the burying of the old man the putting on of Christ the putting away the filth of the flesh with a confident demanding of a good conscience But children are not regenerated nor renewed in their mind nor have buried the old man nor have put on the new nor can confidently demand with a good conscience out of a certain perswasion of faith therefore they ought not to be baptized But we answer the texts of scripture upon which they ground their argument namely Coloss. 2. 11 12. Tit. 3. 5. Heb. 10. 22. 1 Pet. 3. 21. contain in them high commendations of baptisme but no prohibitions of administring it to children for all these effects the Spirit of God produceth in all the elect that are baptized but not all at an instant but by degrees as we grow in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour they are begun at our baptisme but perfected afterwards unlesse the partie immediately die after baptisme when no doubt God supplyeth that by the extraordinarie work of his Spirit which riper years with the ordinarie means of faith would have brought forth if God had spared them life Children are regenerated by the impression of Gods image in their soul which in processe of time shineth most bright in them by supernaturall light in the understanding and puritie in the heart and conformitie in their
lives to the law of God they are also purged from the guilt of their sinnes and Christs righteousnesse is imputed unto them though they have no sense or feeling thereof till God worketh powerfully upon their hearts by the preaching of the word and they apprehend Christs merits by an actuall faith As a flower in the winter lyes hid under ground in the root which at the spring shooteth forth the leaves thereof so in children that are baptized there remaines that root of sanctifying grace in their hearts which in riper yeares putteth forth the leaves thereof by a holy profession and bringeth forth fruit by a godly conversation They argue à pari if the sacrament of baptisme be to be administred to children then also the sacrament of the Lords supper for both are seales of the same covenant But the supper is not to be administred unto infants therefore neither is baptisme But we answer that the inference is not good for though both are seales of the covenant of grace yet there is a three-fold disparitie in them which looseneth the sinewes of the argument First baptisme is the seale of our new birth but the Lords supper of our growth in grace and ghostly strength baptisme is a sacrament of initiation the Lords supper of perfection Now it will not follow that because a punie or novice may or ought to be admitted to the lowest form in the school of Christ therefore he may and ought to be set in the highest the Lords supper is strong meat and not milk and therefore no fit meat for sucklings Secondly the sacrament of the Lords supper was instituted for the commemoration of Christs death As oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup saith the Apostle ye shall declare the Lords death till he come But children neither can apprehend nor shew forth Christs death therefore that sacrament is not ordained for them Thirdly before the receiving the Lords Supper every one is required to examine himselfe which children cannot do But before baptisme there is no such examination required Though if any in riper years be converted to the Christian faith it is most requisite that he be examined by the minister who baptiseth him and that he be able to give a good account of his faith but every one who is fit to be baptized is not presently to be addmitted to the Lords Table without precedent preparation and a more strict examination of himself both concerning his growth in faith and sinceritie of repentance and unfained charitie with an earnest desire of that heavenly repast They argue from Christs example who was not baptized till he was thirtie years of age But we answer that Christs example alone without a precept doth not bind us For Christ neither instituted nor administred the holy Supper till the day before his death and then he both administred and received it after Supper and that with his Apostles only yet we are not bound either to defer our receiving to the day before our death or to administer the Eucharist after Supper or to participate only with such a number and those Priests or Ministers of the Gospell Secondly Christ in his infancie was circumcised circumcision then being in force neither was baptisme then instituted but now circumcision is abrogated and baptisme succeeds in the place thereof Thirdly though Christ were not baptized in his infancie for the reasons above alledged yet was he baptized if I may so speak in the infancie of baptisme it self For as soon as Iohn began to baptize Christ came unto him and required baptisme of him When the fulnesse of time was come in which God had appoynted to manifest him to the world and appoynt him our teacher by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him According to whose example we ought not to defer our baptisme but upon the first opportunitie offered unto us receive that seal of our new-birth in Christ and admission into his church I conclude the answer to this argument with an observation of Gastius that Christ because he was Lord both of the people in the old testament and of them in the new therefore he would receive the sacraments of both and was both circumcised in his infancie and baptized also as soon as baptisme was in force Since the examination and confutation of this second Article of the Anabaptists there came to my hands a small pamphlet dedicated to the house of Commons intituled The vindicathâ—u of the royall commission of king Iesus wherein the author Francis Cornwell master of Arts and sometimes student of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge frameth many arguments against the ordinance of the church in baptizing infants Of which I may truly say as Martiall doth of Caecilius who made disverse dishes of one and the self same kind of course root Atreus Caecilius cucurbitarum Sic illas quasi filias Thyestae In partes lacerat secatque mille Gustu protinus has edes in ipso Has prima feret alterave mensa Has coenae tibi tertia reponit Huicseras Epidipnidas parabit Hoc lautum vocat hoc putat venustum Unum poâ—ere ferculis tot assem Thou cheatest my stomack with varietie of dishes in all which there is but one sorie root drest after a diverse manner in all of them not a half-pennie worth of good and solid meat So this new Anabaptisticall Proselyte endeavours to cheat the judgement of the reader with varietie of syllogismes and enthymems in which there is but one or two arguments at most propounded in divers forms and in all of them not the weight of one solid reason the summe effect of his whole book is contained in the title-page wherein he affirmeth that the christening of children doth universally oppose the commission granted by king Iesus Mat. 28. 19. 20. Mark 16. 15. 16. and that paedobaptisme is a popish tradition brought into the church by Innocentius the third upon these two notes he runs in division through his whole book The first hath no colour of probabilitie and the latter is a grosse ignorant untruth if the baptisme of infants oppose the coÌ„mission granted by Christ Mat. 28. either it opposeth it in words or in sense not in words for there is no mention at all of children in either of those texts much lesse any prohibition of baptizing them neither doth it oppose it in sense For the meaning of our Saviour there apparently is that his Apostles and their Successors should go and convert all Nations and plant Christian churches in them first teaching them the Gospel and principles of Christian Religion and after administring the sacraments unto them which they have done accordingly first teaching the parents and baptizing them and after their children into their faith But the objection from these texts is fully answered and retorted in the end of the conference and in the solution of the first argument brought by
the institution of circumcision then they ought to observe it in everie thing and baptize males only and that precisely on the eighth day ANSWER This argument is fallacious and childish called in the schools fallacia accidentis as when a Sophister argueth on this wise If thou didst eat that which thou boughtest in the market thou didst eat raw flesh but thou confessest thou didst eat what thou bought'st therefore by thine own confession thou didst eat raw flesh The argument is captious and fallacious wherein the Sophister subtily argueth from the subject to the accident from the substance to the circumstance it is true he ate what he bought in substance or kind were it flesh or fish but not in what qualitie or condition he bought it for he bought it raw he are it rost or boyl'd in like manner M. Bradbourn fallaciously argued before the High Commission for the observation of the Saturday or Jewish sabbath What the Iews were commanded in the â—ourth commandement that we Christians are bound to perform But the Iews were commanded to keep holy the seventh day from the Creation therefore we Christians are bound to keep that day In this syllogisme as the former there is fallacia accidentis For the Sophister as I noted before argueth from the substance to the circumstance from the same day specie to the same day numero in the week It is true we Christians are bound by vertue of that command to appoynt a certain day for the publike service of God and no lesse then one in seven or a seventh day every week yet are we not bound precisely to keep that seventh day viz. from the Creation which they did The Quartodecimani used a like Sophisme if our Easter succeed the Jewish passe-over then we ought to keep the fourteenth day precisely as the Iews do But our Christian Easter doth succeed the Jewish passe-over therefore Christians ought to keep their feast of Easter precisely on the fourth day of the month whether it fell on the first day of the week or not In like manner A. R. argueth If baptisme succeed circumcision then all children ought to be baptized on the eighth day this will not follow no more then that children ought to be baptized in the same part where they were circumcised The answer is very easie the one sacrament is to succeed the other in substance but not in each circumstance their circumcision was expressely confined to the males and to the eighth day so is not baptisme Only it will follow that because circumcision was administred to the infant as soon as it was capable thereof or could receive the sacrament without danger therefore children ought to be baptized as soon as conveniently they may And this is agreeable to the resolution of S. Cypr. 1400. years ago in his Epistle to Fidus and of a Councell held at Africk in his dayes The third argument I find p. 25. None may be warrantably baptized untill they do manifest and declare their faith by profession thereof this is apparant by the doctrine and practise First of Iohn Mat. 3. 6. 89. Mar. 1. 4. Secondly of Christ and his Apostles Ioh. 3. 22. compared with the 4. 1. 2. Act. 2. 20. 41. and 8. 36. 37. and thirdly by the tenor of the commission Mat. 28. 29. Mar. 16. 15. 16. ANSWER Though the sinews of this Argument have been cut before and the texts alledged answered yet for the further satisfaction of the reader I further adde First that none are required to manifest and declare their faith before baptisme but such who have been taught and have use both of reason and speech For the rule of the schools nemo tenetur ad impossibile holdeth in all sacramentall acts as well as others neither can they hence infer that children therefore ought not to be baptized because they can make no declaration of their faith no more then it will follow that children ought not to eat because they cannot labour for their living For though the Apostles rule be generall Let him not eat that will not labour yet all agree it must be understood of such as are able to labour so likewise all the texts of Scripture which require confession of faith must be understood of such who have the use of reason and of the tongue wherewith they may confesse Secondly children make profession of their faith and repentance both at their baptisme by their sureties and if they live to years of discretion in their own persons PART 2. The last argument I find p. 30. The administration of baptisme which over-throws the vese nature of the covenant of grace and whole Gospell of Christ is Anti-christian and abominable But the administration of baptisme upon infants doth so because it stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the covenat by naturall generation only or by the meer profession of faith in the parents or sureties without faith in their own persons whereby faith is made void and the promise which is the Gospell and object of faith is also made of none effect and so the preaching thereof becomes uselesse and vain also Rom. 4. 14. Therefore the administration of baptisme upon infants is Anti-christian and abominable ANSWER Here is thunder without lightning thundering in the conclusion the baptisme of infants is anti-christian abominable but no lightning in the premises no proof at all that the christening children overthroweth the nature of the covenant of grace the whole Gospell of Christ. For that which is built upon the covenant of grace to wit I will be thy God and the God of thy seed and is nothing else but the setling to the seal of the covenant of grace upon pre-supposition of faith present or future in the person of him that is baptized can be no over-throwing of that covenant but a confirmation and establishing it rather If we taught that children were heirs of the covenant by the law then as the Apostle teacheth us we should make faith void and the promise of none effect But now sith we teach that Abraham the father of the faithfull and all his seed are heirs of the kingdom of heaven not through the law but through the righteousnesse of faith we confirm the covenant of faith and in the christening of children accomplish the promise Act. 2. 39. The promise is to you and your children and to those that are afar off and to as many as the Lord shall call by the ministerie of the Gospell into his church Yea but saith he the administration of baptisme upon infants stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the covenant by naturall generation only or by the meer profession of faith in their parents and sureties without faith in their persons This is a false charge we teach no such thing but that children have interest in the covenant by vertue of Gods promise above mentioned and not without faith in their own persons as without may signifie the
also all the the reformed churches who conclude their prayers before their Sermon or after with this prayer conceive that it ought not only to beset before us as a pattern when we pray but also to be used as a prayer Neither are the reasons to the contrarie of any weight for though it be Scripture that doth not conclude it to be no prayer For the prayers of Moses Hannah Deborah Solomon David and Paul are set down in holy Scriptures and are part of the inspired oracles of God yet they cease not to be prayers and though in the Lords Prayer all the particular wants of Gods children are not expressed yet the main wants and principall graces are expressed to which the other may be with great facilitie added by our selvs and referred to the proper heads in the Lords Prayer Secondly hos suo jugulamus gladio we may give them a wound with their own dudgeon dagger for if they grant it to be the pattern of all Prayers it followeth that it is the perfectest of all prayers and certainly if we may use prayers of our own which are more imperfect much more may we use this which is a most absolute and perfect one If a Scrivener set a most perfect copie and therein comprise in certain sentences not only all the letters of the Alphabet but all the combinations and conjunctions of them none doubteth but that the schollers may both write other sentences according to that pattern and in the first place write those verie sentences in the copie endeavour to come as near as they can to the originall Such is the Lords Prayer a perfect copie to write by comprising in it all things needfull for a Christian to pray for first therefore we are to write it and then to write after it and correct our writing by it and though we speak with the tongue of men and Angells yet certainly our prayers cannot be so acceptable to God as when we tender them unto him in his Sons own words For this end saith that blessed Martyr S. Cyprian Christ vouchsafed to leave us this incomparable forme of prayer that whilst in prayer to the Father we read or say by heart what his Son taught us we may the sooner and easier be heard ARGUMENT IV. What the Christian church hath generally practised in all ages and places in the worship of God ought not to be thought as erroneous or swerving from the rule of Gods word But the Christian church generally in all ages and in all places hath made use of publike set and sanctified forms of prayer as appeareth by the Liturgies yet extant whereof some bear the names of the Apostles as S. Iames and S. Peter some of the Greek fathers as that of Chrysostome and S. Basil some of the Latine fathers as Ambrose Gregorie and Isidore c. Ergo set forms of prayers are not erroneous or swerving from the rule of Gods word ANABAP ANSWERS First that this is no better then a popish argument drawn from antiquitie and universalitie Secondly that these Liturgies are Apochryphall and though in latter times the use of Liturgies came in yet the purer and more ancient times used no such crutches to support their lame devotion for Justine Martyr in his second apologie affirmeth that the chief minister sent up prayers to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is interpreted according to his abilitie or gift of ex tempore prayers and Tertullian in his apologie saith that the Christians needed no monitor in their prayers as it were to chalk the way before them in a set form because they prayed by heart REPLY First the Papists pretend to antiquitie and make their brags of universalitie but in truth they have neither An argument drawn from a shadow of truth vanisheth like a shadow but an argument drawn from a true bodie is substantiall Secondly the strength of the argument lieth not in bare antiquitie and the universalitie of this practice for we know many errors are ancient and some abuses verie far spreading but in the nature and condition of the Catholike Christian church to whom Christ hath promised his perpetuall presence and the guidance of his Spirit into all truth in which regard the Apostle stileth it the pillar and ground of truth For howsoever particular churches may erre in faith and manners and the representative Catholike church in the most generall Councells hath sometimes grossely mistaken error for truth and Idolatrie for true religion yet the universall church taken formally for the whole companie of beleevers hath ever been kept by vertue of Christs promise from falling into any dangerous errour especially for any long time Thirdly Because they except against the Liturgies found in the writings of the ancient fathers in which though I grant there are some prints of noveltie yet there are foot-steps also of true antiquitie I will wave them for the present and by other good testimonies prove the constant and perpetuall use of Service or Common-Prayer-Books To begin with the first age from the ascension of our Lord to a hundred years Victorius Sciaticus Maronita in his preface to those three Liturgies he put forth saith that the Bishops both of the Eastern and Western churches made some alteration upon good ground in those Liturgies which they received from the Apostlei If this mans credit cannot carrie so great a cause yet certainly Hegesippus his testimonie a most ancient writer bordering upon the Apostles time ought not to be slighted who writeth of S. Iames chosen Bishop of Ierusalem by the Apostles themselvs that in regard of a form of Service or Common-Prayer-Book made by him for the use of the church of Ierusalem he was stiled Iacobus Liturgus In the second age Iustine Martyr in his second apologie which he wrote to Antoninus the Emperour acquainteth us with the practice of the Christians in his time which was to meet everie Sunday and in their Assemblies to read select places of Scripture hear Sermons and sing Psalmes and after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priest or chief Minister had made an end of his conceived prayer to offer up make or say Common-Prayers unto God It is true as it is alledged that he prayed by himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his might that is in the best manner he could or with all fervencie of devotion as the Rabbins say that he that pronounceth Amen with all his might openeth the gates of Eden This expression in the Greek will not conclude that the chief Minister in those dayes prayed ex tempore for it may truly be said of them who in the Universitie and at Court pen their prayers most accurately that they pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all their strength of wit memorie and affection Yet if it were granted that the Preacher in Iustine Martyrs time might make a short prayer before his Sermon ex tempore yet certainly he read other
set forms of Prayer which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Prayers and distinguished from that which he delivered alone by himself by way of preface to his Sermon or Homilie In the third age we meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescribed prayers and Tertullian in his apologetick gives us the moulds or heads of the publike prayer then constantly used saying our prayer for all our Emperors is that God would vouchsafe to grant them a long life a happy reign a safe Court valiant armies faithfull counsellors a good people a quiet world Yea but say the Anabaptists they said this prayer de pectore out of their brests and sine monitore without any guide or remembrancer or prompter and therefore by an ex tempore facultie This will not follow they mistake much the matter for this monitor Tertullian speaks of was a kind of Nomen-clator who kept a Catalogue of their numerous heathen deities to whom those Paynims prayed upon speciall occasions and directed them to whom and for what to pray left they should commit any absurditie in their prayers in praying to Ceres for wine and to Bacchus for corn Such monitors or prompters the Christians needed not who prayed to one God only and not a prayer suggested by others but premeditated by themselvs and first spoken in their heart before it was uttered by the mouth according to that of the Psalmist My heart is enditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a readie writer To pray then de pectore in Tertullians sense is no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to say without book or pray by heart or from the heart whose feat is in the brest S. Cyprian flourished in this age about the year 250. in whose writings which S. Ierome affirmeth to have been sole clamora as illustrious and well known in the Christian church as the beams of the sun or as he speaketh hyperbolically brighter then they We find some short forms of prayer at this day in use both in the Roman Missall and our book of Common-Prayer as namely sursum corda habemus ad Dominum lift up your hearts and we lift them up unto to the Lord c. Upon which passages and the like the Centurle writers who have gathered all the harvest of antiquitie and have scarce left gleanings for any other truly infer that in this blessed Martyrs dayes out of all peradventure they had certain set forms of short prayers and responds In the fourth age Eusebius writeth that the most religious Emperour Constantine the great commanded all his subjects to keep holy the Lords day and on it to send up to God with heartie and unanimous devotion an elaborate or studied form of prayer penned as it seemeth for the purpose as to give God thanks for the great and miraculous victories he gave him over all the tyrants that persecuted the church so to pray to God to perfect the great work he had begun by him to propagate the Gospell through the whole world and reduce all that were subject to the Roman state to the obedience of faith Besides this prayer penned by some Bishop the same Historian writeth that the Emperour himself made a speciall prayer which he commanded the Souldiers to say every day in the Roman tongue In this age also the famous Councell at Laodicea was held which hath left us diverse Canons like so many golden rules both to regulate our devotion and rectifie our lives and among these for one that everie morning and evening the same service or form of prayer should be used and because some even in this verie age adventured to make use of their ex tempore gift of prayer at least read or said some private prayer conceived by themselvs in stead of the publike form the Milevitan Councell provideth against this abuse by a speciall Canon which carrieth this tenor it seemed good to the reverend fathers met in this Synod to appoynt that those prayers or orizons which were devised or at least allowed by that Councell should be used by all men and no other lest peradventure something through ignorance or want of care might be uttered in the church that might not well agree with the Catholike faith The occasion of this Canon was the over-weeâ—ing conceit that some Bishops had of some prayers devised by themselvs which they obtruded to the church in stead of the publike prescript form whereby it appears that in those dayes that libertie was not permitted to any reverend or ancient Bishop which now everie punie minister taketh to himself to adde or leave out or change what he thinketh good in the Book of Common-Prayer established by the church and ratified by Act of Parliament About the end of this age or the beginning of the next Basil Ambrose and Chrysostome framed Liturgies to be used in their Diocesses yet extant in their works and bibliotheca patrum though with some interpolation And S. Augustine in his seventh Tome consisting of many excellent treatises against the Pelagians produceth divers passages out of the Common-Prayer then used by the church to convince those hereticks of the noveltie as well as falshood of their tenets For notwithstanding that the Pelagians were furnished with many testimonies of the ancient Doctors especially of the Greek church qui ante exortum Pelagium securius locuti sunt who before that heresie sprang up spake more freely of the freedome of mans free will by nature in opposition to the Manichees who taught a fatall necessitie of sinning then could well stand with the free grace of Christ accurately defended by S. Austine and his scholars yet this learned and zealous father being most expert in the prayers appoynted to be read in the ancientest Christian churches out of them exceedingly confounded these upstart hereticks and proved a full consent of antiquitie for those Orthodox tenets he propugned against all the enemies of Christs free and saving grace and truly at this day a man may more certainly gather out of the Book of Common-Prayer and specially the Collects used in our Liturgie what is the judgement of the church of England in those points anciently questioned by the Pelagians and now by the Arminians then out of the Book of Articles or Homilies In the sixt age Gregorie the great and S. Isidore set forth offices or forms of church Service and partly out of them partly out of the Liturgies above mentioned of S. Basil Ambrose and Chrysostome partly some more ancient attributed to the Apostles and Evangelists themselvs all the famous and known churches of the Christian world have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misses officia services or Books of Common-Prayer compiled which they use at this day and as most of the reformed churches have so the most learned and judicious Calvin wisheth all might have Concerning a form of prayer and ecclesiasticall rites I very well
like that it be a certain and constant one from which the Pastors of the Church may in no wise depart or varie ARGUMENT V. Those prayers which all in the kingdome are perpetually bound to use ought to be approved by the whole church or kingdome for such prayers especially ought to be made in faith and care taken that nothing be in them repugnant to sound doctrine But such prayers cannot be ex tempore ejaculations or sudden conceptions of every private Pastors brain opinion or fansie Ergo they must be penned forms examined by Gods word and publiquely printed that all may know what they are and may confidently goe along with the Minister and without any scruple of conscience say Amen to the prayers which they cannot doe to such unwarranted immethodicall inconsequent nay hereticall schismaticall and seditious prayers as many of our ex tempore Enthusiasts deliver especially on fast-dayes with infinitie of tautologies and vain repetitions to the great scorn and scandall of our religion ARGUMENT VI. There ought to be publique prayers not only on the Lords day but on the week-dayes also upon speciall occasion in every church or congregation of the saints for prayer is the Christians dayly sacrifice from which those houses of God ought to take their denomination domus mea domus orationis vocabitur my house shall be called the house of prayer domus orationis non orationum not a house of sermons though such there to be made nor a house of sacraments though there to be administred nor a house of Psalmes though there to be sung but a house of prayer as the principall and chief and most necessarie dutie there to be performed prayer may be without the other the other cannot be without it But such prayers can be no other in most churches then set forms devised by the learned of the Clergie and approved by the State for there is not one Minister or Curate of a hundred especially in countrey villages or parochiall churches who hath any tolerable gift of conceived as they tearm them or ex tempore prayers Ergo there ought to be set forms of prayer used in publique congregations ARGUMENT VII No man prayeth as he ought who poureth not out his whole soul before God praying as well with an entire intention as affection But this a man cannot doe who maketh a prolix ex tempore prayer in a publique congregation by reason that he must at the same time both think upon what he speaketh and invent also what he is to speak in order and with good coherence unlesse he will pray absurdly and inconsequently Ergo no man prayeth as he ought who comes not with a set or premeditated form of prayer into a publique congregation ARGUMENT VIII Not to speak of sudden ejaculations which necessitie forceth or excuseth nor of prayers in extasies and raptures in which an elevated soul is rather passive then active In all ordinarie prayers which we are to offer to God in the usuall and constant course of our Ministerie we must be carefull to shun all temeritie and rashnesse and watch in prayer with all diligence The pure oyle Olive of the Sanctuarie was to be beaten by Gods appointment Exod. 27. 20. and the Virgins were to trim their lights Mat. 25. 7. before they went out to meet the Bride-groome and God himself rejected the blind and the lame for sacrifices None presumeth to put up a petition to the king which is not carefully perused before and shall we lesse reverence the King of heaven then an earthly prince But temeritie and rashnesse cannot be avoided by such who speak to God quicquid in buccam venerit and presume to deliver that in a publique assembly which they never thought on before Ergo all such ex tempore prayers ought to be forborn in publique and the set forms of the Church retained or some in stead of them composed with publique approbation Anabaptists Objections In excepting against all set or stinted â—orms of prayer aspis a vipera sumit venenum according to the Latin proverb the asp borroweth poyson from the viper that is the Anabaptists from the Brownists who may rightly be tearmed a generation of vipers because they after the manner of vipers make way to their separation or going out from the Body of their Mother the Church of England by eating and rearing her bowels Out of their own store the Anabaptists furnish themselves with arguments against all set forms of prayer in generall but they are beholding to the Brownists for all such objections as they make against the publique forms of prayer used in the Church of England in particular For the more distinct handling of the objections being somewhat of a different nature and for the ease of the reader that he may more readily find a particular and punctuall solution to any such speciall objections as most stick with him I will first propound their main arguments against set forms in generall and both answer them and retort them and then particularly scan what they seem materially to object against the Service-book established by law in the Church of England OBJECTIONS against set forms of Prayer in generall OBJECT 1. No worship devised by man is acceptable to God Set forms of prayer are a worship devised by man Ergo set forms of prayer are not acceptable to God ANSWER First a worship of God devised by man may be taken in a double sense either for a worship wholly devised by man without any precept or president in scripture and such a worship is not agreeable unto God but condemned in his word under the name of will-worship or for a worship in substance prescribed by God but in some circumstance manner or help thereunto devised or composed by man and such may be and is acceptable unto God as for example reading scripture is a religious act prescribed by God yet the translation of the originall into the mother-tongue divisions of the text into chapters and verses diverse readings interlinearie glosses together with the contents and fitting them to the times and seasons are from man Preaching is a worship of God yet the choyse of such a text dividing it into parts and handling the parts in such a method raysing doctrines and applying Uses from them are from man or acts wherein the Preacher maketh use of his invention art and judgement Catechizing is a dutie enjoyned by God yet to use such a form of words or method in Catechizing by questions and answers as also the dividing the Catechisme into 52. Sections answerable to the Sundayes in the year as we see in Calvins and other Catechismes is a device and invention of man In like manner prayer is a dutie enjoyned by God and a part of his substantiall worship but the set forms are devised by man yet according to generall rules prescribed in scripture Secondly not only prayer it self but even set forms of prayer have both precept and example in Gods
first table required by the eternall and morall law of God 2. As we have warrant for swearing in the old Testament so also in the new for Christ himselfe was made our Priest by oath Heb. 7. 21. Those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest c. By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament God his using an oath for confirmation of Christ his Priesthood warranteth the custome of giving and taking an oath at the Inauguration of Emperours Coronation of Kings Consecration of Bishops Ordination of Ministers and generally the admission of any person of quality into any place of trust or command or weighty charge in Church or Common-wealth God himselfe using this kind of confirmation confirmeth this kind and use of an oath Neither are promissary oathes only approved by the Gospell to bind our faith and assure loyalty and fidelity but also assertory to cleare doubtfull truth and end litigious suites Heb. 6. 16. For men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife even Christ himselfe who is AMEN the faithfull witnesse and in whom all the promises of God are yea and AMEN often corroborateth his divine Essayes and heavenly promises with that sacred ingemination AMEN AMEN which is virtually if not formally an oath according to the strict definition of an oath which is affirmatio religiosa or as the Schooles define it more fully affirmatio vel negatio interposita religione a religious asseveration or the affirming and denying any thing with a divine attestation Christ in the fifth of Matthew forbiddeth not all kind of swearing but the ordinary and accustomary swearing then in use among the Iewes and allowed by the Scribes and Pharisees who erroneously conceived that swearing by heaven and earth or Ierusalem or any creature was no taking Gods name in vain because in such oaths Gods name was not used This practice of theirs our Saviour condemnes and refutes their errour Mat. 5. 34. Sweare not at all neither by the heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his Footstoole nor by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King c. But of this more in the solution of the adversaries objections ARGUMENT II. That which hath been practised by God himselfe the elect Angels and Saints speaking by divine inspiration cannot be sinfull or unlawfull else we should make God himselfe the Authour of sinne and lay impiety or iniquity to the charge of holinesse and justice it selfe But the Scripture bringeth in first God swearing Gen. 50. 24. Exod. 13. 5. 11. Exod. 33. 1. Numb 14. 16. 23. 30. Num. 32. 10. 11. Deut. 1. 8. 8. 35. Ios. 5. 6. Psal. 95. 11. 110. 4. Heb. 6. 17. 7. 21. 22. Secondly Angels Dan. 12. 7. I heard the man cloathed in linen when he held up his right hand and his left to heaven and sware by him that liveth Rev. 10. 5. 6. And the Angell which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that there should be time no longer Thirdly the Saints Abraham Gen. 21. 24. Iacob 31. 53. Ioseph Gen. 47. 35. Moses Ios. 14. 9. David 1. Sam. 20. 3. 24. 22. Ionathan 1. Sam. 20. 16. Eliah 1. Kings 17. 1. Gedallah 2. Kings 25. 24. Asa. 2. Chron. 15. 14. Obadiaah 1. Kings 18. 10. Elisha 2. Kings 2. 6. Ergo swearing is not unlawfull ANABAP ANSWER God giveth the law to us not to himselfe and for the examples alleadged out of the old Testament they are no good Precedents for us to follow because the people of God were not forbidden to sweare by God in the law but we are by Christ in the Gospell REPLY Though God be under no law yet he is a law to himselfe his nature is his law which he never doth or can transgresse violate or dispense with He is all light and there is no darknesse all truth and there is no falshood all justice and there is no iniquity in him Neither is it true that the Saints under the Gospell lie under a greater restraint in respect of oathes then those under the law for as they so these have not refused upon just cause and weighty occasions to appeale to God and call him to attest the truth of their speeches and sincerity of their intentions For how many sacred attestations in this kind find we in the writings of the Apostle neither can it bee said he used them being transported by passion or out of infirmity for his Epistles are inspired and the religious asseverations in them are no other then the dictates of the Holy Ghost Such are these Rom. 1. 9. God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Son that without ceasing I make mention alwayes of you in my prayers Rom. 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a Record upon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth Gal. 1. 20. Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lie not Phil. 1. 8. For God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowells of Iesus Christ 1. Thess. 2. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that beleived ARGUMENT III. No part of Gods true and substantiall worship can be sinfull else vertue should be vice and godlinesse it selfe wickednesse light should bee darknesse and good evill But swearing with such cautions and provisoes as are set downe by the Prophet Ieremy is a part of Gods true and substantiall worship for it is a religious invocation of his name with an acknowledgement of his omniscient wisdom and omnipotent justice omniscient wisdom whereby he knoweth all hidden things and the very thoughts and intentions of the heart of man and omnipotent justice whereby he is able and will punish those sinnes which come not within the walk of mans justice Ergo swearing after a religious manner cannot be sinfull ARGUMENT IV. Whatsoever is necessary for the detecting and punishing of wickednesse and vice and the acquitting of innocencie and preservation of all humane commerce and society cannot be sinfull and unlawfull For where God appointeth the ends he appointeth also the meanes and as the powers that are are ordained by God so the estates that are to continue among men are established by him But the giving and taking of oathes is necessary for all these ends as the experience of all Societies demonstrate and the practice of all Courts both Ecclesiasticall and civill and the custome of all nations wherein there is
by Alexander and scoffed at the scrupulous caution of the Grecians who would passe no act without signing it and swearing to it Scythae colendo fidem jurant our Scythians faith is our band and our promise our oath Those who blush not to break their faith with men will make no scruple of conscience to forsweare themselves by their Gods An honest mans word is as good as his oath and a prophane persons oath is no more to be regarded then his word All these examples of the heathen may bee alleadged to good purpose to shame and confound those Christians in name who rap out oathes by no allowance who turn Christs meritorious sufferings in all his parts into blasphemies and wound his very wounds Assuredly if men shall give account at the day of judgment of every idle word much more of execrable oathes but it will not follow we may not sweare lightly or rashly to the great dishonour of God and scandall of religion and therefore wee may not honour God by an oath by calling him to witnesse in matters of greatest moment whereby we agnize his soveraigne Majesty we professe his all-seeing wisdom we invocate his sin revenging justice against all those who dare put his holy and dreadfull name to that which their conscience tells them is a falshood Whereas it is said that an honest man will have as well a care of his word as his oath and a dishonest man as little regard of his oath as his word this is but a vaine flourish for an honest man who will have a care of his word will have a greater care of his oath and a twist â—s stronger then a single string and although many dishonest men will falsifie their word for their advantage yet they will not so easily bee brought to forsweare themselves in regard of the severe penalty of the law and the infamy and horrour of the sinne of perjury whereof the Hebrewes write that at the giving of the tables in Mount Sinai when the law was proclaimed against perjury heaven and earth shook as it were trembling at so horrid a crime The issue and effect of all is this as God sweareth by himself for our comfort so we may swear by him for his glory nay the Prophet goeth farther we ought and it is our duty to take an oath in truth by the truth and for the truth in truth that is in a true and just cause by the truth that is by God who is the truth and for the truth that is for the manifestation and confirmation of truth The second difficulty concerning oathes is whether they may bee imposed I answer briefly they may both by supreame and inferiour Magistrates deriving their authority from him this I prove First by cleare testimony of Scripture Secondly by the examples of holy and religious men who have both administred and taken such oathes Thirdly by evidence of reason ARGUMENT I. In the charge that Ioshuah gave to the Elders Heads Iudges and other officers of Israel among other things there is this remarkeable passage Yee shall not make mention of the names of other Gods nor cause to sweare by them neither serve them nor bow your selves unto them but cleave to the Lord your God as you have done this day whence I thus frame my argument What the Rulers of Israel were forbidden to doe to other Gods this passage sheweth that they may and ought to doe to the true God But the Rulers of Israel are forbidden to make mention of or cause any to sweare by the Gods of the heathen Ergo they may and ought to make mention of the name of the true God and require and cause men to sweare by him when an oath shall be required of them ARGUMENT II. What the Saints of God are recorded to have done and they are no where reproved for the doing thereof in holy Scripture we may doe for all those things were written for our example 1. Cor. 10. 6. But the Saints of God are recorded in holy Scripture to have exacted and taken oaths imposed for Abraham Gen. 24. 23. maketh his servant sweare by the Lord God of heaven that he should not take a wife to his sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites David being urged by Saul sware 1. Sam. 24. 21. 22. that he would not cut off Sauls seed after him Ezra made the chiefe Priests and all Israel to sweare that they would put away their strange wives according to the commandement of God Ezrah 10. 5. Nehemiah 5. 12. called the Priests and tooke an oath of them that they should doe according to their promise that they should restore unto their brethren their lands their vinâ—-yards their olive-yards their houses and also the hundred part of their monie and of the corn wine and oile they exacted of them Ergo Christians may lawfully both impose and take oathes ARGUMENT III. All Christian Magistrates may command those who are subject to their authority such things as are lawfull and necessary for the discharge of their office and the preservation of humane society But oathes are things lawfull as is proved in the former question and they are necessary for the execution of the Magistrates office and the preservation of humane society For without such oathes the Common-wealth hath no sure tye upon publick officers and Ministers nor Kings upon their subjects nor Lords upon their tenants neither can mens titles be cleared in causes civill nor justice done in causes criminall nor dangerous plots and conspiracies be discovered against the State Ergo Christian Magistrates may command those that are under their authority to take oathes and this is the constant judgement of the reformed Churches But they object no man may be enforced to any act of Religion for Tertullian saith acutely and truly nec Religionis est Religionem cogere It is against Religion to compell or enforce Religion But the taking of an oath whereby we invocate God is an act of Religion Therefore no man may or ought to bee enforced to take an oath There are two sorts of acts of Religion inward and outward First inward as to adhere to God to love him to beleive in him and put our confidence and place our happinesse chiefly in him these and such like acts of Religion cannot be enforced Secondly outward as comming to Church receiving the Sacrament and making confession of our faith fasting and prayer these latter may be enforced as wee see by the example of Iosiah who compelled all Israel to serve the Lord and by the speech of the King in the Parable who made a great supper and bade many guests and when they had made their severall excuses said to his servant Goe to the high waies and hedges and compell them to come in that my house may be full Among these latter acts of Religion is the taking of an oath which though in all leagues and covenants and holy vowes it ought to be free
Kings and Christian Governours ARGUMENT VII Those for whom we are to offer up prayers and supplications in speciall their calling must needs bee warrantable by and agreeable to the Gospell But we are to offer prayers and supplications in speciall for Civill Magistrates 1 Timothy 2. 1. 2 3 4. Ergo their calling is warrantable by and agreeable to the Gospell ANABAP ANSWER We are to pray for their persons as men but not for their functions as they are Magistrates REPLY The Apostles instancing particularly in Kings and those that are in eminent authority sheweth that he hath an eye to their very function especially seeing he addeth that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie which we cannot doe unlesse God blesse their government over us Calvin rightly inferreth this to be the meaning of the Apostle from the reason he useth vers 4. Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth By all men saith he the Apostle cannot understand ad unum omnes nemine excluso every man in particular none excepted sed omnes vitae conditiones status quia status Principum rejectus à Deo maledictus videri poterat eo quod omnes Evangelium infesto animo persequerentur Not all men universally and every man in particular for then none should be damned but all states and conditions of men and in that regard he names expressely Kings and Princes because their estate and condition might seem to be rejected of God and cursed by him by reason that all Princes at that time were ill-affected to the Gospell and persecuted it to bands and death Notwithstanding this mischiefe the Church then received by Civill Magistrates yet the Apostle teacheth us that it is good and acceptable in the sight of God to make supplications even for them because God excludeth no calling or conditions of men from salvation ARGUMENT VIII What Kings are required to doe under the Gospell can be no diminution of Evangelicall holinesse or perfection But Kings under the Gospell are commanded to imploy their power to the advancement of Christs Kingdome Psalme 2. 10 11 12. Ergo it can be no diminution of Evangelicall holinesse or perfection for Kings to imploy their regall power in the service of the Church ANABAPTISTS ANSWER King David in the second Psalme exhorteth Kings to embrace the Gespell and worship Christ not to exercise their regall authority amongst Christians REPLY When Saint Paul commandeth that every man after his conversion to the Christian faith to abide in the same calling whereunto they are called certainly hee excludeth not the best and most eminent calling which is that of Soveraign Princes and Magistrates and if they must not quit their calling undoubtedly they must imploy their power to the best end which is the advancing of Christs Kingdome in theirs 2 Saint Augustine by an acute distinction very well illustrateth the Text of the Psalmist Be wise O yee Kings serve the Lord with feare a King serves God two manner of wayes as a man by leading a godly life agreeable to the rules of the Gospell as a King he serves God by enacting lawes with convenient severity commanding just things and prohibiting the contrary so Hezekiah and Josiah and the King of Ninive◠and Datius and Nebuchadnezzar hee might have added and Constantine and Theodosius and all religious Christian Kings serve God for then properly Kings serve God as Kings when they doe those things in and for the service of the Lord which none can doe but Kings ANABAP OBIECT There is no Paradox so absurd saith the Oratour which meets not with some Patron among the learned and I may adde farther which hath not some varnish of reason yea and glosse also of Scripture put upon it For although as the Poets faine that Atlas beares up the heavens so the Civill Magistrates beare up the pillars of the earth and support the frame of all government yet the Anabaptists bid them Battaile and furnish themselves with weapons against their calling out of Scripture First they wrest to their wicked purpose the words of our Saviour Iohn 18. 36. My Kingdome is not of this world Ergo say they no Christian ought to raigne as a King or rule as a Governour in this world But we answer that the inference is unsound themselves being Judges for as he here professeth that hee had no Kingdome here so elsewere that he had no house or possessions The Foxes saith he have dens and the Birds have nests but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head Yet the Anabaptists will not allow it for a good inference Ergo no good Christian may hold house or lands If then they will have Kings to quit their Earthly Crownes and Scepters because our Saviour had none such here let them give a good example and first quit all their houses goods and lands and follow Christ naked The meaning of our Saviours words is that though indeed hee bee a King yet his Kingdome is not a Temporall Kingdome in which hee swayeth a Temporall sword but a Spirituall Kingdome whereby hee ruleth the hearts of the faithfull or that he is a King and hath both his Throne and his Guard his Throne of glory and his Guard of Angels but this his Kingdome is an heavenly not an earthly Kingdome Notwithstanding it will not hence follow that earthly Kings and Princes hold not their Crownes from him For Solomon and Saint Iohn affirme the contrary Solomon speaking in the person of Christ saith By me Kings raigne and Saint Iohn saith He hath a name written upon his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords a Temporall Kingdom and a Spirituall are diversa not adversa diverse and distinct not adverse and contrary one to the other Christ in a different capacity hath right to both as God hee administreth all Temporall Kingdomes by Kings and Princes appointed by him and his Spirituall Kingdome by Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Gospell Howsoever certain it is that he warranteth and approveth of the authority of Secular Kings and Magistrates for he commandeth all men to pay unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and himselfe paid tribute and acknowledgeth Pilats power over him to be from God Secondly they straine the words of our Saviour Matth. 20. 25. Luke 22. 25. The Kings of the Gentiles execute Lordship over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so with you therefore say they no Christians may beare rule one over another To this objection the learned Divines both ancient and later shape a double answer first that Christ here speaketh not to all Christians but only to his Apostles and their successours whose office hee distinguisheth from Temporall Rule and Dominion You my Apostles shall not by vertue of your calling challenge to your selves Regall power or Coactive and Temporall authority or
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