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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57955	A vindication of the baptized churches from the calumnies of Mr. Michael Harrison, of Potters Pury in Northampton-shire. Being an answer to his two books, intituled, Infant baptism God's ordinance. By William Russel, M.D. A lover of primitive Christianity.	Russel, William, d. 1702.	1697 (1697)	Wing R2360A; ESTC R218555	79,105	138

pretends then to be they must be under the greatest Enchantment that ever Mortals were for such multitudes to follow them as he speaks of For none but such who had first abandoned Scripture and Reason with all the Notions that serious Christians ever had about Religion could ever fall in with such Notorious and Nonsensical Practices as he talks of To conclude saith he What shall we say to the Anabaptists that dip and re-baptize themselves The first Anabaptist in Germany did so and one Smith an English Man that was a Member of Mr. Ainsworth's Congregation did so because they had none to do it for them there being no Anabaptists before them Answ If his Story about Fact be no truer than his reason he gives for it I am sure 't is all false and a meer slander But let us consider the matter distinctly 1. Who baptized John the Baptist who was the first Baptizer Did he baptize himself or was he baptized by another If he was not baptized at all then an unbaptized Person did in the beginning of this Ordinance baptize multitudes If he was baptized it must be by himself or some unbaptized Person so that if such a thing were done it were not such a grievous Crime as he pretends But to proceed If this be true that there were none in England before Smith what was the Reason that Mr. Harrison should tells us a story so contradictory to this in page the 3d. of his 2d part That two Ships laden with Anabaptists escaped to England where they have nested ever since endeavouring to propagate Anabaptism Now observe This story is told by him as acted presently upon the business of Munster c. Now if this Man was in Holland in Mr. Ainsworth's time I am sure there was many Churches of Baptists in that Countrey and that they had been before they were a state as the Lords of Holland have testified in their Approbation of that famous Book Entituled The Bloody Theater and in their Lordships Letter therein to the Lords of Switzerland c. And if Smith lived in England then certainly some one of those two Ship Loads of Anabaptists he talks of or their Successors were in being so that he needed not to have baptized himself for want of an Administrator I must therefore return him this for answer that such an improbable self-contradicting Story is not to be credited As to what he saith against the Honourable Collonel Danvers I do affirm that neither Mr. Baxter whose hand was not only against every Man that stood in his way altho' never so worthy of whom the Learned and Judicious Dr. Owen whose Books Mr. Baxter was not worthy to carry after him who had been Vice-Chancellor of Oxford and lived and dyed a Zealous and Honest Independant yet this most Courteous and Civil Gentleman could not escape the virulency of Mr. Baxter's Pen as you may see in Vindiciae Anti-Baxterianae lately published with divers others whom he hath also abused But as hath long been observed of that Man there was in his writings no consistence but Baxter wrote against Richard and Richard against Baxter and therefore what he hath said against Collonel Danvers is not to be valued of a Rush for those Testimonies he hath given will stand good to the shame and reproach of all the Baxterians in the World But I will not trouble my self to answer a Man that will never be answered but refer him to the Collonel's own answer to Mr. Baxter at the end of his History of Christianity where he hath fully confuted all Mr. Baxter's ridiculous and caufeless Clamours CHAP. VII Being an Answer to those Errors which Mr. H. saith we are guilty of THere are six things which Mr. Harrison charges upon us as condemned Heresies and Errors which are as follows 1. The Anabaptists are very Erroneous in the Doctrine of Original Sin 2. That Christ dyed alike for all Men and that all Persons in the World are by the death of Christ put into a capacity of Salvation 3. That God affords all Men universal and sufficient Grace and consequently a power of Free-Will to be saved if they will 4. That a Person truly justified and sanctified and so a Branch in Christ united to him may yet fall away and be eternally damned 5. They disown all Ministers Christians and Churches of Christ to be any Ministers Churches or Christians at all but only such as are gathered in their way that is by Dipping 6. Their employing many weak ignorant Men to preach that have Pride and Confidence enough to think themselves fit to teach others who have yet more need to be taught themselves the very first Principles of Religion As to his first Charge That we are very Erroneous in the Doctrine of Original Sin and that we plainly deny Original Sin and for evidence quotes the Confession of Faith published almost forty years ago and reprinted Anno 1691. and refers us to Articles the 2d and 10th I shall set down the whole Articles that the Reader may see we do own Original Sin notwithstanding his Clamour to the contrary Article 2d That God in the beginning made Man upright and put him into a state and condition of Glory without the least mixture of misery from which he by transgression fell and so came into a miserable and mortal Estate subject unto the first Death Gen. 1.31 Eccles 7.29 Gen. 2.17 and 3.17 18 19. Article 10th That all Children dying in Infancy having not actually transgressed against the Law of God in their Persons are only subject to the first death which comes upon them by the sin of the first Adam and not that any one of them dying in that estate shall suffer for Adam's sin eternal punishment in Hell which is the second death for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 15.22 Mat. 19.14 Not daring to conclude with that uncharitable Opinion of others who tho' they plead much for the bringing of Children into the Visible Church here on Earth by Baptism yet nevertheless by their Doctrine that Christ dyed but for some shut a great part of them out of the Kingdom of Heaven for ever The great Quarrel he hath against this is because we will not allow their scriptureless and uncharitable Notion that Infants of a span long are yelling in Hell and that God made poor little innocent Babes on purpose to damn them as some of the Calvinists affirm Now the reason why we reject this Doctrine is because it 's no where so written in the Holy Scriptures But we own Original Sin as truly and fully as any Calvinist whatsoever But we must be falsly accused only because we reject his blind and ignorant Notion about it and will not send little sucking Babes to Hell by whole-sale as he doth The good Women that are his Hearers can't choose but be mightily comforted with this News from the Pulpit and Press and think it worth all the Money they or their Husbands give him for

C. had said this is his Answer in Part 2. Page 15. The plain truth is the poor man hath such a weak head that he knows not what in the World to make of it He mistook the man It was himself and not Mr. Collins to whom these words ought to be applied For it 's manifest that he knew not how to confute him because he repeats the old Arguments he had used in his first Part. But I would not have Mr. Collins think the worse of himself for all his Railery against him because the poor man hath not yet learned the common Civility and curteous Behaviour which every ingenuous man will shew to any one that is a stranger especially if he put himself upon the trouble and charge to serve him for the good of his Soul as Mr. Collins hath done But some mens evil Nature will never depart from them nor be mortified by them let us do what we can There are several other Arguments Mr. Collins hath also added by which he hath undeniably evinced this Covenant in Gen. 17.7 8 c. not to be the Covenant of Grace as having only temporal Blessings promised in it And because persons might be saved out of this Covenant and many were saved who were never circumcised nor in that Covenant That many Absurdities follow the holding such an Opinion and that it overthrows many fundamental Points of Religion divers of which he there enumerates Now I appeal to all ingenious men whether it had not been Mr. H's business to have given some solid Answers to these Particulars and whether Mr. H. Collins deserved such a Treatment from a man who calls himself a Minister of the Gospel But to proceed 2. I have undertaken to prove That this Covenant of Circumcifion Gen. 17.7 8 c. was abolished by Christ But upon Enquiry I find that Mr. M. H. Part 1. pag. 6. doth confess that Circumcision is now abolished His Words are these Circumcision is now abolished by Christ and cites for Probation thereof Eph. 2.15 Having abolished in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandmandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making Peace To this he adds 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the commandments of God Now upon this Concession I would willingly know of Mr. H. why he supposes the Covenant of which he saith Circumcision was a Seal is still remaining when he confesses the Seal thereof is broken off and taken away from it If a Bond for the performance of a Covenant be once cancelled the Covenant it self ceases to be obligatory any longer 3. If that Covenant Gen. 17.7 8 c. had been as he saith the Covenant of Grace yet it had not therefore given the Infants of believing Parents a right to Baptism without an Institution from God requiring it to be done I prove it thus 1. From Mr. H. own words part 1. page 6 7. We do not baptize persons as the Elect of God or Infants as Infants of the Elect. And a little before speaking of persons being really in the Covenant of Grace as united to Christ living Branches knit to Christ by a vital union he adds and thus only the Elect are in Covenant The Covenant thus considered is not the ground of Baptism if we must baptize none but such as are vitally in Christ then must we baptize none and he gives this reason for it because tho' we see the outward profession we do not know who belong to the Election of Grace From all which its plain Mr. H. doth not think their being in the Covenant of Grace a sufficient ground to baptize any person because he cannot possibly know that they are so How then can he baptize any Infant upon the terms of that Covenant Gen. 17. if it were as he saith the Covenant of Grace But saith he those that are externally and visibly in Covenant all that profess Christ Tares and Wheat wise Virgins and foolish This saith he is the Ground of Baptism I answer Had Mr. H. being speaking of the Members of a Nation and also of the Members of the visible Church and had distinguished the latter into these two sorts of Persons i. e. such that were invisible members and such that were only so by a bare profession reason would that I should allow it But when he is speaking of the Covenant of Grace to tell us of Hypocrites and carnal Professors who are devoid of true Grace and that all such are to be accounted Believers in Covenant and that all Infants of such believing Parents are in the Covenant of Grace as you may see in the Page before-mentioned this is one of the greatest Paradoxes I ever met with If the wicked who are called Tares are to be accounted Believers in Covenant why shall they be cast into Hell-fire Mat. 13.40 41 42. If the foolish Virgins in the Church are in the Covenant of Grace why must they be shut out of Heaven Mat. 25.11 12. Now that it was without reason for him thus to argue I prove from his own Words Because he doth assure us from the Testimony of Holy Scripture that all Believers are in this Covenant This saith he in pag. 6. is abundabtly evident from Rom. 4.11 12 13 14 15. Gal. 3.29 the Covenant was made with Abraham as a Believers and with all Believers as well as him And that we may not mistake his meaning he often calls it the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham c. Now that the Covenant in Gen. 17.7 8 c. is not the Covenant of Grace I have already shown But that there was a Covenant of Grace in which Abraham was instated being a Believer in Christ and a special Friend and Favourite of God as the Father of the faithful wherein all true Believers have a right and interest as being in Christ I readily allow And moreover That all true Believers in Christ altho ' under the former dispensation they could not be admitted to Baptism because it had been Will-Worship so to do it not being then commanded Yet now they have a right to that Holy Ordinance as the proper Subjects thereof because Christ hath not only commanded it but made a gracious promise to them upon their Obedience thereunto Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Now seeing Mr. H. further saith in page 7. That Persons are to be baptized as making a visible and credible profession of Religion and that the Apostles did baptize such as did profess Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 2.41 I therefore infer upon him the unreasonableness of his former Assertion That the Children of such as are only formal Hypocrites are to be baptized because their Parents make an outward profession of Christianity for which he quotes Ezek. 16.20 21. which I desire may be read over for I think he might have proved it as well

that the Souls of the Godly or Wicked went to Heaven or Hell 'till the day of Judgment Answ If there were any such it shewed them to be Men of Weak Judgment but not to be blasphemous Hereticks 10ly That the visible Church consists of those which are perfect and of them only Answ He would have done well to have proved his Assertion and 'till he doth I must return it upon him as a false accusation pick'd up from some of our Lying Adversaries 11ly That Universities Schools and Humane Arts ought not to be Answ As he hath worded it I do not believe it to be true For how they would have got a Livelyhood without being Tradesmen and exercised in Humane Arts I know not And the former I believe to be as true as the latter for 't is the abuse of things and not the use of them that are to be complained of 12ly The Anabaptists called Liberi Fratres denyed the Scriptures to be the Word of God and Singing of Psalms Answ This is certainly a false accusation for our Brethren have in all Ages made that the ground of their Separation from the false Churches that they did not walk according to the Will of God prescribed in the Holy Scriptures but set up the Inventions of Men in the room thereof As for that of Singing of Psalms they never denyed the practice of it according to the Word of God but they did and still do deny the use of singing in Rhime by a prestinted limited form of all the people together Saints and Sinners because they have no Authority for it from the Word of God 13ly That a Man was not tyed to one Wife therefore their Fairy King John Becold had fifteen together Answ Let this go as a false Accusation from whence it came for by John Becold he saith in the next page was meant John of Leyden and I am as well assured as I can be of a thing of this nature that it 's utterly false 14ly That none were to be owned as Christians or Churches of Christ but themselves only Answ If by Christians he means nominally so they always allowed all to be such that professed the Christian Name but if he means real Christians they never owned any to be such but what were so truly in the Judgment of Charity And if by Churches he means true constituted Churches according to Christ's appointment then they could not believe any to be so besides themselves unless they had at the same time believed themselves not to be so But notwithstanding this they have and do believe that many persons are in the Love and Favour of God and in a State of Salvation whilst they hold the Head Christ Jesus altho' they differ from them in some of the external parts of Worship 15. That we must become as little Children in Childish Actions therefore they would play with Rattles ride on Hobby-horses and wallow in their own dung in imitation of Children Answ Can any serious Christian believe such an ill told Story as this or can they think that Mr. H. believes himself Certainly his Hearers must blush at such Folly as this in their Teacher to utter such Nonsensical unheard of Untruths unless they have wholly given up their Reason to the conduct of a blind Guide and pin their Faith as the Romanists do upon their Priests Sleeve I hope the people of Potters Pury have more wit than to give credit to such foolish and improbable stories as these are But to deal plainly with you I believe Mr. H. had got a Rattle in his Head which hath made him so troublesome among his Neighbours And perhaps his playing with Rattles when he was young hath hindred him from a serious Application of himself to any thing but ratling and confused Noises ever since and from thence concludes others to be like himself But 2dly saith he They rid on Hobby-Horses I know not but he might ride on a Hobby-Horse from his late Parochial Church to Potters-Pury which might occasion him to think of a Hobby-Horse ever since But to be serious I rather take him by a figure in Rhetorick to be a Hobby-Horse himself than a solid grave Christian not to say a Minister that he should talk at this Hobby-Horse rate if I may be allowed to use such a figure in speaking according to his Example But 3dly he saith They did wallow in their own Dung in imitation of Children It would tempt a Man to think that either his Mother or Nurse were but ordinary House-wives to suffer him so to wallow in his own Excrements that all the Water in their Countrey could never wash it off but that it should penetrate thro' the pores of his Skin and get such entrance into the secret recesses of his Heart and interior parts and remain there till he wrote these two Treatises against the Baptists and then vomit it forth against them in such a violent and unpresidented manner as to infect all the people that come near him with the stence thereof and then to charge his innocent Neighbours for having stinking breaths when it 's only the infection of the ambient air occasioned by the breaking of his own Gall and vomiting it forth against the Baptists And for his Story I must do by that as by the rest of his Lyes and Slanders against us return them upon himself and his Lying Authors 16. That Luther and the Protestant Ministers were worse than the Pope Carnal Preachers c. with much more of the like kind Answ He would have done well to have told us where these People lived in what Book and page we might have found it But to take all he saith upon his own ipse dixit is more credit than I will give to any Priest upon Earth without other Evidence I will sooner believe a Gentleman that writes about Divinity than a Parson because our Law hath provided that no Man shall be a Witness in a cause wherein himself hath either profit or loss and I doubt Mr. Harrison's Sallary tempts him to prevaricate at this egregious rate either to gain or keep Proselites But I need not wonder at this for we read of such in the Scripture of whom it 's said Their God is their Belly their Glory is in their shame they mind earthly things And we find by woful Experience too much of this verified in some of the Priests of our day But saith he I would not have all these things charged upon our English Anabaptists Answ We have no cause to thank him for that because he knows that all their Neighbours among whom they live could easily confute him But if he could do it it 's evident he would not spare us after he hath poured out all the Malice that Earth and Hell could furnish him with against us He further tells us That in the Space of a few years Germany was filled with Anabaptists Answ I am sure if they were such an Erroneous Wicked People as he