e. both Jewes and Gentiles 2 Cor. 5. 19. 1 Iohn 2. 2. and to all nations as well as one Mat. 28. 18. Mark 16. 15. Luke 24. 47. excluding now the Major part yea almost all children by their doctrine viz. the children of unbelieving Gentiles of heathens Turks and Pagans and unbelieving Jewes too which for all their parents wickednesse and unbelief were wont to be received into the Church under the Law and this not onely from the visible Church neither for that were more tollerable of the two and can do them no hurt if it be all but also from the Kingdome of heaven and salvation it self in their cruel Charity before they have by actuall sinne deserved to be exempted And this I speak not as believing any infants in infancy to have right to entrance into the visible Church and fellowship thereof here on Earth though yet I believe all infants as well as some dying infants and before they have deserved exemption and damnation by actual rebellion to have according to the general declaration of Scripture right of entrance into the kingdome of heaven but that I may discover the unruliness of the Priest who wherein he judges others of streightning the Gospel condemnes himself who undertakes to make laws prescribe rules impose principles upon all men and yet breaks his own lawes varies from his own rules straggles from his own principles through blindness as much as any other whom he blames for it To the second thus if it be so indeed as you told us once before it is p. 7. and here tell us over again that we may know your mind in it that to deny baptism to infants before they dy doth ipso facto destroy all the comforts all the hopes that any parents can possibly have of the salvation of their infants that dy unbaptized and all the grounds of those hopes i. e. all those childrens right in the covenant and promises of Christ and consequently this necessarily followes doth subject them unavoidably unto eternal damnation Then first as I told you once or twice before so I tell you now again that 't is your selves and not we who are the men that say no baptism no salvation for say you there is no ground for parents to hope their children can be saved no though those parents be believers though those children believe also themselves and so both by birth and by their parents faith and their own faith too have right as you say the infants of Christians have in the Covenant and promises of Câ—…rist yet they must damn for all this if baptism be denyed them and if they dye without it their parents must mourne without hope of their Salvation This is your judgement of Charity concerning unbaptized infants even of never so believing parents having also the habit of faith in themselves for though parents believe and believe their children to have faith too and right to salvation yet deny them baptism and all the other notwithstanding there 's no hope of them the parents can upon no good ground be comforâ—…ed concerning them but that they are damned T is you therefore that place such high and mighâ—…y necessity in the bare outward dispensation of the ordinance that are so for the ceremony that hold that the substance doth no good without it why else do you say that be there never so many grounds otherwise on which to hope infants salvation viz. their parents faith and their own faith and title thereby to the Covenant which though false simple and rotten yet are the grounds on which you hope some dying infants may be sav'd though you fear the most are damn'd for indeed the true grounds on which to hope the salvation of all dying infants is there non-deserving exemption by actual sin and personal rebellion against the Gospel why I say though there be never so much ground of hope of their salvation do you say the grounds whereupon they elsewise may be hoped to be saved are all destroyed if they be denyed to be baptized Moreover I tell you that you run round like a blind horse in a mill and contradict your selves egregiously by holding â—…uch a high necessity of infants baptism that there 's no hope of their salvation if it be denyed them so that unlesse you recant it you l in the end repent it that ere you lived your selves and led others so long in such delusion for mark how you mope too and fro in a mist sometimes you say that birth of Christian parents and faith in the children so born these give right to the Covenant and the promises of Christ and so to salvation and the kingdome of heaven and their right to the promises and the kingdome that gives them right to baptism and to entrance into the visible Church supposing their right to salvation to be without baptism and before it as that which intitles them thereto making their visible right to baptism and the visible Church to depend upon their visible right to salvation saying they must be seen by some thing or other distinguishing them from others who are not heirs to be heirs belonging to the kingdome before they be signed as such and so you argue making an apparent right to baptism posteriour to their right to salvation viz. to whom the thing signified i. e. heaven appears to belong to them consequently the sign i. e. baptism else not but that appears to belong to infants therefore this which is as much as to say we must first look upon them and believe them to be heirs of salvation and upon that ground afterward baptize them so making the right to the sign depend upon the being of the thing signified Other while again as here you turn the cat i th pan and tell us a tale that turns all this up side down again and makes all their right to the Covenant promises of Christ to salvation by him to the kingdome which all are according to your other opinion to be Antecedent to baptism and entitling to it so that no apparent right to the Covenant and promise and kingdome and salvation no baptism you make I say all these on which you made baptism depend before so necessarily dependant on baptism so subsequent to it so no way appearing to belong to infants without it that no baptism no title to life deny them baptism and entrance into the visible Church and they are visibly in the kingdome of the divel there 's no hopes they can be saved if their parents let them die without it no grounds on which to hope it but though believers children and apparently enough believing themselves and so thereby in apparent right to the Covenant and promise of Christ and consequently of salvation and all this before they may be baptized yet they are in the visible kingdome of the divel and do but deny baptism to them and all those old evidences are worn out their names blotted out of the book of life their
parents can have no hope of other then their damnation nay all the grounds on which to hope that any good comes of them are utterly destroyed So then of the doctrine that you deliver this is the summe in two round heads viz. That infants right to salvation must needs be apparent or else they may not be baptized Secondly to go round again baptism of infants must needs be or else there 's no apparent ground on which to hope they can be saved Finally I tell you I marvel in my heart it being so that such danger comes by denying infant baptism that parents cannot hope they can be saved how you dare for your ears delay so long as you do sometimes a week sometimes a fortnight sometimes almost a year as the custom of England was of old to baptize but twice in the year viz. at Easter and Whitsontide and do not rather baptize your infants so soon as they are born least happily their lying in the visible kingdome of the divel longer then you need to let them they happen to die before your good chear can be made and all your kinsfolks come together and then the parents be left without hope of any other but that their children remain in the kingdom of the divel for ever for persons live or dye visibly say you either in the visible Church of Christ out of which you say also there 's no salvation the visible entrance into which is by baptism by which therefore unbaptized infants never entred or else in the visible kingdome of the divel this is one of Mr. Baxters diseased disjunctions p. 71. for there isno more necessity then there is of sprinkling infants and that 's as little as little can be of their being visibly in either neither are they visibly in either the visible Church of Christ or visible kingdome of the devill till they are at years but in medio abnegationis you salve alâ—… that danger which I confesse is none at all in infants dying unbaptized but onely that I speak according to your own principles by telling us that t is not the bare omission or neglect but the contempt of the ordinance that damnes the persons that dye without it I tell you again that if this may passe for true and currâ—…nt doctrine among those that hold baptism due to men and women onely and not infants as I scarce know how it should sith neglect of known duty is damnable in a lower degree as well as contempt of it is in a higher yet however its false silly and nonsensical doctrine among you that baptize none but infants apply it how you will for the parents neglect and the parents contempt of the ordinance as to his infant is much at one i. e. neither of them damnable to the infant unlesse you will hold up that saying again in the world which God protested long since men should never have occasion to use any more viz. that the child shall die eternally for the fathers sin surely the fathers contempt doth not redound any more then his bare neglect with any danger or disadvantage to the infant and as for the infant he cannot be damned for not being baptized in infancy through his own neglect or contempt of iâ—… for he neither contemnes nor neglects it To the third of these three things that you and I both have thrust here into one place you in the Review and I in the Re-Review in order to the dispatching of them all together viz. it unchristens the whole Church of God c. I say thus confessing that our doctrine unchristens whole christendome which the Pope hath called the Church of God but is indeed the whole world of Gentiles that hath got into the outer court the meeâ—… outward form and name of christianity and hath trod down the holy City and true worship for 1â—…60 years that whole world that hath for ages and generations wondered after the beast nor is this inconsistent with the truth of Christs promises of his presence and guidance among those that are his true Church and people indeed for howbeit he hath according to the word left those to their own wayes that left and liked not his wayes yet he ever hath still doth and ever will lead those into truth that love the truth and will be led by his spirit when he will lead them yea though he tied not himself to teach them that should chuse the Pope for their Tutor yet according to his promise he hath bin more â—…r lesse with those that observed what he commanded them in his word from the beginning and so shall be even to the end Review Lastly it doth the devils work in the shâ—…pe of angels of light to make men renounce their baptism and if from Nero's hating the Chrictian Religion the antient Apoloâ—…etist of the Church did rightly gather the goodnesse of it we mâ—…y the validity of infants baptism from the devils hatred of it it hath ever been said of him he will not make a bargain with any soul till it hath renounced its first bargain which was made with Christ at baptism the Anabaptists are his Proâ—…tors and do it to his hand Re-Review Of whichdesire of his tohave us renounce our baptism being not a little aware though immediately after I renounc't that Rantism I once had unawares to my self in the innocency and ignorance of mâ—… infancy in the room thereof received real baptism I had one messenger from Satan to buffet me and beat me off from further proceeding in and owning of that practise yet through the goodness of God and that grace of his wherein I still stand I was so far from being removed that I was much more settled strengthned and stablisht in the present truth wherein I walk and I trust shall walk in unto the end unlesse I receive more evidence to the contrary then ever I have done from any wriâ—…ings or any discourses of any that ever I met wiâ—…h of what principle or profession soever which messenger whose name was William Everard after the flesh but the name that the father had given him was Chamberlin as he said for he lived in the secret chambers of the most high though he came to my house pretending that he was immediately sent from God with a message to me in particular viz. to renounce that practice of baptizing which himself had sometimes walkt in also but now relinquisht did to my self and some others after half a dayes most serious observation of his speeches strange extasies and uncouth deportment by many prodigious passages blasphemous pratings and as by experience we then proved them flatly false pretences to what he had not and most presumptuous yet successeless undertakings and frivolous fopperies of which I am willing at any time but not capable under a hours time to give fuller account to any that shall desire it discover himself to be one of the Archangels of darknesse which the devil now sends forth a new
that more is required to make a disciple then a servant yea verily the consequence holds sound from Christs disciple to Gods servant but from Gods servant to Christs disciple which is his way of arguing a very novice may see it rotten and invalid there is enough in all the creatures the earth and heavens which as books wherein we may read it though not as men that make any verball narration of it declare the glory of God Ps. 19. 1. to denominate them Gods servants Psa. 119. 91. Nebucad Nezar had enough to denominate him Gods servant Ier 43. 10. as Mr. T. truly tells him but not enough to denominate him Christs disciple Yea I appeal to Mr. Ba. own conscience whether at that time when Christ exercised his ministry among the Iews the whole Nation of the Iews as well as those he mentions out of Levit. 25. 41. and in the self same sense with those were not Iure Redemptionis by right of his Redemption of them from Egypt the servants of God had relatively a peculiar people to himself yet how few of them were Christs disciples viz. those onely that attended to his law in which respect though he stile all Israel his servants yet he distinguishes those few onely from the rest that harkned not to his law by the denomination of his disciples Isaiah 8. 16. And whereas he saies of infants may they not be called Gods servants from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to them p. 20. I answer who doubts of that but may they thereupon be called disciples and be baptized if so then from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to all men all men may be called Gods servants as well as they and so consequently be baptized as Christs disciples He tells us further p. 21. that infants are capable of being subjects of Christs kingdome taking kingdome not in the larger sense as it contains all the world nor in the strictest as it containeth onely his elect but in a middle sense as it conteins the visible Church therefore consequently capable of being Christs disciples and of baptizing and to prove the antecedent viz. that they are subjects of Christs kindome i. e. members of the visible Church he uses this medium they are capable of being subjects in any kingdome on earth and therefore why not of Christs kingdome saith he i. e. of the visible Church of Christ Now if this be a good consequence they are capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth and therefore to be subjects of Christs Kingdom i. e. his Church then the infants of heathens as well as these being capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth are consequently as capable to be subjects of Christs Kingdom and Church and consequently to be Christs disciples and in their infancy to be baptized but Mr. Baxter himself will say non sequitur unto this He tells us further that Christ would have some infants i. e. believers infants for those he meanes to be received as disciples therefore some infants i. e. such are his disciples To prove the antecedent he jumbles together a number of places out of Mat. Mark and Luke viz. Mat. 18. 5. the 10. 42. Mark 9. 41. Luke 9. 47. 48. in one of which places because Christ saies of a child who so shall receive this child in my name receiveth me by comparing this place with the rest where Christ saies to his disciples and of them also not of infants whoso shall give to you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ or as Matthew hath it in the name of a disciple he shall not loose his reward he gathers that some i. e. believers infants are disciples and to be received to baptism as such for saith he in Christs name and as Christs disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one in Christs language To which I answer First by denying that in Christs name and as a disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one for in Christs name is a Term of larger extent and latitude then the rest so that we may be said to do good in Christs name to some persons whom yet we cannot do good to as belonging to him in that neer relation of his disciples in the name of Christ besides severall other significations which the phrase hath is as much sometimes as for Christs sake who requires it and to do good to others in the name of Christ is to do good to them for Christs sake and then we may be said to do good for his sake not onely when we do good to them that are disciples of Christ upon that account of their belonging to him as his but also when we do good to them that are none of his disciples upon the meer account of his command who injoines all persons as occasion is to do good to all though especially to the houshold of faith whereupon also I perswade my self varily nor is it very unworthy of observation that the spirit when it speaks of doing good to profest disciples indeed Mar. 9. 41. he incourages to receive them not onely in the name i. e. for the sake of Christ so requiring but as belonging to him also as his disciples in the name of a Prophet in the name of a righteous man in the name of a disciple but when he speaks of our doing good to that child Luke 9. 48. he saies no more then barely in the name of Christ i. e. for the sake of Christ owning such an action but expresses not the other notion and account of discipleship and Relation to him as that on which he would have him to be received Moreover were it otherwise it would make little to the purpose of Mr. Ba. who brings it to prove some such sucking infants as men sprinkle i. e. believers babes to be disciples sith that it was a believers child of which Christ there speaks or that he speaks of such children rather then of the children of other men is much more then Mr. Ba. can ever clear and that it was a child of such a stature as to come to Christ when he cald him and therefore no infant of a span long nor such as is the subject of your sprinkling is too clear for Mr. Ba. to gainsay without clear contradiction of the Scripture Mat. 18. 2. These are far fetcht faddles whereby Mr. Ba. backs his people in the blind belief of his fond and false opinion that all believers infants are Christs disciples and thereupon to be baptized The mediums whereby he manifests their membership in the Gospel-church are many more then a good many and not more many then manifestly weak and utterly unavailable to such a purpose Rantist Many more then ever will be answered easily by you or any other that set so light by them as you do Baptist. That may possibly be too for I think no wise body will immittere pecus in pratum vbi non est sepes
Ierusalem how often would I have gathered c. but those were men and women only whom he called to believed in him and not infants Again he gathered them by preaching of the word into baptism and membership and received all that came and no more viz. sometimes the children and not the parents sometimes the parents and not the children so that a mans foes for the truths sake sometimes were they of his own family his own flesh therefore he offered not to gather infants for he preacht not to them nor called them at all nor were any more baptized and added to the Church-fellowship in the Gospel then they that gladly received the word that did not infants yea 3000 were gathered into the first Gospel Church by preaching and baptism in one day and never an infant among them all for they surely did not continue in fellow ship in breaking of bread and prayers Acts 2. Therefore whereas Mr. Ba. in his Epistle to the parish of Bewdley challenges Mr. 〈◊〉 to name him one particular Church since Adam either of Jewes or Gentiles where infants were not Church-members if they had any infants till 200 years ago I name him the first Gospel Church that ever was Aâ—…t 2. in which there was not one infant yea there was three thousand baptized in one day and it is a hazard but that those three thousand had many perhaps no lesse than three thousand infants belonging to them all and yet as Mr. Cotton thinkes so think I that none of their infants were baptized with them much lesse were added with them to the Church or continued with them in fellowship as the whole Gospel Church did in breaking of bread and prayers yea though-there was no infants in that Church which was gathered at Ierusalem it self to which Christ saies how oft would I have gathered thy children c. and therefore Mr. Baxs sense is very sinister so I challenge him again to shew me not by such dubious muddy cloudy circumlocutory inconsequential consequences as he doth but undeniable evidences any one of all the Gospel Câ—…urches of the primitive times either of Jewes or Gentiles which we are all to reâ—…orm by viz. Ierusalem Rome Corinth Galatia Philippi Ephesus Thessalonica or any other to fellowship in which there was one infant baptized added and admitted and I shall cry him mercy and lay down the Cudgelis at his feet and acknowledge he hath broke my pate The next Scripture he uses is more impertinent then this yet Mr. Ba. makes a certain shift to squeese an argument out of it and to compel it invita minervâ not a little against its own intent and meaning to corroborate his crooked crazie creed concerning the inchurching and cristening of infants viz. Rev. 11. 15. whence he thus Syllogizes If the kingdoms of this world either are or shall be the kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ then infants also must be members of his kingdom i. e. the visible Church the Antecedent is the words of the text indeed as he saies but the sequel is so sure and follows so firmly in his fancy that he saies nothing can be said against it that is sense or reason but indeed it self is against both sense and reason Who would ever think if the word did not declare that the things of wisdome are hid from the wise and prudent that such a disputer as Mr. Ba. holds himself to be should deduce the now membership of infants fâ—…om such a premise as this viz. because the kingdomes of this world are or else shall be the kindomes of God and Christ what 's this I trow toward the eviction of the other much every way saith Mr. Ba. yea so much that for any thing he can see this text alone were sufficient to decide the whole controversie whether infants must be Church members Amen so beit say I let this Scripture decide it and let 's see what Mr. Ba. saies out If they can say quoth he by kingdoms is meant here some part of the kingdom excluding all infants such men may make their own creed on those termes let the Scripture say what it will I know in some places the word kingdome and Ierusalem c. is taken for a part but if we must take words alwayes improperly because they are taken so sometimes saith he then we shall not know how to understand any Scripture so of necessity it must be understood properly i. e in its prime signification of the whole kingdoms and whole Ierusalem with him and not improperly for a part onely though Mr. Blake to Mr. Black saith upon occasion of our pleading for the proper signification of baptize nothing more or dinary then to have words used out of their prime signification whereby we may see how these men wil needs have that signification that best serves their turnes whether proper or improper when the proper most fits them then the improper cannot be meant there when the proper makes against them the improper is pleaded for as none more usual then that thus the word houshold must include infants when baptism is spoken of but when the passover is spoken of then infants are excluded because else we shall argue from thence to their eating the supper as they from circumcision unto their bapâ—…ism but this by the way that it may be noted how the men will have things their own way by hook or by crook not that I deny the word kingdomes to be taken properly for all the whole kingdome here yea I grant it but let us see what of that why even this if the whole kingdom be the Lords then infants must unavoidably be members of Christs Church and if we ask how comes this about he will tell you two wayes First as infants are all of the Kingdomes of this world taken for the whole kingdom Secondly as by the word kingdom of Christ is meant Christs church Now let us spell and put all together and it is thus much First by Kingdomes of this world is here meant the whole Kingdome of this world or Kingdome taken universally not for some part of it onely Secondly by Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ is here meant Christs church onely Thirdly infants are a part of the Kingdomes of this world and so consequently of Christs church for the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ i. e. Christs church oh brave and plain Scripture proof for infant church-membership and baptism Let us examine what is true and what is false in this First as above I grant that here the Kingdomes of this world signifie the whole Kingdome as he pleads it but that here the Kingdome of the Lord and his Christ signifies Christs church I utterly deny it and am amazed that a reasonable man should affirm it and so consequently I deny that it appears from this place that infants are now members of Christs church But he brings reason for it such as t is
universalis eidem etiam totum universale adimi necesse est whoever is not a part of some part or other i. e. of some particular visible church cannot be a part of the whole i. e. the universal visible this I say is the Logick and Theology which was wont to passe for currant among your selves but Mr. Ba. learnes men a new kind of Logick viz. that all the parts put together are not so big as the whole that the universall visible church is larger then all the particular visible churches in the world of which yet it consists so that there is room enough for a person to stand a member in the universal visible church though he be of no particular visible church at all I ever understood yet that he who is removed and cast out of all the particular visible churches of the Saints is consequently cast out of the universal visible church but he tells me a tale that to be removed out of every particular visible church is consistent still with a standing in the universal visible so that excomunication out of all the particular visible churches in the world is not excomunication out of the whole visible church with him Another thing worth noting though worth nothing is this he tells us there that Keturahs children when they left the family of Abraham that they continued members of the universal visible church still which compared with the clause above where he tells us that it is a far higher priviledge to stand in the universal visible church then to stand in any particular whatsoever amounts to thus much viz. that the Midianites for they were some of Keturahs children had far higher priviledges then those that the Israelites had by being members of that particular visible church of Israel which if it were so then we may say what advantage hath the Iew indeed and what profit by circumcision and by Gods commission of his oracles unto them yea what necessity of circumcision of themselves and their males at all for any strangers or of joining themselves to that particular church of the Jewes sith they might have had as high priviledges if they had joined themselves to the seed of Abraham by Keturah of whose posterity circumcision nor the strict law it bound to was not required and so consequently what need of baptism if persons might be of the uniuersal visible which is the greater though not of the particular visible church of the Iews without circumcision and keeping the law But it is a question with Mr. Bax. whether Keturahs children must leave their seed uncircumcisied p. 60. yet I tell him it is out of question that unlesse it were in order to joining and inchurching themselves with that individual Church of of the Iewes to which pertained peculiarly the adoption and glory and covenants and law and promises and which was all the visible church that I know God had then upon the earth circumcision was not enjoined to any other of Abrahams own posterity not the Ishmalites nor Midianites but those onely that came of Sarah by Isaac and Iacob for the covenant of which circumcision was a sign was establisht with none of them but with Isaac onely and with Iacob and his seed after him and so many as should join themselves unto them Many more odd conceits about this universal visible church Mr. Ba. broaches but I spare him and hasten to what followes His 16. plain Scripture-lesse proof for infants church-membership and baptism is from a clause in the second commandâ—…ment viz. I will shew mercy to 1000s of them that love me and keep my commandements a phrase out of which a man may as easily prove the Pope to be head of the church as prove either of those points in proof of which he doth produce it Yet oh the miserable muddy wretched ragged crooked cloudy piece of disputation for infant baptism which this man makes from that place For my part I mean not to wander after him in that wildernesse of worthlesse discourse that he vents about mercy Church covenant promises nor am I so wise as to wot what he means nor so foolish as to believe he knows well what he means himself by much of that he there utters or else he would never say that wicked men in the church are within the covenant and so have this mercy spoken of in the second commandement stated on them by promise as if wicked men in the church were in some special wise beloved of God when yet they are more hateful to him by far then heathens It is enough to serve my present purpose that what proof Mr. Baxter pens in the head of this argumentation his own pen dashes it all out again in the taile of it For first after a great deal of wiestling to make the mercy here promised to thousands of them that love God necessarily to include church-membership he confesses at last that it lies doubtful in the text what mercy in particular is there meant which if he do then t is not necessary that church-membership be implied in it for there may be much mercy yea special yea eternal saving mercy shewed to persons to whom the mercy of membership in the visible church and baptism is not vouchsafed or else what becomes of such infants as notwithstanding your timely admittance do yet dy without both membership and baptism are they shut out of the kingdom of heaven Secondly he confesses it is doubtfull in the text to how many generations God shewes mercy to the children of parents tâ—…at love him whether it be to the remote or neerest progeny onely and though he passe his judgement that it is onely to immediate children of godly parents that the promise in the commandment is made yet thereby he contradicts his own sense of the place and overthrowâ—…s all that he contends for in that if the words were as he would have them read viz. I shew mercy to a thousand Generations or to the thousandth generation of them that love me it were evident that he meant not the nexâ—… generation only for that to a thousand generation should signifie no more then one generation to come is most irrational and plain brutish to imagine and if he say t is to a thousand generations if such children succeed their parents in godlynesse that sense excludes infants quite from the mercy here promised and extends it to such children oâ—…ely as are at years and that on condition of being godly themselves and on that condition of being godly themselves God shewes mercy to the immediate seed of the very wickedest parents as well as of the Godliest parents in the world But in very deed to put him out of all his doubts at once about this place viz. whether God mean the remote or immediate children I desire Mr. Baxter to consider that this promise is not made to any mans posterity at all but only to all such individual persons as love him and keep his commandements for
those to whom we deny it dying in infancy without it may be saved without it as well as if they had it And at the same rates as they dispute them to be under cursing to whom we deny baptism and visible Church-membership and our doctrine to be false that denies it may we dispute those infants to be under cursing to whom they delay baptism and visible membership though but for a week during the time of their delaying it and their doctrine to be false that delaies it if we retort the same Argument on themselves which I shall do and leave it That doctrine which makes the children of the faithful in as bad or worse condition then is threatned in that curse Deut. 28. is false But that doctrine which delaies baptism and visible Church-membership to the infants of the faithfull till the tenth twelfth or twentyeth day of their age till Plumcake be made maketh them during the time in which t is delayed in worse Condition then is threatned in that curse Deuter. 28. Ergo t is false Till then you have ingrafted your children into the Church by baptism they are it seems with you in worse state then if they were in captivity and all the poor innocent infants of those parents that are in England to which your selves O Presbyters deny baptism unlesse the parent will confesse his faith before the â—…ason are in worse and more cursed condition then if they were in captivity And if an Indians infant should be born and bread up here in England and be in never such a hopâ—…ful way of comming in time to the knowledge of the truth yet all the time he remains unbaptiz'd and not visibly added to your corrupt church of England he is belike under a worse curse and condition then if he were in slavery or captivity I wonder where Christ or his disciples ever preached such kind of Gospel His 21 plain Scripture-lesse proof for infant-infant-Church membership and baptism runs upon this disjunction viz. Either they are in the visible Church of Christ or in the visible kingdome of the Devil for there is no third state saith he in which they are but if they be not in Christs visible Church they are visibly out of it and if they be visibly out of that visible Church then they are visibly in Satans Kingdome This is the summe and substance of what he laies down and the basis upon which he builds a necessity of admitting the children of the faithfull into and reckoning upon them as in the visible Church of Christ or else we must saith he say they are in the visible Kingdome of the Devill which to say saith he is false doctrine the rest is but amplification and augmentation rather then Argumentation of this position now how beâ—…t a wise body that is not resolved to trouble himself and fill the world with curious pryings long proofs and prolix prates about matters which the wisdome of Christ in the word of his Testament which was written to for and concerning men and women and not infants is pleased to be silent in would surely have sat down satisfyed with that sober saying which Mr. B. himself cotes out of Mr. T. Apol. p. 66. viz. that infants are neither in the Kingdom i.e. visible church of Christ nor Satan visibly till profession For really so it is and no otherwise properly and quoad nos who have no warrant to take cognizance of them as in either one or in the other visibly but as at years they visibly appear to cleave to either neither are these two viz. the visible Kingdome of Satan and the visible Church of Christ the adaequate dividing members of the whole world but excepting infants of the adult ones in it only which visibly obey either Christ or Satan neither doth Satans visible kingdome consist of any infants visibly at all but of such as visibly are acted by him even the children of disobedience in whom he works Ephes. 2. 2. nor Christs visible Church of any infants visibly at all save when some were inchurched and incovenanted as a type for a time but of such onely as visibly obey him these I say are visibly the subjects servants disciples and children of each Rom. 6. his servants ye are i. e. visibly to whom i. e. visibly ye obey whether c. 1 Ioh. 3. 10. in this i. e. doing or not doing righteousnesse are manifest i. e. visibly the children of God and of the devâ—…l so Iohn 8. They are visibly of their father the devil who do the works of their father i. e. in Gospel account for else in the lawes account they as Abrahams seed were then the Churches children howbeit I say any one that is not willing to be wise above what is written and to have vision of more then is visible would rest in this yet sith Mr. B. will put us positivly to prove a third state denying that there 's any medium asserting that infants if they be not in the visible Church of Christ in their infancy are in the visible kingdome of the devil which to say is false doctrine I shall bring Mr. Baxter to stop the mouth of Mr. Baxter and to convince him that either there is a third state in which believers infants are in their infancy which is neither of these two or else to drive him to that Dilemma to preach this false doctrine himself that believers infants are in the visible kingdome of the Devil To this purpose I first demand of him which of these two viz. the visible church of Christ or the visible kingdome of the devil believers infants are visibly in before baptism First as for the visible kingdom of the devil he must say they are either visibly in it or out of it if he say they are in it then he himself preaches that false doctrine which he saies is ours and makes all infants even of believers members of the visible kingdom of the devil if he say they are out and not in the visible kingdom of the devil then that doctrine which teaches men to leave them unbaptized and denies them to be admitted members of the visible church of Christ till they come to age is not guilty as he saies it is of making them doctrinally members of the visible kingdome of the devil for it is but a delay indeed till they can do what is required to baptism As for the visible Church of Christ he must say they are either visibly in it before baptism or not in but out of it if he say they are in the visible church of Christ visibly before baptism then they cannot be said to be as oh how oft ore and ore again are they said to be by Mr. Bax. p. 24. 25. admitted to be members entered listed added initiated into it as into Christs School and first stated into it by baptism for to be first entered into it by baptism and yet to be visibly in it before baptism these two are 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utterly inconsistent each with other as to be let into a room when and while one is already in the room is impossible yet with Mr. B. persons are let into the visible church after they are in it yea they must be in it saith he before they may be admitted to be in it nor will his distinction of a member compleat and incompleat p. 24. which he used before to the tearm disciple which I know he will make help him at all here sith with himself an incompleat member is one that hath but jus ad rem not in re ad Ecclesiam not in Ecclesia a right to onely not a standing in the Church a title to the relative change and not a being yet in that relative change that he saies passes upon him by baptism Besides to say the truth they are but incompleat members after baptism whom you baptize sith when baptized and in the church they have not present right to other ordinances of the church for you admit not your infant members to the Supper but if he say they are not visibly in the church of Christ before baptism but out of it as indeed they are then either he must say they are in the visible Kingdome of the devil which is false doctrine with himself to say of believers infants or else say they are in some third or middle state to the unsaying of what he said before by way of denial of such a third state which let him say and we will agree with him and such a third state there is which all infants are in as well as some whether he will deny himself so as to acknowledge it yea or no. His 22. plain Scripture-less proof for infant Church-membership and baptism is this viz. That doctrine which leaveth us no sound grounded hope of the justification or salvation of any dying infant in the world is certainly false doctrine but that doctrine which denieth any infants to be members of the visible Church doth leave us no c. This argument I have spoken to sufficiently above and thereupon might well passe it by here and refer Mr. Bâ—… thither for an answer where in answer to the Ashford Disputants that urge the same argument enough to satisfie is returned But finding this to be that which of all things most gravels Mr. Baxter and makes him stick so stiffly to his plea for the baptism and Church-membership of infants because unlesse that be owned he can find no good ground in all the word whereupon to hope or believe that any dying infant in all the world can be saved which if he could find he would find the vanity of his venting so much concerning a necessity of baptizing and inchurching infants and save himself a deal of puzzling himself about that which the New Testament hath not one word of and fearing lest I should be judged cowardly to slide by it as if I saw Mr. Ba. handled it more unanswerably then any other and partly because Mr. Ts. suspension of his judgement concerning the future state of any infants is puft at by him and uneffectual to his satisfaction unlesse he could assure him of the salvation of some dying infants at least of believing parents which if he could assure him of out of the way of their church-membership and baptism it should satisfie him sufficiently I perceive to censure all other infants to hell and to say all those millions of poor innocents I mean the dying infants of other men in respect of which these he is so pittiful to are scarce one of a 100. are all damned for ever with which harsh cruel bloody and mercilesse censure of his I am much more and more groundedly dissatisfied then he is about the denial of meer outward membership and bare ordinance of baptism to those few on whose behalf he pleads them and lastly hoping the Lord may lend him some ligh whereby to see a consistency between the non membership and baptism of believers infants and the salvation of the dying infants of not believers onely but all dying innocent infants in the world I shall enter on an examination of what he saies to the contrary and an explication of what apprehension in this particular I am begotten to by the word of truth and though I shall decline sacerdotale delirium that common stock of divinity which the Clergy have treasured up in their Theological Systems out of which ocean of error and dead sea of tradition the younger Rabbies use to draw into their common place books and store themselves with arguments against Anab aptistical heresie i. e. this trouble some truth yet I trust I shall give a good account before all the world at the Tribunal of Christ Jesus In order hereunto therefore I first flatly deny the Minor of Mr. Bas. above cited syllogism which by another Syllogism he proves viz. They that are not so much as seemingly or visibly in a state of salvation of them so dying we can have no ground of Christian hope that they shall be saved But they that are not so much as seemingly or visibly of the Church are not so much as seemingly or visibly in a state of salvation therefore of them so dying we can have no true ground of hope that they shall be saved The Major of this second syllogism which he sets himself to prove I freely grant to be true The Minor I have many things to say to First I take notice how he changes the termes from what they were in this pro-syllogism which had he been minded to deal fairly and not to sophisticate and shuffle I know not why he should do and a sincere disputant whould not have done it In the Minor of the former syllogism the terms were thus viz. that doctrine that denieth infants to be members of the visible church but here he writes leaving out the word visible foisting in the word seemingly and visibly to fill up the room of it that it might not be mist they that are not seemingly or visibly of the Church whereas he ought of right to have brought in the Minor and conclusion thus viz. but they that are not members of the visible Church are not so much as seemingly or visibly in a state of salvation therefore of them viz. them that are not members of the visible Church we can have no true ground of Christian hope that they can be saved I say he should have exprest it visible Church in both places else the word Church being understood by Mr. Ba for the invisible Church sometimes i e. them that are not onely seemingly sincere and in state of salvation but as really and truly in state of salvation as they seem by this variation of his from visible Church to Church without the term visible the state of the question may be changed and how beit he premises this and takes it for granted that to be a visible member of the church and to be a member of the
this foundation of no salvation for infants without the visible Church on which he frames his present Argument flat on the ground to allow the bounds of the visible Church to be no broader then all the particular visible societies that are actually baptized and in formal fellowship in breaking bread and prayers so as to say he is no member of the visible Church that is not actually entred and solemnly stated in some particular congregation or other therefore being politick he premises this among the rest 3. You must understand saith he but a man may understand a little better if he will that to be a member of the visible Church is not to be a Member of any particular or politick body or society Nay more to make his own matter good and that he may find out a way of his own whereby to hope well of all the infants of believers before baptism that they may be saved for let all other dying infants damn for him he cares not for harbouring any hope of them and finding no way but one whereby to help himself to any hope of those i. e. by feigning them to be of the visible church he fetches the visible church so far that he makes it larger then the number of visible baptized ones and holds all believers infants to be in the visible Church from the womb and though in the last page but two of his book he disputes against twice entring into the visible body he feigns them to enter first into the visible church when they first enter into the world besides and before their second first entrance into the visible Church by baptism I wonder whether he hold those believers infants to be of the visible Church or no that were once alive yet dy again in the womb But for all these flim-flames Mr. Ba. will once know I hope that the true visible church is no other then all those particular politicall assemblies in whicâ—… baptized believers hold fellowship together and that to be a member of the visible church is to be a member of some political society or else how can such be ruld admonisht complained on to the church as Mat. 18. and excommunicated if need be in case of obstinacy if under no Ecclesiasticall Government and yet to hope well of the salvation of all infants that dy in infancy too without either baptism or visible membership in those visible societies And if he will not agree with me about it that the visible church is all the visible assemblies of Christians onely will he agree with Dr. Featley who defines the true visible church to be where the word is truly taught and the sacraments duly administred where therefore neither word is taught nor sacraments at all administred as to unbaptized infants I judge they are not nor baptized infants neither there 's no visible church Again the universal visible church that is saith he all the assemblies of Christians in the world the visible church and all the assemblies are adaequate with him at least therefore unbaptized infants cannot be of it for they were never entred into the assemblies but if Mr. Ba. will agree with neither of us we shall perswade him I hope to agree in this with Mr. Ba. for nowbeit Mr. Ba. will needs reckon upon the very unbaptized infants of believers as not in right to the visible church onely but of it in it visible members of it as as soon as born for let him study his own book how oft does he beat upon that saying there is but two states for them to be in or members of the visible kingdome of the devil or the visible church of Christ but believers infants before baptism are not in the first therefore in the visible church of Christ though I say he speak of them as in the visible church before baptism as not knowing else how to hope their salvation if they dy without it yet if any man living do deny infants or any other to be of or in the visible church before or without baptism Mr. Ba. denies it with whom how often is it exprest that baptism is the first visible entrance into it Yea to say nothing of his own definition of the visible church p. 75. to be such as were baptized and continued together in fellowship in breaking broad and prayers which ought to conclude the whole church so defined unlesse he have defined it by the halves in his plea for the continuance of baptism against the seekers p. 342. 343. he saies so and saies moreover that we must not admit any to be of the body without it that it is the appointed ordinary way of ingrafting all into the body that are ingrafted and p. 24. 25. he saies baptism still is to be at and not after persons are stated in the Church at and not after our admission at and not after our igrafting and entrance into the visible Church making baptism and our first being in or of the visible church so simultaneous that we may not must not be supposed to be in to be of to be visibly members of the visible church before baptism which if it be true as indeed it is that none can be counted to the body as one of it though in never such right to it first before baptism ordinarily at least as he pleads how doth all this hang together and agree with what he pleads here and in the foregoing argument p. 71. where he saith it is not the deniall of baptism directly that leaveth infants in the visible kingdom of the devill I would every one and Mr. Ba. himself would consider this grant of Mr. Ba. for then what ever necessity there may be of supposing them as he doth to be visible members in infancy and even before they are baptized we can suppose them in as good a state as he yet at least there will be no need to baptize them whereby to put us into more hopes of their salvation if they dy in infancy for if I can hope the salvation of some believers infants that die without Baptism upon that account what ere t is I may as well hope the salvation of them all dying without Baptism and so save the frivolous pains of baptizing infants at all he goes on thus t is true saith he that many unbaptized are in the Kingdome of Christ meaning his visible church but no man who is known to be out of Christs visible church ordinarily can be out of Satans visible kingdome I say how do these things square hear what he saies no entring into or being in the visible Church but by baptism and yet many unbaptized are in the visible Church viz. all believers infants before baptism viz. from the womb Either Mr. Ba. must hold two first entrances into the visible church viz. natural birth and baptism or else he must hold that baptism is not the first entrance or else that believers infants are not entred and if not so not in the visible
church before baptism whether they have right to be so or no which is another question if he chuse to say the first then he contradicts what he saies of entring the visible Church p. 343. if the 2d he contradicts all he saies of baptisms being the onely entrance if the 3d. that believers infants are not entred and so not in not visibly of the visible church before baptism then of these two things he must say one viz. either that all the infants of believers that dy before their visible entrance into the visible church by baptism are damned without hope which he neither will nor can say or else say that there is hope of dying infants salvation and that they may be seemingly and visibly in a state of saluation and yet not be visible members of the visible church and then what need any further witnesse or disproof for hee l confute the Minor out of his own mouth which I am to disprove and save me the labour For if they may be in a visible state of salvation and yet not be visibly in the visible church then t is so and there 's an end If to all this he saies that he meanes not more but that believers infants before baptism have right to be baptized and to be of it and to deny them that right to it denies them salvation I deny that infants dying without right to be of the visible Gospel church denies them to be in state of salvation and shall shew the contrary neverthelesse Mr. Ba. might have spoken more properly and plainly then to call a right to visible membership by the name of visible membership it self as he often yea all along does therefore we might wish him to mend his Minor before we meddle with it and also he must confesse to the contradiction of himself that there is a third state betwen the visible church of Christ and the visible kingdom of the devil in which infants must be supposed to be by himself viz a right to the church but not a present standing in it which kind of right and middle state I acknowledge unbaptized believers to have but as for infants though they are in a present visible state of and right to salvation as well as they unlesse living longer they reject Gods grace afresh which dying infants cannot do and so not in the visible Kingdome of the devil yet are they neither in nor yet in immediate right to the visible Church as men and women of years not yet baptized and yet believing are but in medio abnegationis together with them these things premised I come now to the disproof of his Minor in which I le take him in a fairer sense for himself then he expresses himself in and yet make no question but to disprove it in contradistinction unto which I say down my self thus Viz. That not only some men may be de facto no members but all infants de jure in no right to membership in the visible Church of Christ under the Gospell and yet both be possibly in state of salvation Now how far forth de facto persons may be out of an actual standing in the visible church and yet in a visible state of salvation I le not meddle much to examine because the question is though Mr. B. does not so fairly expresse it but I take it in the way that is most to his advantage whether denyal of the jus this imediate right to membership excludes them not from salvation yet thus much I shall say to that viz. if persons must be seemingly and visibly in state of salvation before they are to be admitted members they may be as yet no members of the visible church de facto and yet in a visible state of salvation This is evident not only by the singular case of the theif who never was actually admitted into the visible Church nor so much as baptized at all for want of opportunity and yet in a visible state of salvation but also if we instance in all others that ever we read were baptized in the primitive times who were first seemingly and visibly in a state of repentance faith and disposition to obey Christ in all things and therefore in a visible state of salvation Heb. 5. 9. and then after this added to the church Mvt. 3. Mark 16. 16. Act. 2. Act. 8. Act. 16. Act. 18. for a certain remote and conditional right all persons have thus de facto and now de jure that the denyal of persons present and immediate right to membership in the visible church doth not deny them universally to be in a visible state of salvation is evident also thus viz. If some persons both men and infants may appear to us to be in state of salvation and yet not in immediate present right to be joined to the visible Church then the denyal of persons present and immediate right to membership in the visible Church does not universally deny them to be in a visible state of salvation But some persons yea both men and infants may appear to us to be in a state of salvation and yet at the same time not be in so much as immediate and present right to be joined to the visible Church Therefore The first proposition is most clear the second I shall make as cleer First briefly concerning men Secondly More largely concerning infants because the question mainly is of them Concerning men I instance in all the believers in the primitive times of whom comparing Scripture with Scripture Act. 2. Act. 8. Act. 19. Heb. 6. 1. 2. its most evident they had not an absolute immediate right to visible fellowship in the visible church though converted to faith and repentance by the word and so in a visible state of salvation as the thief upon the crosse so far as with him visibly repenting believing till such time as they were admitted after baptism and â—…aying on of hands with prayer and of single disciples as they were before they were added and admitted in to the visible body till of single living pretious stones as they were before by their precious faith they were built up visibly into a house the whole building the whole body was fitly framed together fitly joined together as well as shaped before therefore they that were not actually added and joined were not of the body Ephe. 2. 21. the 4. 16. if the whole were compacted by joints and bands then all the parts were actually added and joined and those that were not joined were no part of the whole so Col. 2. 19. knâ—… together Mr. Bax. argues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Cart before the horse they must be first supposed to be visibly members in the visible Church before to be visibly in a state of salvation but it is undeniably apparent they must have visible right to salvation and that by faith too before visible right to membership in the visible church Mr. Bax. supposes persons must be first
Sirs as far as that example is of force it overturns your turn who use it in the thing in order to which you alledge it and overthrows you clearly in your question as you state it and in your tenet of a right to baptism for only believers infants exemplifying rather if the example were to be heeded the baptizing not of such infants only as are born of believing parents which we are against but such as are born of unbelieving parents also who se baptism your selves are against as well as we Ad hominem therefore I conclude and ab exemplo on behalf of unbelievers infants as your selves do from the same head on behalf of believers infants only thus viz. To hold that the universal Church or Christian world hath erred in so necessary a matter as baptism for so many hundred years is little less than damnable blasphemy But to hold it an error to baptize the infants that are born of unbelieving parents is to hold that the universal Church or Christian world which hath baptized in suo genere such as well as others hath so longerred in so necessary a matter as baptism Ergo to hold it an error to baptise the infants that are born of unbelieving parents is little less then damnable blasphemy Another Argument whereby you strive to evince your opinion viz. the baptism of believers infants above other infants and to evade ours viz. the denial of baptism to them both alike as desperate and ungodly is drawn from the danger of their damnation if it be denied them and the destructiveness of that denyal to all that hope that else may be had of their salvation which if it be of force doth it not cry out as loud against your desperate and ungodly cruelty on behalf of those millions of innocents of infidells dying infants to whom in opinion and doctrinally you deny baptism as well as we as it doth on behalf of believers infants who are no more innocent then the other to whom we deny it also for if it be such a business as not we but you and the rest of the right Romish Priests seem to make it the denial of which de jure facto damnes so down-rightly the infants dying without it that there 's no hope to be had of their salvation so you say or else my shallow noddle cannot reach the profoundity of your purpose in pettering out that pure pious piece of sense which with this Argument of yours is stuffed pag. 13. then it s high time as high a degree of charity as you would be thought to have towards a few infants viz. one of a hundred for scarely so many are true believers infants to the rest to plead for the baptism of unbelievers infants too and stand up in the cause of those innumerable poor babes that cannot speak a word for themselves against your Cruelties who deny baptism to them and deny all hope of their salvation to whom they so dying it is deni'd yea verily Sirs perswade us to that once and make us believe that popish trumpery that the deniall of baptism to any infants doth so much as doctrinally damn them and then I 'le plead for baptizing of infants in a larger way then you who confine it to believers infants onely viz. for the baptism of all babes and sucklings in the world and that least they die and so be damn'd before it be dispensed to them so soon as they are well out of the womb so far are we from that cruelty to infants which you commonly though not properly charge upon us that if we thought as you think but Sirs mistake us not for we have good ground to act more charity then your selves do to all dying infants could we think I say that their salvation did so depend upon their baptism that their damnation would be the issue of denying it we durst not be so desperately cruell as your selves nor limit it to some one infant of an hundred know Sirs we are tender in our construction of the condition of all that die in such minority as you sprinkle in before they have known or done eithe rgood or evil and are well assured there 's no damnation to such of what parents soever descended and as little need of your Rantism to their salvation but for you who are so seemingly compassionate and charitable to a few how churlish are you to a hundred to one whilst your cruel doctrine excepting such as are born of believers onely curses all the rest unavoidably to hell you talk much of your own charity to infants and our cruelty but truly Sirs I dare tell you that your tender mercies to that age of infancy are meer cruelty so long as in your childish dotage on some you send so many packing to perdition and as unchristian as our cruelty is it hath more tender mercy in it to the whole infancy of the world then all your Christian charity doth yet amount to for as you prescribe it p. 5. 't is our rule indeed but not your own presumere unumquemque bonum nisi constet de malo to presume and hope well even the best things and things that accompany salvation of all infants as well as some specially since it cannot appear that any of them have yet by any actual sin bard themselves or deserv'd to be exempted from the general state of little children declared in Scripture which is a right to the Kingdome of heaven but your Christian charity hath not carried you out so farre yet as to hope and presume well of infidels infants unbelievers infants or any unrantized infants though it cannot appear that any of these have by any actuall sinne more barr'd themselves then the other or more deserved to be exempted from that general state of little children declar'd in Scripture then the infants of the best believers in the world Whether therefore we who though we baptize no infants at all nor see warrant in the word so to do yet believe and that not ungroundedly nor as being more merciful then God shews himself to be to them the salvation of all that die in infancy or one who imagining as sillily as your selves that no baptism no salvation should thereupon for pitty dispute against you limiters of Gods grace for the baptizing of all infants in the world or your selves who supposing the same i. e. no hope to be had of their salvation to whom baptism is denied have yet no more pitty in you then to dispute for the baptism of believers infants onely excluding all other infants from it in doctrine though not all in practise which are no less then an hundred to one whereby not a moity onely but all save a small moity of infants in the world yea in the very Christian world in which the most by far are unbelievers are cut off at once from not the Church on earth onely but all share in the Kingdom of heaven also which of all these
and that shall be a little examined First if they say saith he that the Kindome of Christ is not here meant Christs church they speak against the constant phrase of Scripture which calls Christs Kingdome his Church et conversim Christ is King and saviour of the same society what is Christs Kingdom but his church To which I answer Christs Kingdome is the whole world as well as his church And Secondly that he is King and Saviour of all men in some sense as well as of that same society And Thirdly that it is not against the constant phrase of Scripture to say by Christs Kingdome here is not meant his church for â—…hough it is true by his Kingdome is sometimes exprest his church et retro by his church is meant his Kingdome in a special and restrictive sense yet not constantly there being many places where the word Kingdome of Christ is taken in a larger sense as signifying not the church but the whole world O bad 21 the Kingdome i. e. Monarchy of the whole earth shall be the Lords i. e. Christs so Dan. 7. the Kingdome i. e. Dominion Monarchy and greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the son of man and the Saints yea his Kingdom is over all he shall rule the Nations govern and judge the whole world in righteousnesse Oh saith Mr. Ba. the Kingdome of Christ is more large and more speciall but here it cannot be meant of his kingdom in the larger sense nor as he ruleth common societies and things for so saith he the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs and it could not be said that they are now become so To which I answer First that in granting what he here does that Christs kingdome is taken sometimes in a larger sense then for the church he contradicts himself above where he saies it is the constant phrase of Scripture to call Christs Kingdome his church and what is Christs kingdome but his church Secondly whereas he saies the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs in the larger sense as taken for his Government and Rule I grant de jure Christ hath been Lord of the whole earth a long time but de facto he is not King so as actually to reign over the whole earth as ere long he shall do i. e. at his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 1. to this very day but in that indeed i. e. when he comes he shall be King Monarch over all the earth and rule with a rod of iron over the Nations and judge the world in righteousnesse together with his Saints who hath been judged in unrighteousnesse by the Nations and Rulers hitherto Zach. 14. Dan. 7. Act. 17. P. 2. Rev. 2. then he shall be in point of execution as before by commission and really and actually as now intentionally King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. but till then as yet a little while and his Kingdome comes to his hand and the Kingdomes of the world do thus become his for the work of recovery of his right is now very hot in fieri and will not be long before it be in facto esse till then he hath been an underling and other Lords besides him have had dominion over him in his and also over the whole earth which is his and over the Kingdomes of this world which de jure are his but specially that servus servorum dominus dominorum the Pope and CCClergy that are the whore that hath reigned in three divisions over the earth between whom and Christ the great justle now is in all christendome whether he or they that by permission have had it so long from Christ who onely hath the commission for it shall be King of Kings and Lord of Lords hitherto Christ hath reigned in the world as Charles the second hath reigned in England and no otherwise i. e. hath reigned in the hearts of a few of his friends and followers But I perceive the Gospel or good news of the Kingdome of Christ coming which is to be preached more had more before the end is yet a riddle to Mr. Ba. and though I hope it will be if seeing he will see yet t is not yet given him to know the mystery and manner of Christs Kindome Thirdly whereas he saies that the Kingdom taken in the larger sense i. e. for the world cannot be meant here but the church onely by this phrase the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ I strongly assert that of all places in Scripture the word Kingdomes of Christ cannot here be construed for the church that the church cannot be meant in that phrase but the Kingdomes in the largest sense i. e. the whole world and directly oppositly to Mr. Ba. who saies it is the church I disprove his opinion thus First If by the kingdomes of Christ be meant the Church then it must be thus read viz. the Kingdomes of this world are become Christs Church but what an absurdity must that be specially with Mr. Bax. above all men who so strenuously contends that by the word Kingdoms of this world is meant not in part only but the whole kingdom for to hold that by that phrase the Kingdomes of this world is meant all the kingdomes upon the earth taken wholly and not Synechdochically for a part of those kingdomes onely and that by the kingdom of Christ the Church onely is to make the sense thus viz. the whole world is become Christs Church therefore it cannot be so but thus and so all the circumstances of the text do evince for it is spoken of Christs raign over all the world in the latter daies after the seventh Trumpet hath sounded and not over all his Church onely and of Christs taking to himself ver 17. that great Monarchy power kingdome or greatnesse and glory of his reign which before he permitted to be in the hands of the Dragon beast and whore so that they reigned over the whole earth and the saints too in rigour and unrighteousnesse Rev. 13. Rev. 17. ult I say it must be thus viz. the Kingdomes of this world the Kingdomes under the whole heaven the Monarchy of the whole Earth is now come into Christs own hands or the Government over all is now actually on his shoulders Besides what will Mr. Bax. gain more by his sense of that Scripture towards the proof of his infant-membership then I for the membership of heathen infants then for the Church membership of the whole world if I were minded to plead for it if the Kingdomes of this world wholly taken none excluded do become the Church of Christ then all men as well as infants must be Church-members on that account Besides he speaks as de futuro what shall be under the seventh Trumpet therefore if it were to be taken as Mr. Bax. imagines that the Kingdomes of this world infants as well as men are now become Christs Church then it would
evince that it was not so from the beginning of the Gospel Church for what effects are spoken of as falling out now newly under the seventh Trumoet are things that never were in being before Besides observe Mr. Baxter how he pleads to have Kingdomes taken in the largest sense in the former part of the verse and how angry he is if it be taken for lesser then all the whole kingdomes of the world but in the latter part where Kingdomes must needs be and is as largely to be taken for it is the Kingdomes of the world are become Christs Kingdomes i. e. dominion not Christs churches there he will needs lace it up into the narrowest acceptation that the word kingdom can possibly bear Oh therefore the grosse pieces of ignorance that are in that Argument of his for infants membership in the Church which he grounds from a Scripture that will as well prove all the world to be Gospel Church-members as believers infants if his very own false sense of it should be admitted but in truth proves not the one nor the other thus he argues viz. the Kingdoms of this world i. e. all and all in them shall become Christs kingdomes therefore infants of only believers not heathens are Church-members under the Gospel He that saies this followes any better then the Pope follows Peter in the holy chaire shall never be counted or voted mentis compos whilest I am compos voti Mr. Bax. therefore had better have found 40 shillings where he never looked for it then have looked for infant-membership in this scripture where he will never find it with his eyes open His three next Arguments viz. the ninth tenth and eleventh run all upon one strain and therefore as he need not have made more then one of them so I need not make more then one answer to them all yea I need make none at all having spoken to that point sufficiently before yet a hint of it here may do no hurt They stand all upon one bottome viz. the meliority of the times under the Gospel above the times of the Law of this new covenant above the old the summe of what he saies is this if believers in fants may not now be members of the visible Church then both Jewes and Gentiles are in a worse condition now then before Christ and Christ is come to be a destroyer and not a Saviour and to do hurt to all the world the believing Jewes and the Church yea and the very Gentiles thereby in regard of the happinesse of their children are in a worse condition then of old but this is a vile doctrine saith he for Jesus is a Mediator of a better covenant established on better promises Heb. 8. 6. where sin abounded grace much more abounded Rom. 5. 14 15. 20. and the love of Christ love hath height length depth breadth and passeth knowledge Ephes. 3. To which simple inconsequent conceits I answer by denying the consequence it followes not that the world is in worse estate under Christ then before because infants might be members of the Jewish church but not now of any visible church of the Gospel nay verily the world is in a far better condition then formerly by how much they are under more clear and plain promulgations more faâ—…re and universal tenders of salvation then in the narrow or shadowy dispensation of the Law and also under greater love richer grace better and more glorious promises unlesse they fall short of them through their own unbelief then those which were made to the natural Israelites onely all whose glory was but a type of the other for the great favor love and promises of God to them as meerly Abraham Isaac and Iacobs natural seed unlesse they also believed and then they as now all the world might be heirs with Abraham of the grace and promises of the Gospel did make them heirs of that earthly Canaan onely but the Gospel grace makes all men heirs on termes of faith and obedience to Christ of the glory of the heavenly Canaan for ever the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men now appears and as for infants albeit no infants now be baptized into fellowship with the visible Church nor are priviledged as the Jewes infants once were with interest in the blessing of an outward earthly Canaan nor yet vouchsafed that meerly titular account of sanctifyed and peculiar people of God as in opposition to other infants as by birth accountatively sinners common and unclean which distinction of a birth holiness and uncleaness Mr. Baxter had he but half an eye in his head might clearly see Acts 10. 28. is so taken out of the world and ended in Christ that now no man however born no not a Gentile may be called in that sense as the Gentiles were of old in reference to the Jewes either common or unclean and if no man can be called by birth common or unclean in reference to other then none may be called by birth holy in reference to other for this birth holinesse and uncleannesse are such Correlatives that the one cannot be supposed to be in the world without the other albeit I say no infants have now such standings in such external happines and salvation yet they are in no les capacity to be saved then the Jews children of old so neither their parents whoever they be in any worse condition in regard of their comforts in their children whether they dy infants or live to years then the godliest Jewes were in regard of theirs for either infants dy in infancy or else do not if any mans infants dy in such nonage as in which they never committed actual transgression our Ashford Pamphlet tells us they have not deserved to be exempted from the generall state of little infants declared in Scripture viz. that of such is the Kingdome of heaven yea I wonder what should damn such dying infants as never had iniquâ—…y of their own sith God himself assures us that the son shall not dy i. e. eternally for the iniquity of his father but every soul that dyes shall dy onely for his own iniquity Ezekiel 18. and no better hopes could be harboured of the Godliest Jewes infants then this that dying infants they were not damned But if any mans children even his that is ungodly and prophane do live to years then if they believe and obey the Gospel the tender of which is to every creature they may be saved though their parents be wicked when Iewes children not doing so shall be damned for all their father Abrahams faith and their own Church-membership for a time and that with so much the greater condemnation whereas therefore Mr. Ba. tells us such a story of a meliority of being in the visible Church rather then out I tell him it is not universally true but as it may happen for besides that children may aswell be prayed for and instructed by their godly parents remaining unbaptized and non-members in
reasons for baby-baptism be strong and solid your Reader if rational will receive them if weak as you say they are he is a Reader scarce worth writing reason to who will be prevailed with by your desire so to cover their weakness as in charity to suffer himself to be overcome and carried away by them notwithstanding that their weakness to close with you in your cause and to be beaten into a belief of your baptism as good though it hath but broken reeds and bulrushes to maintain it by the force of bare beggings and beseechings or if in this request of yours to us to cover the weakness of your Arguments your meaning is not that we should be so silly as to build our belief and practice upon them though weak by your own confession whose they are but onely that we should not publish discover and divulge their weakness to the world but in charity be content to think our think or to see and say nothing truly Sirs what others will do at your request in this kind I know not but I assure you I cannot possibly for my part grant your desire in this case forasmuch as your selves have engaged me several waies not to be silent on pain of giving away the cause which if it were onely my own too the matter were so much the less you should have it with all my heart yea verily and my own life too to do your souls good for I know I could freely part with it to be a means of effecting your salvation but since it is the cause of God which he hath intrusted me with the pleading of against you who presume to enter the lists against it with such silly tools and weak weapons on behalf of a Babish-baptism which is not from heaven but of men I dare not give place so far as in foolish pitty to spare the Cittie Babylon or in Charity not to bewray a Breach or weakness in her walls of defence when I spie it for that were in Charity to betray the truth of of God and such Charity is more Antichristian by far then Christian what ere you call it and such as could have small hope of acceptance before God however esteemed of among men wherefore I desire you to have me excused if I cannot in charity cover the weakness of your Arguments for in Charity to poor souls that are led aside from the way of truth by your piteous pious pretences and weak reasonings for your way and I am concerned in the very next place after I have done with this of yours to the Reader to discover to the world the weakness of them besides sith you have made so bold with your selves as to proclaime the weakness of your own Arguments for Infant-baptism I hope the Counties of Kent and Sussex will consider this that their choise Ministry that stood up to maintain Infant-Baptism at Ashford did after in their own Account theerof give out of their own accord that there was weakness in the Arguments they brought for that purpose men mutire nefas I hope it shall be no offence to you for me to second you in your own saying 't is you who have publisht your arguments to be weak my business shall be only publickly to prove them so to be as you assert them yet if it be offensive to you it shall be no wonder to me for I know already that you can bear it better to have your Disputation ly under disgrace and disparagement under shame and censure of weakness from your selves in print then from your supposed Adversary and true Friend my self so much as in a private Letter only and that some men as the Proverb is may more safely steal the horse then some so much as peep o're the hedge Pre. Not to suffer the cause to be wronged thorow the defects of those who had more zeal to maintain it then abilities c. Post. T is both usual and lawfull for us to judge of causes by the effects that naturally and necessarily flow from them for qualis causa i. e. naturalis per se talis effectus Retró e. g. Infant-sprinkling hath been a cause efficient and per se from whence much evil hath necessarily crept into the world for it hath been a means of confounding the Church and the World together of letting the Gentiles or Nations by whole sale into the outter Court of filling the world with meer nominal Christians and carnal Christianity whereby they have got advantage ever since to tread down the holy City and true worship and worshippers as Heresie Hereticks of bringing the nations into one Catholick Church whereof the Pope was universall Bishop or overseer for ages together thorow the eyes of his creatures the Clergy the very Stirrup whereby he and his Ministers who have blended themselves into a blind and beastly uniformity have become Masters of the Kingdomes and have got up to ride them a plea and president for traditions it being one it self which ever make Gods commands void and mens worship of God in vain an inlet of these and innumerable more mischiefs and absurdities for posito hoc uno absurdo sequuntur mille therefore it is undoubtedly an ill cause also t is lawfull to judge of a cause by the common Consequents which come from it not as caused properly but meerly occasioned by it and in respect of which it is called only causa sine quâ non i. e. that without which the other would not be and yet no other then the bare accidentall occasions of those effects which flow from something else as the cause thereof perse and most especially when those consequents are declared by the word of God to be such as will upon that occasion universally and unavoidably come to pass and thus we may give a shrew'd guess that our cause is good viz. that our Gospel Ministery Church-way and Baptism is the true one because we see it is seconded now and ever hath been with what it was of old seconded and foretold also that it should ever be even every where to the worlds end viz. divisions in families two against three and three against two the Father against the Son the Daughter against the Mother c. offences of friends and fleshly relations the account of Heresie and baseness hatred of men persecution cavils stits tumults about it by which things Christs people Gospel Ministers and Ministrations are ever proved to be his Luke 12. 52. 53. Math. 24. 9. 2. Tim. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 27. 2 Cor. 6. 4 5. So that where there 's none of this I avouch the Gospell in its purity is not there though where these are the Gospel is not the cause for that is men lusts and flesh fighting against the light but the only the occasion whereupon they arise when Satan the strong man holds the house the goods are all in peace but when Christ the stronger man comes to storm him out there 's contention
some truth in times of Ignorance the lâ—…ght was though not so totally and terribly as to the rest of the world much ecclipsed ore now it is and that promised manifestative presence of Christ not a little interdicted and communion with him interrupted by the interposition of that smoak which comming out of the bottomless pit clouded the suâ—… and thickned the aire and as Christ himself foretold also it should be Iohn 14. 30. by the intervening of the Prince of the darkness of this world who was to have his time wherein to darken all things and had it too so that by his delusive wiles the whole world was won to be once an Arrian and after that an Antichristian worshipping the Dragon and the Beast wondering and erring all together into one Catholique Church-body called Christendome and by common consent bearing the whore or false Ministery called Clergy warring at her will against the Saints and though not finally for so the gates of hell cannot yet â—…or a long time prevailing against them that dwell in heaven Rev. 13. 4 5 6 7. In all which time nevertheless as I said before some truths were revealed to some and so much to such as then sought to Christ and not to men as may well serve to verify Christs words and justify all the promises of his presence with his people as to the true purport of them as yea and Amen Babist But where was your Church then all this while till these latter times Baptist. Where it was to be according to the word of prophecy Rev. 11. 1. viz. troden underfoot for 1260 years by the nominall Christians or Gentiles coming by the lump into the outer Court i. e. into a bare name and feigned form of Christianity after the time of Constantine at the compulsive call of the Clergy since when though there have been an number of Saints in sackcloth that have seen much light from Christ and suffered for it yet I am so far from undertaking to prove there was that I am rather of the mind there was not nor was to be if the word be true any truly collected truly constituted visible Churches at all in right outward form and order standing upon that true foundation i.e. the principles of the Doctrine of Christ and the primitive prophets and Apostles for many ages upwards even from the Clergies carrying the Church captive into Babylon unto these daies wherein the foundation Heb. 6. 1. 2. with Eph. 2. 20. 21. 22. which hath been razed is laid again and the measuring line gone forth upon the Temple is in the hands of the true Zerubbabel Christ Iesus who shall also finish it not by Army nor by strength but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hosts If this answer be not satisfactory that our Churches are true ones unless I can prove a lineal succession of them from the Apostles times to these let me see what lineal succession is of your Churches from the Apostles daies if I ask you Praelatick Priests as the Masse Priests do where was your Church before Luther and you Presbyterians where was your Church before Calvin in both whose daies you cannot deny but that of those that denyed infant-baptism there were abundance must you not needs see both your Churches swallowed up in the Sea of Rome and for ages and generations together making one with that were not the two little heads of the Roman Eagle spoken of 2 Esdras 11. 12. which are the two smaller kingdomes of the Clergy i. e. Prelacy and Presbytery making one head with the great one i. e. the Popedome till of late they separated from him First sure I am you may labour till you are weary and look till your eyes fail before you find a series of visible protestant Churches before Luther and as universal as you Protestant priesthood do proclaim your selves and your Church to have been yet I tell you t will puzzle you to derive your pedigree from the Apostles if the Pope put you to prove it by induction and ennumeration of Churches succeeding without interruption unless you will own him to be your father as to your Clericall function you are fain to do Whereupon in the book stiled Luthers predecessors or an answer to the question of the Papists viz. Where was your Church before Luther p. 3. 4. I find it ingenuously acknowledged by the nameless Author thereof in his undertaking to answer that question That if the Papistry the Protestant to assign any visible constituted Church which might have been known by the distinction and succession of Bishops Elders Deacons c. the task is unequal and that records of such a thing are wanting insomuch that he puts it off in replying to the Papists thus That they cannot prove that the Church must alwaies be in such manner visible that in Elias time there were 7000 unknown to him much more to Ahab that in Christs passion some papists say the Church was in Mary the Church being like the Moon allwaies lasting yet not alwaies in the full And then in resolution to the quaere it self alledges not any one protestant Church at all but onely here and there a Protestant professor as Wickliff and such mostly as were after him inlightned by his Doctrine and did suffer for giving testimony thereto so the â—…esuitish question is thus answered I find it also thereupon the â—…le that in a conference which was once held upon the same question by Dr. White and Dr. Featley against two others viz. Fisher and Sweet Dr. Featley chose rather to prove a continual succession of protestants by the truth of their doctrine then the truth of the Protestant Churches and doctrine by a perpetuity of succession and so doth that Author himself who ever it was that wrote the answer to that papistical question as well aware that protestant Churches cannot prove themselves true by succession p. 1. 2. What saith he if we could not prove that the English Church was before Luther Must it needs follow that the doctrine we hold is untrue or shall the doctrine of Rome be ever the truer because of Antiquitie only No certainly And why not because the Church must be proved and allowed by the doctrine and not the Doctrine authorized by the Church which the Papists a people wise in their generation well knowing have overturned the course of Nature and will have the Scripture and all doctrine to hang upon the determination of the Church hoping that if once they have amazed any one with the name of the Church and driven him from title and interest in the Church before Luthers time they shall easily call in question the whole frame of the doctrine of the reformed Churches So that we see the Protestants are faln to fence off the papists arguments from universality Antiquity perpetuity in which Rome outstrips the reformed Churches with pleading only the verity of their doctrine and its being persecuted in some few professors of it before Luther Yea verily
visible Church is all one saying he that denies that will shew but his vanity yet he takes it before it is granted him from me who am one of those vain ones that by his favour deny these to be all one unlesse by the word Church in both places he means the visible Church which though I do notsay he doth not yet I say if he do he should by right have exprest it or else there may be fallacy in it for I aver to Mr. Ba. and albeit I seem to him to speak paradoxes and parables thorow the distance of our principles yet I hope to make it clear to his conscience that the visible Church doth not so contain the invisible in it as he saies it doth p. 75. but that there are cases wherein persons may be both real and visible i. e. to us seeming members of the invisible Church or mistical body of sincere ones and in state of salvation and yet not be real members of the visible Church or else not to speak now of the state of believers infants whom you rantize before you rantize them let him tell me what visible state believers themselves whom onely and not their infants Acts 2. 41. 42. the first Gospel ministry bapâ—…ized were in immediatly before they baptized them they were not visibly members after profession of their faith of the visible Kingdom of the devil and therefore at least visible and seeming members of Christs mistical body and of the invisible Church and in state of salvation and yet were they not members visibly of the visible Church of Christ till though I hold not baptism it self neither to be the immediate formal entrance into the visible Church yet necessarily previous to it till I say they were to use Mr. Bas. own phrase by baptism admitted and stated in it for to be admitted to be a member of the visible Church and yet to be a member of that visible Church before that admittance are utterly inconsistent each with other yea to enter in by baptism and yet to be in before baptism beside the contradiction that is in one of these to the other it makes your baptism which you call the sacrament of visible entrance to be what you say the supper is i. e. a sacrament rather of continuance to be seemingly therefore and visibly a member or to be a visible member of the church unlesse we mean the visible Church and then it ought to be so exprest by them that hold there is an invisible and to be a member of the visible Church are not all one thus having first justly faulted the Minor for its fallacious faultring in the terms and form of it and varying from those of the first syllogisme and setting down the syllogisme in the plain termes in which Mr. Baxter should have done it viz. They that are not so much as seemingly or visibly in the state of salvation of them so dying we can have no true ground of Christian hope that they shall be saved But they that are not members of the visible Church are not so much as seemingly or visibly in a state of salvation therefore of them that are not members of the visible Church so dying we can have no true ground of Christian hope that they shall be saved In the second place I fault the Minor of this argument as most false and unsound in the matter of it and therefore I lay down this for truth which is directly opposite to it viz. that they that are not members of the visible Church may be seemingly and visibly in a state of salvation and so consequently that of them that are not members of the visible Church so dying we may have true ground of Christian hope that they shall be saved These two positions with the consequence thereof are so contradictory each to other that if this latter be truth then the former universally understood i. e. of all that are not of the visible Church as it must be or else it serves not Mr. Ba s purpose must needs be false whereupon I need do no more toward the disproof of his then to prove my own in order to which I shall premise what the visible Church is and then examine whether it be not possible for some persons as Mr. Ba. it seems thinks it is not to be seemingly and visibly in a state of salvation and yet not be members of the visible Church The true visible Church now in the times of the Gospel and so onely it concerns our purpose to consider of it is all those severall particular visible assemblies and societies of persons in the world or visible disciples collectively taken which in all places and ages since Christ past present and to come being first separated or called out of the world to personall prosession of repentance from dead works and faith towards God of remission of sins by Christ Iesus of resurrection of the dead and the eternall judgement and baptized in water in the name of Christ for remission of sins and together with imposition of hands prayed for that they may receive the holy spirit of promise do afterward continue stedfastly in the doctrine of the Apostles and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers all the true universall visible Church that I know of if you will needs have an universal visible is that which doth exist in these particular visible societies and is neither narrower nor wider then these particulars Such was the visible Gospel Church in the primitive times and the same and no other then that which was the visible Church then is the visible Church now and in all times of the Gospell wherein it is at all the visible Church was that which did consist and was made up of all the particular Churches that then were viz. Rome Corinth and all the rest which were societies and assemblies of persons thus called gathered and built up an house unto God upon the foundation of the first principles of the doctrine of Christ as the six above named are called Heb. 6. 1. as they are also called Eph. 2. 20. the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles i. e. that form of doctrine as t is called Rom. 6. 17. which every beginner in Christ did own and obey and which obeying he was fit matter for the visible church and was after by mutual consent of the party offering himself and their suffering him to join with them Acts 10. 26. formally added actually admitted to visible fellowship with them in breaking of bread and prayers for that with freedome on both sides such persons as had thus far been taught and had learned these principles this a b c and owned it i. e. professing to believe what of it was matter of faith and visibly practising what of it was practical were visible disciples new born babes Heb. 5. 13. and such babes being baptized and having laid this foundation as to fellowship were then accepted thereunto that they might grow up
we can make disciples of Christ persons being properly called disciples of disco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to learn and I blush at that bald stuff wherewith he strives and streines his wits till he becomes ridiculous to make the denomination of disciple appear to be due to infants p. 23. as namely Because they are taken into Christs school and Kingdome i. e. his visible Church whereas t is before persons are taken into this School that they are disciples therefore not by it also because they are not lesse docible then some bruits as if some brutes are so docible as to deserve the name of disciples of Christ therfore much more infants because Mothers Nurses teach them by gesture action and voice partly and dishearten and take them off from vices and if not at first to know Christ yet if any of the duty of a rationall creature it is somewhat somewhat indeed but nothing to purpose for as if mothers could take them off from vices in such meer nonage wherein you baptize them as or if they could learn them any of a natural creatures duty so young as at eight or nine daies old as if to learn the duty of a rational creature which many a man learns but no infants could denominate disciples of Christ because Christ can teach them immediately by his spirit if they can learn nothing of their parents by action and voice from which Christ can teach them to denominate believers infants disciples of Christ before we have any evidence that he does teach them any more then other infants that must be no disciples when Christ can teach these as well as those I cannot conceive the foppery of it it is so great because when a Philosopher was hired to teach a man and his children those were children disciples of that Philosopher as if ever any wise man did hire another wise man to teach him and his nine daies old infants because infants can so quickly learn to know father and mother and what they mean in their speeches and actions as if so quickly as you baptize them and lastly as if this will be an accurate account for baptizing of infants and accepted as an answer of Christs commission who there bids us teach or make persons disciples to plead thâ—…s viz. Lord we could not teach infants nor make them thy disciples by teaching yet seeing they could quickly learn to know father and mother we supposed upon this and several such like reasons that the name disciple of Christ was their due and so that t was our duty to baptize them Moreover Adhominem as he saies of the word holy p. 82. So I of the term disciple whose constant meaning is one that hath learnt as Mat. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Iohn 6. 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that hath learned we shall have better defence before the Iudgement seat of Christ for taking the term disciple in that sense as the Scripture uses it in scores of times viz. for persons learnt or taught then they that take it for indocible infants a sense the Scripture never uses it in at all but a hundred times otherwise to say nothing of Iohn 8. 31. Luke 14. 26. 33. where Christ saies if we do what I am sure infants do not we are and if we do not what infants cannot do we cannot be his disciples Secondly as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is teach them i. e. the Gospel so none are here bid to be baptized but the very same individual persons that are bid also to be taught first baptizing them and after teaching them again whom those persons in the Nations whom they have taught onely and not their infants for we may as well say the men that they never taught as them since Christ hath in precepto conjoined teaching or our discipling and baptizing together and infants cannot by our teaching of them be discipled visibly The argument in its true form is this viz. What Christ hath conjoined i. e. in his commission for baptizing that man must not separate i. e. in his practise But Christ hath conjoined our discipling persons and baptizing them in his commission for baptizing as a standing course to the end of the world as Mat. 28. 19. 200. shews Erg no man must separate these two in his practise If Dr. Featley were alive to answer this he would happily say t is no Topical but a Sophistical Syllogism for when A. R. makes much what the like from Mar. 16. 16. viz. What God hath joined together no man ought to separate But faith and baptism God hath joined together Acts 8. 37. Ergo faith and baptism none ought to separate He saies there 's a double falacy in it viz. homonimiae or ambiguity in the premises i e. in the termes joined together for it may be meant saith he either in precepto and that no man denyeth or insubejcto the subject i. e. so as to say that all that are baptized have faith and none have faith but the baptized and in this sense it is apparently false saith he whereupon to prevent Dr. Featleys followers from charging the above syllogism with that fallacy I have exprest in what sense I mean it viz. in precepto in which sense the premisses are granted to be true by the Dr. himself and therefore I know noâ—… why they should be denied by Mr. Ba. or any else and then the coâ—…lusion must be true but saith Dr. Feat there is a fallacy called ignoratio elenchâ—… in the conclusion i. e. it concludes not the thing in question but that which is not denied by us for they that are for baptizing of infants do not separate faith and baptism for they baptize children into their fathers faith saith he Secondly they believe that infants of believers receive some hidden grace of faith in time of their baptizing his followers say before baptism p. 3. of their pamphlet oh how contrary are they each to other therefore are to be baptized but Mr. Ba. will say none of all this I hope for he is against Baptismal regeneration nor will he charge the syllogism with sophistry I hope but deny either the Major or the Minor either of which if he do he answers his own grand argument against the seekers p. 341 where word for word saving a term or two put in here for explication this very syllogism is his own or else he will grant both these and consequently the conclusion to be true and then why will he dispense baptism to persons i. e. infants before they so much as seem to believe But it may be that which is a good syllogism when used by himself will be meer sophism with him too when urged by us Secondly the reason why we may not argue that all infants are damned from Mark 16. 16. though they believe not is this viz. because that place speaks of persons at years onely to whom the Gospel is preached and not
of the unity of the Church are departed shall be the very same that you Protestant Clergy do make in your own defence when you are charged by your old father Caiphas and his Catholicks as Hereticks and Schismaticks in your rending from them and as infringers of the unity of their Church yea in the very words of Calvin to whom you my Ashford opponents are pleased to send us who saith thus of them as I do with him of you all Inst. l. 4. c. 2. S. 2 Magnifice quidem c. They do indeed gloriously set out their Church unto us that there should seem to be no other Church in the world and afterward as though the victory were gotten they decree that all be Schismaticks that dare withdraw themselves from the obedience of that Church that they paint out and that all be Hereticks that daâ—…e once mutter against the doctrine thereof But by what proofs do they confirm they have the true Church S. 1. If the true Church be the pillar and stay of the truth it is certain that there is no Church where lying and falshood have usurped the dominion S. 3. There is therefore no cause why they should any longer go forward to deceive by pretending a false colour under the name of the Church which we do reverently esteem as becommeth us but when they come to the definition of it not onely water as the common saying is cleaveth unto them but they stick fast in their own mire because they put a stinking harlot in place of the holy spouse of Christ that this putting in of a changling should not deceive us be side other admonitions let us remember this also of Augustine for speaking of the Church he saith it is it that is sometime darkned and covered with multitude of offences as with a cloud sometime in calmnesse of time appeareth quiet and free sometime is hidden and troubled with waves of tribulations and temptations He bringeth forth examples that oftentimes the strongest pillars either valiantly suffered banishment for the faith or were hidden in the whole world S. 4. In like manner the Romanists do vex us and make afraid the ignorant with the name of the Church whereas they be the deadly enemies of Christ. Therefore although they pretend the Temple the Priesthood and other such outward shews this vain glistering wherewith the eyes of the simple be dazled ought nothing to move us to grant that there is a Church where the Word of God doth not appear for this is the perpetual mark wherewith God hath marked them to he his He that is of the truth saith he heareth my voice Again I am the good shepheard and I know my sheep and am known of them my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And a little before he had said that the sheep follow their shepheard because they know his voice but they follow not a stranger but run away from him because they know not the voice of strangers Why are we therefore wilfully mad in judging the Church whereas Christ hath marked it with an undoubtful sign which wheresoever it is seen cannot deceive but that it certainly sheweth the Church to be there but where it is not there remaineth nothing that can give a true signifition of the Church for Paul rehearseth that the Church was builded not upon the judgements of men nor upon Priesthoods but upon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but rather Jerusalem is to be severally known from Babilon and the Church of Christ from the conspiracy of Satan by that difference wherewith Christ hath made them different one from another He that is of God saith he heareth the words of God ye therefore hear not because ye are not of God In summe forasmuch as the Church is the kingdom of Christ and he reigneth not but by his word can it be now doubtful to any man but that those be the words of lying by which Christs kingdome is feigned to be without his scepter that is to say without his holy word 5 But now whereas they accuse us of Schism and Heresie because we both teach a contrary doctrine to them and obey not their lawes and have our assemblies to prayers to baptism to the ministration of the supper and other holy doings severally from them it is indeed a very sore accusation but such as needeth not a long or labor some defence they are called Hereticks and Schismaticks which making a division do break in sunder the communion of the Church And this communion is holden together with true bounds that is to say the agreement of true doctrine and brotherly charity whereupon Augustine putteth this difference betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks that Hereticks indeed do with false doctrine corrupt the purenesse of faith but the Schismaticks sometime even where there is like faith do break the bond of fellowship But this is also to be noted that this conjoining of charity so hangeth upon the unity of Faith that faith ought to be the beginning thereof the end and finally the only rule Let us therefore remember that so oft as the unity of the Church is commended unto us this is required that while our minds agree in Christ our wills also may be joined together with mutual well willing in Christ Therefore Paul when he exhorteth us to that well willing taketh for his foundation that there is one God one Faith and one Baptism Yea wheresoever he teacheth us to be of one mind and of one will he by and by addeth in Christ or according to Christ meaning that it is a factions company of the wicked and not agreement of the faithful which is without the word of the Lord. S. 6. Cyprian also following Paul deriveth the whole fountain of the agreement of the Church from the onely Bishoprick of Christ he afterward addeth the Church is but one which spreadeth abroad more largely into a multitude with increase of fruitfulnesse like as there be many sun beams â—…ut one light and many branches of a tree but one body grounded upon a fast root and when many streams do flow from one fountain although the number seeâ—… to be scattered abroad by largeensse of overflowing plenty yet the unity abideth in the original take away a beam of the sunne from the body the unity suffers no division break a branch from the tree the broken branch cannot spring cut off the stream from the spring head being cut off it drieth up so also the Church being overspread with the light of the Lord is extended over the whole world yet there is but one light that is spread every where Nothing could be said more fitly to expresse that undividual knitting together which all the members of Christ have one with another we see how he continually calleth us back to the very head Whereupon he pronounceth that Heresies and Schismes do arise hereof that men do not return to the original of truth nor do seek that head
peraphrasticall amplification and genuine application thereof so that both you and the World may read as it were in text letters your own abstâ—…act from that of mine when you please and signing the Titles of the CCClergy whether true or surreptitious with three letters in the front as C. C. C. P P P c. most commonly when I speak of â—…hem in the lump to denote the three P P Parts into which that great City B B Babylon which they make stands divided I proceed as followeth That Herestes must be the Apostle hath said yet it makes no more for a tolleration of them in the true Church I mean though others mean in the civil state than that of our Saviour of offences saying foreseeing no question how by means of the Clergies crying out Heresie Heresie Schism against the way of truth being once turned aside to Heresie themselves the world would be offended at his little ones for walking in it They must come but wo to the man by whom they come the Apostle reckons Herestes among the works of the flesh Idolatry Witchcraft c. Gal. 5. 20. which alone to argument sufficient against the Patronagâ—… and Invitation of them unless withal license in the true Church should be given to all other carnal sins why should the Church of God upon Earth make much of those against whom the Kingdome of Heaven shall be â—…ut her pale is not so strong to keep them out from breaking in upon her like wild bores and wolves to spoil and wast her but her good will should not be so great to them as to wellcome them in to her fellowship till they repent from their dead works of superstition bloody tenet of persecution for cause of conscience worshipping God after mens traditions blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven trampling the holy City Heresie Schism from the primitive truth c Neverthelesse how beit to tolerate and harbour Hereticks in communion with them whilest they oppose the true way of Christ would be an error and an evill too intollerable in a true Church of Christ yet I hold that opinion of the C C Clergy not onely intollerably Heretical in it self but intollerably hurtful also to themselves that Hereticks may not be tolerated in a civil state for if Fines Prisons Banishments Racks Wâ—…ips Tortures headings hangings burningâ—… and such like punishments with the civil sword were the due of every Heretick and Schismatick in the faith as the C C Clergy have for ages and Generations born the world in hand that they are to the causing of all these their national Church censures to be inflicted on the Saints when they have once blindly sentenct them to be Schismaticks to the civil power if this I say were the due of every Heretick or Schismatick and every true Heretick and Schismatick had his due too good Lord how have the C C Clergy condemned themselves out of their own mouthes to devastation when the civil powers shall find them to be the Arch-Hereticks in the world if taking them at their word they shall do with them as they say they ought to do in this case concerning others but God forbid that with what judgement they judge they should be judged and with what measure they meet it should be measured to them again at our suggestion if their own Cheek-by-jole carriage to the Stern-men of the State do not pull it unavoidably upon themselves yea verily though as far as those that oppose themselves against the truth of Christ they may well challenge the name of Schismaticall Hereticks and though Amen might justly be said by the Magistrate in this point to the opinion of Gangraena and his Gang and might Amen be said to his wise wishes as concerning us who teach and practise baptism in its primitive fashion we could expect to be suffered in the Common-wealth no more then High-way Murderers yet dare we not desire their extirpation out of any of their native rights in the several states wherein they are nor such uncivill suppression of them meerly for their erroneous Tenets as they have sollicited the higher powers to concerning us we have not so learned Christ nor would they if they had heard him and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus for howere it comes to passe that the C C Clergy whose own the worst would he if that were true and execution done accordingly are so besotted as to believe that Hereticks and Schismaticks from the faith men of false waies worships religions though elsewise never so peaceable and innocent must not onely be dischurched but discommunicated also from the patronage of the civil power and cut off from the priviledges of other Subjects yet neither Christ nor any of his Apostles as from him gave any order for such rigid rejection indeed the Apostle Paul wills in his Epistle to Titus cap. 3. who was a Church officer that a Heretick after a second and third admonition be rejected i. e. from the Church and Gal. 5. 12. wishes that they were cut off from the Church that did trouble the Church and Rev. 2. 20. 21. the Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and seduce his servants to fornication i. e. false worships c. but it will noâ—… follow therefore that such may not have license to live civilly in civil states for the weapons of the Churches warfare wherewith she is to fight against Heresies and which she is ever to have in readinesse to revenge all disobedience to Christ by are noâ—… carnall 2 Cer. 10. 4 5 6. not such as are used by the officers of States but onely spirituall as admonition reproof and in case of obstinacy putting out from among them delivering up to Satan and not delivering up to the secular power as the Popish Priesthood used to do when any of their creatures specially of their Clerico-creatures turned Hereticks i. e. departed from their Heresies to the truth saying pray take him into your power and be merciful to him meaning hang or burn him for a Heretick The Church I say is neither to use the carnal weapons of the State nor yet to stirr up the State so to use them on 〈◊〉 and truths behalf as to imprison sine hang burn or banish false worshippers unbelievers misbelievers or Hereticks further then they are withall as by meer unbelief they are not offenders against the civil State I find the Lord Christ foretelling by himself and his Apostles that for the most part the more is the pitty the Rulers Kings Governours and Princes of the world would be such enemies against his Gospel that his Disciples should be hald before them as evill doors for his names sake Matth. 10 18. that not many mighty and noble men would own his truth 1 Cor. 1. 26. that rich men would oppresse the Church and draw them before their Judgement seats and
that it have as mutuall protection from them as it yields subjection to them for this is the good will of God concerning them as such and whether they be Heathens or Christians they are Gods Ministers to attend continually upon this very thing viz. to render unto all men their dues as men viz. a room in quiet in the world of what wayes of religion soever yea though Indians and redress of any civil wrongs as they expect to have all men of what religions soever within their power to render to them their dues of tribute honour custome fear for for this cause pay they their tribute also because Magistrates are Gods Ministers to the world ward and to the Church as part of the world and in no other sense then as to the rest of the world to attend continually on this very thing to dispense praise or punishments for civil good and evil among men not spiritual for then they may punish evill thoughts proud looks ignorance non-profiting by the word not Gods Church-ministers to dispense good or evil for good or evil done in the Church but as the same actions may have reference to the state also as theft or the like civil abuse which comes one way under the Churches censure and another way under the Common-wealths they are not I say Church Ministers nor Ministers to the Church qua Church as the Priests principle seemes to make them for then they may claim not only Tribute but Tith also as well as the Priest but that he will be loath to part with though in truth it belongs to him for his Church wasting work full as little as to the other I humbly beg therefore I say of the Powers that truth which hath been trod under foot may be tolerated among them in their several civil States Common-wealths and Kingdomes and to the end it may undoubtedly be so let all that which the Powers in the several Nations do judge in their own consciences to be truth in point of Religion have toleration and protection and no more countenance by them as Magistrates but bare protection from injury as other waies also may have and not such extraordinary supports from a power Heterogeneal to that of the Church nor such extraordinary gratulations gratuities revenews incomes preferments and portions out of the common State-stock let their own private purses be as open to them such as professe it pay to its Ministry as much as they will for besides the partiality of this thing of making other Religions and wayes that judge themselves to be the truth as well as that pay and be tributaries to the true one and the grumbles it will ingender in mens minds this proves the greatest mischief under heaven to the truth when the Ministers who should expect nothing but shame and suffering with their Master who was Beelzebub are slusht with the outward pomps and vanities of this world till they forget themselves so as scarce to know what ground they stand on and howbeit Magâ—…trates may mean honestly in their high honourings of them as that good man Constantine the great did yet as his high embraces and graces done to Christi in Bishops proved besides his intent the stirrup whereby those Lord beggars got up on horse back and rode to the devil for so hath that Romish whore rid both her self and the beast under her which is Christ'ndome so though I hope it never will yet it may possibly be so again if care be not taken against it witnesse the two other more seemingly modest and maidenly Minions Episcopacy and Presbitery which qua Ministry came out of her loines wâ—… have not brought the world so far out of that old Babilon towards Sion as they pretended to do by reformation as else they might have done being slugged luld asleep by benefits and benefices in the way for posit â eadem causà ponitur idem effâ—…ctus sublat â tollitur golden cups ever yet made wooden Priests and ever will do let truth have liberty and peace it will desire no more of the State if it be truth indeed And Secondly let all other wayes and religions besides that which the Magistrate judges to be truth that judge themselves to be in the truth save that of those whose very way as abovesaid is no way but dishonesty and whose way isto root out all wayes but their own by civil power be also tolerated practised and protected from outward violence and oppression as well as that for this besides the knitting of the hearts of men of all wayes under one civill power in intire love and strong affection to that Power that domineers not ore their conscience besides that I say this tolerating all practices in point of religion save that practise of non toleration of any but it self in civil states must needs tolerate the truth among the rest whether it ly in this way or that and so the Power shall be out of all danger and hazard of coming under the guilt of truth treading which the P P Priesthood hath engaged the civil power in for 1260 years together as else it cannot for if toleration be of no way but one then if that chance to be the wrong and themagistrates are no more sure then other men that they are in the right yea 100 to 1 they are not if they use civil violence to others First because the false wayes are many and bread and easie and fine and the true way but one and that so streit and narrow mean and base that not many noble and mighty and men of power ever find it 1 Cor. 1. 26. Secondly because as King Iames said persecution is a certain note of a false Church then truth is unavoidably smothered by them and will first or last pull vengeance upon that power Rev. 6. 11. 12. though it be under the name of Heresie onely that he suppresses it and plucks it up under the name and notion of weeds and taâ—…es that would else choak the wheat besides therefore a most strict charge that Christ gives Mat. 13. that in the world i. e. the civil States and Common-wealths of it the Tares should stand together among the wheat untill the harvest which alone is an Argument putting all out of doubt in this controversie he gives this good reason viz. least in plucking up the Tares the wheat also chance to be rooted up with them t is for the wheats good therefore for the Tares to stand and for the wheats sake that Christ wills they should though not in the Church yet in the world to the very end thereof And because the Divine cannot yet divine that to be Christs meaning in that scripture that false worshippers hereticks c. may lawfully if not civil offenders be licenced to live in civil States let us consider how sinister his own conjectures are upon it I have met with some and some of chiefest note in this County of Keâ—… who have shifted it
in the field is the son of man i. e. Christ the field is the world therefore not the Church the good seed or wheat are the children of the Kingdom i. e. the Saints the true Church and worshippers the tares which while men slept and did not mind it the enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ—… beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians gâ—…w up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the pâ—…inciple of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pâ—…ue whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus â—…aesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—…n why he would have the tares to be leâ—… alone least by rooting out the taâ—…es the wheat be roâ—…ed out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all peâ—…ple may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4. 5. then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and â—…o there 's quiâ—… for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall
ever the power shall as not a few people already do discern them to be as Heretical and Schismatical from the truth as they have judged all others to be such toleration I mean as may not be inconsistent with the toleration of all other people and professions of Religion in the several nations in peace together with them and in security from such searches as have been made by their Surregates Paritors and Proctours c. after men as unsufferable Schismaticks that side not with them but a toleration of them in that wonted Tyranny of treading all under their feet and plucking up all plants by the roots that live beside them by the civil power when they once have censured them for such seditious ones as are not fit to be suffered in a state bâ—…cause they submit not to their statelinesse and complain'd of them to Kings as Hâ—…man to Ahasuerus of the Jewes the true Churches type saying Esth. 3. 8. there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kindom and their laws are divers from all people neither keep they the Kings laws therfore it is not for the Kings alias not the CCClergies profit to suffer them and made their modest request that if it pleasâ—… the King it may be written that they may be destroyed which conscience of correcting Hereticks that conform'd not to the CCClergies Christianity carried Christian Kings to condescend to in old time this toleration is too intolerable in all conscience I wish well to the persons of the men called CCClergy God is my witnesse but I wish not so well to their way as to wish it up in the way wherein they would have had it and yet I here wish they may have their way too abating us no more of it then their unreasonable wonted wishes that the state would allow no wayes but their own let them pare off that knotty piecâ—… from off their principle wherein they pray the Powers to beat all men into the belief of all they say by the sword the belief of which they can never beat into them by the word then let them and their party practise what they please let their way be no way of civill violence to all other wayes and then in civil peace let them walk in it till they are weary and let it stand till by the word it fall before the true one if it be such a noun Adjective that it cannot stand by it self in Scripture sense and Reason without such a Substantive as the civil sword to support it t is a sign that there 's far more shew then Substance in it for verily that Gospel that will not stand not onely without but against the edge of Caesars sword encountring with it is Antichrists but none of Christs Gospel to me yet such it seems is the CCClergies Gospel which freedom to set it up by other wayes leaves still as helplesse as hopelesse of ever standing unlesse it may be stablisht against all other wayes on the necks of all people by the carnal weapons of Caesars civil State it s very doubtful of entring the feild with no other strength then its own Canons unlesse the state lend it her ordinances to back them but if Baal be a God me thinks he might speak for himself against them that throw down his Altars without imploring all the Gods of the earth to speak for him if the Multitude of his Priests cannot set up his worship without the Magnitude of earthly Princes to relieve them let it go and a good riddance of it too if Dagon cannot stand on his own legs but must fall before the Ark unlesse the benevolence of others lift him up his PPPriests may set him up as much as they will for themselves but they shall never set him up again for me Neverthelesse I am as freely willing sith t is the will of Christ and his Testament that even Baalitish Romish worshippers should have a Room and being in the world by the civil Magistrates permission they yielding civil subjection even to the end thereof as I am willing there should be a Room and being in it for the truth for though the Prophets of Baal were put to death in reforming Elijahs time in the old Church of Israel which was the type yet that pointed out no more then that spiritual execution which is to be done on Iezebel and her false worships in the true Church in these reforming times of the Gospel not one of which may abide any more in the Gospel Israel yea I here seriously supplicate the civil Powers for them that their consciences no more then ours may be forced by any forinsecal power to act in Church worships contrary to their conviction but if nought will content the PPPriesthood at all as of old it would not but that all Hereticks as they call them that hearken not to their Traditions must be clublawd into conformity to their parochial precepts so far at least as to obey the Hue and Cry of their purses without free leave from their own consciences so to do then protesting against the iniquity of their desires after the persecution of those who desire the protection of them from persecution by the civill Power my most humble suit to the supreme Powers is that they will be pleased as to let the PPPriesthood preach as much as they please a little of which work serves the turns of some of them and to let such as are satisfied in their Souls and spirits that they ought to do both to own and pay them so to let such as seem to themselves on sufficient grounds to have clear cause to decline them have the freedome of their consciences to be none of their flocks and being none of their flocks a freedom from being forcibly fleec'd by them any more and if the CCClergy shall he Angry at this without a cause to let them be pleased without amends sith t is most evident that as men ought not to be constrained against their wills to be of Christs much lesse of the CCClergies flock so he that feedeth a flock may freely and not by force live of the milk of that flock he feeds and may not of them that are forrainers to his flock further then they are free to supply him they went forth freely to preach the Gospel for his names sake taking nothing much lesse by force of the Gentiles that were Ministers to the Church of old Iohn Ep. 3. v. 7. and many heathenish Parishes here have the Gospell preacht freely to them when they accept on it by the messengers that go forth of the true churches at this day but many Parish Ministers will make all that live or have to do within their line buy their Sermons of them and that at their own price too whether they like them or no and which is worse though they have sold them once it may be often ore already and a dear
Merchandize slaves and souls of men Rev. 18. a den of theeves have not you the CCClergy yea your Dr. talks of the Font and the communion Table and the pulpit but who stole away baptism and the supper and preaching it self so that there 's nothing but sprinkling bells babies and confusion and one moity of a dinner and more Pulpit and Pew and Belcony and Canopy and Cloth and Cushion then preaching and plain publication of the Gospel as it is in Jesus you talk off robbing God in matters of the law and Tithes offerings and things that came by Moses and now are not at all but who hathrobbed him in matters of grace and truth and ordinances and things that came by Christ one tittle of whose Testament shall not be contradicted by man nor angel under pain of cursing you talk of golden cups and vessels in which the whore fills out her abominations and filthinesse of her fornication to the whole earth but who hath taken away the key of the Kingdom of heaven i. e. from the people and Church in whom the power lies fundamentally and primarily for t is but derivatively from the church under God secondarily executively and ministerially in the Officers not onely Papa but P P too see Rutherfords Presbytery wherein he wrests the power of the Keyes from the people who hath taken away the key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men as neither willing to go in themselves by the right way and baptism nor to suffer them that would who but ye O Priests have been in these things more sacrilegi church-robbers then sacerdotes or givers of holy things yea what evil of this kind YYYou have wrought in the sanctuaries of God how you have laid them wast throughout the whole earth how you have defiled the pure waters thereof and did so Claudere rivos shut down the floodgates that the people could have none of these to drink and caused all discourses and all placesto overflow with muddy and brackish waters if I should hold my peace the stones out of the wall even those living stoâ—…s out of the true Temple that are living monuments of Gods mercy at this day in that they are alive from the dead even the dead night of your errors will proclaim to the everlasting infamy of that generation that have been the neerer the church the further from God Thou makest thy boast of God O P P Priesthood and wouldst seem to approve of the things that are most excellent and art confident thou thy self art a guide of the blind and a light of them that sit in darknsse an instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes but indeed thou art a blind guid a dark lantorn a foolish instructer and hast need thy self to be taught by those babes which live upon the sincere milk of the word which be the first principles of the oracles of God thou hast a form of knowledge and of truth as it was in the Law that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long since abolished according to which thou Enthusiasts to thy self a Iudai al Pontificall Politicall Pollitical Religion of thy own but thou art grossely ignorant of the truth of the Gospel and that form of doctrine that Rome obeyed from the heart of old before it came to be a mother of harlotry and of such a crew of corrupt children as have since then come from her to the corrupting ing of the earth thou teachest another but thou teachest not thy self thou preachest a man should not steal but thou stealest thou saiest a man should not commit adultery but all the Kings and their people in the christian earth have committed adultery with thee thou seemest to abhorre it yet thou more then any committest sacriledge yea thou o P P Priesthood art that holy harlot that holy thief that hast fingred the most holy things yea even the holy Scripture it self which is the store-house and under Christ the treasury of truth and hid it from the world under unknown tongues and a heap of unsound sences which thou hast put upon it therefore thou art inexcusable O woman when thou judgest the now churches of sacriledge for wherein thou judgest them thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things which thou saiest they do but they do not and therefore is he now killing thy children with death and we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them that do such things Yea wo unto you O ye blind guids ye strein at a gnat and make it sacriledge and church robbing to take Fonts and railes and pipes and pictures and altars c. out of your stone Temples and keep a do about cleansing and hallowing and having these outside decencyes and orders and offerings but swallow a camel and demolish the true temple of God and the vessels of the sactuary i. e. the ordinances thereof which is holy indeed which Temple the Saints are that are built together a spiritual house unto him and your selves are full of ravening extortion and excesse you are as graves that appear not and the men that walk over you are not aware of you nor how they are rid over by you nor how very well to be rid of you wherefore the wisdome of God even Christ Iesus now sends you prophets and Apostles and wisemen and Scribes to warn you yet these you kill and crucifie and scourge and persecute as your enemies because they tell you the truth that the blood of all the Prophets that have prophesied in Sack cloth and tormented you and your forefathers and your people that dwell on earth for 42 moneths may come on this generation and so your house be left unto you desolate for ever And fourthly there needs no more to prove you to be what you say of us that we are viz. a lying and blasphemous sect then all these forenamed falsities which are asserted oâ—… the Anabaptists when of right they belong more properly to your selves Yea great need indeed and good reason that you should be the Plantiffs in this businesse of loading with disgraces belying and blaspheming who have bin your selves nexâ—… and immediately under Satan Supreme false accusers of the brethren to the world and the powers Courts and consistories thereof civil and ecclesiastical for Hereticks Schismaticks Sectaries seditious deceivers hypocrites blasphemers enemies to Caesar trouble Townes and what not with which kind of nick names you the false kingdome of the Priests have overwhelmed the true royall Priesthood as with a flood the burden of whose scandals blasphemies tales and disgraces wherewiâ—…h you have loaded the saints per mille ducentos sexaginta annos 1260. years exceeds any id genus that the saints have loaded you with in number weight and measure per millies mille ducentas sexaginta Iâ—…s 1000000260 l. You have cloathed the pretious sons and daughters of Sion as the persecuting Emperors did of old with the skins of wild
and his Angels did now prevail against him and his cruel Cutthroats so that place must be no more found for them in heaven i. e. the high places of power in the Empire and that he could execute his wrath now no longer by them against the saints as Christians a Christian being now come to the Crown he had no other remedy now then to play his cards about another way and turn Christian also himself that he might have the fairer advantage to crush the true Christians that kept the commands of God and the faith of Jesus under the new nicknames of Hereticks Schismaticks c. that would not obey the orders of the Church insomuch that who but the devill who so busie as he now to have Christian Bishops favoured cherished advanced honoured with all the honours that might be next to that of the very Crown Imperial it self who so earnest as he to have all the world brought about by all means possible and in all the hast to become Christians and to become one holy Catholick Christian Church and so within a while Deo permittente non approbante having set forth the beast or Roman Empire in another shape and christned it with the name of Christendome he scrambles up his Kingdome to himself again makes over his power seat and great authority to this beast thus transformed and this beast gives it all up to the Whore he sets him up a Vicar General and names him the Vicar of Christ the head of the Church Bishop of the Universal See and such like and by him and the Ministers of Christ that issued from him fills all the earth with abomination and reigns with as full force though not so open face but under a mask having all things in a kind of apish imitation of Christs kingdome to the suppressing of the truth as in former daies he had done and all this came to passe through this sin of self love in the Clergy which as it grew great so love to the truth grew smaller and smaller till it came to be totally extinguisht and the light of it wholly ecclipsed from the earth for when the good man Constantine in his zeal to the truth gave them great Revenues to which other princes added more still according to the voice that was then heard in the aire viz. 〈◊〉 veneâ—… insusum est ecclesiae so it sell out for the Cleâ—…y fell to make much of themselves and things of the earth to serve and seek their own interests fell to wrangling and jangling about Primacy Superiority who should be universall Bishop and such base unworthy abominable and self-pleasing practises so that the truth took no more place in their hearts from then ceforth for ever From thenceforth they began to grow in high esteem of themselves and not only to fancy but also to inveagle both Princes and people to fancy some perfection holinesse choicenesse spiritualnesse and purity in them more then in all other men and to distinguish themselves from the people by their garbs and titles of Holy men of God the Spiritualty the Clergy or Heritage of God the Tribe of Levi the lot of Gods own inheritance the Priesthood Ghostly fathers Divines shutting out the people from sharing with them in these terms of honour which belong onely to Gods people whom of all the rest in the mean time they villyfyed with the names of Hereticks as if God himself had no â—…egard almost to any but themselves and did behold all manner of men but these Ministers afar off calling other princes and lords for the Clergy men were become lords and princes too now i. e. spiritual ones Temporall Princes Lords Temporall Secular men and the people the Laity Mechanicks that must not meddle with the Scripture so much as tolook in it for so it was in old time not so much as to take upon them to be skilled in it much lesse to speak out of it or expound or understand any otherwise then as these Divines say is the meaning of it yea under the raign of these latter Lords the Protestant CClergy though they have it in such plain English before their eyes yet what a horrible thing was it but a few years behind fancied by Featley and still is well nigh universally by the CClergy here in England who appropriate all the wisdome about the Scripture to themselves what a horrible thing I say for the people to talk on or have more to do with Scripture then to take it as the Priesthood gives the sense of it The Shoomaker goes not beyond his last nor the Taylor beyond his measure quoth he only the trade and well might he so call it for by that craft they have their wealth as handicrafts men theirs by other crafts of expounding Scripture is a mystery which every Artizan arrogateth to himself the Physitian here will be prescribing receipts the Lawyer will be demurring upon Dubi a Evangelica and every handicrafts man will be handling the pure word of God with impure and unwashed hands this the pratling huswife this the old dotard this the wrangling Sophister in a word this men of all profession and men of no profession take upon them to have skill in sic ille quid ni quaeso O Sacerdos what was the Scripture given for thee only to look in or wast thou set to keep people out from it under lock and key or may the spirit blow no where but where thou listest must not all people search it or must they search and find no more truth in it then thou findest or must they not take it into their mouths lest they defile it as Bishop Wren thought who prohibited the people to talk on it at their tables for fear they should prophane it It should seem so by Dr. Featley who cryed down the people as Asses Apron Levites Russet Raâ—…bies the Clergy of Lâ—…cks c. wondering that their dores and posts and walls did not sweat upon which any note was fixed to give notice of the exercises of men of any manual imployment yea t is a thousand pitties quoth he that such owls and bats and night birdâ—… as if the Clergy onely were the children of the day and the people the children of the night and darknesse should flutter in our Churches and silâ—… upon our fonts Pulpits and Communion Tables This was the cause of that great Schism of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. all the congregation is holy But this is the cause of that schism of Pope Prelate and Presbyter from the primitive freedome that gifted Disciples whether offiâ—…ers or no had to speak to exhortation edification comfort and that the congregation then had to admonish her Ministers upon occasion Co. 4. 17. viz. all the congregation are prophane onely the Priesthood holy enough to draw neer within the rails and to preach to the people out of the Pulpit they are afraid I wot least the preaching of others there should sile and bewray it