former course of life hath not been corresponding to so holy a Calling but that we blame them for is that they take upon them the honour and office of the Priesthood not being called thereunto as was Aaron that they despise the Churches Ordination by Imposition of hands that they handle the holy Scripture and Sacraments with black foule and unwashed hands that they presume that they have those gifts and graces of the Spirit which indeed they have not that they usurp upon the place and function of the Ministers of the Gospel and too much undervalue the cure of souls which as Saint Gregory rightly defineth it is Ars artium the Art of all arts And S. Paul by the question he propoundeth resolveth as much saying Who is sufficient for these things But now as the practise is and the common estimation of the vulgar we may crosse S. Pauls question with a contrary Interrogatorie Who is not sufficient for these things sith Coach-men Weavers Felt-makers and other base Mechanicks are now by some thought able Ministers and profound Doctors of the Church and Exercise as they tearme it not onely in private Conventicles but also per famam populum in great Churches and publique Assemblies to the great dishonour of God prophanation of his Ordinances and scandall of the Reformed Churches ARTIC 5. Concerning taking an oath especially ex officio ANABAPTIST NO Christian may lawfully take an Oath no not though it be required by a Magistrate especially such an Oath whereby they may hazard their life liberty or estate THE REFUTATION Though this assertion of the Anabaptists as they maintaine it hath a glosse and varnish put upon it of piety prudence and justice of piety in preventing all occasion both of false and vaine oathes of prudence in not insnaring our selves of justice in not concurring actively to our own prejudice or wrong yet upon due examination it will appear to be repugnant to all three to piety by robbing God of a part of his substantiall worship to wit a holy kind of invocation to prudence by unfurnishing our selves sometimes of our best defence which is to cleare our innocency by oath to justice by depriving all Courts of justice of this soveraigne evidence of truth and all humane society both of the surest tye of fidelity and the readiest meanes to end all strife and controversie For the farther manifestation whereof I am to cleare three points 1. That oathes may lawfully be taken by Christians 2. That some oathes may be lawfully exacted of them and imposed upon them 3. That oathes may be lawfully urged and exacted not only in civill but in criminall causes such as are commonly tearmed oathes ex officio when a man is required to answer upon oath concerning some crime or fault objected to him or articled against him Some deny it to be lawfull to take any oath others allow of oathes freely taken but not imposed a third sort dislike not all oathes imposed but only except against oathes ex officio These three questions hang as it were upon one string For if no oath may bee lawfully taken certainly none may be lawfully imposed and if oathes may not be imposed least of all the oath ex officio whereby we hazard and endanger our lives liberties limbes or estate if we confesse but our soules if we deny upon oath what is truly laid to our charge Againe on the contrary if the oath ex officio in some cases may be lawfully imposed then other oathes may be imposed with much lesse difficulty and if oathes may be lawfully imposed certainly they may be lawfully taken Yet must these questions of necessity be handled apart for the satisfaction of scrupulous consciences who first must be perswaded of the lawfulnesse of taking an oath in generall before they will suffer an oath to be imposed upon them and secondly that the Magistrate hath a lawfull power to exact oathes before they will take such and such a kind of oath required of them To lay the foundation therefore firme before wee build any thing thereupon First I prove the lawfulnesse of taking oathes the conditions prescribed by the prophet being observed namely that we sweare in judgement righteousnesse and truth in truth not falsely in judgement not rashly in righteousnesse not wickedly to the prejudice of equity or breach of Christian charity ARGUMENT I. Whatsoever God commandeth is lawfull for Gods command is the rule of good his command maketh that good which otherwise were evill as Abrahams offer to kill his sonne and the Iewes robbing the Egyptians of jewels of gold and silver and in like manner his prohibition makes that evill which otherwise in it selfe were good as working in a mans calling on the Sabbath the sparing the fattest of the cattell for sacrifice by Saul If every sinne be a transgression of the law it cannot be sinne to fulfill it But God commandeth taking of oathes as part of his worship Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him and sweare by his name Deut. 10. 20. To the Lord thou shalt cleave and sweare by his name hee is thy praise and he is thy God And Ier. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth in truth judgement and justice And to such as sweare in such a holy and religious manner God promiseth a blessing both outward and inward outward Ier. 12. 16. If they will diligently learne the wayes of my people to sweare by my name then shall they bee built in the midst of my people inward Psal. 63. 11. The King shall rejoice in God and every one that sweareth by him shall rejoice or glory in him Ergo to sweare is lawfull for Christians ANABAP ANSVVER It was lawfull to sweare when God commanded it under the law but it is not now lawfull for Christians sith Christ hath forbidden it in the Gospell REPLY 1. The same God is Law-giver both to the Iewes and Christians and the same truth shineth in the law and in the Gospell only with this difference in the law it shined through a tiffany or vaile of rites and ceremonies but in the Gospell as it were with open face The vaile is now taken away whereof religious swearing by the name of God was no part For an oath containeth not a resemblance of Christ but a worship of God It is no type or sign of grace but seale of truth the sense whereof is meer morall the law of it naturall the use perpetuall the worship performed in it to God is essentiall When we call God to witnesse a hidden truth in the sincerity of our intentions wee agnize his Soveraigne greatnesse For every oath is by a greater Heb. 6. 16. we professe his all-seeing wisdome we invocate his revenging justice which are not rituall but substantiall parts of worship In which regard in the texts of the Prophet Ieremy above alleadged swearing is joyned with the feare of God and cleaving to him both duties of the
either by the Roman lawes or in the opinion of the Magistrate those things of which they were accused were esteemed crimes and they punished as Malefactours their examinations and trials are truly said to bee proceedings in criminall yea and capitall causes and the patient is as much prejudiced and infinitely more wronged if he suffer death or bonds upon his confession of the fact if it be no crime at all Therefore this example serves to that end for which it is brought If it had been either unlawfull for the high Priest to require Christ to answer upon oath concerning that which the high Priest judged a capitall crime or for Christ to have given a direct answer in such a case he would have reproved the high Priest for adjuring him in such manner as he did or at least answered him with silence as he did Pilate and him also in other questions ARGUMENT III. What was appointed by the law of God cannot be in its own nature sinfull or repugnant to the law of nature For though some part of the law of God delivered by Moses doe not now bind us to the performance thereof yet wee are bound to beleive that law was just and holy and good and commanded nothing in its own nature sinfull or repugnant to the law of nature or right reason But answering upon oath in casues criminall which might tend much to the prejudice and dammage of the examined was appointed by the law of God Ergo answering upon oath in causes criminall is not sinfull and repugnant to the law of nature ANABAP ANSVVER Neither are the judicials of Moses now in force neither was any oath ex officio administred to the Jewes like to ours REPLY This argument is not brought to prove the necessity of taking an oath now in those very cases as namely of jealousie loan and the marriage of strange wives but the lawfulnesse of demanding and taking an oath in causes criminall in generall All these instances come home to the point in question and the argument holdeth strong à comparatus after this manner No sufficient reason can be alleadged why oathes may not bee imposed and taken as well by Christians under the Gospell as by Jewes under the Law in causes criminall reflecting upon themselves but oathes were lawfully demanded and taken by the Jewes in causes criminall therefore they may be so by Christians That such oathes were by Gods law injoyned to the Jewes appeareth first in case of Ioane or trust Exod. 22. 10 11. If a man deliver to his neighbour an Asse an Oxe or a Sheep or any beast to keep and it die or be hurt or driven away no man seeing it then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both that hee hath not put his hands to his neighbours goods and the owner of it shall accept thereof and he shall not make it good but if it bee stolne from him he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof In the case of jealousie Numb 5. 19. And the Priests shall set the woman before the Lord and uncover the womans head and put the offering of memoriall in her hands which is the jealousie offering and the Priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse and the Priest shall charge her by an oath and say to the woman if no man hath lyen with thee and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleannesse with another instead of thy husband be thou free from this bitter water which causeth the curse c. In the case of trespasse 1. Kings 8. 31. If any man trespasse against his neighbour and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to sweare and the oath come before thine Altar in this house then heare thou in heaven and doe and judge thy servants condemning the wicked to bring his way upon his head and justifying the righteous to give him according to his righteousnesse In case of prohibited marriages Ezra 10. 5. 11. Then arose Ezra and made the chiefe Priests the Levites and all Israel to sweare that they would put away their strange wives of the people of the land and they sware And Ezra stood up and said unto them ye have transgressed and have taken strange wives to increase the trespasse of Israel Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers and doe his pleasure and separate your selves from the people of the land and from the strange wives It is true these cases are not everyway paralel to ours for our Priests have no receipt at this day to make the water of cursing nor are we prohibited to marry with forreyners so wee marry in the Lord neither doe we put men to their oathes in actions of trespasse but if the party accused deny it we convince him by witnesses yet this exception cutteth not asunder the sinewes of the former argument For though the cases in particular bee very different yet they agree in this generall that oathes have been lawfully urged and exacted of men touching matters dammageable criminall and penall to themselves and if oathes may be lawfully imposed and taken in this kind to satisfie the humour of a jealous husband or still the clamour of a private person wronged how much more is it equall and just that this be done upon the judges office who is no way privately interessed and for the satisfaction and preservation of the Church or Common-wealth to remove a common scandall and offence by the parties clearing himselfe or his condigne punishment ARGUMENT IV. What is just and equall and may bee done without breach of Gods law in Temporall Courts cannot be unjust nor derogatory to the divine law in Spirituall But oaths ex officio though not known by that name are usually taken held to be just and lawfull in temporal Courts namely Leet-Courts Sessions Assises Chancery and Court of Request For the Jury are upon oath to present all annoyances abuses and transgression of penall Statutes whereof themselves may be and often are guilty and the Defendants in Court of Request and Chancery answer upon oath to bills put against them the particulars whereof often deeply concern them and in case they give not a direct and full answer they proceed against them pro confessis and if they answer directly and fully in case they are faulty either by denying they forsweare themselves or by confessing the matter of fact they consequently condemne themselves nay which is very considerable they who are the greatest oppugners of our Ecclesiasticall Courts and greatest sticklers for the discipline of Geneva are forced to make use of the oath ex officio themselves For Comperell was appointed by the consistorie of Elders of Geneva to be examined upon oath concerning three interrogatories about dancing whereof two concerned what he had in his very purpose and intention of mind and this their practice was agreeable to the decree of a Nationall Synod held in France in the year 1565. whereby by
not for every circumstance But the reason and equitie of the law of circumcising children still remaineth for nothing can be alledged why children then should be by circumcision admitted to the church not now as well by baptisme hic aqua adversariis semper haeret Thirdly if the children of Christian parents should be excluded from baptisme they should be in a worse condition then the children of the Jews were under the law for they by receiving the sacrament of circumcision were admitted into the visible congregation of Gods people and accounted partakers of his promises But it were absurd nay as Calvin further enforceth this argument execrable blasphemie to think that Christ should abridge those priviledges to the children of the faithfull under the Gospell which God granted to children under the law ARGUMENT V. All they who are comprised within the covenant and are no where prohibited to receive the seal thereof may and ought to receive it But children are comprised within the covenant of faith whereof circumcision was a seal Rom 4. 11. and now baptisme is Ergo children may and ought to receive baptisme Of the major or first proposition there can be no doubt for it is unjust to deprive a man of the confirmation of that to which he hath a true right and title And for the minor or assumption it is as clear for so are the words of the covenant Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee ANABAP ANSWER That promise there belongs only to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and not to us REPLY First this answer is in effect refuted by the Apostle Rom. 4. 13. The promise that he should be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or his seed through the law but through the righteousnesse of faith as he was the father of all the faithfull and in that notion we are as well his children as the beleeving Jews and we read expressely Act. 2. 39. that the promise is made unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off and even as many as the Lord our God shal call and Gal. 3. 7. Know ye therefore that they that are of faith are of the children of Abraham Secondly the covenant which God made with Abraham and his seed is said to be eternall the chief head whereof was that he would be their God but this is not verified of Abrahams seed according to the flesh for very few of them for these many hundred years have been Gods people being professed enemies to Christ and his church this promise therefore must necessarily be understood of his children according to promise among which all true beleevers and their children are to be reckoned and if they are comprised within the covenant why should they not receive the seal of their initiation and admittance thereunto which was circumcision but now is baptisme every way corresponding thereunto As is solidly proved and clearly illustrated by S. Cyprian l. 3. ep 8. Lactan. l. 4. divin justit c. 15. Augustinus ep ad Dardonuns 57. cont Iul. Pelag. l. 2. ARGUMENT VI. Such who were typically baptized under the law are capable of real and true baptisme under the Gospell for the argument holds good à typo ad veritatem from the type to the truth from the signs in the law to the things signified in the Gospell But children were typically baptized under the law for they with their fathers were under the cloud and passed through the red sea but their washing with rain from the cloud prefigured our washing in baptisme and by the spirit and the red sea in which Pharaoh and his host were drowned was an emblem of Christs blood in which all our ghostly enemies are drowned and destroyed Ergo children are capable of true and reall baptisme under the Gospell ANABAP ANSWER The cloud and the red sea and the rock that followed them were not types but only metaphors and allegories from which no firm arguments can be drawn in this kind REPLY First this answer whets a knife to cut their own throats For as Gastius affirmeth it is the doctrine of the Anabaptists that all sacraments are nothing else but allegories if then the cloud and the red sea were allegories signifying our spirituall washing according to their own tenets they are sacraments and if children were partakers of sacramentall ablutions under the law why not under the Gospell Secondly the Apostle saith expressely ver 6. that all these things were types or figures or lively patterns to us and ver 2. that all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea the cloud therefore and the sea were types of our baptisme and not meer tropes or allegories They may happily object that as we read in the canon law that a Pastor or Rector may have a Vicar endowed sed vicarius non habet vicarium that a Vicar cannot have a Vicar endowed under him and likewise in Philosophie that the voice may have an echo by the repercussion of the aire but that the echo hath no echo so that the promises of God have types or sacraments representing them but that the types and sacraments themselvs have no types and sacrament to prefigure them But the answer is easie for we may say with Nazianzen that either there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an obscure type of a clearer and a rude draught or imperfect modell of a more perfect such were the legall types of the Evangelicall sacraments or to speak more properly circumcision and the Pascall Lamb were not types of our baptisme and of the sacrament of the Eucharist but of the things represented by them viz. of the circumcision of the heart and our spirituall nourishment by feeding upon the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the world ARGUMENT VII All they who belong to Christ and his kingdom ought to be received into the church by baptisme But children belong to Christ and his kingdom as Christ himselfe teacheth us Mar. 10. 14. and Luk. 18. 16. suffer little children to câ—me unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein vers 15. and he took them up in his arms and put his hands upon them and blessed them Ergo children ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme ANABAP ANSVVER This place is put in to be read at the sprinkling of children for the whore hath sweet words as sweet as oyle with these fair speeches she maketh the nations yeeld to her Prov. 7. 21. but the simple only beleeve her for this place maketh nothing for the baptisme of children the children mentioned in the Gospel were not sucklings for it is said they came to Christ neither did Christ christen any of them though he took them into
were circumcised under the law they ought to be baptized under the Gospell For sith they are comprised in the covenant why should not they as well receive the seal thereof set to it in the new law as well as the children of the Jews received the seal set thereunto by the old Secondly I have produced before both command for baptizing of children Argument 1. and example of it Argument 3. and promise also unto it Argument 5. The command of baptizing all Nations Mat. 28. 29. the examples of baptizing whole families Act. 16. 15. 33. 1 Cor. 1. 16. and the promise made to us and our seed Act. 2. 39. evidently extend to children They argue from Scripture affirmatively our Lord Jesus Christ in that great charter Mat. 28. 18. 19. 20. saith Go teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Mark 16. 15. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to every creature he that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be damned From these texts they would infer that none ought to be baptized but such who are first taught and instructed in the principles of Christian faith and consequently that no children ought to be baptized because they are not capable of teaching That the placing the word teaching before baptizing in that text doth no more conclude that teaching must alwayes precede baptisme then the setting repentance before faith in those words Repeâ—t ye and beleeve the Gospell Mark 1. 15. and setting water before the spirit Ioh. 3. 5. except a man be born of water and the spirit necessarily infer that repentance goeth before faith which yet is but a fruit of faith or that the outward baptisme with water goeth before the inward baptisme of the spirit whereas the contrarie is clearly proved out of that speech of Peter to Cornelius Act. 10. 47. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we Secondly if there be any force in this argument drawn from the order of the words it maketh against them for thus we wound them with their dudgeon-dagger Christ saith baptize them in the name of the Father teaching them to observe all things baptizing therefore must go before teaching especially in children who may be baptized before they can be taught Thirdly they mis-translate the words for Christ saith not go teach all nations baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things neither is there a tautologie in our blessed Saviours words for his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. go make disciples among all nations baptizing them and teaching them Now though children cannot be taught before they are baptized yet they may be after a â—orâ— made Christs disciples by their parents or god-fathers offering them unto God and undertaking for them that they shall be brought up in the Christian religion Fourthly Christ speaketh here of the plantation of the Christi an faith and the conversion of whole nations in which alwayes the preaching of the word goeth before the administration of the sacrament First men are taught to repent of their sins and beleeve the Articles of the Christian faith and after they have made confession of the one and profession of the other then they are to be received into the church by baptisme This course was taken by the Apostles in the beginning and must at this day be taken by those who are sent into Turkie or the East and West Indies to convert Pagans or Mahumetans or unbeleeving Iews to the Gospell They are to baptize none before they have taught them the principles of Christian religion but after the Gospell is planted and the parents are beleeverâ— and received into the church by baptisme their children are first to be baptized and afterwards taught so soon as they are capable of teaching They argue from examples after this manner such are to be baptized who with the Iews in Ierusalem Mat. 3. 6. confesse their sins who with the Proselytes Act. 2. 41. gladly receive the word who with the Samaritans Act. 8. 6. give heed to the word preached who with those of Cornelius familie Act. 10. 44. receive the holy Ghost by the hearing of the word who with Lydia have their hearts opened to attend the things that are spoken by the Apostles Act. 16. 14. who with the Gaoler hear the word preached and seek after the means of salvation Act. 16. 30. But children can neither confesse their sins nor attend to the word preached nor actually beleeve nor desire baptisme they therefore ought not to be baptized But we answer all that can solidly be concluded from these examples is but this in the affirmative all such who were so qualified as these were viz. hearers of the Gospell penitent sinners and true beleevers unfainedly desiring the means of their salvation ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme which we freely grant but they cannot conclude from these examples negatively that none other ought to be Christened No more then it will follow that those of Cornelius his family received the gift of the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues before they were baptized with water therefore none but such who have received such gifts of the holy Ghost may and ought to be baptized To confesse sins and actually professe faith makes a man more capable of baptisme yet dumb men who can do neither if they have a good testmonie of their life and conversation and by signs make it appear they unfainedly desire the sacraments may receive them Secondly if there be any force at all in an argument drawn from examples affirmatively it must be from examples in the like kind as from men to men from children to children not from women to men or from men to children or from children to men For it will not follow women in the Apostles times were covered in the church therefore men ought to be so or men may speak in the church therefore women may or children are usually fed with milk and not strong meat therefore men in ripers years ought to use such dyet no more will it follow men in riper years who are capable of instruction ought to hear the word to give their assent thereunto and enter into a strict covenant with God to lead a new life before they have accesse to the Font. Therefore the like duties are required of children who have not yet the use of reason nor knowledge of good or evill By this reason they might starve children because the law is he that will not labour let him not eat It holds in men but no way in children who are not able to labour in any calling by reason of the infirmitie of their joynts and want of reason and understanding Baptisme is a seal of the righteousnesse of faith
first table required by the eternall and morall law of God 2. As we have warrant for swearing in the old Testament so also in the new for Christ himselfe was made our Priest by oath Heb. 7. 21. Those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest c. By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament God his using an oath for confirmation of Christ his Priesthood warranteth the custome of giving and taking an oath at the Inauguration of Emperours Coronation of Kings Consecration of Bishops Ordination of Ministers and generally the admission of any person of quality into any place of trust or command or weighty charge in Church or Common-wealth God himselfe using this kind of confirmation confirmeth this kind and use of an oath Neither are promissary oathes only approved by the Gospell to bind our faith and assure loyalty and fidelity but also assertory to cleare doubtfull truth and end litigious suites Heb. 6. 16. For men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife even Christ himselfe who is AMEN the faithfull witnesse and in whom all the promises of God are yea and AMEN often corroborateth his divine Essayes and heavenly promises with that sacred ingemination AMEN AMEN which is virtually if not formally an oath according to the strict definition of an oath which is affirmatio religiosa or as the Schooles define it more fully affirmatio vel negatio interposita religione a religious asseveration or the affirming and denying any thing with a divine attestation Christ in the fifth of Matthew forbiddeth not all kind of swearing but the ordinary and accustomary swearing then in use among the Iewes and allowed by the Scribes and Pharisees who erroneously conceived that swearing by heaven and earth or Ierusalem or any creature was no taking Gods name in vain because in such oaths Gods name was not used This practice of theirs our Saviour condemnes and refutes their errour Mat. 5. 34. Sweare not at all neither by the heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his Footstoole nor by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King c. But of this more in the solution of the adversaries objections ARGUMENT II. That which hath been practised by God himselfe the elect Angels and Saints speaking by divine inspiration cannot be sinfull or unlawfull else we should make God himselfe the Authour of sinne and lay impiety or iniquity to the charge of holinesse and justice it selfe But the Scripture bringeth in first God swearing Gen. 50. 24. Exod. 13. 5. 11. Exod. 33. 1. Numb 14. 16. 23. 30. Num. 32. 10. 11. Deut. 1. 8. 8. 35. Ios. 5. 6. Psal. 95. 11. 110. 4. Heb. 6. 17. 7. 21. 22. Secondly Angels Dan. 12. 7. I heard the man cloathed in linen when he held up his right hand and his left to heaven and sware by him that liveth Rev. 10. 5. 6. And the Angell which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that there should be time no longer Thirdly the Saints Abraham Gen. 21. 24. Iacob 31. 53. Ioseph Gen. 47. 35. Moses Ios. 14. 9. David 1. Sam. 20. 3. 24. 22. Ionathan 1. Sam. 20. 16. Eliah 1. Kings 17. 1. Gedallah 2. Kings 25. 24. Asa. 2. Chron. 15. 14. Obadiaah 1. Kings 18. 10. Elisha 2. Kings 2. 6. Ergo swearing is not unlawfull ANABAP ANSWER God giveth the law to us not to himselfe and for the examples alleadged out of the old Testament they are no good Precedents for us to follow because the people of God were not forbidden to sweare by God in the law but we are by Christ in the Gospell REPLY Though God be under no law yet he is a law to himselfe his nature is his law which he never doth or can transgresse violate or dispense with He is all light and there is no darknesse all truth and there is no falshood all justice and there is no iniquity in him Neither is it true that the Saints under the Gospell lie under a greater restraint in respect of oathes then those under the law for as they so these have not refused upon just cause and weighty occasions to appeale to God and call him to attest the truth of their speeches and sincerity of their intentions For how many sacred attestations in this kind find we in the writings of the Apostle neither can it bee said he used them being transported by passion or out of infirmity for his Epistles are inspired and the religious asseverations in them are no other then the dictates of the Holy Ghost Such are these Rom. 1. 9. God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Son that without ceasing I make mention alwayes of you in my prayers Rom. 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a Record upon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth Gal. 1. 20. Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lie not Phil. 1. 8. For God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowells of Iesus Christ 1. Thess. 2. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that beleived ARGUMENT III. No part of Gods true and substantiall worship can be sinfull else vertue should be vice and godlinesse it selfe wickednesse light should bee darknesse and good evill But swearing with such cautions and provisoes as are set downe by the Prophet Ieremy is a part of Gods true and substantiall worship for it is a religious invocation of his name with an acknowledgement of his omniscient wisdom and omnipotent justice omniscient wisdom whereby he knoweth all hidden things and the very thoughts and intentions of the heart of man and omnipotent justice whereby he is able and will punish those sinnes which come not within the walk of mans justice Ergo swearing after a religious manner cannot be sinfull ARGUMENT IV. Whatsoever is necessary for the detecting and punishing of wickednesse and vice and the acquitting of innocencie and preservation of all humane commerce and society cannot be sinfull and unlawfull For where God appointeth the ends he appointeth also the meanes and as the powers that are are ordained by God so the estates that are to continue among men are established by him But the giving and taking of oathes is necessary for all these ends as the experience of all Societies demonstrate and the practice of all Courts both Ecclesiasticall and civill and the custome of all nations wherein there is
yet in diverse cases for the manifestation of truth in legall proceedings and setting a period to otherwise endlesse suits may lawfully be exacted and imposed No Christian Magistrate or any other may incroach upon the Soveraigne prerogative of Almighty God But it is the Soveraigne prerogative of Almighty God to bind the consciences of men therefore no Magistrate or any other may impose an oath whereby the consciences of men are tyed and bound As it is the prerogative of God to search the heart so also to bind the conscience immediately and directly the lawes ordinances or commands of men may work upon the outward man but they cannot engage the conscience directly and immediately or by themselves but so farre only as they may be included in the generall command of God which is to obey those that are set over us in such things as are not repugnant to his will Whence it is that the Apostle pressing the doctrine of obedience to higher powers saith Rom. 13. 5. that wee must needs be subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake This very particular of swearing by Gods name when we are required thereunto is commanded by God himselfe Ier. 4. 2. and so the Magistrates command hath strength and power to tye the conscience from Gods command None ought to be put to their oath who are like to forsweare themselves for this both the Civill and Common law forbiddeth because it is a kind of thrusting men downe a steep hill to the ruine of their soules by perjury But such is the condition of the greater sort of men that it is very likely for hope of reward or to save their lives limbes liberty or estate they will streigne a veine in their heart and take a false oath therefore men ought not to be put to their oathes If a man be defamed for a prophane person or common swearer and much more if he have been convicted of perjury he ought not to be put to his oath lest where before he dasht he may the second time make shipwrack of his faith and a good conscience But the rule of the law is Supponitur esse bonus qui non probatur esse malus He is suppased to be an honest man against whom there are no proofes or strong presumptions that he is otherwise Though the Magistrate in some cases for the publick good exact an oath of many men who forswear themselves yet is not the Magistrate any way author of or accessary to their perjury For he requireth them to swear truly not falsely and for ought that he knoweth they may as well cleare themselves as condemne themselves upon their oath neither doth there appeare unto him any cause or just suspition that the party to be sworne is like to take a false oath for if there doe both in conscience and in discretion he will be shie of administring an oath to such a person in such a case The third difficulty concerning oathes is whether the oath ex officio be lawfull that is whether a Magistrate Ecclesiasticall or temporall may require and exact an oath of a man which in duty hee is bound to take in a case which concernes himselfe and may tend to his owne prejudice and dammage As in Ninus his victories every former conquest was gradus futurae victoriae a degree and step to a latter so it falleth out in the determination of the difficulty concerning oaths the resolution of the former question is a step and furtherance to the latter For if oathes be lawfull the Magistrate may enjoyne them by his authority and if he may impose any oath especially the oath ex officio without which the ordinary proceedings as well in Ecclesiasticall Courts as temporall will be stopt and all speedy course of justice hindred and although what hath been formerly alleadged in justification of the imposition of oathes might suffice to resolve the consciences of men not forestalled with prejudicated opinions yet because this kind of oath hath been of late cryed down with much vehemency and bitternesse for the satisfaction of scrupulous minds I will endeavour to bring more pregnant proofes for the lawfull and necessary use thereof then I have yet found in any who have travelled most in this argument especially to bring water to their owne Mills ARGUMENT I. Every oath which may be taken in truth judgement and righteousnesse is lawfull such is the oath ex officio Ergo lawfull The Proposition is the Prophet Ieremies the assumption is thus proved according to each part of it First it may be taken in truth neither is it required otherwise to be taken the Tenour of it being There are Articles in Court against you or questions to be demanded of you you shall answer the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth so farre as you know and by law you are bound so help you God Secondly it may be taken in judgement for before wee are required to give answer to any particular the Articles are distinctly read unto us and we may deliberately and judicially shape our answer thereunto at the present if we perfectly remember every circumstance and find no scruple in the interrogatory or we may crave farther time to bethink our selves to give a fuller answer Thirdly it may be taken in righteousnesse for if we be innocent by our oaths we shall acquit our selvs and if guilty we shall give way to justice to proceed and as it is a righteous thing to acquit an innocent so also to detect a Malefactor in which regard Iosuah perswadeth Achan to glorifie God by confession of his sinne ARGUMENT II. For what we have a President from the actions of our Saviour we may lawfully doe For Saint Bernard saith truly every action of Christ serveth for our instruction But we have a President from Christ for answering directly upon oath in a case criminall which proved also Capitall Matth. 26. 63. 64. the high Priest said unto him I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Sonne of God Iesus said unto him thou hast said Neverthelesse I say unto you hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of power and comming in the clouds of heaven then the high Priest rent his cloathes saying he hath spoken blasphemie Ergo we may lawfully answer upon oath in a cause criminall concerning our selves ANABAP ANSWER That as it was no robbery in Christ to be equall with God so it was no blasphemie in him to say that he was the Sonne of God and therefore this answer of Christ was in no cause criminall and consequently his example no President for us in the like REPLY It is true that neither Christ himselfe nor any of his holy Martyrs or Saints who have been put to most cruell torments and death were guilty of any such sin or crime before God for which they notwithstanding suffered such things yet because
every man have praise of God The Apostle speaketh not in that place against any judiciall proceedings but against private rash and uncharitable judging of our brother and taking his words in the worst part without any just ground or censuring not so much his outward actions or speeches as inward intentions known only go God Such perverse judging our Saviour condemneth Matth. 7. 1. And this Apostle Rom. 2. 1. Therefore thou art unexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest As in the skye sometimes there is cleare light and perfect day sometimes perfect darknesse and yet besides these a third condition which we call twilight neither so light as day nor so dark as night so the actions of men for which they are questionable in Spirituall or Temporall Courts are of three sorts some are altogether hidden of which there can be brought no sure proofe nor strong presumption the judgement of these must be reserved to the last day when Christ shall reveal the secrets of all hearts some are done as it were in the face of the Sunne whereof there may be strong and evident proofes brought in such cases a Judge ought to proceed secundum allegata probata and not put the conscience of any man as it were upon the wrack to extort the truth from him by oath Lastly some are of a mixt nature neither fully open and manifest nor altogether hidden such whereof there are strong presumptions and a generall fame but no pregnant proofe in such cases the oath ex officio is of use whereby the truth may be more and more discovered and the party either cleared upon his deniall or convicted upon his confession or held pro confesso by his evasions and tergiversations and refusing to be put to the test of his oath ARTIC 6. Concerning the office of the Civill Magistrate THere remain many other errours of the Anabaptists some blasphemous as the denying the incarnation of Christ from the substance of the blessed Virgin some impure and lascivious as maintaining the plurality of wives some drowzie and sottish as the casting of the soule into an Endymion sleep untill the day of judgement But because these absurd positions are not at this day generally owned by our Anabaptists the last errour which I intend to encounter at this present is that pernicious assertion of theirs concerning the exauctorating all Civill Magistrates whereby they dull the edge or wring out of their hands the sword of justice Other of their errours fight against the Church but this against the State others agaisnt piety but this against Politie yet as Velleius in Tully goeth about by reason to prove that nothing is more hurtfull to man then the gift of reason so this errour against policie is most politickly devised by them for there being but two censures which any need to fear the Ecclesiasticall and the Civill and they regarding not the Ecclesiasticall because they are out of the pale of the Church if they could keep themselves out of the reach and stroake of the Civill sword all were cock-sure with them they might every where securely both vent their errours and practise their villanies This is the true reason why they so vehemently contend that the coercive power of the Magistrate can no way consist with the perfection of Christianity Now although the Civill Magistrate be ordained of God for the suppression of all vice and heresie yet above all other he ought to have an eye to this for this hath a peculiar antipathy to Magistracie The Magistrate shall beare his sword in vaine indeed if he let other heresies grow but if this thrive in any Kingdome State or Common-wealth he shall not beare his sword at all There is that contrariety and repugnancie between this heresie and that calling that if Magistracie doe not speedily root out this heresie this heresie will extirpate all Magistracie for thus much it professeth in formall tearmes ANABAPTIST No Christian may with a good conscience execute the office of a Civill Magistrate REFUTATION Before I cut off this heresie against the materiall sword with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God I will present to the Anabaptists a glasse wherein they may see their own faces drawne to the life Saint Peter and Saint Iude speaking against false Prophets in their dayes so describe them that all men may see who were the Grand-Fathers of these Hereticks who trouble the Church at this day They walke saith Saint Peter after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse and despise Government and Dominion Presumptuous are they selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of dignities whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord but these as naturall brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed speake evill of the things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their owne corruption I intreat the Reader to take speciall notice of the words of these two Apostles which fall so pat upon our present Anabaptists as if the Apostles had particularly aimed at them But to leave pâ—urtraying them and fall to refuting them ARGUMENT I. Every office appointed by God for the administration of Justice and preservation of peace both in Church and Common-wealth may with a good conscience bee executed by a Christian called thereunto But the office of Civill Magistrates is an office appointed by God for the administration of justice and preservation of peace both in Church and Common-wealth Exod. 18. 20 21. 2 Chron. 19. 6. 7. 11. Prov. 8. 15. Dan. 2. 21. Ergo the office of a Magistrate may with a good conscience be executed by a Christian. ANABAPTISTS ANSWER Although God appointed Magistrates in the time of the Law and the Iewes were kept in order by them yet it followeth not that Christians may exercise that power one over another or that they need any Civill Magistrate at all for they are called by Christ to a greater perfection They must not resist evill but give place to wrath REPLY There is a like necessity of the office of a Judge and Magistrate as well under the Gospell as under the Law For both the Scripture teacheth us Acts 6. 1. 1 Cor. 3. 3 4. 6. 6 7. Phil. 3. 18. Iames 4. 1. and daily experience sheweth that such disorders fall out among Christians as did among Jewes and that through the corruption of our nature we are subject to those passions that unlesse the Civill Magistrate interpose his authority there will be no quiet and peaceable living and if the malady still remaine we must use the remedy which God hath appointed It is false which they affirme that Christ in the 5. of Matthew addeth any thing to the law which the Prophet David Psalme 19. 7. affirmeth to bee perfect converting the soule but only he vindicateth it from the corrupt glosses and false interpretations made thereof by the Scribes and Pharisees For even
harmonious sounds the Angels or Intelligencers as they call them turning as it were the broaches But this Celestiall musick they speak of is but a pleasing dreame a true Celestiall harmony may be heard in the confession of all the Reformed Churches wherewith now in the close I purpose to cheare up and recreate the Reader and lest any quarrell should be made or offence taken at the precedencie I will call the severall Churches in such order as they are ranked in the Latine edition of the Confessions printed at Geneva An. 1581. Concerning the Authour Office and Authority of the Civill Magistrate thus we read In the Helvetian confession The Magistracie of what kind soever is ordained of God for the peace and quietnesse of mankind and hee ought to have the first place in the world And a little afterwards As God doth work the safety of his people by the Magistrate whom hee hath given to bee as a Father to the world so all subjects are commanded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate let them therefore honour and reverence him as the Minister of God love him and pray for him as their Father obey him in all his just and righteous commands the care of Religion chiefly appertaines to a godly Magistrate let him therefore draw his sword against all malefactours murderers theeves and blasphemous hereticks c. In this regard we condemn the Anabaptists who as they deny that a Christian may execute the office of a Magistrate so also they deny that any man may be lawfully put to death by him The Basill confession Let every Christian Magistrate bend all his forces this way that among all that are under him the name of God may be hallowed his Kingdome propagagated and his will in the rooting out of all wickednesse and vice may be fulfilled This duty was ever enjoyned even to the heathen Magistrates how much more is it required of a Christian Magistrate who is Gods true Vicar The Bohemian confession The Civill Magistrate is the ordinance of God and appointed by God who both taken his originall from God and by the effectuall power of his presence and continuall aid is maintained by him to governe the people in those things that appertain to thelife of the body here upon earth to whose power all and every one ought to be subject in those things that are not contrary to God first to the Kings Majesty then to all the Magistrates and such as are in authority under him whether they be of themselves good men or evill The French confession wee beleive that God would have the world to be governed Civilly and by Lawes that there may be certain bridles whereby the desires of men may bee restrained and that therefore he hath appointed Kingdomes Common-wealths and other kinds of Principalities whether they come by inheritance or otherwaies and because he is the authour of thiâ— order we must not only suffer them to rule whom he hath set over us but also yeild unto them all honour and reverence as to Deputies and Ministers assigned by him to execute their lawfull and holy function into their hands God hath put a sword to punish all breaches as well of the first Table as of the second The Low-Dutch confession We beleive that Almighty God by reason of the corruption and depravation of mankind did appoint Kings Princes and Magistrates and that it is his will that this world should bee governed by lawes and a Civill government and to this end hee hath armed Magistrates with a sword to punish the wicked and defend the good To these it appertaineth of duty not only watchfully to preserve the Civill State but also to endeavour that the holy Ministery of the word be maintained all Idolatry and false worship removed the Kingdome of Antichrist pulled downe and the Kingdome of Christ propagated Wherefore wee detest all Anabaptists and seditious persons who cast away all government and Magistracie pervert judgements and overthrow all mens rights make all mens goods common and lastly abolish and confound all orders and degrees appointed by God among men for honesty and comlinesse sake The High Dutch confession at Ausperge Civill governments and constitutions are good workes and ordinances of God as Saint Paul testifieth they condemne therefore the Anabaptists who forbid Civill offices to Christians they condemn also those who place Evangelicall perfection in abandoning all civill affaires whereas Evangelicall perfection is Spirituall and consisteth in the motions of the heart in the feare of God Faith Love and Obedience The Saxon confession Wee teach that in the whole doctrine of God delivered by the Apostles and Prophets that Civill government is maintained and that Magistrates Lawes tribunalls and the lawfull society of men sprung not up by chance but that all the good order that is left is preserved by the exceeding goodnesse of God for the Churches sake and all subjects owe to the civill Magistrate obedience as Saint Paul saith not only for wrath that is feare of corporall punishment wherwith the disobedient are rewarded by the Magistrate but also for conscience sake Contumacie being a sinne offending God and withdrawing the conscience from him And seeing Magistrates are the chiefe members of the Church let them see that Judgements in the Church and Ecclesiasticall censures be rightly executed as Constantine Theodosius Arcadius Marcianus Charle-Maine and many godly Kings took order in their times that Ecclesiasticall judicature and proceedings in spirituall Courts should be rightly carried The Suevick confession Our Churches teach that the office of a Magistrate is most sacred and divine whence it is that they who exercise this power are called Gods and our Preachers teach that the obedience which is performed to Magistrates is to bee placed among good works of the first rank and that by how much a man is a more sincere and faithfull Christian the more carefull hee is to observe the Lawes of the State I know not upon what ground the English and Scotch confession are left out of the Harmony of Confessions for they are as full as any of the rest for proofe of the point in question the Scotch runneth thus The Confession of Scotland Wee confesse and acknowledge Empires Kingdomes Dominions and Cities to be distincted and ordained by God that powers and authority in the same be it of Emperous in their Empires Kings in their Realmes Dukes and Princes in their Dominions and of other Magistrates in their Cities to be Gods holy Ordinance ordained for manifestation of his owne glory and for the singular profit and commodity of mankind so that whosoever goeth about to take away or confound the whole state of Civill policie now long established we affirm the same men not only to be enemies to mankind but also wickedly to fight against Gods expressed will The Confession of England Art 37. The Kings Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and
other his Dominions unto whom the chiefe government of all estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Civill in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any forrain jurisdiction The Lawes of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences The summe of all is the Civill Magistrate is a divine ordinance and his chiefe care is or ought to be Religion for the defence and vindication whereof God hath put a sword in his hand to cut off the disturbers of the Peace as well in the Church as the Common-wealth and because he is the Minister of God for our wealth and safety his authority is to be obeyed by all sorts of men for conscience sake and not to be resisted upon paine of damnation And now Christian Reader thou hast heard a Harmony listen not to discords thou hast heard a consort of silver Trumpets hearken not to a single oat-pipe or the harsh sound of Rams hornes thou hast heard the suffrages of all the learned Divines in the Reformed Churches regard not the votes of a few illiterate Mechanicks much lesse the fancie and dreames of fanaticall Enthusiasts who because they are Anomolaes themselves would not by their good will there should bee any Rules because they are wandring Starres they would have none fixt because they are dissolute they would have no bonds of Lawes because they are Schismaticks and Non-conformists they would have no Discipline in the Church because they are dunces and ignorant both of Tongues and Arts they would have no learning nor Universities Lastly because they walke inordinately they would have no coercive power in the Magistrate to restraine them There was never more cause then now to take heed what thou hearest and to try the spirits whether they are of God or no for there is not one only lying spirit as in the dayes of Ahab but many lying spirits in the mouthes of Prophets not only Romish Priests and Iesuits who endeavour to seduce thee to spirituall thraldome idolatry and superstition but also diverse sorts of schismaticall Teachers who intice thee to carnall liberty prophanenesse sacriledge and faction When I first heard of the manner of taking Apes in the Indies I could scarce forbeare laughter but now seeing dayly men of worth and parts caught after the same manner by our new Sectaries I can hardly refrain tears The maner of taking those beasts is thus described he that goes about to catch Apes in those parts of America which abound with them brings a Bason with fair water and therein paddles with his hands and washeth his face in sight of the Apes and then steps aside for a while the Ape seeing the coast cleare steales to the Bason and seeing his face in the water is much delighted therewith and in imitation of the man dabbles with his feet in the cleare water and washes his face and wipes his eyes and after this he lyes in wait for him fetches away the Bason powres out the faire water and fills it againe with water mingled with birdlime and puts the Bason in the place where it stood before the Ape returning to the Bason and suspecting nothing puts his feet in the birdlime and with that foul mingled water washes his face and wipes his eyes which are thereby so dazled the eye-lids closed up that unawares he is easily caught In like manner these late Proselytes who invade many empty Pulpits in the City and Suburbs at the first in their Sermons set before thee as it were a Bason of the pure water of life wherin thou maist see thy face wash away the spots of thy soul but after they have got thy liking and good opinion confide in thee then they mingle bird-lime with the water of life the birdlime of Socinianisme of Libertinisme or Antinominianisme Brownisme and Anabaptisme wherewith after they have put out or closed the eyes of thy judgement they lead thee whither they lift and make a prey of thee Praemonitus praemunitus I have forewarned thee bee thou forearmed against them and the Lord give thee a right judgment in all things Gastius de exord Anabap. p. 495. Quia Anabaptistae à veritate avertunt aures idea Deus mittit illis Doctores non qui lingua medica sanarent ulcera ipsorum sed qui pruritum ac scabiem affectuum ipsorum commodè scalperent Because the Anabaptists turn away their eares from the truth God sendeth them teachers according to their desire not such as with their wholesome tongues and doctrine heale their sores but with their nailes scratch gently the itch of their carnall lusts and affections Remarkeable Histories OF THE ANABAPTISTS WITH OBSERVATIONS thereupon THE French after the first course of solid dishes entertaine their guests with Kicke-shoses and wee with fruit In the former part of this Treatise courteous Reader as well in the propounding our arguments for the orthodox faith as in the Refutation of the Anabaptists objections against it I desired to set before thee Solid and substantiall dishes to strengthen thee in the true doctrine of thereformed Church of England but in these ensuing relations and observations I make bold to set on the board Kicke-shoses and variety of strange fruits which though peradventure they will not much nourish thy faith yet eaten with a graine of Salt will some way irritate thy appetite and help thy digestion and concoction OBSERVAT. I. That the Anabaptists are an Illiterate and Sottish Sect. As Macarius who had the care and oversight of erecting that magnificent structure at Ierusalem built by Helena the mother of Constantine the great was happy in his name for Macarius in Greek signifieth blessed and as Theodoret testifieth a blessed man was he so on the contrary many Arch-hereticks and Boâ—tefeux of the Church and State have been happily unlucky in their names their God-Fathers at the Font proving Prophets and the names they gave them being presages of their qualities and fortunes and Characters of their persons Haymo noteth out of Iraeneus that Ebion the Father of the Ebionites signifieth in Hebrew poore and silly and a silly poore man God wot was he Manes the Father of the Manichees derives his name in Greeke from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insanio or à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insania madnesse and verily a franticke heretick was he Aërius the Father of the AërianÌ„s carieth wind in his name and a light giddy-braind fellow was hee blowne into his heresie with the wind of ambition as Saint Augustine declareth in his bed-roll of heresies What should I descend to Maldonate whos 's very name speaketh the abuse of his filts Maldonatus quasi malè donatus and to Ignatius the Founder of his Sect Ignatius Layola who as he hath Ignem fire in his name so he and his Disciples have proved the greatest Incendiaries in the Christian world I will trouble thee but with one instance more and that is
the Consull and the Prophet A Censure of a Book printed Anno 1644. Intituled The confession of faith of those Churches which are commonly though falsely called ANABAPTISTS PLiny writeth that if the black humour of the Cuttell-fish be mingled with oyl in a Lampe the visages of all in the room though never so faire and beautifull will seem ugly and of the hieu of Blackamores so the Proctors for our Anabaptists would beare us in hand that all who of late have preached and written against that Sect through the black humor of malice tanquaÌ„ Sepiae atramâ—nto make it appear much more deformed and odious then it is for if we give credit to this confession and the preface thereof those who among us are branded with that title are neither Hereticks nor Scismaticks but tender hearted Christians upon whom through false suggestions the hand of Authority fell heavy whilest the Hierarchie stood for they neither teach free will nor falling away from grace with the Arminians nor deny originall sinne with the Pelagians nor disclaime Magistracie with the Jesuits nor maintaine pluralitie of wives with the Polygamists nor communitie of goods with the Apostolici nor going naked with the Adamites much lesse averre the mortalitie of the soul with Epicures and Psychopannychists and to this purpose they have published this confession of their Faith subscribed by fifteen persons in the name of seven Churches in London Of which I may truely say as Saint Hilarie doth of that of the Arrians they offer to the unlearned their faire cup full of venome annointing the brim with the honey of sweet and holy words they thrust in store of true positions that together with them they may juggle in the venome of their falshood they cover a little ratsbane in a great quantity of sugar that it may not be discerned For among the fifty three Articles of their confession there are not above six but may passe with a faire construction and in those six none of the foulest and most odious positions wherewith that Sect is aspersed are expressed What then are all that have imployed their tongue and pen against them heretofore no better then calumniators and false accusers of their brethren nothing lesse for besides the testimonies of Melancthon Bullinger Sleiden Gastius Pontanus Guidebres others who lived among them by the harmonie of all the Protestant Churches confessions it appears that the masters of our Anabaptists Ring-leaders of that sect in Switzerland Suevia Franconia Munster Saxonie and the Low Countries held such erroneous tenets as are above mentioned and if their Scholars in England have learned no such doctrines from them it is because they are punies in their School and have not taken any Lesson in the upper forms they have but sipt of the cup I spake before of the divell holds them but by the heel only as Thetis did Achilles when she dipt him in the sea We read in Diodorus Siculus of certain creatures about the shores of Nilus not fully formed and in a Stone-cutters shop we see here the head of a man there all the upper parts carved in a third place the perfect statue so it seems to me that these Anabaptists are but in fieri as the Schooles speak not in facto esse like the fish and Serpents in the mud of Nilus not fully shaped like a statue in the Stone-cutters shop not finished they are Anabaptists but in part not in whole Be it so for I desire to make them rather better then worse then they are I will therefore lay nothing to them but that they owne nor bring any other evidence against them then this their confession In which I except First against those words in the thirty one Article Whatsoever the Saints any of them doe possesse or enjoy of God in this life is by Faith This passage savours ranke of that errour or heresie call it which you please imputed to Armacanus who is said to have taught that the right of all possessions and goods or temporall blessings is founded in grace not in nature and that we hold them by no legall tenure but Evangelicall promises and true it is that none but the faithfull hold in capite nor have any but true beleevers a comfortable and sanctified use of the creatures and a spirituall title to them but yet it cannot be denied that they may have and many have actually a legall title to them and civill interest in them even before they are in Christ or adopted into his family by actuall Faith for if it were otherwise Esau should have had no right to mount Seir nor Nebuchadnezzar to Tyre which yet the text saith God bestowed upon them nay if this position may take place no childe shall have any right to his fathers inheritance nor Prince newly borne to his Crowne which is not only an absurd but a very dangerous and seditious assertion None of the foure great Monarchs of the world represented in Daniels vision for ought can be proved were true beleevers though some of them did some outward acts of pietie and afforded some reall courtesies to the people of God yet of these Kingdomes the Prophet speaking saith that the most High ruleth in them and giveth them to whomsoever he will and Saint Augstine is bold to say that the same God who set the Crowne upon Constantine the Christians head gave the Empire of the world to Iulian the Apostata Nay Christ himselfe paid tribute to Caesar and acknowledged that he had a right to the tribute money saying Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars Yet that Caesar he spake of was Tiberius an enemy to all godlinesse and a kind of monster among men Secondly I except against those words in the 38. Article that the due maintenance of the officers aforesaid should be the free and voluntary communication of the Church and not by constraint to be compelled from the people by aforced Law These words may carry a double sense if their meaning be that all Religious Christians ought freely to contribute to the maintenance of the ministery should not need any law to inforce them we embrace their good affection to the Church and Churchmen but if their meaning be that the maintenance ought to depend upon the voluntary contribution of their parishioners and that in case the flock should deny their Shepherds either part of their milke or fleece that the Pastours should have no assistance of Law to recover them this their opinion is most impious and sacrilegious and directly repugnant to the Law of God which assigneth tithes for the maintenance of the Priests and that Law of God in the old Testament is not abrogated in the new but rather confirmed at least in the equitie thereof for Christ speaking of tithing mint and cummin saith those things ye ought to do and not leave these things undone and the Apostle proveth that the ministers of the Gospel ought to live
of the Gospel both by the Law of God and by the Law of nature vers 7. Who goeth a warfare on his own charge who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock and vers 13. Doe ye not know that those that minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar be partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel He saith not God permitteth or alloweth of it but ordaineth and commandeth it And lest these two strings should not be strong enough to keepe the bow still bent he addeth a third to wit an Apostolical injunction let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Moreover when we read that Abraham and Iacob gave tithes I demand by what Law whether by the Law of nature or the Leviticall or Evangelicall not by vertue of the Leviticall for that Law was not then enacted and by that Law Levi was to receive not pay tithes Yet Levi himselfe in Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedech if they paid it by the Law of nature that bindeth all men if by the Evangelicall Law it bindeth all Christians to pay their tithes towards the maintenance of Melchisedechs Priesthood which endureth for ever And Saint Austine fearfully upon this ground threatneth all those who refuse willingly to pay their tithes that God would reduce them to a tithe and blast all the nine parts of their estate Thirdly I except against the thirty ninth Article viz. that baptisme is an ordinance of the new Testament given by Christ to be dispensed only upon persons professing Faith or that are disciples or taught who upon a profession of Faith ought to be baptized Here they lispe not but speak out plaine their Anabaptisticall doctrine whereby they exclude all the children of the faithfull from the sacrament of entrance into the Church and the only outward meanes of their salvation in that state but the best of their proofes fall short the word only which only can prove this their assertion is not found in any of the texts alledged in the margent nor can the sense of it be collected from thence For though it is most true and evident in the letter of those texts that all Nations that are to be converted and all men in them of yeers of discretion that have been taught the principles of Religion ought to make profession of their Faith before they are baptized as all that came to mens estate among the Jews or proselytes ought both to know and to give their assent to the covenant before they received the seal thereof to wit circumcision yet no such thing was or could be required of children who notwithstanding were circumcised the eight day so by the judgement of all the Christian Churches in the world the children of beleevers who are comprised in the letter of the covenant may receive the seal thereof to wit baptisme though they cannot make profession of their Faith by themselves for the present but others make it for them and in their stead the affirmative is true that all that make profession of their Faith and testifie their unfained repentance are to be baptized but the negative is most false that none are to be baptized who have not before made such profession of their Faith when by reason of their infancie they are not capable to be taught But this hereticall assertion is at large resu'ed by manifold Arguments drawne from Scripture Fathers and reason and all their cavils and evasions exploded Article 2. to which I refer the Reader Fourthly I except against the fortieth Article viz. The way and manner of dispensing of this Ordinance the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body under water it being a signe must answer the things signified which are these 1. The washing of the whole soul in the blood of Christ 2. That interest the Saints have in the death buriall and resurrection of Christ 3. Together with a confirmation of our Faith that as certainly as the body is buried under water and riseth again so certainly shall the bodies of the Saints be raised by the power of Christ in the day of the resurrection to reigne with Christ. This Article is wholly sowred with the new leaven of Anabaptisme I say the new leaven for it cannot be proved that any of the ancient Anabaptists maintained any such position there being three wayes of baptizing either by dipping or washing or sprinkling to which the Scripture alludeth in sundry places the Sacrament is rightly administred by any of the three and whatsoever is here alleadged for dipping we approve of so far as it excludeth not the other two Dipping may be and hath been used in some places trina immersio a threefold dipping but there is no necessity of it it is not essentiall to Baptisme neither doe the Texts in the margent conclude any such thing It is true Iohn baptized Christ in Iordan and Philip baptized the Eunuch in the river but the Text saith not that either the Eunuch or Christ himselfe or any baptized by Iohn or his Disciples or any of Christs Disciples were dipped plunged or dowsed over head and eares as this Article implyeth and our Anabaptists now practise Againe the bare example of Christ and his Apostles without a precept doth not bind the Church and precept there is none for dipping it is certaine Christ and his Apostles celebrated the Communion after Supper and in unleavened bread and with such a gesture as was then in use among the Jewes yet because there is no precept in the Gospell for these things no Christian Church at this day precisely observeth those circumstances and therefore dato non concesso that Christ and Saint Iohn or their Disciples used dipping in Baptisme it will not follow that we ought to baptize in the like and no other manner Besides it ought to be noted that in the beginning Christians had no Churches nor Fonts in them and there being many hundreds nay thousands often to be baptized together there was a kind of necessity that this Sacrament should be administred in rivers or such places where were store of waters as there were in Enon neare Salem where John baptized But now the Church hath better provided there being Christian Oratories every where and Fonts in them most convenient for this purpose whereunto I shall need to adde here no more having fully handled this point both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the discussion of the first Article Fiftly I except against the 41. Article viz. The persons designed by Christ to dispence this ordinance the Scripture hold forth to be a preaching Disciple it being no where tyed to a particular Church Officer or Person If the eye be