righted it rather a little too much in reckoning on it as more then it is worth or at least not setting so slightly by it as well we might But t is as usual a fashion among you Clergy men to count your selves scandaliz'd disparaged disgrac'd vilified undervalued c when you are but either found out in your falsehoods or slandered of a matter of truth as t is for you under one vile name or other to scandalize the Saints most falsly and slander the truth it self yet if your repute be at reparations more then justly through our occasion when we know it we shall make you satisfaction by submission and amends by amendment mean while have patience with us and in due time and Christs strength I trust we shall pay you all Pre. The men which were our Adversaries and their driving was known before c. Post. Were it in respect only to your Infant sprinkling that you did so frequently stile us thus we are no less then many hundreds of its old acquaintance who thinking once as you do that we did God service to be friends to it could now freely answer to the name of Adversaries but we are the best friends in the world to the Truth and your Persons could you once see wood for trees and no further Adversaries to your cause then as we are well assured you can never make it good while the world stands by all the shifts you can devise from the law of Christ whose cause you call it As for our Driving were it like that of Iehu the son of Nimshi it would excuse it self the better sith t is only against the house of the Woman Iezebell that hath sate as Queen over the Nations and stirred up Ahab the Kings and Powers of the Earth to commit fornication with her and to do abominably and to shed the blood of Saints if you be not she then our driving is not towards you but if you be as I dare not be sworn that you the C C Clergy throughout all Christendome are not then wo to your house indeed not as from us but from the Lord who yet a little while wherein space is given you to repent and if he cast not you and your lovers into a bed together and into great tribulation except ye repent so that all the Churches of Christ shall know that t is even he that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and giveth to every one of you according to your works then the Lord hath not yet spoken at all by me Pre. It is no new thing with them to bespatter those Arguments with their tongue which they cannot unty with their teeth c. Post. It is an old new thing with your selves for it hath been of old the custome of the new Clergie though never of the true by common councel to cry down as Heresie what truth soever was too hard for them as for us it is no new thing with us indeed for it is one of those old things which were in use among us while we were all one with you but since we sincerely sought the truth are past away so that I cannot but clear those men that say it is no new thing with us as speaking no other then the truth and must needs condemn those who condemn us of it now as men condemning us of a meer new nothing Pre. Thou hast here a true though short Relation of the most materiall things that passed c. Post. I was musing a while what of the Ashford-Disputation this True Account could be truly counted a True Account of for I found that it mentioned neither the number nor the names of the Scribes that scrap't it nor the Disputers that disputed it nor the Arguments of more then one of those disputers not all his Arguments nor half the Respondents Answers nor many more things that should be in it by right nor many of those things rightly that are in it by wrong at last I had resolution here that 't was A True though short Relation of the most materiall things that passed Yea Sirs I assure you a good whipping is fitter for that disputation then a printed Account of it to the world unless on purpose to be laugh't at that lasted â—…o less then six hours whereof five and an half past away mostly in Immaterials and the odd five an half too in such Immaterials as these you have here accounted for and if these are the most material things that passed how Immaterial may the world well think were the most Immaterial that passed in the Disputation they surely were not worth one quarter of the while they past in Moreover that your Relation is Short yea far short of the Disputation Related I dare not deny but dare you say it ore and oâ—…e again that 't is a true one how true it is is so apparent by the preceding Ezamen of your Account that I need not here so much as assert it to be false I shall therefore say no more but thus viz. Had you said false where you say true both here and in your title page where your c. is stiled A True Account A True Relation you had then said true without all question but your saying true in these two places where you should have said false hath made you speak falsly in both indeed Pre. The adversaries answers being rendred to his best advantage c. Post. As for example sometimes his answers are altered and translated into a clear contrary form sense meaning then he ever spake in somtimes added to somtimes defrauded of such clauses as would have given every body to understand his intent to be directly opposite to what its here represented sometimes invented as it were de novo somtimesrendred not at all but only related to be nothing in the least measure satisfactory nothing that carried the least shew of sense or reason to the purpose c. and all this if men would believe you and if they do not I dare say 't is because they have neither sense nor reason whereupon to believe it to your Respondents best advantage but t is utterly against your wills surely Sirs besides your intentions and in some such way as you never meant it if it be for 't were a wonder if you should mind my advantage so much as to render my answers the best way in order thereunto and 't is a chance had you intended my best advantage but that you might have helpt me one lee-tle dram more then you have done what not one syllable not one scruple not one minits matter more of all that store that lies a smothering wherewith to mend the case of your Adversary whom you seem so to pitty too that if 't were possible even for old emnities sake for old truths sake which he strives to tell you you would do all to his best aduantage facile est invenire baculum ad caedendum canem you can easily pick a hole in his
amazemeut much of this sort of matter I have under my hands in private letters to my self and others and what of it is not there is legible I confesse as it were in text letters in the printed Polemicals of your Champions whose sharp censures and heavy charges of the way of truth which we walk in how judicious they are shall God willing be anon examined sith you send us to them at present you shall have a short word to your quaeries and such other passages which may occure and intervene either from your self or their writings in way of contradiction or obstruction to any thing that hath been said before Your first is grounded upon a simple supposition that an unbaptized person may in no case baptize or make a fit administrator of baptism whereas there is nothing in the world more clear then this that when it is to be done and cannot be well done otherwise it may be done as well as by one that was by one that never was baptized at all yea why not in case of innitiation after intermission as well as at the innitiation of the Gospel it self I wonder who baptized Iohn the Baptist that was the greatest administrator that ever was for either he was baptized surely or else he was not if he was ever baptized at all who baptized him but if he was never baptized the matter amounts still to be the same i. e. to evince no lesse then we assert that at the innitiation of the dispensation whether at first or after a long unlawful cessation an unbaptized person may baptize for if Iohn the Baptist himself was not baptized himself or if he was either by one that was unbaptized or else by one that was first baptized by himself he talks in his sleep that saies an unbaptized person may not in such a pressing case baptize Your second querie is as unsolidly grounded as the other and supposes your opinion to be this that no man though baptized himself unlesse he be a Minister i. e. an ordained officer may baptize for say you what commission have you to baptize you being no Minister of the Gospel whereas if by Minister you mean one officiating as a pastor over a people there is nothing more cleer in the world or in the word either then that others besides the Ministers may baptize viz. not any she for which there 's no president but rather precept to the contrary 1 Cor. 14. 2 Tim. 2. but any prophet i. e. any he gifted disciple especially who by the improvement of his gifts he proves as not seldome such do instrumentall of the parties convertion Ananias baptized Paul himself yet was he but a certain disciple Acts the 9. if you say that he was sent by God himself to that service it serves to shew this however which we affirm that God limited not that dispensation to the Ministry for if he had he would have sent Peter or at least some other officer to that work Did not Philip baptize the Samaritans and the Eunuch yet he did it in the capacity of a disciple and howbeit t is true he was ordained to be a Deacon and Deacons were by the Bishops babishly authorized to baptize yet that was no part of his office as a Deacon for his Deaconship designed him to no more then barely to have a care of the poor and if you say he was an Evangelist also so is every one that is gifted to preach the Gospel and doth it whether he be in any office or no for Evangelist is nothing but a preacher of the Gospel and such are they that occasionally preach it as well as such as preach it constantly by way of office therefore all the disciples that were scattered together with Philip it s said went every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 11. 20. and Philip that was one of those disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 40. preached or did the work of an Evangelist whence Philip was called Evangelista that being the very thing made him an Evangelist and not his Deaconship besides which he had no other office because he did Evangelizare no man can give a reason why the scattered disciples that did Evangelizare or preach the Gospel with him should not be denominated Evangelists as well as he and indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ no more then a Preacher and he that preaches and though every Pastor be both an Evangelist and a Prophet yet he that saieâ—… every Evangelist and Prophet is a Pastor or an ordained officer qua sic or that either of these are nomen offâ—…cii or sounding forth more then a person thus or thus gifted viz. the Evangelist to preach the Gospel for the conversion of such as are yet without the Prophet to speak to the exhortation edification and comfort of the Church and people already converted and both these occasionally only and not as by vertue of an ordination to an office may say it ten times over before the Scripture rightly understood will furnish him to make proof of it once And as these ordinary disciples for the Apostles abode still at Ierusalem Act. 8. 1. went every where as well as Philip pro suo modulo Evangelizantes preaching Christ according to their abilities so the hand of the Lord was with those occasional preachers that a great number believed and turned to the Lord by their means and were baptized also undoubtedly by their hands yea the famous Church of Ant ioch had its foundation from this and grew into a Church which they could not do without baptism before any actual officer came neer them for though Paul and Barnabas walked with them for a year and improved their gifts for their edification yet neither of these were yet actually any more then Evangelists and Prophets though before by God intended and not long after by the Church visibly ordained to their Apostleship i. e. men of excellent gifts and this will appear Act. 11. from verse 19. to the end with Act. 13. v. 4. and backward to the beginning you do therefore greatly err not knowing the Scriptures which tell you also plainly that though Paul converted all the Corinthians yet his own hands baptized but a few committing that dispensation as an inferiour work to his preaching to the hands of inferiour disciples as Mr. Baxter himself also confesses to your confutation asserting it from 1 Cor. 1 17. so though Peter converted the company in Cornelius house yet surely he baptized them not all if any at all with his own hands but left the administration to the hands of others some one or more of the brethren that came with him And the manner of speech implies plainly no lesse for he commanded that they should all be baptized in the name of the Lord yea so far is the word from tying up the dispensation of baptism to an office that we have much more president
then of the whole species of the whole kind of that Stature called infants and not of infants of one kind more then another For first whereas his 6th ground for the salvation of believers dying infants and of being without any fear of their damnation is this viz. because it is said Psal. 127. 3. 4. 5. children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb his reward c. if that be spoken of infants at all as it seems rather to be spoken of children that are grown up that are the strength of their father and his family it is surely spoken of all infants as well as some and he that particularizes that indefinit term of children and the fruit of the womb where ever the Scriture speaks hopefully of such so as to understand it universally to expresse and sound forth no more then those individualls viz. the seed of believing parents and yet thus Mr. Bâ—… muzzles up all such Scriptures and makes them sound no more then he would have them doth little lesse then force the word to his ownfancy Secondly whereas his 13th ground is from Mat. 18. 10. where he argues thus If little ones have their angels beholding the face of God in heaven then they shall be saved for that is a mercy peculiar to the people of God I argue that if little ones litterally taken i. e. if infants be there meant as he saies but never shewes they are saving per alios and not per se then surely all infants as well as some for he speaks not there of the little ones of believing parents in special but of what kind of little ones soever he speaks he speaks of that kind of little ones in general without exception whether it be of infants or of his disciples and if yet it must needs be understood of infants onely that they shall be saved it is understood universally of them and so much Mr. Ba. might have seen and would have said had he consulted the 14. verse but just below where it is thus said of all little ones that are lost and so of all as well as some viz. it is not the will of your heavenly father that one of these little ones shall perish And sith Mr. B. so suches it out below p. 104 105. c. from Mark 10. 14. 15. saying that of such is the kingdome of Heaven must needs be meant viz. by kingdome of Heaven salvation which I grant and by such as I le grant also at this time however sith thence I shall have another Argument ad hominem to give hope by of the salvation of all dying infants not such as are like infants but infants themselves and that not of those individuals onely that were then brought which whether they were children of believing parents or no too is more then Mr. B. ere can demonstrate there being many that came to Christ for healing of themselves or theirs as t is most evident that these did of whom not more then one of ten were as they should be for of 10 leapers clensed where were the nine I say not of those individuals onely but of the very species of infants yea how oft ore and ore and ore again does he inculcate this upon us in that place saying it was the species of infants the very species infants in specie and not those individuals whom Christ saies the kingdome of heaven i. e. salvation doth belong to I appeal to Mr. Bâ—… own conscience whether there be not out of his own mouth a strong Argument of hope if not of assurance from Christ himself that the whole species of infants so dying i. e. all infants and not some onely shall be saved for the â—…pecies of infants expresses not some infants onely but all infants or infants quâ tales so that quatenus ipsum evermore including de omni whatver belongs to infants inspecie i. e. to the kind or to infants as suchbelongs toall infants quod convenit homini purely qua est homo convenit omni homini and so what ever belongs to any thing as t is such belongs also to all that is such But Mr. B. teaches us the truth in this that the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs by Revelation from Christ himself to infants not in individuo onely i. e. not to those infants onely that were then brought to Christ nor any other but to the kind to infants in specie i. e. all infants as infants therefore the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs to them all and so did that kind of comming to Christs person while he was on earth with infants not for nor by baptism but for healing belong to all infants that needed it as well as some that were then on earth as comming to Christ with infants by prayer to him to help and heal them in whatever malady since his person is absent belongs to all infants in the world and not to believers infants onely and yet not baptism and a standing in fellowship in the visible Church for they indeed are not fit for fellowship Therefore though Mr. Ba. contracts the grace of God to infants as concerning their everlasting salvation into little a little corner yea good lord how few dying infants does he hope shal be saved that hath hope of none but of some i. e. believers infants which are but one of many and also not of all but onely some of them yet to conclude this in a way of resemblance to Mr. Bâ—… conclusion of his Argument from Mark 10. p. 107. I blesse the Lord Jesus Christ King of the Church though he gave no order to baptize and inchurch infants here on earth yet for having a greater tendernesse towards the eternal state of all dying infants then Mr. B. is yet aware of and towards all that live to years such a tendernesse as to invite them to himself universally and bid them wel-come and so great a care to inform his Chutch in his Word and Gospel concerning his good will to all men and to all insants also in that particular so as to speak it so plainly that plain minded men that are not minded never to change their minds as I hope Mr. B. is not may well see his mind in this case even as if he had therefore done this because he foresaw that some would arise so carnally and so cruely conceited as to suppose it impossible to be and but in vain to hope it almost that Gods saving mercy should extend to any more dying infants then those few and not all those few neither of their own and for my part I gladly accept Christs information and submit to his discovery let them resist it that dare And lastly one more Argument of hope that I have within my self that all dying infants must needs be saved is this yet because I could never find since I lookt for it as also none ever shall that look not without their eyes what should nor what save the
not make him ere the fitter to baptize and Ananias baptized Paul who is stiled but a certain disciple and the rest of the disciples that together with Philip were scattered abroad by the persecution that arose about Steven went every where even as far as Antioch preaching the Lord Jesus and turned many unto the Lord Act. 11. 19. to the end and baptized them surely as Philip did for that businesse was the foundation of the famous Church at Antioch before any such great administrators as Apostles came neer them for though Barnabas who together with Paul was sent forth afterward from that Church with prayer and laying on of hands from which time they both were visibly and in foro Ecclesiae Apostles and were so called and not before Act. 13. 3-14 14. was sent to confirm and comfort them and exhorted them to continue in that faith which they were baptized into before yet he was but in the capacity of a teaching disciple only yet and not an Apostle nor do I believe that Peter baptized them with his own hands Acts 10. but by some of them that came with him from Ioppa only he bid it should be done as that which no body could forbid and commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord but by whom t was done we know not The father sent Christ to baptize i. e. to give order for the baptizing of the disciples he should make or else he could not be truly said both to baptize and yet also to speak and do no more then the Father that sent him gave command for as he is Ioh. 3. 22. 4 1. 12. 49. 40. and yet in another sense it may be said Christ was not sent to baptize i. e. personally to dispense the ordinance it self for if he had been sent to baptize with his own hands he had not fulfilled his message for howbeit it s said he baptized more then Iohn yet he himself dipenst baptism to none with his own hands Iohn 4. 1. 2. but by the hands of his disciples When therefore Paul saies he was not sent to baptize he means not that baptism was none of those things he had in commission to meddle with for had it been so he had meddled beyond his commission in baptizing those few he did baptize with his own hands which were absurd to think but that he had not such a positive command to dispense it after he had preacht the Gospel to conversion so himself but that others even inferior persons might baptize the disciples of his converting as well as himself he means not that baptism was no part of his message which he received in charge from God to deliver and declare among men as his will for he saies God sent him to preach it not to baptize but to preach the Gospel saith he and what was that but the Gospel of repentance and baptism the baptism of faith and repentance for remission of sins among the nations but that there was no necessity that himself should administer it when it might be done by others not that t was not needful to be done but that t was needlesse he personally should dispense it so it might be done by another Neither doth Paul make that the ground of his giving of thanks to God that no more but Crispus and Gaius and the houshold of Stephanus c. were baptized for then he had thankt God that the Corinthians had most of them neglected their duty in that point of baptism which its evident he preacht among them as well as faith or else sure none of them at all would have submitted Act. 18. 8. but that he himself had with his own hands baptized but some of them least perceiving what a foolish dotage on his person was in the hearts of many of them any of them at least his party for some doted too much on Paul some on Apollos some on Cephas i. e. Peter should either think the better of their baptism as long as they lived because he dispenst it or else think the worse of him for it i. e. that he had baptized in his own name this is the clear sense in which Paul speaks and not the other 1 Cor. 1. 14. 15. 16. 17. viz. that no more then such and such were baptized by his hands not that no more then such and such of them for they were all baptized by one or other were baptized at all for that many more then those he there names as baptized by him were baptized by one or other for all Crispus's house and many more of the Corinthians besides Crispus's his own person whom onely with Gaius and Stephanus his house he here names believed and were baptized as well as he and they is evident Act. 18. 8. yea verily and elsewhere that all the Corinthians were baptized for 1 Cor. 1. 13. Paul speaking to the whole Church of Corinth none excluded saith thus were ye i. e. ye O Corinthians that were all baptized baptized in the name of Paul and 1 Cor. 12. 13. speaking to and of the whole Church again together with himself he saies we are all baptized into one body and have been all made i. e. in the supper to drink into one spirit all the body of them therefore were baptized Ranterist It appears that some of the believing Romans who were beloved of God and called to be Saints Rom. 1. 11. and who had from their hearts obeyed the form of doctrine delivered unto them Rom. 6. 3. were neverthelesse unbaptized as many of us as have been baptized into Christ c. which words plainly intimate that some of them were not baptized see Ioh. 1. 12 to as many as came to him gave he power these words plainly intimate that some of these did not receive Christ as appeareth by the words immediately foregoing it s also evident that some of the Church of the Galatians were not baptized for the same expression is used concerning them Gal. 3. 27. from which two instances it is apparent that baptism is neither necessary to make a Saint or to render him capable of Church-fellowship Baptist. As many as is a phrase that where it s used doth not alwayes nay doth never of it self necessarily expresse and imply not all or but some onely of the things or persons spoken of in the words that border about it but as it may happen pro re substrata according to the nature of the matter in hand and according as the sense thereof is manifest by the foregoing and following sentences expressing or implying it so that sometimes you shall find it signifying but some onely or a part exclusively of others or the rest of the body spoken to or spoken of thereabout and sometimes no lesse then the whole of it neither is it apparent whether a or but some onely is the sense of this term as many as where ere t is used but as t is made appear by the context or some circumstances in it
his heart to the grief of it another way that the power and purity of Christs ordinances are a 1000 fold more strictly stickled for according to the Covenant by us then by all those Orthodox ones he talks of who the more shame for them do so zealously and constantly oppose us we therefore cannot rationally be denominated Hereticks and Sciasmaticks in separating from and practising contrary to you in the point of baptism so long as we keep close to the primitive truth gladly both preaching and receiving the word as t is preacht by Peter Act. 2. â—…aying repent and be baptized every one of you repenting and being baptized accordingly and after that continuing in the rest of the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and prayers and though we draw never so many disciples from you after us yet the man is out of his Christian wits that deputes and declares this to be Heresie and Schism sith so far are we herein from rending from and refusing to be reduced to the Church that we indeed earnestly endeavour to reduce them to the true Church to the true head Christ the true constitution the true Baptism and Gospel order from which they are rent and run astray wondring after a false Church a false head viz. a Lording Priesthood and Parochial posture both which derive all their being from Dâ—…ephes i. e. his prating Preheminence the Pope But now as for your selves the PPPriesthood of the Nations who mostly deny not but that the primitive baptism was of believers and dispenst in Rivers or places of much water which was needlesse if sprinkling was then the way you have a thing among you indeed which you call Baptism but t is not that one Baptism that old Baptism then urged and used but another a new Baptism and yet to say the truth neither another nor A new Baptism but A-no-Baptism Rantism Babism a toy of your own taking up by tradition from your forefathers but not the first fathers that were the founders of the Christian Church for you find it not there but fetch it further from thence by such consequence as besides the remotnesse of it is too weak and rotten to carry it downwards to these times you are they that dissent and rend from the truth in this point of baptism and draw all the world to Sectarize and erre after you by a law by your subpaena directories yea you pretendedly reforming Presbyters who peculiarize the term of Orthodox to your selves even you as to the right administration of the outward right of baptism are not a whit lesse Erratical Heretical Schismatical and Heterodox then the Pope for as he hath another baptism then that which was in the primitive times viz. infant rantism which by the mouth of his cardinal Bellarmine he confesses to be but a tradition of the Church so you have no other then the same yea you own that for good baptism which is done at Rome or else how to prove the Popish Bishops to be baptized themselves that baptized and ordained you Presbyters you plainly know not yet you falsely father it upon Christ and fain it to be an ordinance of his then which nothing is more clear then that it is not And as in point of baptism you all erre not knowing or at least not doing according to the Scriptures all means used to reduce you thereunto notwithstanding so in the supper and many more matters pertaining to that visible Church order that was in those times as namely impropriating to your selves sole power of speaking in your Churches i. e. steeple-houses so that your members may well say men mutire nefas it is not for them to open their mouthes there unlesse to answer when you catechise them whereas then all the Church were to covet to prophesie i. e. to speak mutually to the exhortation edification and comfort each of other and being gifted might all women onely excepted prophesie one by one and every one minister as of the ability God gave them great or small that God in all things might be glorified and all judge of the doctrine delivered but with you what doctrine ere ye deliver men may try it if they will but must take it whether they will or no the mouths of all must be muzzled up save such as in your sense are ministers i. e. have some Parchment Preachment orders to shew from such as can shew their orders from his Highnesse the head of the Church not Christ but his Holinesse the Pope who had his from the beast Rev. 17. who had his from the devill Rev. 13. yea verily as to the external face and fashion of the first Churches you have altogether altered it from what it was and brought in a businesse of your own heads being all gone aside and altogether become vain in your wayes as to your administrations of Gospel ordinances so that there is none of you that are in the right way of the primitive Churches no not one yea ye are separated from and make a head against the true head of the Church Christ Jesus and take upon you to head the Church your selves for this is not the fault of P the Pope onely but of PP i. e. you Prelates and Presbyters too who howbeit you seem to throw off that supremacy or headship which the Pope had once and laies claim to still in the protestant part of Christ'ndom yet in your several Christ'ndoms you have been not nominally but really as supreme in Church work as he and that not over the people onely but civil powers also to whom in all cases Ecclesiasticall and civill though you say you grant the headship or Supreame Government under Christ yet how doth that appear sith they only Corrective but you Directive till of late have done all for the Bishops and Sinods and General Convocations of the Clergy and assemblies of the Kirk seeundum te must determine what is to be done by Magistrates in Church affairs and they do it accordingly The Priests must give out the word and sentence what is the worship the way the faith the truth what Heresy and Schism who are Hereticks and Schismaticks and then the Princes in all their Dominions establish the one and root out the other as Rogues at their appointment in which cases saving the bare name of supremacy over the Churches which hath been allowed it is difficult to me to discern whether Christian Kings have not been as of old under the Popedome so more lately under the very Protestant Clergy as the Bosholder under the Constable at his discretion direction to whip the beggars and though you may say and so saies the Pope too that you claim to head and order the Church directive no otherwise then under Christ yet in very deed as he for all his saying so you have presumed to set your selves above Christ the only head Counseller Lord and Lawgiver to his Church for as the Pope hath done no more then
you and me though I suppose I shall not be more critical in considering nor volumnous in dilating on them than your selves are numerous in bewraying of your own negligences ignorances contradictions fictions â—…nakednesses and abusive shifts throughout this your three-fold thing yet I shall make little less than a totall transscription of your Papers before I have done and therin take notice of such absurdities at least whereby you most notoriously delude the world most grosly oppose the truth most unworthily wrong your Respondent and most palpably proclaim your selves to be rather true Dissemblers than true Discoverers of the Ashford Disputation and Smotherers rather than Publishers of that Gospel-truth in the point of Baptism which you pretend also to give as true an Account of to the world as of the other Report You talk first of Propositions agreed upon between your Respondent and your selves the Ministers at the Communion-Table in the Church of Ashford in Kent before the Disputation began Reply Give me leave Sirs sith silence with you may be taken else for Assent to say a word or two to this you stile your selves the Ministers both here and else-where throughout your book But if you mean Ministers of Christ and the Gospel I am yet to learn that from you which I never found you very forward to teach me viz. that you came truly and honestly by that Title you have hitherto wanted no provocation from me to prove the lawfulness of your calling I made bold to denominate you Antichristian Ministers in my Position upon the very day of the Disputation before those Thousands which you say were Auditors thereof And I have asserted the same more abundantly since in that letter to Mr. G. C. which it seems you know so well as even thence to take occasion in a Pet to publish so much as you have done of your Disputation all which is enough to give you to understand that I own you not at all in that capacity yet did you never no neither then at the Disputation nor since in your so true a Relation of it so much as once open your mouth or strike one stroke with your pen whereby to evince it that you are Christs Ministers which gives me to believe that howbeit you have a habit of calling your selves so yet you had rather men believed you on your bare words than put you to prove your selves to be so and that you are as utterly uncapable to clear it as 't is clear you are unwilling to be urged to it You speak of the Church of Ashford and a Communion-Table in it 'T were strange if I should not know what you mean thereby yet had you told this peece of your tale in other Terms it had been so much the less lyable to correction I know but one Church of Ashford that hath a Communion-Table in 't and that is those few persons who since they have gladly received the Word of Truth have been according to Christs will in that kind baptized in his name for remission of sinnes and do now continue in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers to which the Lord I hope will add dayly such in those parts as shall be saved in this Church there is a Communion-Table indeed even the Table of the Lord at which they meet blessing and drinking that Cup of blessing which is the Commemoration and Communion also of the blood of Christ breaking and eating that bread which is the Commemoration and Communion of the body of Christ at which you and your Respondent never yet met but may do yet in due time if the Lord please to grant you for till then surely it never will be repentance to the acknowledgement of his truth But for other Communion-Table I wot not Sirs that there is any at all at Ashford As for that common Table which stands in the great stone house where the Bells hang where the people meet once a week but never do that they should do if they were disciples of Christ indeed which house you call the Church of Ashford and I cannot but allow you so to do sith you disclaim the true one the very Steeple being well nigh as much a truly constituted Church of Christ as a parish people the one whereof is but a compacted number of dead stones in a literal sense and for the most part no less in a spiritual sense is the other besides stone Churches and wooden Priests such as if you are not yet most of the Popes children are suit well enough each with other as for that Table I say where you and your Respondent agreed better about the Articles of the Disputation then they do for ought I see to this day about that Article of faith they disputed on you had need to find some fitter phrase for it than Communion-Table for it hath long since ceased to be of any such use as for people to communicate at it The Gentleman my beloved friend that is now Resident there and President too in pretence at least as a Pastor over that flock having never administred it at all since his abode among them nor since the Classis possest him of that Relation and gave him orders to feed them with that ordinance why he doth not meddle with that service in his parish would be farre more wonderful to me then 't is had not mine own conscience been of the same constitution with his when I was with him in the same condition for as my own feet stuck once in the same stocks when I stood in Pastorall relation to parochiall people so I believe him to be further inlightned then to be free for a promiscuous admittance to the Supper of such Societies among whom he discerns not a few more goats than sheep or to hold Communion there with them whom in the Pulpit he cries out on as unbelievers as knowing well enough there 's no fellowship to be held between light and darkness believers and unbelievers in that holy ordinance yet he sprinkles the Infants of all as you also do and my self blindly did or else that parish will prove happily to hot to hold him upon what account he doth so I know not for sure it cannot be upon this because onely believers Infants are to be sprinkled The Lord open all your eyes to see those sorry shifts wherein you shroud your selves for a time from your own sight so that ye see not when ye interfeer nor feel when you hack your own shins for who so blind as those that cannot see how you act quite contrary to that you argue for and overthrow your own principles by your practise Report These Propositions say you were as followeth First that both parties should publiquely protest that they sought for verity not victory Reply I acknowledge this is very true and it was protested on both sides accordingly as was agreed nevertheless whether it be the Proud Priest-hood that seeks to tuck all
a Theam which Scripture whence onely they must fetch all their proofs saies just nothing of at all This makes the Disputers the Divines to come abroad a begging in print among the vulgar as you here do saying cover pass by bewayling the weakness of their Arguments their defects in disputing their presumption in entring the lists their non-preparation for the disputation because it s not the true Gospel they disputed for a very stripling may make a Gyant give back if he have hold on the hilt of his sword and the other thrust hard against the blade 't is hard for thee O Saul to kick against the pricks a learned lawyer may be at loss in a lame suit Asinus ad lyram may play his part better and make sweeter musick then the most accurate musitian that hath nothing to beat upon but a board it may well put any but the meer Sophister to his shifts to prove the moons made of green cheese and so 't will any save the meer self-seeker that is set to serve it out of a sight that he can serve himself of it and therefore is resolv'd to make any Argument serve turn even libet ergo licet rather then leave it to prove Infant-baptism much more Infant-rantism to be a good cause and yet the more 's the pitty this is the cause you have to make good and have been so bold as to stand up for which though your wishes are here that it may not suffer wrong through your defects yet mine are much rather that you may not suffer your selves to be wrong'd any more or to be wrong'd for ever through its defects for howbeit it flatters you into an opinion of its ability to be maintain'd by you by its appearing ability to maintain you yet you 'l find ith'end that by its fair flourishes it hath flusht you into more zeal then furnisht you with ability to maintain it when it shall have brought you to your choice of one of these two ex quibus minimum est eligengendum viz. either of Repentance from it and all other your Parochiall dead works tithes and other traditions that depend upon it upon a sight and acknowledgement that you have been mistaken about these as well as other Romish Remnants that you have seen cause through the Parliaments eyes to renounce since that long since Lutheran reformation which after longer standing out will be so much the harder Chapter for you Clergy men to run throw or else which is worse then nought of perseverance in your evil waies and dead works against light to prevent the other which last the Lord prevent from befalling any of you if it be his will Pre. Who would not have presumed to have entered the lists c. Post. It had been no presumption in you had you been true Ministers of Christ and the cause you stood up in Christs cause indeed for grant it to be presumption in Uzzah to meddle in the publique service of the Temple and in Uzzah to put forth his hand to uphold the Ark and consequently for so you argue not we for men to meddle so as to minister to the Gospel publiquely in your Churches that are not in holy orders yet it is none vos Apello for the Priests or ordained Ministers of Christ to stand up any where in defence of Christs truth where it s traduced but rather duty which in speciall they stand bound to in that therefore you accounting your selves Christs Ministers do grant it to be presumption in you to put forth so publiquely when you saw it tottering you do no less then give the cause you stood up in to be none of his as indeed it was not but your own and that was it only which made it presumption and very high presumption in you too in that you durst enter the lists against the Lord Iesus in in his own ordinance and that with such weak Arguments such flags as slam'd like swords but alas such as could not bear the brunt when it came to blows here how much less will they in that battel of the great day of God Almighty which is now marching space upon you 'T is true therefore as you here confess you have been presumptuous and presumption is one of the most desperate sins that can be against Christ yet for all that in his name and as an Embassador from him thoâ—…gh otherwise an unworthy and â—…ver a contemptible creature in your eyes as though himself did beseech you by me I am bold to beg of you that you would not despair but come in and be reconciled to him presuming no more to stand up against him with such weak weapons as before least he tear you in pieces fall upon you and grind you to powder but sit down and humble your selves that you have stood so long in the way of Sinners so that they could not come to Christ through your Blurres lay down your arms and yield your selves prisoners to him stoop to that golden Scepter he yet holds out unto you own him as your King Priest and Prophet list no more against him but list your selves under him for he is gracious and will yet recâ—…ive you and baptize you with his spirit if you turn at his reproof and repent and be baptized in water in his name for remission of sins Pro. 1. 23. Act. 2. 38. become little children in such a sense as you should be that you may be baptized and then be baptized in truth and in token for your memory hath lost your traditionary token sprinkling that hereafter you will not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified but manfully fight under his banner against sin the world and the devill and continue Christs faithful souldiers to your lives end How happy had it been for you if you had took quarter from Christ before this time for he would have given it and forgiven all your enmity against him in his truth but you are stiff-blades and your words have been stout against him you Clergy men are Lords you will not come neer but I beseech you become Lord beggars at the throne of grace as Brightman said truly the Bishopâ—… were for earthly honor at the thrones of Kings and Princes that you may have more of that grace and holiness to worship God with reverence according to his own will which God gives to all humble Suppliants then had you less learning and living then you have and more disgrace in this world then ever any Synods of you had reverence or Arch-Bishops grace or Popes holiness you would never find occasion to bewail your losses or repent of your change or reject the councel of God against your selves out of his mouth who is a serious Sollicitor botâ—… from God to you that you would be and to God for you that you may be in the acknowledgement of his truth no less then happy for ever Pre. Where there was so great expectation c. Post. There was great
world before the Law and under the law also onely in smaller measure of manifestation as well as now but deny still that the Law which is called the old and first Covenant was the Covenant of the Gospel or that it was not a Covenant clearly distinct from it for its being opposed as the new and second to the other as a first and old one preaches no lesse to the meanest capacities then a plurality And as for that reason which you give of those terms first second old and new viz. because the law was more antient and antecedent the Gospel more of late and subsequent in this sence t is true the Gospel is succedaneous to the other as to its last and clearest promulgation under Christ crucified for else in some degrees of it the Gospel was before the law and was preacht to Abraham as you alleadge out of Gal. 3. 8. 17. 430 years before Moses yea and to Adam 2000 years before that yea indeed to say the truth the Law and the Gospel were both even from the beginning though both more lively illustrated toward the end the Gospel in dark promises being both before and under those plainer promulgations of the Law as given by Moses and the law in some parcels viz. Sacrifices and some other ceremonies of it being from Adam and Abel before the brighter breakings forth of either the one or yet the other in this sence I say t is true the Law came first by Moses before the Gospel of grace and truth came by Christ whereupon that may be properly called the first and old one and this also the second and the new neverthelesse not onely thereupon for howbeit the bare notions of first second old and new arise from the ones being once and now abolished the others being since and still abiding yet could they not possibly and properly be called so much as two Covenants much less a first and a second if they were not truly two or were only one for then we may properly call two years one or one single in tire year by the name of two years and those two the first year and the second the old year and the New year because there is two parts two periods two halves in that one year whereof one is Antecedent to the other which Py-bald Bull Bipartite business odd concerted one-two or simple duple is both ridiculous improper and impossible Babist They are called two Covenants in regard of the double outward dispensation and different administration thereof though the Covenant be one and the same and so saith Mr. Marshall p. 8. 9. 10. of his Sermon viz. The Covenant of grace for substance hath been alwaies one and the sâ—…e though not for the Manner of administration so p. 12. The externall administration of the Covenant is not the same with us saith he as it was with them but the Covenant is the same they were under the same misery by nature had the same Christ the lamb slain from the beginning of the world the same conditions of faith and repentance to be made partakers of the Covenant the same graces promised in the Covenant circumcising the heart to love the Lord c. Theirs was dispensed in darker prophecies and obscurer sacrifices types and sacraments ours more gloriously and in a more greater measure the clothes indeed do differ but the body is the same and so p. 13. The very self same priviledges formerly made peculiar to the Iews are now saith he through Christ communicated to the Gentiles Baptist. That the Covenant of grace is for substance not two but in all ages one and the same within it self who denies but what then is it therefore one and the same with another that most manifestly and downrightly differs from it and is as distinct a convenant also as that within it self for so verily the law which is also called the first covenant or the Covenant of Circumcision was varying wonderfully from that Gospel Covenant whereof yet we confesse it to be the type in both its Priesthood and People its Mediator and Attonement sacrifices and offerings precepts and promises inheritance and heirs birth-priviledges and seed ordinances and their subjects and all things thereunto pertaining I say they were very divers each from other saving still that one was to shadow out the other viz. Moses the Mediator Ioshua the Saviour Aaron the High-Priest and his burnt offerings for that temporal annuall Attonement Heb. 10. 1 2. and purgation from fleshly impurities were all to point out Christ who is all this spiritually viz. the Mediator Saviour High-Priest Sacrifice and author of eternal Attonement between God and us and purification of our Consciences in the Gospel those earthly promises and inheritance were to represent our heavenly their fleshly heirship birth-priviledges seed and admission of new born babes to ordinances to shadow out what high born heirs those babes are who are begotten to the faith and their right and title to a standing in the Gospel Church O but saies Mr. Marshall they had the same Gospel Covenant that we have the same Christ the same conditions i. e. faith and repentance c. First take notice that with him faith and repentance are the conditions on which persons stood then and ever before and do now in the Gospell Covenant which things he knowes infants have not and therefore are not by right to be visibly inchurched and incovenanted under the Gospel till they visibly appear to have them yet under the Law they were in covenant and inchurched for all that and why because faith and repentance were not the conditions of that Church-covenant andordinances nor of heirship to that Earthly Canaan but meer fleshly descent of Abraham Isaac and Iacob which whoever had had title to circumcision and Canaan though not to heaven thereupon if they never believed nor repented whilest they breathed Secondly but what if they had the same Gospel Covenant that we have held forth to them at least in a darker way will it follow therefore that they had not also another Covenant over and above that peculiar to themselves which we have not whereof circumcision was a token and which believing Gentiles much less their seed have nought to do with at all I trow not for though we grant Mr. Marshall that they had the substance of the Gospel among them as also Adam Noah and Abraham had and the same priviledges of that Covenant that we have excepting some circumstances of it wherein we are beyond them that will not run retro as Mr. Marshall would fain have it That the self same priviledges formerly made peculiar to the Iews are now through Christ conveyed to the Gentiles for the old Covenant priviledges viz. the fleshly birth holiness and heirship to Canaan and title to be signed as heirs upon a meer natural descent are such as the best Gentiles and best believers seed in the world can lay no claim to for that was as we see Gen. 17. a distinct
in the shape of angels of light and is now no lesse apparently I think to all that know him and where he is And howbeit it hath bin more then once but once especially as I have hinted to the Reader in a shrewdshake of sicknesse that befel me above a twelve moneth since to the great retarding of this work reported that I was shaken sheer out of my mind and judgement concerning this way and baptism so as to have recanted and renounced it yet I call my God to witnesse to whom also I give thanks for his mercy toward me in that particular that partly by the more then ordinary advantages I then had through my sequestration from all other occasions to seek the Lord to search and try my wayes and turn again unto him partly by the more then ordinary ingagements that were then upon me so to do and that seriously and sincerely through my dayly expectation to be clapt up in clods of earth till the great day of acccounts I have bin much more sweetly satisfied since then concerning the truth of this way then ever I was in all my life before neither did I then find any cause to repent me of coming to Christ in it as neither shall any that renouncing your Rantism do rightly receive it so they continue to walk uprightly in it to the end but this I must confesse I found good cause to repent of it that I had not honoured it so much as I might have done since I ownd it nor walked so profitably serviceably blamelesly holily and worthily in it nor so suitably to so holy and worthy a way as it is in it self not withstanding the account of basensse and foolishness that it hath in the world 1 Cor. 1. 30. So that ever since that forenamed sifting I had from Satan by the mouth of that his Agent by whom he solicited me to forgo my baptism I side with you in this viz. that t is the Devils worke in the shape of an Angell of light to make men renounce their baptism and though I am somewhat otherwise opinioned about the Divels affection to infants bapâ—…ism then you are for I think if he hate it t is as he hates holy water or any other of his own inventions wherby he hath juggled away the truth and imitated Christs ordinances out of doors yet I am fully of your mind that he so hates the true baptism I mean the baptizing of professed believers from whence I gather the goodnesse and validity of it against him that it is most of the business about which he is at work in the shape of an Angel of light in these daies wherein his time growes short and his old kingdome begins to fail him by means of the true baptism to erect to himself a new kingdome and in order thereunto to make men renounce that baptism as knowing that he cannot strike a downright bargain with a soul to become fully his as the high Notionists and spiritual Sensualists of these times do till it hath renounced its first bargain made with Christ in baptism not what was made with Christ at infant rantism for infants are not capable per se to bargain with Christ and how they do it per alios I do not see sith such as say they do it for them were never appointed by them so to do nor by Christ neither that I know of nor do I remember any bargain to own Christ and not be ashamed of him that either I or others for me made with Christ on that day wherein I was sprinkled no though as they tell me in token thereof that I might never forget it I was signed with the sign of the Crosse this work of diswading men from owning baptism as long as he can and perswading them to disown it when they have it though the Devil be at one end of it yet dares â—…e noâ—… be seen in it himself but acts all by his emissaries the Anti-baptists are his Proctors and do it to his hand the Rantizer and the Ranter the sprinkling Priest on the one hand the sparkling Prophet on the other between these two he does or rather undoes what he can in order to prevention of whose design I shall as the Lord lends leave say something to them both before this work go out of my hands though it hang so much the longer in them Review They will peradventure wave the fury of some of these blowes by denying their name by saying they do not rebaptize but baptize those that were not baptized before whose baptism is null But we shâ—…uld renounce our baptism too if we should yield them that plea till they have proved it null by better Arguments then any yet ever urged by them they shall be denyed that evasion and one would think they ought to be sure of their footing and not walk upon slippery ground for no better is their proof where the fall is into hell If thou art warned thou wilt be armed against them they will never encounter where they find this preparation if thou wilt not be warned we have delivered our own soules Re-Review Having spent all your other Ammuâ—…tion and vented your verdict to the bottom you here once for all discharge your great Warning piece and Roar us all at once down into hell what else mean you by this clause where the fall is into hell is the error on which hand soever it lies yours or ours so damnable in the question about the true subject and the true form and administration of baptism that the opposite parties to the truth herein must needs damn without more adoe I trow not in case they act through ignorance altogether invincible in the very integrity of their hearts but if the truths Antagonists in this point whether it be you or we either see and see not or may see and will not or can see and dare not or find the footing and ground they go upon to be unsure and slippery the proofs they practise from to be poor pedling and paltry as God knowes yours are if you do not and yet for fear and shame of men find it not then the fall may chance to prove a desperate one indeed and therefore Sirs see ye to it see that ye see to it for ye are a generation that in these daies of discovery are seen more into then you are aware of and may see much more then you do if you will And they that say it is so dangerous to be out in the question disputed that the error on which side soever reacâ—…es and leads them that follow it to the end as farre as hell had need be more sure of their hand then you can be in your cause from the most serious search of Scripture that they are in the right and if they find that they are out to return in time Or do you make the game in this case and question between us and you to go thus viz. That if it chance
the false teachers would have put the yoke of circumcision were disciples But some of those on whom they would have layed that yoke were infants Ergo infants are disciples The Major of which is a foundation so false and infirm that I stand amaz'd at it that a man of Logick should dare to lay it yet well nigh every one of you builders lay it as your basis from whence you divine a discipleship to infants and thereon build the businesse of their baptism as Doctor Featley Mr. Marshall and others yea who would think it inter scribendum while I am a writing this very line in Answer to Mr. Bax. there is a triste brought to my hands of a sheet and a half piping hot from the presse penned by Mr. Simpson of Marden son to that Mr. Simpson of Bethersden whose private letters I answered above stiled a soveraign preservative against Anabaptism in which there is nihil novi no newes at all for t is a furtive collection of some few fraggments out of other men viz. Mr. Blake the Ashfordian dispute and others which all are also more then enough enervated before whereupon I shall trouble my self no further then thus with that toy the author whereof in his epistle to the Anabapâ—…sts as he calls them about Marden tells strange stories of his being stormed on every side and almost tired out with onsets and oppositions from their private letters and among the rest he minds them how he had once to do with a host of them viz. September the tenth 1649. in which conflict my self who was more then an eye witnesse though much inferior to a worthy brother then in presence also viz. Mr. Blackwood and therefore far from arrogating to my self the title of Champion with which he smites me in his Margent can testify how uncivilly and shamefully the man stormed against the truth insomuch that unlesse he repent of the mad-blind hare-brained zeal he then expressed many if not most of that Auditory he then interrupted whether he remember them of it or no will surely never forget it while they live In which book I say as there is no new Argument so to be sure there is this old Argument as well as some more translated out of Mr. Bax. or some other whereby to prove infants discipleship p. 20. because the false Teachers would have put the yoak of circumcision on them But Sirs what though they would have put the yoak on the disciples necks will it therefore follow that they were all disciples on whose necks they would have put the yoake me thinks it should not if you look well about you any more then this viz. Augustus Caesar put the yoak of Tribute on all the Jewes i. e. taxed all the Jewes Ergo all they were Jewes whom Augustus taxed Nay verily had it been said they would have put the yoake of circumcision on all the disciples as it is not yet would it not have held Retro that therefore all those on whom they would have put the yoak were disciples but in very deed neither of those was true for as it was not all the disciples on whom they would have put that yoake for they did not teach that women should be circumcised so all were not disciples on whom they would have put that yoak for male infants not being capable to be taught cannot possibly be disciples at all much lesse such disciples as are meant in that place of whom it is most evident that they were taught verse 1. Much more might be said in disproof of this foolish fancy but that enough is spoken to it before yet this is the first Medium whereby Mr. Bax. bends himself to make it good that some infants are disciples and his other are as mean to the full as this he proves it next by a disjunctive thus If infants be not disciples it is either because they are uncapable so to be or else because God will not shew them such a mercy But neither of these can be the cause Ergo some infants are disciples To which I answer that t is not because God will not shew them so great a mercy for most undoubtedly the Lord shewes far greater mercie then that though not that to infants that dy in infancy for he saves them and gives unto them everlasting life and admits them into the Kingdome of Heaven and as for that bare simple notion outward account and denomination of disciples what extraordinary great mercy is that I wonder if it be abstracted from the other t is not so great a mercy but persons may have it and yet be damned for all that nor so great a mercy but that the mercy of God may be as great to them without it nor so great as that they are capable of any more benefit by it from the Church or from their parents then they are capable of if they have it not they may be prayed for by the Church and by their parents full as much and be brought up by them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord not onely as well but much better when they are capable of being disciples and instructed though in infancy neither counted disciples nor baptized as if they were supposed to be disciples before they are taught It is therefore because they are not capable to be discipled in their nonage and the true reason why they are not capable is that which Mr. T. alledged and alas that it should not satisfy Mr. Bax. viz. because they cannot learn what is taught them Mr. Bax. knowing that fetches a compasse about another way whereby to prove them capable to be disciples viz. their being servants of Christ and subjects of Christs Kingdome and thirdly their belonging to Christ but what a pittiful piece of proof what a messe of miserable mistake is this as if to belong to Christ to be Christs subject Gods servant and Christ disciple were convertable and alltogether one and the same wheras howbeit it cannot be denyed but that every disciple of Christ belongs to Christ and is his Subject and Gods servant yet that every one who may be said to belong to Christ to be Gods servant and his Subject is Christs disciple cannot be asserted without more absurdity then Mr. Bax. is willing to take notice of in himself for Mr. T. gives him an Item of it plain enough for any reasonable man to consider of but he is deaf to it through a mind forestalld against the truth He tells us that infants are capable to be Gods servants Levit. 25. 41. 42. and therefore consequently Christs disciples and consequently to be baptized for disciples and Gods servants signifie the same thing denote the same persons and that there is the same capacity requisite to both p. 18. 19. yea if there be a difference saith he there is more required to a servant then to a diseiple but what wretched evidence is here when as there 's nothing more clear and palpably evident then this
FOr as much as I have been several times sollicited by several persons both by word of mouth and otherwiseâ—… to give out unto them the grounds ends and arguments in writing of my continuance in the practise of water baptism and other ordinances of Christ as laying on of hands prayer breaking of bread church fâ—…llowship c. according as the Churches of Christ in the primitive ages of the Gospel did and for that I find it an easelesse and well nigh an endlesse businesse to write the same things in private letters about one particular subject to every of those particular persons that may successively desire it I have therefore thought good being called to the presse by sundry challenges of the Priesthood and more specially by not only the publication of that abusive pamphlet concerning the Ashford-disputation for infant-baptism but also their professed expectation that I should give some answer or give the cause to insert here this ensuing account of my own reasons for the right of our remaining in the use of ordinances till the return of Christ and animadversions of what little reason the Ranter hath to run from them and redeem himself from that bondage which he deems to be in the observation of them before the time appointed much more to run beyond the bounds of modesty and all good manners also as not all but many if not most of those do first or last who despise any of the ord nances of the Lord Jesus and herein as I shall be plain using no other form method and order then what the Lord gives into me as I write so I must be brief the foregoing part of this volume having risen already unawares to a far greater magnitude then was meant to the whole when I first cast the bulk of it in my mind and there remaining also something yet to speak and I know not well how much to the Priests concerning themselves in way of return to the last piece of that pedobaptistical pamphlet which was pu forth by who knowes or rather by who knows not whom in order to the plainer disquisition of the truth in this question viz. whether the ordinances of Christ that were in use of old are of right to be practised still as there are foâ—… services then in use the necessary use of which is now denied viz. baptism in water laying on of hands breaking of bread â—…d church-fellowship so I shall addresse my self to prove the practise of these four severally to stand even de jure till the second coming of Christ which is yet to come And because baptism in water though most strenuously denyed by many to be so much as lawfull to be either dispensed or submitted to and by many even of those that have submitted to it to be necessary or any other then a matter of indifferency is yet the first in order to be practised and that without or before which we are not once to meddle with the other I therfore propound it as the first in order to be proved and in order to the proof of at least the lawfulnesse thereof against such as say its siâ—…ful for this will be included in the other I shall by the help of God prove a necessity of it against such as judge it needlesse or superfluous and by several Scriptures shew it to be such a service the present performance of which is so far from being sinful that it is no lesse then sin and rebellion against Christ himself to leave it unperformed The Scripture which I shall most directly make use of to this purpose and lay as the very basis and foundation of this businesse and make as a certain cardinal 〈◊〉 from whence to argue and whether to reduce all the rest which I shall more collaterally handle is Mat. 28. 18. 16. 20. All power is given c. in which place these things chiefly are observable as subservient to the proof of the point in hand First we find Christ pleading that absolute power which was given him by the father to be the Soveraign Lord and Supream lawgiver to the whole world thorowout all nations and generations of it from thenceforth even to the end in these words viz. All power is given unto mâ—… both in heaven and in earth i. e I am he to whom this prerogative is granted to give out to all men what laws and rules they shall be guided and governd by what wayes they must walk in in order to that eternal salvation which as a Priest I have purchased them to by my own blood if ever they mean to attain it I am that Prophet which the Lord hath raised up unto all people now instead of Moses who was the faithful giver out of Gods will mind or Testament to Israel of old whose voice all must now hearken to in all things what ever I say unto them and whoever harkneth noâ—… to me shall be cut off from among the people behold God hath given me for a wiâ—…nesse to the people a leader and commander unto the people Secondly After he had thus shewed his authority and commission from God to be the only Lawgiver whereby to summon the sons of men to so much the stricter attention to him he next begins to act according thereunto to act like him self to make out his mind to his disciples concerning them and all men most expressely and plainly about this matter of waterbaptism and to give order to them both when and to whom both in what time and to what subjects they should dispense it and likewise both how and for how long he would have the nations as by command from himself commissionating his disciples so to teach them to practise the same dispensation of water baptism in the two following verses Going out therefore teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Where note first in general three things First That he gives order to his disciples to teach the nations and baptize them in water in his name ver 19. going out teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father son and holy spirit Secondly that whatever order is given out by Christ to his disciples concerning this businesse of water baptism as to the order of its administration and the term of its continuance the very same and no other doth Christen join his disciples to give out to the disciples that should be successively in all nations to be observed as his will concerning them v. 20. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Thirdly that what ever he gives out as his will concerning both them and the disciples in the nations that they should make he gives out as his standing will and Testament to them and their standing duty to him in all ages of the world as well as
visible Church this all is clear enough of it self to him that consults Heb. 5. 2. 6. 1. considerately comparing them with Eph. 2. 20. 21. 22. Rom. 6. 17. Act. 2. 42. 8. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 19. 2. 6. out of all which places at least collectively consulted with we cannot but see that after baptism and before fellowship in one body or building in higher things there was this of laying on of hands practised owned observed as one of the first principles of Gods oracles of Christs doctrine Antecedent to fellowship and laid as a part of that first form of doctrine that was delivered and obeyed after obedience to the whole of which they were counted babes in Christ new born begotten to him belonging to him and in present capacity as no fleshly babes are to be added and admitted into his Church and as one piece of that foundation or word of the beginning of Christ on which the Church it self is built and therefore necessarily precedent among persons to their fellowship together in it for the foundation must ever be wholly laid even in every part of it and therefore why not in laying on of hands before there can be any firm or any but a deformed or defective building no more therefore as unto that Again that it was dispensed together with prayer for it on all baptized believers in order to their receiving the holy spirit t is not denied by any for ought I know as indeed it is undeniable to all Act. 8. 15. 16. 17. 19. 2. 6. And further there is not the least hiâ—… of any limitation of that doctrine of laying on of hands on all baptized believers to those times onely or intimation in the word of Christ that t was his mind there should then be a cessation of it any more then there is of baptizing all believers or any other ordinance or outward administration or any other of the principles of Christs doctrine if there be I desire of the Enquirers who use inferences themselves and yet allow not us to speak any thing as to the continuance of this ordinance but some expresse texâ—… of Scripture to shew some Scripture if they know of any that speaks expressely or if it be but consequentially it shall serve my turn though from us it will not theirs so the consequence be legitimate and truly rational of the continuation of all other the principles of the doctrine of Christ and the cessation of onely this of laying on of hands on all baptized believers for what we are sure was in use among all baptized believers in the primitive times it concerns them that call for a cessation of it alone among all the principles of Gods oracles to shew us some plain word of Christ for the right of such a cessation of that onely and no other before they blame us for calling on them for a continuance of that still but for my part as I find none so I suppose they may look till their eyes are weary before they can out of Christs testament not a tiâ—…le of which is yet disaâ—…ul'd produce any text tending to such a purpose And because I have inserâ—…ed and asserted no lesse in the Minor of the Argument I am yet in proving then this viz. that as there 's no intimation of any â—…essation of laying on of hands on all baptized believers till such time as the work of baptizing all believers it self shall cease but also a plain injunction from Christ for the continuance of the one of these as long as the other and for a continual teaching and observation of both as well as either among all the disciples that should be in all nations to the worlds end I le direct the enquirers to a plain texâ—… of Scripture for it viz. Matth. 28. 20 whence suppositis supponendis taking it for granted till I shall see more then ever I have yet seen from them or I believe eveâ—… shall see from any to the contrary that the dispensation practise use and observation of laying on of hands among the Apostles and the primitive baptizâ—…d believers who expected that whatever the Apostles delivered to them was first commanded them of God Act. 10. 33. was no other then what God commanded then to them all it is as plain as the high way that the very same is commanded to be continued downwards even to be taught to and observed by all that ever should be discipled in the nations to the worlds end for on the very day in which Christ was taken up after that he through the holy spirit had given commandments to the Apostles whom he had chosen being seen of them fourâ—…y daies after his resurrection and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God among which I quaery of the Enquirers whether laying on of hands were not one he expresly charges them that whatever he had taught and enjoined them to observe they should teach all the nations i. e. the disciples and baptized believers in all nations to observe the very same promising his presence in the observation of the same among his disciples not to the end of that generation or age onely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have shewed above to the end of the very world it self Going out teach all nations baptizing them i. e. that believe teaching them i. e. the now newly baptized believers to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and therefore laying on of hands surely it being one of the principles of his doctrine and lâ—… I am with you i. e. not your persons onely but your party not your selves onely whilest you live but your successors also in what age soever they shall live in the observation of what I have commanded you and shall command them by you alwaies to the end of the world Finally that laying on of hands on baptizd believers hath the same ends grounds and reasons why it was to be used continuing still to this very day as much as as in the primitive times is as evident as all the rest for as the grounds and reasons why they observed such a service then were and could be no other then the manifestation of it to them from Christ to be his holy command mind and will concerning them and to be a certain outward administration of his own chusing which though as despicable a dispensation and as weak low foolish earthen and empty a thing to see to as wash in Iordan yet was to be done sith the Lord had bidden it to be done as well yea rather then if it had been some greater matter if to no other end then meerly to testify their love to him and themselves meerly to be his disciples servants and friends by observing whatever he commanded Iohn 14. 15. 21. 23. 15. 14 1 Iohn 5. 3. how much more when it was a way and order of his own appointment to be observed and to wait upon him in together with prayer and supplication in order to
Iohn 14. 26. yea so he was come to his disciples and the Churches even unto Paul himself and that very Church of Corinth whom he praises for keeping some ordinances he delivered to them and charges to keep that of breaking of bread till Christ come long before he gave this charge and that in such a high degree that they had even all the gifts and manifestations of the spirit among them that might be 1 Cor. c. 12. c. 13. c. 14. so that they had abundance of Prophets and spiritual men among them 1 Cor. 14. 37. that were higher in the spirit or if they were not Paul that was once in the third heaven was then the spiritual men of this age yea they were a people in every thing inriched with all utterance and all knowledge and the testimony of Christ was so confirmed in them by the coming of the spirit that they came behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1. 5. 6. 7. 8. yet were they to wait in the dispensation and use of ordinances wherein they were for another coming of the Lord Jesus in which way Pauls hope was that Christ would confirm them to the end that they might be blamelesse as else it seemes they could not be in the day i. e. the great and notable day of the second personal coming of the Lord Jesus Thou talkest to us alluding to Heb. 9. 10. where the ordinances of the divine service of the law or old testament are so stiled of the ordinances of the Gospel under the name of carnall ordinances meer fleshly formes but know oh vain man that the outward rites or ceremonies of the Law are there called carnall on such an account as the ordinances of the Gospel cannot be so stiled viz. not at all because they were services performed by the outward man but because the performance of them served and sanctified no further then to the purifying of the flesh v. 13. viz. to the purging of the practisers thereof i. e. the Jews from such outward fleshly impurities as were contracted in the time of the Law by such things and actions as did denominate persons unclean for the time then being but neither do nor can so denominate them now that law with all the ordinances of it being abolished Thou callest Christs ordinances being not a little deluded by some expressions of Mr. Saltmarsh who speaks of them in his books as matters pertaining only to Iohns ministry whom together with his baptism and all that was done ad extra in the primitive time he puts upon the account of the law as pertaining to it rather then purely upon the account of the Gospel but know fond man that as Iohn was a minister of the Gospel of Christ and not of the law and his ministration of preaching and water baptism the very beginning of the Gospel of Christ as I have shewed above Mark 1. 1. 4. so if he and his ministration of bap tism had related simply to the law as they did not yet that of laying on of hands and Church-fellowship in breaking bread were all given in charge by the new law-giver Christ Jesus and that of water baptism too for as if he had foreseen that some should delude themselves and others so as to say it ended at his death even that also was given a new after his death as his expresse commmand concerning all people to the worlds end Thou speakest of living higher then on such low weak empty elements and beggerly rudiments but to say nothing of thy abominable impudency and the desperate despite herein done by thee to the son of God whom thou treadest under foot whilst thou despisest his day of small things and settest light by the least of his commands and hurlst at thy heels the least jota of his law and testament or art ashamed of his words to let passe that I say we give thee to understand that we live not on these ordinances we use but only on our Lord Christ in them whose foolish weak things and earthen vessels they are by which he hands heavenly treasure to believing souls Thou tellest us that the use of outward ordinances was milk for babes in that infancy or nonage of â—…ue Church which is no more then what we say our selves of some ordinances at least viz. baptism and imposition of hands which with the rest of the word of the beginning of Christs doctrine are so stiled Heb. 5. 12. 13. 6. 1. 2. But what of this is it not very fit therefore that they should still be used the Church being yet under age unlesse thou wilt run necessarily upon the utterance of one of theâ—…e two absurdities viz. that babes are not to be fed with milk now as heretofore but are more fitly fed with stronger meat or else which is as gross that there are no new born babes now in the Church as before at all but that every beginner in Christ is now a strong man a perfect man in Christ so soon as ever spiritually born Thou tellest us that to use ordinances is to know Christ after the flesh who from thenceforth was to be known so no more but herein oh spiritual man thou bewrayest thy own fleshly carnall and most crude conception of that place whereby the words of Paul though we have known Christ after the flesh he means not a knowing of him in the use of ordinances for then when he saies henceforth know we no man after the flesh it must have the same sense too and would suppose that till that time the Saints had known men in the use of ordinances besides that the Church at Corinth knew Christ in the use of ordinances long after this is eminently evident in the Epistle of Clement the Pastor and the Churchat Rome written to the Corinthians upon occasion of their disorder in church affairs some 30 years after Paul wrote this but he means that they from thenceforth that Christ died did take cognizance of no man as ere the better upon the account of a meer fleshly descent or birth of any mens bodies no not of Abrahams as they had before nor count men in Christ and Christians at such a rate as they were counted to God as his under the Law but onely as new born spiritually born from above as new creatures as believing according to Iohn 1. 12. 13. and Gal. 3. 26. 29. if Christs by faith then Abrahams seed and heirs c. Thou tellest us that ordinances are as it were a dark glasse through which we are to behold Christ till we come to see him face to face a certain shadowy dispensation till the substance it self comes childish things that must be put away when once we become men things imperfect and in part onely which when that which is perfect is come must vanish and be done away and such like and all this as t is nor more nor lesse then we say our selves so t is even as much as we need desire thee to
nor keep the doctrine of the heavenly master Now let them go and cry that we be Hereticks that have departed from their Church sith there hath been no cause of our estranging from them but this one that they can in no wise abide the pure professing of the truth but I tell not how they have driven us out with cursings and cruel execrations Which very self-doing doth abundantly enough acquit us unlesse they will also condemn the Apostles for Schismaticks with whom we have all one cause Christ I say did foresay to his Apostles that the time should come when they should be cast out of the synagogues for his name sake And those Synagogues of which he speaketh were then accounted lawful Churches Sith therefore it is evident that we be cast out and we be ready to shew that the same is done for the names sake of Christ truly the cause ought first to be inquired of before that any thing be determined upon us either one way or other Howbeit if they will I am content to discharge them of this point For it is enough for me that it behoved that we should depart from them that we might come to Christ. S. 10. But we see hâ—…w each where they cry out that their assemblies are unholy to which it is no more lawful to consent then it is to deny God Therefore it is needful to depart from the consent of those assemblies which were nothing else but a wicked conspiracy against God In like manner if any man acknowledge the assemblies at these daies being defiled with idolatry superstition and wicked doctrine to be such in whose full communion a Christian man ought to continue even to the consent of doctrine he shall greatly erre S. 12. Whereas therefore we will not simply grant to the Papists the title of the Church we do not therefore deny that there be Churches among them but onely we contend for the true and lawful ordering of the Church which is required in the communion both of the Sacraments which are the signes of profession and also specially of doctrine Hereby therefore appeareth that we do not deny but that even under his tyranny remain Churches but such as he hath profaned with ungodlinesse full of sacriledge such as he hath afflicted with outragious dominations such as he hath corrupted and in a manner killed with evil and damnable doctrines as with poisoned drinks such wherein Christ lieth half buried the Gospel overwhelmed godlinesse banished the worshiping of God in a manner abolished such finally wherein all things are so troubled that therein rather appeareth the face of Babilon then of the holy City of God Therefore because these marks are blotted out which in this discourse we ought principally to have respect unto I say that every one of their assemblies and the whole body wanteth the lawful form of a Church These very words of Calvin which are your defence and mine too against the Pope O ye Protestant Priesthood are mine also against you when you clamour against us as Schismaticks for separating from your Nationall Churches and calling as many out with us as we can viz. because you two P P as well as the Popish Priesthood are not Syon as you suppose but two of those three parts of that great City Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlotry and Heresie that hath reigned over Kings and Kingdomes of the Earth You hold not unity with the head you return not to the fountain of the truth reform not by the Primitive standard but start aside like a broken bow you hear not the voice of our Prophet in all things he saies but make void his lawes you walk not in those scorned mean base waies which he hath chosen but are they rather that count them base and so we can no more ioin with you then deny Christ so far are we from being Hereticks and Schismaticks thereupon that we rather truly declare you such as stand divided from the Root the Sun the Fountain as well as all three one from another yea what need we any further witness that you three Hierarchies are all Hereticks and Schismaticks since the whole World hears it aloud out of your own mouthes the Bishop saith the Presbyter as to his Government is a Schismaticall Heretick the Presbyter saith the Bishop is so the Pope saies they are both so and they both say he is so and therefore I say they are all three so if we may credit what they say among themselves you stand all divided from Christ and the Apostles and now God hath justly divided you into three parts and divided you three miserably each against other among your selves yea and sub-divided you i. e. divided his people and well nigh all other people from you so that though you labour in the fire of wrath and rage to bring them back to unity with you and their old blind conformity to your waies yet you weary your selves for very vanitie for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea even so O Lord divide their â—…or gues more and more and let great BBBabel come down daily by the division of Languages that the whole Earth which was once of one Language and one speech even that of Babylon may at lâ—…st after all and by all this divâ—…sity learn all that one pure Language of the Land of Canaan yea come my beloved hast'n this blessed work and be like a swift Roe or young Hart upon these Mountains of Bether So having discovered what Heresie and Schism and who the Hereticks and Schismaâ—…cks are I come now to discourse o're again in a little plainer way your ow discourse concerning them and the means of opposing them which as I said above is a parcell of pretty right matter if spoken of the Popâ—… and his P P Priesthood to whom of right and most properly it appertains yea quid rides O S S Sacerdos mutato nomine de â—…e fabula narraâ—…r Thy own tale is a fiâ—…rod for thy own taile thou hast sharpen'd thine Arrows and bert thy Bow to shoot at a Pigeon and kild a Crow for verily thou art the man to whom all those properties of the Heretick and Schismatick propounded by thy self do much more aptly and exactly agree then to him thou talkest of a little translating a little trimming a little turning of it towards the true subject will make every tittle of that tattle of thine to be the truth which is but a peice of fained falshood as thou tellest it of the Baptists what thou hast reported lacks but to be retorted O Priesthood with a little amplification and a right application of it to thy self and then omne tulit punctum it hiâ—…s the nail on the head and tels 〈◊〉 but the truth indeed Thus then distinguishing your Patheticall piece O ye Ashford Opponents which I mean shall be my Text all along by a different carracter from my own
world to him and though it hath leave from him to grow besides him and will too among some yet he hopes to loosen it by lending it so much scope that it may come up the more easily by the roots and seeks what he can to kill it by his kindnesse The other viz. thou P P Priest though that thou mayest seem to be totally for the truth and all others to be enemies to it but thy self and thine thou cravest I might say commandest and challengest such a large toleration for what thou callest truth that nothing else must be tolerated besides it yet the truth is the truth as it is in Jesus which is Heresie with thee is lesse beholding to thee then to the other for iâ—… hath not so much as leave from thee to live if it can nay it can take no root at all at least not thrive above ground if it do where thou livest at the length of thy Lordlines for like Nimrod the mighty hanter before the Lord thou hast built to thy self great B B Babel a Triple Tower a threefold Fort or form of Tyrannical Churchlines wherein thou seatest and securest thy self and whence being jealous least all that comes neer thee under the name of truth should undermine thee thou fightest it afar off Thou art as it were a wild man like Ismael having thy hand against every man and every mans hand against thee dwelling alone as much as thou canst in the midst of thy brethren by thy sword and thy bow by cutting and fleshing and shooting out thy sharp arrowes even bitter words viz. Hereticks Hereticks against all that heed not what thou sayest before thou hearest them these are the rough hands of Esau wherewith thou handlest thy brother Iacob that will obtain the blessing before thee TTThou art the 3 heads of that Eagle spoken of 2 Esdras cap. 11. cap. 12. and wheresoever thou lookest and spreadest thy black wings thou lookest that all other birds should tremble under thee and be subject to thee so that none of old durst so much as chirp against thee no not one creature upon earth but so soon as any began to appear any where within thy range that was not Pullus Aquilae a chicken of thy own brood thou hast rapaciously torn it with thy Talents and made it a prey to thy youngones and whersoever thy wonted principle of persecution for conscience hath taken place and thy gawdy greedy griping Government stood up in full force the truth hath lien groaning and grovling under thee upon the ground Thus verily hath it been not onely for ages and generations within the dominions of the old Bruitish but also more lately under the domination of our BBrittish Priesthood Yea thou O P P Priest hast been such a thicket of thorns to the Lilly that she could never flourish upwards without a thousand scratches from thee such a tall crop of tares as hath overtopt starved and strangled the wheat TTThou knowest not what spirit TTThou art of thou wouldst fain command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as if it were Christs mind that receive not Christ Jesus in the wayes of thy own invention thou judgest them that are without that are none of thy C C Church whom were thy Church the true Church thou should leave to God to judge 1 Cor. 5. 13 if they be but in the same Nations wherein thy Church is and that shrewdly too sometimes when thou canst get the strength and power of states to stand to thee and execute such censure as thou saiest is due to Hereticks and Schismaticks in the Church yet I cannot much blame thee whilst thou clap'st whole common-wealths at once under thee as thy Church which ought as much to be corrected into an observance of the directories and decrees of Synodical power in matters spiritual as of the Senatical in matters civill thy chief way to cure Hereticks when they are in health is to kill them this Paâ—…pharmacon is letting blood thy present remedy against the remedilesse disease of Truth-telling Truth-spreading is Truth treading and present smoothering it from the vulgar by stopping the passage of the press and opening the Pipes in the Pulpit and present tampering with the Truth-teller who if he unsee not what he sees is â—…nse recidâ—…ndus to be dispatcht out of the way ne pars sincera trahatur lest sincere ones that seek after truth should find it when it flies abroad and be in-per-fected by it as well as he thou massaciest men to the Masse slayest men into thy service books sâ—…st up thy religion by treason when it can stand no more by reason fightest with fire and sword when thou canst do little by the spirit and word makest thy pen knife keen enough to cut when thy pen is not quick enough to countetfeit thou stopst Stevens mouth with stones and bearest him down with brick-bats that he blasphemes when thou canst not resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which he speaks like the wolf in the fable thou accuâ—… the poor innocent lamb of troubling the waters for nothing but drinking at the pure fountain and when the lamb replies my cause is better then thinâ—… On but quoth the wolf my teeth are better then thine I must devour 〈◊〉 Now therefore as to the civil Magistracy throwout all Nations Tongues kâ—…ds and people where thou O proud P P Priesthood ridest them I humbly beg of them in the name of Christ and on behalf of his truth and people which thou haâ—… suppressed that they would no longer set TTThee up as Lady of Kingdoms as 〈◊〉 over Gods heritage as Supream dictators to the whole nations where they live so in all Matters of Religion faith and Gospel as that all people must fal down to thee and worship God only according to thy more dimme and divided then divine directions but that people may go forth from under thy Egyptian prohibition to serve the Lord according to his own will and word which thou hast hid from the vulgar by unknown tongues and forcing thy own constructions on men in nations wherein its mostly truly translated and believe no more at a venture as the P P Priests believe by any law as from the Magistrate whose duty it is not to force men to unity of faith and uniformity in Religion further then they find freedome to fall into such unity among themselves but to force men to live at unity and peace in honesty and innocency in all justice and civility one towards another under what diversity of religion soever may be among them and whilest any Religion puts its people in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates in civil things for conscience sake and not to resist them in rebellious waies in such cases under pain of resisting the ordinance of God and receiving to themselves damnation according to Rom. 13. 1 2. Titus 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15. to see
he saies of us in another so may we of them in this case hos suo ingulamus gladio we may wound them with their own dudgeon dagger for if ignorant and unlearned men are not fit to make ministers then not onely their Laâ—…y which are millions are unlearned for the most part and so by Dr. Featleys own confession unfit to be teachers of truth but even multitudes of their CCClergy too for it is none of the least brands saies Dr. Featley p. 164. of the Roman Antichrist that he filled the Church with a number of ignorant Mass Priests Monks and Friars who blind guids as they were of the blinder people fell with them into the ditch of Superstition Heresie and Sensuallity and say I the English Antichrist i. e. the Arch-bishop of Canterbury a chip of the old block that was an Apprentice at Rome in old'n time till he set up for himself here and became indeed what the old Caiaphas Pope Urbane the second prophesied of him in a complement about 1099 little thinking then God wot that he would serve him such a trick as to set up his posts against his posts and take away his custome and trading here in England Papatus alterius Orbis this English Antichrist I say hath multiplyed many teachers and feeders that are far better fed then taught in matters of either God or man and as few Scholars as are among the true Churches if there were none the truth would stand without them and God delights in no mans legs but if there were need of that to the making ministers of the Gospel there is proportionably fewer among your churches considering how little Christs flocks is and how voluminous the fold of the WWWhore and how few truly are so that go under that name among the people with whom haud tam cult us quam cucullus facit monachum for though you talk of secular learning yet if that were so necessary to a Minister as the Ministry say it is it would not onely cut off Peter and Iohn from that denomination who were though better gifted yet lesse learned in that sense then the least of you but most of you CCClergy also among whom through out your whole dominion of Christndome there 's few Country Curates are well studied Scholars indeed in Logick and other arts and sciences and as for the tongues and original languages of the Scriture I speak it to the shame of the Ministry who unminister themselves in saying it is so necessary there is scarce five of 20. know the originall in the old Testament and not twenty to 5 so well as you should do in the new and as for the onely true learning and original of all wisdom the fear of God growth in grace and the knowledge of Christ and misteries of his kingdom and the spirit that Christ promised to his people to teach them all things which it were better for you by all your learning that you had more of unlearned Pâ—…ter himself may truly tearm the most of you such unlearned ones as wrest the Scripture to your own destruction Act. 4. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 16. yea so ungifted are the most of you so much as to pray and then well may you be to preach and that is to be unlearned as to the ministers office that unlettered or at least unspirited Artificers may be the proper name of some Clergy men as well as of the teaching tradesmen Dr. Featly speaks of for these receive the holy spirit that gifts them to it but not many of the Clergy are gifted to pray extempore without book if I onely said this you would not believe me but sith your great Patron Dr. Featly to whom you send us is my Patron as to this you must believe it whether you will or no unlesse you would have us believe him whom you will not believe yoâ—…r selves who gives this good reason p. 95. why its necessary to have set formes for the Ministers of the church of England to pray by if they pray at all in publique for there is not one Minister saith he or Curate of an 100 specially in Country Villages or Parochial churches who hath any tolerable gift of conceived as they term them or extempore prayers which if so you have smal reason to cry out of others as illiterate yea verily your selves will appear to be as the Anabaptists are stil'd by you an illiterate and Sottish generation in things principally pertaining to Christ and to Ministers of Christ to be skil'd in for that indeed is to be truly learn'd or unlearn'd in quoquo genere viz. to be raw or ready either in that which men supremely pretend to excell in as the Divine doth to excell other men in the things of God or else in that which is most excellent in it self and most worthy our being learn'd in as the highest and most excellent objects that are knowable being Christ and the mysteries of his kingdome those consequently are the best Scholars in the world that are most deeply insighted thereinto though elsewise never so ignorant Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera noscis Si Christum noscis nihil est si caetera nescis Now count which of these two waies you will the greatest Clerks will appear to be the greatest Novices the greatest Doctors the greatest Dunces the greatest Schoolmen the least Schollars the prime of the Priesthood the prime Ignor amus's that the Christian earth doth carry for howbeit O yee PPPrists some of you for the most of you will never be mad with much learning even surfeit on inferiour literature viz. arts tongues c. andare taller then other men by the head in the reading of History Oratory pieces of pibald Poetry and such like yet as to the misterious plain Gospel wherâ—…in are hid and whence are handed out unto us the treasures of eternity in earthen vessels i. e. the homely base foolish weak wayes and dispensations which are of Christs chusing which it concerns Christs Ministers of all men to be more clear in thâ—…n in any thing else they are low and therefore too high and wonderful for you high studied men to reach to they are far about out of your sight Yea I think thee O father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hidest these things because seeing they will not see them from the wise and prudent and revealest them unto babes yea O Lord how great is the multitude of meer Humanists that feed onely upon the common Theory of that Theology they have framed to themselves and relish nothing but what is of man how are thy depths even thy downright deliveries of soul saving truth in plainess of speech by the mouths of stammerers stark dunceâ—…y to them how will not a poor marred mocked misreputed Saviour and gospel in any wise down with them who did of old and who do still stand out most stiffly against thy gospel O Christ but the proud self conceited Pharisees Priests and
alsufficient to make men wise to salvation without looking into any other and before there were many other besides it so I know not sith we have them in such plainness as now we have maugre all the malice of the Pope and Clergy who would once have made a bone fire of the Scriptures why it is not as alsufficient as heretofore whilst yet there was no more Gospel Scripture then in self but I speak it to excite the CCClergy for whom I have great sorrow of heart to see their miserable neglect of wretched ignorance in the Scriptures to give more attendance to the reading of them as which are alsufficient and onely necessary to a Minister if there were no other books at all besides them to fix them that have been erratical in the misty moon shine of mens inventions under the sun shine of that unspeakably glorious Orb I mean the Scripture which many Clergy men in Christndom have been so far from being skild in that we may well conceive that they never so much as look into it at all Sure Timothy and Titus and Clement and the Ministry that was Coetaneons and immediately succedaneous unto them were more pretious Ministers then any are now adaies and yet they never read Saint Origen nor Saint Austin nor any of those millions of Rabbies Schoolmen and Scribes that have scribled since having learn't no more Gospel then what the Scriptures learnt them for I do not think they had such libraries of books as are now pleaded for which Scripture we have as free accesse to as they then had and have time enough to read and preach and do somewhat else toward an honest livelihood too as well as they if we be not idle and fith it s pleaded that their prophecying was an extraordinary gift of the holy spirit but preaching now is a special faculty attained not without many years study and the constant course of it maintained by constant study I say our prophecyings in the Church and preachings to the world too either are or ought to be all one with theirs or else we are not as we should be and as no man was a Minister then but by a gift from above so I know no man though Dr. Featly knew so many that not one among an 100 of the Country Clergy had any tollerable gift of extempore prayer that is a Minister of Christ but the same way as they then were viz. by a gift in some fort to make out the mind of men to God in prayers and the mind of God to men in preaching whether to the Church in way of exhortation edification and comfort for that was Prophecie 1 Cor. 14. 1. or to the world in publishing the glad tidings of Gods love to it which is more properly preaching I know no new way that Christ hath chosen to make Ministers in since the primitive times he did not make his Ministers then by gifts and now by no gifts nor yet by new gifts he did not make Ministers then by gifts given and now by gifts gotten then from above and now from beneath then from heaven and now from the universities then from meer knowledge of the Scriptures and now from a muddy minglement and mixt messe of science falsely so called or skill in his Scriptures and mens Scriptures together then by a simple spiritual Donation and now by a simple fleshly Dronation in the Hive of such humane preparatives as the Clergy conceive the spirit to be in a manner so concerned to blow upon as if he could scarce have their free leave to breath besides them but as he gave then and powred out his spirit as he saw good and more ordinarily upon men that were not learned and wise with the wisdome of this world then on those that were so he does now in these latter daies not tying himself to men whose education is at universities more then to others but rather more frequently filling men illiterate as to such science and secular Artizans then such as those I confesse the CCClergies preaching is a faculty attained by many years study and yet when they have been seven years and oftentimes seven more Apprentices in the Universities they are fitter for a living then for preaching too but the preaching of the true Ministers is no such thing Nor am I against any mans studying in order to the receiving of any good or gift from Christ and his spirit and in order to increase â—…and growth in any spiritual gift that Christ hath freely bestowed upon them so their study be that of Timothy who from a child was verst in the holy Scriptures yea I wish to the Lord our men in order to the Ministry would meddle more there then they do for school students are too great strangers to the study thereof whilst they surfeit on Logical and Theological systems so much as to suffer themselves implicitely to be seasoned besides the true sense of Scripture thereby but I hope the study of the Scripture which may fully fit a man for good a improvement of himself in the Gospel need not claim so much honourable maintenance but that a man may maintain himself by some other calling and treasure them up in his spirit too in good time by his dayly commerce with them so as out of that good treasury of his he art to bring forth good things without much a do and such a do as Clergy men make about a text and sermon dividing devising and inventing more then freely venting the word from the richnesse of its dwelling in them yea and so as to be like a good Scribe throughly instructed to the Kingdom of God and bringing out of his treasury extempore upon all accasions things new and old and not be like a narrow mouthed bottle long in filling and as long in flowing out again Though therefore there is a power to take pay in some cases for the work of preaching yet first its good that power be not used without necessity but you O PPPriests through covetuousnesse do much abuse that power by using it to the utmost when yet you need not yea though many of you have means enogh of your own and may live fully and preach freely too 2. It must be upon the Church only upon the brethren on believers and not upon the world nor the Gentiles or unbelievers that the Church-ministers must ly for that will hinder the receipt of the Gospel very much among them if they find it a chargeable Gospel before they own it therefore those that preached to unbelievers and infidels to convert them to the faith went forth at first freely for the name sake of Christ taking nothing of the Gentiles 2. Ep. Iohn 7. 8. But you OPPPriests receive pay from any men all men of whom you any can way have it as well infidels or unbelievers as such as are obedient to the faith for in your national and parochial Churches there are not half nor a
neither Transubstantion nor consubstantion have so much as appeared in these days wherein so many old Heresies as infant sprinkling for one which as a mad bul having its deaths blow on the forehead struggles more then ever are in a sort revived and stickled for and plyed with new and fresh assaults and unheard of arguments for t was pleaded for but as a tradition mostly in times above us as well as new ones broached And the reason is because all Ministers in these parts good and bad true false even the Priests themselves in their Sermons provided for the sacrament have every where oppugned them as having indeed no cleer colour in them of either Scripture common sense or reason as neither hath infantsprinkling if the National Ministers would once wisely consider it The learned Hooker observes that in Poland so many Arrians sprung up because the Nicence faith was neglected there and had we Baptists in our Ministry of old been careful to preach for the true way of baptizing believers onely when the baptism of infants first began to come up and creep upon superstitious grounds into the Church It would certainly have hindred the propagation of that reasonlesse Rantism and freed the Churches that now return to the onely true baptism again which they let go from that simple censure of Anabaptism which now they passe under from men that take rantism to be baptism at least our flocks in those daies that followed the truth had been so well provided as that they would not so easily have departed as they did from that plain way of the word in point of baptism Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum The Pastors are appointed by God for watchmen their office is to to see dangers and to give warning they are the dogs of the flock such as the wolf would have â—…lent woe be to them if they barke not Narianzen was such an one as some say his mother dreamed that she had brought forth a white whelp and such they say for I knew him not he proved that the wolâ—… 〈◊〉 heretick durst not enter but he spied him nor staie but he hunted him out if he did thus not mistaking heresie and instead thereof hunting out truth as the Priests do but I hope he did not t was the better for the Churches he was the Pastor of but wo be to the Church the CCCatholick aecumenical visible Church cal'd CCChristâ—…dome whose faithful Pastors are gone from the truth and turned wolves themselves that weary the very truth it self Saint Paul tells those of Ephesus Act. 22. 29 I know that after my departure many grievous wolves shall enter into the flock and as he said so verily it it came to passe for the three sorts of National Church PPPastors Pope Prelate Presbyter are in sheeps clothing but indeed ravening wolves that have devoured the truest flock of sheep that Christ hath upon this earth they are the dogs of the flock indeed but many of them dumb dogs that cannot bark and others barking at the sheep themselves and others biting them with their teeth because they put not into their mouths and tearing them though they never teach them yea they are greedy dogs that never have enough looking each to his gain from his quarterâ—… The rest of this discourse shall be partly Paraenetical to the people partly Apologetical to the Priests and so end As to the Paraenetical part It concerns the advice of the Pastors of the true Churches to their flocks and all people that they would endeavour to preserve and recover themslelves from all infection of Heresie and Schism from the primitive times by which the whole world is gone astray and in order thereunto they commend unto them this serious exhortation 1. To endeavour to be thoroughly instâ—…cted in the principles of Christian Religion to be houses with foundation that every wind oâ—… doctrine may not shake them Dui huâ—… et illuc fluctuat quovis momentur impellitur He that is not settled upon the true foundation yea and that house or Church that is not built upon a right foundation even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the primitive Prophets and Apostles heard and obeyed is driven to and fro to this and to that and back again almost with every storm that rises and hath a time wherein t will fall and the fall thereof will be very great Matth. 7. 21. ad 28. Ephes. 2. 20. 21. 21. we have experience plain enough of this in the Nationall and PPParish Churches and people who because they are houses without foundation or else constituted upon nothing but the sandy foundations of mens inventions traditions doctrines and the prudentiall precepts of the PPPriesthood and not upon the primitive doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles neither were everperfectly but at best in part onely instructed in the ABC and first principles or beginning word and doctrines of Christ as they ly plainly before us in sixt of the Heb. 1. 2. becauseâ—… say they never knew noâ—… owned all these nor laid them as the foundation of â—…eir building and Church posture but are brought into that mongrel Church way they are in by principles of birth breeding abode in such a Town custome fashion lawes of men Statutes Spiritual orders Popes Bishops Synods Canons implicit faith more then by cleer knowledge of acquaintance with conversion by the light of Scripture therefore they are wavering like a wave of the Sea tosled to and fro with every wind and turn of tide and driven to any thing that chances to please the Princes or that civil power best under which they happen to be bred and born yea as t was of old in Babylon where Nebuchadnezzer reigned all the Lords People Tongues and Nations within his jurisdiction saving two or three honest souls who saw Gods will and served him according to it fell down straight at his command and threatnings of the furnace if they did not so hath it been in BBBabylon the new under the three PPPriesthoods wherever they have born sway all the people exceptis excipiendis a very few that keep their standing in every turn being built upon the rock Christ and his doctrine fall down and do as they and the Princes that have committed adultery with them have enjoined yea they have reel'd to and fro like a drunkard being drunk with the whores wine and fell forwards and backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards again in the lump and been by turns of what religion or way soever hath pleased the powers to impose under penalty Papists Protestants Papists Protestants Popish Presbyterian or as it happens 2 To love the truth and imbrace it those that yet scorn it and let their affections be ravished in the imbracings of it such as have or shall yet atany time imbrace it so shall they be stable in it and not soon moved from the truth 3. To take heed of itching ears such as love to be gently toucht but not plainly