of a fruitful Land and external Peace and Glory as a Nation whilst they did truly walk according to the Laws of God of which Advantages their Children were partakers as well as others But on the other side the Christian Church by how much she is more faithful by so much the more is she subject to Persecution As may be seen in the differing estate of the faithful Church at Smyrna Rev. 2. 8 9. and the unfaithful Church at Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. Or if we rerespect Rites and Ceremonies then 't is certain even in the Judgment of all Christians the Jews had more Ceremonies belonging to their Infants than belongs to Christian Infants For besides the Rite of Circumcision there was an Offering to be offered for them and they were to be presented in the Temple and to partake of the Passover Exod. 12. 47 48. and therefore Mr. Taylor does ill to deny it pag. 92. Whereas the Poedobaptists only contend for the external Rite of Baptism to belong to their Infants But if by the Word Privileges in the Argument be meant some higher thing than external Ceremonies then the Minor is true For as God was gracious to Infants in the Jewish Nation as to the Business of Salvation So is he such to the Infants of every Christian Nation in the World But if now you be displeased because I do not prefer or at least equalize Christians Infants with Jewish Infants in respect of external Ceremonies Then let me freely tell you that I do believe the Privileges of Christians is greater than the Jews even in this that God accepts our Infants to his Grace and to Glory without imposing the Burthen of any Ceremony at all upon them For seeing he has by the Gospel taken away that bloody Ceremony of Circumcision and by our Lord Christ declared Infants to have right to the Kingdom of Heaven without imposing any Ceremony upon them instead of Circumcision I say herein our Privileges are greater than the Jews and in this Sense I confirm your Minor But then I deny the Consequence of your Major For you may plainly see that our Christian Privileges when compared with the Jews stand not in having external Ceremonies but rather in being freed from them Even as it cannot be doubted but that the Children of Seth Henoch and Noah c. had as great Privileges as the Jews and yet it is certain and plainly confessed by Augustine that they had no Ceremony or sign of Regeneration belonging to them that we read of Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 15. cap. 16. Thus your chief Fort being demolished what Reasons you bring to defend it signifie nothing however we shall meet with them in the following Arguments Mr. Taylor 's Argument 2. Those who were Circumcised under the Law may be baptized under the Gospel But Children were Circumcised under the Law Therefore they may be baptized under the Gospel ANSWER 1. I answer to the Major If by Those you mean all those that were Circumcised under the Law Then the Major is not true For first all Male-Servants which were bought with Money must needs be Circumcised they might not else dwell in the Family Gen. 17. 12 13 14. Exod. 12. 44 48 49. But no such imposition is laid upon Families under the Gospel 1 Cor. 7. 2. If by Those you mean Infants then I deny your Major For tho Infants were Circumcised under the Law it does not follow that Infants may be Baptized under the Gospel Nor do your Arguments brought to make it good prove it at all For 1. Tho Baptism succeeds Circumcision as the Sacrament of initiation yet it does not follow that the same Persons or Persons no otherwise qualified than the Infants of the Jews or Servants bought with Money are to be admitted to Baptism because Circumcision belonged to the natural Seed of Abraham as such whether in the Covenant or no as in the case of Ishmael and to his Servants as such But Baptism being the Sacrament or washing of Regeneration belongs to those who are born from above as such Hence 't is said Gal. 3. 28. We are Abraham's Seed because we are Christ's so as to have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 4. 24. And not that they are Christ's because they are Abraham's Seed This vast difference therefore between the Communicants of the Church Jewish and the Church Christian shews a great difference between the carnal Ordinances of the Law and the spiritual Ordinances of the Gospel so that it is no good arguing from Infants Right to the one to their Right to the other 2. You say our Children are as capable of being Baptized as the Jews were of being Circumcised But this is denied for the Jews had a Command to Circumcise Infants and that made them capable of that Ceremony but without a Command none were capable of it For some Infants might be as capable of Circumcision in respect of Strength on the seventh Day as others on the eighth Day but the Command not empowering any to circumcise till the eighth Day made all Children that died before the eighth Day uncapable of Circumcision Again you will not say that any Man as such only is capable of Baptism because you grant they must first be Disciples and as such baptized Nor will you say that all Infants as such only may be baptized because you do not think God has required the Infants of the Turks to be baptized So then unless you can shew that God has required our Infants to be baptized they have no capacity for it We conclude then whatever may be urged as a Capacity for Baptism yet without a Command from God to baptize our Infants is meer Will-Worship and Presumption 3. You say That the Precept of receiving Parent and Child into Covenant stands unrepealed to this day But if by receiving into Covenant you mean a receiving to the Duties of the Covenant what you say is not true for the Covenant of Circumcision is repealed Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing And there was never any Covenant but the Covenant of Circumcision which obliged Parents to bring their Infants to the Ceremonies of Religion So then Infants are not under the Burthen of any Ceremonies of Religion at this day I marvel you should here say There is no Countermand of the ancient Jewish Practice of receiving Children to Circumcision Either the Printer has wrong'd you or else you hold the Jews are yet bound to circumcise their Infants 4. You argue from Christ's being proposed as Mediator of a better Covenant that therefore this great Privilege you mean bringing Infants to Ceremonies of Religion is not repealed But the Truth is far otherwise for the Covenant of Christ as Mediator is therefore better than the Covenant of the Law because he has taken these Ceremonies out of the way and accepts poor Infants without any other Ceremony instead of them yea
Disciples when such a Spirit appeared in them And have we not seen a refined Generation as they would be thought peeping forth with the Name of Blood or the smiting Principle written on their Forehead with direction to their Proselites to pray that God would destroy all Oppressior and Oppressors from off the face of the Earth Lord what is this The greatest part of Mankind peradventure are Oppressors in one thing or other and must a Christian pray for their Destruction or for their Conversion Sure the latter is the Duty of all Christians 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. They cannot desire such a woful Day but that Mercy may be extended knowing that themselves were sometimes foolish disobedient living in Malice hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. But alas do not these Men pray for their own Destruction Who sees not that such a Principle is pregnant with Oppression O let all Christians beware of it And let us pray for them that hate us persecute us and speak all manner of Evil against us falsly for his Names sake who hath called us not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Thus leaving all Men of bloody violent and treacherous Principles to consider what Spirit they are of how unlike our Lord Christ how different from the Primitive Christians how contrary to Humanity it self which teaches all to do to others not as they do but as we would they should do to us We shall proceed to the next Point of Doctrine grounded upon the second Direction in the Text Love the Brotherhood Doct. II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians This Brotherhood being not natural but spiritual and mystical admits of a twofold Consideration 1. In the largest Sence the Word and Use of it in Scripture will bear 2. In a more strict and special Sence In the first we must comprehend all that own the holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith believing in the only true God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost for these three are one that Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification that live soberly according to the general Rules of Christianity tho they may be diversly persuaded in the Methods of Christian Worship Or I could be content if the State of Christianity would bear it in these Days to express my self in this Case in the Words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ among whom he found Diversities of Opinions as well as Disorders in practice of Ordinances Not that he allows either but labours to reform both yet so as he would preserve Amity among them as they were Brethren tho some of them were carnal 1 Cor. 3. others allowing themselves a very dangerous Liberty in religious Matters even to eat Things sacrificed to Idols some doubting of the Resurrection others very loose in their Devotion at the Lord's Table they were some tumultuous others otherwise vicious 2 Cor. 13. Now whether the Apostle in his Exhortations to Unity intends that notwithstanding these Errors they should hold ample Communion with the Erroneous or whether upon adhering to Reproof by him given and their obeying the Epistles which he sent to them he obliges them to maintain and uphold their Communion is the Business to be considered The first it is not like to be for then few Errors either in Doctrine or Life could break this brotherly Fellowship among Christians And then to what purpose are these Rules given Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. 6. Surely all that can be required as to Unity with these Christians is a brotherly Compassion to encourage what we can the Truth they hold or the Good they do to hold with them in the common Cause of Christianity against the common Enemy of it I conceive the latter to be the only safe way viz. That notwithstanding their great Carnality Weakness of Judgment or Frowardness in their erroneous Opinions c. if now they would receive the Counsel of the Lord's Messenger or which the Lord by his Messenger had sent unto them that then the Brotherhood once found among them should still continue tho they had too evidently forfeited their Privileges Thus to take the Apostle's meaning is to make him harmonize with himself 2 Thess 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But to take the Apostle in the first Sence would make him irreconcileable to or with himself So then Paul did not advise the Faithful at Corinth to hold ample Communion with those of ill Life and erroneous Principles in the necessary parts of Religion such as the Resurrection and Separation from Idolatry doubtless are for he that denies the first denies Christ to be risen makes the Apostles false Witnesses and the Faith of Christians vain 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. And the second makes Men uncapable to serve God Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Idols or Devils 1 Cor. 1. 10. Let us then consider the second or more strict Sence of the Word Brotherhood in our Text. And here we must take it as it pertains to truly constituted and well-governed Societies of Christians For undoubtedly God intended to have the Christian Religion stated and maintained in all Nations according to the pristine Simplicity of the Gospel without the mixtures of Legal Ceremonies or humane Innovations For when Jesus gave commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them and then to teach them to observe all Things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28. 19 20. and gave being to this Order to continue to the end of the World it must needs be highly rational on the part of all such as do piously stand to this Form of Doctrine as explicated and delivered to the Churches Rom. 6. 17. Heb. 6. 1 2. And consequently it must needs be very pleasing to God and commendable in the Church that his Institutes be kept with the greatest exactness as they were delivered at first 1 Cor. 11. 2. For if once Variations in either the Doctrinal or Practical Parts of the Christian Religion be admitted there can be no certain duration of any Truth A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump Gal. 5. 7. And this the Apostle speaks too with relation to the Imposition of some Legal Rites which once had a Divine Original and Use in the Church of God and yet now could not consist with obedience to the Truth Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth Hence Saint Paul would not give place to St. Peter himself when too much
The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS CONTAINING I. His humble Resolution to be a constant Conformist to the Scriptures and especially in these four great Duties viz. 1. To Honour all Men. 2. To Love the Brotherhood 3. To Fear God 4. To Honour the King According to 1 Peter 2. 17. II. His unfeigned endeavour for Unity in the Truth with the Church of England wherein is shewed what 〈◊〉 a distinction in Communion between the Parochial 〈…〉 those of the Baptized Believers Wherein fourteen 〈◊〉 lately published by Mr. N. T. M. A. in defence of Infant-Baptism are considered and answered III. His Plea for Church-Assemblies to be permitted to the Baptized Believers To which purpose is declared IV. The Nature of his Call to Christianity and to the work of the Ministry OCCASIONED By the great and long continued Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation BY THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ Job 21. 4. As for me is my complaint to 〈◊〉 And if it were so why should not my Spirit be troubled Causabon's Birth of Heresy c. 3. p. 11. In all Ages Men have never been contented with the true Adoration instituted by God But instead of external Signs instituted by God they have forged and brought in their own Inventions London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1684. The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them and all Christians to study to be Quiet and do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in two Sermons upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. By THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24. 21. But whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye Acts 4. 19. London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1674. To all the Baptized Believers in England c. Grace and Peace through Christ our Lord be multiplied THE great Apostle St. Paul having taught the Christian Churches in Creet their Duties towards God and towards Caesar and leaving Titus a Messenger of the Churches behind him there very strictly warns him to put them in mind of their Subjection to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Knowing how impossible it would be to propagate the Profession of Christianity if Christians did not adorn their Profession with a meek and harmless Conversation towards all Men and especially by their Obedience to those in Authority And considering the manifold Temptations that attend Christians in these days upon that account I thought it my Duty as one that has obtained Mercy to be faithful to do my best in giving warning to my Brethren lest any of them should be ensnared with ill Principles or specious Pretences to speak or do any thing that may be inconsistent with Gospel-Rules either in things relating more immediately to Almighty God or to the King's Majesty and those that are in Authority under him Such heady Persons there were in the Apostle's Days and therefore the less strange if now some such be found in the best of Churches as are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities All Ages and sorts of Christians have been troubled with such Evil-Workers And as it hath been the care of faithful Men all along to protest against them that the Truth which such Wretches only prophane by their Profession of it might not be worse thought of because of them So let it be our care to bear a faithful Testimony against all such in these Days And I beseech you Brethren whom God hath made as Guides to the rest that you give all diligence to teach and instruct those under your Charge in the Duties which pertain to every state of Life as well as in things which pertain to the Worship of our Gracious God For these are the things which become sound Doctrine and of these our Obedience to Magistrates is not the least I commit the ensuing Discourses to the Consideration of all Christians and to the Blessing of God and remain Your Brother and Servant in the Gospel THO. GRANTHAM The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them all to study to be Quiet and to do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in several Discourses upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honour the King THis great Apostle St. Peter having preached Christ in many Countries thought it meet to leave some Monuments of his holy Doctrine with all the Churches And having in two sacred Epistles assured them of the certainty of the Doctrine which he had preached and that it was no Fable or new Device but the very Truth which from the Beginning God made known to his Prophets He then exhorts them to Stedfastness and to hope to the end for the grace or fulness of Glory which shall be brought to all true Christians at the revelation or second coming of Christ He warns them to beware of Sin chiefly that root of Malice Envy and Hypocrisy for these are usually complicated in one for as it gave being to all our Misery and has been all along the ruine of Nations Churches and Communities so we are advertised that it will abound towards the end of the World To avoid this damning Iniquity we are willed to consider our new Birth and as new-born Babes to evidence our delight to be in the sincere Milk of the Word of God not in the Vanities of this World where we are but Pilgrims and Strangers assuring us that as Christ is the sure Foundation to support his Church So however some Builders do set him at naught he is the Head of the Corner and will certainly in time confound the Disobedient 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Howbeit lest Christians should be too impatient of the seeming delay of Christ's Exaltation and of the manifold Tribulations which in the mean time they must suffer he further warns them to be of an obedient and submissive Spirit to such as are in Authority and to adorn their Profession by an honest Conversation as the best way to silence their Opposers For so is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For tho it be very true that all Christians are the Lord's Freemen 1 Cor. 7. 22. yet they may not maliciously despise any Man nor dishonour any Man much less any that are in Authority Christianity being indeed the greatest Obligation that any Man can be
respect of that which is now every where to be found shut Heaven against them unless those converted Souls were converted in that Case Let us tremble to think of this It 's clear from this Instance that such as are of an haughty Mind cannot honour all Men. They are Bladders puffed up with this Wind break this Bladder there is meer Emptiness Their Goodness vanishes when they cannot lift themselves above others Whereas the truly gracious Soul studies how to serve God and all Men for his sake and thus to honour them is the greatest Respect that any Christian can give to Men. Thus did our Lord himself honour all He took upon him the form of a Servant Phil. 2. 7. And indeed his great Design in his Life and Doctrine was to restore Mankind to a State of Grace and Reconciliation with God and thereby to Amity and Concord one with another 2. Next to our Saviour let us hear his beloved Disciple John He often speaks to the whole Church under the Title of Little Children and the Metaphor is very fit for Christians as in other respects so chiefly in this to put them in mind they must in no wise be of a lofty and wrathful Spirit He tells us the Love of God is not in those Men who have the Pride of Life in them 1 John 2. 15 16. They cannot honour esteem or count all Men precious till that Image of Christ which standeth in Humility be formed in them 3. The Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 10. 32 33. does not only teach the Brotherhood that they must shew all Meekness to all Men and give no Offence to Jew nor Gentile but puts himself as becomes all true Ministers of Christ for a Patern to the Flock Tho saith he I be free from all Men yet I have made my self Servant unto all that I might gain the more I am made all Things to all Men that I might by all means save some 1 Cor. 9. 19 20 21 22 23. How precious did he count the Jewish Nation tho they generally hated him he could be content to be undone himself rather than they should be lost Rom. 10. 1. And no less concern'd for the poor Gentiles that they also might be happy Rom. 15. 16. And hitherto did tend the Scope of all his Labours to warn teach and to present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. 4. And forasmuch as the Tongue is the ordinary Witness of the Spirit of Pride and that whereby all Men are incident to dishonour one another he strictly obligeth all Christians to let their Speech be always with Grace seasoned with Salt that they may administer Grace to them that hear them Col. 4. 6. And he that will obey our Text to honour all Men must remember that he speak evil of no Man an Impiety which God knows even reigns amongst Christians The Tongue is an unruly Member a World of Iniquity And hence the Apostle James is very bold telling us our Religion is vain if we bridle not that Member Jam. 3. 9 10 11 12 13. How can that Tongue be fit to bless God to profess the Christian Religion which is exercised in cursing speaking evil or wishing ill to any Man My Brethren these Things ought not to be Doth a Fountain give sweet Water and bitter at the same place This is not to be found in Nature nor to be expected in Grace Christians must be known to all Men by their Fruits of Righteousness Meekness Goodness and Faith otherwise Men shall never be moved to glorify God in their behalf 5. That Christian who will honour all Men must love all Men without this he cannot esteem them nor count them precious Whom we love not we have no delight to honour It is in a manner peculiar to the Christian Doctrine that Men should love their Enemies pray for them that persecute them and despitefully use them Let us therefore pay this Debt to honour all Men in Love He that will do this must bear Mankind upon his Heart in Prayer and Supplication 1 Tim. 2. 1. This is a Lesson for Christians as such they must love their Neighbours as themselves and all Men are their Neighbours The Royal Law obliges them to it Jam. 2. 8. If ye fulfill the Royal Law according to the Scriptures Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well but if ye have respect to Persons that is love one and hate another ye commit Sin and are convinced of the Law as Transgressors Were Christians filled more with this Fruit of the Spirit we should see an end of these Animosities opprobrious and abusive Epithets or Brands of Reproach and Infamy which are daily cast upon Men and too frequently found among Christian Men. It is to be lamented that Men who are precious in the esteem of God should not be esteemed so by one another But honour all Men says our Text and the Arguments to enforce the Duty are many of which some we will urge in this place and the first shall be this First They are Men as well as our selves our Equals by Creation the Workmanship of the Hands of the same God and therefore are we bound to honour all Men as Men nor can we slight despise or dishonour them but we dishonour our selves For they are Flesh of our Flesh and God hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men to dwell upon the Face of the Earth and he is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh And thus we have all one Father as one God hath created us we are all his Off-spring not as some prophanely have said that Man is no more God's Off-spring than an Hog for he did not consult the Creation of any thing as he did the Creation of Man Gen. 2. Nor did he breath into the Nostrils of Hogs the same Spirit of Life and Wisdom which he breathed into Man David admires the Goodness of God in the degnified State of Man Psal 8. 4 5. And let us beware of base thoughts concerning Man lest we value him no more than the Beasts of the Field and so dishonour him whom God created in great Honour and to this day notwithstanding his Fall hath set him over the Works of his Hands All Men are our Brethren let us honour them as such for what Brotherhood soever we attain yet our humane Fraternity is antecedent and not made void by any Post-Fraternity which is good but rather more indeared This was seen in St. Paul the nearer his Relation was to God upon the account of Christianity the more was his Love and the greater his Sorrow for his Brethren according to the Flesh Rom. 9. 2. Let not Christians think that their Relation nor Obligation of Nature to Mankind is destroyed or made less by their being Christians such a vain Conceit will alienate us from our own Flesh and make us quite pervert the Text which puts us in mind that our Religion does strongly engage us to honour them all
in all Humility prostrate my self at his Royal Feet with this humble Supplication That it would graciously please his Majesty according to his wonted Goodness and Princely Clemency to consider and pity the distressed condition of many of his faithful Subjects who dissent from the Church of England in the case of Infant-Baptism and some other Ceremonies and cannot in Conscience to God conform to them nor deny the exercise of their Religion of which they are convinced and persuaded to be according to the Will of God O let our Lord the King consider that this is the greatest strait that any honest Christian can be put upon either to deny what he believes to be true or profess that to be true which he believes to be otherwise O let the God of Heaven be always his Majesties Chief Counsellour That by his direction he may rightly distinguish between those that are harmless in his Realm and such as have abused his Kindnesses which have been very great and thankfully to be remembred and that the present Severities against the Innocent may be abated and removed lest they be made miserable in their Native Countrey God Almighty bless the King c. FINIS The SECOND PART of the APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers Wherein the GROUNDS of INFANT-BAPTISM Are REVIEWED In ANSWER to Fourteen ARGUMENTS delivered by Mr. Nathaniel Taylor M. A. in a SERMON on Matth. 28. 19. entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therewithal The Reasons of the Separation of the Baptized Believers from the Pedobaptists modestly propounded Upon the occasion of their great and long-continued Sufferings By T. Grantham a Servant of Christ LONDON Printed for the Author 1684. AN APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers c. PRESENTED To all Pious and Well-disposed Christians in the Church of ENGLAND SECT I. Honoured and Beloved Brethren TO prevent a Mistake and to remove an Aspersion too frequently cast upon us be pleased to know that tho we differ from you and others in some things relating to the Constitution and Government of a true Church yet we do not therefore arrogate to our selves alone the Christian Name nor exalt our selves in our Imaginations above others but do believe and hope that the Number of the saved Ones will be gathered out of all sorts of Christians who heartily love God and our Lord Jesus Christ and live holily and charitably among Men tho they be diversified in respect of Ceremonies by reason of the Place and Government where they live Yea we have Charity for all Men who are faithful to the Means of Grace afforded them how small soever knowing that our God delights in Mercy and does not exact the utmost Farthing of any Man But for all this as it is certain there hath been abundance of Errors introduced among Christians so it has pleased God to raise up a People still to testify against them the Memories of whom are blessed tho they were frequently persecuted So we believe it a Duty incumbent upon us to bear our Testimony to what Truth we know and not to partake with any in their By-Paths in Life or Religion and yet endeavour as much as in us lieth after Unity and Concord with all that fear God and own the Christian Profession To which purpose we have humbly proposed what we thought concern'd us in order to a better Understanding and Compliance in our Friendly Epistle to the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England published some Years ago but has not been publickly taken notice of till lately one Mr. Taylor a Person of Worth for his Integrity and Zeal for the Protestant Interest and for his gentle Disposition towards such as fear God tho differing from him in the Case of Ceremonies It hath pleased him I say to take notice of our said Epistle and to offer something in order to a Composure of Differences which I confess with him to be a thing greatly to be desired But then he is pleased to shew us nothing of Mitigation or Hopes of the removal of the Things which hath occasioned our Disunion but does rather wholly charge the Cause of Division upon us and supposes our Difference about Baptism to be the chief Cause of our dissenting from the Church of England But tho this is indeed a matter of great Importance because true Baptism is antecedent to Church-Communion yet that which is greater in our Judgment is that open Prophaneness which God knows reigns and rages in the Church of England and therewithal the utter Neglect of Discipline to reform those Iniquities and also that persecuting Spirit which appears even in too many of the Guides of the Church by whose Cruelty our Sufferings have been much augmented For these Causes we have thought our selves concerned to make this our Christian Apology in which we crave leave to use that Freedom of Speech which the Matters depending do require And yet seeing we must acknowledg that we are not infallible as neither does the Church of England pretend so to be we shall speak under Correction and by the help of God with resolution to submit to a clear Conviction if indeed it shall appear that the Things wherein we dissent are justifiable on the part of the Church of England but till this be done it would be Hypocrisy and Baseness in us to violate our Consciences in Things pertaining to Religion to obtain Favour from Men for if we should so please Men we should not be the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And we do the 〈◊〉 desire to be heard at this time partly for that Mr. Taylor is pleased to impute Folly to us in separating from the Church of England because we allow of the most of the Thirty Nine Articles but especially being thereunto required by some of Eminency and great Authority in the Church of England who also told us That unless we could shew that the Church of England does hold some Error in point of Faith or that she does practise something in her Religion which is sinful we cannot justify our Separation from her And whether we be able on this wise to vindicate our present Separation is the Business which we pray may be seriously considered SECT II. A brief Account of the Reasons why the Baptized Believers cannot conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England REserving all due Honour to the Church of England so far as she holds the Truth in the Thirty Nine Articles and as she is a good Fortress against much Popish Superstition and Idolatry we shall humbly make our Objections in three Particulars 1. Concerning Infant-Baptism 2. Concerning her Discipline 3. Concerning her Imposing of Ceremonies From all which we think we may safely argue thus It is lawful just and needful to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from such a Church as does believe hold and maintain such Things as are evidently and actually destructive of that Christian Liberty wherewith Christ hath made his Churches free and of that sacred Baptism and holy
were not Disciples whom they would have Circumcised for 't is said They taught the Brethren except they were Circumcised c. they could not be saved But you cannot imagine that they taught Infants If Acts 15. be diligently read it will expound it self for vers 19. the Disciples are said to be such as from among the Gentiles were turned to God And all that are called Disciples vers 10. are called Brethren and as such they are written unto by the Assembly vers 23. And the Epistle is said to be read to all the Multitude meaning of the Disciples who thereupon are said to rejoice for the Consolation Sure these were no Infants 2. But you say They are Disciples in that tho Man cannot teach them yet God can and may Well I thank you for your Ingenuity It is true as you say Man cannot teach or make Infants Disciples and then to be sure they are not intended by our Saviour to be made Disciples by what he says in your Text Mat. 28. 19. For all that are to be made Disciples by that Commission are to be made such by Men So that you are evidently besides your Text in all that you say to this Argument and you are beside your own Exposition of your Text also which I will here set down as you give it pag. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Going to Disciple all Nations instruct them in the Principles of my Religion and then being Disciples baptize them So that there is a Discipleship pre-existent to Baptism and indeed the premising the Word DISCIPLE implies none to be capable of Baptism who are not Disciples of Christ and Members of his Church These are your Words 'T is true you say Infants will be proved to be Disciples But surely not by saying as you do here that God can make them Disciples or teach them For it is no good arguing from what God can do to say he has done it or will do it For God can of the Stones in the Street raise up Children unto Abraham but I may not therefore say the Stones in the Srreet are the Children of Abraham You say indeed that God hath given several instances of his teaching several from the Womb but you can neither name the Persons nor shew us what he taught them however if you could such miraculous Operations are not given for general Rules God once taught a dumb Ass to speak and to reprove a Prophet but it would be bad arguing from this instance that Asses are Disciples And yet this is a clearer instance of God's teaching the Ass than you can give of his teaching any Infant 3. But seeing you put Infants Discipleship upon the account of God's teaching them you must have some competent ground to believe that he has miraculously taught them before you baptize them or else you destroy your Exposition of the Text which avers That there is a Discipleship pre-existent to Baptism And when you shall shew me the Infant whom God hath taught or made a Disciple I believe I shall not oppose your Baptizing that Infant and this is as much as you can desire 4. But you say further That God hath promised to teach Children What Sir in their Infancy Let us see your Proofs Isa 54. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the Peace of thy Children John 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every Man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Certainly had you read those Texts with their Coherence and considered that our Saviour himself in the latter expounds the former you would never have imagined that God here promises to teach any Infants much less all the Infants in the Christian Nations for it is very apparent they that are taught according to these Scriptures have heard and learned of the Father so as to come to Christ And indeed the meaning is that God speaking to us by his Son who is very God 1 John 5. had now made good that gracious Promise Isa 54. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. But you have another Text Acts 10. 47. Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy-Ghost as well as we Now he that reads this place will easily see that the Persons here spoken of were only such as were assembled to hear Peter in whatsoever they should be commanded of God and that the Holy-Ghost fell on all that heard the Word Which place therefore can with no shew of Reason be brought to prove that Infants are taught of God However when you shall find an Infant that has received the Holy-Ghost as well as the Apostles then for my part I shall not forbid Water that you should baptize him provided you first be baptized your self 5. You will have Infants to be Disciples because Christ you say commands the receiving of them in his Name and you quote Luke 18. 16 17. Mat. 19. 13. Luke 9. 47. I have carefully read all these places but can find no Command to receive Infants in the Name of Christ much less to receive them by Baptism It is true Christ called a little Child unto him and said Whosoever shall receive this Child in my Name receiveth me Now this Child was able to know what Christ said and is no fit Instance to prove an Infant of eight days old to be a Disciple of Christ neither does this Text call this Child a Disciple but the Disciples are distinguished from it And yet it and so any little Child may be a good Precedent even to Disciples to learn Humility and Simplicity by and so may a Lamb or a Dove serve to teach us to be humble and harmless yet they are not therefore Disciples Neither can the receiving this Child or any other in like case be understood of receiving them by Baptism for then you may read the place thus Whosoever baytizeth a Child in my Name baptizeth me but this is both false and absurd And besides he that is baptized may be rather said to receive Christ than he that baptizeth in that Action Or would you make our Saviour to say He that baptizeth an Infant in my Name receiveth me If so I would know by what Authority you take the word receiveth for baptizing in the first place and in the second for something else Surely if to baptize an Infant in the Name of Christ be a receiving of Christ it 's an easy thing to receive Christ especially for the Priest who pretends to baptize Infants daily But sure it is as much the Duty of other Christians to receive Children in the Name of Christ as the Priests for the Word is Whosoever shall receive this Child in my Name and therefore it cannot be meant of baptizing them and then these Scriptures prove not your Argument at all 6. You urge that Infants are Members of Earthly Kingdoms and I grant
Cause why we think your pretended Baptism a Nullity for your Error about the Subject is more than the other 3. What you say further is to make us believe that Christ did not go into the Water that the Eunuch went to the Water only because the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ad to But your Conscience will tell you it signifies into as well as to and indeed you grant it and then to what putpose do you quarrel our Translation However we have proved that Christ was baptized in the River and 't is expresly said of the many Thousands which came to Jordan that they were all baptized in the River confessing their Sins Now Sir here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be rendred to the River nor with the River without egregious Folly and then 't is very plain that they were all dipped in the River for it had been absolute Folly to go into the River to sprinkle the Face Hand or any other part of the Body Seeing then they went into the River to baptize it shews it cannot rightly be done without going into the Water and therefore of necessity we must understand Dipping is the only true Mode of Baptizing 4. I marvel how any wise Man can look upon that Text John 3. 23. John baptized in Enon because there was much Water there and so much as think Sprinkling to be a lawful way of baptizing If he will use any of his Wit he cannot but infer Baptism could not be rightly done with a few drops of Water seein John chose Enon because there was much Water there And what tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify many Waters yet it does not signify many Rivers but by the Noise of many Waters is often meant the Noise of much Water in one Source or Channel However you say the Greek signifies the Confluence of these two Springs Jordan and Jaboc but yet you are unwilling that they should yield so much Water as might suffice to dip in And yet the Scripture tells you elsewhere that Jordan overflows all her Banks at certain times and Lithgow that was at it will give you an account that it is a River sufficient to dip a bigger Man than your self in But here you say is no mention of dipping Yes Sir but there is for when you hear that John was baptizing in Enon he was either dipping or sprinkling The latter would make the Speech absurd and nonsensical the former therefore was his Business for he was dipping in Enon near Salem because there was much Water there Your Church therefore is very much to blame in leaving the Way of Truth and following her own Tradition and is therefore the cause of our present disunion and will be till she turn to the Truth both in the Subject and Manner of Baptism or at least forbear to impose upon us without Authority from Heaven What you add by way of answer to some of our Objections against Infant Baptism is answered in my Reply to Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. J. Barret which is bound up with my Book of Primitive Christianity and to that I will refer you What you add about Sureties or God-Fathers c. I shall not take notice of at this time and indeed the usage is so odd that Dr. Jer. Taylor well said if it had been God's will to have had them It is to be supposed he would have given them Commission to have transacted the Solemnity with better Circumstances and given Answers with more Truth for if the God Fathers answer in the Name of the Child I do believe it is notorious they speak false and ridiculously And this is even enough to say to such an Innovation But what absurdity is it which being once made a Cannon by learned Men will not find some to daub it up with untempered Mortar Could Men but remember Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. they would fear to add to or take from the Ordinances of Christ under what pretence of Piety or Prudence soever Thus Sir I have briefly answered your Arguments and hope I have not mistaken your Sence in any Passage I except against And for a Conclusion I crave leave to say That the way to obtain that Unity which is so desirable between the Baptized Believers and the Church of England is not to fall to it by Disputation but by proposing what Abatements may be made about such things as are not mentioned in the Scripture as this of Poedo-Baptism is not or at least what mitigation may be hoped for as to the imposition of such things And on the other side I trust in the Lord that you shall call for nothing from us wherein we may submit without sinning against God but we shall gladly hearken to you In the mean time constant Prayer to God for the Blessing of Truth and Peace and friendly conference between the leading Men on both parts may do much to further so good a Work specially if his Majesty would be graciously pleased to permit such friendly Treaties But of writing many Books there is no end SECT IV. A Plea for the Church-Assemblies of the Baptized Believers MAny and very great has been the Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation since the publication of the Act entitled an Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles And if the meaning of the said Act be to restrict all Christian Assemblies except the Parochial to the number of four Persons besides the Families where they do assemble We see not how we can with safety to our Souls conform to the Limits thereby prescribed But forasmuch as the said Act pretends only the prevention and suppression of Seditious Conventicles We humbly conceive that those who are free from Seditious Designs in their meeting together to worship God are rationally acquitted from the Imputation of Sedition and consequently no Man can conscienciously prosecute any of us upon that Statute being utterly unable to prove any such Crime against us nor could any ever yet convict us of such an Evil nor by the Grace of God shall they I hope ever be able to do it Upon a due Enquiry it will evidently appear that it is the Lord himself that hath ordered his People to convene or congregate for the better discharge of the great Duties of Prayer Preaching and the Celebration of other his holy Ordinances to which holy Ends he has allowed not four Persons only but the whole Church in any Town or City to come together into one Place among whom also such as do not believe the Gospel are allowed to appear in order to their Illumination and this without any limitation in respect of Number So that it seems to exceed the due Bounds of humane Power to use Restraint where God hath given such gracious Liberty 1 Cor. 14. 23 24 25. Jam. 2. 2 3. Heb. 10. 24. Forasmuch then as God has not given any Power upon Earth to forbid any Christian or such as desire to know Christ to hear his