reconciliation of the King with his Parliament impossible I confesse I am cast into so thick a mist that all appearance of peace for a very long time to any of the Kingdomes The zealous diligence of Ministers might doe much to remove the other hâ—lf doth quite evanish and flee out of the reach of my weak apprehension For curing of the miseries and preventing of the dangers on the other hand I could wish as I was speaking at the beginning that all whom God has called to any employment in his house would shake off sluggish negligence and keep stricter watch in their stations giving loud warning to the people of God of the dangers about them being very carefull that neither fear nor despair nor any other sinistrous affection keep them from the duties which the extreamly bad times doe cry for from the hand of every child of God I have oft been witnesse with much joy to the abundant zeal of divers the Lords faithfull Ministers both in the Assembly and City who in their Writings and Sermons and private sedulity have endeavoured to their power the awakening of all about them for the defence of that truth which Christ had committed to their trust So that I am sure that when ever they shall come to their accounts their Master will accept and blesse their fidelity I wish no more of them but to runne on as they have begun without fainting that no man take their crown Nor of others but to follow with the like zeal in their footsteps And for the encouraging of all towards this active diligence we may call to remembrance but two vulgar motives The sedulous activity of the Sectaries doth shame our slothfulnesse example and successe the one of our adversaries the other in our own and our brethrens experience How many of the Sectaries make bold without any fear any fainting any ceasing in season and out of season by preaching printing disputing in all places all companies towards all relations to propagate their erroneous ways How shall their heat and activity in evill stand up against us for our frigidity for our unequall care and labour in good Also Zealous diligence is ordinarily successefull our own experience of very great successe from small endeavours when cordially put on may animate us to a greater diligence How oft have the prayers and consultations of a few gracious and wise brethren set on foot advanced and brought to an issue many happy purposes the fruits whereof this age doe begin to enjoy for which the posterity shall blesse the authors though they never heard of their names How many most dangerous designs which were in a readinesse to have much encreased the miseries both of Church and State by the labours of a few unseen men have been timeously prevented countermined and totally defeated How oft have the City yea both the Houses of Parliament upon the zealous and prudent motion of one only man been stirred up to very notable performances I doe not remember when I have been witnesse to any gracious Ministers powerfull exhortation to the honourable House of Commons that has not presently been blessed with some good fruit Our grief for what yet lies behinde must not cast out of our memory the great things that are done already I verily beleeve that much more long before this had been done both in City and Countrey both by Lords and Commons if some Divines whom the Lord has anointed with grace learning wisdome eloquence and credit above their fellows had been more instant and industrious about those things which nearly concern Divines wherewith Christ their Master has trusted them above all others and which Church-men every where else to very good purpose use to mind with all the care and industry they are able The caveats of zeal The least degree of true piety must be tenderly hâ—ndled The zealous diligence of the Lords servants about their masters work can neither hurt nor justly offend any if it be tempered with the mixture of three needfull ingredients Piety Charity and a love to order In all our combats against error or whatever evill else of the time we must be very attentive that we give not the least discouragement to true Piety for this is so sweet and tender a plant of Gods own hand that who ever is acquainted with it will be extreamly loth to doe it the least hurt were it by their very breath much lesse by their words and actions It must be a grosse mistake or a grievous calumny which the Sectaries so much inculcate that Orthodoxe Ministers in their zeal against errours fall a beating and wounding the Saints of God and troubling the godly party the Lord forbid it were so The ground of this mis-assertion I take to be a twofold mis-apprehension 1. That all pretenders to piety though they be found really impious hypocrites yet for their sâ—â—ws of Religion ought not to be dealt with according to their visible hypocrisie 2. That those who are truly pious and really the children of God may not be compassed about with many sinfull infirmities It ought to offend none when the mask is pulled off the face of those who scorn God and the world by the fair pretences of that which their very rough hands and the hellish vapours of their mouth doe demonstrate was never near their heart When such are hewen by the Prophets when by the sword of the Word they are slain when the fire and salt of God is cast upon such why should any gracious soul take it self to be touched Again when the most true Saints are rebuked most sharply for their errours or other sins whereby they offend God they become instruments of his dis-service and of the advancement of Satans Kingdome so much the more as their known grace makes the readier passage for the communication and propagation to others of their ungracious and sinfull corruptions if here a gracious Physitian endeavour to cut off from them their cancerous excrescences though it be with some pain yet here there is not the least intention of hurt to any of their sound members I dare say in the name of my brethren Presbyterians are far from suppressing the least measure of piety that when ever they are blowing away with the greatest earnestnesse the noisome smoak that fils the house to the offence of all within they shall be as loth to put out the smallest spark of grace in the smoaking flaxe as to choak the naturall heat of their own heart I confidently avow that no Presbyterian has any question at all with any dissenter about any thing which in the least degree toucheth upon piety and grace for every part of this they take to proceed from the heart of God and where ever they finde it they are willing to embrace it were it in the bosome of their greatest enemies as that which they professe is their own greatest aim to follow and study to attain If at any time
they are miscarried to practice against this profession they acknowledge their errour and duty to endeavour amendment and satisfaction I wish all our controversies were so near an end as this quickly may be I hope the Saints will not be so unreasonable as to make the beating of their unsanctified errours reflect upon any part of their sanctity especially when they who deal with them are so carefull as they can when they break their shels to remember what is within that they spoil not their pearl and for all which may offend in the cask and shard that the jewell and treasure which God has inclosed be not trod under foot Châ—rity and compassion to bâ— extended to our enemies This is almost all I have to say of the second caution also That in the greatest pangs of our zeal we never forget charity It 's true in this dead age where zeal against error or vice is so rare and where it is found of so low a degree that we need not draw it down by the mixture of any allaying adjunct yet because in some it has and in more it may exceed that charity which the Lord will have joyned with it we shall be loth to separate When ever we have to doe not only with them in whom we evidently see some rayes of the image of God but with very hypocrites whom we have but too good ground to suspect of counterfaiting yet for charities sake let us give them so far as evident verity will admit a good construction leaving the full account and certain search of them to the Lords fâ—rther discovery whether here or in his own day In the mean time for the sake of that grace and truth they carry in their face and mouth let us deal so gently with them as may be yea when we have to do with the grossest sinners let us never put off the bowels of pity and humanity to the worst of them Who hath made us of a better metall What sometimes have we been What before all our tryals be over may yet escape us or our children or our dearest friends Who knoweth how soon these wicked persons may receive mercy and be rescued out of Satans bands And though their wickednesse should continue yet they are not without abundant misery If it be not unhappinesse enough to be slaves to errour to vice to the Devill while they live to be instrumentall in the advancing of Satans Kingdome and active in destroying the precious souls of men yet their torments which abides them in hell are lamentable and a matter of great compassion to all who beleeve them What ever indignation we are obliged to carry against the sin yet we must pity the man and if any censure spirituall or temporall be inflicted upon him this justice must flow from the fountain of love and desire by that ordinary means to recover the person or else the execution will be no lesse heavy to the inflicter then to him on whom it is inflicted The clamours and invectives against the Presbyterians charity may well be neglected being so evidently caustesse Presbyteriâ—nâ— are far from persecuting any They are called persecutors when to this houre no power at all so much as of admonition is put in their hand and for this fault are cryed out upon by them who practise persecution to their power before the Sun If most bitter and injurious contumelies in word and print if crushing of a man in his credit and estate if threatning and beating by swords and staves onely for righteousnesse sake may come within the lines of any persecution As for the Presbyterians elsewhere why should their faults be charged upon the English before they be put in a condition to fall into them And yet I pray you how highly doth this humour of persecution raign in the worst of Presbyterians any where Doe they at all meddle with any mans goods liberty or life This has often been objected by some either ignorant or malicious men but as oft it has been rejected as a very injurious falshood Scotland which useth most to be burthened with this charge is sufficiently cleared of it in the Historicall Vindication All the Church censures there are meerly spirituall Excommunication in that Church is more rare and when it must be exercised is performed with much more leisure caution then amongst any of the Sects if so be they approve of any Discipline I am sure the principles either of the Independents or Brownists or Anabaptists permit them not to draw out so rarely and when it must be drawn to unsheath that sword any thing so leisurely and deliberately as the principles of the Presbyterians force them to doe If the State and Kingdome where the Presbytery doth dwell he pleased by the Acts of their Parliament to inflict any civill censure on excommunicate Papists or such who for obstinacy in a flagicious crime such as adultery murther or fornication or something worse what is that to the Church But this pâ—ssibly may be the matter the Church exhorts the State to the making and execution of Laws which may controul those whom Satan hath inspired to destroy themselves and all others they are able by their detestable errors for the punishment of them who make it their work to impugne and mock all the truths of God if this be the crime we will confesse our guiltinesse but withall that we esteem it a duty which the Parliaments of both Kingdomes have solemnly sworn to perform to their power If the chief framers and commenders of that Covenant at the beginning have since either discovered their hypocrisie or apostatized from their former sense or feigned a sense of their own to that solemn Covenant which is clearly destructive both to its plain words and known intention we can but pity and desire to be free of so grievous guiltinesse The third Caveat I spoke of was a true love to order The dignity and power of the Magistrate would be carefully preserved this is the season when the Prince of mis-rule Satan with all his power is building his Babell both in Church and State If ever order was necessary in the Church it is now more when every person man or woman young or old whose phansie is up must be at publick preaching and if in this they would square their words to any good rule it were the lesse evill But the most of their doctrines are meer conceits contrary to the truth of God Vnhappy Independents who opened at first and keep open to this day the door of the Church for these Satyres and Vultures these Iim and Ziim the great Owles and shriek Owls the wild beasts of the Desert and the wild beasts of the Island the Dragons and all the dolefull creatures to come in and defile to make havock of all that is most precious in the House of God But the order I mean here is chiefly in the State it will not satisfie the Masters of our mis-order
that every man might marry so many wives as he pleased OO Also the Law of Divorce was brought back giving leave to a man upon his meer will without any fault alledged and without the cognizance of any Judge to put away his wife PP yea to kill any of his wives whether publickly as himself did in the open Market place QQ or privately as their next King did in a wood of Freezland RR This also was a Law of that Kingdom Robberies also that beside the falling upon all the goods of all the wicked world as a most lawfull spoyl there behoved to be a liberty to make use of all that belonged to any of the Saints That all things among them behoved to be common SS yet so that the King and his Courtiers might lawfully live in plenty while all the other Saints in that their new Jerusalem were starving with excessive penury TT It is visible whither Satan intends to lead proud hypocrites Their hypocrisie ended in the open practice of crimes extremely contrary to their professions these men who in their own eyes were so holy Saints as they behoved in the tendernesse of their conscience to separate from the best reformed Churches these men who talked of nothing but mortification of the flesh who counted it unlawfull to defend their life by the sword or to exercise the meanest Magistracy or to have any propriety in the smallest portion of goods or to know their own wives after they were conceived VV in a short time they came to preach and practice as very lawfull and warrantable to make themselves absolute Kings and Monarchs of the whole earth to live and die in as many adulteries and incests as they pleased in as great plenty of wealth as by any secret theft or open robbery they were able to catch Their abominable unclearnesse It could hardly be imagined that the Devil himself had been able to lead any reasonable creatures into so grievous errors did we not know to how much grosser these same horrible hypocrites who upon the profession of their own holiness refused cōmunion with all other men had been led away by that evill spirit divers of them not being content with the adulteries of Polygamy have loosed the bonds of all matrimony yea of all naturall relations XX telling us as in the former Chapter was remarked that among the Saints there ought to be no difference of husband and wife Father and daughter brother and sister that such differences were only for imperfect worldlings So soon as a woman turned Anabaptist they made her company with her own husband unlawfull but with all men of her own Religion lawfull upon divers wicked grounds XX 2 Farther that the shame which nature has imprinted in the heart of the most barbarous Pagans to cover their nakednesse must be cast away YY and thereafter that all kinde of incestuous commixtions are not only lawfull but also that they are the very acts of holinesse and mortification ZZ These be the profound mysteries which the Anabaptists have brought into the world this is the fruit of their quatriduall fastings of their extatick prayers of their heavenly raptures and revelations They deny both old and new Testament These might have seemed the very quintessence of all imaginable absurdities if the enemy of all truth had not given us in the same miserable hypocrites a further experiment of his skill in seducing they tell us therefore yet of rarer novelties of new more excellent lights which they have brought out of heaven AAA Having cast away first the old Testament as removed by the Gospel and then the Gospel it self as a shadow put away by the greater light of their new Prophets BBB these impediments of holy Scripture being fully removed the new perfect Doctrine which they bring us is first that there is not any created spirit They deny angels and devils and souls that Angels and Devils are not substances but meer qualities CCC that the spirits of men are but terrestriall vapour like the life of beasts perishing with the body DDD They deny heaven and hell eternall life Secondly that there is no such thing as heaven or hell as life or death eternall EEE that all the resurrection and glory to be expected are in this life FFF Thirdly They cast away all the ordinances of God that the greatest happinesse possible is to cast away and give over all such services as the Scripture prescribes to put away Baptisme the Lords Supper and Preaching of the word GGG to follow the directions of the new great Prophet David George Fourthly that this David George was the only spirituall Christ David George to them was spirituall Christ much more excellent then Christ crucified that Jesus and his Apostles and all their Doctrine were but carnall HHH that David George was to judge the world III that the irremissible transgression was only a wrong against him that whoever would maintain Jesus Christ to be equall with him or the Gospel of the Apostles to be like unto his Doctrine did sin against the holy Ghost and was certainly damned KKK The absurdities of the worst Hereticks of old the calumnies invented by Pagans against the ancient Christians were nothing so horrible though all had been true as these Doctrines and practises whereof the unquestionable testimonies of grave Writers make many of the old Anabaptists most certainly guilty But that which herein I most admire is Many people were ready to seal with their bloud all these abominations that ever poore people could be brought to beleeve so firmly the former absurdities as to suffer most willingly all extremities and exceeding chearfully to offer their very life for the worst of them LLL so long as their Master David did require such seals and testimonies to his Doctrine Thereafter indeed he changed that principle of suffering for the truth and permitted his followers not only to dissemble their own Religion but also to joyn without any scruple in any profession in any religious exercise of any people among whom they lived for he taught them that God was content with the heart alone and gave liberty for all men to imploy their body and the whole outward man in the service of the falsest Religion rather then he should suffer the smallest inconvenience The monster David George did live and die in plenty and peace The other object of my admiration is the infinite patience of God who suffered the Father of such monsters to lead his life in ease and security to go on in peace and plenty with a great shew both of Religion and vertue and the good opinion of his neighbours to his old age and dying day MMM Such snares does the Lord in his wisdome rain down on the wicked world that they who never loved the truth may be intangled irrecoverably in the bonds of error The best of the Anabaptists have very grosse errours I grant many of the
oftentimes a part of her publick exercises LL the other feminine Preachers in Kent Norfolk and the rest of the Shires had their breeding as I take it in the same or the like school The most of all the particulars which in our first Part we ascribed either to the Independents or Brownists They must not preach in a Steeple-house the Anabaptists do practise they are so averse from all that the Church in the time of Popery did use that they can keep very little of it all Churches must be demolished they are glad of so large and publick a preaching place as they can purchace but of a Steeple house they must not hear MM All tythes and all set stipends are unlawfull their preachers must work with their owne hands and may not go in black clothes All tythes to them are an abomination NN they will allow to their Pastors no set stipend at all OO they admit of an cleemosynary contribution but it must be a small one for they will have their Preachers to provide for the most of their own necessities by their handy labour PP They are so averse from all that has been that their Preachers for their satisfaction must change the very colour of their habit a blackcoat to them is no small reproach They celebrate the Lords Supper in any common Innes after another feast All the new light of the Independents and Brownists is borrowed from the Anabaptists The Lords Supper is brought by them almost to a civill Table in any Innes when they have made a publick feast in the end of their banquet they fall in a very homely way to the Lords Supper QQ In their ordinary practises we behold the fountain almost of all the singularities of the Independents and Brownists these men are no wise so good at invention as the vulgar esteems them the most of all the light which they hold out as new did shine long ago in the lamps of their fathers and brethren our Anabaptists in hand The anoynting of the sick with oyl the rejecting of the Lords Prayer of all set Psalms of Universities and humane learning are the Anabaptists inventions The half miraculous cure of their sick members by the prayer of the Elders and their anoynting with oyl is the Anabaptists practise RR the casting away of the Lords Prayer SS and of all set Psalms TT the exibilating of all songs out of the congregation VV is their invention the bitter invectives against humane learning Arts Sciences Universities are all from them XX but leaving these we will touch only one point more of their Brownism to wit their Tenets about the Magistrate and so proceed M. Brown did take from the Magistrate all power about matters of Religion these he did remit absolutely to the conscience of every particular person declaring himself while he stood in his infamous way for a full liberty of conscience uncontrollable by the Laws of any mortall man YY but in this all the disciples till of late did leave the Master The elder Brownists and Independents of New England do make it a chief duty of the Christian Magistrate to restrain and punish false Teachers and enemies to the truth of God ZZ in so much that Antipaedobaptists have no toleration among them ZZ 2 The Independent Apologists are for liberty to most of the Sects The Authors of the Apologetick narration do boast of giving to the Magistrate more then any other Protestants by their principles can do AAA yet now it seems they have changed this note and are returning to M. Browns first profession of liberty from the Magistrates sword in all matters of conscience for they tell us that no Magistrate may punish for what the Church may not censure BBB and they assume that the Church may not censure for any error which is not fundamentall and wherein the erroneous person is not obstinate and self-condemned CCC Such at least must be all Brownists all Antipaedobaptists most Antinomians and Arminians many Papists who imbrace not all the errours of the Church of Rome and in these errours which they do maintain have never had the means of self-conviction against none of all these or any the like may the Parliament make any Law but to all such they are obliged if they will not transgresse the limits of power which God and right reason have set unto them to proclaim a full liberty without the least restraint And some of their prime friends for a generall liberty to all This will conclude the power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion in a prety narrow compasse yet it leaves him some power to punish for fundamentall errours and grosse blasphemies Therefore the Independents at least some of their prime Teachers without any publick reproof from their fellows so farre as we know are gone a step further to cut off here all idle and curious debates concerning fundamentals the disputes about praeter super and contra fundamentalia are exceeding subtill and intricate yea unextricable they are more wise then to involve themselves and others therein so once for all they jump over that ditch and avow that for Magistrates to controll any man in his grossest errors for them to make or execute any Law to restrain any mans conscience and practise according to conscience is but to sight against God and to commit the monstrous practise of the old Gyants against the heavens which they call a Theomachy DDD All this Independent Doctrine is brought from the Anabaptists schools The Anabaptists deny all power to Magistrates in any thing that concerns Religion it is one of the articles of their faith offered to the present Parliament that no Laws ought to be made by any men upon earth about any things which concern the worship of God That who ever makes any rules for the service of God does charge Christ with want of wisdom or faithfulnesse or both in not making Laws anew for his own house EEE That the great Law for matters of Religion is this Let every man be fully perswaded in his own minde of the truth of what he beleeves without any controll from any upon earth FFF That it is the Magistrates duty to protect every man in his just liberty of conscience Turcisme Popery Atheisms the greatest blasphemies they would not have punished with so much as a discountenance without which all other liberties are unworthy the naming GGG Now to put us out of all doubt what kinde of consciences they desire to be protected by the Magistrate in their liberty they are content to come down to specifications At the beginning they had not the courage to require a generall liberty for all erroneous consciences as divers of the Independents to this day professe their aversenesse fom an unlimited toleration of all errours so M. Blackwood who first came out to storm the Antichristian baptizers of children does stick a little at Papists and more at blasphemers and Atheists
finde that all their zeal and Covenanting with the high God is for no other end then to bring this easily deluded Nation under bondage to Presbyteriall Lords and Taskmasters The interest of England p. 16. Quaere 6. Whether the solemne League and Covenant may not prove the greatest mischief and snare unto the Kingdome in case its interpretation be wrested from the Parliament to the Presbyters new proselyte and his confederates that ever yet was invented since the Warres See also Dels scruples against the Covenant through the whole PPP 3 Remonstrance of many thousands p. 8 10 13 14 18. Also the interest of England p. 13. PPP 4 I spare to name the worshipfull and reverend instruments of this high contumely most unworthy of them PPP 5 Conscience cautioned p. 5. If the Scots stay and keep our Towns and Garrisons after voted out is it not Invasion Is it not the same to enter in hostility or in confluent numbers after voted out if they deliver not up the King when demanded without capitulation for they are our Army our servants and is not the king our States Prisoner Ibid. p. 12. All this is but to King the Scots under the colour of the Kings name to make them Kings of England and the English their slaves Quaeries Who is it that holds out c p. 1. Also black cloud in the North through it all PPP 6 Gangren third Part. QQQ The modest Queries concerning a printed paper p. 6. Abstruse and disputable points of Religion as that of free-will of the Trinity of the Hypostaticall union concerning the death of Christ concerning the state of the soul after death c. RRR Ibid. p. 1. Whether it be agreeable to the minde of Christ for men to inflict the heavy censure of death upon their Brethren for holding forth such Doctrines or opinions in Religion suppose contrary to admonition which for ought the said inflicters know except they make themselves infallible may be the sacred truths of God SSS Vide supra in the Histories of Becold and Muncer TTT M. Marshals Defence p. 75. It is most apparent that their Books even to this day do constantly defend that though Magistracy be an Ordinance of God as to them who are not under the dominion and kingdome of Christ yet Christ hath put an end to it among his own people taken away all Magistracy from among them that no Christian can be a Magistrate with a good conscience and that if Christians do live under any such they are to bear them but as other plagues and judgements are to be born TTT 2 Disswasive first Part p. 152. MMMMMM 3. VVV Ibid. p. 72. VV. XXX M. Williams informed me that Mistresse Hutchison in the first place she setled with her company after her banishment did perswade her husband to lay down the office of the Magistrate as that which was unlawfull for Christians to bear YYY The just mans justification p. 10. That you would think upon the grand murderer of England for by this impartiall Law of God there is no exemption of Kings Princes Dukes Earles Barons Judges or Gentlemen more then of Fishermen Coblers Tinkers and Chimney-sweepers upon his shoulders all the innocent bloud that hath in such abundance been shed in this Kingdom doth lie Numb 35.31 God saith plainly that there shall no satisfaction be taken for the life of a murtherer but he shall surely be put to death because Saul though a King slew some Gibeonites contrary to the Covenant made with them God sent a famine upon all Israel for three years for that very innocent bloudshed by the King And there was no expiation or satisfaction to be made therefore but by the bloud of him that had shed it and therefore because he himself was dead and his bloud could not be had seven of his sons of his own bloud must and was hanged up to make satisfaction therefore 2 Sam. 21.1 2 3 4. to the 9. See also Arguments proving that we ought not to part with the Militia Argument 10. According to protestations oathes and Covenants he ought to be brought to exemplary and condign punishment he being the greatest and most notorious delinquent in the whole Kingdome yea the originall fountain and wel-spring of all the Delinquents in the Kingdom giving Commissions to all the rest to kill murther and slay the innocent people Also Queries to finde out who it is that holds out in Arms against the State of England How can it be properly said that the English Creator the State of England can commit Treason against its own meeâ— creature the King their rebellious servant who hath stood it out in open hostility as long as possibly he could against his earthly Soveraign Lord King and Creator the State universall whose legall and formall representative the Parliament is ZZZ The Remonstrance of many thousands p. 6. Your Preachers must pray for him as if he had not deserved to be excommunicated all Christian society or as if ye or they thought God were a respecter of the persons of Kings in judgement we do expect according to reason that ye should in the first place declare and set forth King Charles his wickednesse openly before the world and withall to shew the intolerable inconveniences of having a Kingly Government from the constant evill practises of those of this Nation and so to declare King Charles an enemy and to publish your resolution never to have any more but to acquit us of so great a charge and trouble for ever and to convert the great revenue of the Crown to the publick Treasure The last Warning p. 1 2. None can shew one good Act that ever any King did voluntarily for the good of the people If ye will examine Stories or your own experience your self may produce thousands of oppressions murders and other Tyrannies though no condition of mankinde ever did so many so intolerable mischiefs though it cannot be said to what use they serve or that there is any use of them except to debauch and vex a people you hate those that would shew a more just and rationall way of Government then that of Kings Remostrance p. 16. If ye would in many things follow the Hollanders good example and make this Nation a State free from the oppression of Kings and the corruption of the Court c. AAAA The just man in bonds p. 1. The Lords are but painted puppies and Dagons that our superstition and ignorance their own craft and impudence have erected no naturall issues of Laws but the extuberances and mushromes of Prerogative the wens of just government putting the body of the people to pain as well as occasioning deformity Sonnes of conquest they are and usurpation not of choyce and election intruded upon us by power not constituted by consent not made by the people from whom all power place and office that is just in this Kingdome ought onely to arise BBBB Alarm to the House of Lords p. 4. This is
that circumcision did primarily seal the temporall promise and signified sanctification but secondarily I know the Anabaptists in Germany shame not to say that the Covenant made with Abraham was a meer carnall thing and had nothing to do with eternall life as for the expression of learned Cameron if by primarily he meaned immediately that it sealed these things first in order as they were types of spirituall things it may then passe cum grano salis but if by primarily he intended principally that circumcision did chiefly seal earthly blessings the opinion is too unsavoury to be received BB M. Marshals Defence 245. For my own part I seriously professe that supposing infant Baptism a nullity I cannot understand how any in the world should this day be lawfully baptized unlesse it can be made good that a person unbaptized himself may be a lawfull Minister of baptism to others Tombs Apology p. 54. That none be admitted to the Lords Supper till he be rightly baptized I professe is to be stood upon in point of prudence for right order yet if it be stood upon in point of conscience so as in no case the contrary is to be permitted it will of necessity make many superstitious perplexities for besides that it may be doubted whether all the Apostles were baptized who yet were admitted to the Lords Supper by Christ himself when Constantine the Great and others did deferre their Baptism so long it is not likely they never received the Lords Supper before their Baptisme CC Tombs Apology p. 31. I do count the story of the Anabaptists to contain in it many things the true reasons of which and the true knowledge of the circumstances concerning them will not appear till the day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God DD Ibid. p. 32. How farre the Anabaptists sought reformation I cannot tell it is plain that Carolostadius and Pelargus and some say Melancthon would have reformed it in Saxony had not Luthers pertinacy in that as well as Consubstantiation and Images withstood it and Baltazar Hubmer sought it at Zurick and was denied it is known I think the reformed Churches have been to blame and so may be our present reformers that they have never yeelded to reform it in a regular way EE Ibid. p. 106. M. Marshals Book it appears was contrived by divers I believe the ablest of the Assembly I wish it were declared whether the paedobaptists would stick to that work or any other FF Ibid. p. 93. And though many magnifie the vertue and benefit of their juridicall excommunication yet the best intelligence I have makes me question whether it hath not b en rather an engine of much harm as being used rather against dissenters in opinion and opposers of profit then men openly vitious managers of that censure generally shewing themselves irreconciliable to them that dissent from them but favourable enough to vitious living GG Ibid. p. 57. I was told there was a very intelligent man that said he was sorry that I had M. Marshall for my Antagonist as knowing him to be apt to mistake which he conceived would be a vexation to me and indeed I finde his words true p. 69. I must confesse I finde M. Marshall still so confused a Disputer that I know not to what purpose his manner of writing in this point should tend but to puzzle his Reader and weary his respondent HH Ibid. p. 19. M. Marshall says that I vilifie M. Thomas Goodwin as a man who by spinning out similitudes and conjectures deceives his auditors I say still that I expected from M. Goodwin arguments but counted my self deluded with his conjectures finding nothing to his purpose in any of these Texts which were the main he alledged HH 2 Ibid. p. 3. I saw few or none regarded for clearing the truth but popular Orators such as relate to great men or are usefull to uphold a party are the men esteemed And p. 95. I may rather say that by my two Treatises there is such a wound given already to infant baptisme that however men may play the Mountebanks and skin it over it will never be cured at the bottom II Vide supra BB. KK Ibid. p. 10. I durst not justifie such a practise as to gather a separated Church LL Vide supra C. MM Vide supra BB. NN Tombs Apology p. 92. I doubt much how hence may be concluded any power of suspension from the Lords Supper for every emergent scandall so judged by a congregation or congregationall Presbytery OO Ibid. p 91. I have said that I doubted whether ever excommunication a sacris or the Presbyterian or the Independent Ecclesiasticall Government would be proved to be Jure Divino by Christs appointment and I doubt whether the power of the Keyes Matth. 16. be any other then doctrinall and whether Matth. 18. contain any other direction then about particular injuries betwixt brother and brother or Let him be to thee a Heathen and Publican be any other then shunning familiar converse PP Ibid. I confesse that I take it to be but a matter of prudence whether each congregation have its compleat power within it self or that it be ordered in some things by an Assembly of select persons out of divers congregations and whether congregations and Pastors be fixed or unfixed p. 93. I suppose in the manner of doing these things we have not certain precise direction from Gods word but that we are left free by God to order such things though pertaining to Christians as Christians by alterable rules of prudence QQ Ibid. p. 93. Nor doth the Church lose by having a Christian Magistrate if that jurisdiction be wanting sith I suppose it is better provided for by the constant care of a Christian Magistrate if conscientious in executing judgement if not such censures have been seldome executed with conscience or good effect RR M. Marshals Defence p. 73. Have not multitudes of our Anabaptists swallowed down all Arminianisme SS A Defence of the lawfulnesse of infants baptism in answer to M. Spilsberry VV M. Spilsberry peculiar interest of the elect in Christ and his saving grace XX Gangren first Part division second p. 23. M. Den exercises in Lambs Church the usuall theme that he is upon is Christs dying for all for Judas as well as Peter he often preaches this Doctrine as those who have heard him do report this is the everlasting Gospel to beleeve that Jesus Christ hath dyed for all men Turks Pagans and that all the sins of men committed against the morall Law were actually forgiven and pardoned when Jesus Christ shed his blood and none of them that ever men had committed or should were imputed to them but men were onely damned for not beleeving in Christ and for nothing else YY Ibid. p. 36. Oats who is a great Dipper and Preacher amongst them delivered in Bell-Alley in Colemanstreet not long ago that the Doctrine of Gods eternall election and predestination was a damnable Doctrine and
and Elders the Independency of every Congregation from Presbyteries and Synods the thousand years of Christs visible raign upon earth All this new light did shine first and still burns most brightly among the Anabaptists Although many of the Tenets mentioned in the former Chapter be dissembled and denied by divers of this Sect Their Antipaedobaptisme and dipping shall here bee briefly and plainly considered yet all of them will acknowledge as their own what ever almost is practised either by the Independents or Brownists and besides two Tenets more Antipaedobaptism and Dipping all who carry the name of Anabaptisme though through ignorance they know not or through better instruction they dissent from many positions of their Brethren yet will avowedly and oft with passion professe their minde against the sprinkling of infants paedorantisme to all of them I ever heard of is an abomination It will not therefore be amisse before I leave them to speak something to those two points which all of them are content to take upon themselves as a Characteristick distinction from any other Sect. Let us then consider First whether it be lawfull to baptize any infant Secondly whether sprinkling be sufficient or if it be necessary to dip over head and eares all who are baptized Concerning the state of the first Question The state of the first question we need not controvert the quality of the infants to be baptized Whether they must be the children of true beleevers or onely of professors without scandall whether of Church members only or if it be enough that their Parents be Christians in the largest signification all this belongs to another place The onely point pertinent here is Whether any infants may be baptized The champions for the Anabaptists side in their Declaration of the publick Dispute intended by them with the City Ministers for their Tenet set down their These in these expresse terms No infants ought to be baptized The formall contradiction hereof is Some infants ought to be baptized for this Position I propone some few Scripturall reasons Who have leisure to see this point debated at length may look upon the worthy and judicious Writs of M. Marshall M. Black M. Geere M. Ainsworth also in his last Writ and M. Cotton in his latest learnedly and zealously maintain this truth against the Anabaptists The first reason for the affirmative My first reason I frame thus Who ever have a good right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament ought to be baptized But some infants have a good right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament Ergo Some infants ought to be baptized The major is naturally clear it needs no more for its proof but the explication of the terms of the Proposition for Baptism and the first Sacrament of the New Testament are one thing and ought to be baptized is nothing else but to have a good right to Baptism Who have right to the chief promises have right to some of the seals which God has appointed to be a means of assurance of these promises unlesse the Lord himself have made a speciall exception All the question lies in the minor which thus I prove Who ever have right to the chief promises of the New Testament they have right to the first Sacrament of the New Testament if the Lord have not put some impediment to their participation of that Sacrament But some infants have right to the chief promises of the New Testament and the Lord has put no impediment to their participation of that Sacrament Ergo. About the major I see one and but one makes some velitation all the rest give it for granted for it is grounded likewise on the nature of the terms of the proposition the chief promises of the New Testament and the first Sacrament this is the sign and seal that the thing signified The reason proceeds not from every thing signified to every sign but from the chief thing signified to the first sign some of the blessings which Circumcision did seal belonged to Melchisedek to Lot to Job and others who were not so farre as we reade circumcised but the main promises sealed by Circumcision In thy seed all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed The Messias comming of the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Covenant of grace as it was administred under the figures of the Ceremoniall Law did belong to the people of Israel alone and to the proselytes who joyned themselves to their body Nor do we speak but of the first sign for unlesse there be a right to this there is a right to none and where the Lord has appointed signes to seal up thereby the assurance of his promises to deny to them whom God wil have to be assured of the promise the use of all the seals which he has instituted to be the spirituall means of that assurance were on mans part a great unjustice except the Lord himself have put a barre to the participation of these seals as in the Sacrament of Circumcision of old he did to women and to male infants before the eighth day and to all born in the Wildernesse during the time of their fourty years wandering therein But it is upon the minor that our Adversaries bestir themselves to purpose they deny stoutly both its parts Infants have good right to the promises of the Covenant of grace all the Scripturall objections which they can make against infants baptism they count impediments put by God to paedobaptism and upon this ground they deny the last part of the minor this we shall consider when we come to answer their objections it were not so pertinent in this place The first part likewise of the minor they deny affirming that no infants have right to any promise of the New Testament before the time of their actuall faith which they say cannot possibly be in them before the years of their discretion This is the greatest and most dangerous knot in the whole debate for we do not so much contend for the outward Sacrament to infants as for their spirituall right in God and his promises all our adversaries deny to all infants all right in God all interesses in his promises and Covenant as much as they do to Turks and Pagans Some of both say they may be elected and saved but neither of both have any place in the Covenant of grace or any Gospel promises till they be called by the Word and by an actuall faith have embraced the Gospel If therefore we make good the right and interest of any infants in the chief promises of the New Testament we establish the main hinge of this whole controversie For this end we will endeavour to clear from Scripture these four propositions First that the infants of the Jews had reall and true interest in the Covenant of grace even before the comming of Christ Secondly that the infants of the Jews had that same right in the Covenant of
them for he only admonishes us to be sparing cautious in our reasoning from proportion in positive and institute worship his advice we mind to follow as very reasonable for we doe not from analogy infer the institution of Baptisme or any other positive worship onely the application of Baptisme a worship instituted by an expresse command to a certain subject to wit infants and to reason thus far yea farther from proportions and analogies is the frequent custome both of Christ and his Apostles thus the Lord proves it lawfull for his Disciples to pluck the ears of corn on the Sabbath from Davids eating of the shew-bread and the Apostle proves the necessity of maintaining the Ministers from not muzling of the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn and their living by the Altar who serve at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.9 But the greatest stick is upon the antecedent Baptismes succession to Circumcision we therefore prove it from Col. 2.11 12. Baptisme succeeds to Circumcision Col. 2.11 12. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein also you are risen with him The Apostle here shewing our compleatnesse in Christ tels us that we have in him the main thing signified by Circumcision the spirituall Circumcision of the heart not made with hands the putting off of the body of sin also that in place of the abolished rite of Circumcision we have the new rite of Baptisme whose substance and signification was the very same with Circumcision a buriall with Christ and a resurrection with him a killing of the body of sin and quickning of the new man in the life of every grace The Apostle in this his parallel and comparison of the two Sacraments is clear in making the substance and signification of both to be really one In this also that Circumcision is put away and accomplished by the comming of Christ the body of all the old shadows but that Baptisme yet remains in the Christian church in place of Circumcision having the same ends and significations therewith Many dissimilitudes are here brought by some to hinder all proportion analogy and parallel betwixt these two Sacraments but how many soever can be brought they will prove no more but that those two are not one which was never affirmed by any things that are like and agree onely in some third cannot possibly be one for identity destroys analogy and similitude But if two concordances betwixt Baptisme and Circumcision be made good the third for which we reason will of its own accord follow if it be clear that Circumcision and Baptisme be both of them seals of the same covenant and both of them initiating seals it follows that if infants were capable of the one they are also of the other If the first two doe not clearly enough appear from the last passage of the Apostle there be many more Scriptures beside to make them evident The first similitude betwixt Baptisme and Circumcision is their sealing of the covenant of grace Circumcision did seal the Covenant of grace and the blessings therein contained this of Baptisme was never questioned but of Circumcision the Anabaptists did ever deny it we prove it first from Gen. 17.11 Gen. 17.11 and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and thee what covenant was this whereof Circumcision is here called a token or as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4.11 a sign and a seal Moses expresses it in the 7. v. calling it an everlasting covenant wherein God promised to be a God to Abraham and to his seed after him this covenant must be of grace since the Lord the fountain of grace and glory promises therein to communicate even himself to Abrahams posterity It is true according to the wise and wonderfull dispensation of the grace of God both under the Law and Gospel the promise is preached to the whole seed and all the members of the visible church whether elect or reprobate but what is offered to all in the Word and Sacraments is conferred onely upon the elect by the efficacy of his grace who works all in all according to the good pleasure of his will It is clear also from Deut. 30.6 Deut. 30.6 that Circumcision was a seal of the covenant of grace and the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live here the thing signified by the rite of Circumcision is the sanctification of the Spirit and the planting of the love of God in the mortified heart which without all doubt are two of the principal promises of the covenant of grace Likewise Rom. 4.11 Rom. 4.11 is so clear that in reason it ought to stop all mouths from farther debating in this point and he received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Whence we reason The covenant that brings to Gospel justification to the righteousnesse of faith to remission of sins and happinesse is the covenant of grace But the Apostle there affirms Circumcision to have been a seal of such a covenant Ergo. It 's true the covenant of grace The covenant of grace has been diversly administred but ever the same and never mixed in its administration before Christs comming in the flesh was cloathed with many shadows of now abolished ceremonies and had adjoined to it upon mount Sinai the old covenant of works to be a severe paedagogue for the pointing out the way to Christ unto the very unruly children of Israel and for keeping them in awe and terrour by its threats and curses also for alluring them to obedience by its temporall promises we grant because of those adjuncts the covenant of grace is sometimes spoken of as an old covenant and is distinguished from its very self as it was administred by Christ after his incarnation the old dresse of Sinai being changed as of an old garment but that the thing was ever the same advised Christians must be loath to doubt for if the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham and his seed under the Law be not truly and substantially the new covenant of grace we desire to know by what means they obtained either grace or glory and to put all the Fathers of the Old Testament in so beastly a condition as excludes from grace and glory who dare be so insolent Now if we grant them a covenant which did bring them to a state of grace in this life and of glory hereafter how can we deny it to be gracious That which they speak of a mixed covenant is not much to the purpose we did never deny the adjunction of ceremonies and temporall promises and the whole covenant of works unto the covenant of grace under its first administration yea under the very New
the subject to those things much contrary to the credulity and bold assertion of the late Anabaptists Our second Argument The 2. Arg. the thing signified by Baptisme is oftner expressed in Scripture by sprinkling then dipping That action whereby Scripture does frequently represent the main thing signified by baptisme is lawfull and sufficient to be used in baptisme But Scripture frequently represents the main thing signified in baptisme by sprinkling or pouring out of water Ergo. The major is grounded on the nature of Sacramentall rites they are signs fitly proportioned to the spirituall blessings they signifie and seal when we finde in the signe not onely a clear representation and similitude of the thing signified but the holy Ghost in Scripture making use of that representation and relation it is to us a ground of the lawfull use of that sign This is the adversaries owne argument in their great reason for dipping that it does fitly represent our buriall with Christ and is used in Scripture as they alledge for the expressing of that representation As for the minor that pouring and sprinkling frequently in Scripture represents the main thing â—â—gnified and sealed in baptisme our participation of the benefits of Christ his blood and Spirit In Scripture sprinkling is made a sign of the application of Christs blood to the soul many Scriptures doe evidence as first Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Here both the sign and the thing signified of baptisme are set down together the outward washing with water is made to signifie the sprinkling of the heart from an evill conscience That washing by outward sprinkling represents the inward sprinkling of the heart by the blood of Christ as fitly as washing by outward dipping or immersion can doe appears by 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Pet. 1 2. Through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ here the application of Christs blood unto the soul is expressed in the similitude of sprinkling And so fit is this representation that the holy Ghost styles the blood of Christ whereby we are washed and saved the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Heb. 12.24 The other great blessing sealed up in baptisme is our communion in the Spirit of Jesus Also of Châ—ists Spiriâ— this blessing also the Spirit delights to expresse by the act of pouring or sprinkling of water Act. 2.16 17. Acts 2.16 17. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last days saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh Isay 44.3 Is 44.3 For I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Also Is 52.15 So shall I sprinkle many Nations And Ezek. 36.25 Ezek. 36 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean a new heart will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you As the application of the blood and Spirit of Christ to the soul of the baptized is expressed so often in the tearm of sprinkling so under the Law Sprinking under the Law a figure of the thing signified in Baptisme the action of sprinkling sometimes of blood alone sometimes of water alone sometimes of both together were used for the prefiguring of that blood and water which in the days of the Gospel by the Word and Sacrament were more abundantly to be communicate Exod. 12.7.13 Ex. 12.7.13 And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side postes and on the upper door-poste of the houses wherein they shall eat it And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are and where I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the Land of Egypt Leviticus 16.14 Lev. 16.14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullocks and spriâ—kle it with his finger upon the Mercy-seat East-ward and before the Mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times here blood alone is sprinkled Numb 19.18 Num. 16.18 And a clean person shall take hyssope and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and upon all the persons that were there and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day here water alone for purification is sprinkled at least water without blood for this water of purification had no mixture except of the ashes of the burnt Heifer Lev. 14.5 6 7. Lev. 14.5 6 7. And the Priests shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessell of running water as for the living bird he shall take it and the Cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssope and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water and he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean In this place blood and water together are sprinkled upon the leper at least with the sprinkling of the blood the presence of water is injoined The chief end of applying water to any body whether by dipping of it in the water or sprinkling the water upon it is to purge it from soile Sprinkling serves as much for purging as dipping can do that the use of water in baptisme is to remove and wash away albeit not the defilement of the body yet the guilt of sin from the soul we read in the 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God and Acts 22.16 Acts 22.16 Rise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. This being the onely end why water in baptisme is used that way of using of it must be lawfull which is fit for that end now common experiences teaches that pouring and sprinkling is as meet for purifying as dipping can be a vessell often dipped if not rubbed may keep all its soile and sprinkling or pouring out of water is nothing lesse but oftentimes more effectuall for purging A third Argument If dipping be necessary and sprinkling unsufficient then in all Scripturall approved baptismes dipping was used and not sprinkling But no such thing does appear in Scripture Whether in any Sacramentall baptisme mentioned in Scripture dipping over head and ears was ever practised we shall consider in our answer to the objections but that in divers Sacramentall baptismes approved in Scripture no