and have no pleasure in the truth Me thinks I see National Ministers of singular piety in peoples eyes prove men of singular pravity singularly bewitched into an implicit belief of the base tales that vain fellowes raise of the way of truth and singularly bewitching their people into implicit belief of them that so it is as they say that neither Priest nor people may obey the truth but both stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and ashamed each of other in the end Good Lord how is the practise of the truth made a reproach unto thy people and a derision dayly for I have heard the defaming of many report say they and we will report it possesse the pulpit and make the Priest believe it and then all the Country shall ring out and the people soon be diabolized into the faith on 't but hear ye rude reprochers of that people that are reprovers of the wayes whereby you run a whoring from the Lord you shall not prevail by such sleights such plausible pretences you shall be greatly ashamed you shall not prosper and unlesse you repent of your belying the truth of God your everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten It is too bad to be credulous to flying reports worse so violently to vent them worst of all malevolently to â—…invent them I dare not say nor dare I deem Mr Ba. to be guilty of the last but of the two first I cannot clear him sith I perceive that he takes it for a truth that we ordinarily dip naked and thereupon disputes against it as our usuall practise and then not confidently onely but of a certain relates to the whole world that it is no bare word nor any doubtful thing but an experience a known practise if he can clear himself he hath leave to do it for me who also summon him in the name of Christ Jesus whose true disciples he hath done such dispite to the Lord keep him from despiting the spirit of grace the people of whose love are the people of his wrath to prove it our practise ordinarily to dip naked yea to produce but one instance of any women of maids that ever he saw dipt naked in all his daies and I le abate him much of that I now accuse him of in the court of my conscience but if he say as indeed he does in effect that he never saw any dipt at all whilst p. 134. he saies that all that ever he saw baptized had water powred on them how can he say Epertus loquor it is his experience he having never so much as seen such a thing unlesse it were upon the brazen fac't front of Featleyes book where he fasly feignedly and filthily describes men and women dipping in that fashion or else upon the Titlepage of Ephraim Pagit who there paltrily pictures out this people practising thus and there I believe he hath experienced it or if he only hath it from the the mouthes of such as heard it from the mouthes of others who never saw it but receive it by tradition as well as he and that originally â—…o from the mouthes of some that made it and in such a manner very likely it was first bruted for I am perswaded there was never such a thing done of late in England unless by some Arch Knave and Arrant Whore in way of mockage to the Gospel which is rather a glory then a shame to Christ his truth then let Mr. Ba bear the blame of his blind blaspheming tho people of the everliving God Or if he know indeed that such a thing as baptizing maids and women naked hath been done in serious wise by any persons I further challenge him to make some proof of it and to print the names of such men as have done it and such maids and women that have suffered themselves to be dipped naked and the names of such credible eye witnesses as will testify it as in the fight of God which if he can though I shall not give place to him thereupon so as to be satisfyed therby for his overlashing in asserting it to be our practise to dip naked or for condemning and denominating a whole party much more their cause by the defects abuses of some persons whom the cause disclaimes for then there was 12. devils because one among the twelve and then what an Augaean stable is your Church of England by many members of which notorious roguery is committed every houre Yet I shall satisfy him so far as to undertake that the Church or Churches where such are shall declare every such person as hath wrought such abomination incommunicable without solemn repentance for that sordid practise or be themselves incommunicable by all o her Churches But I believe he cannot do it though I cannoâ—… positively possibly prove a Negative much more am I confident that he cannot make good his charge against us viz. that it is our ordinary and usual practise for besides no lesse then between one and two hundred which in grosse I can ghesse at which with these hands I have baptized I have seen with these eyes many a one more baptized by others yet never did I see male or female baptized naked to this hour nor nex to naked neither if I understand Mr. Baxs meaning in that bawbling phrase of next to naked Yea I suppose I may safely say my converse for these 5 years together and upward hath been with them that are commonly called Anabaptists and my businesse hath been for so long time at least among that people more then I perceive Mr. Baxs hath and much more then among any other people being more or lesse acquainted with a score of their Congregations yet howbeit Mr. Blake flings a little at us too and hath his fingers so far in this spatter as to say page 8. Those that have put a kind of necessity upon dipping have spoken much of being received naked â—…n bapâ—…sm I never heard the least speech of such a thing nor a syllable among them to such a purpose And if Mr. Ba. cannot prove it to be our ordinary known practise to dip naked then in the name of the Lord Jesus before whom he and I shall shortly both appear I intreat Mr. Ba. who as concerning zeal yet persecutes the Church of God poures out reproach upon true Christians giving his voice for them with as much modesty as Haman Est. 3. 8. as for high way Murderers alias that they may all suffer execution being through blindnesse and excaecation exceedingly mad against them that of an ignorant Saul he would become a seeking a searching a seeing a preaching Paul of the faith which he hitherto destroies and though he verily thinks with himself that he ought to do what he does against the truth yet I beseech him to know that he is but as others have been bâ—…fore him zealous of God but not according to knowledg sith it is but of the Traditions of his Fathers Gal.
Ierusalem how often would I have gathered c. but those were men and women only whom he called to believed in him and not infants Again he gathered them by preaching of the word into baptism and membership and received all that came and no more viz. sometimes the children and not the parents sometimes the parents and not the children so that a mans foes for the truths sake sometimes were they of his own family his own flesh therefore he offered not to gather infants for he preacht not to them nor called them at all nor were any more baptized and added to the Church-fellowship in the Gospel then they that gladly received the word that did not infants yea 3000 were gathered into the first Gospel Church by preaching and baptism in one day and never an infant among them all for they surely did not continue in fellow ship in breaking of bread and prayers Acts 2. Therefore whereas Mr. Ba. in his Epistle to the parish of Bewdley challenges Mr. 〈◊〉 to name him one particular Church since Adam either of Jewes or Gentiles where infants were not Church-members if they had any infants till 200 years ago I name him the first Gospel Church that ever was Aâ—…t 2. in which there was not one infant yea there was three thousand baptized in one day and it is a hazard but that those three thousand had many perhaps no lesse than three thousand infants belonging to them all and yet as Mr. Cotton thinkes so think I that none of their infants were baptized with them much lesse were added with them to the Church or continued with them in fellowship as the whole Gospel Church did in breaking of bread and prayers yea though-there was no infants in that Church which was gathered at Ierusalem it self to which Christ saies how oft would I have gathered thy children c. and therefore Mr. Baxs sense is very sinister so I challenge him again to shew me not by such dubious muddy cloudy circumlocutory inconsequential consequences as he doth but undeniable evidences any one of all the Gospel Câ—…urches of the primitive times either of Jewes or Gentiles which we are all to reâ—…orm by viz. Ierusalem Rome Corinth Galatia Philippi Ephesus Thessalonica or any other to fellowship in which there was one infant baptized added and admitted and I shall cry him mercy and lay down the Cudgelis at his feet and acknowledge he hath broke my pate The next Scripture he uses is more impertinent then this yet Mr. Ba. makes a certain shift to squeese an argument out of it and to compel it invita minervâ not a little against its own intent and meaning to corroborate his crooked crazie creed concerning the inchurching and cristening of infants viz. Rev. 11. 15. whence he thus Syllogizes If the kingdoms of this world either are or shall be the kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ then infants also must be members of his kingdom i. e. the visible Church the Antecedent is the words of the text indeed as he saies but the sequel is so sure and follows so firmly in his fancy that he saies nothing can be said against it that is sense or reason but indeed it self is against both sense and reason Who would ever think if the word did not declare that the things of wisdome are hid from the wise and prudent that such a disputer as Mr. Ba. holds himself to be should deduce the now membership of infants fâ—…om such a premise as this viz. because the kingdomes of this world are or else shall be the kindomes of God and Christ what 's this I trow toward the eviction of the other much every way saith Mr. Ba. yea so much that for any thing he can see this text alone were sufficient to decide the whole controversie whether infants must be Church members Amen so beit say I let this Scripture decide it and let 's see what Mr. Ba. saies out If they can say quoth he by kingdoms is meant here some part of the kingdom excluding all infants such men may make their own creed on those termes let the Scripture say what it will I know in some places the word kingdome and Ierusalem c. is taken for a part but if we must take words alwayes improperly because they are taken so sometimes saith he then we shall not know how to understand any Scripture so of necessity it must be understood properly i. e in its prime signification of the whole kingdoms and whole Ierusalem with him and not improperly for a part onely though Mr. Blake to Mr. Black saith upon occasion of our pleading for the proper signification of baptize nothing more or dinary then to have words used out of their prime signification whereby we may see how these men wil needs have that signification that best serves their turnes whether proper or improper when the proper most fits them then the improper cannot be meant there when the proper makes against them the improper is pleaded for as none more usual then that thus the word houshold must include infants when baptism is spoken of but when the passover is spoken of then infants are excluded because else we shall argue from thence to their eating the supper as they from circumcision unto their bapâ—…ism but this by the way that it may be noted how the men will have things their own way by hook or by crook not that I deny the word kingdomes to be taken properly for all the whole kingdome here yea I grant it but let us see what of that why even this if the whole kingdom be the Lords then infants must unavoidably be members of Christs Church and if we ask how comes this about he will tell you two wayes First as infants are all of the Kingdomes of this world taken for the whole kingdom Secondly as by the word kingdom of Christ is meant Christs church Now let us spell and put all together and it is thus much First by Kingdomes of this world is here meant the whole Kingdome of this world or Kingdome taken universally not for some part of it onely Secondly by Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ is here meant Christs church onely Thirdly infants are a part of the Kingdomes of this world and so consequently of Christs church for the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ i. e. Christs church oh brave and plain Scripture proof for infant church-membership and baptism Let us examine what is true and what is false in this First as above I grant that here the Kingdomes of this world signifie the whole Kingdome as he pleads it but that here the Kingdome of the Lord and his Christ signifies Christs church I utterly deny it and am amazed that a reasonable man should affirm it and so consequently I deny that it appears from this place that infants are now members of Christs church But he brings reason for it such as t is
and that shall be a little examined First if they say saith he that the Kindome of Christ is not here meant Christs church they speak against the constant phrase of Scripture which calls Christs Kingdome his Church et conversim Christ is King and saviour of the same society what is Christs Kingdom but his church To which I answer Christs Kingdome is the whole world as well as his church And Secondly that he is King and Saviour of all men in some sense as well as of that same society And Thirdly that it is not against the constant phrase of Scripture to say by Christs Kingdome here is not meant his church for â—…hough it is true by his Kingdome is sometimes exprest his church et retro by his church is meant his Kingdome in a special and restrictive sense yet not constantly there being many places where the word Kingdome of Christ is taken in a larger sense as signifying not the church but the whole world O bad 21 the Kingdome i. e. Monarchy of the whole earth shall be the Lords i. e. Christs so Dan. 7. the Kingdome i. e. Dominion Monarchy and greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the son of man and the Saints yea his Kingdom is over all he shall rule the Nations govern and judge the whole world in righteousnesse Oh saith Mr. Ba. the Kingdome of Christ is more large and more speciall but here it cannot be meant of his kingdom in the larger sense nor as he ruleth common societies and things for so saith he the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs and it could not be said that they are now become so To which I answer First that in granting what he here does that Christs kingdome is taken sometimes in a larger sense then for the church he contradicts himself above where he saies it is the constant phrase of Scripture to call Christs Kingdome his church and what is Christs kingdome but his church Secondly whereas he saies the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs in the larger sense as taken for his Government and Rule I grant de jure Christ hath been Lord of the whole earth a long time but de facto he is not King so as actually to reign over the whole earth as ere long he shall do i. e. at his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 1. to this very day but in that indeed i. e. when he comes he shall be King Monarch over all the earth and rule with a rod of iron over the Nations and judge the world in righteousnesse together with his Saints who hath been judged in unrighteousnesse by the Nations and Rulers hitherto Zach. 14. Dan. 7. Act. 17. P. 2. Rev. 2. then he shall be in point of execution as before by commission and really and actually as now intentionally King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. but till then as yet a little while and his Kingdome comes to his hand and the Kingdomes of the world do thus become his for the work of recovery of his right is now very hot in fieri and will not be long before it be in facto esse till then he hath been an underling and other Lords besides him have had dominion over him in his and also over the whole earth which is his and over the Kingdomes of this world which de jure are his but specially that servus servorum dominus dominorum the Pope and CCClergy that are the whore that hath reigned in three divisions over the earth between whom and Christ the great justle now is in all christendome whether he or they that by permission have had it so long from Christ who onely hath the commission for it shall be King of Kings and Lord of Lords hitherto Christ hath reigned in the world as Charles the second hath reigned in England and no otherwise i. e. hath reigned in the hearts of a few of his friends and followers But I perceive the Gospel or good news of the Kingdome of Christ coming which is to be preached more had more before the end is yet a riddle to Mr. Ba. and though I hope it will be if seeing he will see yet t is not yet given him to know the mystery and manner of Christs Kindome Thirdly whereas he saies that the Kingdom taken in the larger sense i. e. for the world cannot be meant here but the church onely by this phrase the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ I strongly assert that of all places in Scripture the word Kingdomes of Christ cannot here be construed for the church that the church cannot be meant in that phrase but the Kingdomes in the largest sense i. e. the whole world and directly oppositly to Mr. Ba. who saies it is the church I disprove his opinion thus First If by the kingdomes of Christ be meant the Church then it must be thus read viz. the Kingdomes of this world are become Christs Church but what an absurdity must that be specially with Mr. Bax. above all men who so strenuously contends that by the word Kingdoms of this world is meant not in part only but the whole kingdom for to hold that by that phrase the Kingdomes of this world is meant all the kingdomes upon the earth taken wholly and not Synechdochically for a part of those kingdomes onely and that by the kingdom of Christ the Church onely is to make the sense thus viz. the whole world is become Christs Church therefore it cannot be so but thus and so all the circumstances of the text do evince for it is spoken of Christs raign over all the world in the latter daies after the seventh Trumpet hath sounded and not over all his Church onely and of Christs taking to himself ver 17. that great Monarchy power kingdome or greatnesse and glory of his reign which before he permitted to be in the hands of the Dragon beast and whore so that they reigned over the whole earth and the saints too in rigour and unrighteousnesse Rev. 13. Rev. 17. ult I say it must be thus viz. the Kingdomes of this world the Kingdomes under the whole heaven the Monarchy of the whole Earth is now come into Christs own hands or the Government over all is now actually on his shoulders Besides what will Mr. Bax. gain more by his sense of that Scripture towards the proof of his infant-membership then I for the membership of heathen infants then for the Church membership of the whole world if I were minded to plead for it if the Kingdomes of this world wholly taken none excluded do become the Church of Christ then all men as well as infants must be Church-members on that account Besides he speaks as de futuro what shall be under the seventh Trumpet therefore if it were to be taken as Mr. Bax. imagines that the Kingdomes of this world infants as well as men are now become Christs Church then it would
you and me though I suppose I shall not be more critical in considering nor volumnous in dilating on them than your selves are numerous in bewraying of your own negligences ignorances contradictions fictions â—…nakednesses and abusive shifts throughout this your three-fold thing yet I shall make little less than a totall transscription of your Papers before I have done and therin take notice of such absurdities at least whereby you most notoriously delude the world most grosly oppose the truth most unworthily wrong your Respondent and most palpably proclaim your selves to be rather true Dissemblers than true Discoverers of the Ashford Disputation and Smotherers rather than Publishers of that Gospel-truth in the point of Baptism which you pretend also to give as true an Account of to the world as of the other Report You talk first of Propositions agreed upon between your Respondent and your selves the Ministers at the Communion-Table in the Church of Ashford in Kent before the Disputation began Reply Give me leave Sirs sith silence with you may be taken else for Assent to say a word or two to this you stile your selves the Ministers both here and else-where throughout your book But if you mean Ministers of Christ and the Gospel I am yet to learn that from you which I never found you very forward to teach me viz. that you came truly and honestly by that Title you have hitherto wanted no provocation from me to prove the lawfulness of your calling I made bold to denominate you Antichristian Ministers in my Position upon the very day of the Disputation before those Thousands which you say were Auditors thereof And I have asserted the same more abundantly since in that letter to Mr. G. C. which it seems you know so well as even thence to take occasion in a Pet to publish so much as you have done of your Disputation all which is enough to give you to understand that I own you not at all in that capacity yet did you never no neither then at the Disputation nor since in your so true a Relation of it so much as once open your mouth or strike one stroke with your pen whereby to evince it that you are Christs Ministers which gives me to believe that howbeit you have a habit of calling your selves so yet you had rather men believed you on your bare words than put you to prove your selves to be so and that you are as utterly uncapable to clear it as 't is clear you are unwilling to be urged to it You speak of the Church of Ashford and a Communion-Table in it 'T were strange if I should not know what you mean thereby yet had you told this peece of your tale in other Terms it had been so much the less lyable to correction I know but one Church of Ashford that hath a Communion-Table in 't and that is those few persons who since they have gladly received the Word of Truth have been according to Christs will in that kind baptized in his name for remission of sinnes and do now continue in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers to which the Lord I hope will add dayly such in those parts as shall be saved in this Church there is a Communion-Table indeed even the Table of the Lord at which they meet blessing and drinking that Cup of blessing which is the Commemoration and Communion also of the blood of Christ breaking and eating that bread which is the Commemoration and Communion of the body of Christ at which you and your Respondent never yet met but may do yet in due time if the Lord please to grant you for till then surely it never will be repentance to the acknowledgement of his truth But for other Communion-Table I wot not Sirs that there is any at all at Ashford As for that common Table which stands in the great stone house where the Bells hang where the people meet once a week but never do that they should do if they were disciples of Christ indeed which house you call the Church of Ashford and I cannot but allow you so to do sith you disclaim the true one the very Steeple being well nigh as much a truly constituted Church of Christ as a parish people the one whereof is but a compacted number of dead stones in a literal sense and for the most part no less in a spiritual sense is the other besides stone Churches and wooden Priests such as if you are not yet most of the Popes children are suit well enough each with other as for that Table I say where you and your Respondent agreed better about the Articles of the Disputation then they do for ought I see to this day about that Article of faith they disputed on you had need to find some fitter phrase for it than Communion-Table for it hath long since ceased to be of any such use as for people to communicate at it The Gentleman my beloved friend that is now Resident there and President too in pretence at least as a Pastor over that flock having never administred it at all since his abode among them nor since the Classis possest him of that Relation and gave him orders to feed them with that ordinance why he doth not meddle with that service in his parish would be farre more wonderful to me then 't is had not mine own conscience been of the same constitution with his when I was with him in the same condition for as my own feet stuck once in the same stocks when I stood in Pastorall relation to parochiall people so I believe him to be further inlightned then to be free for a promiscuous admittance to the Supper of such Societies among whom he discerns not a few more goats than sheep or to hold Communion there with them whom in the Pulpit he cries out on as unbelievers as knowing well enough there 's no fellowship to be held between light and darkness believers and unbelievers in that holy ordinance yet he sprinkles the Infants of all as you also do and my self blindly did or else that parish will prove happily to hot to hold him upon what account he doth so I know not for sure it cannot be upon this because onely believers Infants are to be sprinkled The Lord open all your eyes to see those sorry shifts wherein you shroud your selves for a time from your own sight so that ye see not when ye interfeer nor feel when you hack your own shins for who so blind as those that cannot see how you act quite contrary to that you argue for and overthrow your own principles by your practise Report These Propositions say you were as followeth First that both parties should publiquely protest that they sought for verity not victory Reply I acknowledge this is very true and it was protested on both sides accordingly as was agreed nevertheless whether it be the Proud Priest-hood that seeks to tuck all
from God after waies of mens tradition and teach people to do so as you do I see not how I could have been truly said to revile had I used them directly to your selves Report Thirdly that though I had once been of that opinion and a Minister of the Church and received orders from it yet now I was of another and did renounce both the Church and her orders to which say you 't was answered that it was no marvell that I that had forsaken the Church should afterwards revile and despise her and that God having suffered me to fall into so gross an error as to deny and renounce my first baptism did in his just judgement suffer me to fall further and further Heresie being like a Precipice where after a man hath begun his run he cannot stay till he come to the bottom Reply I was once of that opinion indeed and practise too together with your selves and had not a little zeal thereof though not according to knowledge when I acted in your false function by implicit faith and made the Directories Canons Catechisms Creeds of the Clergies compiling my Rule as many more did besides my self not comparing them so singly as I should have done with that true Directory of the word but I have since seen good occasion to recant it as you will undoubtedly do also first or last and O that it may be yet in time to your peace notwithstanding your now forwardness to uphold it I was also in your sence once a Minister of the Church but since going about to look for that Ministry of the Church and for that Church whereof I thought my selfe a Minister from thenceforth I could never find either t'one or t'other As for your Church of England I confess I received twice her holy orders viz. once from the Bishops in the daies of their Dominion by whom I was ordained a Deacon i. e. in Scripture-sence to look toth'poor but in their sence half a Priest for in that capacity we might sprinkle if allow'd and give the wine to people also in the Supper but not by any means the bread unless very specially licensed thereunto till we should come into the full order of Priest-hood for so ran the phrase in the old English horn-book which as to that part was stiled The book of the Ordination of Bishops Priests and Deacons once also by the Presbyters so called since the time of their Parricid or cutting the throats of their fathers the Bishops that gave the being of Priesthood to them and inducting themselves to reign in their stead as the Bishops themselves had dealt not long before with their old father the Pope who gave the being of Priesthood to them both from whom not as a Priest-hood but a true Presbytery as they say I was in orders to practise their refined Popery more perfectly which I might do before but by the halves but now I know not where this Church of England is if you speak of a true Church of Christ unless you can prove things to have their true being without either their true matter or true form for as the subject matter whereof it consists is false being not baptized believers so the form into which the Pope cast it some 600 years since in to which also the Prelate and Presbyter have new cast it being and that subpaena too National Provinciall Parochiall is utterly false and her fellowship as good as none at all because not free but forced and as for the true Ministry thereof I know not where it is neither if that onely be a true one as you were wont to say it is that can derive it self by a line from the very Apostles neither can you make good your interrupted succession from them unless the Pope from whom your Series comes was even then a true Minister of Christ when he was also an Antichristian Deceiver and unless Apostacy and Apostolicy can so stand together as that Rome was even then an Apostolick Church when 't was palpably apparent to be an Harlot neither if I could tell where can I tell very well which is the Ministry of your Church of England there are so many Ministries in it now namely Prelaticall High-Presbyterian Presbyterian-Independent each of which lay claim to that title but being both themselves and their adherents for such different forms of government cannot all three be the Ministry of one Church unless your Church of England that was of old so full of uniformity is now become capable of tri-formety in its discipline and Ministry and yet to be intirely but one Ministry and Church of England still which if it be it s a â—…r-iform monster then indeed As to your answer to this third head I wish you to weigh how rawly you utter your selves whilst just after your selves had clear'd me from the guilt of Reviling and before I had us'd any new terms that could have the least savor of reviling you return to charge me of it again but no marvel when every round reprover and renouncer of your Romishness is as much a reviler with you as your selves are at Rome for renouncing that grosser Popery that 's there Howbeit in truth he reviles your Church no more that calls it a very Harlot if it be so then your selves revile Rome in calling her a Harlot because she is so you hint at my renouncing my first baptism can a man renounce that he never had for what was dispenc't when I was a child as t is no signe to me now for I remember not that I ever saw it so I learn by the hear-say of it that it was not baptism at all as for this last which is also the first baptism that ever was administred to me I see no cause to renounce it as yet nor yet I am well assured ever shall As for heresie or believing and doing besides the word t is a Precipice indeed where after men have begun their run unless the Lord mercifully prevent them as he hath done me and many more of late and I desire may your selves in due time who are all gone astray from primitive truth after the doctrines and commandements of men they cannot well stay till they come to the bottom even the bottomless pit it self into which that Arch-Heretitk the Pope who open'd it and that numberless crue of corrupt Clergy-men which by the advantage of that smoak of errors with which he darkened the Sun and the Air ascended from it will fall again for out of the bottomless pit those Locusts came and into the bottomless pit they must return Report Fourthly That I was a fool and an Ass and the weakest of many to defend the doctrine of Iesus Christ yet doubted not but to make it clear against every opponent to which your answer was that that which I said of my self out of voluntary humility you the Ministers did acknowledge out of the sense of your wants Reply As to secular
a Theam which Scripture whence onely they must fetch all their proofs saies just nothing of at all This makes the Disputers the Divines to come abroad a begging in print among the vulgar as you here do saying cover pass by bewayling the weakness of their Arguments their defects in disputing their presumption in entring the lists their non-preparation for the disputation because it s not the true Gospel they disputed for a very stripling may make a Gyant give back if he have hold on the hilt of his sword and the other thrust hard against the blade 't is hard for thee O Saul to kick against the pricks a learned lawyer may be at loss in a lame suit Asinus ad lyram may play his part better and make sweeter musick then the most accurate musitian that hath nothing to beat upon but a board it may well put any but the meer Sophister to his shifts to prove the moons made of green cheese and so 't will any save the meer self-seeker that is set to serve it out of a sight that he can serve himself of it and therefore is resolv'd to make any Argument serve turn even libet ergo licet rather then leave it to prove Infant-baptism much more Infant-rantism to be a good cause and yet the more 's the pitty this is the cause you have to make good and have been so bold as to stand up for which though your wishes are here that it may not suffer wrong through your defects yet mine are much rather that you may not suffer your selves to be wrong'd any more or to be wrong'd for ever through its defects for howbeit it flatters you into an opinion of its ability to be maintain'd by you by its appearing ability to maintain you yet you 'l find ith'end that by its fair flourishes it hath flusht you into more zeal then furnisht you with ability to maintain it when it shall have brought you to your choice of one of these two ex quibus minimum est eligengendum viz. either of Repentance from it and all other your Parochiall dead works tithes and other traditions that depend upon it upon a sight and acknowledgement that you have been mistaken about these as well as other Romish Remnants that you have seen cause through the Parliaments eyes to renounce since that long since Lutheran reformation which after longer standing out will be so much the harder Chapter for you Clergy men to run throw or else which is worse then nought of perseverance in your evil waies and dead works against light to prevent the other which last the Lord prevent from befalling any of you if it be his will Pre. Who would not have presumed to have entered the lists c. Post. It had been no presumption in you had you been true Ministers of Christ and the cause you stood up in Christs cause indeed for grant it to be presumption in Uzzah to meddle in the publique service of the Temple and in Uzzah to put forth his hand to uphold the Ark and consequently for so you argue not we for men to meddle so as to minister to the Gospel publiquely in your Churches that are not in holy orders yet it is none vos Apello for the Priests or ordained Ministers of Christ to stand up any where in defence of Christs truth where it s traduced but rather duty which in speciall they stand bound to in that therefore you accounting your selves Christs Ministers do grant it to be presumption in you to put forth so publiquely when you saw it tottering you do no less then give the cause you stood up in to be none of his as indeed it was not but your own and that was it only which made it presumption and very high presumption in you too in that you durst enter the lists against the Lord Iesus in in his own ordinance and that with such weak Arguments such flags as slam'd like swords but alas such as could not bear the brunt when it came to blows here how much less will they in that battel of the great day of God Almighty which is now marching space upon you 'T is true therefore as you here confess you have been presumptuous and presumption is one of the most desperate sins that can be against Christ yet for all that in his name and as an Embassador from him thoâ—…gh otherwise an unworthy and â—…ver a contemptible creature in your eyes as though himself did beseech you by me I am bold to beg of you that you would not despair but come in and be reconciled to him presuming no more to stand up against him with such weak weapons as before least he tear you in pieces fall upon you and grind you to powder but sit down and humble your selves that you have stood so long in the way of Sinners so that they could not come to Christ through your Blurres lay down your arms and yield your selves prisoners to him stoop to that golden Scepter he yet holds out unto you own him as your King Priest and Prophet list no more against him but list your selves under him for he is gracious and will yet recâ—…ive you and baptize you with his spirit if you turn at his reproof and repent and be baptized in water in his name for remission of sins Pro. 1. 23. Act. 2. 38. become little children in such a sense as you should be that you may be baptized and then be baptized in truth and in token for your memory hath lost your traditionary token sprinkling that hereafter you will not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified but manfully fight under his banner against sin the world and the devill and continue Christs faithful souldiers to your lives end How happy had it been for you if you had took quarter from Christ before this time for he would have given it and forgiven all your enmity against him in his truth but you are stiff-blades and your words have been stout against him you Clergy men are Lords you will not come neer but I beseech you become Lord beggars at the throne of grace as Brightman said truly the Bishopâ—… were for earthly honor at the thrones of Kings and Princes that you may have more of that grace and holiness to worship God with reverence according to his own will which God gives to all humble Suppliants then had you less learning and living then you have and more disgrace in this world then ever any Synods of you had reverence or Arch-Bishops grace or Popes holiness you would never find occasion to bewail your losses or repent of your change or reject the councel of God against your selves out of his mouth who is a serious Sollicitor botâ—… from God to you that you would be and to God for you that you may be in the acknowledgement of his truth no less then happy for ever Pre. Where there was so great expectation c. Post. There was great
as before and in the favour of Christ as also he that is called being free or a Master himself is Christs servant i. e. one whom he owns for his accepts and justifies though happily he may be by covenant in relation still to unbelieving servants he is holy honorable and undefiled in his state as a Master and that by virtue of the Ordinance of Christ who hath sanctified that condition and relation of Master and Servant to each other as holy for them to abide in together though in Morall respects the person of one of them may be holy and the other wicked The very like to which Pauls hints in his exhortation to servants even of unbelieving masters 1 Tim. 6. 1. where he bids believing servants that are under the yoke though to unbeliving Masters for in that he saies they that have believing Masters inv 2 it argues that he means such as have non-believing Masters in the first That they should count them worthy of all honor because they are their masters still by the ordinance of God that hath set and sanctified them in their place and sâ—…ation as honorable and holy though in their persons and practise they may be contemptible vile and ungodly the like he saies to Christians concerning civil Magistrates though infidels Rom. 1â—… that being ordained of God and sanctified or set apart as his Ministers for civil good they are to have a reverend honorable and even holy estimation of them in their hearts and to abide in their subjection to them in matters civilly righteous even for conscience sake The like he saies to children that are in the â—…aith I mean not infants for the Scripture was not peâ—…n'd to such concerning their parents whom as they are their parents they are to honor as those who are by right of Divine institution under a stamp of holiness and civil sanction towards them as Superiors to be respected in that Relation whether they be believing parents yea or no for believing children such as are written to in Pauls Epistles Ephes. 6. 1. 2 Col. 3. 20. may and oft have ungodly parents as well as believing parents ungodly children or believing husbands and wives ungodly yoak fellowes yet alwaies to be owned in the Relations as husbands wives parents children still thus we see that persons may be vile and so far to be contemned Psal. 15. 4. yet holy pure and honorable in their capacities and so far to be so accounted on they may be unsancâ—…isied in their hearts and lives and yet be invested with such a civil sanctiâ—…y by a dint of Divine imposition and institution as may denominate them severally sanctified in their stations and naturall or civill places of Relation thus Magistracy and Subjection Mastership and Servitude Mariage and Propagatioâ—… of mankind in that way being all holy Ordinances of God all sanctified by his word and stamp upon them as honorable and undefiled States and waies to be and abide in persons may be unworthy unclean unsanctified in their manners and yet be holy honorable sanctified true â—…gitimate Mâ—…gistrates sanctified subjects sanctified Masters sanctified servants sanctified wives sanctified parents sanctified children so as to be according to their several capacities reverenced submitted to served protected provided for used own'd lawful to be continued with each by other side infidelitate non 〈◊〉 without respect to religion yea though the Relata Puâ—…a Masters and husbands c. be unbelievers and the Correlata viz. servants wives be believers in the height This to resolve the Corinthians in who might possibly and very easily be gravell'd herein specially considering how that under the law where the dispenâ—…ations indeed were different from the Gospels they were commanded to put away their wives is the down-right and onely business and design of the Apostle in the fourteenth and following verses where besides his direction in particular in this difference of faith and unbelief when it falls out between man and wife Master and servant which two he instanceth in only in this chapter he gives a general direction to all sorts of persons in every condition quality capacity rank or relation to abide therein if they please as sanctified and holy i. e. by civil sanction to abide in in these words verse 17. viz. But as God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches and also in these v. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called The Sanctification therefore or holiness here talkt on is only civil sanction as to men wives and their children a holiness only Matrimonial and not a faederal or Covenant holiness as you dream unless instead of the holiness of Gods Covenant you mean the faederall holiness or holiness of the mariage Covenant or any civil covenant or tie between superiours in relation and their subjects which all indeed when once solemnly contracted and entred are also Gods ordinance Gods Covenant which he owns and will most severely punish the pollution of therefore as the Harlot that deals treacherously with her husband is said Prov. 2. 17. to forget the Covenant of her God i. e. the marriage contract and the Covenant whereby the man and wife are one is said to be of Gods making Mal. 〈◊〉 14. 15. so God threatning Iudah for her whoredomes most terribly Ezek. 16. 38. saies he will judge her as women that break wedlock and shed bloud are judged so likewise did he plague Zedâ—…kiah when in the capacity of a Prince he covenanted to give liberty to his Servants but did not Ier. 34. 18. so when in the capacity of a Sâ—…rvant to Naâ—…uchadnezzar that set him up he covenanted and sware allegiance to him but sleighted his covenant and brake it which God calls his own oaâ—…h and covenant the breach of which he would recompence on his head Ezechiel chap. 17. verse 16. 17 18 19. Secondly let it be considered that the holiness and sanctification here meant and mentioned what ere it is is said to be in the unbelieving parent whether husband or wife as well as in the children and therefore it cannot be your faederall or outward Church-covenant holiness i. e. such a holines as intitles to baptism and intailes Church-membership Church priviledges and Ordâ—…nances to the subjects to whom it is predicated sith the unbelieving husband and wife are denominated by it too for as of the children it is said they are holy so of the non-believing yoke-fellows it is said they are sanctified between which there is no more difference then between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seem to me but a Hâ—…ndiadis or double expression of the same thing and not more unlike then two 6 pences and a shilling and will not this abâ—…urdity ensue which I dare say you will evade if you can if the holiness be such as you say viz. that the unbelieving husbands and wives must be
relation to this case yet I do believe that whole housholds might sometimes be baptized then as well as now they are from whence yet it will not follow that infants were baptized yea whole thousands were baâ—…d sometimes in one day and yet no infants among them and that all thâ—…â—…sholds you so often instance in either had no infants in them or if they had yet none baptized however is evident enough to those that are not blind if â—…ll â—…e particular instances be examined As for the Iaylor the Apostles who never used to preach to infants spake to him the word of God and to all that were in his house the effect of whose preaching was not onely his rejoicing and belief but the belief of all his house also as well as the baptism of all his house together with him Act. 16. 32. 33. 34. And as for Crispus whose houshold is not reported to be baptized though no doubt they were so it s said that all his houshold believed in the Lord as well as he Acts 18. 8. and as for such as were baptized with Cornelius which were more then they of his own houshold that none of them were infants t is evident forasmuch as they were all both ready and capable to hear and the holy spirit fell on them all in hearing the word so that it was evident to Peter and as many as came with him that they imbraced the glad tidings of the Gospel upon the account of whose gladly receiving the word onely and that apparently Peter saies who can forbid water why these may not be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Act. 10. 44 to 48. And as for Stephanus's houshold as they are said 1 Cor. 1. 16. to have been baptized so are they all said to have addicted themselves to minister to the Saints which are actions exclusive of Infants 1 Cor. 16. 15. besides if housholds must needs be taken as comprising infants then that phrase salute the houshold of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 4. 19. must be taken so to and wâ—…at absurdity were it to tell Cradle-bed-Infants that Paul the prisoner remembred his respects unto them as for that of Lydia as its likely enough she then had none so no man knowes whether ever she had any husband at all if she had she might have no children if she had children she might be an antient widow whose children were grown up to believe wiâ—…h her and besides that those of her houshold whether children or servants or both that were baptized with her were not infants but adult disciples is evident both by that compellation viz. the brethren a denomination never given to them and mostly because they were such as the Apostles did actually comfort as we never find they did any infanâ—…s in their infancy Act. 16. 14. 40. By all which by that time you have laid it to heart so little ground will be left you from all these instances for the baptizing of infants that it may without crouding be well written within the inside of a cherry-stone And now whereas Mr. Marshal more downrightly then rightly denies that children did eat the passeover which most undoubtedly they did I demand of him why if housholds be a term so conclusive of infants when its said housholds were baptized the same word doth not as much conclude children when its said housholds did eat the passeover Babist Mr. Marshal himself gives you good reason for that p. 40. of his Sermon the Argument saith he from the term houshold is not so strong to prove that infants did eat the passeover as it is to prove they may be baptized because no other Scripture shews that the passeover doth belong to children but we have other plain Scripture proving that baptism belongs to infants as well as grown men Baptist. I remember indeed that Mr. Marshall speaks thus yea more and more absurdly then thus doth he speak p. 219. in his reply to Mr. Tombos viz. that we shall never find so good evidence out of the housholds eating the passeover Exod. 12. thereby to prove that women did eat the passeover as this proves that the â—…nfants of the house were baptized but I must tell him first that what influence other Sciptures give toward the proof of either one or the other makes these never the stronger simply and in themselves so but that their particular strength and weaknesse stands the same but Secondly how dares Mr. Marshall say there 's no other Scipture save that is not that one particular sentence wherein the word houshold is exprest as eating the paschal lamb enough specially when the next verse or the latter part of the same verse viz. Exod. 12. 4. saies plainly that it was to be taken and eaten according to the number of souls in the house and by every one according to his eating and if the family were too little to eat it they should join families together are not children exprest undeniably here are they not among the number of souls capable to eat every one pro suo modulo according to the measure of his eating and digestion and doth not this evince as much for women And whereas for the exemption of women not as holding these did not eat it but to secure himself the more from that deadly wound which he is aware will light upon him if he grant that children did eat the passeover viz. our arguing upon him from thence to their right to the supper acccording to his own arguing from infants circumcision to their baptism he brings this reason viz. because according to us they were not circumcised and no uncircumcised person might eat the passeover I have to or three things to say to it First that phrase no uncircumcised person shall eat it must either necessarily be understood concerning those uncircumcised ones onely who were both capable of circumcision and of whom circumcision was required or else Secondly it must be understood that the females were accounted as vertually circumcised in the males Thirdly that very phrase that excludes all and onely such uncircumcised ones from the passeover as were capable of circumcision and of whom it was required serves us against you thus far however as to include and enright all them to the passeover that were circumcised and so if women did not as none need doubt but that they did yet all circumcised males and consâ—…quently male children as soon at least as they were capable to eat were under a right to eat the passeover and so as to prove you who deny them the supper to be ingaged in the guilt of diminishing Gods grace and robbing poor infants of their right as well as we if your own arguments be true viz. that to deny such dispensations to infants under the Gospel the answerable ones to which were dispensed to them under the law is to lessen the grace of God in the Gospel Covenant and make it straiâ—… then
one infant then of an another no infants appearing reprobates in infancy and of their right to heaven above all infants all which passages being spoken to above may be reviewed there by any that have a mind to it the utmost intent and drift of this whole Section is to prove infants to be capable of faith which thing if it should be granted for truth yet I wonder how that redounds to infant-baptism since it s neither bare capacity nor actuality of believing but professing to believe that is our warrant to dispense baptism to any subject for iâ—… will not follow from the having of faith to bapâ—…ism unlesse that faith be professed much lesse will it follow from a capableness to believe or have faith that a person hath it and therefore must be baptized For then first heathen infants are as capable of it as other infants all souls being equall in their Creation therefore they must be baptized also yea Sirs if you give back and let your Argument fall so low now as to say infants are capable of faith and therefore must be baptized before they have or appear to have it then I le warrant every ones right to baptism as well as any ones thus viz. The souls of men and women are capable of faith before they believe and whether ever they do believe or no the spirit of God can work it in them Therefore men and women before they believe or whether they believe or no must be baptized Yea all souls are as capable subjects of faith as well as the souls of believers infants and therefore must be baptized But Sirs though persons be not only capable subjects to believe but such also as for ought you know to the contrâ—…ry do believe and of whom you cannot say they do not yet may you not at all baptize them wâ—…thout some kind of evidence that they do and that 's more then in particular any infant can give for it self and as for that muddy manner you argue it in when you say the Kingdome of heaven consists of infants they are called to come to Christ and Christ received them therefore they must be baptized besides that those indefinit expressions exâ—…end no more to believers infants then unbelievers we may as well argue thus the Kingdome of heaven consists of men men and women have right to it are called to come to Christ received and blessed by him therefore men and women or these men and women whether it be evident of them in perticular or individuo yea or no may be baptized which were absurd non-sense in the abstract yet such are your pleas for those particular infants you sprinkle whilest you deny baptism to heathen infants viz. the testimony of Scripture in gross and infants capablenesse to have the inward baptism and such like on this wise did Dr. Channel at Petworth dispute Ian. 5. 1651. saying If infants are capable of the inward baptism then they may have the out ward But c. And could not prove the consequence or sequel of his Major four times over repeated by himself and as often denyed by his Respondent Review The difficultie in the understanding how fa it hshould be bred in them and after what manner is that which hath bred the doubts about their having it but if we had learned to believe the Scriptures which by necessary consequence confirm the thing we would leave the manner of doing it to him whose work it is the spirit of God who is able to do it we do it in other articles of faith and the resurrection of the body and ask not how it can be done because the Scriptures have delivered it and this of the renovation of soul is no lesse Miracle Re-Review And well may it be difficult to understand how faith should be bred in infants and doubted that they have it not since if we have learned to believe the Scriptures they are so far from confirming such a thing so much as by any possible or probable consequence that by necessary consequence they contradict it while they tell us that there is but one way whereby faith cometh and that such a one as it can never possibly come to infants in viz. hearing the word of God preached not inwardly by the spirit only as you prate below for he speaks not of such a thing there Rom. 10. but outwardly by some visible or audible creaturely ministration as is plain by the words foregoing viz. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard how hear without a preacher how preach except they be sent And whereas you tell us the spirit is able to work faith in them therefore we must leave the manner of doing it to him not offering as it were to pry into it Good Sirs spare your labor talk not about the unknown manner of a matter as unknown as the other for the thing it self is not yet clear in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neitherdoth the spirits ability to do it prove that it is done any more then it proves there is a 1000 worlds or that all men have faith because these things arepossible â—…o be effected by him but the evidence that he doth such a thing which if it be wanting as it is in this case it is but egregious folly to argue it from the other so as to say God can do it therefore though the manner how he doth it is not known to us yet we must not meddle further then to believe it is leaving the manner of doing it to him Moreover Sirs assure your selves of this that in some sort the manner is usually manifested to us in the word as well as the matter of such things as we are there called upon to believe even that miraculous work of the resurrection of the body which is your present instance wherein 1 Cor. 15. 35. to the end the Lord condescendeth at large to explain the manner of it as well as to prove the matter of it before and whereas you say you leave the manner of the doing things when it is nor clear to you to the spirit himself whose the work is in other articles of faith I wonder you are so forgetful as to bear such false witnesse as this against your selves when as in the point of dying infants salvation which for the matter of it is so clear that you cannot deny it though not clear to you in the manner you leave not the manner of it to God himself whose work it is to save them but limit him to the way of Church-membership faith baptism and holinesse c. whereas the word that was not at all for infants instruction declares to men and women what way he will save them in asking in many places of your book how can infants be justified without faith how can Turks and Pagans infants be saved what hopes of our infant salvation without baptism and all this too though there is no fear of their damnation by
never in the very nick and act of baptism no neither of your baptism nor of ours for you who professe to baptize infants have a subject of whom you hope that he will die to sin when he lives to years but you look not on him as one that is mortuâ—…s but moriturus and that not in baptism but long after it unlesse you suppose baptism confers the inward grace viz. death to sin ex opere operato still but we baptizâ—…ng believers baptize such as repent from dead works and in fieri though not insaâ—…o essâ—… are dead to sin before we baptize them as well as oblige them to die more to sin after it yet you say your subjects for all that are buried in baptism too and so say we of ours therefore the burial in baptism there meant is no other then that of the sign for the thing signified viz. the death to sin is not done in baptism whether it be before or after it and one of the two it is for Calvin saies truly that we hold baptismum esse sepulturam in quam nulli nisi jam mortui already dead i. e. dying to sin are to be buried but of himself and others that are baptized in infancy he â—…aies quoting Rom. the 6. 4. nos jam ante mortuos per baptismum sepeliri i. e. before we are dead to sin we are buried by baptism l. 4. c. 16. S. 16. the burial therefore is not the signatum but the signum i. e. their putting under water in baptism which sacramentally is called a burial even therefore because of the analogy and likenesse it bears to such a thing even to Christs burial and ours with him which are the things analogized and lively resembled thereby i. e. by immersion for by aspersion they are not And so I have proved by three arguments hitherto that Christs ordinance of baptism is a totall dipping viz. First by the prime signification of the word baptize which is to overwhelm or wash by swilling or dipping but never to sprinkle as Rantize never to dippâ—… wash Secondly by the practise of the primitive times which was totally to dip as I have made appear many wayes Thirdly by the name of a burial and resurrection that 's there given to the outward sign by a sacramental Metonimy i. e. in this respect as in its dispensation it must bear analogy and likenesse as spirinkling does not to the death burial and resurrection of Christ and ours in him which are the things immediatly signified in baptism and therefore mainly and as lively as may be to exemplified thereby If there be yet any more to say against dipping and for sprinkling let us hear it and as I find it true upon triall or false and feigned so accordingly I shall eit er answer it or yield for I know that he who is not as desirous to hear all that can be said against what he holds as what is to be said for it can never be so solidly settled in it as he should be for nil tam certum quam quod ex dubio certum est Nothing more sure to a man then that which he sees as well on what ground some doubt and disown it as one what himself owns and imbraces it and though I professe my self to be beyond all doubt that Rantism is no ordinance of Christ but a meer figment of men meaning to serve Christ by the halves nor infant baptism neither howbeit I have disputed for them both and thought I did God service in it too yet he that knoweth my heart knoweth that I have so unsatiable a thirst after the knowledge of truth that if I could think those things to be the truth of God as I once did upon the same rotten and reasonlesse principles you now think so on I should re-entertain them with rejoicing in my flesh which would find much ease and honour by it and in the spirit much more which would have that ease and honour with peace of conscience which I was once constrained to deny my self of because it was once inconsistent in me with such peace but welcome that disgraced truth of dipping disciples sith t is that truth which I am certain howbeit they have trampled it for a time the gates of hell shall never prevail against nor the ablest man on earth so as to disprove it by all that is to be said to the contrary from the word of Christ. Rantist There 's more to be said yet to the contrary and more then ever was answered yet or ever will be to any purpose by you or any one else of your gang and that â—…t onely in way of exception against much of that you have alleadged about the childishnesse vanity and insufficiency of infants sprinkling but also against that dipping fancy you are fallen into which is some new motion or renewed notion at the best having for all you have said neither good ground nor example from the word onely the old greek word may be so construed and that 's all the ground I could ever learn for that fluid practise and I am confident that you and that party are wholly in the wrong for I have seriously studied that controversie and besought the Lord to guide me and his good spirit by principles from his word of truth sealed upon my conscience doth assure me that way of dipping is groundlesse irrational and more uncivilly foolish then infant baptism can be called childish and I desire you to tell me what commission he had that baptized you who may possibly be an unbaptized person or if he was not yet if you look but some few removes backward and inquire who baptized him and who him and who him c. you must come at least to unbaptized persons I mean even in your own account who deny sprinkling to be baptism and such I hope you do not count fit administrators of baptism and yet such must begin it for your way was not in use very long agon also what commission hath Christ given you to baptize you being no minister of the Gospel and also what commission he hath given you or any else to baptize in that manner which is without Scripture against reason and common sence and discretion yea I may say against all principles of modesty and common honesty and charity to mens lives and so against both the sixth and seventh commandement that many judicious men have judged it to be little lesse then murther and adultery and I could easily prove it to be as bad as I say of it but that its superâ—…uous so to do sith sundry of our worthy Mr. Baxter Divines viz. Dr. Featley Mr. Blake Mr. Cook and especially have some of them in one perticular and some of them in another done it so sufficiently already that I le rather refer you unto them Baptist. I have been so much innured to such hot-shots since I owned the truth that I can well walk in the middest of them now without
Sermon the doctrine was this and a good doctrine it was and very truly grounded upon the Example of Pauls dulnesse in that Scripture and further cleered by Lots loitering in Sodom viz. That by reason partly of the remainder of corruption in the best presenting evill when they should do Good and partly the great grand enemy of our salvation Satan opposing himself to all good the best that have even renounced their vile life have an indisposition to holy duties and have need of excitation and stirring up Again had he not either been to be baptized within by dipping or been to receive within an aspersion or infusion upon his face only he need not to have bin bid to arise or stand up in order to either of these so much as from the present posture he was in for if he were then sitting face rantism might have been done as well and if he were lying down which in his then case is the more likely of the two much better then in a standing posture in which t is not so easie to dispence a pouring upon the face least pouring so little as you do it prove rather a Rantism then a baptism or pouring so much as the baptizer should do on the disciple if he will needs do it by pouring i. e. till he hath buried him in baptism or wholly covered him with water in resemblance of the spiritual he make way for his bodily buriall in the earth also Whereas therefore Mr. Blake saies thus viz. that though the Eunuch coming to the River might saie here 's waâ—…er what hinders why I should not be dipped yet there is little probability that Paul could say so in Iudas his house in straight street in Damascus or the Iaylor at his Prison in Phillippi I say it is very likely it was so indeed that they had not any Ponds or Rivers in their houses to dip in but will it follow therefore that they were baptized in the house without dipping no such matter by Mr. Bls. favour but rather that sith there was not water enough for their dipping within doors as there was for the Eunuchs dipping without therefore they went out to some water or other that they might be baptized i. e. dipped conveniently as the Eunuch was and that may possibly not be farre for many a one that hath not brooks nor ponds in their houses yet have them oft not far from their doors and that Iudas had not so who can tell but whether he had or no the matter is not great sith he lived not far from much water however whilest he was living in Damascus for were not Abana and Parphar Rivers of Damascus though not for Namans disease yet for dipping full as good as Iordan it self and all other waters of Israel Thirdly See how miserably Mr. Baxter is mistaken he would make men believe if they would be such Idiots as to take his single word for it against the expresse word of God that in the Countrey of the Iaylor water was so scarce that he could not be dipped over head whereas oh that Mr. Baxter would see how the Lord hath left him to discover his too hasty galloping over the Sripture it is related that a River ran just by the same City of Phillippi where he dwelt even that by the side of which Paul preached and prayer was wont to be made where also Lidya and her houshold were converted and baptized and all this no further off then in the very same chapter where the Iaylors baptism is spoken of viz. Acts 16. 13 14 15. I perceive this scarcity of water is made a mighty Argument among you against dipping some saying that water for dipping was not to be had in the houses of the disciples that were baptized therefore they received no more then some aspersion or infusion within some speaking as though water for dipping were not to be had in whole Cities and Countreys where the disciples dwelt thus doth not onely Mr. Baxter who denies a sufficiencie of water for dipping over head to be in that Country where the Jaylor dwelt but also Senior Mr. Simpson one of you my Ashford opposers who in a letter under his hand to a neighbor of his much of which is partim directe verbatim partim oblique collateraliter out of Mr. Blake so that it stands or falls in him and of the rest that is not translated thence into his turn some already is and some that is not yet is to be spoken to as I go along tells us that there was not any water in Jerusalem wherein so many as were there baptized in so short a time at that time of the year when water was more scanty could possibly have been dipped What a strange conceit is this what not water enough in nor yet about all Ierusalem to dipp a man over head in for sith he saies not so many the same water course I hope that one can be dipped in may also serve to dipp a thousand shall we think that in the greatest drought that could happen all those brooks the Scriptures mentions viz. Cedron and Siloam and the fountain of Gyhon and the Conduit of the upper pool which ran with several streams and were at one place all coincident with Cedron were dryed up so that not a place could be found of any competent depth for men to dip in But perhaps what Mr. Baxter saies concerning Aenon upon the report of travellers viz. that even the River Aenon it self where Iohn baptized because there was much water is found to be a small brook that a man may almost step over or as I find it expressed to me in a letter to a neer and deer friend of mine upon the credit of eye witnesse historians Aenon was but a small purl scarcely knee deep at the deepest so Mr. Simpson may say but it is on his own head if he do concerning these brooks that were about Ierusalem to all which I shall for brevities sake dispatch this answer here now I am about it And first I intreat Mr. Simpson to consider that this serves not his turn howe-ever if Cedron and Siloam and the rest that were without the City and the stream also that ran through the City from the fountain of the old pool into Cedron should be all such as Aenon is supposed to be sith the fishpool Bethesda at which lay a great multitude of impotents and into which one amongst the rest desired to be put or cast for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but could not was both deeper and broader then so and convenient for many to dip in at once for if we may credit Bethesda it self the very name instructs us in no lesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in english no other then the house of flowing down so called for the concurrence and confluence of many waters thereinto see Calvin upon the place who tells you that it was a pool he thinks into which water did flow
were then and there converted to be baptized in water but also assert it to be beyond the power of the persons themselves or any other to forbid it to be dispensed to them or to 〈◊〉 them a dispensation to forbear it for when he queries who can he means no man can forbid water why these should not be baptized for an Interrogation affirmative concludes negatively whereupon nemine prohibente he commanded them and what he commanded them was no lesse then their duty and the positive will of God concerning them for it s said to Cornelius v. 6. that Peter should tell him what he ought to do and also no lesse then what he was commissionated from Christ to impose upon them or else Peter deluded them to whom he spake for v. 39. he calls it the word of God sent to Israel and v. 33. they expected to hear not what he should please but what was commanded him of God he commanded them I say nemine contradicente in the Lords name to be baptized which Peter had no power to have done had it been by the Lord himself left a d libitum unto them yea had it been a thing so needlesse of such liberty and such no-necessity as many make it now adaies I would by Peters leave had I been there and been one of those that were so flatly commanded have interposed and forbid their baptism or at least my own unlesse my flesh had had more mind to it then it had when I used it and have pleaded as our Genteeâ—… spiritualists do against us in this wise against Peter viz. you are much mistaken Peter in this matter you go about to urge it as an absolute duty and matter of necessity for us to be baptized in water but alas it s no such matter t is but an external dispensation that may be done indeed if any be not satisfyed without it but else may full as well be let alone we have the most substantiall baptism already even that of the spirit in which case the other is but meer superfluâ—…ty to be used afterward you cannot make it such an absolute command from God to us as you seem to do and therefore whereas you ask who can forbid even I can forbid why I should not be baptized as by positive precept from Christ seeing I have received the holy spâ—…it as well as you Thus verily might one have cavilled against Peters command then as the Raâ—…ter cavils against Peters command now which is not out of date nor hath lost any of â—…s validity sure with lying so long unpractised if baptism in water were such an indifferent thing as t is now made by the new Spirituallists who little consider but I assure them wise men will weigh it well though they do not how little their Logick and Peters are like one another whereby it may be gathered what contrary spirits he and they speak by for whereas he reasons thus viz. these men have received the spirit and have the most substantial baptism already as well as those that are baptized in water therefore who can forbid water why or give any good reason to the contrary why these should not be baptized and accordingly commanded them so to be They contrarywiâ—…e reason thus Viz. These men have the spirit the most substantial baptism already as well as those that are baptized in water Therefore who can command it as necessary or give any sound reason why these should be baptized in water and accordingly forbid them so to be But whether it be right in the sight of God to obey them foolishly forbidding it as needlesse at best but indifferency or obey God by the mouth of Peter commanding it universally to all men as their duty judge ye T is clear therefore out of all these places that water baptism is so far from being sinfull that t is more then lawfull more then indifferent yea a matter of duty and necessity and such as it would become meâ—… to submit to as well as Christ who needed it not as we do if there wâ—…re no other end nor use of it then to fulfill all the righteousnesse of his law the least of whose commandements whoever shall break and teach men so i. e. that they need not keep them the same shall be least in the kingdom of heaven but who so shall do and teach the same shall be great in the kingdom of heaven and to whom he that is faithful though but in a little is faithful in much and he that is unfaithful in but a little is unfaithful in too much specially if that little be left us in way of command in his word as his positive will concerning us and noâ—… as a matter of such indifferency as that it may without sin on either side be done or not dore which we please for such things onely and indeed are indifferent of which we may by the word say as Paul saies of meats and marriage viz. one believeth he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs one man esteemeth one day above another another man esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind so seek not a wife yet if thou marry thou hast not sinned but so we cannot say nor do the Apostles speak concerning baptism viz. one man believeth that having the spirit he may but needs not be baptized another who is weak must needs be baptized let every one do as they see good or are satisfied in this case if they be baptized they have not sinned and if they never be baptized they have not sinned c. nay both Christ and they speak here in way of peremptory determination of all persons to one point for whereas if baptism were a matter thus left to our minds Christ must have said to his disciples go teach all nations every creature baptizing as many of those you make disciples onely as judge it needful as have a mind to it not teaching them to observe that outward rite any further then they please and Ananias to Paul and Peter to those he preacht to Act. 2. Act. 10. must have said repent and believe remission of sins and call on the name of the Lord and if any of you be so mindeed you may be baptized in water in token of Christs death burial and resurrection but those that seem to themselves to be as well without it may forbear we have no power either to forbid it or force them to it but they say clean otherwise viz. Go teach all Nations baptizing them teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and now why 〈◊〉 arise and be baptized 〈◊〉 away thy sins c. repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus c. who can forbid water why these i. e. all these should not be baptized c. all which if it do not import and expresse water baptism to be every ones duty and not
any ones liberty onely then my understanding stands under a cloud of utter darknesse Yea verily t is very remarkable in my mind and as well worth our heeding as any thing else in this case that when Paul in his trembling and astonished condition enquired of the Lord what he would have him to do the first thing and well nigh the onely thing that the word expresses that Christ by the mouth of Ananias declared to him as his will at that time which was immediately after his conversion was this duty of baptism see Act. 6. 9. and the trembling and astonished said Lord what 〈◊〉 thou have me to do and the Lord said unto him arise and go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do which passage Paul relating of himself Act. 22. 10. expresses it thus viz. and I said what shall I do Lord and the Lord said to me arise and go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do Now when he was come into Damascus Ananias speaks thus to him v. 14. the God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou should know his will But what part of Christs will doth the word say Ananias there makes known to Paul in that place as that which at that time he must do and was appointed that he should do no more then what is exprest in these words Act. 22. v. 15. 16. thou shalt be his witnesse unto all men of that thou hast seen and heard And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. And as Peter in his first preaching the praeceptory part of Christs Gospel to the Jews when they enquired what they should do and to the company at Cornelius's house and Ananias in his to Paul when he quaeried what he should do did preach baptism as the will of Christ concerning them as well as repentance prayer and such like duties so we shall find it was the constant course of all other primitive preachers in their preachings of Christ to any people to hold forth baptism to them as that which was to be submitted to by them out of hand after faith and repentance professed and also the constant course of persons converted to the faith without delay to submit to that dispensation accordingly for howbeit the very form of words wherein they spake to them concerning baptism and prest it upon believers as their duty is not set down syllabically in every place where its evident yet most manifestly evident and past all doubt it is to any but such as seeing will nâ—…t see that in their doctrine they delivered the mind of Christ to people in this point of baptism and commanded it too even in those places where the Scripture doth not expresse what they said or else how it came to passe that their converts were acquainted with it so as readily to imbrace it and some of them to demand it as we find they did I know not unless we shall imagine they knew and owned it by some divine immediate instinct Acts 16. 13. 14. 15. â—…s said that the Lord opening the heart of Lydia so that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul she was baptized and her houshold who undoubtedly attended to the things that Paul preached together with her doth not this palpably presuppose that baptism was one of those things spoken by Paul and prest upon that Auditory or else how came she to know it and also to what purpose did she perform it likewise Act. 16. 30. 31. 32. 33. to the Jaylor asking Sirs what must I do to be saved its said that Paul and Silas preached the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house but what word of the Lord was it that they spake to them indeed the summe of their doctrine is not set down but that the doctrine of baptism was some of it as well as faith which is expressely set down as that which concerned them in the first place is clear or else it s a mystery to me how he and all his who are said v. 34. to believe in the Lord together with hâ—…m should come to understand that they ought to be baptized much more to submit to be baptized straightway so Act. 18. 8. its said that Crispus the chief ruler of the Synagogue and all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing the word believed and were baptized which how or why they should suffer themselves to be if the word they then heard none of which is set down did not hold forth baptism as well as faith I cannot possibly conjecture in like manner we read Act. 8 4. that Philip went to Samaria and preached Christ to them and v. 12. that when they believed the things spoken by Philip pertaining to the Kingdom of God and the name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women yea and this not a service they submitted to on their own heads in their own names as that which had they been so pleased they might as well have forborn but v. 16. they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus it s said also v. 35. of the Eunuch that Philip preached unto him Iesus not one jot of Philips sermon unto him is set down but the next newes we hear is this v. 36. that coming to a certain water in the way the Eunuch desired to be baptized saying see here is water what hinder why I may not be baptized doth not all this plainly import howbeit what Philip preached to the Samaritans and the Eunuch is not extant expressely in any particulars thereof yet he preached the ends and â—…uses of baptism to them and prest the practise thereof upon them how else could they have known it why else did they both do and desire it we see then how the first preachers of the Gospel Ananias Philip Peter Paul are said all along to preach Christ and Jesus and the things concerning the kingdome of God and the name Jesus Christ and the word of the Lord and peace by Jesus and things that we must do and that are appointed for us to do and what we ought to do and the things that were commanded them of God to command us in his name and yet preacht baptism still as well as faith repentance and salvation and so he seems to me to this day to preach Christ but by the halves that preaches salvation by Christ faith in Christ and not baptism in the name of Christ for remission of sins And as this doctrine of water baptism was thus universally preached in Christs name as his will concerning those that were converted and discipled in obedience punctually to Christs Commission in that kind Mâ—… 28. 18. 19. 20 in those primitive ages of the Gospel so was it as universally imbraced and obeyed by them that were made disciples in
those dayes not onely before but also after Christ crucified for as in the dayes before Iohn the baptist was beheaded and before Christ crucified all those multitudes of disciples which by each of them were made by teaching were universally baptized either by Iohn confessing their sins or by Christs disciples who dispenst in Christs name for he dispenst not himself in Enon or Iordan or some other places that were convenient Mat. 3. 5. 6. Iohn 3. 22. 13. 4. 1. 2. so even long after Christ crucified raised and ascended were the people that were discipled and converted to the faith before ever they joined in visible Church-fellowship in one body in breaking of bread and prayers baptized all without exception for as it s said Act. 2. 38. 40. 41. 42. of that first Church of the Jews or Hebrews to whom that Epistle was after written they were bid to be baptized every one of them so as many of them as did gladly receive the word of the Lord i. e. as repented and imbraced the Gospel were baptized and then continued in the Apostles doctrine who surely taught them all the six first principles of the oracles or holy things of God at that time Heb. 5. 12. 6. 1. 2. and what more they saw occasion for for with many more other words then those that are recorded did Peter then exhort that people v. 40. and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers so it s said 1. Cor. 12. 13. of the whole Church of Corinth in way of sacramental metonymy whereby that is very familiarly spoken of the thing signified which can be spoken properly onely of the outward sign et retro by one spirit we are all baptized into one body Iewes or Gentiles bond or free none excepted and have been all made to drink into one spirit Yea as these Churches in Iudea Ierusalem and Corinth were all baptized before built up in a body so which of all the Churches were not to whom the Apostles directed afterward those several Epistles All the Romans to whom Paul wrote were baptized all the Galatians were baptized the Ephesians which at first were but 12 disciples that imbraced the truth were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus the Colossians were baptized the Philippians were baptized as we see by Lydia and the Iaylor and all those that believed with them which was the beginning of the Church at Philippi and that the Thessalonians were not baptized is more then bruitish to imagine for surely Paul and Silas that went immediately thither from Philippi where the Iaylor and Lydia and many more were baptized had not got a new doctrine of no-baptism to preach before they came to Thessalonica nay it is evident by the Jews accusation of them Act. 17 6. that what doings and disturbance they were occasion of through their preachings and baptizings at Philippi the same they were by the same means no causes but occasions of at Thessalonica therefore of them say they these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also yea Paul himself hints that to us 1 Thess. 2. 2. that after they had suffered and were shamefully intreated at Philippi they yet were bold to speak to the Thessalonians the Gospel of God the same Gospel sure that they preacht at Philippi for what he did and ordained in one Church the same he did and ordained in all the Churches 1 Cor. 16. 1 with much contention By all which foregoing considerations the Minor of the third main argument above is cleared which assure baptism to be commanded to all without exception therefore a duty from which we are not exempted What Christ commanded to be taught and observed not only in and among all nations of the world but also in all ages and generations thereof even to the very end the same is not ad placitum but de jure not at mens own pleasure but of right to be taught and observed as Christs will and their duty in all nations to this very day But Christ commanded Baptism in water to be taught and observed not onely in and among all Nations of the world but also in all ages and generations therof even to the end Ergo Baptism in water is not at mens own pleasure but of right to be taught and observed as Christs will and their duty in all nations to this very day The Minor which only needs proving needs none neither to him that will but observe how plain it is to every mans understanding in the text For first if baptism be to be taught to and observed as duty among all nations and by every creature therein that hears and believes as t is clear it is both here for teach them saies Christ i. e. all nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and did he not command them in the very verse above the observation of that administration of baptism and also Mark 16. 15. 16. where he bids that the Gospel of salvation be from thenceforth tendred on terms of faith and baptism to all the world to every creature capable of being preach to then of necessity in all nations and generations to the worlds end for all nations were not then extant but many nations are risen since that the world then knew not all the world every creature was not in actual being at that time neither could possibly be all baptized unless baptism abide in its right in all ages unto the end by all nations every creature all the world Christ denoted all people of the earth that then were or thereafter should be whom as they should successively arise and grow into capacity for it he would have to be in their several generations successively taught and baptized Besides how plainly doth Christ expresse his meaning to be that this course of baptizing in waâ—…er should be kept a foot in all ages and generations v. 20. where after his precept to observe that dispensation he adds this promise of his presence And lo I am with you alwaies i. e. in your faithful observation of all these things for if men be not found in this way he is disingaged even to the end of the world Amen Whence the argument in form may be thus What way of outward administration Christ not onely required to be observed to the end but likewise promised his people to be present with them during their due observation of to the very end of the world that must stand of right to the very end of the world But Christ hath not onely required that outward administration of water baptism to be observed to the end of the world but likewise hath promised his people to be present with them during their due observation of it to the very end of the world Ergo that administration of water baptism is of right to stand even to the very end of the world The objections that are usually made against what is asserted hitherto
it for want of provision of administrators but that you and such as you are yea and that though some are sent to baptize have such a Supersedeas from being baptized as you pretend to be vouchsafed you by Christ Jesus because you have been loâ—…g of it and been bred up in the Christian Religion is such a strange piece of businesse as I know not in any wise what to make of who in forohominum ecclesiae at least take baptism to be the visible badge that so distinguishes between those that are of the Christian Religion and other people that who so shall say he is of the Christian religion and yet never was nor will be baptized must excuse me if according to the tenor of Christs Testa ment I own him not as yet to be a Christian. What you call the Christian Religion in which you say you were bred up I know not if you mean the doctrines of faith repentance and good manners alone as yet and abstract from baptism this whether it be a great while or but a little while since you began to put it in practise the matter is much at one for degrees as to the length or shortnesse of the time since we were converted do not vary the nature of the case this I say is so far from exempting that t is the onely thing ingaging you to baptism and howbeit you say there is neither as I am sure there is not for baptizing infants yet you cannot possibly but see that there is both president and precept for the baptizing of all believers and of all in any Nations that are discipled so that if you have been converted not lately but long ago and remained till now unbaptized you have so much the more need to hasten to it and instead of being held excused from now doing it at all because you did it not when first you should to be exâ—…uscitated in the words of Ananias to Paul saying and now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. But if by the Christian Religion which you say you were bred up in you mean either that Christian Religion of the Rantizer that teaches men to change the ordinances of Christ that of baptism specially as to its form and subject and to make void his command through his tradition of a new baptism to all or that Christian Religion of the Ranter that so rebells against that law of Christ that he will give way to have now no water baptism at all these two Religions as Christian as you count and call them are both but Anti-christian with me Ranterist You make such a deal of do about water baptism as so needful that there may be no Church-fellowship held without it but for ought I see yâ—… t is a matter oâ—… no such weight but that we may serve God as acceptably to the full without it for in Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5. 9. circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the commandaments of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. Baptist. T is true that when Pauâ—… spake this which was when there was an abolition of circumcision so far as was consistent with the Jewes ability to bear it and when it was now de jure to grow out of date then circumcision was nothing and uncircumcision nothing so that t was altogether needlesse to be circumcised but as nothing as it is now yet so something was it once when that testament it was the sign of stood that every soul of whom it was then required that was not circumcised was to be cut off from having fellowship with that Church and people and as nothing as this baptism or no baptism is with you now yet no lesse then this at least must we say of the unbaptized that every soul that shall refuse to be baptized is to have no fellowship with Christs Church and people Acts 2. 41. 42. Secondly as nothing as circumcision and uncircumcision baptism or no baptism are with you yet faith which worketh by love is something as Paul himself also doth seem to hint and the keeping of the commandements of God which love to the Lord Jesus he that saies he can expresse without keeping his commandements among which baptism in water is not the leaâ—… and without counting those commands of his not too grievous to submit to makes either Christ a lyar or elle himself Ioh. 14. 23. 1 Iohn 2. 4. 5. 1 Iohn 5. 2. 3. Thus farre concerning water baptism to which in the primitive times there were and in all times also where in it is or shall be truly dispenst and sincerely submitted to there assuredly are or will be two other baptismâ—… concomitant viz. First a baptism with sufferings Secondly a baptism with the holy spirit to support under those sufferings in order to the being baptized with the last of which baptisms there was then an ordinance or administration of Christ viz. prayer and laying on of hands which was practised toward all believers after baptism in water which as it was kept on foot from the Apostles daies and downward among the Churches of Christ in after ages and is as to the substance of the service kept on with far lesse corruption and alteration then that which yet cleaves to their baptism among all but the Presbyterian part of the national priesthood and people so that it is of right to be used in order to the self same end and in the self same manner now as then it was because the present use and practise thereof is so openly not to say obstinately denied not onely by the Ranter who rases the whole foundation and the Presbyrerian and Independent Rantizer who rase down that or at least do not raise it but also by several societies of persons baptized who to the great grief of such congregations as own the whole truth and are built upon the whole foundation or beginning doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles do yet ignorantly withstand it and some even of these bitterly band against it I shall the Lord assisting in all possible meeknesse brevity and plainnesse make good unto them and that in this one single long-winded syllogism onely least the presse which now presses on apace after me and is at the very heels of me all along at my penning of this whole businesse called Anti-ranterism should overtake me and stand still for want of such supply as it expects hourly from me least also I out run too much as I have almost done already the bounds prefixed to this interposed Treatise the Minor proposition of which argument being proved and cleared from those clouds of objection wherewith some strive to darken it will both evince and evidence the continuance of that service also in its right use to this day so sufficiently that howbeit much more might be spoken yet no more shall at this
practising Heb. 6. 2. and howbeit the whole form of the doctrine he there delivered is not set down as none of the doctrine that Philip preacht at Samaria is nor of that Paul preacht at Philippi Act. 16. 14. nor at Corinth Act. 18. 8. yet is it not by sundry passages as evident that he taught that principle of laying on of hands among all the rest as it is and how evident that is is shewed above that they in those other places preached baptism shall we think that Peter taught the principles of the doctrine of Christ all which he was to lay as one foundation among them by the halves did he build them upon one part of the foundation and not on the other part did he constitute them partly upon it and partly beside it did he teach them all the rest of the principles every of which its said Heb. 5. 12. they had been taught viz. faith repentance baptism resurrection and judgement and did he leave out that one onely of laying on of hands specially since it s said that with many other words he exhorted that people who are said there also to continue in the Apostles doctrine what man that devotes himself to the comparing of Scripture with Scripture can imagine it and if not why not be satisfied that it was preacht by some at least of Christs Apostles to all baptized believers A third Scripture I direct the inquirers unto is Act. 8. 5. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. whence first its evident from the Apostles administring and the Samaritans submission to it that the doctrine in the purport and tendency of it was first declared unlesse we shall judge the Saints at Samaria were such idiots as to act by implicit faith as men were not to do but by comparison of what they said with the Scriptures under the ministry of the Apostles themselves Act. 17. 22. and to yield blind obedience to they knew not what the Apostles also justifying them in it which if they did then you that professe your selves to be yet ignorant in that service and that you know not the meaning of it may submit to it as safely though as senslessely as they from the hands of such as do which yet when all is done I am sure you may not but Secondly more evident yet if you weigh some passages of that text it self the words whereof are on this wise viz. then went Philip down unto Samaria and preached Christ to them v. 5. and when they believed the things spoken by Philip pertaining to the Kingdom of God they were baptized both men and women when they at Ierusalem heard that Samaria haâ—… recâ—…ved the word of God they sent unto them Peter and John who when they were come prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit for as yet he was fallen upon none of them onely they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus then laid they their hands on them and they received the holy spirit It s said that Philip preached Christ and spoke of the things pertaining to the the Kingdome of God and that they received the word of God which they did not surely so much as to believe what was to be done till he had preached it now can any rationall man think that he preached Christ and the things pertaining to his kingdome and the word of God and not preach so much as all the principles of the oracles of God not so much as all the first Rudiments or whole beginning word of Christ but left out imposition of hands onely among all the rest as none of the word of Christ nor of the things pertaining to his kingdome as not to be preacht no not in that juncture wherein immediately after it was to be and accordingly was so universally submitted to by them and dispenst unto them or if you say they received not that word of laying on of hands from Philip but from Peter and Iohn I answer t is true practically from the hands of Peter and Iohn dispensing it but by faith so as to believe it to be a practicable doctrine that was their duty to own from the mouth of Philip dispensing the doctrine of it or suppose that Philip spake nothing of it till Peter and Iohn came which is non supponendum yet is it likely that the Apostles that were sent to them from Ierusalem though nothing is said of that they said that therefore they said nothing to them at all yea will right reason ever receive this for truth that the Apostles were sent to Samaria upon the account of some service whether solely that of prayer and laying on of hands it matters not so long as that was one part of it at least and yet neither acquaint them whether before acquainted with it or no to what end and purpose they came and what was the end and purport of that service they onely or mainly came for he that can receive this let him receive it for my part I professe I cannot A fourth place from whence it is easily gathered that the doctrine of laying on of hands in order to their receiving the holy spirit was wont to be preached to all baptized believers is Act. 19. 1 2. 3. where Paul speaking to the whole company of disciples that he found at Ephesus the number wherof were then but about twelve among whom the doctrine of laying on of hands in order to the receiving the holy spirit had not been preached at the time of their baptism seems to reprove and blame the neglect of it enquiring whether they had not received the holy spirit supposing surely at least that the promise of it had been to them and prayer made for them in the usual way with laying on of hands that they might receive it but marveiling much that they being baptized believers had not been informed about these matters nor had so much as heard of the holy spirit have you received the holy pirit saies he no nor so much as heard of it say they no unto what then were you baptized saies he if at least you have not so much as heard of it as who should say who baptized you I wonder and did not so much as instruct you about the spirit nor laying on their hands pray for you that you might receive the spirit this plainly shewes that by right they should all about the time of their baptism in water have heard of the holy spirit and in what way it was to have been expected by them even that of laying on of hands none of all which they having so much as heard of as yet Paul therefore after some words of fuller information to them and such other passages as fell out thereupon laid his hands on them verse 6. in order to their receiving the holy spirit These Scriptures what they are to others I know not are to me a cleer and safe conduct into the belief of this truth that the doctrine of laying on of hands with
that when Christ saies Go teach all nations baptizing them teaching them he meant that they should baptize all them or but some of them only in the nations that were discipled his return was that if there were not other places that did more clearly prove it that Christ commanded that all should be baptized then Matth 28. he could not see it fully commanded there and being desired to assign any place wherein Christ did more universally command baptism then there he directs us to Luke 7. 30. where its said the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized whence he gathered that baptism was the Councel and consequently the commandement of God to all men because they are here reproved for rejecting it which if it be a sound Argument to prove baptism to be the command of God to all men because the pharisees in particular for the Pharisees is but a particular expression indigitating one single sort of men among all the rest and not so much as an indefinit much lesse an universal because I say the Pharisees in particular are reproved for refusing to obey it how much better may we collect that both baptism and laying on of hands with prayer for the spirit are commanded by God to all men because we find all those save Simon witnesse his giving them his holy spirit recorded as most highly approved of God that at any time did reject neither but silently submit themselves both Those passages between that my beloved friend and my self I could not conscientiously neglect to set down least I should seem to love any man more then the truth for the sake of which principally and partly for his also and theirs he walks with whom I love in truth as far as they love the truth I write this that he reviewing here his own empty evasions may more evidently discern himself to be mistaken in many things then he may be capable to do in a discourse by word of mouth and that they remembring how they in proof of baptism it self to be Christs command to all believers aâ—…e necessitated to use such cloudy inferences and deductions as those above may excuse us more then many if not most of that party do if in proof of laying on of hands to be the duty of all baptized believers we take the like liberty to our selves in order to their satisfaction to use more clear inferences and deductions then those out of Scripture and out of Heb. 6. 2. it self as t will appear that we do to reason it self rightly acted in comparing of Scripture with Scripture which I for my part refer the enquirers unto as the surâ—…st rule to try the spirits by and to try all inferences or deductions by because the best of men are liable to mistakes and sure enough to fall into them if ceasing to exercise their reason in deducing inferring and gathering one thing out of another they will receive notâ—…ing for truth though otherwise never so plain even to common sense and reason unlesse they find it in so many words in Scripture as t is by us exprest in and this is all that I shall trouble my self to say in reference to the seventh and eighth questions of the late Enquirers with the grounds thereof which are laid down in these words And now further to prove the Minor of the forecited syllogism in some other particulars of it that remain unproved viz. that laying on of hands was not only taught and practised disâ—…enst and submitted to ownd and observed among all baptized believers in the primitive times but all this as by command from God I argue thus viz. Either by command from God or without it But neither without nor against command from God Ergo by it the consequence of the first proposition is most clear for whatever Gospel administration was never commanded by God to be dispensed is practised if practised at all as a tradition of men and without nay against Gods command whose command it is that no man shall presume to teach for doctrines of his the traditions or commandments of men the Minor is as clear that the Apostles did not teach for doctrines of Christ any traditions of their own for as Paul who was one of them that practised laying on of hands saies of himself 1. Cor. 11. 23. that he received from Christ that which he delivered unto the Church at Corinth so may we say on the behalf of all the rest as concerning what doctrines they delivered and dispensations they practised to the Churches for surely as Christ the great and immediate messenger from the father could do nothing of himself was not to do his own will but the will of his father which sent him nor to speak or do any thing but as the father gave him commandement confessing that even his doctrine was not his own but his that sent him so they that were the great and immediate messengers from Christ might speak and do nothing in things pertaining to him but as God by him gave commandements unto them neither were any doctrines they delivered among the Churches their own nor any other then the doctrines of Christ whereupon though as Christs doctrine and commandements aâ—…e called his because he preacht and gave them from God and yet were not his own but the fathers so theirs are called the doctrine and commandements of the Apostles as they had them immediately from him yet are they not their own but the doctrine and comman-of Christ and had they done any thing more then they had order for from him who from him were to give order to the Churches either in the point of laying on of hands or any thing else they would surely have heard harshly from him for it been reproved by the spirit in the word but as to this service of prayer and laying on of hands on all baptized believers in many places he is recorded as approving of them in all they did Moreover that laying on ofâ—…hands was taught and practised not of their own heads but as t is asserted in the argument as a practical part of the Law will and Testament of Christ concerning baptized believers as one of the oracles or holy things of God as one of the very principles of the doctrine of Christ as a part of the foundation or beginning word of Christ as well as baptism or of the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which the true visible Church is built as upon a certain basis and from which the whole building growth up an holy temple in the Lord toward perfection an habitation of God through the spirit being first fitly framed together by a joint uniform visible obedience unto that one whole form of doctrine whereof I say this laying on of hands was a part and was practised at their first beginning to be disciples at or about the time of their baptism and before actual fellowship in the
remnant of whose Questions remain yet unanswered here though not so unanswerable as some do deem them I shall adde a word or two more toward the removeal of these two sorts of blinding bushes whereby I fear many may be infatua ted so as to turn aside from the way of truth in this particular and so leave both it and them unto the Lord. First then whereas by word of mouth some tell me That Laying on of hands was a way peculier to that juncture designed of god to the time then being only wherein the Apostles say some and othersome the Lord gave the holy spirit in some visible eminent and extraordinary gifts thereof as tongues prophecy miracles healing c. simply to this end that these might be a sign to confirm it visibly to the eyes of people that the doctrine they taught and practised in the principles and other parts of it was from above and no other then the oracles of God First I grant that in the primitive times there were and that in the way of prayer and laying on of hands given not by the Apostles though for as is shewed above they were not baptizers with the spirit but by the Lord onely whose onely prerogative that is to baptize with the holy spirit sundry gifts as healing c. which may be called extraordinary and rare respectively to these times wherein they have bin seldome or never seen or heard of as I know not that that of tongues now adaies ever was though as to that of healing and that of discerning of spirits and some other manifestations of the spirit given to profit withall as a word of wisdome and a word of knowledge it is within a little of past doubt to some that such as these as the Lord pleases are some lesse some more frequently given now among them that walk in truth though what gifts some have seen and been sensible of in others or themselves t is not so fit to boast of as to be silent Secondly I grant that many of this sort and hapily many more then either are or need to be or shall be given now were given then â—…o confirm the New Testament doctrine in the first delivery of it to the world in the room of the old one to be of God of some of which there may be a cessation the end they had such special respect to then being sufficiently accomplished and the word being now committed unto writing Mark 16. 17 18 c. Heb. 2. 3 4. But thirdly that either such gifts of the spirit as these were either the onely or the chief kind of gifts of the spirit that were to be and were expected lookt after or given in that way of prayer and laying on of hands as a service destinated pro tempore only in order to the receiving of such or that these gifts were so extraordinary in respect of the eminency or excellency of them because more visible and ad extra beyond such as may be warrantably by promise expected and are in that way assuredly and ordinarily given at this day these two I see no warrant to subscribe to for as t is most sure that the promise was so far as I find in terminis nor onely nor so oft of these things though I deny not but these were at that time for ends that concern not these times promised too but of the spirit to several other purposes as above the holy spirit the spirit in the fruits and graces and comforts of it the gift of the holy spirit we find it all along almost in no lesse then scores of Scriptures whereof some few are more plain so assuredly the holy spirit in that way of prayer and laying on of hands was given to baptized believers in other gifts then these viz. the graces comforts and fruits of it love joy peace assurance c. In respect of which in case those outward gifts of the spirit should all have failed or shall fail now yet that dispensation is not therefore rendred empty useless and out of date but remaines rather more gloriously useful then as to external gifts of tongues and such like continually even unto the end yea also if we speak of gifts meerly externall and visible as some call them though for my part I judge the spirit is as visible to us and manifested to be in men by the fruits and graces as by those things that are more commonly but not more properly then those called gifts I suppose his senses as well as his reason doth not a little fail him that descerns not not only those most excellent waies of grace as love joy c. 1 Cor. 12. 31. but even the best and most excellent and profitable outward gift of the spirit even that of prophecy or speaking to exhortation edification and comfort for that is the gift of prophecy and the best outward gift that we can covet or compasse given unto baptized believers whom we pray for and lay hands on at this day to whom nature and University Nursery never gave it And if any say we see such a kind of gift as you call prophecy given also to others aswel as such as submit to it That 's nothing to us what God does whose word binds us to such or such a way but not himself we are quaerying what we are required to do by him upon the account of which we may by promise expect the holy spirit not what God does God often anticipates his own promise and is better then his word as Act. 10. 47. he gave the spirit before baptism which is promised onely to baptized believers Act. 2. 39. yet that does neither give us disingagement from Gods outward way nor warrant us to expect the spirit out of it but ingage us so much the more unto it ver 48. If God will give any other men his holy spirit out of that way I am glad sith it pleases himself he is so good to them but as that assures me not that I specially if inlightned about his way yea then assuredly I shall not shall have it so too so sure I am that in his way I shall obtain it and if any have been so highly favoured of god as that he mercifully meets them out of his way that does not exempt them from comming into it but much more oblige them if they had no further need of it as Christ had none of baptism save to fulfill all righteousness even meerly upon that account to meet him the more cheerfully in it for thus it becometh us me thinks as well as it did Christ himself to fulfil all the righteousnes of his law If any say I deny not the dispensation of laying on of hands in its due seasoâ—… even in this age on baptized believers for the spirit but as they were bid to tarry at Ierusalem till they were indued with power from on high Luke 24 50. Act. 1. 4. that they might have some men
your selves when you speak plurally of it in your fifth question had he meant more kinds of imposition of hands then one for though hands be the plurall number yet laying on which is the phrase you speak to or else you speak nihil ad Rhombum is a substantive of the singular number both in the English and in the Greek and suppose the spirit had spoken plurally of more imposioâ—…s of hands then one must that that was Act. 8. 17-19 6. on baptized believers be ever the more excluded or the more incuded rather in all likelyhood among the rest and because the Apostle does not speak particularly enough nor distinguish nor expresse plainly enough what he means by shewing the end purpose and event of the imposition here spoken of therefore belike he meant that no body should ever own this principle at all but the truth is he speaks of no more impositions then one Therefore to conclude with the Enquiâ—…ers question propounded thus to themselves we desire to know what safety it is for any man to conclude that question to be worthy of an answer that is so falsely grounded as this of the Enquirers is and to conclude that Heb. 6. 2. is meant of more layings on of hands when it expresly speaks but of one And so deâ—… Friends whom I love too well to spare speaking plainly to you in a case whâ—…rein upon occasion of your putting on too too rashly in print little lesse then against it a precious truth of Christ lyes at stake between us since you are pleased to urge and importuâ—…e us so earnestly at the close of your questionâ—… by the opportunity that you have thereby put into our hands to justify our practise viz. laying on of hands upon all baptized believers as we love the glory of God and the promoting of that which we so highly esteem and hold to be truth as we will declare our love to the truth by countenancing men who diligently make search after iâ—… as we tender the union and communion of the Churches c. that we would discharge our duty and try if we could make it appear by the word of God which I confesse with you is able to instruct us in all things and therefore though much might be said from the constant practise of the Churches in and boâ—…dering upon the primitive times to the further clearing up of the truth in this point yea men far better studied that way then I am who yet see sufficiently to my satisfaction â—…ell us that all Antiquity teacheth laying on of hands after baptism yea and some that never practised neither it nor true baptism yet I wave â—…ll such Arguments aâ—… of no weight without the word Since also you promise us that if we so do then you shall acknowledg the truth thereof to the glory of God and your own shame in being ignorant so long and speedily imbrace it if God so assist you by his word professing you will to that purpose expect our faithfull care to be expessed with chearfullnesse without making delaies in a matter of so great importance which may unite and establish us in one mind hereupon I could not in conscience but take so much notice of your questions they meeting me also just in the mouth whilest I was musing to say some little but not a quarter so much as here is to evince the noncessation of this service as well as that of baptism as to give this transient answer as I travel along being bound also as you hint to me to give to every one that asketh it a reason of the hope that 's in me with meeknesse and fear so desiring the Lords blessing upon it towards you and upon you in your examination of it and as you have light your execution according to it that such excaecation as the Ranter who is run out of the reach of reason hath by little and little queried himself into may never overtake you I remain both yours and every ones servant for Christs sake Thus much concerning the continuation of that practise of laying on of hands now as to the present use of the ordinances of breaking of bread and church-fellowship I shal speak but briefly to that forasmuch as these are services the continuance of which to the end is denied doctrinally by none for ought I know but the Ranter that is run up above all saving that the Rigid Piesbyterians though in words they own the supper yet in works do deny it for many if not most of them live in the neglect of that administration of the supper in their parishes some four some five some six seven eight years without any use of it at all as if there were no such matter as that now in being for others I mean a certain mixt sort of Independents that are rife in these dayes they own and practise it and Church fellowship too more then enough unlesse more orderly in respect of that Antecedency to these of all the principles of the doctrine of Christ which ought to be now as it was in the primitive times which times they pretend to reform by taking in Omnium generum an Omnigatherum of persons men and women whom they take to be believers into fellowship in one visible body in breaking of bread and prayers some whereof having renounced their Rantism as null are truly baptized some as yet but meerly Rantized yet supposing themselves sufficiently baptized because of that which can be of no use to them as a sign for they remember it not some hanging in the air between both not satisfied whether they were truly baptized in infancy yea or no some doubting whether any water baptism at all be needful to be used in these times some convinc't that they ought to be baptized but not yet finding any Administrator that fits their fancies some resolved to be baptized but Christ who expects it from them must wait their leasure none reproving their procrastination nor saying to them as Ananias to Paul and now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord or as Peter to the Iews repent and be baptized Some resolving never to be baptized but roundly renouncing all water baptism as nothing concerning them yet leaving them at liberty to act according to their light that have a mind to submit to it and who see it their duty as if the plain word of Christ in this point of baptism were such a nose of wax as might be moulded and metamorphosed into any model according to every mans mind and temper or quite canceld disanuld melted into no word of Christ at all at every mans haughty humour that is loath to debase himself so far as to submission to it as if my Lord and my Lady and Sir such a one had more dispensation from Christ thenevery ordinary body to shew for their non-obedience to that dispised dispensation some of them that are baptized under prayer
and imposition of hands in order to their obtaining the spirit of promise some not having faith in the thing whether that baptism with the spirit Peter speaks of Act. 2. 39. and Iohn baptist Mat. 3. 11. doth belong to them or no though there promised to all that are and shall be repenting and believing baptized in water even as many as the Lord shall call whereupon the fourth principle of Christs doctrine will not down with them but when they come to that lesson in Christs A B C they must skip it and take forth and because it likes them not turn ore a new leaf to the doctrine of the supper and Church fellowship before they are prefecty past their primmer to all which confused pro and con congregations and mongrill kind of ministry and people that speak half in the language of Canaan and half of Ashdod I le here say no more but this viz. si eo quo caepistis pede perrexerit is c. proceeding as you begin and thriving to the hight of your principle throw the nations the body of Christendom which was once an uniform and more lately a triforme may in time become that which I judge also it must become for some small season before the end viz. a monstrous multiform and at last an omniform beast indeed But now as to the question whether these two for I must scarce speak of these severally but very succinctly and as it were together are of right and according to the mind and word of Christ to continue to the end in proof hereof viz. that they are I shall refer the Ranter and the rest if any other besides him do deny it but to two Scriptures which prove each of these respectively and remove some few more of such exceptions as are made against the present practise of both these two and the other two parts of Christs outward worship and service I have already spoke to and so put a period to this discourse The first is 1 Cor. 11. 26. for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew or shew ye for the word may be read imperatively as well as indicatively the Lords death till he come in which words t is so clearly supposed that the ordinance of the supper is not according to Christs will to cease till the next appearing of Christ that it were to suppose a man to be void of sense and reason to undertake to make it more evident to him by framing any formall argument from the place The Second is Heb. 10. 25. not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another while it s called to day and so much the more by how much you see the day approaching where it is also most clear and undeniable that t is the mind of Christ that the Saints should keep together in one body in assemblies and fellowships one with another and that his sheep should not live in such a stragling state and conditon such single fellowship between God and themselves onely as is now pleaded for by many that fall off from following or frequenting any societies at all and forsake such truly constituted Churches as they were once added to which argues apparently that as we say of sheep when they keep not with the flock but are found squotting up and down here and there by themselves alone and aloof from their fellows that some ill disease and deadly distemper is growing upon them but that they should keep together in flocks every sheep following the footsteps of the flock which name of flock is that by which Christ often denominates his sheep as Luke 12. 32. Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. to shew that he expects to find them in flocks and fellowships at his coming Ranterist Till he come is no other then till his coming into men by his spirit or in such full measures and manifestations of his spirit into mens hearts that they may be able to live up with him in spirit so as no more to need such lower helps from outward administrations such carnal ordinances such visible representations of Christ to the bodily eyes such legal rites and meer bodily exercises as baptism and fellowship together in breaking of bread are These things were used indeed and ordained as milk for babes in that meer nonage and infancy of the Church when Christ was known as a child as it were but now we are to know Christ as a man grown in us risen up in us and to have fellowship with him more immediately and intimately in spirit and not in such external and meer fleshly formes we are to live higher then on such low weak empty elements and beggarly rudiments as these which were used and imposed for a time to resemble Christ to us from without but must be left when once Christ the substance that was set forth by those shadows is come into us Christ is now in the Saints the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. So Heb. 6. 1. 2. leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection not laying again c. you see we must mind higher matters leaving these which were as a dark glasse or shadowy dispensation through which the Church once did see Christ and knew him after the flesh but now face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. and henceforth know we him so no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. when I was a child saies Paul I spake as a child and did as a child and thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childâ—…h things 1 Cor. 13. 11. every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe but strong meat belongeth to them that are full of growth who have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil Heb. 5. 14. that which is perfect is now come and therefore what is imperfect and in part only as ordinances are must be done away and as for gathering of congregations peoples assembling together in the Church bodies to preach pray break bread to build up one anoin the faith search the Scripture c. t was a way of God for mens edification till Christ the morning star shined to which men did well to take heed as unto a light that shined in a dark place but now the day dawnes and the day starre arises in mens hearts yea the day breaks and the shadowes flie away and Christ comes as a swift Roe and young heart upon the mountains of Bether so that now we are to exercise our selves rather unto Godlinesse for all bodily exercises as baptism breaking bread and Church order c. profit little besides t was said there should be a falling away from all those forms of worship and the way of ordinances which was in the primitive times 2 Thess. 2. 3. and a treading down of the holy City and Temple Rev. 11. 1. 2. as to the form
Iohn 14. 26. yea so he was come to his disciples and the Churches even unto Paul himself and that very Church of Corinth whom he praises for keeping some ordinances he delivered to them and charges to keep that of breaking of bread till Christ come long before he gave this charge and that in such a high degree that they had even all the gifts and manifestations of the spirit among them that might be 1 Cor. c. 12. c. 13. c. 14. so that they had abundance of Prophets and spiritual men among them 1 Cor. 14. 37. that were higher in the spirit or if they were not Paul that was once in the third heaven was then the spiritual men of this age yea they were a people in every thing inriched with all utterance and all knowledge and the testimony of Christ was so confirmed in them by the coming of the spirit that they came behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1. 5. 6. 7. 8. yet were they to wait in the dispensation and use of ordinances wherein they were for another coming of the Lord Jesus in which way Pauls hope was that Christ would confirm them to the end that they might be blamelesse as else it seemes they could not be in the day i. e. the great and notable day of the second personal coming of the Lord Jesus Thou talkest to us alluding to Heb. 9. 10. where the ordinances of the divine service of the law or old testament are so stiled of the ordinances of the Gospel under the name of carnall ordinances meer fleshly formes but know oh vain man that the outward rites or ceremonies of the Law are there called carnall on such an account as the ordinances of the Gospel cannot be so stiled viz. not at all because they were services performed by the outward man but because the performance of them served and sanctified no further then to the purifying of the flesh v. 13. viz. to the purging of the practisers thereof i. e. the Jews from such outward fleshly impurities as were contracted in the time of the Law by such things and actions as did denominate persons unclean for the time then being but neither do nor can so denominate them now that law with all the ordinances of it being abolished Thou callest Christs ordinances being not a little deluded by some expressions of Mr. Saltmarsh who speaks of them in his books as matters pertaining only to Iohns ministry whom together with his baptism and all that was done ad extra in the primitive time he puts upon the account of the law as pertaining to it rather then purely upon the account of the Gospel but know fond man that as Iohn was a minister of the Gospel of Christ and not of the law and his ministration of preaching and water baptism the very beginning of the Gospel of Christ as I have shewed above Mark 1. 1. 4. so if he and his ministration of bap tism had related simply to the law as they did not yet that of laying on of hands and Church-fellowship in breaking bread were all given in charge by the new law-giver Christ Jesus and that of water baptism too for as if he had foreseen that some should delude themselves and others so as to say it ended at his death even that also was given a new after his death as his expresse commmand concerning all people to the worlds end Thou speakest of living higher then on such low weak empty elements and beggerly rudiments but to say nothing of thy abominable impudency and the desperate despite herein done by thee to the son of God whom thou treadest under foot whilst thou despisest his day of small things and settest light by the least of his commands and hurlst at thy heels the least jota of his law and testament or art ashamed of his words to let passe that I say we give thee to understand that we live not on these ordinances we use but only on our Lord Christ in them whose foolish weak things and earthen vessels they are by which he hands heavenly treasure to believing souls Thou tellest us that the use of outward ordinances was milk for babes in that infancy or nonage of â—…ue Church which is no more then what we say our selves of some ordinances at least viz. baptism and imposition of hands which with the rest of the word of the beginning of Christs doctrine are so stiled Heb. 5. 12. 13. 6. 1. 2. But what of this is it not very fit therefore that they should still be used the Church being yet under age unlesse thou wilt run necessarily upon the utterance of one of theâ—…e two absurdities viz. that babes are not to be fed with milk now as heretofore but are more fitly fed with stronger meat or else which is as gross that there are no new born babes now in the Church as before at all but that every beginner in Christ is now a strong man a perfect man in Christ so soon as ever spiritually born Thou tellest us that to use ordinances is to know Christ after the flesh who from thenceforth was to be known so no more but herein oh spiritual man thou bewrayest thy own fleshly carnall and most crude conception of that place whereby the words of Paul though we have known Christ after the flesh he means not a knowing of him in the use of ordinances for then when he saies henceforth know we no man after the flesh it must have the same sense too and would suppose that till that time the Saints had known men in the use of ordinances besides that the Church at Corinth knew Christ in the use of ordinances long after this is eminently evident in the Epistle of Clement the Pastor and the Churchat Rome written to the Corinthians upon occasion of their disorder in church affairs some 30 years after Paul wrote this but he means that they from thenceforth that Christ died did take cognizance of no man as ere the better upon the account of a meer fleshly descent or birth of any mens bodies no not of Abrahams as they had before nor count men in Christ and Christians at such a rate as they were counted to God as his under the Law but onely as new born spiritually born from above as new creatures as believing according to Iohn 1. 12. 13. and Gal. 3. 26. 29. if Christs by faith then Abrahams seed and heirs c. Thou tellest us that ordinances are as it were a dark glasse through which we are to behold Christ till we come to see him face to face a certain shadowy dispensation till the substance it self comes childish things that must be put away when once we become men things imperfect and in part onely which when that which is perfect is come must vanish and be done away and such like and all this as t is nor more nor lesse then we say our selves so t is even as much as we need desire thee to
should be a departure from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. so that if the foretelling that there should be a falling away from the truth of ordinances prove that therefore there must be no practising of them now at all then there being a prophecy of a falling away from the right belief of the Gospel will evince that there ought now to be no right believing and so belike we do as ill in believing the Gospel now as in practising the ordinances of it but this will not not hold and therefore certainly not the other More over that thou maiest see how contrary thou art to the Apostles not in thy actings only but in thy arguings also consider that whereas thou admonishest men thereupon to be carelesse as concerning ordinances they even from their own predictions of a falling away from the purity of the primitive way stir the Saints up to so much the more dilligent and strict attendance to it Iude ver 3. 4. from the very consideration of a future falling away exhorts the Saints not therefore to let go but earnestly to contend for that faith which was once delivered to the Saints and I appeal to the understanding of any one that hath not shut up his eyes from seeing and searching after the mind of God in the Scripture whether Paul doth not charge Timothy 1 Tim. 4 16. 5. 21. 6. 13. 1 Tim. 3. 14. to whom he had told it before in 1 Tim. 4. 1. that there should be a departure from the faith even therefore as he would answer it before God to observe those things concerning outward discipline and Church order offices and ordinance in point of laying on of hands and other things of that kind as well as other that he in the name of the Lord had commanded him and to keep them without spot and unrebukeable even to the appearing of Jesus Christ and not onely to continue himself in the doctrine and things that he had learnt from Paul among which many were instructions for the right ordering of Churches 1 Tim. 3. 15. but also to take special order for the continuation thereof downwards to succeeding generations without the least hint of any term or period of time wherein they of right should cease the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able i. e. after thy decease to teach others also 2 Tim. 2. 2. and not onely so but whether he doth not in that very place thou alledgest viz. 2 Thess. 2. 15. even therefore enjoin the Saints to hold fast the traditions or ordinances for so the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used here is truely enough rendred 1 Cor. 11. 2. because he had told them above that there should come one that should delude many with lyes whereas if Paul had argued as thou O Reasonlesse doest he must have said thus viz. there shall come a falling away from the purity of ordinances by a wicked one that shall tread them down therefore be not too stuff in standing for them but let go the ordinances which have been taught you whether by word or Epistle Peter also foreseeing and accordingly foreshewing that there should come scoffers in the last daies walking after their own lusts not Christs commands wills the Saints that should be in those last times as Malachi did the Jewes after a long deformation to remember the Law of Moses with the statutes and judgements Mal. 4. 4. in which we now live to look back to and be mindful of the words that were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. 3. 2. as Iude also does in the self same words and upon the self same account Iude 17. And this I find to be the course of the Apostles all along upon foresight of the dark and declining time to refer the Saints of the last times to their primitive orders and by Arguments drawn from the stedfastnesse of the word of the old Testament in every tittle to shew much more a stedfastnesse in the new and a liablenes to punishment for every transgression and disobedience to this as there was for that Heb. 2. 2-10 28. every jot of which was so stedfast that even tith of Mint Annis and Cummin which the Pharisees did ill indeed in so doting upon as to neglect the weightier matters of judgement mercy c. was neverthelesse not to be neglected Matth. 23. 23. on pain of being accounted Robbers of God Mal. 3. 8. and howbeit the greater and higher things of the Gospel as faith holinesse of life c. are not to be forgotten while we attend to lesser and lower yet how the law of Christ was so stedfast as that of Moses if it ly in the power of man or Angel to disannul the least particle of it till Christ himself who is the only abolisher of old dispensations and establisher of new do by his own next personal comming put an end to this as he did by his first comming unto that I am not able to imagine Thou tellest us Suppose the Saints and churches ought to have held fast their administration of ordinances 〈◊〉 â—…his day yet what of that the Churches have lost and let go that first outward form of service and Iezebel the whore hath got into the Temple and filled all with Idolatry and trod all the true way under foot and instead thereof set up her own ordinances and traditions the Clergy hath corrupted and depraved all that first face of outward worshâ—…p therefore â—…s now no more to be meddled with for ever there must be no more raising the holy City in that form and way wherein it stood before no more Churches nor ordinances but did every any rational spirit argue thus viz. because the true appointed way of Gods worship was lost when it should have been therefore it must not be found recover'd nor returned to again when it may be surely the same rule reason warrant and command by which the Church was bound to have stood in the way of truth without falling away by the same is she now bound to rise from whence she is fallen or else I know not what Christ means when he saies to the Church at Ephesus Rev. 2. 4 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works c. Secondly by the same reason and ground that the Jewes returned from Babylon to Ierusalem and built the holy City and Temple that was the type when by the enemy Typical of our Gospel Babylonians the Priesthood and his people that have led the Church captive from her own border for a time times and a half even 70 years it was trodden underfoot and began again to practise the word worship and ordinances of the old Testament so long abolished agreeably to Gods will by the same I say may the Gospel Church having now both light and liberty
of 〈◊〉 then a very bruit thy perfection is a meer defection from the truth thy fulnesse of age to discern between good and evil is a faculty to discern that there 's neither good nor evil thy Godlinesse to be as Paul paints thee out 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. c. a lover of thy self coveteous proud a boaster a blasphemer disobedient to Govâ—…rnours c. incontinent fierce a despiser of those that are good treacherous heady high-minded a lover of pleasures more then God and to have a form or pretence of godlynesse whereby with the more advantage to creep into houses and lead captive to thy lust silly women laden with lust but to resist â—…he truth and deny the power thereof and instead of denying all ungodlinesse in such a sense as the grace of God teaches men to do i. e. to have nothing to do with it by a principle of grace turned into wantoness to deny that there 's any ungodlinesse at all Neverthelesse know this that the Lord comâ—…eth with 10000 of his Saints to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Iude 14. 15. and though thou being willingly ignorant of any such personall comming of Christ Oh Ranter and ungodly scoffer of these last times that walkest after thy own lusts in sensual lasâ—…vious and polluted wayes since thy forgetting the words of the Aposties of our Lord and thy unlawful separation from the true Churches Iude 17. 18. 19. since their lawful separation from the false 2 Cor. 2. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. saiest where is the promise of his coming and because all things continue as they were 2 Pet. 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. pleasest thy self in believing he will never so come yet he will so come in like manner i. e. visibly personally bodily but far mâ—…re gloriously as he went away Act. 1. 11. and be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God them specially that know no other God but themselves and their belly Phil. 3 19. and on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess. 1. 7. 8. 9. who shall be punisht with everlasting destruction yea while thou dreamest oh filthy dreamer despising government even ecclesiastical and civil defiling the flesh having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin and yet cannot commiâ—… sin because with thee there is now no sin promising men liberty whilst thou thy self art a servant of corruption and a slave in chains to Satan acting and ranting in every particular even to the life I should say rather to the death for t is to thy own according as thou art punctually painted out and prophesied of all along by Peter 2 Peter 2. c. 3. and Iude in both their Epistles who speak both the same things which either speaketh and no other then the self same which thou dost yet thy judgement now of along time lingreth not and thy damnation slumbreth not 2 Pet. 2. 3. for thy Lord O evil servant that art not found so doing as some few will be as he left in charge when he went away but saiest in thy heart my Lord delayes his coming and thereupon beginnest to smite thy fellow servants that keep close to the masters will that they may be without spot as his appearing and to eat and drink with the drunken thy Lord I say will come to thy cost in a day when thou lookest not for him in an hour that thou art not aware of and cut thee a sunder and appoint thee a portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24. 46. 47 48 49 50 51. yea O thou unprofitable servant thou shalt be cast into utter darknesse Mat. 25. 30. yea thou fearless feaster and feeder of thy self against the day of slaughter Iam. 5. 5 6 7. thou fruitlesse twice dead bruitish Creature the very mist and blackness of darknesse is against that time of Christs comming reserved for thee for ever 2 Pet 2. 17. Iude 13. ANTI-SACERDOTISM Sacerdotale delirium dilineatum The dotage of the Priests discovered OR Editio nova auctior et emendatior A new Edition With no small Addition In way of Emendation Amplification and truer Application of the third part of that trebble Treatise which is extant about the Ashford Disputation ENTITLED A pathetical exhortâ—…on to the Pastors to oppose the growth of Anabaptism or a short discourse concerning the means of opposing hereticks in disputation and preaching In which new Edition as Christs true Clergy alias the Churches that are commonly but not properly called ANABAPTISTS are cleared not to be such So exceptis excipiendis the Pope and his C C Clergy are cleared to be such themselves viz. self-loving and ambitious vain-gloryous and covetous illiterate and sottish impure and carnal cruel and bloody lying and blasphemous prophane and sacrilegious Heretical and Schismatical as Dr. Featly in his remarkeables and that fraternity by whom he though dead yet speaketh in their patheticals have proclaimed the said ANABAPTISTS to be MAL. 2. 1 2. 7 8 9. O ye priests this commandment is for you c. AND now O ye Disputers and Scribes of the Ashford Disputation I might say not a little and will say something how much I know not in discovery of your sacerdotall doings not to say dotings in the third piece of your pedorantical paper wherin the only truely baptism Church and Ministers of it are both declaimed against under the hatefull names of Heresie Schism Hereticks such as from no other principles then self conceit Ambition vain-glory and covetuousnesse design the propagation of errors by certain hypocritical pretences obstinate impudent and audacious deportments Seducers whose society is to be shuned c. for thus and much worse to the rendring of us odious among your Gentry and Vulgar and the hardning of their hearts against the truth are we whom you stile Auabaptists bespattered by you Antibaptists in that Triobulary Treatise intituled p. 20. A short discourse concerning the means of opposing Hereticks both in Disputation and preaching alias in your title page whereby it is evident both what and whom you mean by the words Heresie Heriticks viz. us and the way we walk in Apathetical Exhortation to the Pastors to oppose the growth of Anabaptism the drift of it whether it be more to decline or desire any more disputation with them one can hardly discover so doubtful is the sense of the Scribes that scraped it sometimes as it were decrying disputation as dangerous and that from which t is scarce possible to expect any good and superscribing it self thus viz. Why Hereticks are not to be disputed withall sometimes as it were disputing for disputation again as if it meant to move the Ministers though worsted by no meanes to give out and to make it good that much good may be expected from
it like Caesar at Rubicon with one foot out saying yet I may go on the other in saying yet I may go back bespeaking its patrons to be in a twitter in a temper between Hawk and Buzzard afraid to dispute too downrightly for disputation least that should ingage them another time ashamed too directly to dispute down disputation least it be thought they have no mind to it any more But to come to the thing it self I confesse you have spoken Bonum but not Bene Rectum but not Recte it is a moddle of for the most part right good true and honest matter onely made use of either very simply or very subtly to a bad end viz. the provoking of the Priesthood no need to bid mad folks run to preach up a false and oppose the practise of the true baptism Secondly most miserably misapplied if â—…cientiously and not cunningly it is the better to an improper subject and perverted the wrong way viz. to the fastning of the name Hereticks and Schismaticks for non-conformity to the Clergy upon those true Churches of Christ for non-conformity to whom in opinion and practise if miscariage about baptism may properly be so stiled the Clergy are in very deed the truest Hereticks and Schismaticks in the world I shall therefore in a serious survey and examine of what Heresie and Schism is discover plainly First that the people whom you call Anabaptists upon account of meer dissent and separation from you in the point of baptism are no Hereticks nor Schismaticks but the truest visible Church that Christ hath upon the earth Secondly that you the P P Priesthood of the Nations who dissent from them in that point are as to that point at least the veriest Hereticks and Schismaticks your selves Thirdly after some pathetical expostulation with your selves addresse my self by way of Peraphrase upon your own pathetical and paraenetical passages pathetically to exhort the true Pastors and paraenetically to perswade all people as you do yours to beware of us to beware of you the spirituallity by whom the way of truth is dispited who though you disguise your selves under the name of Gods Clergy or Heritage for a while yet will appear to be but cruel crushers of his true Clergy in the end First then let us see what Heresie and Schism is and then who is a Schismâ—…tical Heretick in the doctrine of baptism Heresie as to the Gospel is held and that truly by all manner of men I think the holding or maintaining any erroneous opinion in the faith and doctrine of the Gospel contrary to that doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles in the primitive times obstinately and pertinacously against all meanes that can be used towards conviction of the truth Schism is division or making of a rent fraction or faction in or separation from the true Church and from walking with them in the truth by the holders or maintainers of such false doctrine or opinion and consequently Schismatical Hereticks who ere they be are such as are bewitched from the simplicity of the truth as it is in Jesus and from the doctrine that was once received by the Church from him and his immediate Apostles so as both to believe and practise contrarily thereunto against all manifestations of the truth whereby to reduce and reclaim them and do also rend from and make a head against the true Church and true head thereof Christ Jesus separating themselves so as to have no fellowship or communion i. e. nor union of action nor unity of affection with them that walk in truth Now whether it be you O PPPriests who rantize infants or we who baptize believers that are thus gone off and divided from the primitive faith and practise from the true head of that Church from the true foundation i. e. the doctrine of the Apostles Eph. 2. 20. Heb. 6. 1. 2. and from fellowship with and conformity to the true Church in baptism and otherwise is evident to him that is not blind or blear-eyed for verily the water baptism which we dispense is abundantly shewed above to be that one baptism Eph. 4. which was used in the primitive times then which there is no other water baptism enjoined or exemplified in the word as Christs ordinance to his disciples viz. the burying of new born babes i. e believers in water and bringing them up again in token of Christs death burial and resurrection and of their dying to sin and rising to newnesse of life this I say is that one onely baptism the Churches then practised and thus and no otherwise do we at this day for which the word is our warrant yea it is that faith which was once delivered unto the Saints that we now contend for and the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of the Lord as we are specially injoined to do in these latter daies by both Peter and Iude who foretold how they would be sleighted as we see they now are by the two Spiritualties viz. the Rantizer and the Ranter the one Hereticizing in the excesse by adding a new thing the other in the defect by owning nothing both Schismatizing accordingly from the way of truth and howbeit after that way which you call Heresie Schism separation from the Church and such like so worship we God yet as sure as the coats upon your back you shall first or last to your wealâ—…er wo find that as to the point of baptism Churchfellowship and the supper also it is no other then the way of truth we walk in yea so far are we from erring and Schismatizing from the Church that we of all men do stand for a full reformation in faith practise doctrine discipline worship manners government and baptism according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches i. e. those mentioned in the word according to which we are all sworn to endeavour to reform as we will not be justly charged with Perjury Perfidiousnesse and Prevaâ—…cation the guilt of all which how little the Orthodox protesting covenanting Clergy are clear of in the sight of God and man is good for them to consider yea conformity in all things to the primitive practise is that we plead for presse after and persue and howbeit to the shame of his ignorance be it spoken Orthodox Mr. Baxter is pleased among other sectaries to charge the Anabaptists so he calls us that baptize aright as the Authors and approvers of the horrible wickednesse of these times and speaks of us as dispappointing and destroying their hopes in point of reformation to the grief of his heart yet with grief of heart that the way of truth should be evil spoken of by him by reason of such as do wickedly indeed yet those lascivious wayes he laies to our score are lesse approvvd on in our Churches then in the purest Parish Church in all Christ'ndom Kederminster not excepted yea I tell him and God I hope will one day seal it home upon
broken his lawes changed his ordinances trampled his truth made void his commandments and subpaena damni Temporalis et eternae damnationis imposed mens Traditions arrogantly in their stead so you in your severall lines have done no lesse yea you also make people to erre with all your might and whatever tender consciences find Christ piping to the contrary in his word yet if they dance not after you pipe when it sounds to the tune of Tithes and put not into your moneths you cry peace but bite with your teeth and prepare war against them Mich. 3. 5. possessing the world with prejudice against them as a sort of seditious Sectaries damnnble Hereticks and Schismaticks yea exceptis excipiendis saving some few scatterings here and there of more sober and moderate minded Ministers like so many graines of salt to keep the rest from stinking too much in these states where you have or would have raigned who have not been so hot spur as their fellowes by the good will of P. the Presbiter as well as of P. the Prelate and P the Pope many an honest mans native countrey for non-conformity to his Gangraenaticall domination should ere this have been made too hot to hold him so far therefore as separa from the true church and her orders may denominate a people Heretical Schismaticks and Divines themselves place the Nature of Heresie much in seperation and Schism the Denomination seems to be your due O P P Priests who are departed from the primitive church and not ours for departing from you ye are are those Schismatical Teachers that are rent all from the primitive plainesse of the Gospel and present pompousnesse of each others way and have seduced the whole world into spiritual thraldome idolatry and superstition and inticed them into a carnal liberty of calling all things according as your carnal ends and interests impose the names of Heresie or truth upon them you are S S She that having got the good liking of the Kings and Kingdomes of the earth to confide in you do close the eyes of their judgements as Dr. Featley faines we do with your birdlime of Schism from the true church and head thereof Christ Jesus and bewitcht them into an implicic submission to Papism Arch-bishopism Occumaenical Synodism Provincial Classism and so lead them as you list into Anti-gospelism Antiscripturism c. making a prey of them and though Featly had the faculty of faining the Baptists â—…o be such yet you are indeed devisers of new religions and Spiritual Impostors falsely pretending to Christ as the Patron and Authorizer of your new doctrines of which Paedo-baptism is one which because there is not the least dram of evidence for it in the word of Christ therefore when people begin to question it you amuse the vulgar with the names of some divine Authors or other not Peter nor Paul c. but St Austin S â— Gregory S Chrysostome c. at Rome his Holiness the Pope the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ghostly Fathers c. and in places where those subterfuges are not regarded Reverend Sinods of grave Orthodox Divines Ministers of Christ Suffrages of all the learned Divines in the Reformed Churches c. and this you do to secure your Tenets from the hazards of disputes and exempt your persons and actions from the test of examination as if there were such infallibility herein that it is no lesse then blaspemy to doubt or call in question the Dictates or Directories c. of such and such thus bearing your selves up with bombasting termes of Fathers Spiritual Ius divinum c. you gain to the captivating of the reason of men so far that they resign up themselves â—…urare in v v vostram sententiam and will be as their Priests are and never believe but that they believe the truth when all this while there is nothing but humane authority and humanum est errare for most things you do yea you are indeed the greatest Schismaticks or Rentmakers in the seamlesse coat of Christ that the Earth bears you are they that have caused divisions and offences contrary to that doctrine which was at first received at Rome and in all Churches and by good words and fair speeches viz. decency order c. have deceived the hearts of the simple so as to make more conscience of serving those belly gods the Priests then the Lord Jesus according to his own will therefore when you talk so much to us of the Church and your Church crying out as the Pope does against the Bishops for theirs and the Bishops against you Presbyters for your departure from them Hereticks Hereticks that disturb the peace of the Church forsake the Church infringe the unity of the Church yet I say what Church so long as there is no other Church constitution among you to this day then that of parishes into which the Pope put all Christ'ndome what Church so long as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles on which every true Church is built is cut off disclaimed and exploded and neither the word purely preached nor the Sacraments duly administred which by Calvin and Featley themselves are both made such true notes of the true visible Church that wherever they are there is the true Church and where not there 's no true Church what ever there may be in pretence yea verily so far are you from due administration of the sacraments giving the Supper to such as were never at all much lesse truly baptized many of you Presbyterians not administring it at all to your flocks whom you contend were truely initiated into your Church by baptism that indeed as you have substituted infant rantism instead of it so you preach down that due administration of baptism and the Supper which according to the primitive pattern Acts 2. is at this day to be found amongst us withall the vehemency you can proclaiming us Schismatical hereticks for declining your disorderly administrations and according to our covenant pressing on to that purity of administration of Gospell ordinances which lies now in such plain English before mens eyes that all your glosses wil beguile them but little longer there is no danger therefore of being rent from the Church of Christ in departing from participation with you in your oppositions of the truth therefore never glory so much in these vain lying words the Church of God the Church of God which is indeed the Common tone of all you Romanists each to other in your rendings each from other for there is none of you all three have a true visible Church of Christ among you nor yet right any administration of the things you call Sacraments whether we speak of either baptism or the Supper My answer then to the whole PPPriesthood of Christ'ndom even ye Protestant Clergy also from all whom as well as from the Pope we who are fictitiously stiled Anabaptists and charged as Schismatical Hereticks for so doing and troublers
of the unity of the Church are departed shall be the very same that you Protestant Clergy do make in your own defence when you are charged by your old father Caiphas and his Catholicks as Hereticks and Schismaticks in your rending from them and as infringers of the unity of their Church yea in the very words of Calvin to whom you my Ashford opponents are pleased to send us who saith thus of them as I do with him of you all Inst. l. 4. c. 2. S. 2 Magnifice quidem c. They do indeed gloriously set out their Church unto us that there should seem to be no other Church in the world and afterward as though the victory were gotten they decree that all be Schismaticks that dare withdraw themselves from the obedience of that Church that they paint out and that all be Hereticks that daâ—…e once mutter against the doctrine thereof But by what proofs do they confirm they have the true Church S. 1. If the true Church be the pillar and stay of the truth it is certain that there is no Church where lying and falshood have usurped the dominion S. 3. There is therefore no cause why they should any longer go forward to deceive by pretending a false colour under the name of the Church which we do reverently esteem as becommeth us but when they come to the definition of it not onely water as the common saying is cleaveth unto them but they stick fast in their own mire because they put a stinking harlot in place of the holy spouse of Christ that this putting in of a changling should not deceive us be side other admonitions let us remember this also of Augustine for speaking of the Church he saith it is it that is sometime darkned and covered with multitude of offences as with a cloud sometime in calmnesse of time appeareth quiet and free sometime is hidden and troubled with waves of tribulations and temptations He bringeth forth examples that oftentimes the strongest pillars either valiantly suffered banishment for the faith or were hidden in the whole world S. 4. In like manner the Romanists do vex us and make afraid the ignorant with the name of the Church whereas they be the deadly enemies of Christ. Therefore although they pretend the Temple the Priesthood and other such outward shews this vain glistering wherewith the eyes of the simple be dazled ought nothing to move us to grant that there is a Church where the Word of God doth not appear for this is the perpetual mark wherewith God hath marked them to he his He that is of the truth saith he heareth my voice Again I am the good shepheard and I know my sheep and am known of them my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And a little before he had said that the sheep follow their shepheard because they know his voice but they follow not a stranger but run away from him because they know not the voice of strangers Why are we therefore wilfully mad in judging the Church whereas Christ hath marked it with an undoubtful sign which wheresoever it is seen cannot deceive but that it certainly sheweth the Church to be there but where it is not there remaineth nothing that can give a true signifition of the Church for Paul rehearseth that the Church was builded not upon the judgements of men nor upon Priesthoods but upon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but rather Jerusalem is to be severally known from Babilon and the Church of Christ from the conspiracy of Satan by that difference wherewith Christ hath made them different one from another He that is of God saith he heareth the words of God ye therefore hear not because ye are not of God In summe forasmuch as the Church is the kingdom of Christ and he reigneth not but by his word can it be now doubtful to any man but that those be the words of lying by which Christs kingdome is feigned to be without his scepter that is to say without his holy word 5 But now whereas they accuse us of Schism and Heresie because we both teach a contrary doctrine to them and obey not their lawes and have our assemblies to prayers to baptism to the ministration of the supper and other holy doings severally from them it is indeed a very sore accusation but such as needeth not a long or labor some defence they are called Hereticks and Schismaticks which making a division do break in sunder the communion of the Church And this communion is holden together with true bounds that is to say the agreement of true doctrine and brotherly charity whereupon Augustine putteth this difference betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks that Hereticks indeed do with false doctrine corrupt the purenesse of faith but the Schismaticks sometime even where there is like faith do break the bond of fellowship But this is also to be noted that this conjoining of charity so hangeth upon the unity of Faith that faith ought to be the beginning thereof the end and finally the only rule Let us therefore remember that so oft as the unity of the Church is commended unto us this is required that while our minds agree in Christ our wills also may be joined together with mutual well willing in Christ Therefore Paul when he exhorteth us to that well willing taketh for his foundation that there is one God one Faith and one Baptism Yea wheresoever he teacheth us to be of one mind and of one will he by and by addeth in Christ or according to Christ meaning that it is a factions company of the wicked and not agreement of the faithful which is without the word of the Lord. S. 6. Cyprian also following Paul deriveth the whole fountain of the agreement of the Church from the onely Bishoprick of Christ he afterward addeth the Church is but one which spreadeth abroad more largely into a multitude with increase of fruitfulnesse like as there be many sun beams â—…ut one light and many branches of a tree but one body grounded upon a fast root and when many streams do flow from one fountain although the number seeâ—… to be scattered abroad by largeensse of overflowing plenty yet the unity abideth in the original take away a beam of the sunne from the body the unity suffers no division break a branch from the tree the broken branch cannot spring cut off the stream from the spring head being cut off it drieth up so also the Church being overspread with the light of the Lord is extended over the whole world yet there is but one light that is spread every where Nothing could be said more fitly to expresse that undividual knitting together which all the members of Christ have one with another we see how he continually calleth us back to the very head Whereupon he pronounceth that Heresies and Schismes do arise hereof that men do not return to the original of truth nor do seek that head
at any that any persons should be spared or but so much as favoured in any measure in such a case for their religions sake though it be the tâ—…e one and they of never so high account and eminent standing in it For howbeit the men who are commonly but not properly called Clergy but specially the Clergy immediately under the Popes supremacy were priviledged so far as to stand exempted from the reach of the civill law and to save themselves the trouble of being hanged when they had deserved it as much as other men by a businesse called the benefit of the Clergy i. e. the immunity of the Clergy from the civil law some relikes of which benefit the Clergy once had and still hath in some places seem to me to remain in our civil Courts wherein we see in some capital crimes the malefactour si legat ut Clericus if he can but read like a Clerk or Clergy man he escapes execution when else he should have died without remedy which favour is also called the benefit of the Clergy yet we desire that no manner of men may have exemption from the course of civil Justice yea if we whom they call Anabaptists do any thing at any time wordly of death by the civil law rightly regulated we refuse not to die but as we desire that others should so are we willing our selves in civil matters to stand at Caesars i. e. the civil Magistrates judgement seat where we ought to be judged in such cases and thus did Paul when accused by the Priests as a Pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition meerly for preaching the Gospel To the Jews saith he have I done no wrong nor yet against Caesar have I offended c. therfore no man may deliver me to them I appeal unto Caesar Act. 24. 5. 12. 13 14. 20. 25 8. 11. where we see that in case of civil injury charged upon him as committed by him he appeals to Câ—…sar to judge though Cesar was a heathen and he a Christian and not of Cesars Religion which he had been a mad man in doing had the question been simply about the right Religion yea when any question a aroâ—…e in the Church about Religion as in the point of circumcision Act. 15. the Apostles Elders and brethren considered of it among themselves consulting the mind of the spirit in the word and had they not agreed it they would not have referred it nor had any not conformed to their determination in that point would they have complained of them to Câ—…sar and as Paul would not stand at Cesars judgement seat in Religious as he desired to do in civil so Cesars Deputies would not meddle at all as Magistrates in Religious cases for when the Jews set Paul before the judgement seat of Gallio deputy of Aâ—…haia and complained saying This fellow perswadeth men to worship God contrary to the law Gallio said if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lowdnesse O ye Iews reason would that I should bear with you but if it be a question of words and names of your law look ye to it for I will be a judâ—…e of no such matters and he drave them from the judgement seat as who should say we are set to keep civil peace and right among you but not at all to determine you in your worships Oh therfore that the Magistracy would consider it that they are set not to force men to submit all to one worship nor yet sorcibly to suppresse either Heresie or truth but to prevent tumultuoulness about either If Demetrius and the craftsmen of like occupation who make shrines for Diana have a matter of wrong against any let the civill law be open and let them plead each other there but if the enquiry be concerning other matters as namely setting at nought their craft prophaning the Temples of their Goddesse and destroying their false worships by plain preaching of truth what 's Heredox what Orthodox in worship c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let that be determined in a lawfull Assembly i. e. as the word is in the Greek insome lawful Church congregation or select meeting for that purpose Last of all though the Lord prohibit the standing of Idolators c. in the Church 2 Cor. 6. Rev. 2. yet he himself who could presently root them out if t were his mind permits not onely true but also falseworshippers Hereticks c. to have a being in the world and therefore me thinks Gods Vicegerent should not be against it It is according to the will of God himself permitting not approving them that heresies do arise but its according to his good will approving and in his word appointing that they shall stand in the world when risen further then they can be annihilated by the word And as the Scripture shewes how far he himself tolerates them so the Divines themselves as shy as they are of having them tollerated do Give these good Reasons of Gods suffering of Hereticks 1 For the discovering of the sound that Gold and Silver may be known from hay and stubvle that by the Devills sitting of us the good corn may be discerned from chaâ—… it is the Apostles Reason 1 Cor. 11. 19. that they which are approved may be known for who they are that with the weapons of the Churches warfare are valiant for the truth indurers of hardship as good Souldiers of Christ c. would not appear if there were no Hereticks False worshippers Antichristians Truth treaders c. to try them true love to Christs truth can never be seen if never tryed nor tryed if truth never opposed hated hunted and that to death too sometimes by the fierce wrath and cruel malice of its enemies 2. That truth may be discussed and fetcht out as fire from the concussions of flint and steel Truth had not been fetcht half so far out of the dark nor from under that Popish Smoother of traditions at this time as it is had not the C C Clergy so hotly hunted it and so fiercely clasht against all that came out to clear it If there had not been an Hereticall C C Clergy crying out Heresie against all truth the world had never heard so much of it in these latter daies as now it hath and I verily perswade my self that as the day breakes and the shadowes fly away the way of truth in the hearts of the Just and in the eyes of the of the world by how much the CCClergy calls Heresie upon it shall shine more and more still to the perfect day if Luther and Calvin had not been and that so fiercely slung at by Popish Priests because they preached against indulgencies and selling pardons for money and against the Lordlines of the Popish Hirrachy they had not heard so much against them but that they might have sold more pardons then they have done since and the 2 latter litters of Spiritual lords that qua CCClergy came out of the
inwardly are ravening wolves into whose clutches the stragling sheep that would not keep the steps of the flock of Christ but turned aside after the flocks of the companions going at a venture which way the most went for companies sake right or wrong did fall and by whose Heretical principles men are in danger of perishing for ever Thus when the world would be nominally yet not really Christians obeying the pure word of Christ would not endure sound doctrin but having itching ears that loved to be tickled not grated upon grew weary of the plaines of the Gospel saying to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophecy not prophecy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophecy deceits get ye out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before 〈◊〉 despising his word and rufusing to hear the Law of the Lord as they of old Isa. 30. then the Lord gave them their own hearts lusts and sent leanes withall into their souls granted them heapes upon heaps of such Cater-pillars as should dwel at their own doors and devoute their soules and delude them with Heresie and false divinations and as their pay for so doing should devour also the tenth of their labours â—…ay the sixth in all parishes through the Nations he removed the candlestick out of his place and because they walked not in the light thereof whilst they had it let darkness come upon them he gave them Priests that should teach for hire and Prophets that should divine for money and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Mic. 2. 11. he gave them like people like Priest a people not willing to be taught and a Priesthood not able to teach he removed their truth-teachers into a corner so that their eyes should see no more such teachers nor their ears hear any voice behind them saying this is the way walk in it and so opened the flood gates for all manner of horrible Heresies to flow in upon them he powred upon them the spirit of deep sleep and closed their eyes the Prophets their Rulers their Seers he covered so that the vision of all became unto them as the words of a book sealed which if delivered to their learned men saying read this I pray they cannot for it is sealed if to their ignorant people saying read this they cannot for they are not learned t is for their Orthodox Divines and not for them to read and expound the Scripture for as much as the people drew neer to God with their mouth and with their lips did honour him with Gloria Patries c buâ—… removed their hearts far from him and would have their fear towards him taught by the precepts of men therefore the Lord proceeded to do a marvellous work in all Christ'ndome yea a marvellous work a wonder for the wisdome of their wise men perisht and the understanding of their prudent men was hid and the Lord left them to do their works in the dark and to turn all things upside down and to put a bridle upon the jawes of the people and ride them from Ierusalem unto Babilon even to all manner of Heresie blindnesse and confusion for ages and generations together Lastly to provoke the Pastors to diligence and watchfulness to prove them whether they be hirelings or not such as will flie when the wolf comes or lay down their lives for the sheep therefore the Apostle Paul speaking specially of that very time wherein the insolency and obstinacy of Hereticks and Schismaticks should increase to such a height as not to indure sound doctrine but rather to turn from the truth and turn to fables and heap false teachers to themselves to tickle them up in their lusts preach down and act no patience but rather persecution toward those that preach up the truth in consideration thereof charges Timothy to whom he left the oversight of the Church at Ephesus in order to the making full proof of his ministry to stand to it then with so much the more diligence to preach the word and be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine to watch in all things indure the afflictions that should befal him from the hands of wolvâ—…sh spirited men 2 Tim. 4 1. ad 8. And indeed this is that which should move the Pastors of the several congregations of Christ and such whom the holy spirit hath made Overseers of that little flock of his in these daies to take good heed both to themselves and all that flock for throw the negligence of the Pastors turning Hereticks yea wolves themselves in former dayes the sheep have been most miserably misled and rul'd over with force and cruelty and this will be a proof of their love to Christ above their lives if they shall give all diligence to the feeding of the sheep and lambs of Christ not flying for fear of men from that worthy work not forbearing nor shunning to deliver unto them the whole councel of God at this day though there be so many CCClergy men to croak against them for it And here let it be well noted that whether here or wherever throughout this discourse I dilate on the duty of the Pastors and put them on to performance of it I mean the Pastors of the Churches which are commonly called Anabaptists which are among the Nations as sheep among wolves as the lilly among thornes rent and torn for their Testimony to the Truth and not YYYou the P P Priesthood Y Y You the P P Pastoralty of the Parishes for verily he is blind that beholds you not to be no Pastors but rather Hâ—…relings yea Wolves Persecutors then Pastors of the sheep of Christ yea even you Presbyterian Pastoralty as well as others Indeed you have the boldnesse to stile your selves the Ministers of Christ but you are wrapt up in a cloud of confusion and contradiction about the proof of your Pedigree as from him yea when its closely quaeried whence you came I mean as to your ministerial function and capacity seeing you cannot derive your ordination by a lineal succession from the Apostles otherwise some of you and I judge the most do not deny but that remotely you receive your orders from the Pope who as you say not as Pope but as Presbyier ordained those Bishops which not as Bishops but as Presbyters ordained you Presbyters though t will prove but Priâ—…sts when all is done if the Antients among you consult the common-prayer book and form of your ordination a pretty series for the Ministers of Christ to descend in why Sirs are you not ashamed of this to cry out against the Pope as Antichrist and Rome as an Apostate strumpâ—…t and yet to hold all you have as a Ministry from and through these and that too since they Apostatized from the truth shall we think that all Christs ministers
where ere we are and what ere we say we submit not onely to your accesse but your exception also as you though in publique do not to ours You professe your selves desirous to have all things come to light before all that all things may be proved by your people and indeed though he that doth evil hateth the light neither â—…ometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved John 3. 21. 22 yet he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds might be made manifest that they are wrought in God yet the means and courses by which truth should be tryed which are plain and not puzzling discourses upon the Scripture you smother by all the means and courses you can conveniently devise as for any entire discourses of such as are contrary minded to you though teachers of truth as t is in the word these you cannot away with at any hand not permit to be used in publique before the people while you have any powar to shut your pulpit doors upon them you bid your people now or then prove all things that they may find out which is good and shun the evil but by your good-evil will they shall hear no more then what you tell them and chuse whether they 'l take that for truth or nothing you bid them cut where they like and yet you 'l be their carvers and force them to feed upon what you offer them or fast and welcome for no more messes must be meddled with though they have never such a mind to cut and try then what is of your dressing that oft is no more then some sugar spot sententious Academical bespangled hide bound glasse measured spirit stinting stuff which may challenge the name of duncery baldnesse babling and prating more then that sincere milk of the word you commonly call so which hour of divinity when you have bookt down and cond with no little care is many times but Sed and sometimes but Red ore when all 's done neither yet oft times you crow couragiously upon your own dunghil you pay it soundly in your own pulpits with convincing and opposing the approach of heresies and argue so substantially against them that you carry the cause and win all but t is because you play there by your selves for if any chance to hear you that hath never so much wherewith to undeceive your deluded people yet they may not receive his interrupted reply to never so little when you in the first place have pleaded your cause the next thing to be done is for all them that hear and have ought against you to hold their peace they must not andere audire alteram partem least they be infected though wise men know there is no other way to be perfected in the knowledge of the truth and freed from that hobnob implicit faith which is wrongly acted when rightly objected then by hearing all that is to be said against it as well as for it yea the heathen herein may be thy Tutor O PPPriest Qui statuit aliquid c. You cry out they are not Orthodox that oppose you and so forbid all audience of them to your people whom you feed with a word and a blow a bit and a knock lest if they be not as well corrected into a refusal of all direction from others as directed by your selues they quickly discern difference between you and them yet you would fain be counted free and forward that all should have liberty according to their duty to try all but the niggard shall never be called liberall nor the churl said to be â—…ountiful for me for he deviseth not the liberal things whereby the liberal shall stand yea tâ—…e instruments of the churl are evil and he deviseth wicked devices to destry the poor with lying words when the needy spoaketh right things yea his heart works iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter error befor the Lord to make empty the soul of the hungry and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail Isa. 32. 5. 6. 7. 8. As for pro and con discourse or disputation you smother that likewise with all your might for as you desire no more of it then needs must so you decline it what you can and disclaim it too as far as you dare for shame be seen in such a service as disputing against disputing is declaiming against it as a dismal thing of some dangerous consequence poison means of infection contentionem scabiem and such like being sensible of your sores you come not to the stake to be questioned in your waies before your blind admirers but when you cannot with credit considering your over shooting your selves sometimes in hasty challenges make a cleanly come off without it though it be to meet with those that are inferiour to your selves save that the Lord is with them for surely you see somewhat further then a mole into a milstone that things are no better with you then they should be why else should there be such loathnesse like that of the Elephant that 's loath to drink in fair waters for fear of seeing a foul face to come to the light as we find there is in the most of you as well as in Dr. Gouge who would at no hand vouchsafe any publique discussion of insant-sprinkling whether it wâ—…re of God or man nec per se ne per synodum in his parish with Dr. Chamberlain yet sometimes Euphoniae gratia for reports sake you make some pretty put offs in publike and put on tooth and nail for disputation but alas you curtail it into so narrow a compasse as namely half a day two hours or some odd end of an after-noon when two dayes is too little two weeks scarce enough two years not too much to discusse the truth in witnesse not onely Iude who bids the Saints of the last times saving Tertullian and Sir Henry Wottons dislike out contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints and Paul who for 2 years space disputed dayly in the School of one Tyrannus not such a Tyrant to the truth as you are it seems for if he had he would have admitted not a word out you confine it I say into such a corner of time that as Pilate askt what 's truth and when he had so said went his way without an answer so you hast to have an end not hearing half the half quarter that is to be said in opposition to your own opinions about that question And during that little while the busines lasts you carry all as much as you can above the reach and beyond the capacity of plain minded men and women that come together for resolution in Scholastick terms and conclave it from their cognizance under the lock and key of your Linsey wolsey Logick which is neither fine enough for the University from which you have a while discontinued nor home-spun enough for the Country which muddy way of mood and figure is neither
neither Transubstantion nor consubstantion have so much as appeared in these days wherein so many old Heresies as infant sprinkling for one which as a mad bul having its deaths blow on the forehead struggles more then ever are in a sort revived and stickled for and plyed with new and fresh assaults and unheard of arguments for t was pleaded for but as a tradition mostly in times above us as well as new ones broached And the reason is because all Ministers in these parts good and bad true false even the Priests themselves in their Sermons provided for the sacrament have every where oppugned them as having indeed no cleer colour in them of either Scripture common sense or reason as neither hath infantsprinkling if the National Ministers would once wisely consider it The learned Hooker observes that in Poland so many Arrians sprung up because the Nicence faith was neglected there and had we Baptists in our Ministry of old been careful to preach for the true way of baptizing believers onely when the baptism of infants first began to come up and creep upon superstitious grounds into the Church It would certainly have hindred the propagation of that reasonlesse Rantism and freed the Churches that now return to the onely true baptism again which they let go from that simple censure of Anabaptism which now they passe under from men that take rantism to be baptism at least our flocks in those daies that followed the truth had been so well provided as that they would not so easily have departed as they did from that plain way of the word in point of baptism Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum The Pastors are appointed by God for watchmen their office is to to see dangers and to give warning they are the dogs of the flock such as the wolf would have â—…lent woe be to them if they barke not Narianzen was such an one as some say his mother dreamed that she had brought forth a white whelp and such they say for I knew him not he proved that the wolâ—… 〈◊〉 heretick durst not enter but he spied him nor staie but he hunted him out if he did thus not mistaking heresie and instead thereof hunting out truth as the Priests do but I hope he did not t was the better for the Churches he was the Pastor of but wo be to the Church the CCCatholick aecumenical visible Church cal'd CCChristâ—…dome whose faithful Pastors are gone from the truth and turned wolves themselves that weary the very truth it self Saint Paul tells those of Ephesus Act. 22. 29 I know that after my departure many grievous wolves shall enter into the flock and as he said so verily it it came to passe for the three sorts of National Church PPPastors Pope Prelate Presbyter are in sheeps clothing but indeed ravening wolves that have devoured the truest flock of sheep that Christ hath upon this earth they are the dogs of the flock indeed but many of them dumb dogs that cannot bark and others barking at the sheep themselves and others biting them with their teeth because they put not into their mouths and tearing them though they never teach them yea they are greedy dogs that never have enough looking each to his gain from his quarterâ—… The rest of this discourse shall be partly Paraenetical to the people partly Apologetical to the Priests and so end As to the Paraenetical part It concerns the advice of the Pastors of the true Churches to their flocks and all people that they would endeavour to preserve and recover themslelves from all infection of Heresie and Schism from the primitive times by which the whole world is gone astray and in order thereunto they commend unto them this serious exhortation 1. To endeavour to be thoroughly instâ—…cted in the principles of Christian Religion to be houses with foundation that every wind oâ—… doctrine may not shake them Dui huâ—… et illuc fluctuat quovis momentur impellitur He that is not settled upon the true foundation yea and that house or Church that is not built upon a right foundation even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the primitive Prophets and Apostles heard and obeyed is driven to and fro to this and to that and back again almost with every storm that rises and hath a time wherein t will fall and the fall thereof will be very great Matth. 7. 21. ad 28. Ephes. 2. 20. 21. 21. we have experience plain enough of this in the Nationall and PPParish Churches and people who because they are houses without foundation or else constituted upon nothing but the sandy foundations of mens inventions traditions doctrines and the prudentiall precepts of the PPPriesthood and not upon the primitive doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles neither were everperfectly but at best in part onely instructed in the ABC and first principles or beginning word and doctrines of Christ as they ly plainly before us in sixt of the Heb. 1. 2. becauseâ—… say they never knew noâ—… owned all these nor laid them as the foundation of â—…eir building and Church posture but are brought into that mongrel Church way they are in by principles of birth breeding abode in such a Town custome fashion lawes of men Statutes Spiritual orders Popes Bishops Synods Canons implicit faith more then by cleer knowledge of acquaintance with conversion by the light of Scripture therefore they are wavering like a wave of the Sea tosled to and fro with every wind and turn of tide and driven to any thing that chances to please the Princes or that civil power best under which they happen to be bred and born yea as t was of old in Babylon where Nebuchadnezzer reigned all the Lords People Tongues and Nations within his jurisdiction saving two or three honest souls who saw Gods will and served him according to it fell down straight at his command and threatnings of the furnace if they did not so hath it been in BBBabylon the new under the three PPPriesthoods wherever they have born sway all the people exceptis excipiendis a very few that keep their standing in every turn being built upon the rock Christ and his doctrine fall down and do as they and the Princes that have committed adultery with them have enjoined yea they have reel'd to and fro like a drunkard being drunk with the whores wine and fell forwards and backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards again in the lump and been by turns of what religion or way soever hath pleased the powers to impose under penalty Papists Protestants Papists Protestants Popish Presbyterian or as it happens 2 To love the truth and imbrace it those that yet scorn it and let their affections be ravished in the imbracings of it such as have or shall yet atany time imbrace it so shall they be stable in it and not soon moved from the truth 3. To take heed of itching ears such as love to be gently toucht but not plainly
for Gods sake yet how did he put him off with delaies as if the businesse were now dubious to himself when as formerly he had acknowledged that it was a tradition of the Church and would give answer nec per se nec per se Synodum When therefore they shall say unto you ask the Priest seek unto us I say seek not unto them that say they seek but are loath to find themselves or at least are afraid that men should find and see all that which they cannot clearly deny to be the truth seek not to them that peep and that mutter and speak not out as if the matter were not momentary to be mentioned as if they were in a quandary whether it be safe or no to seek too seriously after the truth out should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead to the law and to the testimony your selves oh yee people if they speak not plainly according to the word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8 19 20. Ask therefore the High Priest Christ Jesus and if you cannot be resolved so speedily as you desire to your satisfaction and content be content to stay till God shall reveal in the mean time while you doubt suspend the practise and do nothing doubtingly but exercise your selves the while in searching the Scripture and prayer to which pretious practise God hath made many pretious promises in his word as namely That they shall be undefiled in the way that seek the Lord with their whole heart Psalm 119. 1 2. That if thou wilt turn at his reproof though thou hast been a simple one and hast loved simplicity a scorner that delightest in scorning and jeaâ—…ing at the truth and a fool that hath hated knowledge which all are high degrees of sin yet he will powre out his spirit upon thee which happily hath been thy laughing stock and make known his words unto thee Prov. 1. 22. 23. that if thou wilt receive his words and hide his commaddements within thee If thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thy heart unto understanding yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Yet be assured of this humble ignorance in many questions debated in these daies by Divines and also in old timebefore us by learned Schoolmen and Casuists and by the Popish priests that reason about the unreasonable fopperries and refusely scum that arises out of the dead sea of their divinity is more acceptable to God then contentious curiousity yet not such humble ignorance about the ordinances of Christ as our Priesthood would hold men in as if the Law and Oracles of Christ which are all plain to him that understandeth were in things necessary to salvation so difficult and obstruse that poor mechanicks must meddle no more in t then they have leave from them in facili et aperto postta est salus the way of salvation is plain to be found in the book of God he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord for remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy spirit but the PPPriesthood hath led men the next way round about to salvation and framed a new Gospel for their followers which Scripture makes no mention of at all but as those Israelites that were led up and down the wildernesse so long God had sworne should not enter into his xest so neither shall those Christians that when the truth lyes plain before them delight rather to trace to and fro in the thicket of traditions received from their after forefathers then in the way of the first fathers of the Church and love more to wander then to walk in the narrow way of truth in the vast forrest wondrous wood and wide wildernesse of the PPPriests inventions 9. Consider sadly in heresie the sin the punishment the sin St. Paul places it among the works of the flesh Murder Idolatry Witchcraft Drunkenness c. and well may for t is onely in favour of the flesh and for some base fleshly ends or other that men depart from the way of truth and not of the spirit for that leadeth those that are resolved to be led by it as it speaks in the Scriptures into all truth as it is in the mind of Christ Jesus Iohn 14. The leaâ—… hereste cannot be excused the nature of it is to gather as it grows it is to run downhil and that 's the cause why so many follow it and so few the truth for its an uphill a narrow way that leads to life therefore few find it but facilis descensus averni the way to the bottomlesse pit is an easie and broad descent therefore many there be that go in thereat even whole towns Counties Kingdoms yea the whole world 1 Ioh 5. 19. Rev. 13. 3. a few onely excepted that obey the truth whose names therefore are written in the book of life the heretick that hath begun it cannot stop when he will but when once he ceases to receive and retain God in his knowledge and the love of the truth that he may be saved through some base love of the world and the lucre and lust thereof that he may be pleased profited preferred a 100. to one but he is hardned for ever in blindnesse God also giving him over as well as he himself to deeper and deeper delusion and at last to the love of lies more then truth Ieroboams rent turned into idolatry and the rent of such as run from the primitive doctrine of Christ is come to no less the Rantizer and the Ranter also are both sad examples to us how fearsul a thing it is to run away from the plain path of the word of Christ the one whereof when he ran down once but so far as to take upon him to mend Christs ordinances and teach for doctrine his own traditions never left adding more and more of his own odd constitutions till he sunk ore head and ears in a gulf of golden legends and a lake of lies the other when he had once declined the Scripture and denied all ordinances never left advancinxg himself into the clouds of his own airy conceits till his waxen wings melted with his soring so neer the sun and so he fell headlong into a sink of sorbid sensuality The punishment is either temporal the Donatists of old as some say the Anabaptists as they are commonly cal'd of Germany who if ever they ownd the truth abode notvery long in it are examples of Gods Iudgements in that kind spiritual blindnesse of understanding hardnesse of heart seeing and not perceiving hearing and not understanding and last of all eternal the worm that nâ—…ver
of himself he is God given over to strong delusion to believe lies that they may be damned because not receiving the love of the truth that they might be saved whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming 2 Thess. 2. denying the Lord that bought them and bringing on themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 2. * Viz touching of dead bo dies Num. 5. 2. eatingâ—… or touching the carcases of any forbidden fishes birds or beast Lev. 11. 24. 31. diseases as the leprosie Lev. 13. 8. running of issues Levit. 15. 2. and such like * for if he that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that hath troden under foot the son of God Heb. 10. 29. therefore we had need to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard least at any time we let them slip for if the word spoken by angels was sure and stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was after confirmed to us by them that heard him Heb. 2. 1. 2. 3 whosoever shall be ashamed of me or my words of him will I be ashamed when I come in the kingdome of my father with my holy angels Mark 8. 38. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * as indeed I find thee to be of the whole Scripture which though Paul bids Timothy give attendance to the reading of 1 Tim. 4. 13. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. yet thou hast left off to read disswading others also from the reading of it as unprofitable as no other then the writings and inventions of men to keep the world in awe so that it cannot come to enjoy that liberty alias license for lewdnesse and fleshly lusts which thou promisest and pleadest for and that makes thee to be such a weather cock such a well without water such a wandring star althou art such a cloud tost to and fro with a tempest because thou hast no steady rule to steer by no whither goest thou to talke with or to take heed to to recall or to fix thee to any one point but onely the whisling multifarious fancies and foolish sigments of thy own aiery brain and unconstant spirit * Isa 8. 13 14. Eze. 11. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 20 21 * Heb. 10. 25. * all which will fall to the share of the silken snapsack to carry in the end * See how Mr. Baxter defines him out of Bullinger p. 259. Hereticum cum dico intelligosectarum Authorem qui ecclesiam scindis c. when I talk of an Heretick I mean an Author of Sects who rendeth the Church who pertinaciously proceedeth by false and erroneous doctrine to infrings trouble the unity of the Church and out of Viguerius Hereticus est qui relicta side et ec clesiae doctrina alicujus temporalis commodi gratia et maxime gloriae falsas et novas opiniones gigniâ—… vel sequitur ut vel 〈◊〉 maneat ab ecclesia divisus * sucâ—… words as none of you â—…ish PPPriestâ—… in CCChrist'ndome do can or ever did preach in for if your people Ask the Priest what they must do you say repent but be not baptized yea take heed every one of you that at any hand you be not baptized * Dr. Featley p. 161. * For Tent makers such as Paul was to make the Gos pel chargeless you are most ly too proud to be †Sine qua Christianismus non constat saith Calvin * Calvin inst lib 4. c 2. s. 1. verbi et sacramentorum Mi nisterium nobis perpetua â—…ssera dignoscende ecclesiae * divsion * which whether in the Antitype it be not that woman the CCClergy by whom the Kings of the earth have bin as Ahab by the other stirred up to aâ—…l mischief against the the truth may be seen moâ—…e clearly Rev. 17. * witness the case of Iohn Sawtrey the first English Martyr of whom we read thus viz. that Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury 1399 first denouncing him an Heretick 2 in the name of all his fellow brethren the Bishops and of the whole Clergy condemning digrading him from his priestly orders from all his priestly honors in token therof taking from him as he was a Priest the patent and chalice the authority of saying Masse the casul and vestment as a Deacon the book of the New Testament as a Subdeacon the Albe and Maniple as an Acolite the Candlestick and taper as an Exorcist the book of Conjuration as a Reader the book of the Church Legend of lies as Sexton the keyes of Church door and surplice and then rasing his crown and putting the cap of a lay prrson on his head delivers him up to the secular power saying pray be favourable to him who after burns him being called on by the Bishops in the City of London * Whether the magistrate be the minister of Christ as God onley or as Mediatour also I mean God man is a question about which I find some fill the world with a world of confusion viz. Mr. Gelaspie and Mr. Rutherford who are together by the ears about it and Mr. Baxter also who makes much more ado then needs p. 228. c. to prove that Christ exerciseth some of his Government as Mediator by Ministers and some by Magistrates by which if he mean that Magistrates are officers in Christs Church of Christs appointment I pitty his blindness when I read Eph. 4. where its shewed what officers Christ sets in his Church for the edifying and establishing thereof if he mean that the Magistrate is Christs officer and ordinance to the worldward for the Government of it under him and of the Church too as t is a part of the world so far as he doth yet administer in the world and judge it I will not greatly deny that howbeit that he as man yet judgeth the world and as Mediatour governs it as once he is to do by appointment from the father Acts 17. 31 at his appearing his kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 1. when he shall put that power in full execution for which he hath now but the commission when he shall return personally to set up and rule in that Kingdome which he is now gon to heaven to receive Luke 19. 11. 12. 15. c. when the Prince of this world for so Christ himself who is Prince of the world to come is pleased to call the devill now John 14. 30. who is dominus fac totum here by permission and rules over Kings Princes and People by the Beast and whore that rides it Rev. 17. to whom he hath given his seat power and great Authority Rev. 13. 2. shall once be judged and bound up in the bottomlesse pit from domineering over and deceiving the Nations any more that Christ I say yet judges the world as once he is to
do when the Kingdome appointed by the Father to him in reward of his for them and by him to his disciples in reward of their sufferings for him Luke 22. 28. is come this I utterly deny nay rather he is yet in his Saints an underling to the civil powers the miserable ignorance of which time wherein Christ shall take unto himself his great power and reign and be de facto as he was de jure before King of Kings and Lord of Lords makes the Divines so dote as to Interpret that place Isa. 49. 23. of Kings being nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers and bowing down and licking the dust of the Chuches feet and a hundred more as fulfilled now in this his day of small things in this his personal absence which when the divel is blind at least and bolted up in the bottomless pit Rev. 20. they l surely see are not in esse actuali till then and to suppose Magistrates to be now Christs chief Church officers Supremely under him to rule in it when as were they not already blind themselves they could not but see it to be contrary unto truth for women may be Magistrates but not Church Ministers and may be Supreme in authority in a State as Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth but are bid to be under obedience and fordid in Church matters so much as to speak much more to usurp authority in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 34. 35. viz. in refusing to be judge in matters of faith and religion * For Custoâ—…s et vindex ut ciusque tabulae under the Gospel because it was sounder that typical standing of the Law is but a tale and a trick of our Priests whereby to curry favour with their princes the truth is that whole Jewish State which was also a Church as no one whole nation under heaven now is was a type and both the Kingly Priestly and Prophe tical office that then headed that Church were typical of that tripple true head of the Gospel Israel Christ Jesus and are no more to be drawn in as an example so as to argue more warrantably from the Kings then to the civil Rulers now then from the High-Priest-Hood to the Popedome * my Petition to the powerâ—… on behalf of the Church is that it may have as much peace and as little preferment as they please for ever Cum Ecclesia peperit divitias silia devoravit matrem y Twospritualties whereof as bad as the first is the latter will be more sensuall then the former having not the Spirit Jude 17. though pretending to it more supremely then the other under which last the devil now acts as under a new vizard to the deceiving of people from the way of truth perceiving his old vizard worn so thin that all men begin now to see through it * Luk. 9. 53. 54 55. * Witness the Iesuites that 〈◊〉 kil Kings if Hereticks the Northen presbitery that may lawfully sight England if it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ctory and the Episcopal war against the State * So Iulius the second who seeing himself vanquisht threw away Saint Peters keyes into the River Tyber protesting he would thence forth help himself with S Pauls sword * The contrary towhich where ere t is well may men submit out of fear till they can help themselves but never out of love while the world stands for consci ence is a tender thing and though but a woâ—…m yet if trod upon wil turn again * Howbeit they shall never want flatterers to perswade them that they are Abj. Ans. * Vid. â— Tho. Beacons Reliquâ—…s of Rome sâ—…t forth cum privilegio 1563. Pope Servitius ordained that Hereticks should be banisâ—…t An. 588. fol. 214. Pope Pelagius the first that all Hereticks and Schismaticks should be put to death by the secular power provided that the Bishops in their spiritual courts do first prosecute convict and condemn them for Hereticks and then commit them to the temporal Magistrate to dispaâ—…ch them out of the way by fire sword or halter for they say as the chief priests to Pilate it is not lâ—…wful for us to put any to death In the councel of Lateran by Innocent the third 2 Patriaâ—…s 70 Aroh-bishops 400 Bishops twelve Abbots 800 Priests the Legates of the Greek and Roman Empire the Embassadors of Spain Jerusalem France England Cyprus it was decreed that all Hereticks and so many as should in any point resist the Catholique faith should be condemned that the secular power of what degree soever should be compelled openly to swear for the defence of the Catholique faith and to the utmost of their power to root out and destroy in their kingdomes all such persons as the Catholique Church should condemn for Hereticks and if any King should be a Heretick or defender of them and not reform within a year then his subjects should be absolved by the Pope from yielding any further subjection or obedience to him or keeping any fidelity with him and so t was in the case of John here in England who resigned to the Popes Legate his Crown kissing his knee as he came into England which John was after poisoned by a Monk who having his pardon from the Pope poisoned himself first to poison the King and also that the Pope may give that land to Catholiques to possesse peaceably and without contradiction all Hereticks being rooted out of it Obj. Ans. * 1 Sam 5. 24 * which he hath more saith then I that believes they ever will for surely the CCClergies Win all or lose all will pull them down at last * 〈◊〉 Es. 15. 5. to the 12. 49. to 57. Rev. 11. 〈◊〉 6. 19. 2. * for howbeit it was the Roman civil power in Potius Pilate passing sentence yet it was the Priestly malice that caused him to be crucified or else Pilate had re leased him so its Princely power but PPPriestly malice crying out crucifie him crucifie him that hath caused himunder the Gospel be crucified in his truth and Saints or else many of the civil Powers would release him â—…om 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—… 2. 13. Magistâ—…es are called 〈◊〉 â—…dinance oâ—… Godâ—… the mâ—… tâ—…it oâ—…â—…he thing we 〈◊〉 goâ—…ern nâ—… is oâ—… him the ordinâ—…ce of 〈◊〉 to â—…he 〈◊〉 form of governmâ—… viz. whâ—…her it shall be by Kings Parliâ—… c. and also the paticular persons that shall execuâ—…e that form is alâ—…ogether in choice of the people * Act. 18 12 13. 14 * â—…e supra p. 279. * For that name Clergy however by themselves improperly impropriated to themselves as if they onely were the heritage of God for that 's the plain English of that Anglico-greek word Clergy yet in plain truth pertains properly to all Christs people and that in contradistinction too from the Ministry for the spirit speaking of the Elders and Pastors of the Church charges them not to Lord it over the heritage i. e. in other locution not
bold as to mention it as Christs command for baptizing of infants and to argue from it as such p. 39. yet in answer to Mr Cornwell asserting infant baptism to be against Christs commission Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15 16. professes that there is no mention at all of infants in either of those texts much less a prohibition to baptize them p. 62. among those that assault us from this place Dr Featley and M â— Marshall are the Chrieftanes and this is the common way of argumentation from it viz. All nations are to be baptized But children are of the Nations Eâ—…go c. To this purpose your approved D Featley argues but as falsly as a man can likely do whose Syllogism is this p. 39. viz. That which extends to all Nations belongs to children as well as men for childern are a great part if not the half of all nations But Christs command of baptizing extends to all nations Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. 16. Ergo Christs command of baptizing belongeth to children and they ought to be baptized as well as men On this wise also Mr Marshall reasons in his answer to Mr. Tombes p. 214. by way of repetition of what he more largely delivered in his Sermon viz. In every nation the children make a great part of that Nation and they are alwaies included under every administration whether promises or threatnings priviledges or burdens mercies or judgements unless they be excepted Much after the same sort also doth Mr. Blake express himself p. 20. of his birth priviledge concerning Mat. 28. 19. viz. The words there comprize infants they are no more excluded then men at years serving to make up a Nation as well as parents the infants of any nation make a part of the nation But who would think such goodly geer as this should manifest it self to the whole world as a fruit of the most serious meditations of men so eminently polemical as they by the Clergy are esteemed to be in their several Tracts in this point and that it should pass without the least item of correction for it from any one of their brethren who rather seem all to consent to then contradict them However I shall make as serious Examen of it as I can First then is it so Sirs that what ever administration extends to all nations belongs to infants therein as well as men so that they are no more excluded from it then men at years how is it then that preaching the Gospel and prayer with laying on of hands for confirmation for the spirit which Dr Holmes dotes was dispensed to these infants that were brought to Christ and therfore much more baptism in infancy and as a proof thereof brings testimony that it was never used in the primitive times to be dispensed till past infancy how is it I say that these and also fellowship in the supper are by your very selves denyed to belong to infants in infancy what is the reason that you exclude infants here are not these priviledges belonging to men why then if yours and Mr Marshalls assertion be true not to infants as well as men are they not mercies administrations merciful administrations of God extended to all nations yea is not preaching an administration to every creature that extends not to infants and yet saving Mr Marshals cunning insertion of this clause unlesse they be excepted whereby to salve his proposition from default of falsity though thereby he renders it plainly uslesse to his purpose are infants any where by name excepted from any one of these administrations any more then they are from baptism it self yea is it not an administration of God extending to all nations that persons should work or else not eat in which infants are not included for then must they starve and yet no where at all excepted yea he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned Christ is the Author of eternall salvation to all them that obey him Christ shall comâ—… in flaming fire taking veâ—…geance on all them that know not God and obey not the Gospell be that confesseth me before men him will I confesse before my father which is in heaven he that denieth me shall be denied whosoever is ashamed of me and of my words of him will I be ashamed he that denieth not himself and taketh not up his crosse dayly and followeth mè and hateth not his father and mother and his own life and all that he hath cannot be my disciple him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever be saith unto you and whosoever heareth not his voice shall be cut off from among his people if any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 him be Anathema Maranatha repent and be baptized and an hundred such like are not these Gods Gospel-administrations of duties promises threatnings priviledges burdens mercies judgements extended to all nations from which infants are not excepted and yet do these include and comprize infants as much as men at years or are infants excluded by expresse exception from any of these any more then from that one amongst the rest viz. the duty and ordinance of baptism how then dare you aver so peremptorily so universally that every administration that extendeth to all nations belongeth to infants as well as men yea that I may shame and silence you in this out of your own sayings some of you namely Mr. Marshal perceiving that if you grant that Infants did eat the passeover it will follow from that to their eating the supper as well as from their circumcision of old to the baptism of them now do assert that infants did not eat the passeover yet was not the passeover an administration to the nation of Israel from which infants were never excepted and if so how then can your other sayings be true that every administration that extendeth to the nations belongs to infants as well as to persons at years unlesse they be somewhere excepted Babist We mean not of a formall exception but a vertuall exception an exception in effect at least infants must have or else be supposed as included under every administration that is given to the nations and thus infants are excepted from all those last mentioned precepts promises threats c. forasmuch as it is most notoriously known they are not capable to do the things upon the performance or non-performance of which those mercies and Iudgements are promised and threatned for they cannot hear Christs voice nor know nor love nor obey him nor deny themselves nor hate their lives nor confesse him nor deny him and whereas t is said that if any will not work let him not eat infants must necessarily be understood to be excepted there though not by name because they cannot work and so unlesse excepted must perish by Gods appointment for want of food so concerning eating at the supper Infants are excepted not expressely yet implicitly and in effect in those words let a man
examine himself and so let him eat because there 's that required in order to eating there viz. self examination discerning the Lords body and blood which infants cannot do Baptist. T is very true they are excepted from all these as you say implicitly and in effect though not expressely but then let it be considered is there not as fair and as clear an exception of them from baptism as from any of these or in particular as from that service of the supper in as much as theres that required in order to baptisme which infants can no more do then they can do what 's required to the supper viz. to believe with all the heart Act. 8. 37. and to be discipled i e to be taught and to learn the Gospel Mat. 28. 19. If any should ask this question what hinders why I may not eat the supper you would answer thus if thou examinest they self thou maiest eat of that bread and drink of that cup so when the Eunuch enquired of Philip what hinders why I may not be baptized he answers him in the very same viz. if thou believest with all thy heart thou maiest for whoever shall say these answers viz. let a man examine himself and so he may eat let a man believe with all his heart so he may be baptized or if thou examinest thy self thou mayest eat or if thou believest with all thy heart thou maiest be baptized are not the self same in sense and signifification shall never go for a wise man more with me and whoever shall say that the phrase of Philip to the Eunuchs question what hinders why I may not viz. if â—…hou believest with all thy heart thou mayest be baitized is as not exceptive of infants from baptism as that phrase of Paul let a man examine himself and so let him eat is exceptive of infants from the supper can seem no other to me then one whose reason is basely captivated to some carnal interest or other yea the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8. 37. doth ful as much if not more imply an unlawfulnesse of their admission to baptism that believe not with all the heart as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11. 28. doth imply an unlawfulnesse of their admission to the supper who do not first examine themselves what ever exception therefore ye can find in the word of infants from the supper the self same will I find of infants from baptism and what eâ—…er ground of admission to baptism you shall find there for them the same will I bring for their admission to the supper Babist Those places where it s said if thou believest thou mayest he that believeth and is baptized repent and be baptized go teach and baptize imply onely an unlawfulness of baptizing persons at years without instruction belief and repentance and are phrases that relate to such onely and not to infants who may notwithstanding any thing to the contrary there exhibited be baptized without any of these Baptist. So you use to say still indeed of these Scriptures that they speak of persons at age and not in non-age and so say I too but I wonder then where are the Scriptures that speak of infants baptism if all the places of Scripture that speak of baptism at all speak onely of the baptism of adult ones and so you are fain to confesse they do when we come to examine them one after another yea I remember that at two publique disputes when we have put you to assign what Scripture infant baptism is commanded in Mat. 28. 19. hath bin nominated as your warrant out of which when it hath been plainly proved that Christ commands no more in that place to be baptized then such whom he commands also first to be instructed reply hath been made to this purpose viz. that Christ there requires that such as are capable of instruction should be instructed first but that hinders not why infants may not be baptized before instruction but if so I say I wonder still where that place is that warrants it that infants may be baptized at all siâ—…h you are fain to confesse that that phrase go teach and baptize yea even you your selves sometimes who just before assigned it as the warrant for infant baptism that it speaks onely of persons capable to be taught and not of infants As you say therefore that these places speak of the baptism of men and women onely that are capable to learn believe and repent and not exclusivly of infants because they are not capable to do those things who yet may be bapâ—…ized for all that so I say of these words let a man examine himself and so let him eat they imply an unlawfulnesse in men and women only to eat the supper without self-examination but not in infants who being not capable to examine themselves may any thing to the contrary there notwithstanding be admitted to the supper without it t is men and women onely and not children who upon non-examination of themselves are excepted As you argue therefore that every administration to an Nation includes infants as well as men unlesse the be excepted and therefore they must be baptized I conclude the same from those premises concerning their right to other ordinances viz. therefore they must be preacht to therefore they must eat the supper two administrations given to all nations from which infants are no more excepted then from baptism As therefore you take it for an implicit exception of infants from the supper in that they cannot perform what is required in that place to the receiving of it i. e. not examine themselves nor discern the Lords body though by name they are not excepted so if you be not partial your own consciences will compel you to take it for at least as implicit an exception of infants from baptism in that they are no way capable to perform those things which are required of persons in order to their admission to baptism in other places viz. nor to believe with all tbe heart nor to confesse â—…in nor amend their lives nor repent nor call on the name of the Lord all which were required of adult ones that come to baptism as we see Mat. 3. Act. 2. Act. 8. Act. 22. and also in the Rubrick where it being askt what is required of persons to be baptized answer is made thus viz. repentance whereby they forsake sin and faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that sacrament though by name they be not excepted in any of these places Your cui signatum ei signum nisi obstet c. your thredbare Argument viz. to whom the thing signified belongs to them the sign unlesse there be some impediment or in capacity to perform what is required in order to the receiving of the sign if it had one farthing worth of force in it to give infants accesse to baptism would equally avail to give them accesse to the
Popes â—…oins the two P Priesthoods of the Protestant party might have lorded it longer like their father who will never be dead as long as they are alive had they not been as iron and steel against truth and true worshippers whom God makes as hard as slint against their faces that by their concussions against it he may the more fully fetch it forth the oppositions and imprisonments which Paul met with from the adverse party whereby they intended to smoother it in his daies fell out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel for it came to be the more manifest in all places by means of errors so earnest appearance against it 1 Phil. 12. to 19. Thus truth hath gained ground not a little in these latter daies by the ominous onsets wherewith falsehood fights it and would fain fright and force it to hide its head and wisdome works out it self not a little to light by follies flying so furiously at the face of it 3. That the truth might be better loved and more price set upon it we prize light the more by our knowledge of darkness health by our sense of sicknesse errour is a foil to a Diamond truth looks more lovely being compared with it The lilly looks most lovely and beautifull when it stands among black thornes 2 Cant. 2. the stars though ever obvious to us would never shine if there were no night contraria juxta se posita maxime eluâ—…scant contraries set together discover each other more lively in their severall loathsome or lovely formes the light of the Sun shewes brightest seemes sweetest when it breaks from under a dark cloud so does the Sun of righteousnesse now arising appear the more lovely by how much it hath been hid from the earth now of long time by that dismall darknesse and smoak of Heresies erroneous false worships and foolish figments with which the CCClergy hath filled all parishes throughout CCChristendome 4 For the punishment of hypocrites nominall Christians curious Minds such as have itching eares and heap unto themselves teachers stragling sheep fall into the wolves clutches such as will not keep the steps of the flock but go after the flocks of the Companions ever fall into most dangers of seducement all which is most plain by too woful experience in all Nations of CCChristendome for while Christianity and the Gospel was professed sincerely as it was saving some remote beginnings of mens traditions to take place against the commands of Christ in the first three hundred years wherein t was evidenced by the ten bloody persecutions that Christians served Christ for love then and not for loaves nor for lives sake neither for they loved not their lives unto the death there were not half so many Hereticks or Heresies as have been since but when once after Constantine Christianity comming into credit and being not onely owned by the Emperors themselves but established by their edicts in all things according to the pattern shewed them in the word not of Christ but of the Catholique Clergy convened in Councels as the Religion sub paena to be submitted to men turned Christians upon such sleight grounds and were born to that Name of Christianity without the Nature no otherwise then of the will of man and were no more then nomine tenus professors of it the Lord in his just and 〈◊〉 judgement to these nominal Christians permitted those Spiritual plagues that we â—…e Rev. 8. Rev. 9. seconded the sounding of the trumpets to fall thick and three fold upon the world suffered the Clergy to fall to contentions jars and janglings about their ambitious interests viz. primacy and universallity c and to Apostatize more and more from the plain primitive truth and to degenerate be degrees into darknesse till they came at last to be totally blinded in things of God and blind leaders of the blind Princes and people that implicitly gâ—…ve up themselves to be guided by them that both might drop together into the ditch yea he suffered that great star the Bishop of Rome that sometime shone very bright to fall as wormwood upon the third part of the waters the pure doctrine of the Gospel i. e. to foist in his heresies to the poisoning and imbittering of the doctrine so that many died even all that drank thereof because it was bitter and unwholsome and he suffered the third part of the Sun and Moon and Stars all the means and waies of Christs own institution and appointment to give light unto men by to be smitten and darkned corrupted covered with false glosses depraved with heaps of heresies and traditions c. crept in and authorized by the Pope and his Ecclesiastical Dâ—…ctors so that what with the damnable and horribly devillish heresies by means of Mahomet and his Alcoran infecting the Orientall Christians through all Asia and these Papisticall errors of those Arch-Hereticks the Pope and CCClergy and Scholastick Rabbies who with vain deceit seduced the Occidental part of the world from the simplicity that is in Christ the day shone not for a third part of it the might likewise i. e. the third part of that pure and pretious truth of Christ which shined in the primitive Churches was now exclipsed and extinguisht neither had men by the third part so much of that clear light of Christs Gospel that they were wont to have in former dayes yea further in way of plague and punishment to hypocrites and meer nominal Christians the Lord at last suffered that star which fell before or angel of the Church of Rome when he was fallen from all his heavenlinesse and love of truth to earthlinesse and love of money and honour from beneath to open the bottomlesse pit i. e. the way to the very depth of hellish darknes and to raise up a smoak or thick fog of errors and heresies lies traditions which as the smoak of some great furnace darkened the sun and air i. e. totally put out the light of Scripture and pure administrations which were but 〈◊〉 part ecclipsed before so that now nothing could be seen as it were but Popish legends and such stuff by the advantage of which smoother the Locuâ—…s came out i. e. the Clergy that swarmed all over the earth in every parish one at least stinging hurting wounding to eternal death by their poisonous doctrines propounded under pretence of the word of Christ all persons save such as have the seal of God in their foreheads even a few witnesses to the truth that withstood their doctrins which locusts are said to be scorpions i. e. carrying a fair face but stings in their tailes and to have crowns because of their great power for under their great King Apollyon they rule all and reign ore the Kings of the earth These are they that outwardly wear the sheeps cloathing i. e. cloth themselves with the denominations of Clergy Gods heritage Spiritual men Priests men of God which are the true titles of the sheep but
time as Authority did remove iâ—… uâ—…der that name on pain of five and ten pounds forfeiture to them that used it did then see it a corruption and imbraced the Directory in its stead and did not sleep as before but were changed in a moment yea we cannot be ignorant for who so blind as they that cannot see what they cannot but see of the Protaean practises of you Priesthood who since the new moulding of things here in Eâ—…gland from the depth of Popish darknesse have been the most self preserving sect as is to be seen this day in the world keeping together Catervatim in covents Counsells Classes and as trooping so trumpeting together for the most part in one tone according to the tempers of the Princes in whose times you happened to be trained up or have a being in against all that as Heresie which you saw the Higher Powers or general Assemblies of the Kirk directing and State correcting would have so and saving some few still among as well the Popish as Prelatick and Presbyterian Priests for its a hard case if there be never a consciencious Priest at Rome that would say otherwise then you all said saying and unsaying seeing and unseeing turning and returning changing and unchanging singing a new song and unsinging it again agreeing to speak with one mouth like the Prophets that Prophecyed before Ahab 1 Kin. 22. 13. who all save one Micaiah said but one thing and nothing still but good good to please the King so that whereas of old it was throughout all Christendome like Priest like Prince like People the heart of all Kingly power being hammered to the will of the Whore with whom it was enamoured Ahab being not a little overwiv'd by Iezebell that stole the breeches from him while he lay in bed with her and ran a whoring after her from the Lord so now since the civil Powers in these parts are resolved to be suprem and to be no more such underlings as to crouch any further then Consultativè about religion to any of the three parts of the Tripple Crown you the Priesthood seeing all your Pomp depend upon your obedience to the Sic volo Sic jubeo of King Henry and his Successors it hath been here like Prince like Preist like People me thinks I here you say O yee time-serving Prince Pleasing Priesthood Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis let us have our fees the fleece and let the flock feed how they will Kings Popes or People which ere Supreme do sit May let Religion be as you think fit We cannot but be aware unlesse we will wink how the body of you the Priesthood have for livings sake like reeds in the tide leaned this way and that way even which way soever the waters have turned and stood under K. Henry Papists under K. Edward Protestants under Q. Mary Papists under Q. Elizabeth and K. Iames Protestants and though you were ever eager for that form of Government and Worship still that was in present being pleading the truth of it as if you would have lost your lives rather then left it crying out that Religion it self was taken away if that were not continued as of old for Masse and Popes supremacy and more lately for Common prayer and Episcopacy and more lately yet for a Synodian Supremacy and Scottish Directory yet like children crying for the losse of some Gaudy Hornbook or Gilded Primmer a new Book a new Psalter and Festraw a New Testament or Will of the State streight stops your mouths so that any form else if it be an indifferent Independency may serve the turn specially when you judge it may cost you a whipping if you grumble and conform not Thus whilest truly tender spirits like a few harmlesse flies are catcht in the Cobwebs of mens lawes about Religion the Spider creeps clear over all and lives it out under Papacy Prelacy Piesbytery under commands of King Parliament and Army under the impositions of Masse Liturgy Directory and should a law be made as I desire of the powers there never may for conformity to the true form indeed may as well for ought I know begin again with the Baptists in the principles or A B C of Christs doctrine Heb. 6. 1 2. and primitive practice You professe you Protestant Priests to be Reformers in these times and places and bringers back of Gods people from Babylon to Sion but verily you hold them back from Returning so fast and so far homeward to the truth as some do more would do were it not for you who rather rap them in then help them on that run faster then your coveteotis turns can afford them to do in this work of reforming bythe word yea you are the greatest hinderers and retarders that are of that perfect reformation of all things according to the plain pattern of the word which yet upon several occasions since Protestanism came up you have protested for your selves and also pressed not to say what in you lies forced all people to protest for with you How is it else that men when they passe but a little from you Watchmen find him who their souls love and being first a shamed of your and their abominations while by implicit faith they dwelt under the shadow of your Ministery see the form and fashion the commings in and goings out and even all the ordinances and the lawes of Christs house and keep and do them in some measure and not tarrying for man Mic. 5. 7. nor waiting for the Sons of men are if not fully reformed yet daily reforming according to their covenant viz. the word of God and example of the best reformed Churches viz. Iudaea Rome in her first and true glory Corinth Galatia Ephesus Plilippi Colosse Thessalonica c. Yet you even you Watchmen are blind and found beating and abusing the spouse for her inquiries and sit like a company of Black Ravens or Rooks in a mist gaping after what way the whole body will take their flight before any Individuall though never so clear in discovery of the right dare once move from his standing before his fellowes you wait one upon another Sperantes omnes in singulis singuli in omnibus for light but behold obsurity for brightnesse but you walk in darknesse You groap for the way like the blind like them that have no eyes calling out help King help Houses help Councells help Neighbour Nations help Brethren of Scotland from all which because they are men and not God flesh and not spirit there comes no help at all save help to Gods people against you and such help too that he that helpeth you shall fall and you that are holpen shall fall down and you shall all fall together and none deliver You are sworn as well as we in the sight of both God and men to reform according to the word and that word is nigh enough even in your mother tongue bibles hearts and mouths viz. the word of
faith which we preach Neither is it far off you unless your shutting your eyes against it and putting it away from you hath engaged the Lord to shut up your eyes and put it fâ—…rther so that because seeing you would not see thereupon seeing you shall not You have also promise enough from Christ to know his will in his word if you look to him onely and to it Yet you say who shall go up to heaven to bring Christ down to us again who shall descend into the deep tobringChrist to us from the dead who shall go beyond the Sea for us viz. Holland Germany c. and bring the word unto us that we may hear it and do it who shall go into Scotland and brings us a directory and platform of government from them You swear to reform after the example of the best reformed Churches but you mean of Europe not of Asia sure not the congregations you read of in the word but the Nations you dote on in the world viz. Scotland Holland Denmark Swethland Germany c. which all qua Nations excepting such in them as truly fear God and worship him answerably to his will are together with this till they be converted to the faith by the spiritual and the civil sword and then not in nonage baptized not sprinkled in â—…he name of Christ with confession and for remission of sins and then walk in free not forced fellowship in breaking bread and prayers are as far in sano sensu from the denomination of true Churches and have as much need of reforming as our selves Indeed you talk of Church of Orthodoxnes and reformation as the thing much desired making them the Hereticks and Schismaticks that side not with you see Baxt. p. 151. We prayed for reformation and the progressr of the Gospel we fasted and mourned and cryed to God we waited and longâ—…d for it more then for any worldly possession indeed we overvalued it and had too sweet thoughts of it as if it had been our heaven and rest therefore t is just in God to suffer these men meaning the Anabaptists to destroy our hopes and if they root the Gospel quite out of England its just in God but yet we hope they shall be but our scourges and that God is but teaching us the evil of their Schisms c. But Sirs what is that hoped for reformation of yours the pure Gospel you Presbyters so much talk of which those that hinder and hold not with you in are all sentenced for Schismaticks ipso facto for my part I could never find what reformation more in ordinances discipline doctrine and government you Presbyterian Priesthood aimd at then establishment of the Scottish faith and the removal of the Bishops and their superstitious Clergy as they removed the Popish before out of place that themselves might reign as tyrannically in their steads the pulling down of red glass windows and placing of white the knocking down of Fonts and setting up Basons to Rantize in the forcing the fathers to say the same at the Font that the God-fathers did in old time the observation of your own directory instead of the old liturgy giving the supper to none at all for most riged Presbyters have denied that to their whole parishes this seven year instead of giving it promisâ—…uously to all levelling the maintenance of the Nations ministry so that every one may have a competency of an 100d per annum and not some all some none as in old'n time and a few such trivial translations in which the Gospel is no more promoted reformation according to the primitive faith and baptism far lesse furthered then it would be if never a penny might more be paid to the Priests that preach for hire while the world stands such a reformation indeed you have generally overvalued therefore its justice in God to you and mercy to the whole land to suffer his people to prosper in their preachings of the truth to the utter destroying of your hopes which if they were not more after worldly possessions in many of you that settled your selves in 100ds per annum by the shift then after that which is truth indeed t will be the better for you another time but I testifie it to the faces of you that for all your prayings and fastings and mournings and cryings to God and waitings and longings for Reformation you are the fiercest opposers of the primitive practise under heaven T is true you CCClergy are some more reformed then some you differ each from other as Papal Prelatick Presbyterian facing each other a squint as the three corners in a Triangle falling out and contending bitterly with one another about your own false wayes yet camna utentes facundia concurring to baâ—…k altogether against the true yea even you Protestant Priests yea you Presbyteâ—… that pretend more strictly and peculiarly to the title of Preachers and Presbâ—… of the truth and more serious searchers after it in prayer and supplication are together with the flat Popish Priests grosse hiders of the truth as it is in Jesus for the revealing of which to your selves you seem and that sometimes with fasting earnestly to pray to God and for the revealing of which to them in preaching you seem and that sometimes Iure divino to take pay from men You cry mightily indeed after knowledge and lift up your voices for understandâ—…ng saying Lord direct us more and more into the way of truth for we are blind and ignorant and in the dark neither know we what to do but our eyes are to thee give us pure ordinances shew us the right way c. but if in any of your publique places never so soon after your prayers the Lord stirre up the spirits of any of the mâ—…ssengers of his Churches that go forth in power and plainness of speech to make offer of any question or further information you are so far from that candor which the Rulers of the Jewish Synagogues used in this case Aâ—…t 13. and from saying men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation to the people say on that you rather rate them as dogs out of doors with what make you here to disturb us we must have an order taken with you to make you hold your peace and such like rough repulses as 100ds of people know are used by more then one of you Querists after truth and yet you tell us of running into corners as refusing and unwilling to be be openly examined and tell your people that veritas non quaerit Aâ—…gulos see Featley p. 167 and that we creep into houses as if we were ashamed to come out into your publique assemblies though we tell you ore and ore again that as t is more for want of your leave then our love so to do that we do not tell the truth there before your faces so our meetings when in private houses are more publique then yours when in publique places by how much