not to my purpose to follow Paul in his Journeys nor to speak of his abode in several places as a year and a half at Corinth Acts 18.11 three years at Ephesus chap. 20.31 c. we shall bring him up to Jerusalem where upon the account of an uproar against him he fell into the hands of the Romans when Faelix was Governour of Judea and Glaudius Lysias chief Captain in Jerusalem and he (b) Acts 23. was kept a Prisoner till Portius Festus came into Foelix's room Acts 24.27 and having been heard by him and appealed unto Caesar was soon after sent to Rome where he arrived in the year 58. and was Martyr'd in the year 68. which was the 10th after Now as to Peter undeniably he and Paul were at Jerusalem at the time of the Synod in the year 48. as observed before and they would have them both to have been Martyr'd in Rome in 68 that is 20 years after yet they assert Peter to have been Bishop of Rome for 25 years so that there are plainly 5 years discount besides the time that he might have spent in and about Judea for after that as I already mark'd we find him in Antioch as for Paul he was brought to Rome but 10 years after which was but 10 before his Martyrdom which in case Peter had come thither about the same time had lessen'd in all 15 of the 25. Peters first Epistle was written to the Jews strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia from Babylon in the 56th year of our Lord which was but 12 before his death his second Epistle to the same Jews is supposed to have been written in 67. that is a year before his death which he therein speaks of as near at hand (c) 2 Pet. 13.14 there being no place named we may well suppose it to have been written from the same whence the other was yet therein no mention of Rome no salutation thence no mention of Paul as being there tho' he therein speaks of him chap. 3.15 But to leave off Chronology after the Synod of Jerusalem Paul doth mention Peters being in Antioch but we find no where that he went or so much as purposed to go to Rome which being a place of the Gentiles he had no call to invite him thither but as already observ'd we find his first Epistle written from Babylon a City so remote from Rome for he gives the salutation of that Church 1 Pet. 5.13 except they would have Rome to be called Babylon as we read it is in the Book of the Revelation but on such occasions the Names of places are set down as properly they are That Paul was at Rome we read it in Gods Word but no such thing of Peter is it likely that he was 25 years Bishop of Rome and yet no sign at all of his being there I say if ever he was there it must be either before Paul came thither or after for with him he went not not before because certainly some mention would have been made of him we read how when some of the Brethren in Rome had heard of Paul and his company Acts 28.15 they came thence to meet them as far as Apppii forum and the three taverns yet not a word of Peter if he had been among them he being so considerable would have been named well but if it had been too much for him to go so far as to meet a Fellow Apostle who once (d) Gal. 1.18 went up to Jerusalem to see him and abode with him 15 days and so was no Stranger to him what 's the reason when Paul was come to Rome he came not to see him if he had then been at Rome doubtless Paul would have gone to visit him and not forgotten him when (e) Act. 28.17 he called the chief of the Jews together and gave them an account of the cause of his coming thither if then Peter had been Bishop in Rome the Jews would not have gone altogether without his knowledge and their answer shews that Peter was not there for (f) Ver. 21.22 they said unto him we neither received Letters out of Judea concerning thee neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee but we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this sect we know that every where it is spoken against If Peter had been at Rome Paul and his Doctrine about the Gospel of Christ could not have been such a Stranger and unknown to them let the rest of the Chapter be Read and 't is said v. 30. that Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him What all this while not a word of Peter we look upon Luke as an exact Writer who in his Book of the Acts mentions so many other particulars and who all that while attended on Paul and would he have omitted making some mention of Peter if at that time he had been in or about Rome Therefore we must conclude he was not there before Paul's coming Neither came he thither after for Paul in those Epistles he hath Written from Rome to the Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians II. to Timothy and to Philemon which contain several Salutations from Men inferiour to Peter yet not a word of him if he had been there Paul would have acquainted him with his Writing as he did others whose Salutations he mentions then Peter would not have failed to speak in their own words to have sent his Apostolical Blessing as now Popes do Paul's Epistle to the Romans is accounted to have been written within the 56th Year of our Lord and 12 Years before his and Peter's Death Certainly if Peter had then been Bishop of Rome according to their computation of 25 Years he must need have been there 13 Years before and if in Rome at that time how came it to pass that Paul in his Epistle to the Romans among his Salutations to so many much inferiour to Peter omitted him When the whole Chap. ib. is almost full of the Names of those whom he doth Salute and begins with a Wife and a Husband of whom we Read Acts 18.2 3. who by their Occupation were Tent Makers and he being of the same Craft wrought with them Of these he saith to the Romans v. 3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus Certainly if Peter had been in Rome and being an Apostle in that Epistle Paul would have taken notice of him Therefore we look upon 't as a meer Forgery that Peter for 25 Years together was Bishop of Rome for it had been contrary to the Office of the Apostles which was not to settle in one place but to go over the World to Preach the Gospel as we Read of Paul who from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum fully Preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15.19 according to the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost the Apostles
that doth it destroyeth his own Soul But if this Consideration cannot work upon the Minds of the Adulterer and Adulteress as it doth not without a special Mercy of God yet as the Crime is common to both so also a common Danger hangeth over their Heads for thô they seem not to care for God's Judgments and thorough one way or other they escape Human Justice I mean of those men in whose Power it lays and whose Duty it is to punish them yet they are not out of danger on the side of the wronged Husband for (i) v. 34.35 Jealousie is the Rage of a Man therefore he will not spare in the day of Vengeance Which he may happen to take some occasion to execute Jealousie saith he elsewhere (k) Songs 8.6 is cruel as the Grave the Walls thereof are Coals of Fire which hath a most vehement Flame In desperate Cases sometimes desperate Remedies are made use of and thô I would by no means approve of such Courses yet the thing might be attended with such Circumstances as in some measure might extenuate and excuse the Fact in the sight of men God complaineth (l) Isa 59.4 that None calleth for Justice but if it be called for give God no cause to complain that there is none to render and execute it Indeed the Magistrate is bound to afford the Plaintiff Husband Relief when he hath just cause to sue for it and not be Partial out of By-ends and corrupt Principles And if I may be so bold I will add their Care ought to be extended not only against Adultery in some special Cases but also against Fornication and all Uncleanness according to Law not only punishing Persons but suppressing Places that are Harbours and Seminaries of Debauchery in that kind which draws every other after it The Toleration of such things is fit for Rome that spiritual Sodom where a Trade is carried on and a carnal Gain made by such things which (a) Acts 17.30 In times of Ignorance God winked at but now Commandeth all men every where to Repent But suppose we should want Grace as a Motive to Suppress Fornication with all Circumstances and Dependencies and out of a Principle of Conscience yet if we will but follow the Dictates of Reason we shall find a Necessity to do 't for the publick Good to preserve Order in the Kingdom and to prevent Confusion with abundance of Mischiefs as Quarrels Thefts Robberies to supply Lusts Treasons Murthers and all kind of Villanies and in few words the Ruin of Soul Body and Fortune arising therefrom That sort of Women I should say Vermine are very dangerous to Seduce Young and Old but Young Men especially that are unacquainted with their Tricks whereof Flattery is the most inticing and pernicious A proper Character which Solomon gives of a Whore by him called the Strange Woman is in Three places expressed thus (b) Prov. 2.16 and 7.5 and 5.3 4 5. She flattereth with her Words and he enlargeth thereupon For the Lips of a Strange Woman drop as an Honey-comb and her Mouth is smoother than Oyl But see the End of it Her End is Bitter as Wormwood Sharp as a Two edged Sword her Feet go down to Death her Steps take hold on Hell Again (c) ch 7.27 Her House is the way to Hell going down to the Chambers of Death And elsewhere (d) ch 9.18 The Dead are there and her Guests are in the Depths of Hell Thus that Wise Man by his own Experience sets her out to the Life and Draws her in her own Colours Would to God Men would once but seriously Consider how the Lord is present every where and nothing is or can be hidden from his Sight for he hath an All seeing Eye (e) ch 5.21 For the ways of man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings And (f) ch 15.3 The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the Evil and the Good Then may be they would avoid doing that in his Sight which they would be ashamed to commit before the meanest man in the World (g) Jerem. 16 17 Mine Eyes saith God are upon all their their ways they are not hid from my Face neither is their Iniquity hid from mine Eyes And at last to be called to Judgment for all because God is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with Approbation and without Punishment Before I make an end I must not omit to lay before those whose Duty it is to stop this Mischief and do not some things out of the Word of God which here they ought to make their Rule and which hereafter shall be their Judge That Righteous Man Job sheweth an Abborrency of Adultery even without coming to the very Act in these following Words (h) Job 31.9 10 11 12. If mine Heart have been deceived by a Woman or if I have laid wait at my Neighbour's Door As if he had said If there hath been in me so much as a Thought a Desire a Design And what if so Then let my Wife Grind under another and let another bow down upon her That is if I have done it I deserve to be served so for often God doth inflict a Punishment of the same Nature as the Sin is that procured it Sinners are Punished in the same kind as they Transgressed but why so Job He answereth For 't is an hainous Crime yea it is an Iniquity to be Punished by the Judges For it is a Fire that consumeth to Destruction and would root out all mine Increase By reason of the Curse of God entailed upon it But let it be taken notice of that as God will visit for it so it is an Iniquity to be Punished by the Judges 't is the Duty of Judges to Punish it And lest Judges would excuse themselves saying we want Proofs God offers himself to be a Witness and a swift one too (i) Malachy 3.5 I will be a swift Witness against the Adulterers Often Witnesses as long as they can decline to give in their Evidence but God doth not so ye shall not want Ground of Conviction saith the Lord rather than you should I will be a Witness my self and bring to light those hidden works of Darkness O ye Judges I will take Notice how you behave yourselves for in the same Verse God saith I will come near to you to Judgment to observe whether you do Justice in such Cases and to Judge you if you do not God takes Notice of this Sin suffers it to go on to give Judges and Magistrates time to Punish it (k) Ezek 22.9 In the midst of thee they commit Lewdness This is not all it goes on One hath committed Abomination observe the Word with his Neighbour's Wife I will surely Visit for these Things saith the Lord if unrighteous Judges will not Judge them Then (l) chap. 23 45 46 47 48. The righteous men they shall Judge them
after the manner of Adulteresses How so I will bring up a Company upon them and will give them to be Removed and Spoiled and the Company shall Stone them with Stones and dispatch them with Swords they shall slay their Sons and their Daughters and burn up their Houses with Fire When that Sin is not Punished with private Judgment at last God doth it with publick The Concealers the Denyers of Justice become Accessory and this bringeth publick Judgments upon Cities and whole Kingdoms And Thus saith God will I cause Lewdness to cease out of the Land that all Women may be taught not to do after your Lewdness The Lord not only maketh Adulteresses Examples of his Judgments but also makes them Examples to others as a Buoy to take Warning by When God hath been as it seemed only looking upon for a while then he sitteth upon the Judgment-seat and judgeth (m) ch 16.38 I will judge thee as Women that break Wedlock As indeed Punishment is ty'd to the Tail of Sin when un-repented (n) Rev. 2 20 21 22. I gave her Jezabel space to repent of her Fornication and she repented not behold I will cast her into a Bed and them that commit Adultery with her into great Tribulation But to return close to our Point and which is our main Design to ground it upon the Truth of God's Word which we lay our chief stress upon Before I conclude I desire the Reader to remember what our blessed Saviour the great and supream Judge said upon the matter and to make him take the more notice of it in few words I shall make a kind of Recapitulation of the Substance of it out of which it doth clearly appear that in this point of Divorce Two things occur to be Discussed which our blessed Lord doth by his Authority decide in the two places of Matthew's Gospel already Quoted in the first Occasionally when he purges of and refutes several false Glosses which the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon the Law but in the last he speaks to 't as being the matter in hand and directly to answer the Question put to him Whether for every Cause a Man might lawfully Divorce his Wife Which he denyed and gave reason for it out of Gen. 1 27. and 2.24 But because as the Evangelist Observes they came unto him Tempting him and this design was if possible to make him Contradict Moses (o) John ◠as at another time they would have done in the Case of the Woman taken in Adultery that they might have something wherewith to Accuse him here to Intangle him they brought in Moses's Authority who had commanded to give a Writing of Divorcement but of it he gave a Reason namely their Hardness of Heart whereat they could not be pleased And in the following Verse he Magisterially and by his Legislative Authority thus Decided it But I say c. These Words to be compared with those of Chap 5. which are Parallel and about the same Subject as quoted before and both do plainly affirm the self same thing which hath two parts the first about Divorce the Second about Marrying again after it As to the First there are Two Things one Expressed the other Implyed and this last as well as the first coutained in the Text Our Saviour affirm that no man may Divorce his Wife for every Cause vain and trivial as the Jews used to do but at the same time he declares there is one Cause and only that which he names Fornication for which a Man may lawfully put away his Wife For when he denies that any man may Divorce his Wife except for the Cause of Fornication at the same time he implieth that Fornication is a lawful Cause to put her away and every Divorce Grounded upon that Cause and none else Is Lawful or else why should he make that Exception If his Intention had been to Teach that there is no just cause in the World for a Husband to Divorce his Wife he would absolutely have spoken it thus for no Cause whatsoever and not have assigned one with an Exception Saving for the Cause of Fornication he must be Blind who cannot or Obstinate that will not see this Truth out of both these places But they both do also afford another Truth as a just and right Consequence of the former if the Divorce be unlawful then a second Marriage is unlawful which by the Rules of Contraries implies that if the Divorce be Lawful then a Second Marriage is also lawful so any man who hath put away his Wife for the cause of Fornication may marry another for there is no middle either make the Divorce Unlawful and the second Marriage Unlawful or the Divorce Lawful and a second Marriage so These two things are so depending one upon another and so much the Consequence one of another that we see our Saviour doth injoyn them together that having spoken of the Divorce he presently and immediately mentions a Marriage of both Parties in the 5th chapt of the Woman and in the 19th of both Man and Woman 'T is said Whosoever shall put away his Wife saving for the Cause of Fornication causeth her to commit Adultery How doth he cause her to commit Adultery Because she Marrieth another if she would continue Single there would be no Adultery committed but she marrying another Husband and the Marriage with the first holding still and not being dissolved because Fornication which is the true Cause of Divorce did not intervene then such Marriages are meer Adulteries So then the Husband who hath unlawfully Divorced his Wife if he marrieth another committeth Adultery and the Wife that is thus unlawfully Divorced if she marrieth another Husband doth also commit Adultery but neither Husband nor Wife if lawfully Divorced though he marries another Wife and she another Husband do commit Adultery as observed before by the Rule of Contraries A second Marriage is an Effect of a Divorce so if the Cause be Good and Lawful or Unjust and Unlawful the Effect must be such It is well known how by the Jewish Law and Custom a Woman Divorced might and did marry another and our Saviour finds no Fault with this nor with marrying again but with their Divorce without just Ground and Cause for if they were lawfully Divorced they might Marry again For as observed before Marriage is the Remedy which God hath appointed against Incontinency so that those who are lawfully Divorced if they have not the Gift of Chastity as the Apostle saith to avoid Fornication must Marry 1 Cor. 7. What must a Man do after he hath put away his Wife and she after she hath been put away and they cannot Contain must he turn an Whore-monger and she an Harlot How can this be justified after a lawful Divorce With Paul I may say (p) Heb. 13.4 Marriage is Honourable with all but Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will Judge Heb. 13.4 In his due time thô often (q)
often the meanest men cannot endure to be named as witnesses unto a Lye how much more will the most Infinite Glorious True and Holy God suffer his Sacred Name to be so Abused as to Shelter and Countenance a Lye An Oath was ever lookt upon as a Thing so Sacred that in all important matters men could find nothing Surer or Stronger to Tye one another to the Truth of what they said or promised then to put them to their Oath Thus Abimelech to make sure of Isaac said to him (d) Gen. 26.28 Let there be now an Oath betwixt us c. that thou wilt not hurt us For when Men or Women do take an Oath they thereby (e) Numb 30.10 Bind their Soul by a Bond with an Oath And we read how before that time Abimelech had made Abraham to Swear (f) Gen. 21.23 Now therefore Swear thou unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me nor with my Son nor with my Son's Son Thus also Abraham made his Eldest Servant (g) Gen. 24.2 to Swear about the Charge he gave him concerning a Wife for Isaac And we are to Observe the Servant's Conscientious Care and Tenderness about the Oath v. 5. and Abraham's explaining how far he Thought to Bind him by his Oath v. 8. which Oath the Servant remembers v. 37. So Jonathan after he to assure David of his sincere Love had Sworn and said to him The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan (h) 1 Sam. 20.13.17 He caused David to swear This is the last and surest way to engage men to be True as to make God concerned in their Dealings of one with another for 't is supposed that though they care not for men yet they will have a regard unto God who will not fail soon or late to avenge his own Honour if wronged Wherefore because we must Swear by a Greater (i) Heb. 6.16 For Men verily Swear by the Greater than themselves and that 's by God or in his Name for Three Reasons First God hath expresly Commanded it (k) Deuter 6.13 Isa 45.23 Heb. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt swear by his Name And when God Sweareth he Sweareth by himself l I have sworn by my self The 2d Reason because an Oath is a Religious Invocation which is due to God alone Thirdly Because God alone knows the Heart and he is able to judge of the Truth or Falsehood of our Thoughts So then when we call God to Witness we render that high and special Worship that is due only to him for thereby we bear Witness that God is present every where sees and avenges all Falsehood and Unrighteousnesses of men which things are proper to God alone So then to Swear in God's Name is a part of his Worship wherefore not only as we said before God Commanded to Swear by his Name but hath also Forbidden to Swear by False gods and Creatures not so much as (l) Exod. 23.13 Joshua 23.7 To make mention of their Names or to let them he heard out of their mouths which Joshua interpreteth by causing to Swear The Lawfulness of Oaths by what we Observed but a little before doth appear out of God's Precept and Example Whereupon we are to take Notice how God Sweareth by several of his Attributes which he doth to condescend unto man's weakness and unbelief for we are apt enough to mistrust his Word and therefore to give us gracious and infallible Security of his Promises and Threatnings too he confirms them by an Oath Thus he Sweareth sometimes by his Life (m) Numb 14.21.28 Isa 49.18 As I live saith the Lord in several places of Scripture for he is the Living God a Characteristical Note of the True God At other times he Sweareth (n) Psal 89.35 by his Holiness which is his Nature Again he Swears (o) Isa 62.8 By his Right hand and by the Arm of his Strength That is by his Power that he being Almighty is able to do what he Promiseth or Threatneth And also he Swears by and in his Truth as to (p) Psal 132 11. David and whensoever he Sweareth he doth it by his Truth (q) Tit. 1.2 For he cannot Lye So he doth by (r) Jerem. 44.26 his great Name and that which comprehends all (s) Isa 45.23 He Swears by himself that is by his Nature and Attributes Because Oaths are sometimes necessary God hath given Rules and Directions about them we have them thus (t) Jerem. 4.2 And thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in Truth in Judgment and in Righteousness This is plain enough so that men may not pretend Ignorance we must Swear the Lord liveth that is by the Life of the Lord of the living God which was the ordinary Form of Oaths used not only in those times or before by the People of God as we read of 1 Sam. 14 39.45 and chap. 19 6. but also long before among the Heathens to Swear by the Life of their Kings which Joseph learned in Pharaoh's House to Swear (u) Gen. 42.15 16 by the life of Pharaoh Also in our Saviour's time one was to speak the Truth by the Life of God thus the High-priest said to Christ (w) Matth. 26.63 I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the son of God This was their way whensoever any one was to Swear This speaking the Truth in God's Name is in Scripture called to give him the Glory thus Joshua exhorteth Achan (x) Josh 7.19 My Son give I pray thee Glory to the Lord God of Israel make Confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done Hide it not from me After this manner the Pharisees dealt with the Man whom the Lord Jesus had restored unto his Sight (y) John 9.24 Give God the Praise Thus when any one was to Swear there was a Compellation in God's Name for such a one to speak the Truth whereby when it came out Glory was given unto God so every one that Sweareth must do 't (z) Psal 63.11 Isai 65.16 by the Lord and he that sweareth in the Earth shall swear by the God of truth Not by Baal or any Idol whatsoever as forbidden in several places of Holy Scripture To this manner of Oath and Phrase the Lord Liveth answers (a) 1 Sam. 25.22 Rom. 1.9 2 Cor. 1.23 so also and more do God unto me and God is my Witness and I call God for a Record upon my soul All which import that as we call upon God to be a Witness to the Truth of what we say so it implies an Imprecation that he would take Vengeance of us if we Swear falsely in his Name which ought not to be made use of but upon Account oâ— Necessity that is of Religion Charity and Justice He then who Sweareth must do it in God's Name and that 1st In Truth 2ly
Effects of Oppression for thereby man's right and just Cause are oppressed and we know what the wise King saith in the Case (o) Eccles 7.7 Surely Oppression makes a Wise Man Mad. He that loseth his own loseth his Wits with a surely therefore will he endeavour to see himself Righted and if Lawful ways because they be Corrupted and Abused do fail then God knows what the next Step will be Right oppressed is sometimes turned into Fury and this is the ready way to set Men together by the Ears and to make them to Cut one another's Throats the Mine and Thine is the ground of Discord in the World and therefore 't is but just that every one should enjoy his own whereupon God the Sovereign Judge saith (p) Ezekiel 21.27 I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he come whose Right it is and I will give it him Though Men will not I will Therefore when Perjury is found to be in a Cause which appears by Contradictory Depositions for 't is not possible for a Thing to be and not to be a man cannot at the same time be in Two several Places so in the same Circumstance of a Matter one to Swear for the other against is a palpable Contradiction for two contrary Oaths about the same thing cannot be True but if one be the other necessarily must be False as if one Swears that such a man at such a time was in the Countrey and I Swear that same Person at that same time was in the City because for several Days together I met with Saw Discoursed had Meetings Walk'd Managed Businesses with and visited him in his own House and I cannot believe that a Spirit had assumed that Man's Body to act all that part with me nor that I saw a Vision or was in a Dream all that while Hence it clearly appears that there is a Perjury in the Case for as some have Sworn the Truth so others have that which is False Wherefore the matter is very well worth strictly and narrowly Inquiring into to find out the Truth and see at whose Door the Perjury lyes there to Punish it that hereafter Men be not exposed to the Mercy of such Wretches and Villains And what I say is for one side as well as for the other for I am Partial for neither only for the Truth the justice of the Cause is what I stand for and am no ways Byassed by the Merits of Persons Upon such Accounts Men ought to Swear for no other End than to bear Record unto the Truth which I pray God to Discover as he is the most True and Faithful Witness and as he is the Great and Supream Judge to cause an Exemplary Punishment to be made of this loud and crying Wickedness as they that are concerned to do it shall answer to God at the last Day for Judges Juries Witnesses Parties and every Man shall some time before the Iudge of the whole Earth stand to be Tryed and Judged when there shall be no Dissembling nor Concealing of the Truth but all things shall then be manifest and be seen even just as they are In the mean time what Laws are in being against the Crime ought exactly to be put in Execution and wherein they are Defective and Wanting it may easily be Supplyed by the Legislative Power when those in whose Hands is the Executive part who have so many Occasions to observe where 't is Wanting and where not do according to their Duty represent it to them Thus all will unanimously concur to set up the Glory of God the Good and Welfare of the Nation and to the Immortal Praise of all those that will be Instrumental therein or to their Eternal Confusion if they neglect it (q) Psalm 94.2 Psalm 63.11 Then lift up thy self thou Judge of the Earth and the Mouth of them that speak Lies shall be stopped FINIS A DISCOURSE ABOUT INFANT BAPTISM THE Doctrine of the Sacraments is of so high a Concernment in the great Mystery of our Salvation that the Enemy thereof Satan hath raised many of his strongest Batteries against it They are the Seals of God's Pardon which he doth what he can to Tear or at least to Deface thereby to Deprive us of the Assurance of God's Love in Christ As to the First which is Baptism how many Disputes and Questions hath he started against it With Papists we have no less than Seven about it whereof the Two First relate also to the Lord's Supper As first to the number There are but Two Sacraments and they would have Seven 2ly The Vertue of the Sacrament doth not depend upon the Intention of him who administers it 3ly It is not lawful for Lay-men or Women to Baptise 4ly The Baptism of John had the same Vertue and was as Effectual as that afterwards Administred by the Apostles 5ly Baptism ought to be administred according to Christ's Institution without any Addition Diminution or Alteration whatsoever 6ly Every Child Baptised is not thereby Regenerated and every one that hath the Sign hath not the Thing Signified 7ly Baptism is not absolutely necessary to Salvation for some are Saved without it but it ought not to be neglected or delayed See how sometimes God suffereth men from one Error to fall into another and to maintain one they multiply others Thus Anabaptists to Assert that Infants ought not to be Baptised hold the Quintessence of the Damnable Pelagian Heresy 1st That they have no Sin 2ly That there is no Original Sin at all 3ly That no Sin comes by Nature but is Learned only by Example and Imitation of others 4ly That all that dye in Infancy shall certainly go to Heaven for none is Damned but for Actual Sins Against what Scripture saith First All Infants are Sinners (a) Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me 'T is the case not only of David but of every one else (b) Isai 48.8 For we are called Transgressors from the Womb and (c) Ephess 2 3. by Nature we are children of Wrath even as others Then Secondly Many Infants have been made Vessels of Wrath and the Effects of God's Wrath for Sin are fallen upon them as in the Flood in the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah God's Order to Saul (d) 1 Sam. 15.3 was to Destroy utterly the Infants and Sucklings of the Amalekites And the Psalmist (e) Psalm 147.9 declareth him Happy that dasheth the little ones of the Babylonians against the Stones But Thirdly All Sin is not Learned by Example as we see in the Case Cain who had no Example of any Murther Committed before him Their Fourth Assertion is Rash and without Ground in Scripture But now to the Point The Word Baptism in Scripture hath several Significations It is first taken for the whole Holy Sacrament instituted by our Lord sometimes for the Sign (f) Matth. 3.11 Water and other times
Children die as well as Men Other places I could bring to the same effect but this is clear and to the purpose to shew how out of this generality Children may not be excluded for they as well as Men are comprehended under the words all Nations and as Christ receives into his Church some out of every Nation of every quality and Sex so out of all Ages Young and Old We read of several whole Families that were Baptised as that (d) Acts 16.15 33. of Lydia and of the Jayler as of (e) Acts 18.8 Crispus and several more of the Corinthians as of (f) 1 Cor. 1.16 Stephanas and of others 't is very probable that amongst so many Families were Children also Baptised The Jayler and all his meaning Children and Servants were Baptised It is certainly a very cruel and uncharitable thing for a sort of Men to shut upon Children the Church door of Baptism to keep them out when God will have them to come in Upon great and weighty occasions as of Fasting and Prayers of which in Scripture we have a very considerable instance a great Army of (g) 2 Chron. 20.13 Moabites and Ammonites being come against Jehoshaphat King and People being much affraid they all addressed themselves to God not only Men and their Wives but also their Children And the Prophet Joel proclaiming a Solemn Fast for the Kingdom of Judah (h) Joel 2.16 will have them to bring into the Congregation their Children and those that suck the breasts the Prophet thought that their crys might move God to pity and to pardon The Third Argument is very weighty and 't is thus the Seals of the Covenant are to be Administred to those whom the Promises thereof belong unto but the Promises of the Covenant belong to the Children of those whom the Covenant is made with therefore they must receive the Seals thereof this is God's Covenant with Abraham (i) Gen. 17.17 I will be thy God and of thy seed after thee and what follows This is my Covenant verse 10. which verse 11. is called the Sign of my Covenant betwixt me and you every Man-child shall be Circumcised the Eight day that is shall receive the Seal and Sacrament St. Peter makes the application of this for those under the Gospel (k) Acts 2.38 39. Repent saith he and be Baptised every one of you iâ— the Name of Jesus Christ c. for the Promise is unâ—â— you and to your Children I ask to what purpose would the Apostle make mention of their Children if they had not been concerned as in the Promise Remission of Sins so in the Seal of the Promise namely Baptism If it had been said only for the Fathers that were concerned with their Repentance and being Baptised there had been an end but seeing this Remission of Sins which is the Promise is made to Children as to Parents and that the way to obtain it is to be Baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ iâ— followeth that their Children must also be Baptised in the Name of Christ to obtain Remission of Sins Farthermore our Saviour calls little Children to himself forbids Men to hinder them from coming to him and gives the Reason (l) Mat. 19.13 14. and Chap. 18.2 3. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven and thereupon laid his hands on and Blessed them if then the Kingdom of Heaven which is the Promise and the thing procured by the thing signified in the Sacrament belong to little Children why should they be deprived of the sigâ— and Sacrament of it which God hath appointed Some other Reasons I would bring in but in my Answer to their Objections I shall have occasion to make use of them Another sort of Argument I will here bring not to lay any great stress upon it for they will not receive it 'T is the Testimony of three or four Antient Doctors (m) in Triph. Justinus Martyr who lived about 164 years after Christ saith none is admitted to the Lords Supper who doth not profess our Doctrine and who hath not been washed with the washing of Regereration in another place he saith Infants are Baptised in the Faith of their Parents Origenes who lived about 250 years after Christ upon the 6th Chapter to the Romans saith The Church received from the Apostles the custom of Baptising Infants Basilius who lived about 381 saith (n) in S. Bap. Let not Baptism be delayed how can one say I am of God if he hath not his mark to shew And Austin who lived about 421 (o) ad Dardanum cap. 12 13. We say the Holy Ghost is in Infants Baptised though they know it not and in his Sermon upon the words of the Lord No body doubts but that Infants must be Baptised in the Name of Christ And against Pelagius he proves Original Sin by the constant Custom of the Church to Baptise Infants that Heretick and Sectators never gainsaid it which he would have done if it had not been so But this I bring only to shew how Baptising of Children doth not come to us from Papists as Anabaptists would have it but was practised long before the Corruption of that Church since 't was by Christ instituted after his Resurrection Now I come to Answer their Objections the First is no Infants were Baptised in the time of the Apostles and there is no command for it To the First part I answer that though there be no example expresly set down it doth not follow there was none so we have no positive example that Women received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper nor express command for them to receive it yet we all admit them to receive it To retort the argument upon them we say there is no precept nor example why they should not be Baptised As to the Second part about the Precept I say that thô we have it not in the very words and expresly yet 't is implicitly and by very good consequences we deduce it from several Texts as I already have instanced in some now 't is a Rule in Divinity that the perfection of Scripture doth not consist only in those things which expresly and in the very words are therein contained but also in those which by good and lawful consequence may be deduced out of those that are positive which we look upon as Divine and oblidging our Faith such are Acts 2.25 26 27 c. Rom. 4.5 and Chap. 10.5 6 7. and others which it were too long to insist upon I only shall speak to that of (p) Mat. 22.31 32. St. Matthew where our Saviour with drawing consequences proves the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body against the Saducees Abraham Isaac and Jacob were long before dead and buried that is their Bodies but God being the God not of the dead but of the Living it followeth they were alive which could not be said of the Body but only of the Soul this as to the
Repentance it doth not follow they must be deprived of Baptism for all this might be said of Circumcision and yet God commanded Children to be Circumcised and to oppose this as contrary to reason is to Dispute against God who would have Circumcision a Sacrament of Regeneration for as I observed before 't is called Circumcision of the Heart and without Hands to be administred to Children whereby we are taught 't is not always necessary the Truth signified in a Sacrament should go before the Sign sometimes 't is enough it should follow at least in part so that except one would make which were a kind of Blasphemy the Mercy of God less towards us and our Children than towards the Jews and their Seed we must not deprive them of Baptism the Seal of that Covenant no more than they were not deprived of Circumcision for by these Two Sacraments God did and doth separate some from others to offer them his Salvation They who have no right to the Promises must joyn themselves to Christ's Flock before they receive his Mark Thus God instructed Abraham in the Doctrine of Faith and in his Covenant before he gave him Circumcision but once having admitted him into the Church he ordered his Seed to be made partakers of the same benefit Out of what hath been said one would hope every Rational Man would be satisfied how Infants ought to be Baptised and the Sign not to be denyed those who may have the Thing signifyed But because I know (a) Matth. 13.11 'T is not given to all to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but only to those whom God is pleased to reveal it to for 't is not any man's Parts or Learning that can do 't (b) 1 Cor. 3.6 Paul may Plant Apollos may Water but God alone can give the Increase To him must be left the Success of things all I now can do is to beseech the Lord to open (c) Luke 24.45 the Understanding of those who are concerned As he did that of his Apostles that they might Vnderstand the Scriptures and open their Heart as that of [d] Acts 16.14 Lidia to attend unto the Things spoken Some other things there are relating to this matter wherein Anabaptists differ from us which we must not omit The First is about the outward Act used in Baptism They would have it done with Dipping whence they have gotten the Name of Dippers and 't is the signification of the Greek Word whence comes the word Baptism And though as much as we can we must close with the Ceremony of the Institution yet that outward Rite is not of the Essence of the Sacrament and that which is used hath the same Effect and Signification It doth not appear any where that they that were Baptised were dipped under Water for they had been in some Danger of being Drowned but that they went into the River or other Water and he who Baptised as John Baptist or other poured it upon their Head whereupon they were accounted to have been under Water as in some kind they had been but those who at that time were Baptised were persons come to Years and consequently more able to resist the Coldness of the Water in cold Weather in case any Quantity had been poured upon them which yet was but little But leaving aside the Difference of Climates Hot or Cold of Constitutions Weak and Strong of Age Childhood and Manhood or Inconveniency that might arise therefrom I say in the Church Sprinkling hath succeeded Dipping and not without Ground in Scripture for the word Sprinkling is used for the Thing signified and of this we have Two Witnesses St. Paul is the first (e) Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water There are Sprinkling and Washing And chap. 12.24 't is spoken of the blood of Sprinkling The other is St. Peter (f) 1 Pet. 1.2 Thorough Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ If the Thing signified be represented with Sprinkling so may the Sign be administred with Sprinkling and the Child lying upon it's back in man's Arms may be said to be under the Water sprinkled upon it's Face We also find in Scripture that the Administration of that Sacrament is both as to the Sign and Thing signified called Washing so that there is no certain and constant Obligation to the strictness of the Greek word and to the outward Rite of Dipping and Sprinkling Answers the end of the Sacrament and the Analogy between the visible and the invisible parts of it as well as Dipping and we see in the Lord's Supper there is no Obligation to any certain Posture so that provided there be no Superstition nor Idolatry it may well be received Sitting Kneeling or Standing Another thing we differ in is about Rebaptisation Hence they are called Anabaptists from baptising again those that were baptised before The Church of Rome doth not rebaptise those who from us turn to them nor we those who from them come to us but Anabaptists do all that come to them out of other Perswasions and though the Lord's-Supper be administred many times yet Baptism is not or ought not to be but once because Baptism is the Sacrament of Initiation and the Lord's-Supper of Nutrition and Increase Baptism is a Regenerating and the Lord's Supper a Confirming and Strengthening Ordinance Now as there is but one beginning of spiritual Life thorough Regeneration and there is but one Introduction and admission into the Covenant so the Sacrament of these things ought only once to be administred but as during our whole Life we need spiritual Nourishment so the Sacrament of it ought often to be reiterated as in our natural Life we are born but once but we must Eat often to preserve our Life I must resolve a Difficulty and then I have done 'T is said in one place [g] Ephes 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptism And in another 't is spoken of the Doctrines [h] Heb. 6.2 of Baptisms as of many There is certainly but one Sacrament of Baptism instituted by our Lord Jesus In that first place the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to Unity for this reason that our whole Salvation is grounded upon it in it's Principle Progress and End One God One Lord One Faith One Baptism one Hope one Body and one Spirit whereby all these are united In consequence of this we find [c] Acts 4.32 the multitude of those that believed were of One Heart and of One Soul Philip. 1.27 and ought to stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind So that this admits of no difficulty But in the other place the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrews to tend to a perfection and make a further progress in the knowledge and way to Salvation the Principles thereof having been laid before whereof
2. c. 15. and Index lib. prohibit Res 4. forbid people to read it tho' in several places of the Old and New Testaments there be an express command to read it which for brevity sake I shall not quote only in my way I shall take notice of an Interpretation of the words in Psalm 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and Dragon shalt thou trample under feet a Prophesy relating to our Lord and Saviour yet Pope Alexander the III. whilst he in the Porch of St. Marks Church in Verice was with his Foot treading upon the Neck of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa caused the words to be pronounced with a loud Voice to which the Emperor as bad an Interpreter as the proud Pope was of Scripture answered non tibi sed Petro this was not said to thee but to Peter whereunto the reply was Et mihi Petro to me and to Peter Before this Holy Word they prefer or at least make of an equal Authority their Traditions their own â—nventions and Forgeries For Madam give me eave to say That the Church of Rome is a great Impostor and hath been proved such by several Divines both Forreigners and our own yet Bellarmin in the same Book and Cardinal du Perron against Tilenus are for Traditions contrary to so many places of Scripture whereof some are quoted in the Margin (d) Deut. 12.32 Exod. 25.40 What things soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it and St. Paul saith (e) Gal. 1.8 9. If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have precahed let him be accursed the word in the Original signifies besides what we have Preached there ought to be no dimunition addition or alteration But Madam to avoid prolixity which I see an enumeration of many of their Errors would unavoidably engage me in I shall in few words say their forbidding at certain times to eat some sorts of Meats when Gods Word in so many places speaks against it and that as well as the prohibition for Priests to Marry is called (f) 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Heb. 13.4 Doctrine of Devils when the Apostle calls Marriage Honourable and the Bed undefil'd How dare they to command that which God hath forbidden or to forbid that which God hath instituted approved and commanded Pope Pius the II. was so sensible of the unreasonableness of this as to say that if Priests for good cause had been forbidden to Marry for a better they should now Marry (g) Matt. 8.14 We Read in the Word how Peter whom they so much pretend to follow * Act. 21.8 9. and others among the Apostles and Evangelists were Married After this what shall we say of Campeggio †1 Cor. 9.5 one of the Pope's Legates at the Council of Trent who openly maintained there that 't is better for a Priest to keep a Whore than to Marry Their Mediators of Intercession are an Injury to the Lord Jesus The Error of Transubstantiation is contrary to Scripture Sense and Reason and attended with Idolatry And now Madam I shall be more plain than I was once meerly out of respect for you when as you may remember a Pragmatical Priest at Table vexed some Body whom you know and with a Brazen Face denied the Romanists to Worship Images and other Creatures for 't is known how all your Priests are downright Idolaters first they make their Wafer God for saith one of them (h) Gab. Biel. Can. Miss 4. He who Created me without me is now Created by me I say the Priest first makes his God then falls down and Worships it and at last Eats it up Is not this as great an Idolatry as can be to Worship a Creature of his own making The place where our Saviour speaks of false Christs is remarkable (g) Matt. 24.23 26. If any man shall say unto you lo here is Christ or there believe it not or behold he is in the secret chambers or little places which they have above their Altars where under Lock and Key they keep their Idol God believe it not What manner of God is the Wafer God of Papists of one or few minutes standing which by the pronouncing of five Latin Words tho' in the Text there be but four This is my Body is as it were by a Magical Vertue changed into the substance of Christ's Body and so with them becomes God and as such is by them adored What a poor Idol God is this which cannot preserve it self from being eaten up by Dogs Rats Mice Spiders and the like Vermin and if it doth but slip out of the Priests Hand when he holds it is like Dagon before the Ark broken in pieces And the Priest when such an accident happens as it doth sometimes in the Street with a Rope about his Neck to shew how for his Idolatry he deserves to be Hanged doth scrape up the Crumbs with the Dirt when it happens to fall into 't and lays it up Of this Wafer-God may well be said what Elijah in a mocking way said of Baal He is a God who is either talking or pursuing or he is in a journey or he sleepeth and must be awaked For let the Popish Priests as well as Baal's cry from Morning till Evening as loud as they can there shall be no Voice nor any to Answer because the Wafer-God is as much a Dumb Idol as Baal's Image was 1 King 18.26 27. Upon this matter of the Wafer-God I must not omit taking notice of a thing which gives their Transubstantiation and Corporal Eating of Christ's Body a deadly blow and that with a Weapon of their own for in a French Translation of the Bible Printed in Antwerp by Martin L'Empereur in 1534 with Charles V. his License Dated Brussels the 21st of November 1533 in the 6th Chap. of John's Gospel over against these words Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you There is a Marginal Note in these words To eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood is to believe in him whereby their pretended Corporal Manducation is quite overthrown and it perfectly agrees with the Doctrine of all Reform'd Churches As to the taking away the Cup from the People in the Sacrament 't is positively contrary to what our Saviour said (k) Matt. 26.27 Drink ye all of it and one of the Evangelists observes how they all drank of it and the Canon of the Council of Constance against it doth them more harm than good for in the Preface they own thus Licet Christus instituerit c. that is (l) Mar. 14.23 Tho' Christ instituted and gave after Supper the Sacrament in both kinds to his Disciples and tho' in the Primitive Church it was Administred in the like manner yet the Council for certain reasons doth command that the Sacrament be otherwise Administred