over the heritage and over the faith of all civil powers and people teaching them instead of the true doctrine of the old ministers the traditions and commandements of men And so I have done both with the head of this third argument and with that long tail also that trails after there remains no more of it to be meddled with but a certain slender sting that sticks to this tail put forth against us with more length then strength in prosecution of the argument which I shall cut out into many pieces and after set upon each section severally and then I hope your great hope of help from these three unworthies will prove a forlorn hope indeed Review But to prosecute this Argument for the full satisfaction of the simple but honest Reader since there is no way to come to salvation but by justification and no justificatnon but by faith why should it be doubted by any but little infants which are ordained to salvation are also by faith made subjects of justifiâ—…ation those soules which please God so well as they are to see him presently af ter their separation from the body why should they not be capable of faith without which the Apostle saith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Re-Review The Reader had need be honest for I dare say he will be simple enough that receives full satisfaction your way by your present prosecutions of it because there 's no way for salvation and justification for men that are actuâ—…l sinners and capable to believe and to whom justification and remission is preached to the end that they might believe it to their comfort is there therefore no other wav wherby God willing and ordaining to save little infants from eternal wrath can possibly or doth certainly save them that can neither sin or be preacht to nor believe but that very self same way of believing is he tied to that means to save infants by as we are tied to it in order to the saving of our selves viz. the way of faith if so why not to repentance and self denial also for both these are the way to us Act. 2. 38. 40. Mat. 16. 24. and would it not shift a man out of his seven sences to hear such doctrine that infants as ever they will be saved dying infants must even in their infancy repent is it not manifold more suitable to reason and sense of Scripture that as infants so far as they are guilty become guilty unwittingly to themselves by the presentment and imputation of the first Adams sin without personal disobedience in themselves so also should be justified from that imputed sin by the presentment of the satisfaction and imputation of the righteousness of the second Adam as unwittingly to and without personal obedience in themselves and because without faith t is impossible to please God for such as have actually incurred his wrath such as come to him by prayer for these indeed must believe that is God and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ther fore is it impossible for infants also who yet actually disspensed him nor yet are capable to come to him by belief or prayer Is that Scripture think you intended to infants for shame scope the Scripture a little better Review Is it not the work of the spirit to infuse faith and are not soules which are all equall in their creation the subject of it He works indeed where he will and therefore all have it not for the spirit of God is not bound but where he will work it who can hinder him Re-Review Are soules all equal in their Creation and are souls which are all equal the subject of faith how then can it be so positively asserted concluded attempted to be discovered and made appear as t is by you who confess also that all have it not that the infants of believers have it and therefore must be baptized but infidels infants have it not and there must not specially since not only the one by by your own saying that all souls are equall are as capable of it as the other if the spirit please to infuse it but also since by your own saying too the spirit works it where he will and is not bound i. e. as you explain this place p. 18. to work it in all the children of Christian parents nor barred from working it in any of the children of infidels and most especially yet since p. 18. you say that unlesse it could be certainly presumed what children have the habit of faith what have not the working of the spirit being not known to us he being not bound nor bard there can be no conclusion made Have not we as much power to forbid the spirits working faith in the infant you sprinkle and so to forbid their being baptized as you have to forbid his working it in the infants of infidels and to forbid their being baptized will you bind him to all the infants in Christendome and barr him from doing any other infants in the world O ye house of Levi is the spirit of the Lord thus streitned are these your doings you that preach the spirit of the Lord is not bound nor barred do not you both bind and bar him while you say and suppose he must needs and is by the Gospel covenant bound to be gracious and shew mercy to believers children alias such as are born in England Scotland and other nations of Christendome so that you may safely sign them all as heirs of his mercy and barred from saving any infants of Turks and Pagans so that not one of them may be signed forsomuch as an hopeful heir of salvation Review John Baptist had not been filled with the holy spirit had he had not faith Luke 1. 15. the Scripture shews us plainly in that one example what the soul of infants is capable of what the spirit of God can work in that it was the measure only of his gifts makes his example extraordinary the spirit and power of Eliah in which he came The testimony of an Angel renders it undoubted concerning him The Testimony of the Scriptures concerning other infants are of equal authority saying They have right to the kindome of Heaven and that they are called to come to Christ and that Christ received them and blessed them compared with that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Iesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates The Argument is this They are not Reprobates Ergo Christ is in them Re-Review Not to trouble the world with a Re-Review of every odd conceit that lies in this piece of Review about that particular instance and extraordinary case of Iohn which you mightily misunderstand and most rudely wrest in as ordinary rule in proof of an universal and also about the proof of believers infants being no reprobates from 2 Cor. 13. 5. a place most absurdly abused by you for it speaks not to nor of infants and if it did no more of
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
here allow them settle longer in one place then till they have more means or be more to their minds in another had this piece been propounded by parish ministers and people it had become them as â—…ounding somewhat sutable to their posture and principle for t is the usual tone they talk in when one Pastor having left them to take up another call from Christ or imployment somewhere else to his advantage they addresse to the Committee for the approbation or settlement of such or such a godly Orthodox Divine among them as they have agreed with if they can get the Committees good will for till then all parties are not agreed it seems among either you or them to be their minister but to see them whom I suppose to be Independents for I am sure they are Independent men that propose the next parcel viz. Thomas Goodwin Nye Simpson whose propositions these approve of to see I say Independents flocks depend it may be half a year on Committees to have their Pastors approved on and settled by the Committees among them me thinks is something shameful I reckoned that the Independent Churches had reckoned themselves to have had the sole power not onely of choosing and presenting but of approving settling and ordaining their own Pastors among themselves but I see I am deceived and why may not the Church onely without the Committee approve of her own ministers to be Orthodox and be able to minister in their assemblies and meetings as well as to approve of such of her members to be Orthodox and allow them to speak as she shall judge fit to speak for in the next proposal but one or two it appears you judge she without the Committee may approve of such And what mean you by your Pastors leaving you to take up some other call or imployment are your Pastors also such Idol shepheards as it may be supposed now and then will leave their flocks for any other imployment what imployment may they lawfully leave their flocks for with whom they are in fellowship so as to stand Pastors no more among them is their any worldly imployment to which the Pastors office must give way so to as to cease for its sake when it comes in place I know but one employment in honour and excellency beyond that good work of a Bishop or overseer among his flock as namely that of Apostleship or Messengership from the Church to convert the world if it be that you mean I le have you excused in choosing you other Pastors to oversee you in the Lord in your Messengers absence from you to preach to the world but other imployment I know none more honourable then the Ministership for which its worthy to be left by them that have food and raiment in it neither count I it perferment but degeneracy for a Minister to be removed from his Ministership and Servantship in feeding the sheep of Christ over which the holy spirit makes him overseer though it be to a Lordship a Mastership a Presidentship a Deanship ore a colledg whether that Colledge be Christs Church also yea or no specially if that flâ—…ck he leaves be left so destitute of another Pastor that it must wait perhaps 12 moneths for another and at last if at long running they cannot have one must be fain to flee all to pieces and dissolve their Chruch and disperse themselves up and down to other Churches Smite the Shepheard with some better employment and then all his sheep that were gathered may be scattered and separate themselves together into severall places I like this but a little and am confident Christ Jesus likes it lesse if you can follow any manual imployment for your livings as Paul and others did and preach the Gospel too to make it as much as may be without charge I like it well but I am jealous you 'l make a trade too much of the Gospel too You propound that none presume under a penalty to speak in any Assemblies or meetings but ministers of the word members of Churches approved except meetings purposely for disputing and that where meetings be kept up likewise persons speak â—…here that have Commission from some right constituted Church or certificate from two or more able godly Orthodox ministers of their sufficiency to speak and soundnesse in the faith except Masters to their families Schoolmasters to their Schollars or others to such as by their callings fall under their government or charge Then at least civil Magistrates may speak any where within their verge without certificate of their sufficiency so to do to the people that by reason of their call fall under their Government and charge but others may not though the spirit moves them unlesse they can obtain a certificate from some Ministers Sirs what mean you to muzzle men up in this manner under penalties from opening their mouths to speak unlesse they bring testimonials and certificates from men if any man speak from God God will give testimony to him by assisting him to speak honestly at least though weakly and plainly if God do not testifie to any man that speaks so but that the hearers judge him insufficient or that he speaks weakly and sillily and see that God leaves him to utter error they may leave him too if they please if it be free for men as it never was under the Pâ—…sthood to refuse what they find not to be truth and as they like it not to leâ—… iâ—… alonâ—… them therefore that are weak in the faith receive and entertain though they have no pastport or orders from men to shew you may sometimes entertain angels unawares and what if God stop that mans mouth as he may do when he pleases the spirit blowing where it lists who has mans testimony of sufficiency from whom ther 's the greatest expectation and does somtimes when men dote on men yea and opens the mouths of them that at other times it may be sate as dumb asses to reprâ—…ve the madnesse of very prophets T is propounded by Mr. Owen Mr. Thomas Goodwin Mr. Nye Mr. Sympson that such as do not receive but oppose those principles of Christian Religion without the acknowledgement whereof the Scriptures do clearly and plainly affirm that Salvation is to be obtained may not be suffered to preach or promulgate any thing in opposition unto such principles But in this verily I am not satisfied at any hand for not to acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the Christ but to deny him to be the Son of God when he is plainly preached is not to receive but oppose those principles of Christian Religion the non-acknowledgement of which where Christ at least is made known is utterly inconsistent with salvation yet thus did the Iews when Christ in person was among them contradicting blaspheming him as also the Samaritans did not receive him yet the civil powers of the world had no power from Christ to curb them and not suffer them to say what
strein'd and sold as poor folks kettles pots pans and platters are by the Priests and their publican tith-gatherers to pay them You tell us that the first Ministers were gifted from God to preach the Gospel extempore and therefore well might they work and yet easily preach the Gospel too but the Ministers now must attain to it by much study and hard pains and therefore had need to be sequestred wholly from all earthly imployments that they may give themselves wholly to that work of preaching and to have such sufficiency of means allowed them as may free them from all thoughts of other things and furnish them to buy abundance of books without which tooles you say in the trade of preaching you cannot set up possibly to any good purpose thus Featley p. 101. prophecy quoth he is an extraordinary gift of the holy spirit preaching a special faculty acquired by many years study and Mr. Evans in his Sermon to the Lords my Lords quoth he we know you would have a learned Ministry but it is impossible for learning ever to flourish without maintenance you may as well set carpenters to build without tooles as send forth Ministers without their parchments we plead not my Lords for our backs and for our bellies but for good books and furnisht brains there are some that will seduce upon cheaper tearms but there must be honest provision made that every Minister may have a good library or else the Land is like to have but an ignorant Ministry and a perishing people again my Lords we know you would have a gracious people to fear God honour the King and obey your honours but it is sufficiently known that a base Ministry can never do good upon the people the generall pride of man is such that poverty is enough to bring a man into contempt c. As if because the pride of man specially of great men is so great that the poor mean Ministers of Christ are subject to be despised by them therefore they must have a kind of pompous Priesthood that may delight their daintines and fit their vain fancies and haughty humors what the Lords of the earth would have I know not so well as themselves I believe they would have a learned Ministry to lean to and live at ease on and a people to fear God as far as themselves do among whom the fear of God hath been taught still after the precepts of the men called CCClergy and to honour the King and obey their Honours but this I know and therefore t is but flattery not to say foolery to tickle them up with talk of their great zeal of the Gospel as their fawning Chaplains do that few or none of their Honours are effectually called to Christ or have ever yet honoured him so far as to honour own and acknowledge his truth in that primitive purity wherein t was at first given out partly because the CCClergy claws them too much into odd conceits and with untempred morter dawbs them into a belief of an Omnia bene in that easie gaudy gospel they sow as a pillow under their elbowes and partly because not many of these mighty and nobles ones will stoop when t is discovered to them to that plainness and simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 3. to that foolishness of mechanick preaching that basenesse of baptizing that streightway of self-denying that needlesse work of Scripture searching with their own eyes that weak nothing of Christs choosing by which to confound and bring to nought in the end the prudence of the Scribes and wisemen of this world whom they wonder after so the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ Jesus was not over-seen and yet he chose such base things and sent forth such a poor base Ministry of illiterate mechanicks to preach his Gospel at the first beginning of it too which surely he would not have done if it were his own mind that the contempt of his ministry which by their poverty illiteracy and outward basenesse is apt to arise in the hearts of the proud should be prevented by putting the outward pomp of much earthly riches and that low literature of this foolishly wise world upon them Mean while I am not against a Ministers having learning let a man have as much as he will on 't so he use it as a telent to serve the truth with when once he he hath found and owned it but against that necessity of outward learning to the Ministry of Christ so as to say as the Priesthood doth that ordinarily a man cannot be a Minister of Christ without it for verily the spirit which onely makes a Minister blows where it lists and doth for ought I see bestow it self now as of old it did more frequently upon poor Mechanicks and illiterate Artizans then learned Scribes and Schoolmen Nor am I against a Ministers having a library and looking into other books if he have a mind to it and have money enough of his own to buy them so be he do not lose himself therein as the CCClergy in all ages have done from his serious study and sincere search of the plain Scripture it self but I am far from desiring that poor people should be charged to fill and furnish Ministers studies with books and their brains with notions out of other Authors that are no more to be heeded then themselves further then they speak according to the word nor shall I ever acknowledge such a necessity as you plead that men must needs busie their braines about abundance of other mens writings or else cannot but be ignorant Ministers of the Gospel sith the Scriptures themselves are of themselves if the CCClergy could once consider it or one could possibly beat it into their braines profitable for all things and able to make Ministers and people wise enough to salvation and to make a man of God perfect and throughly furnisht unto all good works but that they do not store their hearts as they should do with study of them onely or at least mainly as the primitive Ministers of the Gospel did and the purest Ministers of it now do 2 Tim. 3. 14. 15. 16. I wonder what our Clergy men would do to preach the Gospel if there were no other books extant but the very bible they would surely either cease from being Ministers any more at all or else make better Ministers then they are I do not speak this to excite men to make such a bone fire of all books but the bible as Dr. Featley saies Iohn Matthias made p. 165. and yet by the Clergies leave I dare not say as Dr. Featly there saies that t were better all those who in his sense are obstinate Sectaries for many such are pretious Saints were burnt at a stake then that such a bone fire were made for I know no absolute necessity to the salvation of men of the being of any book in the world but the bible which as it was once
saw his work whose finger it is not more safely then I can yet whose it is for in such sense as some Scripture is it s doubtlesse no singer of God and though I am sure t is the finger of meer man assisted by Satan yet of what man in special I confesse I have good ground to pay it with thinking I may not speak positively in print unlesse I le speak upon bare hearsay which I heed not Secondly if it were mainly the employment of one to gather things together compose them into one bulk yet it seems plainly to be the joint issue of several mens brains and to have been rak't out of more memories then one and therefore well may you call them Collections yea that not meerly one but more then one had a hand in it I am informed sufficiently to belief by the voice of the Baby-book it self which speaking in some places plurally but not any where singularly of its Parentage little lesse then assures me of this that howbeit there might be one prime penman of the Pamphlet or whoere it was that thrust it through the presse yet the minds of more men yea more Ministers then one is sounded forth in it yea of such as were but Auditors at the Disputation whose sense both of it and of its efficacy upon the people is said in your Account to be so unanimous that they resolved together with the rest to declare their sense of it in their several congregations and oppose the growth of Anabaptism as t is cal'd in their respective flocks which since it hath been done by them too accordingly as was then agreed whether if not all or at lest a plurality of those Priests who before laid their heads togetheâ—… to betray the truth of God did not since compare their notes together to bely it and whether birds of a Feather did not flock together to give their several influences toward this hotch-potch relation t is more if if any of you can clear your selves of it do then I can clear any of you of at all save the Scotchman of Kenington who at Folston disclaimed his having any hand in it But should that be more then I have warrand to be sure of yet however I am certain of this that either it is the sense of you all or else some of you have the more wrong whilst the book is so curiously composed that it may seem to be the Ministers book and the Arguments that are set down in it be they never so silly and inconsequent are fathored upon you all in grosse recorded as the Ministers arguments though proceeding but from one Ministers mouth and not few follies and absurd things whilst the Penman dances in the clouds himself are related as spoken and done by the Ministers which the Ministers may very well and will once find time to be ashamed of yet you seem to take all that 's put upon you to your selves not any of you entring your dissent whilst therefore you seem so jointly to justifie him that puts you all upon the score in the Report you cannot justly condemn him who Arrests you all for it in the Reply 5. As to these present Returnes of mine to that threefold thing you have thrust forth I am experienced by your wonted Demeanor toward such as trouble you too much with truth how much more Odium then ever I must come under there by among both your selves and your Admirers but hic murus ahaeneus esto nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpa This verily is no lesse then a Brazen fence to me against all your censures and exceptions that even herein as well as in in other things for which you condemn me I have exercised my self so as to keep a conscience void of offence and that toward both God and man Yea if I have not dealt clearly as you wish me to do i. e. according as the truth is indeed then in the very way of waiting upon God onely singly seriously and with many tears for the understanding of it in which way he that cannot lie hath assured me he will be found my conscience is most wonderfully clouded therefore see that you see if you see But if I have not dealt ingenuously i. e. as candidly as so crooked a generation as the CCClergy is that do alwayes erre in their hearts and have not known Christs wayes can justly claim from any but some Cowardly Clawback that cares not to be unfaithful in his carriage both toward God and them then the Lord deal so graciously with us all as to humble both you under a sanctified sight of such sins as you are as truly guilty of as here reproved for and me under my miscarriage in reproving 6. Finally Sirs having briefly premised these things and praying earnestly that our Lord Iesus Christ would vouchsafe you all that holy spirit of his even the spirit of promise which I fear you are more strangers to then you are aware of and in order thereunto adjuring you to repent from your dead works to arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord so resteth as to this Epistle Your truly loving though as little Beloved as Believed Friend SAMUEL FISHER ANTI-DIABOLISM OR THE TRUE ACCOUNT A TRUE COUNTERFIT ANd now Sirs to say nothing of your pretty Preface till anon for even that also must then be forth coming to give Account of its dawbery and incongruity as well as your Account it self I will begin with your book which as diminutive as it is you have for all that stitcht up in no less than three Treatises First A Report of your Disputation Secondly A Review of your Arguments Thirdly A Ratiocination about Hereticks In all which how far forth you quit your selves like men of truth and reason comes now before the world to be examined The first I say is a Story of the long Disputation that was held at Ashford Iuly 27. 1649. from noon till neer seven at night and it 's contained in the five first leaves whereof two whole ones at least but say so they had need are spent in your exact setting down of the Arguments and Answers and the rest in praevious and posteriour passages So that in this first part of your Pamphlet there are two things in generall which you profess to give A true Account of First The Propositions agreed on between your selves and your Respondent his Position and what else was precedent and preparative to the Disputation Secondly The Disputation it self and such things as were subsequent to it in each of which if I shew not that you have recorded more flat falsities and down-right untruths than one and that were too much to fall from your pens were you Ministers of Christ indeed then let my own pen record me for a lyar and my own self bear the blame of over-charging you and that for ever In order to a trial of the Truth in this case between
righted it rather a little too much in reckoning on it as more then it is worth or at least not setting so slightly by it as well we might But t is as usual a fashion among you Clergy men to count your selves scandaliz'd disparaged disgrac'd vilified undervalued c when you are but either found out in your falsehoods or slandered of a matter of truth as t is for you under one vile name or other to scandalize the Saints most falsly and slander the truth it self yet if your repute be at reparations more then justly through our occasion when we know it we shall make you satisfaction by submission and amends by amendment mean while have patience with us and in due time and Christs strength I trust we shall pay you all Pre. The men which were our Adversaries and their driving was known before c. Post. Were it in respect only to your Infant sprinkling that you did so frequently stile us thus we are no less then many hundreds of its old acquaintance who thinking once as you do that we did God service to be friends to it could now freely answer to the name of Adversaries but we are the best friends in the world to the Truth and your Persons could you once see wood for trees and no further Adversaries to your cause then as we are well assured you can never make it good while the world stands by all the shifts you can devise from the law of Christ whose cause you call it As for our Driving were it like that of Iehu the son of Nimshi it would excuse it self the better sith t is only against the house of the Woman Iezebell that hath sate as Queen over the Nations and stirred up Ahab the Kings and Powers of the Earth to commit fornication with her and to do abominably and to shed the blood of Saints if you be not she then our driving is not towards you but if you be as I dare not be sworn that you the C C Clergy throughout all Christendome are not then wo to your house indeed not as from us but from the Lord who yet a little while wherein space is given you to repent and if he cast not you and your lovers into a bed together and into great tribulation except ye repent so that all the Churches of Christ shall know that t is even he that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and giveth to every one of you according to your works then the Lord hath not yet spoken at all by me Pre. It is no new thing with them to bespatter those Arguments with their tongue which they cannot unty with their teeth c. Post. It is an old new thing with your selves for it hath been of old the custome of the new Clergie though never of the true by common councel to cry down as Heresie what truth soever was too hard for them as for us it is no new thing with us indeed for it is one of those old things which were in use among us while we were all one with you but since we sincerely sought the truth are past away so that I cannot but clear those men that say it is no new thing with us as speaking no other then the truth and must needs condemn those who condemn us of it now as men condemning us of a meer new nothing Pre. Thou hast here a true though short Relation of the most materiall things that passed c. Post. I was musing a while what of the Ashford-Disputation this True Account could be truly counted a True Account of for I found that it mentioned neither the number nor the names of the Scribes that scrap't it nor the Disputers that disputed it nor the Arguments of more then one of those disputers not all his Arguments nor half the Respondents Answers nor many more things that should be in it by right nor many of those things rightly that are in it by wrong at last I had resolution here that 't was A True though short Relation of the most materiall things that passed Yea Sirs I assure you a good whipping is fitter for that disputation then a printed Account of it to the world unless on purpose to be laugh't at that lasted â—…o less then six hours whereof five and an half past away mostly in Immaterials and the odd five an half too in such Immaterials as these you have here accounted for and if these are the most material things that passed how Immaterial may the world well think were the most Immaterial that passed in the Disputation they surely were not worth one quarter of the while they past in Moreover that your Relation is Short yea far short of the Disputation Related I dare not deny but dare you say it ore and oâ—…e again that 't is a true one how true it is is so apparent by the preceding Ezamen of your Account that I need not here so much as assert it to be false I shall therefore say no more but thus viz. Had you said false where you say true both here and in your title page where your c. is stiled A True Account A True Relation you had then said true without all question but your saying true in these two places where you should have said false hath made you speak falsly in both indeed Pre. The adversaries answers being rendred to his best advantage c. Post. As for example sometimes his answers are altered and translated into a clear contrary form sense meaning then he ever spake in somtimes added to somtimes defrauded of such clauses as would have given every body to understand his intent to be directly opposite to what its here represented sometimes invented as it were de novo somtimesrendred not at all but only related to be nothing in the least measure satisfactory nothing that carried the least shew of sense or reason to the purpose c. and all this if men would believe you and if they do not I dare say 't is because they have neither sense nor reason whereupon to believe it to your Respondents best advantage but t is utterly against your wills surely Sirs besides your intentions and in some such way as you never meant it if it be for 't were a wonder if you should mind my advantage so much as to render my answers the best way in order thereunto and 't is a chance had you intended my best advantage but that you might have helpt me one lee-tle dram more then you have done what not one syllable not one scruple not one minits matter more of all that store that lies a smothering wherewith to mend the case of your Adversary whom you seem so to pitty too that if 't were possible even for old emnities sake for old truths sake which he strives to tell you you would do all to his best aduantage facile est invenire baculum ad caedendum canem you can easily pick a hole in his
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
senses utterly unclean is evident for the child of two believing Jews begotten besides the marriage bed was both a Bastard and also barr'd from the Congregation Deut. 32. 2. again this faederal holiness as well as faith may be in neither parent and yet the issue not be unclean but holy still and so are all Matrimonially and civilly at least that among Pagans are the issue of the marriage bed and with the holiness of the Covenant of Grace too when they come to years and believe themselves as not a few children of unbelievers do and sometimes the seed of Turks and Tartars this therefore i. e. the faith or faederal sanctity of the one parent nor of both cannot be the cause of this sanctity is here denominated of the seed for holiness in the infants is not alwaies when this is and sometimes it is in the infant when this is not in the parent which being of each without other cannot be between a true cause and its effect but as for the second viz. the marriage sanctity in the parents it is that which being in the parents holiness is naturally and necessarily in the seed that is born of them whether they be both or either or neither in faith or unbelief but being not in the parents there can be no holiness no birth holiness in their infants nor Matrimonial nor Congregationall neither therefore this is that which is the cause of the holiness of the issue in this Scripture the result of which and not of faith in the parents is this non-uncleanness in their posterity and so I have done with this kind of holiness and with this Scripture which speaks of this Matrimonial holiness and no other Thirdly Ceremonial holiness I call that same holiness which properly peculiarly and pro tempore only pertained to the whole nation and congregation of Israel denominating them all holy every one of them and distinguishing them from all other people and nations which during the time of the Iews pedagogy according to Gods own imposition were then accounted sinners common and unclean by a certain ens-rationis an extrinsecall meerly notional and nominal rather then either real moral or substantiall sort of sin and uncleanness to which the others holiness was directly opposite and answerable The subjects of which Accountative holiness were not only the people of the Jews themselves which were a holy people Deut. 7. ver 8. Exod. 22. 31. but also and more specially the Priests and more specially yet or in a higher degree but in the same kind of holiness for degrees do not vary nature the High Priests which were holiness to the Lord Exod. 39. 30. also their parents which were not matrimonially only nor often morally yet to allow your own phrase here because they were outwardly in Covenant with God concerning outward promises and priviledges on performance of outward ordinances every faederally a holy parentage a holy root Rom. 11. also their natural if withall matrimonial issue which were not at all in their infancy and but seldome when at years spirituaâ—…ly allwaies faederally holy branches a holy seed also their land of Canaan which was the holy Land their Metropolitan City Ierusalem which was the holy City their Temple which was a holy Temple the Utensills vessels 〈◊〉 and other accomplishments which were all holy a holy Lavar a holy Altar a holy Ark holy Candlesticks holy Cherubims most holy place c. and in a manner all things belonging to the Law of Moses and that first Covenant made with Abraham and his fleshly seed whether hollowed or consecrated by God himself or dedicated to him by men at his appointment viz. the first born the first fruits tithes offerings sacrifices daies feasts which were all holy and had relation as shadowes and types for a while unto things Evangelically Spiritually and substantially holy that were to be there after yea with this same kind of holiness some meats were holy some flesh Hag. 2. 12 13. was holy some birds and beasts were sanctified as holy and lawfull to be used and eaten when others were prohibited as prophane common and unclean not so much as to be touched without sin without contracting such an outward fleshly kind of guilt and impurity as made their souls in that ceremonial sense abominable yea with an uncleanness oppositely answerable to this carnall holiness those fleshly purities and purifyings that then were some actions as the touch of a dead body some issues of men and women some diseases as the Leprosie some bodily blemishes as crookedness dwarfishness blindness lameness yea the very easements and excrements that passed from them in the camp without covering did defile and render them sinners prophane unclean unholy and guilty before the Lord Levit. 5. 2. 3. 5 11. 43. to 46. also Chapters 14. 15. 22. also Levit 20. 25. 26 21. 18. to the 24. Deut. 23. 12. 13. 14. which deâ—…ilements did then reach to pollute the flesh only which the bloud of Bulls and Goats that could not cleanse the conscience morally did sanctifie to the purifying of Hebr. chap. 9. ver 13. neither do these things defile any man now in any such sense at all This is the holiness which when you say infants of believers are holy I have ground to perswade my self you Ashford Disputants mean not but rather some inherent morall holiness when I consider how you talk of infused habits in the hearts of infants in your Disputation and Review and yet again I have ground to believe you mean this holiness which was in the Jewish infants and their implements if I may imagine your meaning by what is extant in the writings of your brethren upon the subject specially if I may measure your meaning by Mr Blakes in his Birth-priviledge or covenant-holiness of believers and their issue wherein he laies himself out at large and yet is too short when all is done in proving from the like under the law among the people of the Iews and their issue that even now in the times of the Gospel also a people that enjoy Gods ordinances convey to their issue a priviledge to be reputed by birth not unclean but holy persons and thereupon to be baptized the absurditie and inconsequence of which doctrine and so I hope to make it appear now I am upon it is little less then if he had argued thus as the Pope doth from that time to this viz. there was an Hierarchy or holy principallity among the Priests under the law therefore there must be such another under the Gospel and as then the high-Priests Aaron and his Sons who were holiness to the Lord wore holy garments in their ministration for glory and for beauty viz. Coats and robes embroydered with gold and blew and purple and scarlet and fine linnen and curious girdles of needle work nnd miters and holy Crowns upon the miters so his Holiness to the Lord the High-Priest of Christendome Appollyon and his sons must thus swagger in their service and
he travelled with the Galathians till Christ was form'd in them whoâ—… also he bespeaks as Iohn also doth his converts 1 Iohn 2. 1. by the name of my little 〈◊〉 Gal 4. 19. thus far if you will I agree with you but your cause will be no gainer by this agreement that as ceremonially holy ones begat ceremonially holy ones under the law as a tipe in a way of carnall copulation so spiritually holy ones beget spiritually holy ones in a Gospel sense by their spiritual communion and communication for as Christ himself who supremely begets so true Christians as agents and instruments under him may be said to multiply and see their seed when in their endeavours to beget others to the faith the work will way and pleasure of the Lord doth succeed and prosper in their hands thâ—… holy seed therefore that answers under the Gospel to that holy seed the Jews 〈◊〉 under the law as the substance of that shadow that with all the reâ—…is 〈◊〉 â—…d away is Christ and his truely morally and spiritually holy ones onely 〈◊〉 holy seed of the law or that seed which was holy in the old Covenants 〈◊〉 were but as the leaves of an oak which though they flourish and make a shew â—…r a time yet at last are cast off and fall to the ground but the holy 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Gospel sense i. e. the Saints and true believers not their natural seâ—… with 〈◊〉 foâ—… they are onely Semen carnis and that not of Abraham neithâ—… 〈◊〉 the Iâ—…w is who yet hath thereupon onely no part nor portion in this matter 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Gentiles these Saints I say are the true Semen fidei children of the faith and 〈◊〉 seed of Abraham and also the very substance thereof as Isa. 6. 13 as the Prophet there speaks of the truly Godly so I say the substance of the Church of the Iews now it hath cast it leaves i. e. all its former figurative holinesse holy Priests and holy â—…eed the substance thereof is still in them For all things under the law and old Testament even the whole Covenant and Testament it self as well as every part and parcel of the â—…ame did but serve unto the example and shadow of the New Testament will and Covenant that stands ratified by the blood of the Testator as neither was the first dedicated without blood and the more holy and true heavenly things thereof yea as wâ—…ll the holy promises that were made to that holy seed as the holy precepts upon performance of which they were made and the holy seed it self also to whom the promises were made and of whom these precepts were required did exemplifie a better Testament and those better promises upon which it is established and the better and more spiritual ordinances which in order thereunto are to be observed and that better and far more holy seed that observing these ordinances shall at last inherit which all were to come in under Christ and before which all the other were to vanish viz. First a heavenly Canaan Country Kingdom inheritance substance peace prosperity plenty advancement rest immunity glory answering to all that of Israels which was but earthly Secondly the life of faith and obedience to Christs law which is more inward and spiritual Mat. 5. answering that law of commandements conteined in ordinances given by Moses which was more ad extra and carnal Thirdly that holy seed which is not of the law of Moses nor of the flesh of Abraham by generation but of Christ by regeneration the seed or successors of the faiâ—…h of Abraham and so heirs with him by that faith of all Gospel-promises answering Antipically to the other for though the promise of being heirs of the old Canaan which was but a spot of the world and pickt out as a pattern for the time was made to Abraham and his seed through the law i. e. the children of Isaac and Iacob which were counted for his seed under the law viz. the natural branches of his body for these onely were the heirs of that old earthly legall and tâ—…pical land of promise in token of which all the males were circumcised in their â—…lesh yet the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world which is the Gospel pointed at couched and exhibted tipically in the delivery of the other was not made to Abraham and that seed of his through the law quâ—…tales only unless they were as some few were by faith his seed in the other sense also but through the righteousness of faith i. e. to the branches grafted in by personal believing in Christ Rom. 4. 13 14. where the Apostle saies plainly that if they which are of the law and circumcision only meaning the fleshly seed of Abraham as such unless they also walk in the steps of that faith which Abraham had be heirs with him of the world which is the thing promised in the Gospel then faith which is made the onely term intitling to Gospel-promises is made void and the promise of just no effect at all much more may we say if the fleshly sâ—…d of your Gentile believers most of which are no believers neither be heirs of this Gospel-promise and Gospel-inheritance as so born so that they may be signed for heirs by the Gospel-ordinance of baptism upon that meer and simple account of their parents being believers without respect to faith in their own persons then the Gospell requires faith to be acted by us in order to salvation altogether in vain and to no purpose yeâ—… if goâ—…pel promises and priviledges be intailed to me upon my fathers being a believer I need no faith of mine own as to the making of me an heir thereof and if it were so as you commonly say but most horrible in considerately from Acts 2. 39. that the promise of the Gospel is not onely to the believers but also to their bodily issue as barely descending from them qua sic simpliciter and without their own personal faith which in infancy appears no more to be in them then infants of unbelievers and which if it appears as oft it doth in unbelievers children when they come to years and not in the other declares them to be heirs apparent thereof when the other are not then I say plainly that all believers children must unavoidably be saved if God be true in his promise though when they come to years thâ—… never believe and live never so prophanely the terms being still fulfilled upon which you say the promise is made to them which is this being born of believing parents for the prophanness of their lives and non-believing themselves Non est causa quo minus c. is no cause whereupon they are a whit less the seed of believers after the flesh and if so and also that that only gives a title to the promise then he that made that promise on those terms viz. being the fleshly seed of believers the terms of being so born being fulfilled by all
the faithfull are to be baptized The former proposition is clearly exprest in the text saith he make disciples and baptize them therefore all disciples are to be baptized but had he concluded according to mood and figure or the tenor of this text or had he not been both blinded and minded to go besides the sense of the spirit in this place he would have said therefore all that are first made disciples by instruction are to be baptized and then he had mard all his proceedings concerning infants As for the second proposition which is the assertion of you all viz. That infants are disciples Mr. Cotton toward the proof of it so miserably misapplies 2. pieces of Isaiah that he rather proves himself thereby to be yet but an infant in discipleship and Gospel understanding then proves infants to be disciples from thence The first place is Isa. 54. 13. whereby its said by way of promise to the Church of the New Ierusaâ—…em when once it shall be established a praise in all the Earth as it is not yet nor ever shall be till Christs second appearing when God shall wipe away all tears from her-eies and secure her for ever from all future sufferings and oppressions That all her children shall be taught of God and great shall be the peace of her children from this place which is meant of all the Saints and that immediate teaching which they shall once have he argues thus to all the naturall infants of believing parents in the Church now viz. if they be taught of God then are they disciples for that is the meaning of the word disciples Disciples are taught or learned of God His second place is Isay. 65. 20. where its said there shall be no more thenceforth an infant of daies c. in which place what ere the meaning is it matters not a rush as to his purpose so long as it s spoken of a time that is yet to come Now here is such a messe of mistakes as may well make a wise man amaz'd and and make him muse whether the pen-man of this proof of that Minor that infants are disciples and consequently to be baptized according to Mat. 28. 19. were well awake or asleep when he set it down concerning it I le propound four things to be well examined of you all First whether he be not egregiously mistâ—…en in the persons to whom those promises are made which if they be all infants of the faithful considered as in their minority then is there a mighty mist before my eyes for really by the bâ—… improvement I can make of my understanding I can possibly ken no such matter nor that it is any other then the Saints and faithful ones themselves even all of them and not any of their children after the flesh but as they prove faithfull and do â—…ome Saints in their own persons as well as their parents Secondly whether he be not grossely mistaken about the time wherein these promises are to be fulfilled in fuller evidence of both which consider first as to the first Scripture who ever they are that are there expressed by the term thy children they are all and every of them without exception partakers of the Lords teaching and of all the other priviledges there promised for it s said All thy children shall be taught of the Lord c. at that time therefore wherein this shall be fulfilled this promise shall be performed to every individual of those kind of persons to whom it s made not one excepted which shews that it is meant onely of the Saints for they are the Churches children and not their natural seed and of that time onely when the New Ierusalem which is not yet shall come down from God out of heaven for so shall it then be with all the faithful that shall inhabit that City of the Lord whose people are said also to be all righteous Is. â—…0 21. but this is not performed to all the children of the faithfull now neither are they all taught of God with that effectual teaching there promised as is evident in that many of them in time prove reprobates when wicked mens children prove elect Secondly It is expresly shewed in the 17 v. who are the persons whose portion and heritage these priviledges are for this saith he is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. As for the second place so far is it from speaking of infants in infancy that it rather shewes that there shall be no infant of daies i. e. that shall dy an infant nor old man that hath not filled his daies in that time but the very child shall dy an hundred years old i. e. he shall be counted as dying young or a child that lives but an hundred years so long lived shall they be in those daies yea as the daies of a tree shall be the daies of my people saith God and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands And as to the time when these things shall be t is not now but in the reign of Christ when the New Ierusalem shall be built with Saphirs and all precious stones and when the Lord shall make the New Heavens and the New Earth which is not yet in being but is looked for of all the Saints at the comming of Christ and the redemption of Israel as Peter saith according to his promise which appears plainly by comparing Isa. 65. 17 66. 2â—… with 2 Pet. 3. 13 14. and also by the last text of the two which Mr. Cotton abuses viz. Isa. 65. v. 20 which saith this shall be from thenceforth i. e. from the time of Gods creating that new heavens and new earth Thirdly Whether he doth not most palpably depart from the matter he took first in hand to prove unto another thing which is no more to his purpose then if he had said bo to a goose yea he runs clear away from the Scripture he began upon and never returns to it more as if he were affraid to come near it scarce ere so much as facing about or looking behind him for what he ought to have cleared but surely he thought he could not and therefore was not minded to meddle with it was this viz. that in order to being the subjects of the baptism there injoined infants are disciples in such a sense as is there spoken of viz. made so by the Ministery of the word and teaching for saith Christ go teach all nations baptizing them but his is not to the same not ad idem but ad aliud quoddam a certain other thing which if he did prove as he doth not it could in no wise prove what he brings it in proof of viz. that infants of the faithful upon the account of some uncouth unheard of strange secret sort of teaching and learning which these infants have from God above any other may be truly said to be disciples and thereupon to be baptized And this though it be not spoken so broadly
believers or unbelievers nor both nor if of believers onely whether all or onely some of them have the spirit and faith I shall be as bold to deny it ever till they give some better specimen of it then the best infant that ever you or I saw did in that nonage wherein you sprinkle them specially so long as to the stark spoiling utter unsaying and clear contradicting of whatever your own selves would prove it by you are fain to confesse page 16. That all have them not and p. 18. Which have and which have not the spirit being no more bound to believers infants then others and no more bar'd from working in unbelievers infants than believers cannot be certainly presumed and that whatever the spirit may work in children yet this is not known to us so that there can be no conclusion made And howbeit this Argument being by your own concession thus crushed in the head i. e. this Prosyllogism turns about with his tail and thrusts at us therewith I mean this ensuing Syllogism viz. No Iustification nor salvation to them that have not faith But justification and salvation is to infants Ergo infants have faith Yet I return thus to your Major viz. that though there is no justification nor salvation without faith of such as are capable to believe and of whom to believe it is required yet of such as neither are capable nor called on to believe in order thereunto there may be and is a justification and salvation without it and this is the case of all dying infants in the world the presentment of the satisfaction of Christ without faith and without obedience also in any thing else both which are in ordine ad vitam injoined to adult ones doth save dying infants or else innumerable of those infants are damned neither is this any new way for the salvation of infants dying in minority nor a grounding their salvaâ—…ion upon a figment and invention of our own braines nor such as the Scripture is altogether silent in nor such as destroyes the Gospel Covenant which is the righteousness of faith for howbeit it is true that the Scripture runs on this wise saying The just shall live by faith he that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned and to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifyeth the ungodly his faith shall be accounted unto him for righteousnesse and twenty more such like expressions of the Gospel Covenant Rom. 1. Rom. 3. Iohn 3. c. as that which gives righteousnesse and life by faith only without the works of the Law yet I beseech you set your wits on work and see whether these Scriptures were written of infants or to them either or whether only of and to mens at years only to shew unto them on what terms the Lord will accept and save them in the Covenant and promise of the Gospel Me thinks your own reason should dictate thus much that all those places speak no more of infants then they speak to them in minority and that you will assuredly yield that they do not yea you may as well say these places viz. T is a people that have no vnderstanding therefore he that made them will not save them and he that formed them will shew them no mercy and the lord Iesus shall come with flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not his Gospel and that because they received not the truth in the love thereof that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies that they all might be damned who had pleasure in unrighteousnesse c. who ere transgresseth and abideth not in the the doctrine of Christ hath not God every soul that heareth not the voice of that Prophet shall be destroyed with the mouth confession is made unto salvation and an hundred such like as speak of an necessity of good works as well as of faith viz. self-denyall taking up the cross and following Christ c. speak of and to infants in â—…on age while they know not their right hand from their left But Sirs oh that you would once understand for then all your intricacies sottish and absurd assertions and disputes about infants would be ended and save you a world of perplexity that now you are in by the ignorance of it that the word was not written as the way and will of God concerning infants in infancy but concerning men and women in order to their salvation by Christ Iohn 6. 39. 40. And this Sirs is no other answer then you use to give us when we argue against infants believing thus viz. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached But infants cannot hear so as to know Christ by the word preached Ergo infants cannot believe You tell us true faith in Adult is can come no other way but by preaching but in Infantibus faith is begotten otherwise so you fancy but you have no Scripture for it as we have that faith comes no way but by hearing Babist But that Scripture Rom. 10. speaks only of the way of faiths comming to adult ones Baptist So say I of welnigh the whole body of Scripture it speaks of the way wherein men at years must expect to be justifyed and saved and not of infants for they may be saved without faith so when we plead with you against the baptizing of infants I mean such of you and such there be amongst you as are ashamed as well as some that are not to say that infants have faith we tell you the Scripture speaks only of baptism of persons confessing sin professing faith that faith and baptism use still to go together as he that believeth and is baptized the Corinthians heâ—…ring believed and were baptized if thou believest with all thy heart c. therefore those that believe not may not be baptized you tell us again of these places and of all that ever we bring out of Scripture where baptism is mentioned that they speak of adult persons of whom t is confessed by you that faith and confession and profession is required in order to baptism but not of infants that cannot perform them So Pareus in Ursin Cate. p. 384. 385. and also many others and your answer is very true and grants all that we desire for indeed all the places where ever baptism is mentioned throughout the Scripture do speak of it as in relation to grown persons and not to infants therefore because the Scripture is wholly silent in such a thing we dare not meddle to baptize infants but as we grant your answer to be true so I hope you will grant it to be as true in our present case for if some of you when we call for faith to a persons baptism or else deny that person to be baptized say thus viz. true no baptism without faith of such of whom faith is required and who are capable to act it i. e. of
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
certainly be said to Rantize them Besides shew me any that use to wash whether it be hands face dishes spoones trenchers pots cups clothes brazen vessels or beds either when they are by any ishue defiled and I le venter to vent this verdict on such that they are but sluts and slovens if they do but sprinkle them Rantist There may he washings though and dippings too but what needs such a totall dipping as you use what command can you have in all the Word for such a madde manner of administration that surely is more then needs a man may love his house well enough and yet not ride on top on 't and so many persons like the way of dipping and washing in the dispensation we now talk of yea and practise it too and yet judge it needlesse to run persons into rivers and ponds and there plunge them quite over head and ears Baptist. To make good this doctrine of totall dipping against such as dippe onely secundum partem as well as those that in part also do but sprinkle I argue as followes Secondly from the practise of the primitive times wherein it is most evident they were totally baptized or dipped and that they were so appears plainly First by the Scripture formes of speech and expressions used about that matter which import and betoken no lesse viz. 1. if there were no other evidence the very denomination it self of baptized that is given shewes it which in propriety of speech and according to the prime and native signification of the word is as much as totally dipped or wholly overwhelmed and covered with water put under water which they could not possibly in common sense and reason be said properly to be if they were but a little wet about the eye-browes only as those are to whom you dispense handling thâ—…m as if you were affraid too much to wet them surely iâ—… would not have been said baptized much lesse baptized in Iordan least of all baptized into Iordan as t was said of people had they not been immersi submersi for so baptized is i. e. put into put wholly under the water by Iohn Rantist But if you stand so much on the signification of the word why do you not drown persons when you baptize them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to drown as well as douze or dip Baptist. This interposition is so weak and silly that some may suppose I frame such a simple businesse as this my self on purpose to render the Rantists the more ridiculous but I prosesse as ridiculous as it is it was once put to me by a Countrey Clergy man before a great Auditory of people and was as well laught at by them To which I answer if a little more yet much what to the same tune as I then did viz. besides the signication of the word which justifies our practise of putting under water we have president not only for that but also for the bringing persons up alive again not only for burying them in baptism but for the raâ—…ing them again therein before their bodies are dead neither have we any president that they of old did use to drown them and thereupon we let it alone yea Sirs we leave that Diabolicall dispensation of Drowning the disciples of Christ to the Churches of whom Dr. Featley boasts who at the Rates whereby you reckon us to be Anabaptists are An-Anabaptists whilest they ordered as he saâ—…es p. 68. That such as prophaned their first baptism by a second dipping should rue it by a third immersion as namely at Zeurick where after many disputations between Zwinglius and the Anabaptists the Senate made an act that if any presumed to rebaptize those that were baptised before they should be drowned and at Vienna where many Anabaptists so you call Christs true disciples were so tyed together in chaines that one drew the other after him into the river where they were all suffocated This president we leave to those Ministers and their Churches that list to prosecute according to it as Dr. Featley and not he only whose patience was Praelatical but even Presbyteriall Mr. Baxter also seem to do whilest they incense the Magistrate against us what in them lies meerly for baptizing believers totally according to Christs will as if we were even therefore only the veriest vipers undeâ—… heaven and charge us downrightly for so Mr. Baxter doth p. 134. as wilful murderers which in conscience can call for no lesse then cutting off by the civil sword which rash charge of us the Lord never charge him with if it be his will to condemnation but only to conviction that he may see and confesse with confusion of face to his consâ—…lation that he hath wronged a people precious to God and more privy to his will in many things then himself But if he or any still list to be contentious for such a baptizing of disciples as that was viz. a drowning of them in the deep waters of affliction and overwhelming of them in the proud billowes of persecution the baptism wherewith Christ himself was and every disciple of his must be baptized let that be the custome of them and their Churches to baptize the Saints so if they will But I assure you we have no such custome nor the Churches of God Rantist Now you talk of dipping and drowning and baptizing by afflictions you put me in mind of one thing which seems to me to make against you in this for the very sufferings of the Saints with Christ as you hint above are stiled a baptism and therefore sure the word baptism may be used to expresse a smaller matter then that totall dipping and drowning which it signifies somtimes for the Saints though they have many sorrowes yet are they not totally drowned nor sâ—…nk under them for Christ both bears them up and brings them out if he should contend for ever their spirits would faile before him and those souls that he hath made and yet these are said to be baptized and also they are said to be baptized with the spirit when yet it s but powred upon them Baptist. Totally drowned no who doubâ—…s of that neither do we totally drown them we dip but bear them up and bring them out and save them from dying as else they would do under the water if they should ly there after a while and this we do in token and resemblance of that salvation which Christ shews to his Saints both under and after some small sufferings for him Neverthelesse the Saints sufferings are not so smal but that they are oft times totally drenched therby and overwhelmed as he that is baptized in water with tribulation temptation scorn ignominy and covered therewith as with a Cloud as we see the Saints complaints in this case Psal. 55. 5. horror hath overwhelmed me Psal. 61. 2. my heart is overwhelmed Psal. 77. 5. I am troubled my spirit is overwhelmd Psal. 102 1. intituled a prayer of the afflicted when he is
measure the City and Temple and worshippers in order to building again of what was ruined as the plummet was then in hand of Zorobabel Zach. 4. 10. we have for ought I see as plain promises prophecies warrands and grounds as they had to build when they came from Babilon if we have eyes to see them unlesse nothing will serve to the satisfying of us as indeed it will not to the satisfying of some that our acting in the old way of Christ is his mind and will concerning us now but miracles to confirm us in the belief of it by whose leave I must rather call for miracles from them to confirm it that their leaving that old administration of ordinances and beginning to act in that new way of no ordinances is of God for as for the doctrine we practise t was at first confirmed by miracles as Gods manner ever is at the remove of any old Testament or will of his and establishing a new one in its stead but theirs though a new one nor yet committed to writing was never yet confirmed by miracles at all and suppose they had had more extraordinary Prophets then we have at the restoring of their ruins after the Babilonish wastings yet le ts know what extraordinary Prophets they had to build upon for the re-edifying of their dayly sacrifices and religion when trod down for a time times and an half also by Antiochus that most lively type of Christs Church-wasting enemies under the Gospel of whose violent ablation of all and lawful restoration of all again by the Jews according to the old pattern excepting what corruptions were afterward among them which yet did not disannul the right of the remaining of any truth may be read at large 1 Mac. 1. 2. Mac. 7. 2. Mac. 10. which all stood in force notwithstanding that falling away even till Christ himself who also confirmed and practised to a tittle according to Moses Testament during his life at last put an end to it by his death All thy arguings therefore 〈◊〉 â—…ertine from a falling away to no return from a treading down of the true way of ordinances to no erecting it again are but a sort of sorry shâ—…s whereby thou fencest off that part of Christs Gospel which I confesse from some experience in my own crooked deceitful yet self-searching heart flâ—…sh and blood takes no delight in for if we consider things under the Gospâ—…l with that relation and propoâ—…tion they stand in to things under the Law which were Types and shadows of them then we must conclude thâ—…e is a certain space or intertime between the last period of the 42 months or of the time of treading down of the true Gospel worship by might and Christs coming to abolish and take away their right as there was after the Babilonish captivity a space of 70 weeks in which the Saints according to the call and warning gâ—…ven them to worship God aright and decline the beasts worship and come out of Babilon Rev. 14. Rev. 18. are obedient and continue in the word of Christs patience under all the mallice of the beasts worshippers and in the observation of the commandements of God and the faith of Jesus and of all the works that Christ left in charge at his departure to be kept in memoriall of him in his absence viz. baptism the supper c. that so when the Lord shall come as a snare and as a thief on all that are disobedient to his voice and contentious against any tittle of his truth they may be found as Noah and Lot till whose separation the dâ—…om determined could not fall upon the wicked Gen 19. 22. out of Sodom Rev. 11. 8. in Zoar in the ark i. e. Christ and his true wayes Ordinances and worship which are to them as those of old to the other a little Sanctuary and being found so doing as Christ required keeping his commandements may be blessed and have right to the tree of life and to enter in thorow the gates into the City Rev. 22 14. 15. and be entertained with well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a very little and over a few things have thou authority over much over many â—…hings enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25. 21. Luk. 19. 17. Thou tellest us that the day star arises and the day approaches and therefore now there need be no such heed given to the edifying one another in Assemblies by the use of Ordinances but whether we shall believe thee o perverter who saiest we must give attendance to these things so much the lesse or Paul who saies so much the more as we see the day approaching let any judge but thy besotted self who speakest all allong by a spirit most contradictory to and yet canst not be perswaded but that in all thou speakest answerably to the word Thou tellest us that Christ is â—…ow in his Saints the hope of glory but thou tellest us no newes in this for I know not when he was otherwise while they walkt not after the flesh but after the spirit in obedience to his voice in holy confirmity to his will and word and in fellowship one with another in the use of all his holy ordinances but as for thy self o spiritualist that separatest thy self sensual not having the Spirit though pretending to have it in a higher degree then any that live in bondage unto Ordinances I know not how to believe he is so much in thee as the hope of glory for every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3. 3. Thou tellest of seeing face to face of present perfection and manhood and that that which is perfect is come and that thou livest already with God in God in full and actual enjoyment of heaven and all heavenly happinesse God dwelling already in thee and thou in him in the very substance which was once shadowed out by the childish things called Ordinances in the secret chambers of the most high in the heights of God in the very bosom and inmost imbraces of the father in a high degree of godlinesse spirit and glory But to let passe how thou contradictest confutest and givest thy self the lie when thou expressest all this sometimes by no higher a term then Christ in thee the hope of glory for hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for but if we hope for that we see not then do we not say we have it but with patience wait for it as not yet actually enjoyd Rom. 8. 24. 25. we know well enough forthy own practise and sometimes thy own speech bewrayeth thee what thy 〈◊〉 perfection and godlinesse is thy spiritualnesse is to fulfil the will of the flesh with out scruple â—…o feed and feast it without fear to swaggar and swear revil roar and rant and whore and in all this to have no more conscience
Anti-christians Pedobap tists Sectaries c. and about his law and about Heresie and spiritual Truth and Schism in the Church and Ministry and such like about which the eares of the civil powers have been dâ—…d by the usual addresses of the PPPriesthood unto them for help against Hereticks and Schismaticks and by their hideous outcries viz. of the Prelates against the Presbyters saying help O King and the Presbyters against the Sectaries help O Parliament all will be overspread with a Gangrene of Heresie Murder Murder c. O ye Magistrates restrain dipping in cold water as you will save the lives of your subjects and such stuff and folly as is powred out to the Magistrate by the Minister against men more true to Christ and Magistracy then himself I humbly conceive the Magistrate may lawfully and more acceptably to God then otherwise save himself so much labour as to let these matters alone yea he may do well to see that whatever Religion men be of that are under his civil power in each state whether Iewish Turkish Heathenish Popish Prelatical Presbyterian or Independent may not be injurious each to other without satisfaction in civil matters and to see that none commit any uncivil actions that are contrary to that common honesly and righteousnesse among men which men as magistrates are set to vindicate to see that none live be they of this or that Religion dishonestly without correction to see that none usurp Dominion over each others faith so as to make all men believe as some do whether they see ground to believe so yea or no by the civil sword to see that in order to their own eternal good they find out and walk in the way of truth themselves as it is in Jesus and when they are once assured that they are in the truth themselves to let that truth be verbally declared per se or per alios as much as they please but not forced upon others as their faith further then the light of preachings and discourses may prevail to fasten it on others consciences and to see that even enemies to the Gospel and true Church may have no more then the weapons of the Churches warfare which are not carnal used towards them to make them friends and as to those who walk in truth whoever they are or shall but be supposed by the successive representatives Princes or Powers to walk in the way of truth to see that they be countenanc't but not too much maintenanc't because Christs disciples nor cockt up to all the honour and preferment and places of trust and advantage above their fellow subjects to the ingendring of jealousies and emulations in others that may be happily though not so neer the truth of Christ yet as trusty to the State as themselves for that too often choaks the Church but onely that with an indifferent impartial hand as men whether in Church or out being otherwise honest and able and of publique spirits not selfish nor covetous nor cruel c. may seem fit to be intrusted with such and such places so they may be chosen and disposed of thereunto in a word to see that such as make prayers and supplications and intercessions and giving of thanks for all men for Kings and such as are in authority living in all godlinesse and honesty may as well as others and others also as well as they living soberly and honestly though not Godly in Christ Jesus nor worshipping in way of truth but falsly may live a quiet and peaceable life without persecution as to confiscation bonds or death for doing and denying according to the dictates of their own though yet blinded conscience and that men of all Religions may live without molestation one from another any more then by meer manifestations of their light one to another at seasonable times in wayes of query disputation and preaching and then to leave all men to worship God according to their several wayes even misbelievers Hereticks and Iewes themselves and others that yet believe not in Christ but deny him till the Lord lend them light by the word of truth and to stand or fall to their own master Christ Jesus to whom every conscience shall give account of it self at last who if any man hear his words and believe not nor receives but rejects them judges him not here either by himself or the civil magistrate or by his Church any further then to non-communion with them yet by the word that he hath spoken unto him will judge every man at the last day Thus it is most evident the magistrate whether Christian or Heathen is to do and not otherwise viz. to give protection to men as men living honestly so berly and justly without respect to their Religions whether true or false And as to Religions to allow Tolleration to all men to practise according to their principles the practise of whose principles is not directly destructive to the true Religion common honesty civillity morallity righteousnesse and the peace and safety of the Common-wealth as some mens principles are if put in practise yet verily I know none among Christians at least save those of the two Spiritualties vix the Rantizing PPPriest that in his precincts which is the whole world could he catch it would have no tolleration for any way of worship but his own and the Ranting Prophet who would have toleration of all and more too not onely all Religions but all as well unciuill unnatural lewd abominable as irreligious actions which nature it self cries shame on among beasts magistracy finds it self an ordinance of God to give correction to among heathens for those men are now acting upon the stage of whom Iude speaks when he saies Iude 10. what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves the principles of that old PPPriest and this new Prophet if practised in the hight of them are utterly inconsistent with the standing of truth in the world untrampled viz. that of the Priest and also with the standing of very manhood among men of civility in civil states of the common-health of the Common-wealth it self viz. that of the Prophet the one is so far from owning any power to be a terror to evil works and incouragement to good that despising all Government and speaking evill of dignities he holds that there is at all neither good nor evil nor better nor worse amongst works but all alike and then good Lord how fast must iniquity dishonesty unrighteousnesse and incontinency thrive and abound upon earth to the ripening of iâ—… for the sickle when it shall be acted with allowance from such a principle as this viz. that there is now no iniquity at all this man would have the civil power allow all Religions and good Manners too but allowes of none at least thinks he needs use none himself and is for a Toleration of all truth in the world thoughall truth is the intollerablest thing in 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
our hands with blood nor out fingers wiith iniquity let our lips speak no lies nor our tongue mutter perversenesse let us not hatch cockatrice egges nor weave such spiders webs as have been woven in the Nations to entangle tender consciences in and make the poor harmlesse flies a very prey to their malevolent intentions so shall we cause our voice to be heard on high let us thus fast and pray and with fasting and prayer endeavour the casting out of every blind and deaf and dumb devil and beseech the Lord that the eyes of the Priesthood and their People may be opened to see their eares unstopped that they may hear the truth their tongues unloosed that they may be preachers of it indeed as now they are in pretence and in word onely and no more Christian Reader that ownest the truth if thou beest proffesd so as to discern between Christs way and the CCClergies more clearly then ever give God the glory for nought but shame belongs to man and pray for those that desire as the conversion of others to it so thy preservation in the truth which oh how hard is it to abide by in these evil times of temptation from the fals Churches the non-chuches which both seek what they can to unchurch the true which thou continuing faithfully in it to the death shall onely lead thee unto everlasting life but if any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant Now as to the Apologetical part I saythus to you O ye Priests you are of all men the generation whose great and general displeasure I expect to fall under and for this present works sake to become your enemy more universally then ever yet because I here tell you the truth but as little hope as I have to be heeded by you in what I say I must tell you and the Lord judge between you and me whether I speak the truth or not I am so far from desiring the temporal much more the eternal destruction of any one of you that as far as t is possible I would prevent both yea if by the publication of all this I seek any thing next to Gods glory more then the salvation as well of your own souls as of such as are seduceed and insnared by your spiritual sorceries in wayes of false worship heresie and Schism from the primitive truth will not the Lord at last find me out nay verily I love the persons of you all as well as other mens indeed I love you too well to spare sharpness toward you or in silence suffer you to perish as I verily believe and therefore speak the more plainly to you that by any means I may save some of you without remedy you will do persisting in your wonted obstinacy against the Gospel this being the faith which God hath begotten me to by a serious search and observation of the word and world together the saith which he hath for some years made me to live in and will I trust if he call me to it strengthen me to die in rather then deny one â—…ot of it to please men good or bad friend or foe unlesse it be discovered to me to be a false one I must not be ashamed to professe it for fear of them that kill the body for then wo unto me from him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell and should I be altogether silent as my fearful flesh would fain be least I should prove an intollerable offence to my friends and seem to be as O my God thou knowest how far I am not a self avenger on my foes and expose my self as at no hand I desire to do might it be avoided to the haâ—…ed and hard censure of you all the light of this truth would arise many other wayes yea the Lord pleadeth it before you day by day by the tongues and pens of others besides my self but I neverthelesse might be destroyed I had at first illumination and strong impulsions of spirit not perceiving like Samuel who thought it had been Eli that called him and not the Lord whether it were the suggestion of Gods spirit or my own and when at last I understood clearly that t was the Lord himself that told me he would do such a thing to the house of Eli i. e. the Generation of the Priesthood as should cause the eares of all that hear it to tingle I feared likewise to shew Eli the vision and was as loath to declare as you OPPPriests are to hear the things concerning you here declared I was ready to say to the Lord send this message by the hand of him by whom thou wilt send but necessity was upon me yea wo unto me my God had been a terrible one to me had I refused it yea I may say as Ieremy Ier. 20. 7 9. O Lord thou hast deceived me and art stronger then I and hast prevailed for I said I will not make mention of this nor speak it in thy name but his word was within me as fire in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay he whose face onely I seek that I may not be deceived the light or louring of whose countenance is more to me then the favours or frowns of all faces hath prest me in spirit to tell that on the house tops which he hath told me in the ear in a closeâ—… what shall befal me in so doing I know not save that the spirit witnesseth that afflictions do every where abide me and all those that will live godly in Christ Jesus yet none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto me that I may finish my race and the ministry I have received of the Lord Jesu s to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20. 24. if your Ministry Gospel doctrine Baptism be right then ours is wrong and if ever it appear we shall come back to you if ours be right then yours is wrong and must be declared that you may return to the truth I know there are many things you will question not to say quarrel with me about First you 'l ask me why I do not for the peace sake of the Church forbear and keep my opinions in these points to my self rather then publish them so plainly in print as well as by word and penne to the disturbance thereof To which I say if it be the truth I hold and matter of weight withall it wil excuse the promoting of it self if it were to the distraction of the Church which is to be subject to the truth and not the truth to her also to the distruction of the world fiat justâ—… aut pereat mundus Secondly the matters held forth here by me which are mainly the falsness of your Ministry and baptism are as truth so of such consequence as to be well worth discovering if either â—…uther did well to declare against the Pope and Clergy of Rome or your selves
2. 12 1 Cor. 12. 7. Eph. 4. 11. Eph. 4. 30. a Eph. 1. 13. b Act. 2. 39. 40. c Prov. 1. 23. Joh. 7. 38 39. Luke 11. 13. Act 5. 35. * Iohn did no miracle but all the the things which Iohn spake of this man are see true Joh. 10. 41. Iohn 7. 48 〈◊〉 ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe Iohn 20. 29. Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed Herod hoped to have seen some miracle done by Christ but he would not so much as answer him Luke 23. 8. 9. He did not many mighty work there because of their unbelief Mat. 13. 5. Lord why could not we cast him out Iesus said because of your unbelief Job 1. 16. â—…f his fulâ—…es we have â—…ll received grace for grace Iohn 16. 7. 13. 2. Cor. 13. 14. the communion of the spirit be with you all Gal. 5. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 5. God who hath given us the earnest of his spirit Ephes. 1. 33. 14. in whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 4. 30. * if any doubt it as some do and say prophesy is a gift of speaking infallibly by revelation from God as t is spoken of 1 Cor. 14. 1. the 2. 3. 4. 5. verses of the same chapter confute him where prophecy as it is determined to be a far more eminent and profitable gift and greater and more desirable then tongues which is so talkt on so it is defined to be no other then speaking to exhorration edisication and comfort and also v. 31. 32. 33. where its said you may all prophecy one by one and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets which shewes t was no gift of speaking infallibly but only preaching because it s supposed that they may be out and erre in their prophecy and must submit to correction in case they do from the other prophets Obj. Ans. Ob. Ans. * which I much marvel at sith this objection supposes a continuation or resurrection of that same ordinance of laying on of hands in the last daies after a whiles waiting for administrators but the questions subscribed to are all or most of them such as suppose the Enquirers to be much in the dark and in doubt about it what kind of laying on of hands that is that 's called a doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. 1. whether ever such a thing was or is ever to be dispensed to all baptized believers c. as if they could not tell almost whether there be at least appointed by Christ such a manner of administration * viz. Seeing we are denied communion by some of those Churches or by some members thereof who hold the necessity of all baptized believers to practise submit to or come under the laying on of hands Therefore we desire them to acquaint us what we are commanded to say or do that we may be found faithful in that point or otherwise to be discovered disobedient unto a command by the Word of God which is the onely director here and that which shall be our judge at the last day * which is the wise query of some also and as learned a question as if one should ask whether at the supper we must put the elements to our mouths with the right hand or the left or in baptism ask how the baptizer must handle the person baptized and where he must take hold on him when he dips him and if he have not expresse Scripture concerning such nicities and trifles as these suspend the dispensation of both the supper baptism because Christ is som what short in his word not expressing punctually enough how his ordinances shall be dispensed nor what is to be said and done by persons at the doing of them so distinctly as they would have him But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes 2 Tim. 2. 23. p Vâ—… Seeing there be ma ny that do desire bapti zed believers to require that hands should be laid on them Therefore we desire of them to shew us some place of Scripture if they know of any that doth expresse such a behaviour either of the administrator or the person on whom hands were laid * for such a behaviour as to reprove their backwardnesse and summon men to shew their forwardnesse to own Christs wayes may become any administrator whatsoever Act. 23. 16. * Viz. Seeing many plead â—…aying on of hands to be practised or submitted unto as a foundation principle or a beginning doctrine that by all baptized believers Therefore we desire to know if any of them can inform us which of all these layings on of hands forementioned is calleâ—… by Christ or his Apostles the foundation principle or beginning doctrine by some text in Scripture * iâ—… it be not somewhat an improper phrase to stile wicked men in their wrathful and cruel handlings of the Saints Administrators oâ—… any doctrine of Christ that is stiled imposition of hands as to me it seems to be unlesse weâ—…l allow the name of an Administrator also to the devil himself when he tempts the Saints and puts forth his hands against them to smiâ—…e them with any mischâ—…efs in either body oâ—… spâ—…it as by Gods permission he did Job Job 1. 12. Job 2. 6. 7. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Viz Seeing that Hâ—…b 6. 2. 〈◊〉 of the laying on of hands as plâ—…al as the dâ—…ctrine of 〈◊〉 and doth not speak of any one laying on of hands sore mentioned particularly nor of any otheâ—… by distinction neither of any end purpose or eveâ—… Therefore we desire to know what safety it is for any man tâ—… conclude that Heb. 6. 2. is meant buâ—… of one of them onely †See Mr Blackwoods last book newly extant even whilâ—…st I am writing to you on this subjâ—…ct sâ—…iled 〈◊〉 soul searching catechism p. 58 in p. 54. 55 56. 57. 58. 59. of which he treats totally of this 〈◊〉 * Viz. Mr. Coâ—…on Dr. Holms who as is shewed above in the 139 140 141. pages of this very voluâ—…e I am yet in hand with borrowes Coâ—…ons and Calvins reading out of Antiquity concerning the practise of imposition of hands to all grown persons before admission to Church-â—…ellowship wher by to prove infant-baptism which thereby he 〈◊〉 breaks the nâ—…ck of * consisting of 3 sorts of Christ'n creatures under a 3soldCCClergy viz. papal prelatical presbyterian * yet some Ranters are not ashamed to say they are Christ and God and there is no other God then they and what 's in them and such like blasphemies whe reby they declare themselves to be that generation that are to rise in the latter daies and make the man of sin even that wicked one that shall exalt himself above all that 's called God saying