freely give Mr. Baxter leave or any man to express themselves how they can to cause men to understand and believe the holy Scriptures as they are written but this we dare not allow neither to them nor our selves viz. to put men upon believing or doing any thing as a duty that is not written in the holy Scriptures And herein lyeth the depth of all deceipts namely because Christ expounded the Scriptures of the Prophets therefore men will take in hand to expound his expositions as if we could make them plainer then he hath left them or make anything true that is not written in them Again because Philip opened the Scriptures to the Eunuch Act. 8. therefore men will take in hand to open the words of Philip so as to make them appear otherwise then they are written and therefore for the plainer manifestation of the truth I desire all impartial men to consider these following things 1 If I would prove to any man by the Scriptures that God created the heavens and the earth then I must bring a Scripture that speaks of Gods creating the heavens and the earth as Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Again 2 If I would prove that God created man upright I must bring a Scripture that saith so as Eccles 7.29 Lo this onely have I found that God hath made man upright c. 3 If I will prove that all men since Adams fall were finners I must bring a Scripture that speaks so as Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God c. 4 If I would prove that God sent his son to redeem those sinners I must bring a Scripture that saith so as 1 Tim. 115. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief and c. 2.6 Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time 5 If I would prove the dead shall rise I must being a Scripture that speaks of the Resurrection of the dead and so did Christ Mar. 12.25 26. for when they shall rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage c. And As touching the dead that they shall Rise have ye not read c. And what if Christ had not spoken nor named the Resurrection of the dead at all in this place if it be proved anywhere in Scripture it s enough for Christ spake many times darkly and in parables to them that were without but expounded all things to his Disciples Mark 4.33.34 with Matt. 13.10 11. and it s most plain Job 5.28 29. that Chirst faith thus The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation and â— 11.25 he saith to Martha I am the Resurrection and the life c. Thus we see how frequently Christ proveth the Resurrection in plain words And now let Mr. Baxter Mr. Cook Mr. Hall or any man else prove that either Christ Moses any of the Prophets or Apostles did ever speak one word about baptizing of infants and then we will grant it and if this be not rational and honest let even our enemies judge To conclude if I would prove that men and women should be baptized when they believe the word preached I must bring a Scripture that says so as Act. 8.12 When they believed Philips preaching they were baptized both men and women and ver 37. If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest And now if Mr. Baxter Mr. Cook or any man will prove that little babes should be baptized let them bring one Scripture to prove it and then they will do honestly otherwise I must needs conclude with all that fear God aright that they are meer deceivers of men and unjust Stewards to Christ whom they profess to serve But now a word to Mr. Cook who in his seventh page saith that we never read in the Scriptures Go Henry Haggar and James Brown teach all Nations and baptize c. nor do we read that Christ gave a command to you two to preach the Gospel c. These and such like cunning devised fables hath Mr. Cook in his seventh page To all which I answer This is but a subtile sophistry of Mr. Cook to deceive the heart of the simple but easily discovered by them to whom the Lord hath given understanding as thus we do not desire Mr. B. or Mr. C. to bring a Scripture that saith Go William Cook or Go Richard Baxter and baptize children that cannot speak nor understand what you preach neither do we desire a Scripture that saith Go Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cook and teach all Nations and baptize all the children that you can lay your hands on But we desire you or any man to prove by the holy Scriptures that Christ did ever say to any of his disciples Go and baptize children or that ever any that preached in the name of the Lord did baptize children either under Law or Gospel and we will grant it Give us command or example to shew us where it ought to be done or ever was done and you do like men but till then as I have told you before I tell you again that you are unreasonable men such as Paul prayed to be delivered from But now we can prove that Christ commanded those which he sent to preach to baptize those that did believe which was likewise practised by them as I have shewed before by these Scriptures Matt. 28.18.19.20 Mark 16.15 16. Act. 2.41 Act. 8.12 and ver 37. c. 10.47.48 c. 16.32 33 34. c. 18.8 to which I refer the Reader And what they did Saints in all ages are commanded to do for Paul saith Be ye followers of me and mark them that walk so as you have us for an example Phil. 3.17 Again those things which you have learned and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you cap. 4.9 But now we have heard and learned that Paul and the other disciples did baptize men and women when they believed therefore if we do the same the God of peace will be with us but we never heard nor learned in all the Scriptures that they baptized babes of a week or month or yeer old therefore we dare not do it left we should be counted such as transgress and abide nor in the Doctrine of Christ But I remember what Mr. Hall saith to these Scriptures in his fourth objection pag. 91. that these are the chiefest strong holds of the Anabaptists and being pursued hither we run for refuge but all in vain as he saith To which I answer It s well the Anabaptists do run to the word of God for refuge they are then sure to be safe without all question for his word is setled in heaven Psa 119.89 and Christ saith Joh. 8.31 If ye
generall in them but also such words as speak to every Saint in Christ and member in particular as the word all the Saints every Saint in Christ and every one of you and every branch in me c. But for example I shall give you one probable Argument from Mat. 18.15 16 17. in these words If thy Brother sin against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother if not then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it to the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee an Heathen man and a Publican From all which I argue thus First If it be the duty of Church-members to watch over one another and proceed in order according to this rule then they must be such as understand this rule But little babes of 8 daies weeks or months old cannot understand this rule Therefore they cannot be visible Church-members Secondly If it be the duty of Church-members to tell one another of their fault then they must be such as can both speak and judge what a fault is or else how can they tell one another of their faults But little Babes can neither speak nor judge in such cases Therefore they cannot be Church-members Thirdly If the faults of particular members in such cases may and must be brought before the whole Church for them to hear and judge then the whole Church ought to be such as can judge and likewise declare their minds But little Infants are not such Therefore no visible Church-members But it may be the objection against all this will be That this rule doth not reach or concern all Church-members because the word all or every one or whole Church is not found in the text But I shall leave it to the judgement of the wise that fear God and are worshipers of him in spirit and truth Many more such Arguments as this might be brought of which the time would fail to relate therefore I shall omit them and proceed to prove in opposition to Mr. Baxters and Mr. Cooks other Arguments that little Children that cannot speak words nor understand the Gospell if they hear it are not nor cannot be Christs Disciples Arguments I. My first Argument is from Mat 28.19 in these words Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit The plain English of which Mr. Baxter himself confesseth to be Go make Disciciples baptizing them c. From whence I argue thus If those Disciples which Christ commanded the Apostles to baptize must be first made so then they were not so born if they had they should not have need to be made so Again the word saith Teach all Nations or make Disciples saith Mr Baxter Whence I argue thus If make Disciples all Nations and teach all Nations be all one as Mr. Baxter affirms then it s clear that Disciples are made by preaching the word But Infants that cannot speak words nor understand earthly things if we tell them can much less understand the things of the Kingdom of Heaven declared by the preaching of the Gospell Therefore Here Mr. Baxter and I must have some discourse before we part a for he telleth us of divers waies to make Disciples besides teaching of them which in plain terms is to say There is divers waies to make Scholars besides or without teaching of them which to me is a Paradox Again Mr. Baxter being very willing to prove Infants Disciples saith page 22. line 1 2 3. that its enough to make them Disciples that they are devoted to learning if they live and that they are consecrated to Christ as their Master who can teach them hereafter So that he would prove them Disciples or Scholars first and have them taught afterwards strange doctrine and unheard-of Divinity the which lest any should object against he stoutly backs with a learned Argument as he would have it thus Is it not a common thing to call the whole Nation of Turks Mahometans old and young why then may we not call our selves and our Children Disciples of Christ And then he tells us another story of a man that hired a Philosopher to teach him and all his Children and were they not all then Disciples of that Philosopher Answ But is this Mr. Baxters plain Scripture-proof that he telleth us of in the title of his book I do much admire that a man prosessing so much seriousness in his matters and soundness in his judgement tenderness of conscience and zeal for truth as Mr. Baxter doth in his first chap. page 2 should so turn aside his ears from the truth of the word of God unto such fables as these as if he were resolved to make the Apostles words true upon himself 2 Tim. 4.3.4 which are these The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn aside their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables c. But let me a little speak to Mr. Baxter in his own language lest he be wise in his own conceit and think I cannot answer such learned Questions Suppose I should grant that little Children as soon as they go to Schoole and begin to learn their letters are Scholars doth it therefore follow that they are then fit to learn the things of God and be immediately nay long before that the Disciples of Christ I think not for the Lord Christ saith John 2.12 If I have told you earthly things and you beleive them not how shall you beleive if I tell you Heavenly But such Children that go newly to Schoole to learn their letters you may tell them of many earthly things that they cannot understand nor beleive at all Againe What if we grant Mr. Baxter that little Children are Scholars the first day they are sent to Schoole and having learned but the first letters This would make nothing for his purpose for do we ever know any man so idle and foolish and void of understanding as to send his Child to Schoole to learn its letters befor it could speak or understand would not Mr. Baxter himself say such a man were void of reason but Mr. Baxter doth affirn such to be Disciples of Christ and would have them sent to Chrits Schoole but if this be equity or godly wisdome let the godly wife consider and judge But Mr. Baxter would teach men by parallels and lay aside the word of God he might have made the comparison thus As little children the first day they go to Schoole to learn their letters are commonly called the Scholars and Disciples of Men even so those little Children or babes in Christ 1 John 5.21 the first
if you walk not in the same footsteps which they did then I can prove as well the Church of Rome was then a constituted Church according to the order of the Gospel Rom. 1.7 but I pray doth that make the Pope and his crew now to be a true Church If they be why do you separate from them But they are not neither are you though a true Church might be in England 1600 yeers agone and possibly may be found now Again you say that they and their children were then admitted into the Covenant and Church as Abraham and his family were by Circumcision To which I Answer It still remains for you to prove that they and their children were admitted into Church-fellowship I deny it prove it if you can or else you have done nothing As for Abraham and his family being circumcised I grant it because the Scriptures say so but you have no Scripture for Infants baptism if you have shew it if you can and as for that Covenant that Circumcision was a token of it s far different from the Covenant now under the Gospel as I shall shew by and by The next thing you speak of is a National Church which you seem to prove thus in that the Lord said Gen. 22.18 to Abraham that in his seed all Nations should be blessed Answ But he doth not say that All of All Nations shall be blessed nor yet that All of any Nation shall be blessed and I am perswaded that you think in your own Conscience that some in this Nation are not blessed for by your writings you pronounce us accursed and I suppose there are many that live in known sins as drunkenness whoredom wichcraft murder theft c. of your own Church and yet you dare not judge them blessed in Christ if you do why do you hang them up every Assizes and Sessions If they be members of Christ their bodies are Temples of the Holy Ghost and he that destroyeth the Temple of God him shall God destroy therefore if your Argument be true take heed what you do in such cases 2. You bring this Scripture Psal 22 27 28. which saith All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord and all kindreds of the Nations shall worship before him for the kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour among the Nations Answ When that day shall come and that Prophecie be fulfilled we will grant you it is fulfilled but for present I think you will be our witnesses that all Nations do not serve him for the Turks and Moors and Indians with many other do not serve nor worship God neither do all in this Nation worship him as aforesaid but Peters words are true if you please Act. 10.34 35 viz. that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted for God is no respected of persons But there are many in this Nation which do not fear God and work righteousness therefore no National Church 3 You say Isa 49.23 that kings shall be nursing fathers and Queens shall be nursing mothers to the Church Answ That it shall be so I deny not but prove you that it is so if you can As for Englands King and Queen it is well known how they would have nursed the Church if they had but had their mindes or if you please to side with them and the Cavaliers party and own them for a Church yet are the other that oppose them contrary minded therefore you can have no National Church 4 You say Isa 52.15 that Christ shall sprinkle many Nations Answ It s granted but it doth not follow that he doth sprinkle whole Nations it is also true as the Apostle saith Heb. 10.22 that believers have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their bodies washed with pure water but it doth not follow therefore that all men and such as are wicked and prophane have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience therefore no National Church And I much wonder that you Ministers of the Church of England who for the generality of you hold and preach that Christ did not dye for all men but onely for some few elect persons should yet preach up national Churches and impudently say all England are so far in Covenant as all their children ought to be baptized I confess you had all need to have seven yeers education at Cambridge or Oxford or else you could never make these things hang together but that the people would see your folly 5 You say from Matt. 28.19 Did not Christ command his Apostles to go into all Nations and preach and baptize Answ But do not you know that they never baptized whole Nations nor yet whole Cities but most men hated and abused them so as they were forced to shake the dust off their feet against them and we read but of seven Churches in all Asta which is one quarter of the world and they were so far from converting and baptizing whole Nations that we read but of four or five whole housholds in all the Scriptures that were baptized therefore not likely to baptize whole Nations but if they did any such thing we desire to see it Moreover we grant you if a whole Nation can be converted by the preaching of the word they ought to be baptized but you baptize little babes that know not what the word is contrary to the primitive practice Act. 8.12 6 You bring Rev. 11.15 which saith The kingdoms of this world are become our Lords and his Christs and he shall raign for ever Answ I told you already that I believe such times shall be but they are not yet if they were then we should no longer need to pray Thy kingdom come and in that day Satan shall not deceive the Nations See Rev. 20.3 but Sir I suppose these things are too hard for you to understand though you be a scholar for they are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes See Luke 20.21 with 1 Cor. 2.8 9 10. 7 You say from Rev. 21.24 that the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of the New Jerusalem Answ That 's granted but that new Jerusalem is not yet here below for drunkards and wicked persons to walk by but Paul saith Gal. 4.26 that it s above and is free and is the mother of all the Saints 8 Lastly you say If a company of believers in one house have been called a Church domestical then a multitude of believers in a City or Nation may be called a National Church I answer That 's granted if they be all believers as you said at first but little babes are not believers therefore your Argument will not hold One thing more I have to answer to you in your sixth page which is this You say we affirm a negative namely that the baptism or sprinkling of Infants is not the baptism of Christ c. and here you follow us on to purpose and tell
this is a most subtile sophistry much like to that of Satan when he beguiled Evah saying In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt not dye but your eys shall be opened and you shall be at Gods knowing both good and evil all which was both true and a lye for they did learn to know evil by it to purpose and as for good they knew it before and now they learned to know it was good by the loss of it And after the same manner is your reasoning when you say If we have nothing but the bare words without the meaning and reason we have no proof To which I answer The truth is that if we have not the meaning of God and the reason reason why he speaks to us how can we understand as we ought but now Sir I shall make it appear that both Gods meaning and the reason of his meaning is plainly declared to the sons of men by his word of truth and so plainly that if you or an Angel from heaven shall add to it or take from it you shall be accursed and he will add to you all the plagues written and take your name out of the book of life All which if you do not knows I pray read Prov. 30.6 Gal. 1.8 9. Rev. 22.18 19. But you would make us believe that what is written is not able to inform us aright but you or such as you are must add to it or take from it at your pleasure and those your additions and substractions you call the meanings and reasons of the word of God But now I shall prove that the word of God alone is able to make us wise to salvation without your adding to or taking from and to that end see 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. in these words And from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for correction for instruction in rightcousness that the man of God may be perfect and throughly furnished unto all good works Again the Apostle Jam. 1.21 exhorteth us to lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and to receive with meekness the ingraffed word which saith he is able to save your souls Again when Paul left the Saints in a dangerous condition because of deceivers he commits them to God and the word of his grace saying It is able to build them up and give them an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified Thus you see 1 That the Scripture is able to make us wise to salvation 1 Tins 3.15 2 That all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and therefore profitable for Doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteonsness ver 16. 3 To make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished to all good works ver 17. 4 It s able to save our souls Jam. 1.21 5 It s able to build us up and give us an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified Act. 20.32 And now seeing the holy writings are able to do all these things I will boldly and safely conclude that we have no need of your Reasons and Sences to help them but you have need to help your Reasons and Senses by the holy writings or else you will be but one of those insensible unreasonable men that Paul prays to be delivered from because they had not faith and how can you have faith as Christ saith How can you believe when you receive honor one of another John 5.44 and do not you receive honor one of another when you prefer one anothers words above the words of God which Christ and the holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 But whereas you say wickedly that if we have the words of God without the meaning and reason we have no proof Answer I am sure I may honestly and in the fear of God conclude that if we have your words and meanings and reasons without the word of God we have no proof that we may safely trust for Let God be true and every man a lyer and cursed be he that trusteth in man c. Rom. 3.4 Ier. 17.5 And thus your folly is manifest but because this is the very place in which and slight by which Satan doth deceive and murder so many souls the Reader must give me leave to inlarge my selfe in answering Now to your proof which is this you say The Divel used the words of God to tempt Christ I Answer doth it follow that because the Divel and wicked men do sometimes use the word of God to deceive with that therefore the Saints must not use it make them wise to salvation I trow not Againe Sir You much mistake the matter for the Divells deceit did not ly in bringing the Scriptures but in adding to and taking from as I shall make it appear by comparing the words the Divell brought Mat. 4.6 and Luke 4.10 11. with those words in Psa 91.11 12. which are these For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes they shall bear thee up in their hands left thou dash thy feet against a Stone These are the words of the Prophesie Psa 91.11 12. but the words of the tempter are these Cast thy self down which is nowhere written Just as you say Baytise your Children which is no where written but the Divell would prove he might thus for saith he it is written He shall give his Angells charge concerning thee to keep thee as in Luk. 14.10 and with their hands they shall bear thee up left at any time that is added thou dash thy feet against a Stone Thus it is clear the tempter added at any time and left cut in all thy wayes Againe Luke 4.9 10 11. We read Cast thy selfe downe for it is written He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee and in their hands they shall bare thee up left at any time thou dash thy feet against a stone Thus we see in both Scriptures that the tempter added Cast thy selfe downe and at any time and left out in all thy wayes So that here is both adding and diminishing which is accursed of God and yet Mr. Baxter takes the Divells part and saith the Divell used the words of the Scriptures to Christ But this is but a small fault with you Sir for you have learned to take the same leave your selfe as I now shall make it appear thus If thou be the Son of God The Divell said to Christ cast thy self downe which is nowhere written as the Lord saith but the contrary viz. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God So do you say If you be the Children of God and in Covenant baptize your Children which is nowhere written but the contrary thus Teach all Nations batizing them c. Mat. 28.19 And Preach the Gospell to every
now I have answered yours and Mr. Baxters which consists of neer sixty sheets in about eighteen sheets Now let all men judge betwixt us If you shall say it is no full answer I answer It is the better for you and your cause will be the more advanced and I pray take your advantage and spare not But time will manifest all things Againe I remember you say that we are the people that subvert whole housholds To which I answer Sir you much mistake your selfe as Ahab did when he told Elijah that it was he that troubled Israel who answered and said I have not troubled Israel but thee and thy Fathers house in that ye have for saken the Commandments of the Lord and followed Baalim So say I to you It is not we that subvert whole housholds for we baptize none of any house but those that beleeve and manifest their saith according to the commandment of Christ and example of his holy Apostles Mar. 16 15 16. Act. 8.12 with ver 37. but it is you Mr. Cooke that subvert whole housholds when you baptize Children and all and by that means you subvert whole nations for filthy lucre sake so that you may well say with Demetrius Act. 19.25 to the rest of your Brethren Sirs you know that by this craft we get our wealth the which mystery of your iniquity I shall now make more manifest in shewing the reasons of our dissenting from the Church of England and all other Churches which stand upon these four Pillars that is to say 1. Humane learning for take away that which you had at Cambridge or Oxford and you have no Ministry but all men may preach as as well as you nay I might say better 2. Your Rantizing or cozening of poor Babes in their Cradles take away that and you have no Church But others who have faithfully preached the Gospell and converted Souls to the faith and baptized them to in the name of Jesus Christ have a far greater 3. Your Tythes or forced maintenance The wages of unrighness 2 Pet. 2.15 after which you all go astray take away that and we may preach who will for all you By which it appeareth you are all hirelings and will labour no longer then you are paid for it neither do you care for the flock any longer then you are paid for it by all which you make that old papistical Proverb good upon your selves which is No peny no Pater-noster so say all you in effect No money no Preaching c. 4 The Magistrates sword by which you have been upholden these many yeers unto which you have applied your selves when poor Souls out of conscience have denied you to eat of the Milke of that flock which you never sed and to taste of the fruit of that Vineyard which you never planted then you have gone to the Magistrate for assistance that you might take it away by force pleading that you have right to it from the Scripture and that you can prove your right by the Scripture when it is no such thing And thus have you made the Kings and Rulers of the Nations drunk with the Wine of the wrath of your fornications and have caused them by your delusions to give their power and strength to the Beast and to make warre with the Lamb but he shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull See Rev. 17.13 14. These therefore are the reasons of our dissenting from you 1. Because you take Tythes or a forced maintenance even from those which you call Hereticks whereas the Priests under the Law when they were at the worst never demanded Tythes of the uncircumcised Gentiles that were not of their religion but counted it an abomination Againe Though Tythes were by the Law to be paid to the Preists by the people under the Law yet when the Gentiles were converted by the preaching of the Gospell and questioned what things they should observe concerning the Law Act. 15.24 the Apostles answer was ver 28 29. It seemeth good to the holy-Ghost and us to lay upon you no greater burden then these necessary things viz. That you abstain from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication from which if you keep your selves you shall do well c. these we see were necessary things and this was all the burthen as conserning the Law that it seemed good to the holy Ghost and the Apostles to lay upon the Gentiles wherein there is not one word nor sillable spoken about that intolerable burthen of Tythes which is Antichristian and denieth Christ to be come in the flesh who changed the priesthood and therefore there is of necessity a change of the law see Heb 7.11 12. Now seeing that both the Priesthood and Law are changed I pray where is your ground to take Tythes as Priests or what law compels the people to pay Tythes to you as unto Priests answer if you can But it may be you will say you are Ministers of the Gospel and the Ministers of the Gospel must live of the Gospel Answ Then it seems you have granted they must not live of the Law but Tythes are by the Law therefore they must not live by Tythes Secondly whereas you say they must live of the Gospel I answer why do you not then and be quiet and take what people will give you and eat what is set before you as Christ hath commanded Gospel-Ministers to do and be content Mat. 10.10 with Luke 10.6.7 But it may be you will say this maintenance is not sufficient and if it be left to the people they will starve you Answ If it be not enough then you may labour with your hands the thing that is good to supply your wants as Paul and the other Apostles did which were as good and better Ministers of Christ then you are See Act. 18.1 2 3. with 1 Cor. 4.11 12. and 2 Thes 3.7 8. 2. Whereas you say as I have heard some that the people would starve their Ministers if it were left to them I answer Then they are no Christians as you have born them in hand they were for if they were Christians they durst not let their Teachers starve if he took but any honest course to live But to conclude the truth is if you can neither trust God for a livelyhood whilst you are about his work nor be content with what the people will freely give you nor yet labour with your hands to supply the rest of your wants you are not yet fit for the work of the ministery and therefore you may leave it to those that are better able to go through the work and to be content with the wages that Christ hath allowed them Your next is 1 Cor. 9.7 Who goeth a warfare at his owne Charge Answ It is true neither do any go a warfare at their enemies charges but the
they were so when he had left them in the judgement of the learned Priests and Rulers as appeareth Act. 4.13 Thus all men may see how contrary the Priests of this Nation do walk to Christ and his Disciples Object But Christ was able to teach them all wisedome and did give them extraordinary gifts for the perfecting of his work but now there is none such therefore men must get abilities by humane learning Answ This is a gross mistake for we have nothing else to do but to beleive and obey that word which was by them preached when they were so indued with those gifts aforesaid And now if any man preach he must preach that word 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4. for that is able to do all the work of conversion and sanctification and to make us wise to salvation through faith in Jesus and to make the man of God perfect and throughly to furnish him unto all good works chap. 3.15 16 17. And if men or Angels preach any other Gospell then what they preached let them be accursed see Gal. 1.8 9. and therefore we are commanded to stand fast and hold the traditions which they have taught us whether by word or epistle see 2 Thess 2.15 and the Lord Christ prayeth for all those that shall believe in him through their word John 17.20 therefore they are the Preachers by whom I do believe and the word is already preached that I must believe and obey therefore no need of a little dirty humane learning to make a man a preacher of that which is so plainly preached already but every English man may declare it to his Native Country-Men and so may Men in all Nations 2. Whereas you say Christ taught them then himself I answer so he doth now teach those that desire to be taught of him and I question not but some are so well taught by him that they are able to stop any of your mouths by sound Doctrine that shall oppose them And thus have I given you another reason of our dissenting from the Church of England The third reason is their lying deceit even when they are exercised in the holy ordinances of Christ as I shall make appear by shewing the depth of their deceits concerning their baptizing of Infants which they have no word of God for but have successively brought it along with them from Rome as appeareth thus When Luther and others separated from Rome they were not baptized againe after they separated but brought Romes baptisme along with them notwithstanding they confess that it is a false antichristian Church a den of theeves a cage of unclean and hatefull birds from which all Gods people are commanded to separate and touch no unclean thing and then he will receive them 2 Cor. 6.17 yet they will and do still touch their baptism which is the ground and root from whence all other branches do spring for without baptism there is no visible Church all will grant that own ordinances but they being thus far charged they presently fly from the Church of Rome and plead their own innocency and purity in separating from them the which I deny so long as they retain the Popes or Divels baptism But they will tell that the Ministers of England have given us great satisfaction in shewing the reasons why Infants ought to be baptized which are as followeth in the Sacraments or things so called Quest What is required of persons that are to be baptized Answ Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Quest Why then are infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform it namely this faith and repentance Their owne answer again is this Answ Yes They do perform it by their sureties which promise and vow both that is to say both faith and repentance in their names Well thus far we have drove the matter and now we will hear what the Scriptures say for themselves and the children they answer for thus When a poor Child is to be Christened as they call it or rather cozened as I call it then the Minister doth demand of the Godfathers and Godmothers as they call them these ensuing questions 1. Dost thou forsake the Devil and all his works the vain pomps and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh so as thou wilt not follow or be led by them Answ I forsake them all I say It is well if they do Quest 2. Dost thou believe all the Articles of the Christian faith c. Answ All this I stedfastly believe I say it is well if they understand them first Quest Wilt thou be baptized into this Faith saith the Priest to the sureties Answ It is my desire say they when they never intended it because according to their owne judgement they were baptized in their infancie before they knew it Thus all rational men may see what abominable lyes they tell when they are about baptizing infants the God-Fathers and God-mothers saying it is their desire to be baptized into that faith when there is no such thing intended and then they take the poor child that knew nothing of what they said or did together and sprinkle a few drops of water upon its face putting to or taking the name of Christ in vain over it and then they say it is a Christian and fall a praying that it may lead theremaining part of its life according to this beginning And now let all that fear God judge whether there be not wickedness lying and deceit used in them baptizing or ingrafting members into the Church of England yea such lying and deceit as all men may see if they be not wilfully blinde Therefore now let all men take heed henceforward how they satisfie themselves with such frothy stuff with such lying and deceit instead of the truth of Jesus Christ which is able to save their souls that cleave to it and contend earnestly for it but all lyers whosoever doth either love or make lies shall have their part in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death See Rev. 21.8 with chap. 22.15 But now the great Objection by which men think to save themselves from the guilt of all this evil is this O say they but we have laid aside the Common-prayer-Book and we will no longer owne the things therein contained Answ Then it seems you grant that it was not of God but of Satan and therefore you have laid it aside for if it were of God it is your grievous sin to lay it a side and not practice it for you and I and all Christians ought to lay down our lives for the truth of Christ rather then let it be laid aside 2. But have you laid aside your baptisme that you had by the Common-prayer-Book I speak to all you that are 16 or 20 years of age and upwards if you have not