you are no Men for it is said No Man putreth new Wine into old Bottles nor putteth a new piece of Cloth on an old Garment Any may imagine how these Reverend Expositors were confounded But it may be some Reformed Quakers may say Have you not one Word to say for our Infants who cannot speak for themselves Many Adult Persons now baptized may have Infants what shall they do 1. It is certain some Infants were elected and shall be saved 2. None can be fit for the Kingdom of Glory that were not fit for the Kingdom of Grace 3. It is evident Children were once Members of the Church of God who cast them out not God not Christ sure none but Satan and did it 4. In the New Testament all is confirm'd Of such is the Kingdom of God The Promise was to them they are said to be Holy The Sign of the Covenant of Grace was changed Circumcision into Baptism I need no more to know who must be the Subjects of Baptism whether Infants than to know whether such were oâ— Circumcision I will shew one full place of Scripture for Infant Baptism Be baptiz'd every one of you for the Promise is to you and to your Children c. 5. As Christ proved the Resurrection of the Body to the Pharisees not by pâ—â—n Scripture speaking of that matter but by good Consequence so might we And some Men may as well keep their Wive and grown up Daughters from one Sacrament as their Infants from the other for want of a plain Institution or Command or however they will phrase it Who cannot bring as plain Scripture as the afore-named or Infant-Baptism Acts 2.39 6. If Infants be not within the Church they are without and so no visible way left for their Salvation I know some fiery Pedobaptists are angry with me for my Conversing with Anabaptists and speaking so favourably of them and tell me what Character one they had tho' now grown better Are they grown better I would we were too Let none of us make an Idol of Baptism Somâ— will not bury unbaptized Children yet read Prayer over Brother Drunkard Brother Swearer Brother Whoremonger or Brother Athiest S me again wiâ—â— not admit any to the Lord's Table but Dipt Persons which holy Mr. Jessy and honest John Bunnyan couâ—â— not bear the thoughts of And now Mr. Keith and you Reformed Quaker gone to the Church of England beware of such the who lay Infant Baptism on the power of the Church Magistrates Oh! So Dr. Stilling fleet when an Eâ—â—stian in his Irenicum so Dr. Hicks in a printed Sâ—mon of his so I fear D. Barlow notwithstanding 〈◊〉 Complemental Letter to M. Wills D. Tully told Friend of mine That if D. B. had been search'd to the bottom he was no Friend to any Baptism So I think politick Jeremy Taylor in his Liberty of Prophesying written in the Interregnum to get a Toleration for the Prelatical Party as he on the Return of the King pleaded He designed to set us together by the Ears he says indeed We have more Reason on our side but the Anabaptists more Scripture A learned Distinction He by Playing with Witticisms did the Anabaptists greater Service than they themselves He made many go down into the Water and had almost me for one in my younger Days Some among you deny Original Sin and yet baptize Infants according to your Liturgy For as much as all Men are born in sin And seeing this Child is Regenerate What! that was never corrupted or defiled But any thing for Tyth-piggs and Corn. Jer. Taylor was a notorious Dissembler here and a Subscriber to the 39 Articles tho' he denied Original Sin The old Pelagians were not for Infant Baptism nor could be our new ones are indeed their Friends too much You know as well as I many Anabaptist talk not now of Baal Antichrist Idolatry when speaking of the Church of England They acknowledge the Piety of many of that Communion some occasionly hear and commend their Preachers For M. Pendarvis his Arrows shot against Babylon Mr. Brown his Jerubbad with that place under the Title If Raal be a God let him plead for himself because one hath pull'd down his Altar Would this Man challenge the God of the Church of England to come forth He says He that heareth the Parish Priest heareth the Bishop he that heareth the Bishop heareth the Pope And no doubt he that heareth the Pope heareth the Devil and say I so he may and never be the worse Man for when do Popes preach I pray I knew a great Man and good Schollar among the Bapts that got so many Colds by Dipping that he would walk by the River and pronounce the Form of Baptism and appoint a Deacon as his Substitute to Dip and I believe many unknown to me have done the like Now how could this Man say I Baptize thee The unlearned Colonel Danvers very mannerly tells us That when we say I Baptize thee we lye because we Plunge not Now tho' I will have more manners than to say this Man â—ied yet I will say he told a notorious untruth Should not these Men on their Principles keep the Person under the Water tho' they do it not whil'st they use this Form And if this Baâ—â—mism represent the Resurrection of Christ as they say should not the Persons rise out of the Water of themselves be Active not Passive in this thing But about my Charge against Plunging Women If it be said Do not â—aylâ—rs take measure of them c Yes and Physicians and Surgâ—ons do more to express all as modestly as I can What therefore is necessary by the Law of God and Nature must be done but should other Men do to them what Physicians Surgeons and others must they sinn'd especially if they did this openly A Friend of mine told me how a Kinswoman was invited to a Dipping the Dipper and the Dipt were almost gone by the Stream There was such a Cry the Woman was content with her old Baptism You see I have taken a Method with the Anabaptist none else hath done that I know of I therefore applied my self to the learnedst Pedobaptist in this City who approved of what I have done I communicated these Things also to the most Learned Orthodox Pious and Well-tempered Anabaptists here to know their Objections I thank them for their Civility If I hate their Cause I certainly know I love their Persons I suffer'd once about a Year and halfs Confinement which cost me about an hundred pounds occasioned by Visiting a great Man of that Perswasion in Goal I have not now applied my self directly to them but to you Mr. Keith My Work is not so much to pull down their Altars as to strengthen our own I hope this Consideration may content them if not it doth me Can we not manage a Controversy among our selves for fear of offending them I owe them nor any Man else any such Service They seme of them
Ball 's Catechism leave and the Quakers Paraphrase to prove the Baptism to be Spiritual But is Spiritual Baptism the Work of Man No but of the Spirit And Water Baptism is the Work of Man But where is Spiritual Baptism or Sanctifying Work said to be into the Name of God O â—ard Phrase Other places may be urged when Occasion is Mark 1.9 shews John Baptized â—ot Christ when in Galilee but when he came â—o Jordain 3. But that which is accounted the strongest Effort 〈◊〉 That many Pedobaptists grant John Plunged and that so did the Primitive Christians a long â—â—me First Not so many say so as you imagin Secondly Some think when they read Anciâ—nt History of them that Baptized in such a River that they Plunged They that so mistake Scripture no wonder if they do Eccleâ—astical History I once liv'd in a Town where 〈◊〉 a River and there as is said of Enon were 〈…〉 many Waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Convenience was there to Plunge as Gecgraphers say Is not in Enon I often thought when I walked by the River which was not seldom that had I been the Instrument in the Hand of God or any other been so and they all had been baptized by Effusion I doubt not we had all gone down into that River for our Convenience and yet never have thought of such a nasty Trick as Plunging Yet some would have ask'd What did you do there As Foolish to ask What did John do in Jordain I pray did you never go into the Water for no other end but to be Plunged there not to Swim with your Heads above Water nor to wash only your Feet I pray what had John to do in the Wilderness Go there eat Locust and wild Honey as well as choose a River for Baptism In neither was John to be a President for us III. The Transmarine Anabaptist though so fierce against Infant-baptism yet are one with me in this point and so some here in England The Dutch Anabaptist lately wrote to the English ones to know Why they Plunge For they disown it and plead for pouring as I do May not I as well urge their Authority against them as they some Commentators against me IV. I cared not if many more granted John Plunged if I prove he declares he did not I believe John's Words not their horrid Exposition I therefore soberly not as a Doubter as iâ— many things O that all were as clear I say I soberly ask without intemperate Heat but with burning Zeal mixed with Love 1. What were John's and Peter's Arms and Legs made of Of Flesh and Bone or Wood and Stone to stand and embrace and plunge â—o many Mat. 3.5 All Jerusalem all Judea all the Regions round about Jordain were baptized So when Three Thousand were baptized by Peter in one Day he had not much time to do it in considering his Antecedent and Consequent Work For my part I should have read the History of John's and Peter's Baptism a thousand times over before I should have thought of such an ill lookt thing as Plunging had I not heard of some that dreamt of it Either they were plunged with their Cloaths on if so then indeed had they lookt like Men full of new Wine All must have smil'd and I think the gravest of themselves Or they were plunged with their Cloaths off They were then guilty of Immodesty Peter's Converts never thought of being baptized when they came out and so brought no change of Cloaths if they had there could be no putting on without putting off What! Men and Women seen naked before all Persons young and old Wet Cloaths next to the Body is dangerous in all Places to most Persons but I suppose their Bodies were made of no Man knows what Did Christ indeed deliver from the Yoke of Bondage and take away so many easy things comparitavely to Plunging and bring under this â—oke Bread and Wine are things grave and decent in the other Sacrament and I doubt not so must Washing be in this without change of Cloaths without strong Liquors to fortify against the Danger of a Gospel Ordinance 4. Some others Object There must be Plunging on another Account if you have a Baptism that answers some of the ends of Baptism that is not enough Vnless it answers all the ends of Baptism it is not right Now we are said Rom. 6.4 to be buried with Christ in Baptism 1. Prove if you can that those words have any Relation to the Form of Baptism but to the Confession of Sin the Person baptiz'd made see Mat. 3.6 Confession of Sin we are said elsewhere to be dead with Christ and risen with Christ where not a word is mentioned of Water Baptism by which we understand Mortification and Vivification Thus Men deny others Symbolical Signs and yet make some to themselves 2. Yet were it so not to say what others have well done of the Jows way of Burials as we read of Joseph of Arimathea c. our Form of Baptizing more represents a Burial than theirs When we bury a Man do we drive him or plunge him into the Earth or pour Earth upon him Comparisons run not on all four I am under a Necessity of taking up this and a sew Passages more I have written in other Books Pardon me Reader I use not to offend this way I cannot help it this once When any Anabaptist goes down into the Water I wish he would remember the words of God by the Prophet to them that went down into Egypt Oh do not this abominable thing my Soul hates This is a Breach of the sixth and seventh Commandment which forbids all Temptations Incentives unnecessary Actions that have a tendency to it besides the God and Man provoking Sin of some that deny their true Baptism What is the reason that more Frenehers among the Anabaptists long professing Religion should at last fall more before one particular Sin than other Ministers As I have observed where Providence hath cast me I speak not now of young Men but Men of Years I verily believe nay I doubt it not they got their Infection by embracing the fair Sex Would I were sure Mr. T. got none of his there Mrs. Roe of Bristol for Twenty Years or more confessed to her Husband to all Ministers and me among the rest and to good Mr. Fairclough who mentioned it in my hearing in the open Pulpit That one of the first Plungers there at Baptist-Mill for so is the place called frequently lay with the Women he plunged with her in particular which made her go up and down as a Terror to her self I call the great God to record I mention not this Story on any Design against the Anabaptist but to cure them of this Evil if there may be hope I doubt not the Piety of many of them He that had the Vanity of writing himself lately Medicinae Doctor Academia Cantabrigiensis to make himself look bigger after the
care not what they say who are no more to be regarded by Wise Men than Rabâ—ons I have too long replied to such but intend no more Perhaps such may say I have Nicknamed them and called them Bats and then run on what a Bat is and half of that ignorantly talkt of Others may say I have made them Owls No there are enough such among us as well as them The Kindness I have hitherto shewn them as well as other friendly Adversarys I intend the continuance of if they will give me leave But if the best of them refuse any Acceptance of Civilities I shall not impose on them but be their Friend if not their Companion My Kindness to them hath given Occasion for a Story That I had renounced my Baptism an I were Plunged by which some great godly good Friends of mine became my Adversaries This is one reason among others why I was willing to appear against this great God-provoking Sin to Renounce a true Baptism for one not so But I never intend to write one word more upon this Subject unless a Reply by any worthy Divine and Schollar of theirs make it necessary If any such appear and let them as soon as they please why not they as well as I whil'st I can have Pen Ink and Paper I hope to vindicate that righteous Cause I have now espoused And for a Close of all Dear Mr. Keith I am heartily sorry any Dissenters especially Presbyterians should so severely Censure you for your Compliance with the Church of England You know you went between me and the famous Author of the Snake in the Grass sent me his Letters and him mine about Liturgies and Ceremonies printed with his consent in my Apology for Congregational Divines nothing more clean on both Hands You then seemed to be of my mind if you are otherwise perswaded I am not tho' I was glad to fall into the hand of one of the most accurate devout Advocates for that Cause who made the best of it If you have left me and are now of his mind I dare not Censure another Man's Servant I hope you do nothing against your Conscience I am not so sure you Sin in your Compliance with the Church of England in her Liturgies Ceremonies and Sacraments as I am sure some of my Brethren Sin in their ungodly Censures of you I do not much Care what Party hath you seeing you have lest the Quakers You have left them that had the Plague Sores on them and gone among them that may be Itchy or Lousy Many say you being such a little Man will look very ugly in a Surplice I tell them pleasantly you will then but look like all the rest that wear it For perhaps no Man looks otherwise that ever puts it on If ever you appear against us as some fear I pray Answer my Arguments in my forementioned Epistle to Mr. L. If you thus do you may see A Third Friendly Epistle to Mr. George Keith and the Reformed Quakers by Trepidantiam Malleus As Friendly as the Letters to the aforenamed great Man You know how many plead Plunging from your Fonts and Orders to Plunge Children and not Sprinkle but in case of Necessity Should I Answer this at large I should make those Reflections as are not now convenient Bishop Laud was the Death of many Infants by this barbarous ungodly Impolition Whereas several Bapts say when we tell them the Tendency of imbracing fair Women We see what you are inclined too We fear not When David from the top of his House saw Bathsheba bathing herself perhaps as well Cloathed as some of their baptized Women are though hè a Man after God's own Heart and so in as little Danger as any Man yet we know the wosul Conclusion How much greater had the Temptation been had David had this Woman in his Arms in that Water If they thus dare to talk of Pedobaptist as less Chast than themselves Experience proves the contrary He that locketh on a Woman and Lusteth after her by Land or Water it is all one be committeth Adultery with her in his Heart POSTSCRIPT To my Dear Friends the London BAPTS IF I have given you any just Occasion of Offence by any Words too sharp I beg your Pardon and I know you are reconcilable Men as you have found me to be so I own your worthy Preachers before named and ohers to be Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel If any of our baptized Believers whether Conformists or Dissenters Ministers or People be displeased for my saying so I wish them more Charity and you more Wisdom and Light in our Controversies No Baptists among us hates Plunging more and yet loves the Plungers falsly so called better than Sam. Reconcilable FINIS