THE BAPTIST AGAINST THE PAPIST OR The SCRIPTURE and ROME in Contention about the SUPREAM SEAT of JUDGMENT in CONTROVERSIES of RELIGION Together with Ten Arguments or Reasons discovering the present Papal Church of Rome to be no true Church of Christ WHEREIN It is also evinced That the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers are the true Church of Jesus Christ By THO. GRANTHAM a Prisoner for Truths sake Luke 16. 29 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead Ezek. 20. 18 19. But I said unto their children Walk ye not in the Statutes of your fathers c. I am the Lord your God walk in my Statutes and keep my Judgments and do them Joh. 12. 48. The Word that I have spoken the same shall judge you in the last day LONDON Printed in the Year 1663. THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Courteous Reader NOt because I envy those of the Papal Church or desire them any evil Not that I desire they should be exposed to a suffering condition for matters of Religion or that they should be denied any liberty in that respect which I desire my self nor for any other prejudice God knoweth do I publish this small Treatise But because I judge my self concerned at this time to give my Testimony for the Truth against some Papal Tenents for divers causes As first I am at this time under restraint and though nothing hath been laid to my charge yet it is rumour'd by some that I am a Papist yea in this place of my Confinement have I been told to my face by some of the Protestant Clergie that I am a Roman Jesuite And indeed this is an ordinary aspersion which hath been cast upon those in general to whom I am related upon a religious account viz. That we are all Papists or will turn Papists c. and this not so much to our personal prejudice as to the dishonour of that antient way of Truth by us professed Secondly A more particular occasion of the publication of this Treatise proceeded from the Papists themselves in sending Seven Queries to the Baptized Congregations in this County commonly called Anabaptists To which through the importunity of some Friends I formed a brief Answer little thinking I confess that so much contention would have risen thereupon as since I have met with And I likewise confess that the undertaking is such as that it requireth a more fit Instrument than my self to manage it Nevertheless I hope I may say that hitherto what hath come to pass in this contest hath fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Truth for which cause I have thought fit to offer it to the perusal of others so much of it I mean as I conceive is at present needful and that is the substance of what hath passed about the means whereby we must decide or resolve Controversies in Religion It now wants but few months of a year since I sent my final Answer containing a Review of all that had been said in way of Answer to the Queries before in which I produced the Testimony of divers Antient Dictors as concurring with what I had therein spoken and as being directly opposite to my Antagonist But I have heard of late that he is gone out of this Nation so that I expect no more Reply from him And though for divers Reasons hereafter shewed I have not published the whole Discourse which if need be may in due time be brought to light yet I have thought it meet here to set down all the Seven Queries that so if any Christian of suitable endowments for the Vindication of Truth against the opposition that lyeth in the said Queries shall think fit to lay forth his Talent in that Service he may take hold of this occasion wherein to do it for the Queries were not directed to any particular person however I shall joyn to each Query one Antiquery which may serve at this present to blunt the edge of them as they carry an opposition to the Truth The QUERIES The ANTI-QUERIES Query 1. Antiq. 1. VVHether we are to resolve all Differences in point of Religion only out of the written Word of God VVHat Differences in point of Religion can you resolve without the written Word of God and whether the written Word of God be a perfect Rule for matters of Religion Query 2. Antiq. 2. How know you precisely what is the true Word of God Whether some Book must not of necessity speak for it self and whether the Scripture doth not best deserve this priviledge And whether it be not a bold presumption to say there are no holy Books but them which we or you have received for such sith those which we have tell us there are other holy Writings which never yet came to our hands nor to yours Query 3. Antiq. 3. How know you that your Copies and Translations of the Bible are the true Word of God since the Original Writings are not come to your hands What Copies and Translations of the Bible have you that are more true than ours and where are the Original Manuscripts of the Prophets and Apostles Qu. 4. Antiq. 4. Where we differ about the sense of the Word by whom must we be tryed the dead Letter cannot explain it self When we differ about the true Church and about the meaning of Authors by whom must we be tryed They cannot speak for themselves more than the Scripture and whether the Scriptures compared together do not explain themselves also whether it be not an opprobrious and ignominious speech for you to call the Scripture a dead Letter and whether the true lovers of the Scripture ever vouchsafed it such ill and indeed improper language Qu. 5. Antiq. 5. What clear Text have you out of Scripture for the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father the Son or for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday or prohibiting Poligamy or Infant-Baptism And whether there be not as clear Texts to prove unwritten Tradition Purgatory and the real Presence Whether the Baptism of the true Church be not one and whether that one be not expresly found in the Scripture And whether the Scripture doth not prohibit all beside that one And whether the Papists have not confessed in many of their Books that Infant-Baptism is not found in nor grounded upon the Scripture and then whether it be not clear that all the Texts which speak of Baptism do not prohibit Infant-Baptism Also whether Joh. 15. 26. and 14. 26. and 16. 7. be not clear Texts that the holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son Also whether 1 Cor. 7. 1 2 3. do not as much prohibit one man for having two Wives and one woman for having two Husbands and whether it do not clearly prohibit the latter Also whether there be any that hold the first day under the notion of a Sabbath
among the Baptized Churches and yet whether there be not clear Texts for the religious observation of it Act. 20. 7. Also whether it he not absurd for you to ask for clear Texts to prove unwritten things Also whether Rurgatory and the Real Presence as you hold them is not plainly destructive to some Articles of the Christian Faith Qu. 6. Antiq. 6. VVhether Universality both for time and place be not an evident mark of the true Church What Church can you name that hath that mark And whether the Woman that John saw was not Rome And whether her Cup was not universally received so that all Nations were drunk thereby Qu. 7. Antiq. 7. Whether you have really this mark that is whether you can fetch out of all Ages and Nations Professors of your Religion in particular you are desired to name but one or two in the first six hundred years after Christ of your Profession for example such as held the sole-sufficiency of Scripture for deciding Controversies and denied the lawfulness and usefulness of Infant-Baptism Whether any man can shew this mark as it is here call'd for without the help of humane History and whether humane History be a rule or ground for divine Faith And whether humane Histories especially those of the first three hundred after Christ were not most if not all burnt which concerned the Church and whether those that remain are not contradictory one to another Also whether Infant-Baptism was so much as heard of in the first hundred and then how could any be named that denied the usefulness thereof Also whether a Church whose gathering constitution and government is answerable to the Scripture be not the true Church of Christ And whether the Churches of the Baptists do not therein exceed all other whatsoever Thus Reader I have given thee some account of the causes why I publish this Treatise I desire thee to peruse it diligently If in any thing the Truth be dishonoured through any Error maintained by me of which yet I do solemnly profess I am not conscious to my self then do not forbear to blame me in a christian sort only if thou perceivest me deficient in point of Language and Method I desire thee to bear with that for I am one that gets my bread by the labour of my hands and never saluted the Schools to gain the knowledge of their Arts. From the Common-Goal in the Castle of Lincoln the 10th of the 11 month commonly called January 1662. Farewel TO THE Nameless Author OF THE VII QUERIES And in him to all the SONS of PAPAL ROME In the County of LINCOLN HItherto the things pertaining to Religion as they concern the Baptized Congregations commonly called Anabaptists and you that are commonly called Papists have been very little controverted And whether it shall ever please God to try his Peoples Faith and Stedfastness by your open opposition as he hath done it by others I may not presume to determine nor doubt I but if it shall so fall out he will advance his Truth thereby It is most certain that of those many wayes whereby the antient path of the Gospel hath for a long time been opposed there is not found any more potent than yours and the rather because your subtilty is utterly unknown to the generality of Christians in this Age and Nation where your Religion hath as it were lain dormant for many years The most dangerous stratagem wherewith you usually assail your opposits is your denyal of the Scripture c. the high doom of Judgment in matters of Faith and ascribe that dignity to your selves under pretence of your being the Church wherein if you conquer any one your work is as it were wholly accomplished Whereupon I have here presented to the world somewhat of your skill in this important Question Whether we are to resolve all Differences in point of Religion only out of the written Word of God yea I have faithfully transcribed your last Reply to my Answers which contains the sum of what you said in all your other Papers Whereby the Reader will discern if I think right wisdom used to the hurt of them that have received it I have forborn at this time to publish all that hath passed between us about the seven Queries partly for that one thing is oft repeated in our several Papers and partly and indeed especially for that it is to little purpose to controvert any particular point of Religion till we be agreed about the Judge that must determine our Differences Now whereas you do ascribe this Prerogative to your selves under pretence of your being the Church of Christ I have therefore laid down several Reasons by which it may appear that you are not the Church and so not that Judge whereunto you pretend to be so willing to adhere I have likewise shewed that we your opposits have the true claim to the title of Christ's Church that so if you will appeal to her you must then appeal to us which yet we believe you will not be perswaded to nor indeed do we desire you should whilst this is the Question Whether we or you be the Church No we are content to say with Augustine Ask not us in this case we will not ask you but let this matter be tryed by the Scripture yea saith he let the Prophets Christ and his Apostles be Judge Yea we say further in his words Let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason counted by authority of the Scriptures not proper to any but indifferent Witnesses to both parts My final Answer to the first of the seven Queries I have here published with as little alteration or addition as possibly I could to give the Reader a true understanding of the matters in difference And if you publish any thing hereupon I desire no fairer dealing from you than you have in this case from me I have seriously considered what should be the design of your Queries and hitherto it appears to be chiefly to exalt the authority of mens Traditions above the lively Oracles of God the Scriptures For though it should be granted which you can never prove that there hath continued a true Church at Rome ever since it was there planted yet would it not follow that all which your Church holdeth under the title of Ecclesiastical Tradition must needs be obeyed by us for it is certain that the Jews did retain the state of a true Church when yet their Traditions however by them accounted were but the Traditions of men which both the Prophets and Christ himself termed vain Worship especially such of them as made void the Commands of God as we are sure many of yours do and therefore as Christ said to them Why do you transgress the Command of God by your Tradition the same we are humbly bold to say to you when you ask us why we transgress your Traditions for surely of none can it more fitly be said than of you that laying
avouch the Answer which I have given to this your first Query as will evidently appear to the impartial Reader of the several Quotations which I have before alledged and which do here follow The ANSWER to the FIRST QUERY Avouched sufficient by the Sentence of divers DOCTORS both Antient and Modern VVHether of us be Schismaticks ask not me I will not ask you Let Christ be asked that he may shew us his Church Neither must I alledge the Nicene Council nor you the Arimi I am neither bound to the one nor you to the other let the matter be tryed by the Scripture Augustine saith Let the Scriptures judge let Christ judge let the Apostles judge Yea it is confessed by the Papists that Aug. Optatus and Basil summoned their Adversaries to the arbitriment of holy Scriptures and did allow the sufficiency of holy Scripture to decide the Controversies depending between them In time past saith Chrysostome there were many wayes to know the Church of Christ viz. by good Life by Miracles by Chastity c. but from the time that Heresies did take hold of the Church it IS ONLY known by the Scripture which is the true Church Again he saith The Lord then knowing that so great confusion would come in the latter dayes therefore willed the Christians that would take to the sureness of true Faith to have refuge to nothing but to the Scripture otherwise saith he if they regard other things they shall perish not understanding what the true Church is Thus my Answer is avouched good as it respects the means to decide the differences which are about the Church Next hear what they say touching such differences as are in the Church Iren. If there be any disagreement risen up among Christians concerning Controversies in Religion what better course is there to be taken than to have our recourse into the Most antient Churches which must needs be those planted by the Apostles considering the time when he lived and to receive from thence what shall be certain and manifest Augustine Because the Scripture cannot deceive whoso feareth to be misled in the obscurity of this Question let him ask COUNSEL of that Church which the SCRIPTURE without any ambiguity pointeth out Constantine Mag. There are the Gospel the Prophets and Apostles which do teach us what to hold in Religion wherefore expelling all hostile and bitter contention let us seek the Solution of these Questions out of the Scriptures Thus spake this famous Emperor in the Council of Nice at what time the Bishops had like to have jarred into pieces THus have I given an impartial Relation of what hath passed between the Popish Querist and my Self in our two last Papers which contains the sum of what passed in the other as touching this Question about the Judge of Controversies And now for further satisfaction That the Scripture as aforesaid ought to be admitted the high Prerogative of Judge in our Debates consider that of necessity it must be so My reason is because either the Scripture or some other Writings must be our Judge especially in this important Question WHICH IS THE TRUE CHURCH For when we contend about her it is very unreasonable that any party contending for that title should be permitted to give Judgment in their own cause As for example The present Assembly of Papists say That they are the true Church and the present Assemblies of Baptists say That they are the true Church Is it fit that either party contending should here give Judgment decissive What then must we do why of necessity we must to some Writings whereby to be decided or agreed in this Controversie These Writings must be either the Scriptures or some other but no other can compare with those so that they do deserve this Prerogative better than any other The Papists ordinary way in this difficulty is to tell us that we must here be tryed by the Tradition of our Fore-fathers in which they say we cannot be deceived which Tradition they say is the only thing that is unquestionable and needs no other ground to stand upon but it self And against the Scripture's being received upon its own evidence or authority they usually do thus object that before we can receive what it teacheth we must be assured of its truth And again they say the Scripture may not be the Judge of Controversie because it may be corrupted translated ill interpreted not rightly understood And by these and other like objections they usually in all their Writings invalidate the Scriptures certainty authority and sufficiency that so they advance the authority of their Traditions But let it be seriously considered whether these Objections have not the same force against what they rest upon which they have against the holy Scripture First then whereas they tell us the Scripture cannot teach us any thing till we be assured of its truth Doth not this conclude against any other thing as strongly Ought we not to be assured of the truth of the Church before we receive her documents Ought we not to be assured of the truth of that Tradition which we receive for the Rule of our Faith But how must we be assured of the truth of the Papal Church and Tradition There is not a man living that can remember when either began and so avouch its beginning to be of divine Institution and the continnance of the same ever since its beginning to have been without any corruption What then must we do Why we must search Romes Records And then I ask are they not as questonable and liable to mis-interpretations as easily mis-understood as the Records of God What is now become of these Objections the force whereof is evidently against the Papal Church and her Traditions of the truth whereof we must be assured BEFORE we can be taught by either of them I say again There is not a man of all the Papists that can evidence Rome to have been a Church two hundred years ago and then much less one thousand six hundred years ago So that OF NECESSITY we must to the Writings of some men whom we never saw write one word to find the Church And then I would know why we may not make enquiry at the Pen of Paul what the Church was at first and what it ought to be now as well as at the Pen of Augustine Cannot the Pen of Peter the Apostle give us as good information in this matter as the Pen of any Pope pretending to be his Successor If the Papists answer That we know not the Pen of Peter or Paul We answer as well as they know the Pen of Augustine or Gregory If they say Paul's Writings may be corrupted and must be interpreted may be mis-understood I return the same Answer of all other Books whatsoever yea those which contains Romes Tradition See therefore what is gained by devising objections against the authority or certainty of the holy Scriptures Such
God service by compelling Families Towns Countries Nations or many Nations to be of one mind in matters of Religion I say it is in vain because the Scripture foresees and also foreshews that the contrary effects must follow the preaching of the Gospel and yet they may yea and ought to live in one form of Civil Government for that is the will of God concerning every soul Rom. 13. 1 to 8. 3. The Gospel-Church cannot be National because that takes away from her Persecution for the Gospel-sake makes her become a Persecutor For it is impossible for a Church to be National without penal Laws whereby to force men to that kind of Worship which the greater part approveth which may as possibly be false as true But the true Church must not look to be free from Persecution if she live godly in Christ Jesus nor is any thing more uncomly for her than to punish or persecute men into a Conformity to her Faith or religious practice John 15. 19 20. Mat. 10. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Luke 9. 56. And the greatest part of the Revelations do shew that the Church was to be in a suffering condition and are therefore bid to be patient until the coming of the Lord Jam. 5. 4. A National-Church cannot observe the discipline of the Church of Christ for in the case of withdrawing from disorderly persons they do not only separate men of disorder from the Church both in Civil and Religious concerns but they cast them wholly out of the World from all Markets and Fairs yea quite out of their Livelihoods c. which kind of Excommunication the Scripture foresees to be proper to the Churches Adversary Rev. 13. 16 17. 5. If the Gospel-Church ought to be National then she was imperfect in point of Power in the Apostles dayes for she had not then any Power to put Hereticks to death for their Heresie But to say that the Primitive Church wanted any Power to punish any sin as it concerns the Church to punish it is to disparage the Apostolical Churches and is also contrary to the Scriptures which plainly shew they had Power then to revenge all disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 6. The Fourth Reason The Papal Church encreaseth her self more by the Carnal Sword than by the Spiritual Word Therefore she is not the Church of Christ The fourth Reason maintained THat such Churches as are National do most encrease their numbers and keep them also when they have them by the terror of Death and Penal Laws both Experience shews and Reason tels that it cannot be otherwise How often hath our Nation changed their Religion with the breath of a Prince sometime to Popery and otherwhiles to Protestancy and under O. Cromwel to a compound of half Presbytery and half Independency according to the temper of those that sat at the Stern of Affairs And now how are they turn'd again to Prelacy Of which last change I say if any have conformed as judging it their duty to God so to do those though this doth not justifie their way to be good yet are honest men But if any for self-interest have done it they are the very dregs of men and will be any thing and so nothing 2. I remember a notable saying of Hillary who lived about the 4th or 5th hundred and in his dayes the Church was a degenerating from her Regeneral Constitution into a National Form where he saith Ambition doth aid it self by the Name of CHRIST the Church doth fear and compel the People through Banishments and Imprisonment to believe her in those things which she had received through being imprisoned She that could not be beloved of Christ if the World had not hated her now glorieth to be extolled and beloved of the World c. And that the Papal Church hath ordinarily encreased her self more by terror of the Carnal Sword than the Word of God doleful Histories do declare namely these Sleidan Comment A Book entituled The Indians Tears or Inquisition for Blood as also Fox his Acts and Monuments And here I think it meet to give an instance from one of their own Historiagraphers namely Fabinus He tells us that after Austin the Monk had gotten a considerable settlement in England it happened that there was a Council assembled in this Nation where Austin proposed several things to which the other Bishops could not consent but by your leave when Austin could not prevail by the Word or rather his words he told them If they would not submit they should be compelled by the wasting that should be made in their Country through War and Misery This was not Paul's way 2 Cor. 5. 20. The Fifth Reason The present Papal Church of Rome labours to keep the World in darkness and the Church also Therefore she is not the Church of Christ The fifth Reason maintained THe Consequence of this Argument no man can deny for there is nothing more opposit to the true Church than to love or cause darkness to seize upon any And that the present Papal Church of Rome labours to keep all men in darkness is thus proved 1. She forbids almost all men to reade the Scriptures and thereupon hath greatly withstood the Translation of them into every Tongue as is evident partly from what History declares and partly from that which themselves do say To omit History hear what they say themselves In their Preface to the Reader in the Rhemist Testament thus they speak Order was taken by the Deputies of the late famous Council of Trent in this behalf and confirmed by supream Authority That the Scripture though truly translated into the vulgar Tongues yet may not be indifferently read of all men nor of any other than such as have express Order thereunto of their lawful Ordinaries So that we see the Liberty here given is unlike the Liberty given by Christ to his enemies whom he commanded to search the Scripture John 5. 39. And the rich Glutton's Friends are said to have the Prophets and Moses Luk. 16. 29. Israel was of old indifinitly required to lay up the Book of the Law in their heart to talk of it as they sate in their houses as they went abroad they must teach them to their children and write them upon the posts of their doors Deut. 6. 4 to 9. Notwithstanding all this and much more liberty given by the Lord both to his Enemies and Friends to reade his Word you see the Council of Trent will have none permitted but whom the Ordinaries permit to reade the Scripture and they are only such as they judge discreet c. Pref. Rhem. Test Is it not strange that men pretending to be Christ's true Followers should thus contradict him He allowed that to his Enemies which they will not allow to his Friends Sure they have neither heard his Voice nor seen his Shape or at least not learned of him Miserable is the Gospel-Church by the Council of Trents Doctrine they have not
Lord yet we will not cease humbly to beg of all such persons in the Name of Jesus Christ that they having his Law would carefully observe the terms whereupon Life is held forth unto them and become such glad receivers of the Word as is mentioned Acts 2. 41. Then they which gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day were added to the Church about three thousand souls The Argument thus explained I shall now endeavour to make it good The Tenth Argument maintained That the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers and no other present Assemblies of men are the true Church of Christ I prove thus Either the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers or else some other Assemblies now in the practice of Infant Baptism must be the true Church of Christ because without Baptism the Papists say and say truly too there can be no true Church of Christ at this day Now these two wayes of Baptizing only I mean of Water-Baptism is pretended as necessary in order to a visible Church-state viz. the dipping or baptizing persons upon their personal profession of Faith as the present Assemblies of the Baptists do practise or baptizing or rather sprinkling of Infants without personal profession of Faith as the present National Churches do practise For most undoubtedly the true and legitimate claim to this Title of Christ's Church must be found in one of these two Parties And that no National Assembly gathered together by Pedo-baptism can fairly claim this Title I have shewed before whither now I refer my Reader And for the evincing yet further that the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers are the true visible Church of Christ I thus argue They and they only have the true Ecclesiastical Marks of truly Antient Primitive or Apostolical Gathering Constitution and Government Therefore they and they only are the true Church of Jesus Christ These three points namely Gathering Constitution and Government I take if right to be the infallible Marks of a true Church And that the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers and they only have them will be evident to him that considereth what they were at first and how they agree with what in these respects is only found in the Assemblies of the Baptized Congregations The truly Antient Primitive and Apostolical Gathering in respect of the first means used in order thereunto was the preaching Repentance and Remission of sins or the Gospel unto every Creature and upon their conviction to command them as from the Lord to be baptized every one of them in the Name c. as appears Matth. 28. 19 20. Mark 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 38. Acts 8. 37. Acts 10. 47 48. And herein onely the present Assemblies of Baptized Believers do closely follow Christ's Primitive Ministers The Primative and Apostolical Gathering of the Church of Christ in respect of the subjects gathered were only such as through the virtue and prevalency of the Word preached or made known did give a demonstration of their Regeneration by the profession of Faith and manifestation of Repentance and being dipped in Water in the Name of the Father c. For the proof whereof I appeal to those several Scriptures alledged against the gathering of Christ's Church of such persons as of whose Regeneration no demonstration is or can be given answerable to what the Scripture doth require in order to persons admission into the Kingdom of God or Church on Earth And secondly I appeal to the practice of the Apostles acting in pursuance of that Commission given them in that behalf And thirdly I do appeal to the Churches themselves which were gathered by the Apostles as they are described to us in these several Texts following These Texts do shew to the diligent Reader that here is such things spoken of this numerous Church as is necessarily exclusive of any Infants being admitted into their Society as to participate of any Church Ordinance And the like will appear to the Scripture-searching Soul in all those other Churches as the respective places will sufficiently convince I have it freely granted under the hand of a learned Clergy-man That Churches at the first were gathered only as we affirm but he tells me That when Persecution ceased God took in all Nations or whole Nations which hitherto he hath not proved The Church at Jerusalem Acts 1. 15 21 22. Acts 2. 41 42. Heb. 5 6 8 Chapters The Church at Samaria Acts 8. 12 13 14 15 16 17. The Church at Cesaria Acts 10. 33 44 45 46 47 48. The Church at Antioch Acts 11. 20 21 23 26. Acts 13. 12. with Acts 9. 38. The Church at Philippi Acts 16. 12 13 14 15 31 32 33 34 40. Phil. 1. 6 7 8 9 10. The Church at Thessalonica Acts 17. 1 2 3 4. 2 Thess 1. 3 10 11. The Church at Colosse Coloss 1. 4 5 6. Coloss 2. 10 11 12. The Church at Corinth Acts 8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 1. 2. The Church at Rome Acts 28. 24. Rom. 6. 3 14. The Church at Ephesus Acts 19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Ephes 1. 13 14 15. The Church at Galatia Gal. 3. 26 27 28 29. Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6. These Scriptures duely considered shew That all those famous Churches were gathered in a way contrary to that of the National Churches and consonant to the way of the present Baptized Churches And be it here observed that no man ever yet could shew by any Record of such Authority as may suffice to be a Foundation of Faith in this case that by the Apostles any were ever admitted into the Church in their infancy Wherefore look well upon the Scripture and then upon the gathering of the Churches of the Baptists and you will find that they and they only have the true Antient Primitive or Apostolical-mark of Church-gathering Of CONSTITUTION THey onely can be truly constituted that are rightly gathered which the Baptized Churches onely are The Primitive Constitution of the Church consisted principally in these two heads viz. Free-fellowship in the Doctrine of the Apostles Acts 2. 40 41 42 47. Job 1. 11 12 13. Act. 17. 4. 1 Thess 1. 5 6 9. 1 John 1. 3. Rev. 22. 17. No force of a worldly nature was used in the begetting or continuing her Fellowship for it was a mutual consent The second thing pertaining to the Constitution consists in the disposing of her Members to those places to which they are fitted to serve in the body 1 Cor. 12. 27. with vers 18. 28. Acts 6. 3 4. Now that the present Assemblies of the Baptized Believers have this form of Constitution in both respects is evident to all that will take knowledge of their Constitution Of GOVERNMENT THe true Ancient Primitive and Apostolical Government of the Church was only Spiritual and did recide not in the Pastors apart from the Church but in the Pastors together with the Church yet so as that those to whom the Church hath committed her
Apostolical Tradition tends to the making null or void any Apostolical Writing But Infant Sprinkling makes null and void all that is written in the Scriptures concerning the subject and manner of Baptism in all that part of the World where the Papists or such as they get the Civil Power on their side yea we see that by this means the sons of men are great enemies to the way of God in this matter How long have many Nations lain destitute of the knowledge of the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins by reason of the interposition of this cloudy Tradition of Pedo-Rantism How have men pretending to be Ministers of Christ never in many Generations preached Peter's Doctrine Repent and be baptized every one of you for the Remission of sins Note this Observation well for although the Baptism of Repentance c. hath not been cryed down in the Nations of Christendom by such as counted themselves the only Preachers of the Gospel yet it was not for that these Nations had no need of the practice of Baptism for they daily have practised something under that notion which is rheir Infant-sprinkling So that it 's plain Infant-Baptism makes void the Apostolical Writings Therefore Infant-Baptism is no Apostolical Tradition Secondly Infant-Baptism is not an Apostolical Tradition because no mention is made of it in the first hundred of years after Christ Although I am not much read yet I have used the utmost of my diligence to know the Truth in this Point and I have attained to sufficient satisfaction that the greatest favourer of Infant-Baptism that yet I have met with durst not say that ever he saw any Record of Antiquity that mentioned such a thing and that the Scriptures do not mention it the Papists grant And because the Papists make such boast of the consent which they have in this matter from Antiquity I will therefore here put in something by way of Evidence to the contrary For it is certain that Infant Baptism as it was not heard of in the first hundred so neither was it generally received till above half a thousand years revolved from Christ as is undeniable for that it is plain that the most famous or at least very famous Christian Parents brought up their Children without having them baptized such were the Parents of Greg. Nazianzen Ambrose Augustine and others yea the Emperour Constantius born of Christian Parents was not baptized till he was about thirty years of age See also these ensuing Testimonies I will declare unto you how we offer up our selves unto God in Baptism After that we are renewed through Christ such as are instructed in the Faith and believe that which we teach them being to live according to the same we admonish to fast and pray and we fast and pray with them then they are brought to the Water and there calling on the Name of the Father c. they are washed in it So saith Erasmus paraphrase on Matth. 28. If they believe that which you teach them and begin to be repentant of their former life then dip them In Water In the Name c. The Lord commanded his Apostles that they should first instruct all Nations and afterward baptise those that were instructed for it cannot be that the body should receive the Sacrament of Baptism unless the soul have received before the true Faith Our Saviour did not slightly command to baptize but first of all he said teach and then baptize that true Faith might come by teaching and Baptism be perfected by Faith Haimo saith In this place Matth. 28. is set down a Rule rightly how to baptize that is that Teaching should go before Baptism for he saith Teach all Nations and then he saith and baptize them for he that is to be baptized must be before instructed that he first learn to believe that which in Baptism he shall receive For as Faith without Works is dead so Works if they have no Faith are nothing worth Beda saith All they that came to the Apostles to be baptized were instructed of them and when they were instructed concerning the Sacrament of Baptism they received the holy administration thereof Tertullian who lived about the time when Infant-Baptism began to appear did dispute against it as an unnecessary practice for divers causes 1. For that it is not meet to commit heavenly things to those who are not capable of keeping treasure of an earthly nature 2. For that the Sponsors might be endangered 3. For that it became them that were to be baptized to fast pray and confess their sins 4. Because they that receive Christ must ask him let them that is little ones come therefore saith he while they are youths whilst wherein they come they are taught c. Augustine saith We spend much time in exhorting those whom we baptize Ludovicus vives commenting upon this place saith Lest any man should mistake this place of Augustine let him know that in old time it was the custom to baptize NONE except they were of full age and did desire Baptism in their own persons and that several times and did understand what that Mystical Water meant which we see resembled in our baptizing of Infants Lo here your Pedo-baptism is not the old custom of the Church The Third Reason The present Papal Church of Rome is a National Church Therefore she is not the Church of Christ The third Reason maintained 1. TO make the Gospel-Church National consequently destroyes the Doctrin of Conversion as it is a principle of the Doctrin of Christ appertaining to the beginning of a Christian man For if men can regenerate or beget persons to God in their infancy then the Word of Regeneration or new-birth is needless in order to our admission into the Church of Christ and so the preaching of Faith and Repentance must cease as it is a Principle pertaining to a Christian man in all those Nations which are called Christendom which is a great part of the World And indeed Experience hath long ago proved this Conclusion to be most true for since the Church as they term it was National the Word or Work of Conversion hath been little known in the life and power of it nay verily the very term Conversion is become a reproach among our National-Churchmembers But thus to make the Word of Conversion unnecessary in order to persons admission into the Church of Christ is contrary to the Scripture John 3. 5. Luke 24. 47. Matth. 20. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 16 17. Heb. 8. 10 11. Gal. 3. 26 27 28. Matth. 3. 8 9 10. 2. To make the Gospel-Church National puts an end to the Doctrine of Christ touching that Separation and those Divisions which for the Gospel-sake must be in Nations and Families as appears from these Scriptures John 15. 19. and 17. 14 16. Acts 2. 40 47. 1 Cor. 6. Luke 12. 49 to 54. And therefore in vain doth any person think to do