baptism shewing by the Scriptures I. Why Infants that cannot speak nor understand cannot be Church-members under the Gospel II. Why they cannot be Christs Disciples 6. To Mr. Baxters 8. Arguments by which he saith he proveth the Anabaptists way of baptizing sinful 7. Lastly I shall shew the reasons of our separating from the Church of England which standeth upon these four Legs viz 1. Infant-Baptism 2. Humane learning 3. Tythes their wages of unrighteousness 4. The Magistrates sword which they have used 1. to support themselves 2. to persecute and pull down others ERRATA Page 71. line 4. for send nothing can speak no salutations read speak nothing can send no salutations NOw according to the method propounded I shall proceed to shew First What foundation the Saints ought to build upon which Foundation is Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 for other foundation no man layeth then that which is layed which is Christ Jesus and the Apostle saith Eph. 2.20 that we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets of which Christ himself is the chief corner-stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth to an holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit To this also agreeth the words of Peter 1 Pet. 2.3 4 5. If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices holy and acceptable to God by Jesus Christ And again it is also plain in the words of Christ to Peter when Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God then saith Christ to him Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Observe upon what Rock not Peter as the Papists say for Peter is called a stone but Christ is called a Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 for they drank of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ and who that is a Christian knoweth not that the Church of Christ is built upon the Rock Christ and therefore David saith 2 Sam. 22.2 The Lord is my Rock fortress and deliverer and verse 47. The Lord liveth and blessed be the God of the Rock of my salvation c. All which I suppose will not be denyed by any that own Christ But the 〈◊〉 Question is How the Saints may or ought to build upon this Rock Christ Which is cleerly answered by these following Scriptures Mat. 7.24 in these words Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will lâ—ken him to a wise man that built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was founded upon a Rock c. From all which we learn that to build upon the Rock Christ is to hear his sayings and do them and those that hear his sayings and do them not are likened unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand c. and to this agreeth the saying of the Apostle Act. 3.22 23. for Moses truly said to the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people and that destruction is an ever lasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.8 9. Now seeing these things are so it standeth every soul in hand to search after the sayings of this great Prophet Christ Jesus and in searching they shall finde that he sharply reproveth all those that call him Lord Lord and yet do not the things which he saith Luke 6.46 and so saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.4 He that saith I knew him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyer and the truth is not in him and all Lyers shall have their part in that Lake which burreth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21 8. And thus we see the imminent danger that all those are in which say or think they are Christians and that they know Christ and will call him Lord Lord and yet not do the things that he hath commanded them nor keep his sayings the which danger to prevent I shall briefly endeavour by putting down his Commandments and sayings in order as they were spoken by him and practised by his Apostles and Saints in that generation And first The sayings of the Lord Christ after his Resurrection when he had obtained of God the Father all power both in heaven and earth are as followeth Mat. 28.18.19.20 And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the world To this agreeth his words in Mark 16.15 16. And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned c. These are the words sayings and Commandments of the Lord Christ which we ought to hear and obey as aforesaid From all which words we observe 1 That he commanded the Gospel to be preached to every creature or all Nations 2 The end was that they might believe it 3 That those which did believe it should be baptized into his name 4 That those baptized believers were after to be taught to observe all other things whatsoever Christ had commanded his Apostles to teach them 5 To this practice viz. to a people thus walking according to this rule hearing his sayings and doing them the Lord Christ hath promised his presence saying And lo I am with you always even to the end of the world but the end of the world is not yet therefore Christ is still with those baptized believers which do thus walk Thus have I shewed the order of the words as they were spoken by the Lord himself I shall now proceed to the example of the Apostles and see whether they did act accordingly or whether they baptized children as well as believing men and women or whether John the Baptist did baptize any children And if it can be proved by any word of God that any baptized little babes that cannot speak or understand then I confess they that practise it may be born with and they which cry it down as Antichristian superstition and mans traditions may be to blame now therefore to the words and
Deut. 17.11 From Jeremiah 35.6 some there are contend to maintaine the law and customes we have in this Nation received from our fathers because the Rechabites stuck so close to theirs To which I answer 1. That the Rechabites were subject to the judicial law as the other Jews were 2. These traditions of theirs were not forbid nor commanded of God that the magistrate could not forbid the doing what they did 3. Nor cause c. saith In the Congregation of God confession of sins is always the first the which in times past went before before baptism for commonly children were baptized when they came to their understanding c. Idem super Mat. Christ hath nowhere commanded to Baptize infants 19 Calvinus in Institutionibus lib. 4. cap. 16. Confesseth that it is nowhere expresly mentioned by the Evangelists that any one childe was by the Apostles hands baptized 20 Dathenus in the Frankendalische Colloquium fol. 549. We believe that christian children ought to be baptized albeit it stand no where plainly with such words written That Christian children shall in the New-Testament be baptized And folio 605. Now we have plainly confessed that we have no such express commandment that you should baptize the Christians children And fol. 663. Also in Protocol Printed in Netherlandish 274. 1 He confesseth that there is no evident example that the Apostles did baptize children 21 Beza in Annotationibus super Matth. John taught those that were to be baptized and admitted none to baptism but those that gave testimony that they believed the forgiveness of their sins such Confession was also in the Primitive Church required of the Catechumens before baptism For in that the Sacraments are Seals it is requisite that Doctrine or Instruction should go before the use of those things by which the Doctrine it self is to be sealed 22 Luther in his book of the civil Magistrate The Sacraments neither can nor may be received without Faith but with great hurt Wherefore we hold our selves to the words of Christ He that believeth and is baptized so that either before or else even then present when Baptism is administred there must needs be Faith or else there is a contempt of the divine Majesty who offers his present grace when there is none to receive it Thus much out of those Teachers own writings which observe and use childrens baptism from whence the Reader may take notice of the unsoundness of their principles and what little ground 1 There is for it in the Word of God as they themselves confess 2 Therefore what great cause have we to search the Scriptures for better information let the sober-minded judge Moreover I shall further prove out of their own writings that the baptism of infants and sucklings is a Ceremony and Ordinance of man brought into the Church by Teachers after the Apostles times and Instituted and Commanded by Councels Popes and Emperours Proofs out of the Ancient and latter Teachers 1 ORigen calleth Baptism of children a ceremony and tradition of the Church In Levit. Hem. 8. In Epist ad Rom. lib. 5. 2 Augustine calleth it a common custom of the Church De baptismo contra Donat. lib. 4. cap. 23. Et de Genesi ad literam lib. 10. cap. 23. 3 Pope Gregory the 4. calleth it a Tradition of the Fathers In decretis distinct de consecrat 4 Erasmus lib. 4. de ration concio saith that they are not to be condemned that doubt whether Infant-baptism was or was denyed by the Apostles and think that the same is to be received as the placita Scholasticorum theologicorum which cannot be proved by sacred Scripture 5 Eckins calleth it a commandment and ordinance of man In Enchiridion 6 Luther in his book of Anabaptism acknowledgeth that it cannot be proved by sacred Scripture that childrens baptism was instituted by Christ or begun by the first Christians after the Apostles For many yeers since it came to be in use in the Church and was established by Pope Innoceneius 7 Cassander in his book de infantium Baptismo saith That it came to be used by the Fathers which lived three hundred yeers after the Apostles 8 Cyprianus lib. 3. Epistolarum 8. Epistle 9 Augustinus Epist 28. ad Hieroni. 10 Cassander de infantium baptismo 11 Bullinger in his House-book 12 Justus Menius of the Spirit of the Anab. 13 Melancthon in his Answer to the Anab. Articles About the yeer of our Lord 248 and after the departure of John the oldest Apostle 158 yeers lived a Priest called Fidus the same would that men should according to the manner of Circumcision baptize young children upon the eighth day Against whom Cyprianus with sixty six Bishops and Elders more gathered together opposed themselves ordaining that every one without delay should receive Baptism and that the young children should timely be brought thereto Thus have you the time when and the persons by whom it was brought in viz. The time when in the yeer of our Lord 248. the persons by which it was brought in namely Fidus by name who was a Priest who then lived Thirdly the opposition that he then had by Cyprianus and 66 other Bishops and Elders so that by their own Confessions it is an Ordinance and Tradition of man which will and must perish with the using And that it is Will-worship and Idolatry appeareth by their own Confessions as followeth 14 Bullingerus in ex Augustino contra Julianum lib. 1. cap. 2. saith The Carthaginian Councel concludeth thus to Innocentium Forasmuch as we believe that Christ the Son of God was holy born of the pure Virgin Mary to fulfil and ratifie the promise of God which excludeth not children from salvation but much rather comprehends the same within the Covenant We will therefore that they be baptized Thus we see it is We will therefore Will-worship 15 In Tomis Conciliorum Synodorum ex Concilio Carthag 5. cap. 6. saith Concerning Infants we will that they be baptized if there be no certain witness to testifie that they are baptized c. 16 Item Gregorius quartus Bonifacio Those young children whose parents are absent or unknown whether they be baptized or not let them according to the Tradition of the Fathers be baptized Here the Reader may take notice that it is a Tradition of the Fathers according to their own confession 17 Ex Concilio Miletano cui interfuit Augustinus Anselmus Romae Ecclesiae legatus It is also our will that all those that will not that children which are new born from their mothers womb should be baptized to the washing away of Original sin let them be excommunicated 18 Ex Tomis Conciliorum Franck. in Chronologia In the second Bracharense Councel holden 610. Baptism of children was adjudged and holden to be needful 19 Tuicensi Divinis officiis lib. 4. cap. 18. In times past the children in the Church were throughout the whole yeer instructed in the word And at the feast of Easter to rehearse the Faith which
Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. And repent and be baptized c. Act. 2.38 But you know well that little Babes know not what repentance is And ver 41. They that gladly received the word were baptized but you know well or else you have lost your sences that such Children as you baptize cannot gladly receive the word Again If thou believest with all thine heart thou maist Act. 8.37 And when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Act. 8.11 37. But you know that there is no Children in the Text and you know also if you be not wilfully blinde that they cannot believe with all their hearts but yet notwithstanding all this you are so impudent as to do the works of Satan and as he tempted Christ and would have had him cast himselfe downe before Gods time was come to send his Angells to take him downe and to that end would have applied a promise falsly saying It is written He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee leaving out in all thy waies even so do ye tempt men and women to baptize their Children before Gods time is come of his own will to beget them by his word of truth James 1.18 That they might be born againe not only of Water but also of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 And to that end you tell them it is written they are Disciples and Church-members and they were circumcised under the Law and therefore they must be baptized under the Gospell and thus you misâ—pply and wrest the Scriptures putting in and leaving out what you please and then when poor Souls aske you for plaine Scripture for Infants baptisme and would gladly see where it is written then you tell them the Divell brought the words of Scripture to Christ and if they will have the words without the reasons and consequences they have no proof and thus you labour with your consequences and reasons and words without knowledge to darken the Counsell of God Job 38.2 But I hope by this time your folly is made more manifest But you proceed and tell us that if we have the meaning and reason we have enough for evidence for words are but to express sence To which I answer Then it seems the meanings and reasons you talke of without the word are without sence by your own confession for you say If we have the meanings and reasons we have enough c. As for the words they are but to express sence therefore it seems if we be without the words of Scripture we are without sence And thus you see or may see that God by weak instruments can take you wise ones in your own craftiness But good Sir consider once againe are not the words of the Scriptures which were given by the inspiration of the Spirit as good and better sence and reason then any words and reasons you can speake or give if you deny this upon your second thoughts I must needs conclude that you are far gone and very high flowne But you are pleased to say further Would it not make a man pitty such senceless ignorant wretches that will call for express words of Scripture when they have evident consequences Is Scripture-reason no reason Answer Sir methinks you are very pitifull but yet you are a miserable comforter for when you have done you fall a railing on us calling us senceless ignorant wretches that will call for express words of Scripture when we have your consequence But Sir I have told you already why we dare not trust your consequences But you say Is Scripture-reason no reason I answer Yes its goodreason and it s that we would have from you but you call us ignorant senceless wretches for so doing But there may be a mistake betwixt us for we call Scripture reason written reason now if you would but shew us where your reason is written in the book of God the holy writings the controversie were at an end but till then you have done nothing But you might inform the ignorant wretches that the holy Scriptures in English are holy writings for Scriptures are writings and holy Scriptures are holy writings and thus the people might learn to know what you mean by Scripture-reasons which are in plain English written reasons Further You are pleased to say that we disclaim Reason and therefore not to be reasoned with and if we once renounce Reason we are brute beasts and who will go to plead with a beast its Reason that differeth a man from a beast c. Answ Sir truly you do put me in minde how like one of your forefathers you are for to my best remembrance you speak his very words and I question not but if you had an opportunity you would do his deeds The man I speak of was Doctor Story to Mr. Philpot the Martyr who suffered for what he saw in that dark age The place where you may finde it is in Fox his book of Martyrs pag. 1972. in these following words Philpot After this Doctor Story came in to whom I said Mr. Doctor you have done me great wrong and without Law have straightly imprisoned me more like a dog then a man and besides this you have broke promise with me for you promised I should be judged the next day after Story I am now come to keep promise with you Was there ever such a fantastical man as this is Nay he is no man he is a beast yea these Hereticks be worse then brute beasts for they will upon vain singularity take upon them to be wiser then all men being indeed very fools and Asse-heads not able to maintain that which of an arrogant obstinacie they stand in Philpot. I am content to abide your railing judgement now say what you will yet I am no heretick neither shall you or any other be able to prove that I hold any jot against the word of God but as a Christian man ought Story The word of God forsooth the word of God! it s but a folly to reason with these hereticks for they are incurable and desperate but as I may reason with thee not that I have any hope to win thee But whom wilt thou appoint to be Judge of the word whereunto thou standest Philpot. Verily the word it self Story Do you not see the ignorance of this beastly heretick he will have the word to be judged of the word can the word speak Philpot. If I cannot prove what I have said by good authority I will be content to be counted an heretick or ignorant person or what you please Story Let 's hear what wise authority you can bring for it Philpot. It s the saying of Christ Joh. 12.48 The word that I have spoken the same shall judge you in the last day and if in the last day much more now our doings ought to be judged by it I
day they go to Christs Schools to learn the first principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. may be also called the Scholars or Disciples of Christ Again as men commonly call all the Turks old and young that are born of the flesh into Mahomets Kingdome which is of this world Mahometans even so we call all converts old and young which are born again of the Spirit into the Kingdome of Christ which is not of this world Christians By old and young converts I do not mean beleivers born of the Spirit and their Children as they are born of the flesh but I mean such as are spoken of 1 John 2.13 13. in these words I write to you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake I write 〈…〉 â—â—â—hes because you have known him that is from the beginning I wrâ—â—e to you young men because you have overcome thâ—â—â—â—ked 〈◊〉 And chap. 5.21 Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen By all which we see that the least Children that were in the Church that John wrote unto were such as had known the Father chap 2.13 and such as could understand exhortations to keep themselves from Idols Now as for Mr. Baxter's man that hired the Philosopher to teach his children he neither telleth us what man it was nor how old his children were nor what the Philosophers name was and therefore I shall pass that over as a cunning devised fable not worth the answering and proceed to the next which is That mothers can teach their children partly by action and gesture and partly by voice to take off from vices and infom in vertue And methinks saith he ye should not make an Infant less teachable then some brutes But saith he nurses witell you more in this then I can O excellent Divinity and plain Scripture proof from where we learn these two things First that if it be a piece of good Divinity to prove that litle children that can neither speak nor understand are the Disciples of Christ then Nurses are better Divines then Mr. Baxter for saith he they can tell you more is this then I can pag. 23. Secondly he saith What will you make an Infant les teachable then some bruits from whence Mr. Baxter seems to imply that some bruits are capable of being Christs Disciples or else why should he say Will you have infants less teachable then some bruits As if he should say Some brutes are teachable enough to be made his disciples and what will you deny infants to be his disciples methinks saith he we should not make an infantiess decible then some brutes I remember he crieth out against Mr. Tombs in pag. 19. for arguing ridiculously when he proveth plainly out of Psal 119.89 90. that the heavens and earth are Gods servans in his answer to his proving infants Lev. 25.41 41. and if servints then disciples saith Mr. Baxter In answer to which Mr. Tombs saith The heavens and the earth are his servants are they therefore his disciples to which Mr. B. for want of a better answer saith O what cause have we all to look to the tenderness of our Consciences in time before engagement in a sinful cause hath benâ—â—med and made the word of God to be of none effect tous But I leave it to the impartial Reader to judge whether the same sayings may not more fitly be applyed to Mr. Baxter in this place I hope Mr. Baxter is not so void of judgement as to think brutes teachable enough to be made Christs disciples but I am sure his words imply no less Indeed I remember Mr. Baxter doth say in the beginning of his book that he will not meddle with such Arguments as other men have wrote of before but new ones that never yet were handled and I must confess these are such new ones as I never heard but how much to the purpose I leave it to the Reader wisely to consider and then judge Again he hath another Argument from Act. 15.10 the which Mr. Baxter saith doth prove Infants disciples to all that will not grosly overlook the Text and pervent it Ans An heavy charge against us I confess to be perverters of the Scripture but how true it will prove you shall see by and by The whole substance of Mr. Baxters Argument in the 15 and 16 pag. of his book is this from Act. 15.10 Why put ye yokes upon the neeks of the disciples c. But that yoke was to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses and according to the Law of Moses children as well as parents were circumcised therefore children as well as parents are disciples But I wonder what Mr. Baxter would do with this Argument if we should give it him and answer nothing to it I confess amongst ignorant and sottish people that do pin their faith upon Mr. B. words it may be taking out amongst those that are of noble spirits to search the Scriptures before they believe as the noble Bereans Act. 17.11 12. it can have no influence nor take no impression because it s but half an Argument and so he hath done his work that he hath taken in hand but to halves If we grant him all he says that it is but half an Argument is evident thus The yoke that they would have put upon the neck of the disciples was to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses but according to the Law of Moses none were circumcised but men-children therefore none else are disciples and therefore none but men-children are to be baptized by his own grant And so he hath done but half his work as I told you Secondly if Mr. Baxter please I will lead him step by step into the right understanding of this Scripture by Gods assistance thus What was the yoke Answ To be circumcised according to the Law of Moses and who was it laid upon then under the Law Answ Upon the Jews and their children And who would they have laid it upon Act. 15.10 Answ Upon the disciples as is plain in these words Why put ye a yeke upon the neck of the diseiples c. Who are disciples Here sticks the question still and it remains still for Mr. Baxter or Mr. Cook to prove infants disciples and then we grant they are those upon whom the false teachers would have put the yoke of Circumcision but the disciples of Christ are such as could deny themselves and take up his cross and follow him Luke 14. but little infants that can neither speak nor understand cannot so do therefore no disciples of Christ Lastly I shall cleer it by the words of the Text that the Apostle speaks of no children there thus Act. 15.7 we read that when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them Men and brethren you know that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe and ver 8. God