for none may prophesie or preach except he be sent Ier. 14. 14. The Prophets prophesie in my name and I sent them not Jer. 27. 15. I have not sent them yet they prophesie Rom. 10. 15. How shall they preach except they be sent And the Christian Church now knoweth no other sending then by laying on of hands by the successours of the Apostles and commending them to particular charges And if such Episcopall Ordination be an Antichristian Rite we desire to learne from them what is the Christian forme or manner of admitting men into holy Orders for no other Ordination was heard of for 1500. yeeres or at least approved of and more during which time if there were no lawfull Calling there were no Pastors feeding and governing the flocks if no lawfull Pastors no visible Churches 2. As the Anabaptists have no outward Calling so neither inward for whatsoever overweaning conceit they may have of themselves yet certain it is they who take upon them to be their leaders and teachers are such as S. Ierome complaineth of in his 8. Epistle Who become Masters of the unlearned before they were scholars of the learned And S. Bern. We have many cocks in the Church but few cesterns they who derive to us the heavenly waters are so charitable that they poure out rather then stay to have any thing poured into them more ready to speak then to heare and apt to teach that they never learned Though they can very phrases and out of broken notes hold out a discourse upon some passages of Scripture for an houre or more yet they are no wayes furnished with gifts requisite to a faithful Shepherd and able Minister of the Gospel for they understand not the Scripture in the Originall Languages they cannot expound without Grammar nor perswade without Rhetorick nor divide without Logick nor sound the depth of any Controversie without Philosophie and Schoole Divinity Neither may they fly to immediate Inspirations of the holy Ghost and the miraculous gifts of Tongues and Prophesie for such have ceased in the Church for these many hundred yeeres The Anabaptists Objections answered You have heard how strong our Arguments are for the truth now ye shall heare in briefe how weake the Adversaries Objections are against it First they alledge out of Ioel 2. 28. I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames That though under the Law the people were ordinarily to heare the interpretation of the Law of God from the Priests yet that under the Gospel God so plentifully powreth his Spirit upon all congregations that all Beleevers are enabled to Prophesie and to speak to instruction to edification and comfort But we answer That the Prophet there speaketh not of any ghostly power to open the Kingdome of Heaven and remit and retaine sins given by Christ to his Apostles and their successors but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning graces as also of extraordinary gifts of Tongues and Miracles as the Apostle Saint Peter himselfe expoundeth the Text Act. 2. 15 16 17. As there is a greater measure of knowledge given to the people under the Gospel then under the Law and a more copious effusion of the Spirit so also to the Pastours and to whom more is given more shall be required This Text therefore proveth not that all Sheep should be Pastours and all Scholars Teachers but that both Teachers and Disciples should have a greater measure of knowledge then before they had under the Law Secondly they alledge out of Colos. 3. 16. and the 1 Pet. 4. 10. that all Christians ought to communicate their knowledge and other gifts of the Spirit one to another and thereby to teach and instruct and edifie one another Therefore all Lay persons who have the gift of Supplication and Interpretation of Scripture ought to make use of them for the benefit of others as the Ministers of the Gospel doe But we answer that as the clouds when they are full drop and the eares shed and the fountaines flow so all who abound in knowledge ought in such way as they are able according to their calling derive it to others but hence it will not follow that all men have ghostly power to dispense the mysteries of â—alvation and administer the Sacraments and remit and retaine sins which peculiarly appertaine to the Pastorall calling There is a double teaching and admonishing Publique and Private Publique by expounding the holy Oracles of God and revealing to Gods people his whole counsell for their salvation Private by Catechizing a mans family or conferring with his Christian Brethren and rehearsing in some particular what he hath learned from the Scripture and other holy Books or the mouth of his Pastour or by giving good advice and shewing him his errours or encouraging him in a good course ministring unto him a word of comfort or advise or admonition in due season And of this latter kind of teaching and admonishing the Apostle speaketh as appeareth by the words following Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thirdly they alledge that Eldad and Medad Numb 11. 27. and Saul 1 Sam. 10. 11. and Philips daughters Act. 21. 9. prophesied that the Prophet Amos was a Herds-man Peter and other of the twelve Fishermen and S. Paul a Tent-maker Why then may not Tradesmen and the like if God bestowes gifts upon them preach the Word and administer the Sacraments But we answer that extraordinary instances ought not to be taken for presidents or drawne into ordinary practise else false Prophets might now expect to be admonished of their errours by brute beasts because once God opened the mouth of the Asse and by it reproved the madnesse of the Prophet Balaam and all Souldiers that fight the Lords battaile blow rams horns in stead of trumpets because once with them the walls of Iericho were blowne downe or arme themselves with lamps and broken pitchers because Gideons souldiers with such weapons discomfited and routed the Midianites All these had a calling from God and proved this their calling by strange and wondrous effects as by certainly fore-telling things future or speaking with tongues which they never had learned or by miraculous cures or the like Let our new Enthusiasts and Brownists prove their extraordinary calling in like manner and we will not deny them the exercise of the Ministeriall function It is to be noted that none are now borne in holy Orders or may challenge the Priesthood by birth but before they take holy Orders upon them given them by the Church they are meere Lay persons Neither doe we find fault with any simply hoc nomine because they have been before of other professions or trades though it were to be wished that there were no necessity of admitting such into the Ministery whose education or
which law is morall and perpetuall as all grant Prove that any ought to be compelled by the gospel That which Iosiah did agreeably to the morall law bindeth us under the gospel for Christ in the gospel both repeateth and confirmeth this commandement of loving the Lord with all our heart and all our soul calling it the first and great commandement Mat. 22. 37. 38. Therefore our princes are as much bound as Iosiah was to compell their subjects to serve the true God Yet farther to give you satisfaction I will prove that it is agreeable to the new law to compell men to come to church and hear Gods word and receive the sacraments for this Christ teacheth in the parable recorded by S. Luke chap. 14. 23. Of a King who made a great supper and bade many guests and when they made excuses he said to his servant gâ—e to the high-ways and hedges and compell them to come in that my house may be full To this nothing being answered D. Featley proceeded in his argument Besides this command in the parable thus I prove that you ought to come to our churches the Apostle commandeth Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the over-sight of you and submit your selvs for they watch for your souls c. To which if we adde those places in 1 Tim. 2. 2. and 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. An undeniable argument may be framed to convince your conscience after this manner All lawfull superiours either temporall or spirituall commanding lawfull things are to be obeyed But your lawfull superiours in church and common-wealth require you to come to our church which I proved to be a true church of Christ. Ergo you ought to obey them and you sin against God by your disobedience to lawfull authority if you come not The word of God doth not command us to come to your steeple-houses the King hath nothing to doe to command us in that kind The King hath power to command you in all things that are lawfull and not repugnant to Gods word indeed if he should command any thing against Gods word you ought rather to obey God than man by the example of the Apostle in the Acts 4. 19. But it is a thing lawfull and no way repugnant to Gods word but most agreeable thereunto to come to our steeple-houses as you call them where the servants of God assemble on the Lords day and other times to worship him in spirit and truth Ergo the King hath power to command you to come to our church The King makes an Idoll of the church where doth Christ command us to come to it Where he commandeth us to hear the word preached for in our church the word of God is preached and therefore there we ought to hear it I am not so averse but if one of our society should preach in Olaves or Mary Overis church I would hear them I would come where the church is gathered for therein I obey Christ. Then you will hear none but one'of your society as if your societie were the true church and none of the true church but those of your society I have proved already that we have a true church among us but you have none For where there are no lawfull pastors nor flocks there is not a true church But amongst you there are not lawfull pastors nor flocks Ergo no true church We have amongst us lawfull Pastours There are no lawfull Pastors but those who are sent Ro. 10. 15. No man ought to assume unto himself that honour but he that is called as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. all Presbyters are to be made by imposition of hands 1 Tim. 4. 14. 5. 22. 2 Tim. 1. 6. But your Pastors have no sending no calling no imposition of hands on them Ergo you have no lawfull pastors None amongst us teach but they have Ordination for they are elected examined and proved Have you imposition of hands of the Presbytery Wee are not bound to tell you if you will come to our Church you may see I pray you M. Doctor come to the point how prove you the Baptisme of Children to be lawfull by the Word of God It seems you will willingly fall upon no other point but this of Anabaptism which heresy was condemned neer fifteen hundred years ago Here after a long space the Scotchman puts in a word saying Not sixteen hundred years ago If it were but a thousand it is long enough being condemned by the whole Christian Church Greek and Latin Sir that is neither here nor there you know what the woman of Samaria said Joh. 4. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain and ye say that at Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship they continued in an error above 2000 years You are mistaken in your chronology for there were not 2000 years between Iacob and Christ. But to let that your errour passe the Samaritans indeed were in an errour a long time but this is no errour but a doctrine of truth that children ought to be baptized There are three sorts of arguments of great force with all understanding men the first and chiefest from 1. Scripture 2. From consent of the universall church 3. From evident reason I will produce all these for the baptisme of children We desire to have it proved by scripture Our proofs out of scripture are of two sorts some probable some necessarie First probable as where it is said in the Acts 16. 33. that the Apostle baptized the Gaoler with all that belonged to him and Lydia and her houshold Acts. 16. 15. and 1 Cor. 1. 16. that he baptized the houshold of Stephanas and in a whole houshold in all probabilitie there were some children I cannot tell that let 's hear your necessary proofe out of Gods word There is as good ground reason or warrant for the baptizing of children now as there was of old for circumcising them But of old children were to be circumcised many plain places there are where that was commanded Ergo now by the same warrant they are to be baptized We denie that there is the same warrant or ground now for the baptizing of children that there was of old for the circumcising of them For there is an expresse command for circumcising of children but there is none for the baptizing of any but those who can hear the word preached Mat. 28. Go teach and baptize 1. That which circumcision was in the old law to the Jews that is baptisme now to us the sacrament of entrance into the church for so St. Austine and all sound divines hold that our sacrament of baptisme answereth theirs of circumcision as the sacrament of the Lords supper doth their Paschall Lamb. 2.
Circumcision was instituted as appears Rom. 4. 11. to be a seal of the righteousnesse of faith But for the same end also was baptisme instituted to be a seal of the covenant of grace and the free remission of our sins by faith And though children in the old law before eight dayes had not actuall faith nor could make profession thereof yet they received the sacrament thereof Therefore by the same reason children under the gospel though they have not actuall faith nor can make profession thereof yet may and ought to receive the sacrament of baptisme which is a seal of the covenat of grace and righteousnesse by faith Children ought not to be baptized because there is no command for it Mark I pray how uncertain they are in their grounds sometimes they say that children are not to be baptized because they have not actuall faith which I overthrew but even now sometimes because there is no commandement for it Which as the future arguments disprove so see a punctuall refutation of this answer Infra art 2. ob jâ Prove it by scripture that they ought to be baptized So I will first I will alledge you the text of scripture and then frame my argument from it the place of scripture is Ioh. 3. 5. Verily verily I say unto you except a man he born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God My argument from this place for the baptizing of infants is this If none can enter into the kingdom of God but those that are born of water and the spirit that is those that are baptized with water and regenerated by the spirit then is there a necessity of baptizing children or else they cannot enter into the kingdom of God that is ordinarily for we must not tye God to outward means But the former is true Ergo the latter By this your reason it would follow that all that are baptized are regenerated and none regenerated but those who are baptized what becomes then of those who dye without baptisme I conceive the same of them as of those among the Jews who dyed before they were circumcised we leave them to the mercy of God conceiving charitably of their salvation because the children of the faithfull are comprised in the covenant Gen. 17. 7. and Acts. 2. 39. and the Apostle saith They are holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. All that I will conclude from this place is that no children enter into the kingdom of heaven by the ordinary way chalked out by Christ but those who are baptized or which comes all to one that the sacrament of baptisme ought to be administred to children as the ordinary means of their salvation This text speaks not of children but of men children are not men You might as well and better say that women are not men and doe you think that women ought not to be baptized this text speaks of children as well as those in riper years male or female for as the Apostle speaketh In Christ there is no difference of sex or age All that are to enter into the kingdom of God ought to be born of water and the spirit But children enter into the kingdom of God as well as men of ripers years Ergo children ought to be born again with water c. How prove you that children enter into the kingdom of God All those that are holy enter into the kingdom of God But the children of the faithfull are holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. Ergo they enter into the kingdom of God The Apostle meaneth that such are not bastards At which the company laughing as a ridiculous answer as if all that were not bastards were holy or that no children could be holy in the Apostles sense who were base-born Another Anabaptist came in and propounded a question concering Lay-mens preaching I will prove unto you M. Doctor that neither you nor such men as you are ought to preach but such only ought to perform that office of preaching as are appoynted by us How prove you that Those who are ordained ministers by ungodly men ought not to preach But you and others as you are be ordained by ungodly men Ergo you ought not to preach I denie both your propositions First because although we should suppose the bishops who ordained ministers to be ungodly men yet if they were themselves lawfully ordained and had power of imposition of hands the ministers ordained by them may and ought to discharge their function Iudas the Apostle and Nicholas the deacon were ungodly men yet the ministeriall acts they did either in preaching the word or administring the sacraments were never accounted void Secondly I denie that our bishops were ungodly men They that persecute good men are ungodly men But all your bishops persecute good men Ergo the bishops are ungodly men I answer first some of our bishops never persecuted any man as namely the Arch-bishop of Armagh and bishop Potter Secondly though some of our bishops by their places as they were high commissioners punished some men by Mulcts imprisonments or other censures yet they persecuted no godly man but executed justice upon delinquents namely factious schismaticks that disobey the Kings ecclesiasticall laws and disturb the peace of the church Yea but they are good men whom your bishops persecute and you cannot except the bishop of Armagh for when I was called in question before the high commission the Primate of Ireland sate there and by silence gave consent The Primate of Ireland was never a Judge in our high commission in England as it is well known sometimes he might sit with the rest but he had no power to give sentence in the high commission in England and if I might know truly for what cause you were brought into the high commission I doubt not but to prove the sentence given against you to be just for you are one who come not to church nor will hear our preachers but only some of your own sect and those no better then meer Lay-men We do no read of any such distinction in the word of God as Lay-men and Clergy-men these are popish distinctions the word Lay is not in all the scriptures No more is the word Trinity nor sacrament nor many others read in scripture yet the sense of them is there and so is the distinction of Clergy and Laitie for God commandeth that the people should learn the law from the Priests mouth the Priests were no other then the Clergy and the common people then the Laity Their Priest-hood was not the same with yours It was the same for substance but not for ceremony and manner of worship their Priest-hood was typicall ours evangelicall they by the figures of the ceremoniall law fore-shewed Christ to come we preach that Christ is come Can you prove any
such distinctions in the new testament We can for we read in the new testament of pastours and flocks they who feed with the word are the Clergy and the flocks who are fed are the Laity All are not pastours or teachers 1 Cor. 12. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers That is all are not so Deacons preached they were Lay-men therefore may Lay-men preach I instance in Steven c. The Deacons were not meer Lay-men but men full of the holy Ghost and of wisedom upon whom the Apostles layd their hands Acts 6. 6. Prove that any preached who had not imposition of hands Here that Anabaptist failing Cufin undertook it saying In the 8. of the Acts we read plainly that after that great persecution of the church at Jerusalem they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles and that they who were scattered abroad went every where preached the gospel and that God gave a blessing to their preaching it is plain Acts 11. 19. Again Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the spirit even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of Christ. If God have given us a talent it is our duty to improve it They that were scattered and preached the gospel were such as the Apostles had layd hands on and sent to preach and among them Philip the Deacon there mentioned For the text of S. Peter he speaketh not there of publike preaching and administring the sacraments which appertaineth only to pastours by their speciall function but of edifying one another and teaching and admonishing in private according to the precept of S. Paul Colos. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell richly among you in all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another this was no publike preaching or expounding the word but godly conference in private houses with those whom they met such as every godly master of a family useth in his house instructing his children and servants the best that he can telling them their duty out of Gods word It is true in time of persecution we read of one Frumentius a Lay-man who in his travailes converted some to the christian faith confirming the truth of christian religion by scriptures That is all we desire to do as Frumentius did That was no preaching publikely by vertue of a pastorall function or expounding scriptures but holy conference and exhortation such as that of Aquila and Priscilla And the historian addeth after the church had notice how God blessed Frumentius his labours in turning many heathen to christinity the bishops sent ministers unto them to confirm them and administer the sacraments unto them and himself also received holy orders to accomplish that work which he had so happily begun The scripture puts no difference betwixt publike and private it is as lawfull to worship God in a private house to preach there as in one of your Steeple-houses The Apostle puts a difference 1 Cor. 11. 22. What Have you not houses to eat and to drink in Or despise ye the church of God The word in the originall is ecclesia not templum which never signifieth your Steeple-house in all the scripture The word ecclesia is taken diversly in holy scripture sometimes 1. For a company of men and that either of the wicked as Psal. 26. 5. Odi ecclesiam malignantium Or of the godly Acts 20. 28. 11. 26. c. 2. For the place of their publike meeting and so the word ecclesia is here taken If the people of God meet in a private place is not that then the house of God There is a publike house of God that is a place sequestred from common use and dedicated to Gods service and there is a private house of God as we read Ro. 16. 5. where some of the faithfull privatly meet and that also is called the church greet the church in thine house in such private houses it is lawful to preach in time of persecution but not now when we have publike churches for the service of God to which we may and ought to repair and in these churches no lay-man ought to preach nor at all exercise the pastorall function either there or any where else Which I prove by two reasons especially First none ought to take upon them the office of pastour or minister of the word who are not able to reprove and convince Hereticks and all gain-sayers but your lay and unlettered men are not able to convince Hereticks and stop the mouths of gayn-savers because they can alledge no scripture but that which is translated into their mother-tongue in which there may be and are some errours for though the Scriptures be the infallible word of God yet the translators were men subject to errour and they sometimes mistook Will you say that those learned men who translated the bible at Geneva committed any error in their translation I will and for instance Luke 22. 25. in the Geneva translation printed 1569. we read the Kings of the Gentiles reign over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious Lords whereas in the originall it is Euergetai that is benefactors or bountifull yet this place hath bin much urged against the titles of our Arch-Bishops and Bishops as if Christ forbad any ministers of the gospell to be called by the titles of Lords or gracious wheras there is never a word in the text that signifieth either Lord or gracious neither dâ—th Christ there speak only to the ministers of the gospell but to all Christians Besides this I could produce many other errors in that translation which are corrected in the Kings translation Though we cannot prove the letter to be well translated that matters not much for the letter of the scripture is not scripture That 's blasphemy I pray take notice of it he denyeth the letter of the Text to be scripture The letter of the word of God is not scripture without the revelation of the spirit of God the word revealed by the spirit is scripture Very fine doctrine if God reveal not to us the meaning of the scripture is not the letter of the text scripture By this reason the greatest part of the Revelation and other difficult texts of scripture should not be scripture because God hath not revealed to us the meaning of them Here one that stood by demanded of the Anabaptist how prove you the bible to be Gods word By experience For whatsoever is written in the word of God commeth to passe concerning Christ and Anti-christ experience is the best doctor that teacheth us This reason alone will not prove the bible to be Gods word for Moses saith If a false prophet shall arise and fore-tell any thing and it come to passe Deut. 13.
given this power to the church yet some particular men in the church ought to execute this power of ordination The issue of the conference was first the Knights Ladies and Gentlemen gave the Doctor great thanks secondly three of the Anabaptists went away discontented the fourth seemed in part satisfied desired a second meeting but the next day conferring with the rest of that sect he altered his resolution and neither he nor any of that sect ever since that day troubled the Doctor or any other Minister in the Borough with any second chalenge Finis Additions to the former Conference IN the conference above mentioned D. F. promised to prove the baptisme of children 1. By scripture 2. By consent of the universall church And 3. by evident reason And the arguments drawn from the first head he prosecuted but was not permitted at that time to urge the arguments drawn from the second and third heads yet because they were desired by some persons of note it was thought fit they should be added to the former Next to the arguments drawn from expresse testimony of scripture for the baptisme of children we have a most forcible argument drawn from the consent of the universall church testified by their constant practise of admitting children to baptisme even from the Apostles dayes unto this present This argument if it be well weighed is of very great moment and may convince the conscience of any ingenuous Christian. For no Christian doubteth but that the Apostles were inspired by the holy Ghost and Christ promised his spirit to lead his church into all truth which promise he hath hitherto made good in such sort that it cannot be proved that ever the whole church of Christ unversally erred it is true particular churches have erred and may erre and generall councels which the schools tearm the representative church are subject to error and have sometimes decreed heresie and false-hood for truth but the formall church as they speak that is all the assemblies of Christians in the world cannot be impeached with error at any time whence I thus frame my argument That which the Apostles in their dayes began and the whole christian church scattered over the face of the whole earth hath continued in all ages and all countries where christianity hath been and is professed cannot be an erroneous practise But the catholike christian church in all places and ages even from the Apostles times hath admitted the children of faithfull parents to holy baptisme Ergo the practise of christening children cannot be erroneous or unwarrantable as the Anabaptists teach The major or first proposition is already sufficiently proved the minor or second proposition is proved by the testimony of Origen for the Greek church and S. Austin for the Latine and the Ecclesiasticall stories in all ages Origen in his Commentarie upon the sixt chapter of St. Paul to the Romans having alledged the words of the prophet David Psal. 51. 5. I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me addeth proper hoc ecclesia ab Apostolis traditionem accepit parvulis dare baptismum for this reason namely because all are conceived in sin the church hath received a tradition from the Apostles to administer baptisme to little infants And St. Austine l. 10. de genesi ad literam c. 23. Consuetudo matris ecclesie in baptizandis parvulis non spernenda est nec omnino credenda esset nisi Apostolica esset traditio the custome of our mother the church in baptizing infants is no way to be sleighted or rejected neither were it at all to be beleeved if it were not an Apostolicall tradition As for the continuance continuance of it the hystorie of all ages of the church confirms it neither can there be brought an instance in any Christian church in the world that denyed baptisme to children til this sect arose in Germany since the reformation began there in the dayes of Henry the eight After the testimonies of scriptures and the practise of the catholike church we have a third proof drawn from evidence of Reason against which if it be excepted that the eye of reason in matter of faith is but dim and therefore that such arguments are no way convincing I answer that it is true that such arguments drawn from reason as have no other ground but philosophicall axioms or sensible experiments are of little force in matter of faith which is above reason but such reasons as have ground and foundation in scripture and are firmly built upon those foundations are of exceeding great force and such are those I purpose to alledge First where the disease is there ought the remedy to be applied But the disease to wit originall sin is in children as well as men For all have sinned in Adam Rom. 5. 12. and are by nature the children of wrath Ephesi 2. 3. Ergo the remedy which is baptisme ought to be applied to children as well as men Secondly those who are comprised within the covenant of grace ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme For to them appertain both the promises of the new testament and the seal thereof which is baptisme But the children of the faithfull are comprised within the covenant of grace Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting covenant Ergo children ought to be admitted into the church by baptisme Thirdly no means of salvation ought to be denyed to the children of the faithfull whereof they are capable But baptisme is an outward means of salvation whereof children are capable under the gospel as well as the children of the Jews were capable of circumcision under the law Ergo baptisme ought not to be denied to children Fourthly all those who receive the thing signified by baptisme ought to receive the outward sign It is the argument of St. Peter Acts 10. 47. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we But the children of the faithfull receive the thing signified by baptisme to wit regeneration and remission of sins Ergo they ought to receive the sign to wit the baptisme of water The proposition or major is proved alreadie the assumption or minor is thus proved Christ bad children come to him and he blessed them and said of such is the kingdom of God Mar. 10. 16. and that their Angels continually behold his Fathers face in heaven Mat. 18. 10. and unlesse the Anabaptists will grant that children are regenerated and receive remission of sins they must needs hold that all children are damned which is a most uncharitable and damnable assertion The ANABAPTISTS Objection Yea but the Anabaptists object Mat. 28. 18. Go teach all nations baptizing them Whence they would infer that none are to be baptized but those to whom the gospel hath before bin preached consequently that children ought not to be
baptized before they can hear and understand the gospel preached to them ANSWER 1. The setting preaching before baptizing doth no more prove that preaching must alwaies go before baptisme then the naming repentance before faith Mar. 1. 15. Repent and beleeve the gospel proves that repentance goeth alwayes before faith which the Anabaptists themselves hold not 2. Christ setteth in that place preaching before baptizing for two reasons neither of which make any thing against the baptisme of children The first is because it is the more principall act of the ministeriall function for it is preaching which through the operation of the holy Spirit begetteth faith which the sacraments only confirme preaching draweth the instrument as it were of the covenant between God and us whereunto the sacrament is set as a seal Secondly because Christ there speaketh of converting whole nations to the Christian faith in which alwayes the preaching of the word goeth before the administration of the sacraments For first men beleeve and after are admitted to baptisme but after the parents are converted their children being comprised within the covenant are admitted to baptisme and whensoever any proselyte is to be made this course is likewise to be taken they must professe their faith before they be received into the church by baptisme but the case is different in children they have neither the use of reason to apprehend the gospel preached unto them nor use of their tongue to professe their faith and God requireth no more of them then he hath given them the like course God himself took in the old law before any men of riper years were circumcised the commandement of God was declared and his covenant made known unto them but children were circumcised the eight day before they were capable of any preaching unto them or such declaration Nothing remaineth but that the two objections concerning the doctrine of the Trinitie in the beginning propounded by D. F. for no other end but to try how well verst these ring-leaders of the Anabaptists were in the more necessary points of catechisme he answered The first was framed out of Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. If the Father be the only true God how is the Son or the holy Ghost very God Hereunto the Anabaptists gave two answers the first blaspemous the second unsufficient and impertinent as appears in the beginning of the conference The true answer is that Christ Ioh. 17. prayeth to God and not to any of the three Persons particularly for though he useth the word Father v. 1. yet Father is not there taken for the first Person in Trinity but as a common attribute of the deity as it is also taken Mat. 6. 9. Our Father v. 14. your heavenly Father Gal. 1. 4. God and our Father Jam. 1. 27. Before God and the Father 1 Pet. 1. 17. If you call him Father who judgeth without respect of persons So then the meaning is O God Father of heaven and earth This is life eternall to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. According to which interpretation this text is parallel to that of the Apostle one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. The second objection was out of Ioh. 15. 26. The spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father If the spirit proceed from the Father only how do we say in the Nicen creed and that other of Athanasius and in the Letany which proceedeth from the Father and the Son To this none of the Anabaptists gave any answer at all yet the answer is very easie for the spirit is said to proceed from the Father in the place above alledged because he proceedeth from the Father originally not because he proceedeth from the Father only for he is elsewhere called the spirit of the Son as well as of the Father Gal. 4. 6. And in this very text Ioh. 15. 26. it is said the spirit whom I will send you from the Father which sheweth that the holy Spirit hath a dependance from both To whom three Persons and one only true God be ascribed all glory honour power and dominion for evermore FINIS A TRACTATE against the ANABAPTISTS CHAPTER I. Of the name and severall sorts of Anabaptists THe name Anabaptist is derived from the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth are-baptizer or at least such an one who alloweth of and maintaineth re-baptizing they are called also Catabaptists from the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying an abuser or prophaner of baptisme For indeed every Anabaptist is also a Catabaptist the reitteration of that sacrament of our entrance into the church and seal of our new birth in Christ is a violation and depravation of that holy ordinance Of these Anabaptists or Catabaptists who differ no more then Bavius and Maevius of whom the poet elegantly writeth Qui Bavium non odit amat tua carniua Maevi Alstedius maketh fourteen sorts first the Muncerians 2. the Apostolical 3. the Separatists 4 the Catharists 25 the Silents 6. the Enthusiasts 7. the Libertines 8. the Adamites 9. the Hutites 10. the Augustintans 11. the Buchedians 12. the Melchiorites 13. the Georgians 14. the Menonists But in this as in other things he is more to be commended for his diligence in collection then for his judgement in election For although there are schismaticall and hereticall persons that have neer affinitie with Anabaptists known by all these names yet these are not so many distinct and severall sorts of Anabaptists For some of these differ only in respect of their doctors or teachers and not of their doctrines as the Muncerians Hutites Menonists others were hereticks more ancient then the Anabaptists properly so called as namely the Apostolicall the Catharists the Adamites and Enthusiasts though as I shall shew hereafter some of our present Anabaptists trench upon their heresies the Augustinians Melchiorites and Georgians are Anabaptists aliquid amplius though they agree with them in their main doctrine of re-baptizing yet they go beyond the ordinary Anabaptists holding far more damnable tenents then they For the Augustinians beleeve that none shall enter into paradise till the prince of their sect Austine the Bohemian shall open the way The Melchiorites expect Melchior Hofmannus to come with Elias to restore all things before the last day The Georgians blasphemously boast that their master David George was a holy person composed and made of the soul of Christ the third person in the Trinitie Lastly he omitteth one sort of Anabaptists called Hemerobaptists who in the summer time quotidiè baptizabātur were christened every day senserunt enim aliter non posse hominem vivere si non singulis diebus in aqua mergeretur ita ut abluatur sanctificetur ab omni
through error of their judgment take not care for their childrens baptisme and thereby deprive them of the ordinary remedie of that originall maladie in which they are conceived and born ARGUMENT II. None ought to exclude the children of the faithfull out of the kingdom of heaven But by denying them baptisme as much as in us lyeth we exclude them out of the kingdom of heaven For as Christ affirmed to Nicodemus confirmed it with a double oath or most vehement asseveration Amen amen or verily verily I say unto thee except a man beborn of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven Ergo we ought not to deny them baptisme ANABAP ANSWER The words of our Saviour concern mâ—n in riper years not children he saith except a man not except a child be born again REPLY First Christ by man there understandeth the species of mankind comprehending all ages and sects for otherwayes they might as well exclude all women as children from baptisme because it is said except a man be born not except a woman but the words immediatly following make it a clear case the Christ by man understandeth all singular persons contained under the species of mankind whether male or female young or old that saith he which is born of flesh is flesh but certain it is children are properly born of flesh as men and after they are born of flesh they are first children before they are men Secondly this regeneration by water Christ speaketh of is to take away the filth of sin that so they may be capable of entring into the kingdom of heaven into which there shall in no wise enter any thing that is defiled but children before their regeneration by water are defiled as well as men And therefore Christ prescribes this remedie to them as well as men That children are died as it were in the grain and stained from their mothers womb is clearly proved by many pregnant texts of holy scripture as namely Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was born in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceived me and Ioh. 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven 1 Cor. 15. 50. and Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom or for that all have sinned 1 Cor. 15. 22. In Adam all dye and Ephesi 2. 3. We were by nature the children of wrath even as others All that are sentenced to death are guiltie of sin but children as well as men in Adam were sentenced to death else no children should dye Again that which comes by nature is common to all who partake of that nature but the Apostle teacheth us that by nature we are the children of wrath therefore certainly children are not free from sin which alone makes us the object of Gods wrath ARGUMENT III. They whom the Apostles baptized are not to be excluded from baptisme For what the Apostles did in the performance of their ministeriall function they undoubtedly did either by Christs command or by the direction of the holy spirit wherewith they were infallibly assisted But the Apostles baptized children for they baptized whole families whereof children are a known part Ergo children ought not to be excluded from baptisme ANABAP ANSWER The word houshold or family is taken in the places alledged for the greater part of the family neither is it said that there were any children at all in those families REPLY First to refell the first answer the words of St. Luke are sufficient of themselvs where it is said that the gaoler was baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all that were his or all that belonged unto him therefore not only the major part of his family according to the false and corrupt glosse of the Anabaptists but simplie and absolutely all that lived under his roof Secondly as it is not said in expresse words that there were any children in these families so neither is it said that there were any women or servants yet no man doubteth but there were of both sexes and conditions in these families Thirdly it is to be observed that it is not said that the Apostle baptized one family but many namely that of Lydia that of the Gaoler and of Stephanas and it is no way credible that in all these families blessed by God and converted to the Christian faith all the women should be barren and not one fruitfull Lastly if there were any children in the families and the Apostle had not baptized them he would undoubtedly have excepted them as he doth in the like case 1 Cor. 1. 14. I thank God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas He who is so exact and punctuall in reckoning of those whom he baptized if he had baptized no children would have added I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas except the sucklings and children there But the Apostle neither there nor elsewhere excepteth children therefore being as essentiall parts of a familie as well as their parents they must be comprised under the name of the family or houshold ARGUMENT IV. Such as were circumcised under the law may and ought to be baptized under the gospell For baptisme answereth to circumcision and is called by that name Colos. 2. 11. 12. the same grace is sealed unto us by the one as by the other to wit mortification of the flesh remission of sins and admission into the visible church and the children of Christians are as capable of baptisme as the children of the Jews were of circumcision But children were circumcised under the laâ— Gen. 17. 12. 13. Ergo children may and ought to be baptized under the Gospel ANABAP ANSWER The argument from the circumcision of children to the baptisme of them followeth not because there is a command for the one and not for the other REPLY First in this their answer either by command they understand an expresse command and in particular or a generall and implicite if they mean an expresse command and in particular such an one is not requisite as themselvs will they nill they must needs confesse for they can produce no expresse and particular commandement either for the baptizing of women or administring the Lords Supper to them or for sanctifying and keeping holy the eight day from the Creation or first day of the week called now the Christian Sabbath nor for re-baptizing any that were baptized in their infancie which yet the Anabaptists generally practise and from thence take their names If they understand a generall and implicite command such an one we produced before for the baptisme of children in the prosecution of the first argument and shall many other in the arguments ensuing Secondly where the reason and equitie of law remains there the law is still in force at least for substance though
his arms and blessed them to shew that he was the Saviour as well of young as old REPLY First Barber deserveth to be trimmed himself for thus reproaching his mother the church of England who if she be a whore what must he needs be but a bastard who cannot deny himself to be born of her If she and other reformed churches who have excluded the papacie and banished the great whore out of their precincts be no better then whores what true spouse hath Christ in the world or what had he for 1500. yeares during which time all churches through the Christian world baptized infanâ—s even those who were the forerunners of these Anabaptists and bare also theâ—r name because they practized rebaptizing as these do yet they condemned not simply the baptisme of infants as I noted before Secondly though it be said that these children came to Christ in a large sense that is had accesse to him yet they came not to him upon their own leggs for S. Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they brought unto him babes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were no other then such as we tearm sucklings or infants and though it be true that Christ christened them not for he christened none himself but his Disciples only as S. Iohn teacheth us yet his receiving them and blessing them and commending humility to all by their example saying that of such and none but such is the kingdome of God is a sufficient ground and warrant for us to christen them for why should not we receive them into the bosom of the church whom Christ took into his armes Why should we not signe them on whom he layd his hands Why should we not baptize and pray for them whom he blessed If he be the Saviour of young as well as old and to perswade us of this truth expressed such love to infants why should we exclude them from baptisme an outward means of salvation whom Christ as they confesse excludes not from salvation it self See more below in the answer to A. R. ARGUMENT VIII All they who are partakerrs of the grace both signified and exhibited to us in baptisme may and ought to receive the signe and sacrament thereof this is the basis and foundation upon which S. Peter himself builds Acts 10. 47. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we And it may be further confirmed both by an argument drawn à majore ad minus after this manner if God bestow upon children that which is greater the inward grace why should we denie them the lesser the outward element Or by an argument drawn à relatis they to whom the land is given ought not to be denyed the sight and keeping of the deeds and evidences thereof neither ought we to sever those things which God hath joyned to wit the signs and the things signified they divide the signe from the thing signified who denie them to have grace ordinarily modo non ponant obicem who receive the outward sign and they again sever the thing signified from the sign who allow unto children the grace of remission of sinnes and regeneration and yet denie them the sign and seal thereof to wit baptisme But children receive the grace signified and exhibited in baptisme for the Apostle teacheth us they are not unclean but holy and therefore have both remission of sins and sanctification Ergo children ought to receive the sign and sacrament thereof to wit baptisme ANABAP ANSWER The Apostles â—eaning is that the children of beleevens are not uncleane that is bastards but holy that is born in holy wedlack REPLY First this answer is no way pertinent to the scope of the Apostle which is to perswade the Christian husband not to forsake his unbeleeving wife nor the Christian wife to depart from her unbelieving husband because the unbeliever is sanctified by the beleever where by sanctification the Apostle cannot understand legitimation For faith in the husband doth not legitimate the wife that is make her no bastard if she were so born but sanctifieth her to himself and maketh her a part and member of a holy familie dedicated to God Secondly neither is sanctification here nor in any other place of Scripture taken otherwayes then for separating some way from prophane as persons times and places are said to be sanctified Neither doth holy necessarily implie no bastard For some holy men have been base-born nor doth not bastard implie holy for both the children of damned hereticks yea and infidells too if they be begotten in wed-look are no bastards yet in the state and condition they are in are far from holy See more hereof infra in the answer to A. R. ARGUMENT IX All Apostolicall traditions which are truely such ought to be had in reverent esteem and retained in the church For what the Apostles delivered they received from Christ himself either by word of mouth or the infallible inspiration of his spirit such things are part of that sacrum depositum which Timothie is charged so deeply O Timothie keep that which is committed unto thee and the Thessalonians to keep stand fast and keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word the traditions which you have been taught either by word or by our Epistle But the baptisme of children is an Apostolicall tradition truely so called Ergo it ought to be had in high esteem and retained in the church ANABAP ANSWER Though it hath been an ancient custome in many churches to christen children yet it is no Apostolicall tradition but a humane ordinance which had its originall from the Pope the man of sin REPLY First there was christening of children in the church before there was any Pope in the sense they take the word for oecumenicall bishop chalenging unto himself and usurping authoritie over the whole church for not only S. Augustine and Prosper and and Ierome make mention of this custome and good use of it to condemn the Pelagian heresy which denieth original sin but also the councell of Carthage in the dayes of S. Cyprian who flourished in the year 250 determined not only that children might and ought to be baptized but also even before the eighth day upon which some in those dayes stood strickly but erroneously and conformably hereunto we find a canon in the Milevitan councell in which the synod decreed that whosoever shall deny baptisme to children even as soon as they come out of their mothers womb in case the children be weak and in apparent danger of death let him be accursed and before either the synod of Carthage or this Mileâ—tan Irenaeus in his second book against heresies chap. 39. speaks of infants children young and old saved by their new birth in Christ namely by water and the spirit Joh. 3. 5. Secondly S. Origen and S. Austine affirm in expresse tearmes that the baptisme of children is
Christ omni renaâ—ceâ—i aqua baptismatis instar est uteri virginalis â—adem 〈…〉 qui replevit virginem peccatum quod ihi 〈…〉 conceptio hic mystica toâ—â—it ablâ—tio And 〈◊〉 5. factuâ— est homo nostri generis ut nos divinae naturae possâ—imus esse consortes originem quam sumpsit in utero virginis posuit in 〈…〉 dedit 〈◊〉 quod dedit matri obumbratio Spiritus quâ—â— facit ut Maria pareret salvatorem facit ut regeneret undae credontem to every regenerate Christian the water of baptisme is in stead of the Virgins wombe the same Spirit replenishing the font which filled the Virgin and the sinne which there his holy conception prevented or evacuated here the mysticall ablution takes away And again Christ was made a man of our nature that we might be made partakers of his divine nature the birth or originall which he took in the Virgins womb he hath put in the font of baptisme he hath given that to the water which he gave to his mother by the like over shadowing of the Spirit the water regenerates a beleever whereby Mary brought forth a Saviour As for the rest of his arguments they are like rotten wyer they will not endure the streining and they are alreadâ—e broken in pieces by another See the declaration against the Anabaptists printed at London for R. W. 1644. A confutation of A. R. his TRACTATE entituled The Vanitie of childrens baptisme THe presse now adays is like Africa â—emper aliquid apportat novi monstri it brings forth every day some new monster among which one of the most ugly and mishapen is a Treatise printed by A. R. of The Vanitie of childish baptisme quis furor ô cives quae tanta licentia praeli O the impietie of the men of these times the more to be condemned by all after-ages by how much they condemn the pietie and devotion of the former An ordinance of God and most holy sacrament instituted by Christ and from the dayes of the Apostles even to this present age administred by the whole church to the children of beleevers is tearmed by the vain author of this Treatise upon weak and childish reasons vain and childish Is everie action childish whereof children are the subject Then was circumcision childish and the protection of Angells is childish and the imposition of hands and benediction of our blessed Saviour I tremble to speak it in the language of this black-mouthed Treatiser will be concluded to be vain and childish For the sacrament of circumcision by Gods commandement was administred to children the Angells of heaven are childrens guardians and our Redeemer himself took children in his arms layd his hands upon them and blessed them And if he commanded children to be brought unto him shall not we bring them to the church If he embraced them shall not we receive them into his familie If he layd his hands on them shall not we wash them in his sacred font If he blessed them shall not we pray for them and after a religious manner consecrate them unto him and make them free of the citie of God according to Abrahams copie I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Herod the Ascalonite and Richard the third King of England were branded with anote of infamy and barbarous crueltie to allages the one for â—â—isling the young princes of the blood and heires of the crown of England the other for massaging the infants in Bethlehem and the confines thereof yet those bloodie tyrants deprived those sweet babes only of their temporall life of how much deeper dye is their sin who by their soul-murthering doctrine and practise endeavour to deprive the heires apparent not of an earthly but of a celestiall crown and all the children of the faithfull throughout the whole Christian world of the ordinarie means of eternall life Whatsoever fair varnish hath been of late put upon this heresie it seemed so horrid and abominable in the eyes of our predecessors and other reformed churches they inflicted the severest punishments upon the obstinate maintainers thereof that they could devise At Zurick after many disputations between Zuinglius and the Anabaptists the Senate made an act that if any presumed to rebaptise those that were baptized before they should be drowned In the year of our Lord 1539. five Dutch Anabaptists were burnt in Smithfield and two beyond Southwark in the way to Newington At Vienna many Anabaptists were so tyed together in chains that one drew the other after him into the river wherein they were all suffocated vid. suprâ— Here you may see the hand of God in punishing these sectaries some way answerable to their sin according to the observation of the wise man quo quis peccat co punietur they who drew others into the whirl-pool of error by constraint draw one another into the river to be drowned and they who prophaned baptisme by a second dipping rue it a third immersion But the punishment of these Catabaptists we leave to them that have the legislative power in their hands who though by present connivence they may seem to give them line yet no doubt it is that they may more entangle themselvs and more easily be caught For my part I seek not the confusion of their persons but the confutation of their errors two whereof A. R. undertaketh strenuously to defend The first is the necessitie of dipping in baptisme dipping saith he in his title-page is baptizing and baptizing dipping and p. 8. the institution of Christ requireth that the whole man be dipped all over in water This he endeavoureth to prove out of Mark 1. 8. and Ioh. 1. 26. and Plutarch l. de superstitione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Act. 11. 16. c. 8. 38. 39. Philip and the Eunuch went down both into the water and Mat. 3. 16. Christ went with Iohn into the water p. 11. and Col. 2. 12. buried with him in baptisme and Rom. 6. 4. 5. were buried with him by baptisme into his death Now let any man saith he that is not quite fallen out of his reason judge whether washing or sprinkling the face with water or dipping the whole man into water doth answer all these texts of scripture I answer this is a weak and childish fallacie For ex particulari non est syllogizari no man in his right wits will conclude a generall from a particular as he doth here Some men that were baptized went into the river therefore all that be baptized must do so The word baptizo sometimes signifieth to dip therefore it alwayes signifieth so Although in the places alledged the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not in but with as the words immediatly following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make it plain and therefore both the Geneva and the last translation render the words not I have baptized you in water but he will baptize you in the holy Ghost but I
neither had they the gift of prophesie what then Was the promise there spoken of made to the Iews and their children and all the Gentiles whom God had vouchsafed to call namely the promise of salvation v. 21. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and the gift of repentance and remission of sins by baptisme mentioned v. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Iesus for remission of sins Thirdly whereas they who are wel-affected to childrens baptisme draw an evidence thereof even from the cloud mentioned 1 Cor. 10. 2. after this manner This truth answereth the type but children were baptized in the type when they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea as Israel passed out of AEgypt into the wildernesse Ergo children ought now to be baptized in the truth This sworn enemie of childrens Christendom goeth about to blot and deface this evidence by scribling upon it that the baptizing in the sea and the cloud the Apostle speaketh of was an allegorie and an allusion not any type or figure from whence any substantiall argument might be drawn for childrens baptisme But if we scrape away his scribling we may read a clear evidence for the lawfulnesse of childrens baptisme REPLY For first it is confessed on all hands and may be collected from the sacred storie that the Israelites took all their children with them out of AEgypt and that they together with their parents passed through the red sed which was an embleme of Christs blood in which the spirituall Pharoah and all our ghostly enemies are destroyed and that they were washed and sprinkled as well as their parents with the water of the sea and that which dropt from the cloud and S. Paul addeth v. 6. that all those things were types 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that as the Apostle saith They and we ate the same spirituall bread v. 4. and drank of the same spirituall rock and the rock was Christ so he might have said that they were all baptized in the water of the cloud and in the sea and that water spiritually was Christs blood for so the ancient Fathers teach us to speak S. Hilarie in Psal. 67. They were all under the cloud and were drenched with Christ the rock giving them water And Leo likewise the sacraments were altered according to the diversitie of the times but the faith whereby we live in all ages was ever one And S. Austine yet more fully these things were sacraments in outward tokens diverse but in the things tokened all one with ours And the sacraments of the old law were promises of such things as should afterward be accomplished our sacraments of the new law are tokens that the same promises alreadie are accomplished Fourthly among many other arguments brought for the justification of the practice of the Christian church in the baptizing infants that passage of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 14. is much insisted upon For the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by her husband else were you children unclean but now are they holy that for verie good reason For the Apostles argument concludes that some holinesse redounds to the children by the unbeleeving wives cohabition with her husband being a beleever or of the unbeleeving husband with a wife that is a Christian. Now the question is whether inward holinesse or outward that which some call federall holinesse the Apostle cannot mean inward holinesse for the beleefe of the father or mother cannot infuse or produce such holinesse in the infant and if the Apostle speak of this outward or federall holinesse and his meaning is that the unbeleeving wife is so farre sanctified to her husband as to bring forth a holy seed to him that is children belonging to the common-wealth of Israel and having a title to the covenant of grace then undoubtedly the children of beleevers ought to receive the seal of that covenant to wit baptisme To avoid this inference and defeat the whole argument this Anabaptist with his fellow Barbar coyneth a new holinesse never heard of in scripture and withall corrupteth the Apostles text with this absurd glosse ANSWER Because the unbeleeving wife is sanctified to her beleeving husband therefore her children are holy that is lawfully begotten not spurious not bastards REPLY A bastard exposition repugnant both to the text and the scope of the Apostle as I have declared before in-part Article 2. Argument 8. whereunto may be added these important considerations First holinesse in Scripture is no where taken for legitimation they may be holy whose birth was yet not legitimate and their birth legitmate who are far from holinesse Bastardie though it be a fruit of uncleanesse in the parents and a blemish to their children in their reputation yet it maketh not them unclean nor federally unholy that is such as belong not to the covenant of God for Pharez Zarah Iephthah and other base-born among the Iews were circumcised and reckoned among the people of God Secondly if the Apostle meant no more by holinesse but legitimation he had no way resolved the Corinthiant scruple which was whether according to the law of God and the example of the Israelites in the dayes of Ezra they were not to put away their unbeleeving wives and children the Apostle answereth no because their children begotten born by them should be no bastards as they expound the word holy This answer could give them no satisfaction at all for the children that were born or begotten by the Iews who had married strange wives in the days of Ezra were not bastards being born in wedlock yet they were commanded to put them away and their mothers Thirdly that cannot be the meaning of the Apostle which implies untruth for the Apostle wrote inspired by the Spirit of truth but it is not true that all those children are unclean that is as they interpret bastards that come of unbeleeving parents for though either or both the parents were infidels yet if the children were begotten born in lawfull wedlock they were no bastards noman doubteth but there may be lawful wedlock between infidels For marriage is de jure naturae and adulterie among the heathen was a crime but if the heathen marriages were no marriages then there could be no adulterie among them for adulterie is the defiling of the marriage bed Lastly the main scope of the Apostle in this place was to perswade the beleevers among the Corinthians to cohabit with their wives that were willing to live with them though they were yet unbleevers not only because they might conceive good hope of their conversion by their loving and Christian conversation with them but because thereby their children should acquire some holinesse But if the children of beleeving parents should not be admitted to the communion of Saints and congregation of the faithfull by baptisme their children should
word as I proved heretofore and therefore are not to be accounted a meer humane invention although therein mans wit and invention be made use of Thirdly this argument may be retorted upon the Anabaptists Forms of prayers upon premeditation which Preachers use before their sermons are as well a worship of mans devising as the set forms devised and framed by the governours of the church But premeditated or studied prayers made by way of preface before sermons are acceptable to God and allowed by the Anabaptists themselves Ergo set forms of prayer cannot be disallowed OBJECT II. None who useth a set form of prayer prayeth by the Spirit Every good Christian ought to pray by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. Ergo no good Christian may use set forms of prayer ANSWER First the Apostle in the place alledged speaketh of an extraordinarie gift of the Spirit as appeareth by the verse immediately going before If I pray in a strange tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is without fruit Now sith those extraordinarie gifts of the Spirit are ceased Christians are not now bound to prophesie or pray by the Spirit in the Apostles sense This text therefore is impertinently alledged and maketh nothing against set forms of prayers now in use in the church Secondly the phrase to pray by the Spirit as it is used by Divines may admit of a double meaning either to pray by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit as the Prophets and Apostles and all the pen-men of the holy Ghost spake and wrote and in this sense they who use set forms of prayer devised by men pray not by the Spirit as neither doe they who pray ex tempore for then they could not be out which they are often nor commit any errour in their prayers which they doe very many nay then their prayers should be of equall authoritie with the Psalmes other prayers set down in scripture given by divine inspiration or by this phrase they mean to pray by the assistance of the Spirit and in this sense they who use premeditated and penned prayers more pray by the Spirit then they who use ex tempore prayers conceived and brought forth at the same instant for the Spirit assisteth the former both in their premeditation and their present deliverie but the latter only in their sudden expressions and I would fain know of them why they who preach studied and penned sermons preach by the Spirit and that far more accurately learnedly judiciously and powerfully then others and yet in their judgements they who utter studied and penned prayers pray not by the Spirit Thirdly this objection may also be retorted by the Apostles example we are as well to sing by the Spirit as to pray by the Spirit for so are his expresse words I will pray with the Spirit I will pray with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit I will sing with understanding also But a man may sing by the Spirit and yet sing prick-song and a written or printed dittie in meeter for such are the Psalmes of David which they themselves sing therefore a man may pray by the Spirit and yet use a set form and rehearse a penned or printed prayer OBJECT III. It is not lawfull to confine the spirit for that is a kind of quenching it forbidden by the Apostle 1 Thess. 5. 19. But the prescribing and using set forms of prayers is a confining or stinting the spirit Ergo the prescribing or using set forms of prayer is unlawfull First if the governours of the Church should simplie and absolutely forbid all suddainly conceived or ex tempore prayers in publike or private they should offend in some degree and be guiltie of the breach of that precept of the Apostle For to stifle all suddain motions of the Spirit and prohibit all piouâ— ejaculations is in some sense to quench the Spirit But albeit they command a set form of Liturgie to be read in the church yet they condemn not the use of conceived or premeditated prayers by preachers in their Sermons nor by private Christians in their closets but leave them to their Christian libertie Secondly I demand of them when they object against the use of set forms of prayer that they confine the spirit what Spirit they mean the Spirit of God or their own spirit the spirit of man If the Spirit of God their objection contains in it blasphemie for the Spirit of God cannot be confined by us whether we pray with premeditation or without use a set form or not the Spirit of God worketh in both as he pleaseth both by enlightning the understanding and warming our affections and powerfully assisting both in the conceiving and deliverie of prayer If they mean their own spirit or the spirit of him that prayeth in the congregation namely the minister or preacher I answer this is most necessarie that his spirit for the time be confined and his intention tied to that prayer he readeth or saith by heart neither is this forbidden by the Apostle nor is it any quenching of the spirit but rather a kindling it For in uttering zealous prayers with a fixt intention and devout affection we feel our hearts burn within us Thirdly this objection may also be retorted if a preacher may not use a set form of prayer because the spirit in him is thereby confined neither may he deliver a conceived or ex tempore prayer in the audience of the people because by it the spirit in them is confined though the prayer of the preacher be no set form to him but meer voluntarie and extemporarie yet is it a set form to the hearers and their spirit if they will not suffer their mind to wander is tied and confined to it so long as it lasteth being an home or two according to the length of our late fast prayers in which regard none more confine the spirit in men then these our upstart Enhusiasts OBJECT IV. Prayers of the Pastor or Minister ought to be fitted to the severall occasions of the faithfull Set forms of prayer cannot be so fitted Ergo they ought not to be used in churches First this is ignorantly objected by such who never read either our books of Common-Prayers or other helps to private devotion for in them there are not only generall prayers fit for all men to use at all times but also speciall applied to severall estates and conditions of men for men in sicknesse and in health in time of war or in peace and the like Secondly these severall occasions they speak of are either such as concern more in the congregation or some one only in partilar if they concern more and the preacher be acquainted therewith he may either chuse a penned prayer fitting for them or himself upon premeditation make one if they concern one only such are not fit to be mentioned in publike prayers but the Pastor is to repair to them and applie a salve in private to their peculiar sore Thirdly
18. 10. Two men went up into the Temple to pray Acts 3. 1. Peter and Iohn went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer 1 Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing 1 Tim. 2. 1. Let prayers intercessions and supplications be made for all men 1 Thess. 1. 2. making mention of you in our prayers 2 Tim. 1. 3. remembrance of thee in my prayers EXCEPT II. Secondly they except against the Service-book that either all of it or the greater part is taken out of the Roman Missall and therefore is to be kickt out of the church with that superstitious piece of Romish devotion ANSWER But this exception is first insufficient secondly ignorant For if the prayers in our Service-book are holy and pithie if agreeable to the pattern of all prayer and favour of true pietie and devotion which they cannot denie they doe what skils it out of what book they were culled The Iews borrowed jewels of the Egyptians to adorn the Sanctuarie Solomon sent for timber and other materials for the Temple to Hyram king of Tyre S. Paul transcribed verses out of heaÌ„then Poets Virgil raked gold out of Enuius hic muck Christian Apothecaries gather simples to make sovereigne electuaries out of the gardens of Iews and Mahumetans the Lapidaries take out a precious stone called Bufomtes out of the head of a Toad Christ indeed forbids us to cast pearl before swine but no where to take a pearl out of a ring in a swines snowt if there be found any there Secondly this exception is guiltie of as much ignorance as weaknesse they who make it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot see afarre off of if they could they might have discerned the prayers in our Church-book to be farre more ancient then the Roman Missall The Bishops and learned Doctors who in the dayes of Edward the sixt compiled the Service-book at Windsor had farre more ancient Liturgies in their eye then the Roman Missall or Breviarie they drew not water out of that impure channell but out of a clearer fountain There are the same Epistles and Gospels in our book and theirs but they were not taken out of theirs but out of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament there are the same Psalmes and Hymnes but they were not taken out of their Psalter but out of Davids and Saint Luke there are many of the same Collects and Orisons but they are not taken out of their Breviarie but out of the Liturgies of Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome and other more ancient attributed to the Apostles themselves Lastly if in regard of that little which may seem to be translated out of the Missall into our English Service-book it might be tearmed as Spalatensis when he was present at the Service in Canterburie church called it Breviarium optime reformatum a reformed Breviarie I cannot apprehend how that should be any derogation to it for what saith Solomon take away the drosse from the silver and there shall come forth a vessell for the refiner This was the noble work of the learned Doctors and Martyrs who reformed Religion in England they took away the drosse not only from the Missals but from all other Offices and Service-books then extant all superstitious Rites either heathenish or Iewish all Legendarie fables all invocation of saints prayers for the dead all Dirige's and Trentals and whatsoever was not warrantable by holy scripture and retaining the rest supplyed what was wanting thereunto and hence came forth this Vessell for the refiner this Liturgie of our church more compleat then any now extant in other reformed churches EXCEPT III. Thirdly they except at three Popish absolutious as they tearme them the first in the beginning of the Service after the publique confession the second before the Communion the third in the visitation of the sick But this exception hath in it more strength of passion then reason for none of these absolutions are absolute but conditionall nor in the name or by the authoritie of the Minister but of Christ. The first is nothing but a declaration of Gods mercie who freely pardoneth the penitent and of the Ministers dutie to declare and pronounce this absolution and remission to the people The second is a prayer of the Minister to God to have mercie upon the Communicants to pardon and deliver them from all their sinnes and to confirme and strengthen them in all goodnesse The third is the execution of that Ministeriall power wherewith Christ invested the Apostles and their successours Iohn 20. 23. As my father sent me so I send you whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Here is our expresse warrant and commission from Christ for what we doe in this kind to revive the spirit of the humble and cheat up the drooâ—ing conscience reaâ—lie to languish in a featefull conflict with despaire EXCEPT IV. Fourthly they except against the reading of the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels in a corrupt translation in which there are many grosse errours as Psal 105. 28. And they were not obedient to his word whereas it should be translated and they rebelled not against his word and Luke the first 36. This is the sixth moneth which was called barren for this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren And Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the time for serving the Lord. And Galat. 4. 25. Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and bordereth upon the citie which is now called Ierusalem for and answereth to Ierusalem And Phil. 2. 8. He was found in his apparrell as a man for being found in fashion as a man And Ephes. 3. 15. Which is the father of all that is called father in heaven and earth for of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named But this exception is of little importance and may soon be philipp't away For first if no translation way be read in the church but that which is free from all errour then none at all ought to be read for there is none in which there are not some mistakes more or lesse with this ferula therefore they rap themselves over the thumbs Secondly those sores on which they fasten their nail have their salves they may see them if they please in Hooker Fisher and many others who have cleared those very passages Lastly neither is the Minister nor are the people tyed to that translation in the common-prayer-book but they may if they please in stead thereof read the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels according to the last and best translation neither were they to blame who in the first setting forth of the common-prayer-book appointed the scriptures to be read in that ancient translation for that was the best then extant neither is there any errour at all in it which concerneth faith or manners and other slips must be born withall in translations or else we must read none at all till we have a translation given
the Father of the Anabaptists of our age who as I shewed thee before out of Bullinger and Melancthon was Nicholas Stock a man every way answerable to his name for a very Block-head was he Robertus Galius had a vision wherein he saw the Pope saying Masse with a lean meagre and a drye head like as if it had been made of wood Such of all the world was this Stock the head of the Anabaptists and from this block when he was hewen downe in Germany some chips flew into England Although the eye of the mind of man since the fall is like to the eye of an Owle that cannot endure the bright beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse and howsover God in the first planting of the Gospell made use of illiterate men such as were Tent-makers and Fisher-men to the end that all might know that He that planteth and he that watereth is nothing but all is Gods who giveth the increase yet when the eye of mans understanding is anointed with the ey-salve of the Spirit the clearer and sharper the eye is the better it discernes both Spirituall and Naturall objects and since the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit have failed in the Church the learnedst men whose knowledge God sanctified to that use have proved the worthiest instruments of his glory in proclaiming the doctrine of Saving Grace and turning many unto righteousnes who shall shine as Starres in the skie for evermore And as it remaines a blot upon Ieroboam and his house never to be wiped out that he made of the lowest of the people Priests of the high places so it is not one of the least brands of the Roman Antichrist that he filled the Church with a number of ignorant Masse-Priests Monkes and Fryers who blind guides as they were of the blinder people fell together with them into the ditch of superstition heresie and sensuality And think we the blindest men are the fittest to draw them out of it This is the Anabaptists judgement who as the Romanists teach ignorance to be the mother of devotion so these to be the mother of Propheticall revelation or interpretation For Iohn Tuseoverer a Gold-smith of Warendorp pretending himselfe to be a Prophet sent from God commanded the Senate in Munster to remove all their Magistrates and put down all their Preachers as well Evangelicks as Papists and to place in their roome twelve simple illiterate men to expound the word of God to the people without any help of Arts or Tongues by meer Enthusiasmes or suddain inspirations and ejaculations Another of their Prophets Iohn Matthias commanded that none should keepe any booke in his house but the Bible whereupon all the books that were found in any Library Study or House save Bibles were brought into the Market place and a bone-fire made of them But better all these obstinate Sectaries were burnt at a stake then such a bonefire made in this Kingdome after which would follow the ruine of all Schooles and Universities and more then Egyptian darknesse through the wide Kingdome Since the extraordinary gifts of Prophesie and Languages have ceased in the Church secular learning hath been as the Day-starre appearing in the Firmament of the Church before the Sunne and where no Day-starre going before no Sunne rising after As for rude Mechanicks and unlettered Artificers to chuse them for our guides to the celestiall Canaan is all one as if an Army to march by night over narrow bridges and by fearfull precipices should by common consent elect pur-blind men to lead the way or a â—leet at Sea after they have cut the line and saile under an unknowne Climate in a ruffe Sea and tempestuous weather should among all the Mariners chuse the unskilfullest Pilots to steer their course Wee read in the Apocalypse of a Starre called Wormewood bitter in the effects and influences but a Starre in the light thereof Such have ben the Authours Devisers and Broachers of other Heresies bitter indeed in their tenets and distastfull in their manners yet Stars for their light of learning whereas these false teachers cut as chips out of N. Stock resemble brands of hell fire in which there is a sultring heat but no light at all Peruse if thou please Christian Reader all the ancient heresies listed by Epiphanius Augustine Philastrius Alfonsus à Castro Ambrosius de Rusconibus and others and therein thou shalt find the Ring-leaders great Clerks and acute Sophisters Whence is that true observation of Tertullian Philosophi haereticorum Patriarchae Philosophers have been the great Grand-fathers of Hereticks but of this base contemptible Sect of the Stockites there was never yet heard any Professour of eminent learning neither is there like ever to be for learning they hold rather a disparagement then ornament an extinguisher then a kindler of their new light and strange fire In a grosse and foggy Mist a cleare light cannot long shine for either the light will pierce through the Mist or the Mist will dampe the light so if it should fall out that any great Scholar should be admitted into their communion either their grosse erronrs would in time put out the light of his knowledge or the clear light of his knowledge soone dispell the Mist of their ignorance and palpable errours Which need the lesse confutation because they contradict themselves as much as the truth For First they condemne the Baptisme of children upon this ground because they say they cannot be assured of the truth of their faith and repentance by which reason they should forbid or forbear the christening of men in riper yeares also forasmuch as these teachers can be no way assured of the sincerity of their Scholars faith and true purpose of amendment of life For though they professe the one and promise the other yet they may do it in hypocrisie and for worldly ends Or if they will say we ought to beleive their profession and promise for themselves why then ought we not as well to beleive their profession and promise for their Children when the Fathers or God-fathers undertake for them at the Font Secondly they preach the doctrine of mortification of the flesh and crucifying the lusts thereof and yet withall they maintaine plurality of wives and adulterous and incestuous copulations under the title of spirituall marriages with those of their own Sect. Conjugium vocat hoc praetexit nomine culpam Thirdly they allow of no set formes of prayer or studied Sermons because such as they conceive who use them pray not by the Spirit yet themselves in their Assemblies make use of set hymnes and Psalmes which notwithstanding they make us beleive they sing by the Spirit according to the example of the Apostle I will pray with the spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with understanding also Fourthly they cry up the doctrine of the crosse and boast
darknesse how great is that darknesse if there be confusion in order it selfe how great must the confusion needs be if all be Pastours where are their flocks if all be teachers where are their Scolars a preaching Disciple sounds as harshly as a Scholar Master or a Lecturing hearer it is true we grant that all who have received gifts from God ought to make use of them for the benefit of others and if any abound in knowledge hee ought to communicate to them that lack and freely give lumen de lumine Clouds when they are full powre downe and the spowts runne and the eaves shed and the presses overflow and the Aromaticall trees sweat out their precious and soveraigne oyles and every learned Scribe in the Kingdom of God brings out of his rich treasury new things and old Notwithstanding this necessary duty of imploying our talent whatsoever it be to our Masters best advantage none may take upon him the cure of soules without Commission nor divide the word and dispence the Sacraments without ordination and imposition of hands none may preach except he be sent none may assume the honour of the Priesthood except hee bee called as was Aaron none may open and shut the Kingdome of heaven except they have received the keyes from Christ neither a calling without gifts nor gifts without a calling makes a man of God if any have a calling without gifts their Ministery is without fruit if any gifts without a calling their Ministery is without power the former have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not every one that hath a strong voice is a lawfull cryer in a Court but he that is appointed neither is every one that can write a good hand a publick Notary but he that is sworne neither may every Mariner that is skilful in Navigation take upon him the office of a Pilot but he that is chosen But this error of the Anabaptists whereby they overthrow all order in the Church and confound shepheards and flocks Masters and Scholars Clergy and Laity I have professedly impugned and at large refelled Article 4. Whither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction Sixtly I except against the 45. Article That such to whom God hath given gifts being tryed in the Church may and ought by the appointment of the congregation to prophecie When Muncer a seditious Anabaptist first set abroach their doctrine at Mulchus and took upon him to reforme many things in Church and State Luther advised the Senate to demand of him what calling he had to doe such things he did and if he should avouch God for the Author of his calling then they should require of him to prove that his calling from God by some eminent signe for that whensoever it pleaseth God to change the ordinary course and to call any man to any office extraordinarily he declares that his good will and pleasure by some evident signe If the calling of the Anabaptisticall teachers bee be ordinary let them demonstrate it by Scripture if extraordinary let them prove it by miracle For the prophecy they spake of let them distinctly declare what kind of Prophecying they mean and whom they esteem Prophets for prophecying is taken in a double sense in holy Scripture sometimes according to the propriety of the Greek derivation for the prediction of things future sometimes in a larger sense for revealing the mysteries of God expounding his Oracles either coÌ„cerning things past present or to come and this two manner of wayes either with study and upon premeditation with the help of Arts and Tongues and by consulting the best Commentaries both ancient and latter or without any study or premeditation by immediate revelation or inspiration Prophecy in the first sense is an extraordinary calling in the last an extraordinary gift in the middle acception an ordinary Ministeriall duty And if that custome which Arch-Bishop Grindall would have introduced into the Church in the dayes of Q. Elizabeth and is in use at Geneva and among some other reformed Churches were put in practise in England and a certaine number of learned and able Pastours met at some set times and having before notice of the Texts to be handled should every one in their order deliver their severall interpretations observations and applications thereof which they call Prophecying we should exceedingly approve of it and questionles thereby the Ministeâ—s would very much improve their talents of knowledge But for rudeÌ„ and illiterate Mechanicks without calling without knowledge of Arts or Tongues upon a Scripture read in the Congregation to give their suddain judgements and interpretations thereof as is the manner of the Anabaptists we hold it an intolerable presumption in them and unsufferable abusâ— in the Church For those extraordinary revelations they pretend unto together with the miraculous gift of Tongues and healing for many hundred yeares agoe have failed in the Church If they could now doe as the Primitive Corinthians could not onely pray by the spirit but sing by the spirit if upon the first proposall of an obscure and intricate passage of the old Prophets or Apocalypse they can give upon the suddaine a cleare and rationall interpretation and deliver this in what Language soever if they can discover the secrets of the hearts of unbeleivers in such sort that they falling down on their face shall worship God and report that God is in your Assemblies of a truth then let the examples of the Primitive Christians in the Apostles dayes serve them for Precedents in this kind but of those irradiations of the Spirit together with the glisning of the fiery tongues have not been seen in any Christian Church these many ages if they come as short of the prime converts to the Christian Religion in extraordinary gifts as in time if they are so far from speaking with strange tongues that they cannot speak correctly and coherently in one if they are so wide of the sense of the place they expound that their Paraphrases are often without sense if they utter old broken notes taken from none of the best Sermons for new revelations if they furbish up ancient heresies that have layne long in the dark for Christian Armour of Light if in their interpretations they not only contradict the Scriptures but themselves and in stead of a musicall consent we hear nothing but vain janglings if their prophecyings for the time past have bin no better and none can prophecie or promise better of them for the time to come though they pretend never so much to the spirit and boast of visions and Revelations though some of them have a glib tongue and thereby slide into the approbation of the vulgar sort though in their contemplations they sore up so high that they lose themselves and their hearers though they draw their thinâ—e wier to a great length though notwithstanding they are often
an Apostolicall tradition Origen having alledged the words of the Psalme 51. 5 I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me inferreth upon it propter hoc for this reason because we are all conceived and borne in sinne the Church hath received a tradition from the Apostles to administer baptisme to little children And S. Austine The custome of our Mother the Church in baptizing infants is no way to be slightened or rejected nor otherwise to be thought on or beleeved then as an Apostolicall tradition Thirdly it may be proved to be an Apostolicall tradition by that ground which S. Austine layeth and every mans reason readily giveth assent thereunto namely that whatsoever is observed uniformly in all churches and no man can tell when it began must needs be thought either to be done by the Decree of some generall Councell or to have descended from the tradition of the Apostles themselves But the baptisme of children hath been observed and practised through the whole Christian church as Austine affirmeth neither was it first appointed by any Canon of generall Councell that can be produced for though it be mentioned in the Councell of Vienna and the second Councell held at Brachara and in Synodo Gerundensi yet was it farre more ancient then any of those Councels neither can any name the time when first it began and therefore we cannot otherwise conceive of it then that it had its first originall from the Apostles ARGUMENT X. All members of the reformed Protestant churches in Christendome ought to conforme their judgements to the harmonie of the Protestants confessions set forth by the consent of all orthodox churches and firmly grounded upon deductions at least of holy scripture if not evident texts But the judgement of all the reformed churches delivered in the harmonie of their confessions is professedly for the baptisme of children and expressely against this renet of the Ans. baptist's Ergo let the Anabaptist either disclaime the 〈◊〉 of Protestants and children of the reformed churches 〈◊〉 renounce this their heresie for tâ—â—s pâ—rs quâ—â— nâ—m congruit â—otâ— Now for the Protestant confessions concerning this point I shall rehearse them in order beginning with the English Articles of Religion Artic. II. First the infants of Christian parents are not to be kept from baptisme because they care borne in sinne and belong to the people of God Secondly the Helvetion confession We condemn the Anabaptists who deme that children newly born ought on be baptized for according to the doctrine of the Gospel of such is the kingdom of God and they are within the covenant of God why therefore should not the soul of that covenant be given unto them Thirdly the Bohemian confession Though baptisme for the most part in the primitive church were administred to men of riper yeares yet children ought to be dedicated and consecrated to Christ according to his command Suffer little children to 〈◊〉 unto me Fourthly the French Article zy Although baptisâ—â— be a sacrament of saith and repentaunce yet in as much as children are reckoned with their parents in tho church of God we affirme that infants that are born of holy parents ought to be baptized by Christs authoritie Fifthly the Belgick confession We beleave that children ought to be baptized and signed with the sign of the covenant for the same reason for which the children in Israel were circumcised namely for that the same promises are made to them and to us Sixtly the Augustane confession they condemn the Anabaptists who dislike the baptisme of children and affirm that infants without baptisme and dying without the church may be saved Seventhly the Saxon confession We retaine the baptisme of infants because it 〈◊〉 must certain that the promise of grace belongeth also to infants and because of them it is said Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the kingdome of seaven To drive this nayl to the head I shall need to adde nothing save the capitall punishments inflicted upon such as taught and practised Anabaptisme those Christian States accounted it no light errour upon which they layd so heavie a load of punishment in some places the broachers of this heresie and practisers of rebaptizing have been punished with beheading in some with drowning and in some with burning There is a law against this sect in the Code of Iustinian written with blood rather then ink If any man be convicted to re-baptize any of the ministers of the Catholike sect let him who hath committed this hainous crime together with him whom he hath seduced to be re-baptized suffer the stroake of death At Vienna the Anabaptists are tyed together with ropes and one draweth the other into the river to be drowned as it should seem the wife magistrates of that place had an eye to that old maxime of justice quo quis peccat eo puniatur let the punishment bear upon it the print of the sinne for as these sectaries drew one another into their errour so also into the gulf and as they drowned men spiritually by re-baptizing and so prophaming the holy sacrament so also they were drowned corporally In the year of our Lord 1539 two Anabaptists were burned beyond Southwark in the way to Newington and a little before them five Dutch Anabaptists were burned in Smithfield If I have been somewhat the more prolix in the prosecution of the arguments which make for the baptisme of infants S. Austine shall plead for this my large plea for them We are in conscience bound to speak the more for poor infants because they are not able to speak for themselves Now there remaineth nothing but that we stop the mouthes of their adversaries by reselling such objections as they usually make and unchristianly urge against christening them at our fonts The objections of the Anabaptists answered First they argue from the Scripture negatively thus the baptisme of children hath no warrant in Gods Word for we find there no command for it no example of it no promise to it therefore it is to be rejected as an humane invention and condemned also as an addition to the Scripture But we answer that by the like argument they might prove that no woman ought to be admitted to the sacrament of the Lords Supper for there is no command for womens participation of the sacrament nor example of it nor promise to it in Scripture If they answer that women are comprised under the name of beleevers so are children under the name of whole housholds and families which are reported in holy Scripture to have been baptized if they say further that by a like reason women are to be admitted to the sacrament as men because Christ dyed as well for them as men and they are as wel incorporated into Christs mysticall body as men we rejoin in like manner for the same reason that children