contrary to the full b practice of all that baptized by water as they do as in Act. 2.38 Act. 10.48 Act. 19.5 Act. 8.16 c. and a confounding Scriptures together viz. several institutions and practicer 2. That baptizing in Matth. 28.18 cannot properly nor in the word and letter be understood of baptizing by water because there is no more mentioned in the letter or Scripture then meerly the word baptizing and to expound it as they do by a baptizing by water is to put in a c consequence and interpretation of their own for Scripture which way of consequences they condemn in all others Presbyterials c. as Will-worship and traditions of men and justly too Now there being no water nor any circumstance in the Text to make out any sense of water as in other places it is an usurpation upon the Spirit and the Word to put such a sense so infallibly and peremptorily upon the Word which Jesus Christ himself uses in other d significations then that of water as in Matth. 20.22 23. Matth. 3.11 1 Cor. 12.13 1 Cor. 10.2 all these places are of Baptism and baptizing yet not one of them of baptizing by water but of Metaphorical and figurative Baptism by his sufferings by the Holy Ghost by the Spirit by the cloud and sea 3. That Matth. 28.18 Mark 16. c. are rather and far more probably to be expounded of the Spirits Baptism or the e Baptism of the Holy Ghost because it seems to be prophesied on by Joel 2.28 Isai. 44.3 where the Holy Ghosts Baptism is promised to come by Christ and in Matth. 3.11 Act. 1.5 Joh. 1.33 prophesied on to come by John and Christ himself to his Disciples and was fulfilled in Christs institution and power which he gave in Matth. 28.18 by baptizing with the Holy Ghost which the Apostles did accordingly practice and by their Ministery was given as in f Act. 8.17 and Mark 16.16 17. compared with Matth. 28.18 doth shew that the Baptism in Matth. 28.18 is a Baptism of gifts as Mark 16.15 16 17. 4. That the Baptism of Jesus Christ by water was onely in the Name of Jesus Christ as appears in all the places where such a g Baptism was practised as in Act. 2.38 Act. 10.48 Act. 19.5 Act. 8.16 Rom. 6.3 all which is a Baptism onely in the Name of Jesus Christ of the Person of the Son not of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as they now practise and which was never practised as appears in all the Apostles and Disciples practice 5. That the form by which they baptize viz. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is a h form of mans devising a tradition of man a meer consequence drawn from supposition and probability and not a form left by i Christ to lay over them at the dipping them in the water If Christ had said When you baptize them say this over them I baptize thee in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and unlesse Jesus Christ had left this form thus made up to their hands they practise a thing made up by themselves and drawn or forced out of Jesus Christs words in Matth. 28.18 6. That to preach in the Name of Jesus Christ or to do things in the Name of Jesus Christ is not alwayes in that grosse manner as it is taken viz. naming Jesus Christ or the Father Son and Holy Ghost over them But in the k power vertue efficacy Ministery of Jesus Christ or the Persons of the God-head of Father Son and Holy Ghost as in these Scriptures Matth. 18.20 Mark 13.6 Joh. 14.3 Act. 19.15 16. Joh. 17.6 11. Act. 9.14 Revel. 11.18 So here they are at some more losse 7. That though I deny not but water is a signe and one of the l witnesses that bear record and in the Word though not yet clear yet neither can Christs Institution of water as his own Baptism in his own Person be made appear out of all the New Testament nor can the Apostles practice by water yet be fetched from such a particular Institution unlesse from John's And if so I am sure they are then at as great a Controversie one with another concerning m John's Baptism and Jesus Christ's making them to be two several Baptisms 8. That every common disciple cannot so baptize as the first disciples did because not gifted or n qualified as they were And there is as much necessity to make out the Truth in the same power and way of evidence to an Antichristian estate as to a Jewish and Heathenish and with a Word written as well as preached speaking and writing lieing both equally open to question and exceptions without a power o gloriously working in the behalf and to the reputation of it Nor is there any one Disciple in all the New Testament preaching and baptizing by way of authority but he was able to make out the truth of his calling and dispensation either by miracle or gifts There are but three Exceptions and they have no weight in them 1. p Ananias was a Disciple I answer Yea but he restored sight to Saul and had vision 2. q Philip did no miracle to the Eunuch I answer We can neither conclude he did nor he did not from the Word for it is silent but he did miracles in Samaria 3. They that were scattered went every where preaching I answer Who they were or how they preached or what power they manifested is not laid down in the Word neither for nor against The Word is silent 9. That there is not such an Officer as Administrator in the whole Word but Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers Elders Rulers Deacons c. and therefore Administrator is an unwholsome word 10. None ought to give the Baptism now because there is none can give the gift of the Holy Ghost with it to make up that glorious supplement of gifts which it alwayes had and they are joyned both in the Word and practice as in Heb. 6.1 Doctrine of Baptisms and Laying on of hands and in their practice they were joyned as in act Act. 8.14 15 16. And it will appear in the Word that the Apostles did not so reckon of them single but together as in Act. 8.14 15 16. where it is said they were onely Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus but they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost So as Baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost being joyned together both in Institution Doctrine and Practice are not to be separated nor given in such a time wherein that of the Holy Ghost is not given For what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 11. That it is as unreasonable to take any such Ordinance of Jesus Christ from any that is not distinctly specially spiritually powerfully enabled as the first dispensers as it is to take the word of any
to their souls in its nakednesse power and evidence by a power more spirituall then is yet given out from Heaven our Party there will be greater I willingly presume so much of them I have laboured that a Spirit of love and meeknesse might run through all my Reply unto you though in my travelling over your paper I have met with some things in the way too sharp and your way hath more Briars and Thorns in it then you promised in your first leafe I had much ado not to be provoked by how much your promise had removed all offence on your part from my expectation If you finde any passions in my Book charge them on my unregenerate part for I finde that when I would do good evil is present with me You see my labours deducting the time of their Printing are of about two weeks growth younger by some six weeks if I mistake not then yours I hope where you could not expect much you will not look for more then I here return you in this time Sir I salute you in the Lord and with all due respects to your self your age your learning I begin my Discourse with you and the Lord let me see the failings on my part while I seek to discover those on yours that I may take out the beam from my own eye as well as the mote from yours You desired me in your Book to enter upon a way of Peace and I have accordingly presented my Modell to be perfected and refixed by any that will set upon the work I do not love in any thing I write to fume out meerly in Controversie but in something if it may be to edification I rest Your Friend in the Lord JOHN SALTMARSH The Smoke in the Temple Wherein is the Vindication of the NEW QUERE FROM Master Ley's RESOLUTION Master Ley's Resolution Page 2 3. I Put a Question Whether he were an Independent or no He told me He was not but that he had a latitude of charity for them of that way Since that I had a glimpse more of his inclination by his Dawning of Light but a full discovery of his minde in his Book The Opening of Master Prynns Vindication I will not entertain him as an enemy To give him his due in all that I have seen set forth in his name I finde him rather opinionative then passionate Reply Your Question was accordingly put by you and accordingly answered by me And for my appearing for Truth not all at once in my Treatises you may see I was not hasty to beleeve nor to write in the behalf of a Truth before I saw it nor to plunge my self into any Way till I had examined it The Apostles waited for the full revelation of all truth by the Spirit 's coming The Bereans searched daily to see whether the things were so or no Apollos preached not Christ clearly till he was instructed in the way of God more perfectly We are bidden to try the spirits and prove all things So as I appeared in those degrees but by Scripture-warrant And I could name to you examples of another sort Augustine Luther both finding truth but in degrees and the latter sweetly acknowledging how he was enlightened by beam after beam Angels who lie more naked towards God and take in the things they know by way of Vision yet see not any of that will of God which gives Laws to them but as he reveals Much lesse such as we who dwell in houses of clay and whose foundations are in the dust and who come by the sight of things discoursively and by spiritual reasoning God giving in the revelation of his Truths in a natural yet supernatural way But for that Notion of Independency you speak on I dare not own it because I account my self both under a spiritual and civil Supremacy under Jesus Christ and the Magistrate severally and exempt from neither We are not of those that despise Governments and speak evil of Dignities not are we under any such singular Notion that I know on to be called Independents c. We all hold of the Body of Christ and of the Communion of Sainâ—s below and we hold one upon another but not one over another We dare not be Classical Provincial National these are no forms of wholsome words to which we are commanded nor know we any such power but that of Brethren and Ministery and fellowship We dare not take out a Copy either from the States of the world or the State of Israel to obey or rule by under the Gospel And if you call the Churches of Christ Independent for this we must suffer till the Lord bring forth our righteousnesse as the noon-day Yet this you and we both know that when Truth would not embody or mingle at any time with corruptions it had presently the name of Sect Schism Faction all which are implyed in the name Independency put upon it Thus were the Reformed Nations of England Germany France c. scandalized by Popish Writers and the old Nonconformists by the Prelatical the Jews formerly by the Nations and the Christians by the Jews We have heard enough of Independency and Presbytery such notes of distinction are now become names of reproach and so I lay them down And whereas you say you will not entertain me as an enemy it is more likely then in the end both you and I may prove a better friend to the Truth It is possible many in this Age might have seen more had they not cast so much dust in one anothers eyes by their strivings It were well such a gospel-Gospel-spirit would walk more abroad and that spirit which casts men sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water were not so stirring Well since you will be no enemy to me I shall not I hope contend with you though I dare not but contend earnestly for the Truth And the Truth it self which I write for may I hope at length finde you no more an enemy to it then you are to me I cannot but wish one of your experience and abilities like Paul to preach for that Truth which before he destroyed Our hearts desire and prayer should be for any of Israel And for that you say of me in your Observation that I am rather opinionative then passionate I cannot take it so ill from you that will needs be no enemy to me I interpret any thing from such a one on the better side of it But I shall allow you your liberty at my self And if the Truth of God may more abound through my opinion as you take it unto his glory I have enough Master Ley's Resolution Pag. 4 5. I wonder he who hath writ a whole Book of Policie should be so unpolitick as to think it seasonable since it tends to retard the establishment of Government whereto the Parliament is so much ingaged by Declaration c. by Solemn League and Covenant Art 1. already setting it up in
Must Christs Government be just as large as the worlds which Government affects Dominion which brings in whole Nations under the Scepter of it This or that little one in the Scripture which sits down sometimes in a house to the Church in thy house sometimes in a City as Corinth and over a few there to the Church in Corinth in a Countrey not over a Countrey to the seven Churches in Asia not to the Church of Asia or the Church Asia a Church a fourth part of the world Sure if this Nationall and comprehensive Church were the Patern we should walk by Why did not Christ begin first at Kings and Princes and so bring Nations Kingdomes and make Churches of them But we see no such thing he begins lower at the base and weak and foolish and few and raises up his Kingdome from the bottom of the world and not from the top or pinacle of Princes Kingdoms and Nations The Nationall and Congregationall Church covenant both lawfull or both unlawfull HOw can a Church-covenant be unlawfull if the Nationall Covenant be warrantable and why do any plead against that who are for this A Covenant is condemned in the Congregationall Church yet commended in the Nationall Now How can a Church-covenant be both true and false Is a great Church-covenant lawfull a little one unlawfull a Nationall Church-covenant warrantable and a Congregationall unwarrantable But Covenants in their nature were a dispensation more of the old Testament-strain a Nationall Church had a Covenant to gather them up into their Nationall way of worship and were under the Laws of an externall Pedagogie and now the spiritual dispensation being come even the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is a fulnesse of spirit let out upon the Saints and people of God which gather them up more closely spiritually and cordially then the power of any former dispensation could the very Covenant of God himself of which the former were typicall and Propheticall comes in nakedly upon the spirits of his and draws them in and is a law upon their inward parts sweetly compelling in the consciences with power and yet not with force with compulsion and yet with consent and surely where this Covenant of God hath its kindly and spirituall operation there would need no such externall supplement as before but because of the hardnesse of our hearts it is thus from the beginning it was not so the Spirit tyed up thousands together then Let States then have any prudential security any designe of sound wisdome to consorate people together but let the Church only be gathered up by a Law of a more glorious and transcendent nature by the pure Covenant of God himself with the souls of his Wee receive and give out Truth by parts MEn are to be judged and followed according to the degrees of light they receive and if any have some light that light is not to be used as an advantage to all their other darknesse as if all their darknesse might passe under that one beam of light The light rises upon the Prophets as the Sun upon the Earth it is dawning and morning and noon with them Thus came the Gospel Iohn preached Repentance Iesus Christ Faith and Repentance Iohn came with Water Christ with the Spirit and first in Parables and after in power the Apostles they knew first Christ for Messiah then that he should suffer and die and rise again and then the Kingdome of God Luther knew first that Indulgences were unwarrantable and after that Popery was Antichristianism and Rome was Babylon and works could not justifie and after conscience was not to be compelled in spirituals Thus we grow from Faith to Faith to the fulnesse of stature in Christ to a perfect man in him growing with the encreasings of God The Kingdome of God is like a little leven like a grain of mustard-seed So as whâ—le we see but things in degrees we are neither to be too suddenly admired by others nor our selves All Covenanters are bound to contribute to Religion as well as State WHosoever hath Covenanted is bound to assist the Publike to his utmost in every Condition and Calling and Place and Way accordingly from naturall abilities to his relations from one relation to another even to all to that of Christian and Spirituall his Prayers Counsel Notions with Contributions of all sorts Civill Natural Temporal Spiritual He is bound by Covenant to discover malignity in State in Church enemies to God as well as man endeavours to any thing of Popery and Prelacy under what visage habit form of Words of Doctrine Discipline be it Presbytery or whatever if repugnant to the Word of God as we are perswaded in conscience who have personally Covenanted The breathings and speakings of the Spirit are not to be quenched Every season is for the Lords service in season and out of season Watchman watchman what of the night The Spirit is poured upon sons and daughters Synods of men are not infallible Not because more men more of the Spirit The liberty of the subject is that of soul as well as body and that of soul more dear precious glorious The libery wherein Christ hath made us free Be not ye then the servants of men in the things of God We are to try Truth and so receive it in its Degrees ENquiries for Truth ought to be according to Scripture-rule and that rule lights us on to the trial of all things and prooving spirits and judging between the precious and the vile The water that is mingled with the wine the tares with the wheat will require sound trial lest we make but an exchange of one Error for another The Apostles waited for the Spirit the Bereans searched the Word we are bidden to try and prove The Prophecies of seducers false Christs Antichrist with lying wonders are as real cautions given out by the Spirit The examples of former Ages Luther c. were enlightned by degrees Angels who see by vision see but as God reveals much lesse men who take in Truths by spiritual reasoning as well as revelation Arise why tarriest thou is a Text only for him who had such a Vision as Paul to obey by and such a Vision as Ananias had to preach by No Church-way INDEPENDENCY THe Beleevers for the Church-way falsly called Independents they hold on Christ for a spiritual Head on the Magistrate for their civil Head on the Body of Christ above and below in the Communion of Saints here their Dependency is Spiritual Ministerial communicative not Classical Provincial National Their power is for one another not over one another They cannot mingle or embody with those in a Way not of Truth Their separation is not from men but manners not from believers themselves but their practises and corruptions Nor go they out but they are called out Come out of her my people c. And thus the Iews were Independent to the Nations the Christians to the Iews the Reformed to the
Papists the Non-conformists to the Prelatical and these to the Nonconformists A spirit of Love and Meeknesse becomes Beleevers THey that write not as enemies are likely to prove better friends to the Truth because they raise not so much dust with their striving as others to blinde one anothers sight Those spirits which cast men sometimes into the fire sometimes into the water are not from Christ it were happy the Lord would cast out those and let a more Gospel-spirit walk amongst us we might then sooner attaine to that of the Apostle To walk by the same rule so far as we have attained together till the Lord reveale and the stronger to beare with the weake and to please one another to edification rather then our selves in all things wherein the Lord may not be displeased in the way of his dispensation I know no advantages we have got but the reviling our selves before our enemies as well as one another And oh why doe we tell it Gath and publish it in the streets of Askalon to make the uncircumcised triumph Was the Lord in the winde or in the fire or in the still small voice when he spake to the Prophet onely in the stil voice How was the Lord heard in the time of his indignation Man heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the coole of the day Oh! could we finde out the coolest times to speake and write one to another in and not in the heat of the day as we do When a State-conscience is fully perswaded doubtful and so sinning IT is with a Publike or State-conscience as it is a personal or particular conscience What is done must be done in Faith or else there is weaknesse doubting and sin Now where there is not a full consent and perswasion from the Word of faith there cannot be faith properly and where there is not a Word of faith for that Conscience to be grounded upon there cannot be a purely and â—piritually full perswasion And one may question whether in Spirituals as in Civils Votes Voices are to make Laws for in the Gospel we finde that divine Lawes have their subsistance there without the Vote of any and that is onely to be a Law or Truth in the Church and Kingdom of Saints not what is so in the common consent or voice but what is a Law in the very Gospel-truth of it If the Laws of truth were founded as the Lawes of Civel States in a meer Legislative power then Popery hath had as good assurance as any they have had most voices most Counsels and so Arrianism when the world went after it Post-script The Testimony of Salmasius the approoved German writer of the Presbyteriall way and employed by the States of Holland to write THat the Baptisme in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is not that way of Baptisme practiced by the Apostles The Baptisme of Apostolicall use and institution is in the Rivers not with invocation of the three Persons seeing the Apostles Baptized onely in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ In his owne Latine thus Baptisma in aquis perennibus Apostolici instituti moris sed non invocatio Trinitatis super Baptizatum cum Apostoli in solo nomine Iesu Baptizarent Salmasius in apparatu ad libros de primatu papae fol. 193. Salmasius his Testimony against the present Presbyterial-way DVobus modis hac Independentia ecclesiarum accipi si vel respectum non habeant ad vicinas ullas ecclesias aut si non pendeant ab authoritate aliquot Ecclesiarum simul in unam Classem vel Synodum conjunctarum unius conventus cujus partem ipsae faciant Prior modus similior reperitur primitivae ecclesiae praxi consuetudini ac usui quo voluntina haec communio inter ecclesias fuit Posterior magis convenit cum instituto quod postea a juris humani dispositione introductum est Hoc posteriore modo libertas perticularium ecclesiarum magis imminuta videtur quam priore Sed quod ab initio fuerit voluntatis b postea factum est juris Hoc jus sane positivum atque ecclesiasticum humanumque non divinum juris est quidem divini ut una sit ecclesia christo unitas autem ejus non gregalium aut c concorporalium plurium adunate collectione consistat sed in fidei ac doctrinae unanimi consensione Pag. 265.266 in apparatu In English thus THis Independency of Churches may be taken two waies Either as not having respect to any neghbour Churches or as not depending on the authority of some Churches that are joyn'd in some Classis or Synod of which the Churches themselvs may make a part The former way is found to be more like the practise custome and use of the Primitive Church whereby this voluntary communion was among the Churches The latter way doth more agree with the institution which afterwards was introduced by a humane authoritie By this latter way the liberty of particular churches seem to be less diminished then by the former But that which from the beginning was arbitrary afterwards is made necessary as a law This law truly is positive and ecclesiasticall and humane not divine 'T is by a divine law that the Church of Christ should be one but the unity of it doth not consist in the union or collection of many that are of the same flock or body but in the unanimous consent agreement in faith and doctrine Page 265.266 in apparatu FJNJS 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine Joh. 7.17 1 John 4.1 1 John 4.16 Luke 10.18 Matth. 24.12 1 John 4.8 1 John 3.6 John 13.1 1 Cor. 1.12 13. Prov. 6.28 Phil. 1.15 16 17 18. Luke 22.58 60. Gal. 2.12 13 14. See Master Bayly his Dissuasive Acts 1.25 1 Thess. 5.19 Prov. 28.1 1 Tim. 2.2 Gal. 2.11 Act. 21.20 1 Cor. 8.7 8 10. Revel. 5.6 Revel. 18.1 Matth. 7.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.20 Rom. 15.2 1 Cor. 8.9 Rom. 14.17 John 20 9. Luke 24.26 John 3.25 Acts 21.20 Matt. 11.1 2 5. Mark 9.38 Luke 9.49 Acts 19.2 3. 1 Thess. 5.20 Phil. 3.2 5 16. Acts 15.3 4. 1 Cor. 13.12 Col. 3.13 1 Cor. 8.2 Revel. 17.17 Luke 28.18 a Matt. 18.15 Act. 15.19 28 31. and 16.4 1 Tim. 4.14 Tit. 1.5 1 Tim. 1.2 Tit. 1.6 Acts 13.1 1 Cor. 12.17 b Acts 6.6 2 Tim. 2.2 1 Tim. 4.14 Eph. 4.11 12. Heb. 13.17 Act. 20.28 29. Revel. 2.14 20 a Act. 15.21 25 29. 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 1 Tim. 5.1 Matth. 20.25 b Acts 15.29 Joh. 16.13 Gal. 1.12 Acts 2.43 c Mark 10.42 Luke 22.25 Joh. 18.36 d Acts 1.15 15.22 14.23 e 1 Tim. 6.3 Matth. 15.9 f Acts 20.17 and 15.4 * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} g Matth. 16.11 and 13.3 Joh. 6.12 h Revel. 13.16 Matt. 7.14 15 16 17. Joh. 10.1 5. Acts 19.15 i 1 Cor. 14.23 Acts 6.3 1 Cor. 1.2 k