it be obserued what Baptisme is I say a washing away the filth of the Flesh is not Baptisme that is the least part of Baptisme where the greater is and where the greater is wanting it is no part of Baptisme at all the which not onely the Scriptures teach but our aduersaries confesse as shal be shewed First the Scriptures teach that the Baptisme that saueth vs is not the putting away the filth of the Flesh but in that a good Conscience maketh request vnto God * 1. Pet. 3.21 c. It is the Baptisme of repentance for remission of sinnes * Mark 1.4 The Sprinkling of the heart from an euill conscience and washing the body with pure water is that whereby wee come to God * Heb. 10.22 It is the washing of the new birth and renuing of the holy Ghost * Tit. 3.5 For we must be borne of the Spirit or we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God * Ioh. 3.5 for nothing auayleth in CHRIST but a new creature * 2. Cor. 5. Gal. 6. 2. The Cathechisme set forth by authority saith That a Sacrament as Baptisme c. hath two partes the outward visible signe and the inward Spirituall Grace the outward visible signe is Water c. the inward Spirituall Grace is a death vnto sinne a new birth vnto righteousnes The English Primmer for being by Nature borne in sinne and the children of wrath we are hereby made the children of Grace And further they confesse that Repentance and Faith is required of euery person to bee Baptised Repentance whereby they forsake sinne and Faith whereby they stedfastly beleeue the Promise of God made to them in that Sacrament And Vrsinus saith thus * Cathechism pag. 723. Hee that shall beleeue c. In these wordes is noted briefly the right vse of Baptisme in which right vse the Sacraments are ratefied but in whatsoeuer corrupt and vnlawfull vse and administration the Sacraments are no Sacraments but are Sacraments to them onely who receiue them with a true Faith c. All which being considered If they cannot proue and that by the Scriptures that Infants haue their hearts Sprinkled from an euill conscience and so haue a good Conscience that they haue Repentance that they haue the washing of the new birth which is to be born againe euen of the Spirit and that they haue Faith I say all these or any one of them let them proue by Scripture Infants haue or else their consequence vanisheth and it is no Sacrament by their owne confession The blasphemous inuention of Pope Iginius will nothing auayle them which is that they haue or doe performe them by their Godfathers and Godmothers for the which there is not the least shew in all the Scriptures of God For the iust shall liue by his owne Faith * Heb. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 the righteousnes of the righteous shall * Ezek. 18. 14. be vpon himselfe Iust Iob Noah and Daniell shall deliuer neither Sonne nor Daughter but onely themselues by their righteousnes * Ezek. 14. Chap. They affirme indeed that Infants be regenerate but let vs agree what Regeneration is so Repentance Faith by Gods Scriptures then it will appeare plainly Infants haue them not Regeneration is a turning from sinne to God * Rom. 6.11 1 Thes 1.9 Tit. 3.5 Repentance is a sight and knowing of sinne by the Law a confessing of sinne a sorrowing for sinne and a promise and endeauour to forsake sinne as before Heb. 11.1 Faith is the ground or assurance of thinges hoped for the euidence of things not seene and it is accompanied with obedience Iam. 2.17.26 For Faith without works is dead Our aduersaries say Repentance is a forsaking of sinne and Faith is a stedfast beleeuing of the Promises of God made to them that are Baptised Let them either now proue that Infants are turned from sinne to God in righteousnes that they see know sinne by the Law that they confesse sinne sorrow for it and promise and endeauour to forsake it that they haue stedfast beliefe of the promises of God Let them proue these or they say nothing and wee may truely conclude they are neither Regenerate neither haue they Repentance nor Faith and so may by no consequence be Baptised Ereu. They alledge Act. 2. as a place much making for them Amend your liues and bee Baptised euery one of you in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ for the Promise is made to you and to your Children and to all that are a farre off euen as many as the Lord our God shall call Odeg. The place truely considered maketh against themselues for these to whom the Apostle speaketh being pricked in their hearts by the call of God in Peters Preaching and crying out men brethren what shall we do Peter answeres them Amend your liues and be Baptised euery one not onely be Baptised but also amend your liues and such as gladly receiued his word were Baptised So that Fathers of the Iewes and their Children and Fathers of the Gentiles and their Children must all amend their liues and be Baptised gladly receiue the word or else this Promise here made appertaineth not to them for the Promise is to all that the Lord our God shall call Fathers and Children Children must amend their liues and gladly receiue the word or else their sinnes cannot bee put away neither can their Fathers repentance saue them from damnation Againe let it be well obserued that this Couenant or Promise * Act. 1. is the couenant of saluation by Christ made vnto the Children of Abraham vpon the same Condition that it is made to Abraham himselfe namely vpon repentance and Faith in Christ as is most plaine in these wordes * Act. 13.31 c. And wee declare vnto you that touching the Promise made vnto the Fathers God hath fulfilled it vnto vs their Children in that hee raised vp IESVS from the dead Verse 38. c. And bee it knowne vnto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is Preached vnto you remission of sinnes and from all things from the which yee could not be iustified by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified In these wordes we see the Promise made vnto the Fathers is thus fulfilled to their Children that Christ is raised from the dead that through him they might haue remission of sinnes euen euery one that beleeueth might bee iustified Fathers and Children And whereas many stumble at the worde Children conceiuing that it is meant of Infants it is heere and elsewhere vsed often in the Scriptures for men of vnderstanding * Act. 3.25 Gal. 4.19 1 Cor. 14.20 Heb. 2.10.14 1 Ioh. 12 28. â— 21 3.18 Ereu. They obiect 1. Cor. 7.14 the Children of beleeuing Parents are holy and being holy they may be Baptised say they Odeg. This place
by Faith And Rom. 6.3 c. they were grafted into Christ and his death by Baptisme according to Christs commandement in his Cōmission Goe make to Disciples all Nations baptising them into the name of the Father c * Mark 28.19 And Christ promiseth his presence vnto two or 3. so gathered into his name * Mat. 18.20 so that to be gathered into the name of CHRIST by being made Disciples and baptised is to be made members of his body which is his Church of his Flesh and of his bone plainely confirmed * 1. Cor. 12.13 wee are all by one Spirit baptised into one body as also except a man be borne of water and the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God * Ioh. 3.5 Thus Christ made Disciples * Ioh. 4.1 c. wee must be the sonnes of God by Faith and put on Christ by Baptisme * Gal. 3.26.37 Our entrance into the holy place is to drawe neare with a true heart in assurance of Faith sprinckled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water c. and wee are made partakers of Christ by hauing the beginnings * Heb. 10.22 which beginnings are Repentance Faith and Baptisme * Heb. 3.14 other beginnings or foundation can no man lay * Heb. 6.1 c. * 1 Cor. 3.11 Thus was the members and Church of Ierusalem made which was the first Church of Christ 1. The 120. euen by Iohns Doctrine which was Faith and Baptisme into the name of IESVS * Act. 19.4 and thus were the 3000. added by gladly receiuing the Word and being Baptised * Act. 2.41 Thus were the Churches of Samaria made * Act. 8.12 Act. 16. Act. 18.8 the Church at Phillippi at Corinth in Galatia * Gal. 3.26.27 Col. 2.12 Collossa and as the Gospell came to these Churches so came it vnto all the world Col. 1.6 The manifestation of Faith and Baptisme hath Christ ioyned together and what is mortall man that he should seperate them * Mat. 19.6 This is the doore into his Kingdome by which if any man enter Ioh. 10. hee shall goe in out and finde pasture and whosoeuer climbeth vp another way they are Theeues and robbers This is the word of the Lord it endureth for euer * 1. Pet. 1.25 and it must be kept without spot vntill Christs appearing * 1 Tim. 6. and cursed are they that teach otherwise * Gal. 1.8.9 This being thus declared it followeth that the Church of Rome at this day and for diuers hundred yeares not being made by Baptising beleeuers but by washing fleshly Infants vpon confession of suerties for them therefore they haue not Christ but are in Gods accompt as the worst Pagans Egiptians Sodomites Babilonians Gentiles a habitation of Deuils * Reuel 18. ◠a holde of all soule Spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird as also all that seperate from her doe confesse From whence I reason If such as came from Gods own people the Iewes must enter into the Church by manifestation of Repentance Faith and Baptisme aswell as the Gentiles for there was but one entrance for them both * Ephes 2.18 then much more such as come from Egiptians Sodomites Babilonians yea from a habitation of Deuils c. must manifest Repentance beliefe and be Baptised and so enter into Christs Church but the former is true as all the afore named Scriptures proue therefore the latter much more must follow in that if any should haue had priuiledge this way Gods people the Iewes should That such is and was the estate of Rome and England when Iohn Robinson and his company left it olde Brownisme freely confesseth yea he himselfe acknowledgeth * Justific of super pa. that the Lord neuer made Couenant with Rome nor England and not onely Brownists but Caluinists Church of England and others apply all these thinges before named against Rome yet being loath to cast her downe to the ground euen all of them retaine maintaine the Babilonish Egiptian Sodomitish washing of this habitation of Deuils for the outward badge of their Christianity wherein they take the chiefe Corner Stone of Babilon for foundation contrary to the expresse commaund of the Lord * Ier. 51.26 and besides they take an other course in the building of their Spirituall Temple Ezra 3. then Gods people tooke in the rebuilding of the materiall Temple who made all things according to the first patterne and so take counsell in their new buildings but not of the Lord therefore shall they bee destroyed and are in Gods account so farre from being true Churches that they are Synagogues of Sathan But Christs sheepe will heare his voyce and follow him calling them Goe out of her Goe out of her * Reuel 18.4 harken to the Angell flying through the mid'st of Heauen * Chap. 14. hauing an euerlasting Gospell not a new Gospell they that bring new Gospell are to be held accursed * Gal. 1.8.9 the old Gospell of IESVS CHRIST is to saue all such as beleeue and are Baptised * Mark 16.16 Thus doe Christs follow him in what he hath commanded and so become a habitation of God by the Spirit * Ephes 2.22 and water which Church Christ sanctifieth by the washing of water through the Word * Ephes 5.26 All which I haue shewed to this end to make plaine that if Iohn Rob and others did walke in the path of the Lord as they follow the vision of their owne hearts they should be constrayned to practise that in the building of the Church of Christ which they disaproue in vs that is That when they seperated from that habitation of Deuils Rome and were to combine themselues together to be a Church some one must Baptise not being yet Pastor or Elder For there must be a Flocke before a Shepherd as were all the Churches of the Primitiue time and as was Io. Rob. flocke before they made him their shepherd And one thing more I would demaund of him seeing he hath cast away his Popish Priesthood and yet retaineth his Popish washing for his Christianity for other christianity hath be none in that by Baptisme men put on either a true or false Christ Why he could not as well haue repented of the euils of his Ordination and yet retaine that ordination still as repent of his Baptisme and yet keepe it In his Baptisme hee confesseth there was neither fit party to be Baptised right party to Baptise Pag. 136. nor true fellowship to bee Baptised into but onely washing with water with the wordes vsed in Christs Baptisme So I say was therein his ordination imposition of handes with fasting and Prayer If he say there was no right party to be ordayned true parties to ordayne nor true cōmunion to be ordayned in which is all he can
faithfull Hymeneus was of the truth erronious Hymeneus was neuer of it Againe will any say that the Pope himselfe is an Antichrist in respect of his person or rather in regard of his Spirit or Spirituall power he hath Therefore all that this place proueth is that lying Spirits or Antichrists in mens persons went out from the truth and were neuer of he truth and therefore serueth nothing to proue That the Elect can neuer fall away Of Free-will Ereunetes I Confesse you haue plentifully proued that the Elect may fall out of their Election and haue sufficiently to euery reasonable mans satisfaction answered their obiections and I see it behooueth all men to make their calling and election sure by obedience as Peter teacheth and to worke out their saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. The next thing I desire to be satisfied in is what power there is in man to doe what God requireth In plaine tearmes what you hold of that which men call Free-will Odegos First I will relate what the Caluinists hold as the vndeniable consequences of their Predestination Also I will shew you what I hold and giue you my proofes and reasons from the Scriptures and then answere their obiections As I haue formerly shewed from their owne plaine words in Print They affirme that God is not onely the principall cause of all things but also the Author Knox. appointing all things to the one part and to the other by his Counsell And that the wicked are not onely left by Gods suffering but compelled to sinne by power which being so all may plainely see what followeth that it is not in man to chuse or refuse wickednesse for they are compelled by the power force and compulsion of Gods predestination to commit all those wicked and cruell crimes for the which they are either punished by the Magistrate or tormented in hell and if Gods predestination worke all in wickednesse and that by force and compulsion and that there be in man no choise then much more doth it in goodnes as violently worke all so that the Godly can neither chuse nor refuse goodnesse as the wicked can neither chuse nor refuse wickednesse Some of them indeed doe holde that Adam and so his posterity lost not will by transgression but that there yet remaineth freedome of will in all good Naturall ciuill morall and Iudiciall thinges but not in Spirituall and also they hold that Man still retaineth the Freedome of his will to euill asmuch as before the fall if not more Bastingius pag. 18. alledging Ambrose Propos dispâ— in Geneuâ— pag. 18. Man by euill was spoyled not of his will but of the soundnes of his will therfore that which in Nature was good in qualitie became euill and Barnard teacheth there is in vs all power to will but to will well wee had need to profit better to will euill we are able already by reason of our fall The which if they would stand vnto I would require no more In answer to the former I holde that theâ—e is yet left in man the facultie of will to chuse or refuse as I will make most plaine 1 By many Scriptures 2. By many vndeniable reasons 1. It is a thing will be granted of all that haue common sence that Election and choise cannot but be in libertie and we finde written in the Scriptures that euen in the workes of godlines câ—oâ—se is ascribed to men Moses saith Deut. 30.19 I haue set before you Lâ—e and Death therefore chuse c. And Iosua saith * Iosua 24.15 Chuse you whome you will serue and hee saith * Vers 22. You are witnesses against your selues that you haue chosen the Lord c. but after wheÌ„ they forsooke the Lâ—rd agaiâ— hee said vnto them * Iudg. 10.14 Goe and cry vnto the Gods whom yee haue chosen Againe the Lord willed Salomâ—n * 1 Kin. 3.5 to ask what he should giue him now Salomon waâ— pâ—t to â—is câ—oise hee might haue asked Wealth Riches long life c. yet be preferred Wisdome before them all and this choise so pleased Goâ— that he would not demaund these althoâ—gh he might for so the Lord said Vers 11. Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not askeâ— â— that with wisdome he gaue him all Dau d saith I haue chosen the way of truâ—h Psa 119.30 I haue chosen thy Commandements And the Lord by the Prophet Esa Esa 65.12 They did wickednes before mine eyes and chose the thing that pleased me not Esa 66.3 And they haue chosen their owne wayes CHRIST saith Luk. 10 4â— Mary hath chosen the best part Thus it is plaine that as chuse and cannot chuse agree together so doe these mens opinion agree with the Scriptures for such direct contrarietie is betwixt choyse and meere necessitie betweene violent compulsion and liberty that blacke and white may more fitly be coupled together in a subiect 2 In worldly things we declare liberty by saying if thou wilt obey thy Superiors thou shalt be rewarded if thou commit Treason thou shalt be hanged these are set before or declared to men to enduce libertie to embrace the good and eschew the euill In like manner in matters of God in very many places wee finde the same courses vsed If you walke in my ordinances Leâ—ir 26 â— c. â—sa â— 1â— c. yee shall eat the Fruits of the earth If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good thinges of the Land If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements And he that shall beleeue and be Baptized shall be saued hee that will not beleeue shall be damned and many the like Maâ— 19 1â— Mark. â— 3 Those that haue libertie to chuse or refuse in ciuill things we vse to threaten with punishments if they omit that wee would haue them do or do that we forbid them aâ— for example the gallowes for Theeues c. because they may liue truely if they will So God threatneth eternall Death to those that doe not obserue his sayings Luk. 13.3 If yee doe not repent yee shall perish If one be not regenerate by water and Spirit Ioh. 3.5 he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God He that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life Vers 36. but the wrath of God abideth on him If some cannot repent and others cannot chuse but repent to what end are these threatnings were it not madnes for 4. men in the top of a tree hauing a man tyed hand and foote in a corde at the roote of the tree to threaten him with death and all terrors if hee came not vp if they intended afterwards by maine force to haile him vp This is the opinion of the Caluinists that man lyeth so bound in the cordes of sin that he can doe nothing without the compelling Grace of God God must draw him vp without Free-will and liberty and he cannot resist that