all consulted these Rules or Mr. Baxter before him and Mr. Whiston since or whether there has been any thing of tenderness to their Opponents names and persons any thing of compassion charity meekness whether any serious examination of the absolute certainty and verity of their own Opinion lest themselves should be mistaken as Mr. Baxter confesses it is easie for Wise and Good men to be mistaken in it the point is so dark and dubious or whether they have enquired into the sincerity of their ends whether their heat has been an holy heat purely for Gods Glory and the Salvation of their Brothers Soul all this is now left at the Bar of the Readers Judgement and will shortly be brought before a greater and more impartial Tribunal And truly Sir I must tell you that your dirty Language your extream slighting and contemning your Opponents loading them with Scandals and Reproaches sometimes charging them with ignorance and insufficiency proudly and vainly boasting and trampling over them in your own conceit has not a little spoil'd your cause and given the Anabaptists a great advantage against you in the Consciences of sober and pious Christians I have heard my self some persons of Quality and Piety to say alas what difference is there between Mr. Danvers and Mr. Will 's their Books the later is stuffed with ride rage and passion the first with meekness tenderness and humility And I suppose were the Books searcht that have been Written of late Years on the subject of Baptism as Mr. Baxter Sydenham Cragg Wills and Whiston c. on the one part and Mr. Tombes Blackwood Byfield Den Danvers Patient Norcot c. on the other part it would seem to be discovered by what Spirit they Wrote and men would see in the first party a proud magisterial scurrilous abusive and scornful Spirit in the other a more humble gracious meek and charitable temper If any Question it the Books are Extant and the matter may soon be brought to an issue but Sir you have out-done them all not only in shooting your invenomed Arrows against the whole party but especially against Mr. Danvers as appears by your Appeal to the Baptist Churches against him it seems you have arraigned condemned and executed him already and have said implicitely though audaciously as Paul to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. for though I am absent in the Body yet have judged him already that that he be delivered to Satan But stay a while Sir and give Wiser men leave to search out the matter Will nothing serve your turn but present Repentance or Excommunication What Scripture-rule have you taken to convince him or must he Repent before any Conviction hath past upon him Surely Illumination is the first work and the same Organ that is for Weeping is for Seeing but a man must see first as Zach. 12. They shall look and then mourn But Sir there are as Wise men as your self and none of his party neither that judge that what Mr. Danver's has Writ was in the simplicity and sincerity of his heart according to his knowledg and as he apprehended the meaning of those Ancients he has quoted and that he had no intention to prevaricate as you charge him with or abuse the Fathers to patronize his Opinion If otherwise you may think him non compos mentis considering he could not be ignorant of the prejudice and sedulity of the Opponents who might have advantage enough against him from the Libraries in the Universities and else-where It 's true indeed some of his Friends wish he had not concerned himself with the Arguments from the Fathers they say they can spare it you very well are content with Father Paul Father Peter and the rest of those Scripture Fathers what can be drawn from the three First Centuries is rather for than against them And in regard the mystery of Iniquity began to work in the Apostles dayes and the Apostacy soon came on they do not value the following Centuries though others think the most part of his Collections justifiable were the matter brought before impartial and indifferent Judges And though you have so concerned your self and serued your Wits to maintain Infant-Baptism and some of you as Mr. B. and Mr. Whiston c. by such strange absurdities and ridiculous Mediums altogether unknown to the Fathers yet wise men judge you have been all this while bringing Brick and Mortar towards the repairing of Babel which else perhaps would have fallen long since for they do not think that the more immediate Ministers and Factors for Babylon would have been able to have brought a stone at this day had not you and others stept in and took the Anti-christian party by the hand and said Be strong and in this matter have say'd as the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin Ezra 4.2 Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do so we Baptize Infants as ye do and though we differ in some Circumstances touching the ground of their Baptism yet we all agree in the subject and so you have proved the greatest Enemies to Reformation though it is strange that men who have Covenanted to reform Religion according to the Word of God and have pretended to cast out all the dirt of Romish Superstitions and Traditions of men in the Worship of God should be the greatest upholders of that Babylonish Building But what shall we say The Carpenter encourageth the Goldsmith Isai 41.7 and it seems Gods time is not yet come when Babylon the Great shall be thrown as a Mill-stone into the Sea and rise no more But Sir in the mean time what way is there left but for Christians diligently to search the Scriptures to pray for the Holy Spirit the promise of the Father and wherein they differ modestly to examine the Opinions of one another and where God reveals more light to endeavour to convince their Brethren with a spirit of meekness concealing the Infirmities and covering the Imperfections of one another But those thunder-claps that came from you of late make your Enemies to rejoyce and your Friends mourn and standers by cannot hold their peace but like Craesus his dumb Son are compelled to speak when they see the point of Infant-Baptism so provoke and enrage your Spirits against a people who practice the contrary according to that light and knowledg they have received and profess they would be convinced did they see any solid Arguments from the Scriptures in the mean time it seems they must be exposed to all the calumnies and reproaches a numerous and prevailing party of their Opponents can cast upon them But Brethren is not the Devil our common Enemy and surely could we unite amongst our selves his Kingdom should soon be divided and then and not till then shall we see Satan fall like Lightning and what glorious times might we then expect I desire these Lines may be received in the same Spirit and for the same end for which they were Written which was not to increase our Divisions but to allay them for the effecting of which we shall still pray and till God removes from us every thing that offends and supplants every Plant that his own right hand hath not planted Sir I Rest Your Soul-Friend T. B. BOOKS Treating about the Subject of Baptism Printed for and Sold by Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill A Treatise of BAPTISM wherein that of Believers and that of Infants is examined by the Scriptures with the History of both out of Antiquity making it appear that Infant-baptism was not practised for near 300 Years after Christ nor enjoyned as necessary till 400 Years after Christ c. With the History of Christianity amongst the Ancient Brittains and Waldensians c. By H. D. Innocency and Truth vindicated or a Sober Reply to Mr. Ws. Answer wherein the Authorities and Antiquities for Believers and against Infant-Baptism are defended and the mis-representations and Forgeries he boasts of are returned upon himself With a brief Answer to Mr. Blinman's Essay by the same Author A Second Reply in Defence of the Treatise of Baptism wherein Mr. Baxter's More Proofs are found no Proof in two parts the First defending the Antiquities against his charge of Forgery The Second justifying the charge of Slander Contradiction and Popery against his Writings As also an Admonition to Mr. B. by the same Author and some Reflections by Mr. Tombs upon Mr. B's More Proofs With a Rejoynder to Mr. W. his Vindiciae and an Answer to his Appeal by the same Author Together with the Baptists Answer to the said Appeal The Book-seller further signifies to the Impartial Reader desiring information into that Principle of Baptizing Believers that he can furnish him with The Learned Treatises of Mr. John Tombs The Works of Mr. Samuel Fisher in Folio A Pious and Learned Piece by Henry Lawrence Esq A judicious Piece by Mr. Christopher Blackwood Intituled the Storming of Antichrist c. ERRATA Candid Reader Literal Escapes and Mis-pointings are left to thine Ingenuity to Correct or Pardon the most material Errors correct thus Last page of the Preface line 20. after endeavours read to remove the absurdities charged upon their practice and. p. 3. l. 9. r. never p. 8. l. 2. dele thereby l. 29. r. legitur p. 12. l. 29. r. lotus p. 13. l. 4. r. illusorium p. 18. l. 2. for there r. that p. 19. l. 1. r. included p. 22. l. 10. dele not There should be a spiritus asper over some Greek words which thou wilt note
A TREATISE Concerning the COVENANT and BAPTISM Dialogue-wise between a BAPTIST a POEDO-BAPTIST Wherein is shewed That Believers only are the Spirituall Seed of Abraham Fully discovering The Fallacy of the Argument drawn from the Birth Priviledge WITH Some Animadversions upon a Book Intituled Infant-Baptism from Heaven and not of men Defending the Practise of Baptizing only Believers against the Exceptions of M. Whiston By Edward Hutchinson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. It is necessary first to believe and afterwards to be signed with Baptism Basil l. 3. contra Eunom I beseech you regard not what this or that man says but enquire all things of the Scripture Chrysost 13. hom 2 Cor. If you be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royall Exchange in Cornhil 1676. The Epistle DEDICATORY To the spiritual seed of Abraham especially those of the Baptized Congregations BEloved for the fathers sake first premising that they are not all Israel that are of Israel I know there is drosse mingled with your silver chaff amongst your wheat and the Canaanite is still in the land and troubles you but to you that are indeed the true seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ do I dedicate this Treatise You beloved are of God and have your fathers name written in your foreheads you are the true Israelites to whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory the Covenants and Gospel promises whose are the fathers and for whom Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever You are a chosen generation a Royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people walking in the steps of your father Abraham hearkning to that great Prophet whom God hath raised up among your brethren and have been baptized into the name of the father son and holy spirit But the devil that implacable enemy of souls hath endeavoured to wreak his malice upon you above all people opening his floodgates to overwhelm you the Archers have shot sorely at you the plowers have made deep furrows upon your backs yet you are still supported by the rock of Ages and strengthned by an Everlasting Arm they have laboured in vain for the blessings of your father Abraham have prevailed above the blessings of your progenitors Your begining in these nations of late years was but small yet when it pleased the Lord to dispel those clouds that overshaddowed us and scatter some beams of the Gospel amongst us he gave you so great an increase that Sion may say with admiration who hath begotten me these c. Nor is it lesse observable that whereas other Reformations have been carryed on by the secular arm and the Countenance and allowance of the Magistrate as in Luthers time by several German Princes the Protestant Reformation in England by King Edward Q. Elizabeth c. The Presbyterian reformation by a Parliament Comittee of Estates Assembly of Divines besides the favour and assistance of great personages you have had none of these to take you by the hand but your progresse was against the impetuous current of humane opposition attended with such external discouragements as bespeak your embracing this despised truth an effect of heart-sincerity void of all mercenary considerations Yea how active has the Accuser of the Brethren been to represent you in such frightful figures exposing you by that mischievous artifice to popular Odium and the lash of Magistracy in so much that the name of an Anabaptist was crime enough which doubtlesse was a heavy obstacle in the way of many pious souls And what our dissenting brethren have to answer upon that account who instead of taking up have laid stumbling blocks in the way of Reformation will appear another day Yet notwithstanding the strenuous oppositions of those great and learned ones The mighty God of Jacob hath taken you by the hand and said be strong Besides it has a considerable tendency to the advancement of divine grace if we consider the way and manner of the Reviving this costly truth When the professors of these Nations had been a long time wearied with the yoke of superstitious ceremonies traditions of men and corrupt mixtures in the worship and service of God it pleased the Lord to break these yokes and by a very strong impulse of his spirit upon the hearts of his people to convince them of the necessity of Reformation Divers piâ—us and very gracious people having often sought the Lord by fasting and prayer that he would shew them the patern of his house the goings out and comeings in thereof c. Resolved by the grace of God not to receive or practise any piece of positive worship which had not precept or Example from the word of God Infant-Baptism coming of course under consideration after long search and many debates it was found to have no footing in the Scriptures the only rule and standard to try doctrines by but on the contrary a meer innovation yea the prophanation of an ordinance of God And though it was purposed to be laid aside yet what fears tremblings and temptations did attend them lest they should be mistaken considering how many learned and Godly men were of an opposite perswasion How gladly would they have had the rest of their brethren gone along with them But when there was no hopes they concluded that a Christians faith must not stand in the wisdom of men and that every one must give an account of himself to God and so resolved to practise according to their light The great objection was the want of an Administrator which as I have heard was removed by sending certain messengers to Holland whence they were supplyed So that this little cloud of Witnesses hath the Lord by his grace so greatly encreased that it is spread over our Horizon though opposed and contradicted by men of all sorts And now friends I can safely bear you record that it is not humour conceitednesse or singularity so often charged upon you that makes you decline the BaptiZing your little ones For I know they are as dear to you as children are to any parents under heaven your sighs and tears those heart-breaking desires and pathetick wishes you send to the mercy-seat for them is a sufficient testimony hereof and your petitions that Ishmael may live before God that your children may be converted that they may have an Interest in the new Covenant that the law of God may be written in their hearts that their sins may be pardoned their natures sanctifyed and their souls eternally saved And did you know that Baptism could contribute the least iota hereunto how readily and zealously would you perform it besides it is an easy service that would bring you into the credit and esteem of differing professors divers of your natural relations c. yea 't is as safe as easy nothing of self-denyal or the Cross attending it And it is very remarkable that
the consequent I say the children of the flesh may be the children of God by Election but they are not so by calling and so not counted for the seed and if you still urge as I know you will that all these places are meant of the Adult only then let us read the words as you would have us and see what absurdity you will father upon the holy spirit First from Gal. 3.9 They that are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham and they also that are not of faith Secondly from Gal. 3.19 They that are Christs viz. visibly are Abrahams seed and they that are not Christs are Abrahams seed Thirdly from Rom. 9.8 They which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God visibly and they that are the children of flesh are the children of God visibly So from John 8.39 They that do the works of Abraham are the children of God and they that do not the works of Abraham are the children of God so we must read the words if these texts of Scripture be not exclusive Poed It is very true if those texts be not exclusive we must read the words or at least understand them as you have said but then we should make the Scripture guilty of great absurdity and contradiction Poed But out ministers tells us the promise is to you and your children and them that are afar off by which they understand believing Gentiles and their seed Bap But what do you mean by promise is it the promise and covenant of eternal life and salvation or the promise of outward ordinances If you say the first then we ask you whether that promise be absolute or conditional If absolute then all the children of believers must needs be saved If you say conditional and faith and repentance be the condition then we are agreed and the controversy is ended Poed No we do not say that by promise in the 2d of the Acts is meant the promise of eternal life and salvation for that is not made much less made good to any upon the tearms of their parents faith but upon their own personal belief and obedience but we mean the promise of outward ordinances as to be baptized c. Bap. Very well if that be Peters meaning that believers infants shall be admitted to outward ordinances when others shall not Then consider what a poor promise this is and what a miserable comforter he is made by you in making as if this were all his meaning and all that he intends by this pretious word of promise But you must know Peters business was to support the Jewes smitten down under a sence of sin and the guilt of Christs blood which lay heavy upon them but if this be all he intended you and your children shall be baptized c. then the plaister is not broad enough for the soar for pray consider and we will suppose Peter speaking thus to them you have by wicked hands crucified the Lord of life and wished his blood to be upon you and your children but be of good comfort believe and be baptized and then you and your children shall stand under the title of the people of God under right to outward ordinances when others shall not and not only you but your children shall be baptised But neither you nor they ever the sooner saved as born of you further then together with you they shall believe and obey the Gospel in which case of faith and obedience all unbelievers in the world and their children shall be saved as soon as either you or they It is as much as to say the promise of freedome to partake of the ordinances is to you and your seed above other but the promise of the inheritance is as much to all others and their children as to you and yours What most comfortless comfort is this to men cast down under a sence of sin and guilt what a pittiful plaister is here applied to men prick'd at the heart and smarting under the direful apprehension of Gods wrath besides what exquisite nonsence do you make the Apostle speak if his words be taken in your sence for they must run thus viz. first by way of precept repent and be baptized you and your children 2ly by way of encouragement so the priviledge of being baptized shall belong to you and your children which unbelievers and their seed shall not enjoy But the promise of remission of sins and salvation is made no more to you then to them But without doubt it must be otherwise the promise take it which way you will either for the proffer of the promise or the thing promised It must needs be of some more excellent matter than outward membership ordinances abstract from remission of sins and salvation yea 't is most evident that the thing here promised is no less then remission of sins and salvation it self for as no less is expressed in the very text remission of sins and the holy spirit which elsewhere is called the earnest of inheritance So unless you will divide the children from having a share alike with their parents in that promise which in the self same sentence term and sence is promised alike to them both so as to say the word promise is to be understood of remission of sins and salvation as in relation to the parents but of an inferiour thing viZ. a right to ordinances only as in relation to the Infants only which were great absurdity to utter it must necessarily be meant of one kinde of mercy to both parents and children yea and upon the same termes too and no other then those upon which its tendred to the parents viz. personal repentance and obedience and so consequently of remission and salvation and not of such a trivial title to external participation only as you talk of which if it be then unless you assert that God hath promised salvation absolutly to all the natural seed of believers upon those terms only as they are their seed which you dare not stand too the promise mean which you will the bare proposal or the salvation propounded or both upon those terms belongs of right not only to believers and their posterity but also to all men and their posterity without difference when at years of capacity to neglect or perform them for the glad tidings of salvation are commanded to be preached to all and proffered to every creature at years to hear and understand though not to infants on terms of their parents faith so assuredly the terms being performed the salvation so promised shall be enjoyed there is no right by birth to salvation or the promise of it in believers seed more then in unbelievers nor no priviledge to them more then to others save the meer hopefulness of education and advantage of instruction in the way and means of salvation which may possibly befall believers children more then others though in case it happen as sometime it doth that the children of
proper if that be true of the Custome â—hereof there is no cause to make question for the use at present any man I think knows how to inform himself For that of elder times I can produce two pregnant and notable testimonies one of the Jews and people of God another of the Gentiles The first you shall finde in the 16. Chapter of Ezekiel where God describes the poor and forlorn condition of Jerusalem when he first took her to himself under the parable of an exposed Infant As for thy Nativity saith he in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all no eye pitied thee none to do any of these things unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out in open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born Here you may learn what was wont to be done unto infants at their nativity by that which was not done to Israel till God himself toâ—k pitty on her cutting of the Navel string washing salting swadling upon this place S. Hierome takes notice but scarce any body else that I can yet finde that our Saviour where speaking of Baptism he says Except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God alludes to the custome here mentioned of washing Infants at their Nativity The other testimony and that most pertinent to the application we make I finde in a story related by Plutarch in his Questiones Romanae not far from the beginning in this manner Among the Greeks if one that were living were reported to be dead and funeral obsequies performed for him if afterwards he returned alive he was of all men abominated as a prophane aad unlucky person No man would come into his company and which was the highest degree of calamity they excluded him from their Temples and the sacrifices of their Gods it chanced that one Aristinus being fallen into the like disaster and not knowing which way to expiate himself therefrom sent to the Oracle at Delphos to Apollo beseeching him to shew him the means whereby he might be freed and discharged thereof Pythia gave him this Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What women do when one in childbed lyes That do again so maist thou sacrifice Aristinus rightly apprehending what the Oracle meant offered himself to women as one newly brought forth to be washed again with water from which Example it grew a custome among the Greeks when the like misfortune befell any man after this manner to expiate them they called them Hysteropotmi or Postliminio nati How well doth this befit the mystery of Baptism where those who were dead to God through sin are like Hysteropotmi regenerate and born again by water and the holy Ghost These two passages discover sufficiently the Analogy of the washing with water in Baptism to regeneration or new birth according as the text I have chosen for the Scope of my discourse exppesseth it namely that washing with water is a signe of spiritual Infancy for as much as Infants are wont to be washed when they came first into the world Hence the Jews before John the Baptist came amongst them were wont by this rite to initiate such as they made Proselytes to wit as becoming Infants again and entring into a new life and being which before they had not That which here I have affirmed will be yet more evident if we consider those other rites anciently added and used in the celebration of this mystery which had the self same end we speak of to wit to signify spiritual Infancy I will name them and so conclude as thâ—t of giving the new baptized milk and hony ad infantandum as Tertullian speaks ad infantiae significationem so S. Hierome because the like was used to Infants New born according to that in the 7th of Isay of Immanuels infancy A virgin shall conceive and bear a son butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse evil and choose good Secondly that of Salt as is implyed in that of Ezekiel thou wast not washed with water nor salted with salt That of putting on the white garment to resemble swadling all these were anciently especially the first used in the Sacrament of our spiritual birth out of reference to that which was done to Infants at their natural birth who then can doubt but the principal rite of washing with water the only one ordained by our blessed Saviour was chosen for the same reason to be the element of our Initiation and that those who brought in the other did so conceive of this and from thence derived those imitations Thus for Mr Mede From whom we learn these truths 1. That it not lawful to assigne significations to sacramental Types of our own heads without warrant from the Scriptures 2. That in every Sacrament there is the signe and the thing signified res terrena res caelestis 3. That in Baptism there is an Invisible and caelestial thing signified 4. That though the blood of Christ is the fountain and cause of all that grace and good we receive in Baptism yet it is not the thing signified by the water in Baptism but the spirit cleansing the soul from sin in the work of Regeneration according to Tit. 3.5 5. That in the Baptism of Christ the mistery of all our Baptism was visibly acted 6. That God says to every one truly Baptized as he said to Christ in a proportionable sence thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased 7. That there is a plain Analogy between water and the spirit confirmed by divers Scriptures But not so between the water in Baptism and the blood of Christ 8. That the Fathers and primitive Church did not suppose any other correlative to the water in Baptism but the spirit though they did allude to Christs blood for illustration thereof 9. That in our Liturgy the water in Baptism is made to signifie the holy spirit in our Regeneration But not the Blood of Christ 10. That there was no such thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sprinkling used in the Apostles times nor many ages after 11. That the Analogy between washing with water in Baptism and Regeneration appears from the custome of washing infants from the pollutions of the womb when first born according to the practice of Jews and Gentiles 12. That the Fathers and ancient Church did use to give the new baptized Milk and honey and put white garments on them to signify their spiritual birth out of reference to that which was done to infants at their natural birth From all which you see that baptism is not so much a sign of purging our sins by the bloud of Christ though that concurs by way of merit and efficacy but is not the thing there signifi'd or figured then to what purpose are infants baptized Thus you