attribute the Work to Christ in such a manner as may not in the least savour of Sin or carry in it the least absurdity or contradiction But now Christ can no ways be chargeable with Sin in bringing a Soul from Sin nor is it the least contradiction to say a Man of unwilling is now changed and made willing or for a Dead Man when made alive to act and move it would have been strange to see Lazarus have risen and walked while Dead but not strange at all to see him walk when Christ had quickened him So in this case 3. But say some when we press Sinners to come to Christ in their Sins we do not mean that they can so come but that they ought so to come And forasmuch as this Reply hath the fairest shew of truth I shall consider what of truth it really hath in it Now to this I answer by making this necessary distinction 't is one thing for it to be the Duty of Sinners to come to Christ another thing to come in their Sins to Christ And though I readily grant 't is the Duty of such as are in their Sins to come that is to cease to do Evil and to learn to do Well and by the strength of God's Grace to leave the Sins they now are in yet I absolutely deny 't is their Duty to come in their Sins Though I do not expect all should reach this who are not used to distinctions I shall endeavour therefore to illustrate this to you thus t is one thing for it to be the Duty of an unchanged Person to come another for that Person to come unchanged 'T is the Duty of Sinners to keep the Law but not to keep it in their Sins 'T is the Duty of a Man Drunk to praise God because he is not in Hell but 't is not his Duty to praise him Drunk His praising denotes the Work his praising of him Drunk would denote the manner how he should perform the Work and if this should be granted it would as much be such a Person 's Duty to be Drunk when engaged in that Work as to be engaged in that Work To illustrate this God hath made it our Duty to Praise him and to Worship him in Spirit and Truth the Worship denotes the Work to do it in Spirit is the manner of Working and one is a Duty as well as the other so that tho' it is the Duty of a carnal Man to Worship God yet not to Worship him carnally So though it is the Duty of Sinners to come yet not to come in their Sins for this would make Sin a Duty there may be a great difference in Sence when there may be but little in Sound To give you an Instance whole Christ is one thing the whole of Christ is another thing the Protestants own whole Christ to be every-where but Hundreds have chose rather to burn at a Stake than to own the whole of Christ to be every-where But I suppose the Patrons of this Opinion will never suffer much for Truths no clearer distinguished than thus though to any understanding Person the difference is exceeding great but unless a Man can find some Mens Understandings as well as Truths the Truths they prepare and explain to them will be but assom any Pearls cast before Swine which will rather Enrage them make them turn again and rend them than be profitable unto them So Christ assumed the Nature that was Polluted but not the Pollution of that Nature But to put all out of doubt I shall come in a more familiar Stile to prove that though it is undoubtedly the Duty of Sinners to come to Christ or believe in Christ yet it is not so much as their Duty to come in their Sins to Christ the great difference between which I hope by what hath been said you now will understand For as I have hinted when I say 't is the Duty of a Sinner to come it denotes no more than thus that it is his Duty to come from Sin to Christ but for any to come in their Sins to Christ denotes they must bring their Sins to Christ which is as impossible as to bring the East and West into one Point the disagreement between Christ and Sin not being so little as many do imagine What Communion hath Light with Darkness Christ is well pleased to see a Soul come from Sin but it is impossible for a Soul to come in Sin nor is it his Duty so to come which I prove from these following Arguments Argument 1. That which no Man was ever able to do is not so much as our Duty to do but no Man was ever able to come to Christ in his Sins therefore 't is not so much as our Duty so to do My Major I conceive will be granted only carefully observe I say that which no Man ever was able to do I do not say that which no Man is now able to do is not his Duty For if we consider Man in his fallen State so many things are his Duty to which he hath no strength to do and God may justly condemn him for not doing them because his Inability was procured by himself but God commands us to do nothing now but what Adam had Power to perform if God had but made it known to be his Duty And for any to deny my Major Proposition would be to affirm that God hath given Man a Law which was absolutely impossible to be kept and damns his Creatures for not obeying of it which hath too harsh a sound to be received for a Truth Minor Proposition But no Man ever was able to come to Christ in his Sins That we who are in a fallen and unregenerate State cannot come to Christ while such I hope I have sufficiently proved and it is impossible that Adam should have Power to come in Sin before he had committed Sin Therefore I conclude that tho' it is the Duty of Sinners to come from Sin to Christ or to believe in Christ because Thousands have by Grace been so enabled to come and Adam had once a Power to believe any thing that God should reveal yet because never any was able to come to Christ in his Sins therefore 't is not so much as a Duty so to do for tho' God hath sent many Sinners to Hell for not coming to Christ yet I am confident he never sent one Soul to Hell for not coming to Christ in his Sins for this would be to damn Souls for not continuing in Sin Argument 2. He that ought to come to Christ in a sinful State ought to continue in him in the same State but no Man can continue in Christ and a sinful State Therefore no Man ought to come in a sinful unrenewed State to Christ The former part of my Argument is clear from Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Now you know the present Enquiry is what
of Baptism for since Baptism comes in the room of Circumcision the Subjects of that Ordinance were so well known they needed not to be again mentioned if an express Command is so necessary I would know what Command the Anabaptists can produce or instance either for to Baptize by Dipping I am certain they can produce no such Command in Scripture but they will reply Tho' they have neither Precept or President yet because the Word signifies so therefore they do it so say I to say nothing now how variously that Word is used as to Baptizing Infants Tho' we have no express Precept in so many Words or President yet because we have many Words and great part of some Chapters too in Scripture that signifie to us that some Infants have been and ought to be Baptized therefore I do it and why Significations and Meanings in Scripture may not be allowed to us as well as them I see not And thus having produced plain Scripture for Infant Baptism since nothing less will do or at least I conceive as plain as can be produced to Baptize Adult I shall conclude this Point touching the Subject with a reasonable Request to my Christian Friend the Anabaptists which is that either they would receive the Doctrine laid down or give some plain Scripture to prove something of what I have laid down to be falfe and if they will not comply with my Request that which I have often feared will too evidently appear to be a Truth that it is Love to a Party more than to the Truth that hath made them so earnestly contend I have often observed 't is no easie Matter to convince some Men of Truth when they have been accustomed to Error they scorn to be informed by others the Pride of their Hearts makes them shut their Eyes that they will not see and we say none are so blind as they that will not see and if this Spirit or Ignorance do not prevail with my Reader I hope he and I shall be both of one Mind for the time to come which will be the Joy of my Heart yet not so much that I have gained the Cause I have been contending for as that this unhappy Controversie is like to be ended and my Friends the Anabaptists brought to the Acknowledgment of the Truth as it is in Jesus Having finished my Discourse as to the Subject of Baptism I designed at first to proceed no further but to the end that nothing may be wanting for the full Satisfaction of such as desire it about the whole of Baptism I shall make some brief Enquiry as to the manner how this Ordinance ought to be Administred whether by Dipping only or otherwise for I never expect that the Anabaptists should resignup their beloved Errors so long as they have any thing which looks like a Strong Hold to shelter them And therefore knowing how earnestly they contend about the Manner how as well as the Subject who I shall a little insist on that also And though perhaps my Reader may cry Victory before he read any further yet I would desire him to forbear Boasting at least till he put off the Harness lest all that hear him in the end Laugh at him Now the Grand Plea of the Anabaptists for Dipping is the word in the Original signifies so But what if the only Reply to them in this Case should be the same they give to us in other Cases Give me a plain Scripture since Significations and doubtful Meanings are of no force with them But referring my Reader to the late Portsmouth Disputation about the Signification of the word by Mr. Chandler c. not being willing to trouble my Reader with any thing of this Nature in my Book which he may read in another I shall keep to plain Scripture since that is most like to convince the common sort of Readers and shall consider if the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is used by Christ and his Apostles whom we must suppose well knew how to use proper words to express their meaning can with any shew of reason always signifies Dipping under Water but to prevent all mistakes and that the difference may not be by any supposed to be greater than it is if it be enquired whether it may not in some case be lawful to Baptize by Dipping I grant it may but the Question is whether we may not as lawfully Baptize some other way This the Anabaptists deny and I affirm and hope I shall prove by these following Texts Acts 1.5 John Baptized with Water Now while 't is said with Water not in Water it seems to imply he did not Dip them only made use of Water in that Ordinance for how improper would it be to say I Dipped such a thing with Water But not at all to say I wash'd such a thing with Water when we only sprinkle it or throw Water upon it See another Text Mark 7.4 And when they come from the Market unless they wash they Eat not Those words unless they wash are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless they Baptize and the Words of Tables in the end of the Verse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Beds Now it is scarce consistent with Reason to suppose that they should so frequently dip their Beds If they did we may suppose them very unfit to lye on for some time The Pharisees had such a proud conceit of themselves that they thought if they did but deal with others they are defiled by so doing and therefore after they came from the Market they were to wash their Hands with which they had delivered any thing to or received any thing from others but that they should on all such occasions Dip themselves wholly under Water seems to be both incredible and ridiculous and yet this is in the Original called a Baptizing as you have heard All I have found answered to this is that in washing they Dipped their Hands and so it was Dipping still though not the whole Body To which I answer In washing our Hands we are not wont to Dip them unless some part of them So that all they can from hence inferr is that some little part of the Body ought to be Dipped in Baptism as much as the Hands or Fingers end why then do the Anabaptists impose Dipping the whole Body and hazard the Life by so doing when it might as well be some little Part of the Body only If they love Peace why do they not shew themselves willing to comply with us as far as they can with a good Conscience since they are forced from this Scripture to own there is no necessity from the signification of the Word to Dip or Plung the whole Body under Water Another Text to be considered is 1 Cor. 10.2 And where all Baptized into Moses in the Clouds and in the Sea But can we suppose they were dipped in the Cloud On the other hand doth not the falling of the Rain from
went not it will be well for him if such as are no more esteemed by him than Publicans do not get into the Kingdom of God before him I hope my Writing doth not in the least savour of such a Spirit and therefore desire my Friends the Anabaptists impartially to weigh what I have laid down and if it will not hold weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary reject it if it doth let it not be rejected because of the weakness or unworthiness of the Instrument but rather let it be received because it is the Mind of God If you receive Light into any Truth herein bless God for it But if through my weakness I have laid down any thing Erroneous then I desire that in as mild a Spirit they confute me with solid Arguments from Scripture which Confutation shall not break my Head or inrage my Heart nor I hope cause me to speak unadvisedly with my Tongue but shall be as a precious Ointment to me I long to see more clearly into the Truth acknowledging I know but in part and so can but Prophecy in part and if God will make use of an Anabaptist to inform me to the end I may know the Ways and Truths of God more perfectly I hope I shall rejoice I must confess in the reading of some Authors of the Anabaptist Perswasion I have been so far from being convinced that I am in an Error that I am the more confirmed in my present Sentiments while I find that in their Endeavours to confute us they wrest the Scripture and most grosly abuse Authors they cite for them Sometime since I read an Author on this Subject supposed to be Mr. Danvers whom upon Examination I find dexterous at abusing Authors as if he was resolved to confirm his Opinion from Antiquity per fas aut nefas right or wrong he there cites Calvin against Infant-Baptism I had almost said Calvin against himself on his Exposition on Mat. 3.6 thus That Men may rightly offer themselves in Baptism Confession of Sins is required otherwise the whole Action would be nothing else but sport But leaves out his words immediately following no doubt on purpose knowing otherwise his Cause had been betrayed and his abuse of that worthy Author discovered his Words are these Porro notandum est de Adultis hic verba fieri that is Let it be noted I am speaking here concerning Adult And who differs from him in this Not I. But as to Infant-Baptism I could weary my reader to cite passages to that purpose especially out of his common places but his Judgment is so well known I may spare my Labour Had this Author had as much Honesty as Learning I am perswaded he would have cited the whole passage of Calvin's If no Body could have read Calvin in Latin how miserably would this Author have beguiled his Ignorant Reader The same Author hath filled his Book almost with citations of Authors but if he hath dealt no better with them than he did with Calvin as 't is certain he did not with some of them no wonder he concealed his Name lest on this account it should be rendred hateful to the World Why did he not cite that whole passage of Calvin's May not Scripture it self be turned into Blasphemy at this rate I do assure my Brethren the Anabaptists such Men as these will never strengthen their Cause were it never so good 'T is a poor shelter to make Lies our Refuge and under Falshood to hide our selves and no commendable practice to force Men to speak in Vindication of that when Dead which they abhorred wrote against and always spoke against while Living And therefore I would desire my Friends the Anabaptists that if they will again Write in Vindication of their Sentiments that they would not always imploy the most Learned but the most Gracious and that they would fix on a Man of Good Report a Man Fearing God and Hating Wickedness not a Slanderer or a Reviler but on such a one who Labours to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man for though for my own part I am perswaded many of the Anabaptist Perswasion are Persons dear to God I mean of those that are against the Doctrine of Free-Will and that what some of them hold is out of Tenderness of Conscience yet that wicked Spirit which hath discovered it self in some of their Writers hath caused the rest to be the worse thought of while in their Writings they seem liker unto Men acted by their own Spirit striving for a Party than contending for Truth by the Spirit of God I would in all Love to my Friends the Anabaptists caution them in one thing and that is to beware of putting too much Considence in their own Writers especially in citing old Authors for they oft cite this and the other of the Fathers speaking for Believer's Baptism and by this Means beguile their unwary Reader with a strong Opinion that they were against Infant Baptism one Instance of which I have cited out of Mr. Calvin to prove this as if he that was for Baptizing Believers who never were Baptized before which is as many of them do certainly mean must needs be against Infant Baptism which is as unnatural a Consequence as to conclude if a Man loves his Wife therefore he must hate his Child whereas his Love to his Wife is no Hindrance to his loving his Child For my part I am for Infant Baptism but withal I am as much for the Baptism of grown Believers if never Baptized before So that these two do no ways contradict each other I leave this as a Caution for my Friends for the time to come I shall hasten to a Close and sum up all in a Word of Exhortation to my Christian Friends the Anabaptists that if they see any weight in what I have said or cannot from Scripture confute me that then they would embrace this Doctrine and practice accordingly for 't is dangerous living in Neglect of that which God in his Word reveals to be a Duty as is clear from Exod. 4.24 There you read how God sought to slay Moses because he had but neglected to Circumcise his Child longer than the time appointed Tho' Moses was dear to God tho' the meekest Man on Earth tho' intimately acquainted with God yet he had died if his Son had not been Circumcised and what ground we have to think that God will more approve of our Neglect of Baptism as to the Subject now than he did the Neglect of Circumcision as to the time then I see not for as God appoints no Ordinance in vain so he cannot bear to see them neglected or despised tho' by his own People And sure I am such Parents not only offend God by so doing but seem to be without all natural Affection to their Seed Even the Sea-Monsters will draw out the Breast to their young ones Lam. 4.3 And they seem Monsters of Parents that can deny such
be found in the Great Day to be but as Hay Wood Stubble or if possible some more Cumbustible Matter Notwithstanding I have thus clearly stated and proved this to be a Truth from Scripture that none can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins yet I doubt not but many who never were led into the Knowledge of their own Hearts to see their Natural Enmity against Christ and Utter Inability to perform any Duty Spiritually will be so far from setting to their Seal that this is true that they will be but the more exasperated We read in Acts 7.54 that when the Apostle had reproved those Jews for their Sin in Crucifying Christ to the end it might not be their ruin they were cut to the Heart but instead of Blessing God for such a Faithful Reprover 't is said they gnashed on him with their Teeth Man is Naturally prone to set up himself and when he cannot make himself the Purchaser of his Salvation he would have a Hand in the Application and how unwelcome shall a Faithful Minister be to such when they come to beat down their Carnal Confidence and to spoil their Glorying in the Flesh And how hard for a Minister who shuns not to declare the whole Counsel of God and whose design is that Christ alone may be exalted to Preach such Doctrine as this but by and by some will be offended Such Doctrine as this would not be received from Christ himself by some was he now on Earth John 6.65,66 And he said Therefore said I unto you that no Man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Mind no sooner had he told them in plain words what I have been proving but from that time many went back and walked no more with him Now if I am judged Erroneous yet I hope such as differ from me in this Point will not judge Christ so yet why Christ should be judged a true Witness and I a false Witness for relating his very Words I see not but if I am yet it more encourages me that Christ is on my side than it shall discourage me though all the Devils in Hell wore against me being fully satisfied that he will be the Judge at the Great Day not only of our Lives but of our Doctrines nor will any Doctrines pass for Truth then if they have not a Divine Stamp upon them and sure I am this Doctrine I oppose hath none I am satisfied if those search the Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation they can find no Text written to prove that Sinners can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins though many Texts prove it the Duty of Sinners to come But to take a review of the forecited Text and to see who they were that forsook Christ for delivering such Doctrine you may see Verse 64. Such as believed not none else Christ turns him to the Twelve Will ye also go away Peter on the behalf of the rest replies Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life As if he had said Lord dost thou think we are so unacquainted with our own Hearts as to go from thee for delivering that Truth that 〈◊〉 who have but tasted thou art Gracious have experienced These are the Words of Eternal Life and therefore thou mayest as well ask us whether we are willing to miss of Life as forsake thee for these Truths sake Thus you see however contemptible this Doctrine was then to those that believed not or may be to such whose Eyes are not yet opened or at least who see no clearer into Divine Mysteries than he who saw Men as Trees yet this was judged such a Fundamental Truth to the Twelve that it behoved them as they tendred the Salvation of their Souls to receive it In a word and I shall close Tho' those that differ from me in this Point may for my good-will become my Enemies because I tell them the Truth yet in love to their Souls I would have them consider whether this Doctrine they defend doth not exclude the Spirit of God from having any hand in the Application of the Benefits purchased by Christ to the Soul And if it doth I hope you will see it to be an Error indeed Now I think none dare deny but that upon our coming to Christ his Benefits are applied to all Now the Question is how or by what power the Soul is enabled to come Say I as renewed and born of the Spirit Tit. 3.3,5 say they though without one Syllable in Scripture to prove it no the Soul comes wreeking in all his Sins unchanged unrenewed and if so then judge if this is not to exclude the Spirit wholly from having any hand in this Work For if such as come to Christ have the Spirit then they do not come as they are in their Sins Let me close all with a Word to you my Auditors and especially to you my Brethren I chiefly designed what is contained in this Book for you that you may be established in the Truth as it is in Jesus Take you heed of rejecting Sound Doctrine lest God give you over to believe a Lie 'T is the Truth must make you free Stand you therefore and Enquire for the good Old Way and walk therein and you shall find rest to your Souls Contend you earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Beware of such pretended Lights as do not shine forth in God's Word In a word if I have delivered nothing in this Book but what I have proved from Scripture then I hope you will see it your Duty to receive these Truths 'T is sad when any Love Darkness rather than Light But if any of you after all my Labour for your sakes should reject these Truths I leave this Book not as a Legacy but as a Witness against you at the Great Day FINIS