come by faith and not of the way wherein infants have it and t is confest that faith in adultis in them that are capable to hear and understand is begotten by this means of hearing but not so in infants who cannot hear the spirit is not tyed to work by means in little infants to the bringing of them to the faith as he doth in men but without the outward hearing of the word he works saith in little children Baptist. This same that you now say fits us very well to you ward again when you say justification comes by faith for we grant that adultis to them that are capable to act faith justification comes by faith nor shall they by any means obtain it who are capable to believe and yet believe not but not so to infants who cannot believe the spirit is not tied to work by means in little infants to the justification or bringing of them to salvation as he doth in men but by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed without obedience in baptism or faith either he saves them in nonage and farther that they cannot believe which is properly as I shewed before not onely to have but act faith in Christ your selves tell us saying they have not the use the second act the exercise the fruit of it and so do not believe and so must according to your sense of Scripture if the word speak of them be cast into the lake of fire Rev. 21.8 but further grant they could have faith in both the habit and act of it also yet can they not obey Christ in other things which are required necessarily to salvation in the word of the Gospel at least concomitanter et consecutivè as well as faith it self they cannot hear Christs voice in all things they cannot confess Christ before men nor to be come in the flesh they have not crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it they cannot deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Christ nor hate father and mother and life for him nor keep his commandments nor abide in his Doctrine and many such like things all which the Gospel saies as universally whosoever doth not as well as whosoever believes not cannot be his disciple Mat. 18. Luke 14. Is not Christs Gal. 5.24 hath not God 2 Iohn 9. is a lyar and shall not enter into the holy City 1 Iohn 2.4 Rev. 21.27.22.14.15 is a deceiver and an Antichrist 2 Iohn 7. shall be denyed by Christ yea punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of Christ for non obedience to the Gospel 2 Thes. 1.6 so that if the Scriptures speaking of the waies and means of salvation be to be understood as the terms and conditions on which dying infants shall be saved as well as men and without which they must be damned then all dying infants must perish contrary to your sense of Mat. 18.14 who take the little ones there for infants for it s said there it is the will of my Father that not one of these little ones should perish put the case therefore that infants could believe yet their case would be little the better as to salvation so long as still they must be short of shewing their faith by other good works without which faith is not saving nor worth a straw for what would it profit if infants could go so far as to say they have faith and yet have not works can faith save them Iam. 2. 14.26 no its dead and helpless for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Therefore the body of Scripture is to be understood as spoken concerning men and women and the means and way of their salvation and not of infants Babist Yea when the word speaks of works of holiness self denyal suffering mercy c. as the way to life which infants cannot do it excepts them from the doing thereof as no capable subject and not from the salvation nevertheless nor yet doth at except infants when it speaks of faith Baptist. Is not faith a work as well as repentance and the rest yea the main and principal work of the Law of Christ i. e. the Gospel Iohn 6.28.29 Secondly is it not as difficult a work for infants to believe in Christ as to obey Christs voice in other things and are they not still as uncapable a subject to do that as to do any more things that are required why then not exempted from that for the sake of their incapacity as well as from other things Thirdly if the spirit doth go extraordinary waies to work at all about the salvation of infants as you must confess he must and brings them to it without and besides the ordinary means he brings men by why will you tie and limit him him more to the ordinary way and meanes of faith then of obedience in other matters as repentance self denyal c as to their salvation seeing he must go out of the road and tract in the saving of them wherein he saves men may be not as well save infants without faith without which he will save no man as without self deniall and suffering and confessing of Christ c. without which he will save no man Fourthly specially since infants are not mentioned as meant a jot more in the places that speak of salvation by faith then in the places that speak of salvation by obedience in all things for as it is said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and be that believeth not shall be damned infants no where expressed or meant there so t is said as universally he is the Author of all them that obey him and he shall take vengeance on all them that obey him not and cut them off that hearken not to his voice infants no way expresly excepted as not meant there The Scriptures therefore are still to be understood de subjecto capaci when they promise or threaten things on conditions and terms of faith unbelief and other good and evill works as confessing and denying Christ and exclusively of infants where infants cannot possibly perform them for as when it s said he that works not let him not eat infants are no where excepted yet are not by the spirits appointment to starve though they work not neither are they meant there because they cannot work and as under law when it was said Cursed is he that continues not in every thing written therein and do this and live the way wherin men were to live or dy was set forth by those words and not the way wherein infants should be cursed or blessed accordingly as they were or were not found therein in infancy so Analogically when it 's said under the Gospel the just must live by faith and he that believes not shall be damned and Christ in flaming â—ire shall render vengeance to him that obeys not the Lord c. it is to be understood as spoken of the waies wherein men
to children of believing parents as to persons at years for we have Gods testimony concerning them in this matter whilest you have but mans testimony concerning himself yea Christ hath amply declared his good will to them in Scripture whose testimony is not onely Tanta-mount but to be preferred before mens from which it more plainly appears that infants have faith then the testimony of any particular person can make it appear for himself Baptist So you say indeed both before page 5. and behind p. 19. but how dare you assert then that you go not about to prove certainly but only probably that believers infants do believe for verily if it be so as you say that God himself gives testimony for them in Scripture that these little infants do believe then never say no judgement of science can be passed no discovery made of the habit of faith nor peremptory presuming what infants have faith and what not till you see them act it for Gods testimony is more credible then mans indeed hath he said it and is it not so yea verily let him be true but every man a lyar for mans own word can create but probability and charity and not so much neither unless he speak it from Gods word that believers infants do believe and infidels infants do not but if God have said so then cursed be he that will not believe it to be so for if his word be not perfectly demonstrative and scientifical and past all doubt but I confesse I find not a word of his concerning such a thing then I le never trust self confuting Clergy men any more 2. Whereas you answer that in those children where there is lesse promptness to acts of faith then in others we cannot argue ad negationem habitus because they work not equally What is this to the present question and position concerning no more inclinablenesse to holy actions in children of Christians then of infidels for those are such of whom your selves assert the one have faith the other have none but these you speak of now are adult ones such as in whom there is some promptness to acts of faith appearing differenced only secundum magis minus some inclining more some lesse to acts of faith concerning all whom sith those of them that have least promptness have at least an apparent promptnesse to acts of faith who denies but that they may have faith though they work not equally but what 's this to the proof of more or lesse inclinablenesse to holy actions among infants who are so far from having some more some lesse that even none of them have any promptnesse thereto at all 3. Whereas you fiddle it on a little further and think to coop us up by your crosse interrogatory you may well call it a crosse one indeed for its a net that catches your selves let us answer it which way soever you would have us For if we say heathens infants are inclined to acts of faith and should make that good against you as we shall hardly ere trouble our selves to do unlesse we did believe it to be truth can you give any just account of your denial of baptism to these yea who can forbid water why they may not be baptized that have and are inclined to act faith as well as the other and in whom as in those of believing parents the work is palpably at least possibly and probably the very same But if we say no infidels infants are not inclined then we must take what comes on it for you are resolved to hit us home indeed and so you do while you do that at last cast which had you done at first you had saved your selves a deal of hurt which you have done your selves by circumlocuting so long in way of proving the very Minor proposition of that last Argument which Reason urged against you viz. that Christians children are not more inclined to actions of faith then those of infidels for at last you fall flatly as your safest way to deny that Minor and assert contrarily thereto that children of Christians are more inclined to holy actions then other children which if it be true First how grosly do you contradict that you say in the lines above where you seem to grant that there may be more inclinablenesse in infidels children and promptnesse to holy actions then in Christians Secondly I wonder how you come to be experienced in it for if you Clergie men be all Christians and so you are in your own account your children excepting some that by the breeding you give them grow up to the same stamp of Christianity you print upon them do for all their native holy inclinations not seldome prove the lewdest and rudest of any mens children in a Countrey for not onely through the Priests and Prophets own practise but from their posterity too oft times prophaness goes out into all the world or else the Popes had never filled it with iniquitie as they have done The nexâ— objection of Reason is as followes Review 7. Faith comes by hearing Little children cannot hear must lesse understand Ergo they have no faith They might also conclude they have no faculty of understanding neither for that comes by hearing but infants have an hearing the spirit opens their ears he must do it in adultis or for all their hearing they will never believe He is not tyed to means though we are without the outward hearing of the Word he works faith in little children The manner of his working is miraculous as it is in the conversion of every soul enough hath been said to that before nor ought it to be objected if miraculous then not ordinary for the work of the spirit in the conversion of men is both Re-Review Had Reason had the managing representing and writing of this Argument her self she would not have set it down in so weak absurd and silly a manner as Reasonlesse hath done it in in this place Reason never held such a thing yet as is asserted in this Minor viz. that children cannot hear much lesse understand for abstract hearing from understanding and take these two in sensu diviso as you do here and children can hear but in sensu composito they cannot it cannot rationally nor truly be said they cannot so much as hear much lesse understand but they cannot hear so as to understand or they cannot hear understandingly as those must that hear in order to believing and whose faith comes by hearing a hearing t is true infants have for they are not destitute of that sense more then of seeing and the rest Auriculas Asini quis non habet the same hearing that an Asse horse or other bruit beast hath which is only the sound of words without the knowledge of the sense who hath not save he that is deaf but the hearing they have is neither such as Paul speaks of there nor yet that heating you say they have viz. an inward hearing
of the voice of Christ and the spirit opening their ears so as to make them learn things as adult ones do that is a meer figmâ—nt of your own fancies besides if they had such an internal hearing as you dream of what were that to the matter in hand or to the answering the objection that is grounded upon the alledged Scripture which speaks not of an inward but an outward hearing the word of God preached as that by which faith is begotten and without which it cannot come out of which outward way and meanes if persons be brought to believe as usually as by it and so it must needs be if little infants believe by the understanding of ceâ—tain secret whisperings and teachings within the spirit would not have spoken of it as such an unpossible case as he doth in saying how can they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how hear without a Preacher But say you that is the usual means by which faith is begotten in adult ones but the spirit is not tyed to meanes though we are he works faith in little children without the outward hearing of the word Is it so Sirs that the spirit is not tyed to work by means in little children in the same cases wherein he works by means in men and women I wonder then that you whose opinion this is should be so forgetful as to teach quite contrary to your own tenet for verily of all the men that are I know none that limit the spirit and tie him to means in his dealings with little infants like unto your selves As for us we own this position fully and to a tittle viz. that what God acts at all for infants he acts without meanes as to their salvation but as for your selves you own and disclaim this by turnes according as it seems to serve your own turnes so far as to hold it helpes to hold up your monstrous odd opinion of infants faith which hath no footing at all in Scripture you inwardly entertain it and outwardly proclaim it for undoubted truth but when you find it makes against you then t is no other then a figment of the Anabaptists for when we tell you there is no right to baptism without faith but infants cannot believe because faith comes by hearing understandingly the word preached which infants cannot do then such of you as Rantize infants on such a sottish supposition as their having faith in themselves excuse the matter thus viz. The spirit is not tied to means nor to the outward way of hearing the word so but that though he begets men to faith that way and by that means yet he begets infants to believe without it and such of you as ashamed to assert that the infants themselves have faith do Rantize them on the fathers faith without their own excuse the matter thus viz. The spirit is not bound to admit infants to baptism in that same way wherein he admits men viz. the way of faith but admits infants to have right to it without that outward means of believing But when we tell you faith and baptism are the way wherein and the outward means by which the spirit justifies and saves men and women but without this outward way of faith and baptism he can and doth save dying infants and that the spirit is not tied to the same means of belief and baptism in the justifying and saving infants through Christ by which and which onely he saves men then you plainly disclaim what you proclaimd for truth before viz. the spirit is not tied to means in infants but works without them in infants though not in men and hold that he doth work by means among them so that there is no hope to be had by parents of the salvation of their infants out of the way of baptism and no justification of them on of the way of belief Thus you tie and unty confine and lose the spirit at your pleasure you give him leave for your own lusts sake either to approve of your baptism of children out of his own declared and onely approved way of faith or if it be needfull as some of you think it is for infants to believe in order to baptism then to beget faith without that outward means of hearing the word but though it is his own good will to justifie and save dying infants by Christ without the outward means of faith and baptism there he is limitted and cannot obtain your good will he must give way to you to baptize infants out of that ordinary way of faith wherein his will is that men shall be baptized but he may not save infants out of the ordinary way of faith and baptism wherein his will is that men by Christ shall be saved no not by any means in the world There 's but a matter of four gross false unsound and absurd assertions in this reasonless reply which I must intreat you to be ashamed of before I leave it The first is that old piece of sing song which is canted ore some three or four times before but would be rather recanted if you were not resolved on perseverance in perverseness wherein you tune it out as if faith in Christ and the faculty of understanding were both so con-naturally and con-necessarily in believers infants and them onely that we may as rationally and safely conclude neither to be in them as not both This blue vain of artificial non-sense keeps its course well nigh throughout this whole discourse of yours against reason so that every foot when reason alledges aâ—y thing that 's clearly conclusive against the being of belief in Christ in believers infants as namely their not knowing good and evil their giving no testimony of faith when at years without instruction nor upon instruction neither sometimes so much as the adult children of unbelievers their not having any faith at all for the most part witnesse your successelessenesse in your preachings to your parishes to beget it whereby it is evident that either they never yet had it when rantized or else have lost it if they had their non-inclinablenesse to believe caeteris paribus more then other peoples children their uncapablenesse to hear the word with understanding which is the only way and means whereby the word declares faith to be given and to be gotten you answer all along Cuckoo-like in one tone and that 's this viz. That by the same reason we may conclude against the faculty of understanding in them and against their having a reasonable soul as if it were full as clear and altogether as absurd to doubt that these infants have faith which yet your selves confesse you cannot presume what infants have and what have not as to doubt that they have the reasonable soul which is notoriously known to every Novice in very nature to be in all mankind by nature without exception and that so also as essentially to difference them from other creatures The second remaining and
declare they have it or warrant your baptizing them thereupon so long as still 't is unapparent to you that they have it for first à posse ad esse non valet consequentia it follows not because it may be therefore 't is yet such Country-clearing of things is seen now and then among you Countrey Clergy-men that if from may-be to must-be may not pass for good reason there must be no more given at all witness the yery last Argument us'd by the first opponent at this Ashford Disputation whereby to prove infants to have the spirit who having urg'd the example of Iohn Baptist whose example is also hinted in your Review p. 16. of your Pamphlet just before to this effect viz. Iohn had the holy spirit from the womb therefore children have it and being answered to that thus viz. Ex puris negativis et particularibus nihil sequitur universale claps in this consequence to close up his discourse with viz. It doth not appear to you that children have not the spirit as much as to say they may for ought you know have the holy spirit therefore they have it To whom 't was repli'd that it would not follow that I was at Canterbury such a day because it did not appear to him that I was not and this as I remember though your Account doth very freely forget all this but I hope you will remember to be asham'd on 't was the very period of that mans Disputation with me saving what he added after in his recapitulatory moderation and after that in other emergent conferences with me and others to whose non-sequiturs as I have in faithfulness set down what I returned then so pace vestrâ I say thus much more now viz. that if I should go about to prove from the Possibility of things to be so or so or from their non-appearance to be not so though not yet appearing to be so that therefore they are so viz. more worlds then one or another world of men in the moon or as he from the particular case of Iohn Baptist to other infants so I should syllogize from the particular and extraordinary case of Balaams Ass to other creatures of that kind viz. Balaams Ass by a special power of God upon him did speak and reprove the madness of the Prophet therefore very Asses can speak plain enough to reprove the madness of the Priests though I have learn'd Christ better then to record him as such a one for the like deduction yet I know who have so well learn'd the Featlaean language that in their Account I should have been an Ass for my labor Secondly and this I told you then too but your Account had no mind to mention what makes against you Tum demum i. e. proprìe et quoà d nos dicuntur res fieri cum incipiunt patefieri then things as to us are when they appear and not before and to talk de non entibus et non apparentibus is one as frivolous as the other yet such lazy learning and lowzy logick is at Rome with the infatuated Pope and such of his Creatures as trouble themselves so much about Tyth that they have no time to study Truth nor understand either sense or reason that whilst wise men indeed whose wisdome is not as theirs is already turn'd into foolishnese do argue from the Appearings of things to be to their being from the evidence that they are to their existence they magisterially impose things to be received as truth because Ipse Dixit and both assert them to be and make men believe they appear plain enough so to be when their say so shews them though no inquisitive sincere self-denying Christian can in the word find either how or where of but a very little better stamp is your way of arguing here who being hous'd by custom under a cloudy confidence that infants have the holy spirit will needs have it appear whether it doth or no but for my part it appears not yet to me yea I reply Secondly to this part of your Report that I did indeed then say as you have here truly related that it could not be made appear that Infants have the holy spirit to the making of them subjects of baptism yea I testifie the same still that it cannot notwithstanding all your undertakings which of what little force they are to such a purpose I shall try more at large when I handle your Account over again not as an Account but as your Argumentation for Infants having the holy spirit and so right to baptism Nevertheless Thirdly that I acknowledged any such thing as this in the least that the Scriptures above named did seem so much as to intimate such a matter as that infants might have the holy spirit as it had been most contradictory to that which here you say I said immediately after it and is most contrary to my Judgement to this present so I deny it disclaim it and testifie again it as another of your abominable abuses of your selves my self and the world into which you have feigned forth this Account and as an opinion that neither then or ever since nor ever before since I found the way of truth hath had the least entertainment within my bosom And so I pass on to your other juggles among which Nigro Carbone notandum est this would not be let slip without a Selah in that some few lines below this you relate thus Report That my Answer was that in Scripture children were indefinitely taken but concerning this or that particular child no proof could be made Reply Which thing I confess I said yet take notice I must how you let slip your memories being willfully weak as I find them very often to be something more of my then speech which had you not declined to set down would have shewed a little more plainly and yet its prety plain as t is but hardly quite so plain as the nose on a mans face how you strike quite besides the iron stear to a wrong point and in your following undertaking upon that my Answer stickle clearly to another purpose then that proposed by me for my speech was not concernâ—ng this or that particular child only but of this or that particular child above another viz. proof could not be made of this child in its infancy suppose a believers more than of a Heathens if one of these and one of those be lookt on together whereupon also I then added but you have absented it in your Account that if two Infants viz. a believers and an unbelievers as yet unknown which is which should be presented to you whereof but one secundum te o Sacerdos may be baptized It would put you very shrewdly to it to discern of your selves which of the two is the believers Infant by any more manifestation of the spirit in it than in the other yea I now tell you over again that such a presentment would fumble and puzzle both the
crying out as before of Popery so now of Pelagianism and that he had not heard so much Heresie in so few words that the inquirer should take heed how he vented himself in publique hereafter for it became him to suspect himself least God had given him over to the Spirit of error and to another that out of the body of the Congregation replyed That that way which you the Ministers called Heresie so wershipt they God you go on still in the old tone thus that you were sorry to hear him profess himself a Papist and a Pelagian in saying he worshipt God that way and that you appealed to me praying me to declare my mind concerning these things whether they were Heresie or no which you charged the inquirer with Reply But not a word all this while was uttered either to prove the things to be as you call them or towards the satisfaction of the Auditory or Inquirer himself in the question Sirs is not this the clutter you commonly keep is not this the Clergies constant custome of confuting and their wonted way of with-holding men from all audience of what ever comes cross to your conceits when on the sudden you have not what to say against it viz. to break out into hydeous out-cries of Heresie Schism a Spirit of Error an Anabaptist an Arminian an Antinomian a Papist a Iesuit Popery Pelagianism Socianism Arminianism and such like when happily not five of fifty among you ever read Pelagius Faustus Socinus or Arminius so as to know what they hold and why any more then by tradition one from another mistake me not for I am now neither justifying nor condemning these men with whom they being dead I have no great matter to do nor you neither but that you love to find your selves more business then you need for my part my business lieth mainly in the Word which is the Rule and being only attended to may for ought I know sooner set us to rights then either Austin or Pelagius the Remonstrants or Arminius for Regula est mensura sui et obliqui but I here take notice of and take occasion to condemn the Popish practise of most Priests in Damâ—ing down for heresie in gross what they neither disprove not prove to be Heresie when called to 't by their own calling it so before the people Report You relate upon your praying me to declare my mind concerning those things whither they were Heresie or no which you the Ministers charged the inquirer with that I said I knew that what ere he said yet he did not hold those things and that your reply was that the inquirer was a stranger and thâ—rfore you wondered his mind should be so well known to me that whatever his opinion was the question being whether his saying that one may be justified without faith and that children are not born in originall sin were heresie or no you desired me to answer positively to that but received no Answer Reply As to this Politick piece of your report wherein I perceive how fallaciously you represent me as rendering the inquirer as to my knowledge speaking contrary to his own mind I have many things to say and it matters not much which I be-begin with first First me thinks I see as you have set things down a certain Sophism of Amphiboly ly lurking iustar anguis in herbâ in these words Those things as you express them the second time in this parcel by reason of which if they be not understood by the Reader in a right sence I am set forth by you as guilty of a double crime from censure of which I see a call to clear my self and my friend whom you strive to stain together with in that case that truth may suffer dammage by us in nothing for if by those things be meant in that second place those two opinions of Iustification of infants without faith and their not having original sin which were indeed the things that he said then I am falsly reported not to say fowly belied by you in that passage wherein you relate me saying thus viz. that I knew that whatsoever the inquirer had said yeâ— he did not hold those things and am made also to speak falsly against my conscience as my conscience tells me not that I did in all that day for verily as great a stranger as that inquirer was to your selves and the major part then present yet he was not such a stranger saving all your wonder to my self but that his mind was so well known to me in that that I knew he held those things viz. that infants have all the justification they have need of without faith and have no originall sin for I hold them my self in what sence since you ask me you shall see by and by and if I should have said thus viz. that I knew what e're he said yeâ— he did not hold those things I should have been both a bâ—lyar of that my friend and also as very a lyar as your selves Sirs would herein fain make me seem to be but I was both well a ware what he held and confident that he did not say those things and not hold them But if by those things in that place be understood not those two opinions but those things which the Minister chargâ—d the Inquirer with viz. Heresie Popery the tenet of justification of Infants by works which were those things the Ministers so cried out upon him for in which sence it is in my speech to be understood then t is no other then the plain truth which I spake and to give you all the advantage that is possible to have by them I here say it again that I knew that whatsoever was then said by that our brother yet he held not those things i. e. that Heresie and Popery you then falsly accused him of And now sith you complain that you received no answer when you desired me to answer positively to that question whether Infants are justified without faith and have any originall sin yea or no and whether the things as we hold them in contradistinction to your selves be heresie yea or no as you call them I must complain of your selves as the sole persons then in fault that you received not as full an answer as you desired for I appeal not only to the whole people but to the same page of your own pâ—pers also wherein in the very next line but one or two below this in which you charge me with the fault of giving you no answer your own selves are witnesses to me that I offered to answer you to all exceptions you had against us in an Entire Exercise which if you had heard and not lik't you should have had libertie enough to have replied to as long as you pleased but your selves only opposed it with all your might but to wave any further recrimination as concerning that at present and that you may have no occasion in future to feigâ—
proved to be his Luke 12.52.53 Math. 24.9.2 Tim. 3.12 1 Cor. 1.27 2 Cor. 6.4 5. So that where there 's none of this I avouch the Gospell in its purity is not there though where these are the Gospel is not the cause for that is men lusts and flesh fighting against the light but the only the occasion whereupon they arise when Satan the strong man holds the house the goods are all in peace but when Christ the stronger man comes to storm him out there 's contention in hearts houses Towns and Countries as when Christ came to Ierusalem all was in an uproar and when Paul came with his Gospel to Ephesus Athens Iconium Lystra Derbe lewd fellows of the baser sort were set on by others to raise tumults for truth tormented them into rage thus we often judge of Causes as good or bad right or wrong by the effects that flow from them but to reason upon a cause as good or ill true or false right or wrong according to the might or moaness the abilities or defects of the persons that stand up for it is the right way to wrong it indeed sith the Antichristian cause hath the mighty wise and prudent Priests and Potentates of the world for its Patrons when the poor only for the most part receive Christs Gospell and the strength that God ordains in defence thereof against the persecutor is the mouths of Babes and Sucklings Causes are to be rejected as wrong and false according to the defects and weakness that is discovered to be in the Arguments that are brought to maintain and not by the weakness and defects that may seem to be in those that are more zealous then able to mannage them if there appear to be weight in the Arguments these if strong however weakly and babishly propounded will carry the cause in the conscience of any but such Priest-be-charmed Christians as in Charity to their Churchmen are resolved to yield themselves up to be carried away with every wind of doctrine that passes from them and covering the weakness of them to be whifled any way by such arguments as the men themselves that make them are fain to grant to be weak to prove what they are brought for for no Argument is weak that is sufficient to evince the thing it s used in proof of though it fall from the mouth of never so weak a man if a weak feeble hand letfall an heavy Axe upon it or a sharp sword even the sword of the Spirit the word of God that is quick and powerfull it may serve to cut off the Popes head Tripple Crown and all but if the Pope himself and all his children which are the ablest Humanists in the world come out to warre against Christ and his cause with reeds and rushes blind non sequiturs weak and broken Consequences they must ride back to Rome for stronger swords or else they may force fools into conformity to their follies but never guide wise men after the spirit to believe their cause to be good as therefore t is not good that an ill cause that hath but weak Arguments to uphold it should be owned for good either in Charity or upon pretence of ability in the persons that patronize it as the Clergies crooked cause of Infant-sprinkling is for what saies the Parish to those poor ones in it that entertain the Gospel are you wiser than a whole Synod of able Orthodox Divines so it is a thousand pitties that a good cause that hath strong Arguments enough from Scripture and reason to prove it right should be wronged so as to be rejected as rotten yet so Christs true baptism is through the defects of the persons called Anabaptists who are supposed at least to have more zeal then ability to prove it of which sin of wronging a right cause upon account of such defects even the cause of Christs true baptism which in his strength those Babes that are baptized with it are not only zealous but able to make good against the Ablest Baby-Baptist that is among you I know no men under the Sun more guilty then you Clergy men who take your advantages to cry out the lowder against it as error by the defects of Christs Disciples that plead and practise it of whom you say commonly as you say complementally of your selves here they have more zeal then abilities to maintain it yea verily you who seem here whether more simply or more simulatorily who knows not so to implore the charitable benevolence of well disposed people to cover the weakness of your Arguments and not to suffer your cause of Infant-sprinkling to suffer throw your defects and inabilities to maintain it are men so far from teaching facienda faciendo from doing to others as you would be done to that you rather disclaim and proclaim those Arguments of ours as weak which as feeble a folk as we are are strong enough to storm you out of your strongest holds and cause that cause to be despised under pretence of our defects which though weak in our selves and pretending to little of that outward accomplishment which you call ability yet throw Christs word assertaining it to be his and his spirit assisting us thereunto we have both zeal and ability to maintain who is it I trow that trumpets about the eminency and learnedness of their party and illiteracy of the Anabaptists whereby to render the way the more contemptible more then the Priesthood who charm their people against the receipt of the Gospel in such sort as the Pharisees of old when they said are you also deceived have any of the Rulers of the Pharisees believed on him but this people that know not the law are cursed Ioh. 7.47 48 49. So brags Dr Featly and his fellows despising the way of dipping viz. joint suffrages of so many Bishops in such a Synod as for the Anabaptists they are a few mean sylly men and women an illiterate and sottish sect the father and head of whom quoth he was Nicholas Stock and a very blockhead was he p. 164. Simple rude Mechaniâ—ks Russet Rabbies Apron Levites whom we own not quoth he but detest and abominate p. 113 who know not how to dispute for truth because they know not the original and cannot conclude syllogistically in mood and figure p. 1.2 Thus Featly defeats them in their cause by dilating on their defects and which of you almost do not confirm your people against their cause by their infirmities of one kind or other like flies you feast your selves upon their sores and let go their sounder parts you make much of their little to your purpose you make your best out of their worst and out of their personal weaknesses strengthen your selves and others against the truth which wise men know is nevertheless truth for the poors receiving it you root in their very excrements whereby to find matter to make their good cause bad and yet here oh how mendicant of other mens mercy not only
as little appearance of evill of actual sin whereby to bar themselves or deserve exemption from the generall state of little children declared in Scripture as is in the infants of believers all which shall plainly appear out of hand and much of it out of your own handy work in my handling of your first Argument in particular which now I am return'd to again I shall begin with and so pass through it to all the rest with which I must deal once over again as they ly in order in your Relation and Review which first argument of yours is laid down in this form viz. Disputation No man may forbid water to those that have received the holy Ghost Acts 10.47 But little children have the holy Ghost Disproof In which Syllogism of yours howbeit I then did and do still deny your Minor as the main matter that is amiss the falsity of which I shall discover yet there is much fault to be found with your Major in that you repeat the words of Peter but lamely and by the halves out of that Scripture whence you quote it which you adulterate and abuse unless you had inserted the whole sentence the chief clause of which viz as well as we which is most needfull to be exprest to the true proof of any ones right to baptism therfrom you whether more forgetfully or fearfully least the falsity of your Minor should be the more discried by it I say not do yet leave out alltogether In the absence of which clause the falsity of your Minor lies undiscerned which upon the putting in thereof would appear if it be possible for it so to do more palpably false then now it doth specially to every common capacity whereupon very probably you left it out for if your Major had been thus viz. no man may forbid water to those that have received the holy spirit as Peter and other adult Disciples had i. e. visibly and apparently unto others by the acts fruits and effects of it as the words as well as we do import your Minor then must have ran thus viz. but little children have the holy spirit as well as Peter and those adult Disciples Act. 10.47 i. e. visibly undoubtedly apparently to others and then it had been more apparently false in the eyes of all for verily how perspicuous soever it is to you Clergy men who for your own ends seemingly see what you see not as well as sometimes see not what you see and to your implicit criditors that will seem to see that you see whether it be to be seen or no yet to such as are resolved to see with their own eies and not yours it is so far from being so visible and apparent that infants have the holy spirit as t was that Peter and the rest had received it that it is a thing invisible to you and more then ever did or yet doth or ever will appear to any but the blind and the blind leaders of the blind while the world stands by all you have here stitcht up together to make it appear by the inefficacy of all which to any such purpose as you use it for having thus hinted the crafty quoting and cunning coining of your Major besides the sence of the Scripture you fetch it out on I shall God willing make sufficiently to appear in my Examination of your Minor the proof of which I now come to consider As therefore to your Minor which is this viz. little children have the holy Ghost I lay two evils to the charge of it first a faultering in the terms secondly a falsity in the thing testified in it First it s delivered in tam dubiis terminis such a dubious and indefinite form of speech viz. little children not at all expressing what children nor believers children distinctly from others but all alike which muddling expression of the subject of whom you praedicate this that they have the holy spirit is made well nigh every where else throughout your book and possibly on purpose to shelter that absurdity from being too apparent which unless you dream'd out this Disputation a more determinate delivery of your sâ—lves all along in these terms viz. infants of believers you foresaw would light upon it Nevertheless as indefinitely and implicitly as you set down your subject you cannot hide the nakedness thereof let your meaning be what it will for you must take it in some or other of these senses viz. all little children have the spirit or unbelievers little ones onely have the spirit or believers little ones have the spirit or some children have the spirit but we cannot tell which nor whether these more then those or those more then these the spirit being neither bound to all the children of believing parents nor barred from any of the children of infidels you cannot understand it of unbelievers children only nor yet of all children nor yet of unbelievers and believers children promiscuously so as to say some of these and some of those but in particular it cannot certainly be presumed which though he that reads your eighteenth page where you confess there can be no conclusion made which have it and which not can hardly tell how to take you handsomely in a better sense for then all men will say fie upon it how miserably do these Logicians labor all along besides their question they propound the baptism of believers infants only but proceed to prove the baptism of all children or of unbelievers children onely or at least of unbelievers children equally with the other they plead to have none but believers infants baptizâ—d yet affirm the holy spirit the supposed being of which in these infants is the main ground on which they would have these only baptized to be in all infants at least in other infants for ought they know as well as these yeâ— even in those infants even Infidels infants whom yet they would not have baptiz'd so partial and cruel are they to these though the denial of baptism to poor infants in their own opinion destroies all hope of their salvation but if you take it for little infants of believers only concerning which only the question was stated then every wise man will wound you as much on the other hand and say thus how miserably do these men fumble about their business both proving and practising more then themselves believe to be the truth they assert infants of believers only have the holy spirit and undertake to prove it in contradistinction to other infants yet produce nothing more towards the proof of it then what tends if it do tend indeed to such a purpose to prove it to be in all infants as well as those how egregiously do these Priests gull and cheat their people they profess the holy spirit to be in no infants save those onely that are born of believing parents and that these onely are thereupon to be baptized and yet practise another thing under the name of baptism to
unbelievers infants in their parishes whom they truly judge not to have the spirit in common with those whom as blindly they judge to have it i. e. not the seed of true believers only but the seed of true and apparent unbelievers also The second fault I charge upon your Minor Proposition is an utter falseness in the matter affirm'd in 't for take the term little children for what little ones you please these or those t is utter untruth to utter any such thing as that infancy have the holy spirit much more that believers infants have it more then others neither is there any strength in any one thing you have presented the world with to prove either one of these or yet the other and howbeit I say suppositively that all appear to have it if any at all by what you have here produc'd in proof on 't yet I 'le positively prove and partly by way of answer to your own argument that neither â—ll infants have the holy spirit nor any at all in such non-age as you falsly supposing they have it do thereupon baptize in to this end I would I wist what you mean by the holy Ghost as you call him but I all along the holy spirit I am in doubt you scarcely well know your selves or else you would not predicate him to be in infants in such wise as here you do I 'le indeavour therefore to search out what your meaning may be by a serious survey of the senses which the holy spirit seems to be taken in in the word of which I am confident if you know what you mean you must mean one The spirit which is but one and the self same in substance where ere he is is yet spoken of in Scripture in two and but two different senses in general so far as I find and that answerably to two different offices which he exercises towards two different kinds of men in the world viz. godly and wicked believers and unbelievers Saints and sinners these two several offices which that one holy spirit is found in towards these severall sorts of men are either more common or more special general or peculiar the common or general office of the spirit is to convince and inlighten draw move perswade strive with men to bring them into the way of obedience to God and of their own good and this he executes universally to all men and in this sense is in all men and women good and bad godly and wicked Saints and sinners Jews and Gentiles Christians and heathens but not in the one day old infants of any of all these that I know of The will of man even every man so soon as he comes to such capacity as to be able to discern between good and evill stands ever after even all the daies of his life between two wooers that sollicit him and seek to win him to their service and which ere wins him finally to its service will everlastingly and accordingly reward him with life or death Rom. 6.17 to v. 23. Gal. 6.7 8. And these two are mans flesh and Gods spirit which are evermore lusting in him one against the other and between them perswading him each in their kind in this sense he is in the blindest heathens that breath on earth natural fools and infants onely excepted of whom as far as nothing is required because nothing revealed so far they have nothing to answer for yea the very Gentiles which have not any law in an outward letter as we have are said Rom. 2.14 15. to be a law unto themselves and to shew the work of the law written in their hearts and to have their conscience and thoughts witnessing within accusing and excusing one another which can be no other though commonly call'd the light of nature then a light from God and Christ who is said to enlighten every man that cometh into the world and so doth more or less even such as never yet knew his person as the Sun sends some light in some corners of the earth where the body of it is not at all discerned yea the very spirit of God shining and striving in them answerably to which Gods spirit is said Gen. 6. to strive with man even those evill men of the old world that rebell'd against it by which spirit Christ himself is said to have preacht to those disobedient persons while the long suffering of God waited on them in the daâ—es of Noah whose outward ministry he also used while the Ark was preparing 1 Pet. 3.19 20 the same spirit is said Ioh. 16. to be sent to convince the very world of sin righteousness and judgement yea the stift-necked and uncircumcised Iews both in heart and ears are said Act. 7. alwayes to have resisted the holy spirit which they could not have done had he not wrestled with them yea within them thus farre all men have him even ill men the worst in the world at some time or other by which spirit the Son of righteousness is the light of the Microcosme or inward world of mans heart as the Sun by the beams that stream from the body of it is the light of the Megacosme or outward universe In this sense I cannot conceive you take the holy spirit here or if you do you mistake not a little if you say infants have him thus for howbeit in these ordinary wayes of his acting all persons male and female may be said to have him at the years of capacity to distinguish yet infants of one day old have him not in this sense or if they had 't will make no more for the baptism of them then of all men and women in the world much less have they him in those special waies of acting in which he acts in the Saints till at least they come to be so far past that minority as to be sensible of his acting towards them Which speciall and more eminent acts and offices of the spirit are on this wise viz. special assisting in doing good when by common strivings with them men are perswaded and prevaild with to set about it and when in his first motions he is obey'd also comforting supporting in and under troubles trials sufferings temptations persecutions which will assuredly light on those that do obey him assuring souls more and more clearly of Gods love and favour witnessing to their spirits that they are the children of God enabling them with boldness to cry Abba father sealing them up to the day of Redemption confirming them as an earnest in their present confidence of a future inheritance kingdom glory revealing to them more plainly the things freely given of God so that they rejoice mainly therein whilst others to whom these things are foolishness rejoice in the things of the world lusts of the flesh and of the eye and of the pride of life lusting strongly against the flesh delivering from the law of sin and death warring against the law of the members effectually which else would
carry captive to the law of sin mortifying the deeds of the body teaching all things leading into all truth guiding and gifting persons for the Churches service severally as he will bringing all things to remembrance which Christ spake which are subject to be forgotten manifesting the Father the Son and many more things to them that love Christ and keep his commandements which he will not manifest to the world nor to any of those in it that do not and other such like precious performances in all which he officiates peculiarly towards the Saints onely that submit to him not wicked resisters of him to which Saints or true Disciples of the Lord Jesus he was promised to be given under the Gospel in a fuller measure then in former daies and sent to be their comforter whilst to such as entertain him not but a bare convincer in which respect he is call'd the spirit of promise as being promised in this sense to all those that obey Christ that believe repent and are baptized into his name for remission of sins and ask the father for him and to be set as by office to minister in way of succor to the mournful spouse in the bride-grooms absence to help poor soules that give up themselves to be lead by him and accordingly was is and ever shall be given to those that do not grieve resist and quench him and that are found observing all things that ever Christ commanded non-observation of which disingages Christ of his promise so that it failes not though he be not with men that name themselves his Church for ages and generations together In which senses he is not at all in infants in their infancy neither doth he at all guid or provoke them how far forth soever he may guard and protect them till they come to such capacity as to have good or evil fasten'd on them by perswasion nor doth he any of the aforenamed good offices for infants in whom there 's yet no need they should be done nor doth he delight ordinarily to be where either he must be idle as he must in infants of one two or three daies old or unless he work miraculously imployed altogether to no purpose As to that of Iohn concerning whom 't was promised he should be filled with the holy spirit from the womb besides the singularness and extraordinariness of the case which renders it unfit for you to argue from who deny that such examples are to be drawn in as an ordinary rule to judge by and confess that ex particulari non est Syllogizari I add moreover that there 's no necessity for such an imâ—mediate acceptation of that word from the womb as to make the sense of it thus viz. in the very moment of his birth for it may well be taken as elswhere the same phrase must be viz so soon as ever he should be capable to receive it and be assisted and guided by it which might be in his tender years but was not I believe in such meer non-age as you wot off thus the wicked are said Psal. 58. 3. ab alinare se ab utero to estrange themselves from God from the womb to go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies stopping their ears not hark-ring to the voice of the Charmer which terms do all denote actuall sinne by which your selves confess infants cannot bar themselves p. 5. or deserve exemption it must therefore be understood thus viz. so soon as ever they are capable to do this or that to take the right away or the wrong or to know and act either good or evil I assert therefore once again that the spirit in this second sense is not in infants in their infancy nor know I in what sense they can be said to have him as to have right thereby to baptism unless you can assign me some more senses out of Scripture which if you can do I shall tell you what to say to them and as I cannot find they have the holy spirit in them so neither find I any promise of the holy spirit in such non-age as you wot of if by the spirit you mean the spirit of promise as you must if you plead a right to baptism there from and if you should refer me to Act. 2. I find there no more made to any then to all indeed it s said the promise is to you and your children but I advise you to consider first that t is not said to you and your infants neither are children and infants all one in signification the one expressing the age or rather non-age the other the Relation to the parents of whom they are born all infants are children of some parents or other but all children are not infants Infants are at least such younglings as cannot speak but children may be children in respect of their parents though the parents be eighty years old and the children sixty so that the promise of the spirit might be to them and their children too i. e. their posterity as well as to the Gentiles that were yet far off in both time and place and their posterity to all succeeding generations and be made good too on the same terms upon which and the same time in which it s made good to the parents themselves viz. the terms of faith and the time of their believing and yet all this while not be made to them and their infants as in their infancy moreover it appears most evidently that these parents were yet in unbelief and bare inquiry after what they should do having acted neither faith nor repentance as yet when Peter said thus to them repent and be baptized and ye shall receive the holy spirit for the promise is to you and your children therefore it may seem rather to be to unbeleevers children by that place then unto belieuers children but in very deed t is to all men and their children throughout the world as they and their children should believe repent receive the word gladly come to God at his call and that in all ages and places to the worlds end and as children of unbelievers have as much promise of the holy spirit so as much manifestation of it as the other and that is just none at all But say you these appear to have it first by their faith i. e. as other mens infants do not by their faith Sirs this is no demonstrative Argument I am sure that they have the Spirit for demonstratio est ex notioribus conclusione but this is Ignotum per ignotius or at least per aeque ignotum for now you have much more ado by something else hoc aliquid nihil est to demonstrate to us that they have faith then before you had to demonstrate them to have the spirits yea this will puzzle you the more by how much the last error is worse than the first and more confuted in other places by your selves however we will consider your Argument
and supposing still that you speak of the right subject viz. infants of believing parents we will cast this your Enthusiasm into this Enthememe Disputation Little children of believing parents have faith Ergo little children of believing parents have the holy spirit Disproof First I deny your Consequence secondly your Antecedent as both stark false and that is as much as can well be false in an Enthememe First I shall be bold to tell you Sirs that your Argumentation from present faith to a present having the holy Spirit is most invalid and unconsonant to the Scripture for if by the holy Spirit you mean as you must else it serves not your turn at all to the proof of baptism the spirit in that special sense viz. the holy spirit of promise the consequenâ—e from faith to the having of it will not universally hold true for as much as faith not only must be in time before it unless God be better than his word and that he may be when he pleases and so he was Act. 10 44. where the spirit by Anticipation was given out before obedience at least in baptism which yet by promise cannot be expected till after it Ast. 2. 38. I say not only must be before it but also may be a pretty while without it this will be counted the mad mans mad Divinity with you I doubt not but I le clear it to the Dimmest Divine of you all yea see if the whole body of the Testament of Christ doth not tell you plainly that as faith must be before it in an ordinary way before we have warrant to expect it so it may for some while be without it and therefore cannot prove the holy spirit to be alwaies where it is for the spirit of promise is given after faith if given according to the promise and so long after it too now and then as is enough to make it undeniably appear that the having of faith is no proof of ones present having the holy spirit among sundry others let those Scriptures be seriously searcht into Ephes. 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Act. 19.2 have ye received the holy spirit since ye believed they answered no also Act. 8.12 when they believed c. they were baptized c. but verse 16. the holy spirit was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized Act. 5.32 The holy spirit which God hath given to them that obey him yea the gift of the spirit though Gods ordinary way so limits not himself but that he may give it extraordinarily before Act. 10. yet is it neither promised nor as by promise to be expected but upon obedience in faith repentance turning to God baptism and prayer Pro. 1.23 Act. 2.38 Luke 11.15 Iohn 7.38.39 the places are so plain to the purpose that I 'le not disparage your judgement so much as like a fresh man to stand to frame formal Syllogisms to you out of them to conclude then as to your Consequence had you argued from the holy spirit in the special sence in which you take it to faith it might have past for me without correction but â—ith you began at the wrong end of your business I beseech you take it for a warning Sirs and begin again Secondly I deny your Antecedent which if your Consequence were never so true is most false for infants of believers have not faith if they have unbelievers infants for ought you make appear to the contrary have as much and so though that grieve and go against you and cannot be owned so kindly by you in opinion as it is in practise must de jure be baptized i. e. humano for Divino neither may as well as they but in truth as it will not appear by what you here bring to evince it by that faith is in either so I trust it will appear by what shall be said in disproof of your proofs that faith can possibly he in neither Disputation You prove infants of believing parents to have faith two waies as you say first by express texts of Scripture secondly Arguments of consequence Your express Scripture is Mat. 18.6 Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the third verse say you they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence upon my confession and concession that in ver 2. and 4. is meant one in respect of age because it is said there he called to him a little child and who so humbleth himself as this little child you therfore argue that little ones in respect of age are meant in that 6 verse also Disproof Sirs let me ask you two questions first are you sure these are infants indeed Secondly are you sure they were infants of believers of whom Christ saies whoever offends one of these little ones that believe in me for my part if there were any probability that he spake of little ones literally taken at all as I know none there is yet I am sure there is none that they were the little ones of believers he then spake of in contradistinction to the infants of unbelievers for t is not specified either one way or other and is most probable that the child he occasionally called to him might be some unbelievers child or other the number of believers where e're he came being few and not comparable to them that believed not but what e're that child was yet this is much more then probable that by the term these litâ—le ones in v. 6. he means not infants but his Disciples whom having first perswaded them to become such as that little one or as little children in such things as are generally found in them viz. plainness of spirit humbleness innocency freedome from malice in which respects David saies Psal. 131.2 my soul is as a weaned child from that Analogy that was and ought to be between little ones and them he here bespeaks as it was very ordinary for him to do under the title of these little ones besides the plurall number he speaks in implies he spake of such of whom there was a plurallity then present for saith he these little ones pointing as it were to more then one but there was but one little one then in the midst of them of whom when Christ speaks he speaks in the singular saying this little child as to the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used in the third verse whence you argue that they were children in age spoken of by our Savior by which you seem much to strenghthen your selves in your Dabling of Infants foreheads I must tell you that of the two you more marre than make your matter by so much as mentioning of it in this case for first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though by some philosophicall or poeticall license it may possibly be used to signify Infantem some youngling of three or four years old as though beginning to prattle can scarcely
then in anothers your very selves acknowledge you cannot if not why more I wonder ad negationem spiritus why more ad negationem baptismi why more ad negationem nugationis istius vestrae viz. your trivial new way or rather no way of baptism to which if it were baptism indeed you must admit if not all then not at all in time of infancy or else your absurdities are unsuffrable Sirs suffer me to come cross to you and hit you home with your own cross interrogatory p. 18. are those infants of infidels between whom and those of believers you objectors will admit no comparison inclinable to acts of holiness or not if the former it presupposes then that infidels infants have the habit also as much as the other and so the working in them and those born of believing parents may be one and so their holiness and faith and spiritualness and baptism be one too which all your Disputation doth deny if the latter I freely confess these are not inclinable nor yet the other neither These premised the Answer is in your own very words pag. 18. That unless it could be certainly presumed what children have the habit i. e. of faith holiness what have not the working of the spirit is not known to us he is neither bound nor barr'd there can be no conclusion made and therefore Quis nisi mentis inops c. how justly may they be concluded by themselves as well as by others to have hand plus cerebri quam cimax sanguinis and no more understanding then those whose right eye is utterly darkned who premising these sentences themselves do for all that make this conclusion viz. that these infants have faith Holiness the Spirit and thereby right to baptism above all others Or secondly Sirs do ye mean by it some Negative holiness consisting in their being without sin and having yet no wickedness and prophanness the thing which and more properly by farr you stile innocency in the next words though yet o curious criss-cross you will not hold them guiltless neither if so for my part I give you in my assent to it that infants are innocent but I cannot help it if it do you no good in your cause for first are infants of believers any more innocent in time of infancie then the rest how so not by birth for they are all alike born in sin secundum â—e not in life for it cannot appear that the one have more blurr'd themselves or barr'd themselves by any actual sin from baptism if innocency be that which intitles to it then the other But secondly to say the truth Sirs so far is baptism from being intailed to innocents and holy ones only as their only right that it belongs rather only unto sinners for though Christ for examples sake and for other ends submitted to it who yet had no sin of his own but he had ours by imputation yet the most proper use of it to all else that submit is to signifie the remission of their sins Mat. 3.6 Luk. 3.3 Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 If believers infants therefore be so righteous holy i. e. innocent c. as you make them and I dare not deny but that they are nor dare I saie otherwise for the world of other infants in infancie having more charity than your selves even so much as to presume unumquemque bonum nisi constet de malo they are so little inrighted to baptism thereupon that till they sin they are much rather exempted from it for if baptism be a sign to signifie to him who submits to it the remission of his sinnes in plurali as Acts 2.38 and in all other places it seems to be then it s utterly usless to such and therefore to infants as being yet under no Commission of sinnes need yet no sign of Remission of them Secondly Matrimonial holiness I call that which arises from the conjugation of two viz one man and one woman only into one flesh according to Gods holy ordinance and institution the subject of which holiness is not onely marriage it self and the marriage bed which is said to be honourable among all men and undefiled or which is all one to be holy Heb. 13.4 but also the married persons of what rank quality religion soever when once come into that conjugall relation whether both or either or neither of them be believers and the seed or infants that are born of them in that condition which are called by God himself Mal. 2.15 a seed of his own seeking a godly seed or seed of God which he owns as truly lawfully honestly holily begotten according to his own holy appointment and not basely beastly trecherously adulterously nor corruptly as those are which are not begotten in the bed Opposite to this holiness these holy ones I mean the married couples and their holy seed are all the lusts of concupisence objected on strange flesh uncleanness 1 Thess. 4.7 adultery fornication and unclean agents i. e. adulterers and the unclean issues of the adulterous bed viz the adulterous brood or the seed of the adulterer and the whore Isa. 57.3 This kind of holiness I dare say you do not mean yea the most of you will hardly be perswaded that there 's any such kind of holiness at all or if you be it makes nothing for your purpose for what if infants of believing parents be as infants of unbelieving parents also are when begotten in lawfull wedlock holy in such a sense doth this tend at all to prove them to have the holy spirit which is the thing in hand yet this even this and no other is all the holiness meant by Paul 1 Cor. 7.14 where he saith else were your children unclean but now are they holy that very place which your selves so often send us to for proof thereof when we deny your Antecedent in this consequence viz. Infants of believers are holy therefore to be baptized This that I say as 't is not deni'd to my knowledge by some that are for infants baptism so is it most undeniable to any that will but plainly and impartially consider the direct drift of the Apostle in the verse which is not any such matter as to shew that there 's such a sanctity in the unbelieving husband or wife of believing yoke-fellows for these are there said to be holy as well as the children with the same holiness and in their children also as inrolles them all viz. the unbelieving parties and the children as well as the believing parties in the Covenant of grace or in any such outward Church covenant as inrights them to baptism membership and fellowship in the Congregation but to shew such a sanctity or holiness as clears both their conjunctions and conceptions to be pure and guiltless such as frees their bed from the account of baseness and their brood from the account of bastardy both which in the sight of God and men would else be unholy i. e. utterly unlawful and unclean his
between such as finally believe and the kingdome and that fulnesse of the spirit that comes in with it of which the spirit here is an earnest and the spirit it self as the earnest so as to cut them off from the future possession of both God who cannot ly having promised the kingdom as conditionally to all people at years if they believe so absolutely to all that finally do believe yet many of those that believing the things spoken pertaining to the kingdom and so having more immediate right then before unlesse they loose it again may pro presenti be without not onely the kingdom and fulnesse of the promise which they stand actually heirs to by faith till the purchased possession come to be actually possessed by all the Saints at once but for a time too without the spirit as but an earnest for this in the common way of Gods dispensation of old was neither promised nor bestowed on any by promise unlesse at any time God was better then his word as he was Act. 10. nor on good ground to be expected till after faith repentance obedience in baptism and prayer witnesse the forecited places Iohn 7.38 39. Act. 2.38.5.32.8.12.15.16.19.1.2 Luk. 11.13 Prov. 1.23 The next Eulogy given to little infants whereby you argue the holy spirit to be in them is their being set forth for examples of innocency whence your argument must be thus Babist Those that are set forth for examples of innocency have the holy spirit But little children of believing parents are set forth for examples of innocency Ergo they have the holy spirit Baptist. Bare simple innocency harmlessnesse and freedom from hurt proves neither holinesse nor holy spirit to be where it is it being capable to be not onely in infants who in respect of age and stature though not of kind and nature are in an ordinary way at least an uncapable subject of the other but also in creatures by kind uncapable at any time of the spirit viz. doves sheep lambs every of which as well as infants are set forth also as examples of meeknesse patience innocency silence under suffering as the Ant is also for diligence and forecast the vine for fruitfulnesse the Serpent for wisdom to the Saints and yet have not thereupon the holy spirit yea Eulogies for some one particular natural excellency qualification and indowment and those not inferiour to those of the best Saints may be given and that as an example for the Saints not onely to other creatures and innocent infants but also to such as are elsewise injurious and no way exemplary to others at all e. g. the unjust steward Luke 16. who though a meer child of the world yet is commended by Christ as having done wisely yea more wisely in suo genere then the children of light and given as a pattern of prudence and forecast to them and yet I should be in doubt whether that man were well in his wits or no that should argue from those Eulogies to those holy spirit Secondly from which innocency yet if it would follow that the spirit is in infants it must be in all as well as some for is one Infant more free from actual sin and in point of innocency propounded as our pattern by Christ more then another is not innocency in the whole state of infants even in unbelievers infants as much to the full as in the other The next Eulogy is this that they are not to be offended from whence your argument must run thus Babist Those that are not to be offended have the holy spirit But little children of believing parents are not to be offended Ergo they have the holy spirit Baptist. To which by way of answer I le onely compose another Syllogism and so leave you to see as you may do without a candle and to search out the sillinesse of your own Those who are not to be offended have the holy spirit But little children of unbelieving parents and also the very Iews and Gentiles as well as the Church of God are not to be offended Ergo little children of unbelieving parents yea even the Iews and the Gentiles as well as the Church of God have the holy spirit And so Sirs having weighed all your Eulogies one after another in the ballance of right reason and found them too light I le onely add one argument of mine own from the very places you quote from which if either men did not dote on them because they are found in the old Liturgy and the new Directory or were not resolved to take tag rag and long tail to scrape together even all the impertinencies that ere they can meet with in proof of infant baptism rather then to forgo it now they are ingaged in 't there is no clearer consequence in the world then that infants are not to be baptized and then I le pass on to your other proofs If those very numericall infants spoken of in those very places Mat. 18. Mar. 10. Luke 18. from whence and from the carriage and practise of Christ there towards them the priest-hood pleads the baptism of other infants of whom Christ did never so individually declare as he did of these that they should be brought to him and that of such is the kingdome of heaven were not baptized by Christ nor his disciples in the primitive times of the Gospel which are our pattern then it follows not from the example of these infants that other infants are but rather that they are not to be baptized But those very infants spoken of in those very places from whence c. were not baptized either by Christ or by his disciples c. Ergo it follows not from the example of those infants that other infants are but rather that they are not to be baptized The Major is most undeniably clear for by what warrant may we take upon us to baptize other infants when those infants were not baptized that were brought to Christs own person and whose particular personal right to the kingdom as you your selves say Christ there declares for t is contended by you that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of such must be meant of these not of such as are like to these whereby you utterly overthrow your selves too for if that speech of such be in sense and signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not talium but horum then it can reach no more to other infant◠of the same kind then to the other kind of infants i. e. the Saints these being both viz. the one in specie the other in qualificatione at most but such and not the same for the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresses all that are alike to these whether in kind or qualification onely or both but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Individuum Indigitativum as it were that points out these Individuals that were then present and no more so that to allow you your own fained sense I say if those were
having that at present they rather scoff at the holy spirit yet dare you not say they are all reprobates for some of them may turn at Christs reproof for ought you know therefore what consequence is there from not being reprobates to a present possession of the holy spirit Secondly do you know so precisely which infants are Elect and which Reprobate as to take upon you to distinguish them by baptism or are all infants of unbelievers reprobate so that you may accordingly denominate them for such by whole sale as you do Do not the infants of unbelievers very often prove believers and so elect and precious and as ordinarily believers infants when they come to years I mean prove reprobates were not Asa the son of wicked Abia and Iosias of wicked Ammon elected both when Ishmael and Esau the sons of Abraham and Isaac themselves were in Scripture secundum te o Accountant p. 13. both branded for reprobates Lastly to the plain perverture of the words of the the text you quote to your own ends instead of Iesus Christ between whose and the spirits being in men there is no small difference for Christ may be in us by faith I mean we may be in the faith when yet he is not in us by his spirit I mean before the spirit is yet given witness all the disciples that believed and were baptized with water some while before Christ gave them the holy spirit Act. 8. Act. 19. instead of Christ I say you insert the spirit of God you also wholly pervert the sence of the Apostle in that place 2 Cor. 13.5 who speaks it not to infants nor of them neither but of persons that could both know and prove and examine their own selves of all which infants were uncapable by your own confession he wrote it of them to whom he wrote it and so indeed though you are slow of heart to consider it the whoâ—â— Gospel was written viz. de adultis adulâ—orum officiis of grown person whether parents or children and their duties but not for the use of infants in â—â—fancie at all In the next place upon occasion of my denial that it can be made appear that infants have the holy spirit to the making of them subjects of baptism you argue it on thus Disputation The report of Scripture concerning them and the necessary consequences of the former Arguments do make it more plainly appear to any one that will not deny Scripture and reason then the Profession of any particular person who perhaps may be an hypocrite as Symon Magus can make it appear of himself Gods testimony being to be preferred before mans Disproof Here is one of the most prodigious pieces of absurditie and contradiction of your selves as you speak in other places that was ever discerned to pass from men that cried out so loud as you do for libertie to reason logically since the art of Logick was found out In that you here call the consequences of all your former Arguments necessary consequences which is as much as to say such as conclude the thing in hand i. e. that infants have the holy spirit necessarily universally and infâ—llibly for that and no other were you so well skilled in Logick as you would seem to be is a necessary consequence which proves the matter concluded certainly so to be yea certo ità esse nec alitèr se habere posse a necessary consequence is when there is tam necessarius nexus indissolubilis dependentia c. such infallible dependence between the subject and the praedicate that the conclusion must be universally and perpetually true whereas your conclusion which is this viz. That little Children have the holy spirit as it followes not so much as probably nor possibly from all that you have here premised toward the proof on it witness all the Disproof made of your Disputation hitherto so much less doth it follow from them necessarily to be true for then it must be at least truly denominated de omni i. e. universally true concerning all little children that they have the ho-spirit de omni being the very lowest degree of necessity but this for shame you cannot say that all little children of every sort have holy spirit no nor yet so much as all of that sort of whom you so peculiarly assert it viz. the little children of believers among whom when they are at years there are as many destitute of the holy spirit as are indued with it And in further evidence hereof that it follows not necessarily from any thing you have said that those little infants you sprinkle have the holy spirit I appeal from your selves to your very selves for howbeit you here affirm as also p. 16. inch a necessity in the consequences whence you conclude that infants of believers have faith and the holy spirit yet to the utter confutation of your selves herein you elsewhere confesse that at the best your proof can be no more then probable viz. p. 18 where you write concerning the infants of Christian parents having faith and the spirit as if notwithstanding all that was said before to prove the certainty of it you could not now tell well what to say to it for as in p. 16. you acknowledged that all infants have it not so these are your own words p. 18. viz. the spirit is not bound to work it in all the children of Christian parents nor barr'd from working it in any of the children of infidels so that no judgement of science can be passed till the acts themselves be seen and examined for a posteriori onely and yet by the way be it known unto you that every necessary consequence demonstrates a priori the discovery of habits it made that unlesse it could be certainly presumed what children have the habit what have not for the working of the spirit is not known to us he is not bound nor yet bard there can be no conclusion made In which words see how plainly you acknowledge that no conclusion can be made of it that infants of Christians have the habit of faith i. e. it is a thing that doth not necessarily follow and cannot appear in infancy at all nor be certainly presumed whether they have or have it not till they come to years and be seen to act so that then it may be known by your own confession and yet in this place I am now in hand with you say no more nor lesse but in effect the clean contrary as also p. 16. where you seem to wonder almost and fault the difficulty in mens understandings that there are at all any doubts in them about their having it avouching that the Scriptures by necessary consequences confirme the thing viz. that they have it That the report of Scripture concerning little children and the necessary consequences of the former arguments do make it appear yea plainly yea more plainly then the profession of any particular person at years can make it
upon denial of any sufficience in all your former proofs to make it appear is at last undertaken by you to be made sufficiently appear in this last Syllogism which if it do not make it as sufficiently appear concerning unbelievers infants considering your own matter used to prove the Minor as concerning the other then my candle is quite gone out but if it do then surely the very light that is in you is utter darkness In the next place you dispute upon us by way of Question and Interogation thus Disputation 1. How do those men and women that are baptized at years make it appear to those that baptize them that they have faith and the holy spirit If it be answered by their profession 3. Whether their profession since it is possible they may lie can make it appear infallibly If it be answered no. 3. What judgement then can they that baptize them passe upon them to be the subjects of baptism as they call them whether any other than that of charity If it be answered that of charity T is replyed then let them passe the same judgement upon those little infants of whom in general the Scripture hath given so good a report and against whom in particular no exception can be raised and the controversie between us is at an end Disproof First whereas you quere how those we baptize make it appear that they have the holy spirit before we baptize them I answer I know no necessity of making ir appear that persons have the holy spirit before their admission to baptism for though we find once that God Anticipated his promise and gave the holy spirit before baptism Act. 10. yet I know not nor yet do you any promise there is whereupon in an ordinary way we can expect it of receiving the holy spirit of promise till after faith repentance obedience turning to God baptism and asking of it Prov. 1.23 Iohn 7.38.39 Act. 2.38 chap. 5.32 chap. 8.16.19 Luke 11.13 Ephes. 1.13 Secondly as for the holy spirits appearing infallibly I answer first it may possibly appear infallibly to be in some in whom it is as Act. 10.44.45.46.47 by sundry fruits and manifestations of it which may warrant us to say God is in them of a truth Mat. 7.16.17.18.19.20 1 Cor. 12.7 1 Cor. 14.25 It may I say undoubtedly appear to be in men and women but cannot and way at all so appear to be in infants if we may believe your selves who tell us p 8. that infants have not the exercise and fruit of faith and p. 18. that instruction of the understanding in matter of faith in some sort must go before any act of faith can be discovered and that no judgement of science can be past upon infants till the acts themselves be seen and examined for a posteriore onely the discovery of habits is made and that unlesse it could be certainly presumd what children have it what have not there can be no conclusion made And howbeit I am not of the seekers mind that an appearance of the holy spirit in any person before baptism in water doth exempt him from it but am well assured that it strictly rather ingages him to it or else Peter could not have commanded them in name of the Lord to be baptiz'd in water upon whom the holy spirit fell Act. 10. but must rather have forbid it as frustraneous and altogether superfluous yet that the spirit should appear at all to be in men in order to their baptism much more that it should appear infallibly to be in them is a matter of no necessity that I know of sith in the word it s not required that persons be baptized with the holy spirit first in order to their baptism with water but that they be first baptized in water in order to their receiving the holy spirit Act. 2.38 for the baptism of the spirit as t is promised onely to believers so we believing obeying the Gospel and asking the holy spirit t is signified to us as one thing that shall be given among the rest in that very way of water baptism so that its enough for us as to the baptism of persons to take cognizance of it that they believe and repent which things though they cannot do without the spirit performing its common office of striving drawing moving inlightning convicting of good and evil sin and righteousness c. in all which it acts to the whole world Gen. 6. Rom. 1.20 Iohn 16.8 Act. 7.51 yet they not only may do them without but must do them before they can by promise expect the spirit in those special respects wherein he is promised to believers and calld that holy spirit of promise And now because you ask how we know they have faith whom we baptize I answer by their profession which gives though not infallibility yet by your leave for all your preferring the Eulogies given in general to all infants above any mans personal profession for himself in this case a far clearer and better grounded judgement of charity concerning them that they have faith then that you have concerning infants which at best is but charity mistaken for cruelty whilst it takes that to be in infants and that on pain of their damnation too they dying without it viz. believing see p. 8. which infants are utterly uncapable of and whilst it takes even that too without which it holds no infants are saved to be in but very few infants viz. believers infants onely and so damns all other dying infants which are far more innumerable and as capable of faith and as little barring themby actual sin from salvation and as little deserving damnation as the other so that whether we or you plead the cause of innocent infants let the world judge And whereas you suppose that because in charity onely we judge men and women to believe therefore we passe no other judgement then that of charity onely on them to be the subjects of baptism herein you grossely mistake our grounds of baptizing for thought that of charity onely is the judgement whereby we judge them to be believers yet that is not the onely judgement whereby we judge them to be the subjects of baptism but as to that we go upon a judgement of certainty and infallibility also for though it be not infallible to us that every one that professes to believe doth as truly believe as he professes yet this is infallible to us concerning him that professes viz. both that he professes and also that professing to believe with all his heart so that we in charity may judge him so to do whether he lie or no he is by the rule of the word quoad nos a warrantable undoubted and as no infant is infallible subject of baptism for the word requires us to baptize such as after our preaching the faith to them do truly professe to believe whether they believe as truly as they profest or no for that indeed is not so infallible to
us but it warrants us not to baptize any infants who can neither believe not professe Moreover sith you say let us pass the same judgement upon little infants as you do of whom in generall say you the Scripture gives so good a report and against whom in particular no exception can be raised and so the controversie shall be at an end I tell you we do passe not the same but a far surer judgement then that of charity upon infants dying in infancy and have an hundred fold more clear and more tender opinion of them then yourselves whilst we have from the word well grounded hopes and assurance that no dying infant is damned but you with over pleading the bare outward priviledges of some most ignorantly damn 20 dying infants to one But as to your judgement of charity concerning infants believing and being thereby inrighted to baptism or that same judgement of charity which we act toward professors of faith you may dream as long as you will on such erroneous Enthusiasm but those that are awake to righteousnesse and resolved to sin no more by popish superstition know well enough that infants though nere the worse for want on t yet cannot believe in Christ of whom they are not capable to hear much less can they professe so to do and thereby give that good ground which right charity must have whereupon to build her faith of this i. e to believe that they do believe and believing are certainly to be baptized so that we have charity well grounded concerning infants and such as comparatively to which your tender mercy to millions of them is meer cruelty and yet the controversie is not ended nor is likely to come to an end in such a way Give me leave therefore a little to play upon you here with your own weapons and to call for an answer from you to your own queres and so it may be in a fair way towards an end in time whereas then you plead the baptism of believers infants and no others upon such a sufficient appearance that they have faith and the holy spirit I ask First how do these make it appear that they have faith and the holy spirit since they cannot do it by profession Secondly how far forth do they make it appear to you infallibly or but probably your selves say not infallibly for the spirit is not bound to all the children of Christian parents nor barrd from any of the children of infidels Thirdly what judgement do you passe upon believers infants to be the subjects of baptism rather then other infants that of charity or that of certainty that of certainty you disclaim p. 18. in these words no judgement of science can be passed till the Acts of faith themselves be seen and examined and in these also viz. unlesse it could be certainly presumed what children have the habit what have not for the working of the spirit is not known to us he is not bound nor barrd there can be no conclusion made That of charity then is the onely judgement you passe on these and whereby you judge believers infants and no other to have faith the spirit and right to baptism which charity teacheth us praesumere c. to believe and hope all things hope the best concerning all till ye see the worst especially since littâ—e children of believers have not by any actuall sin barrd themselves or deserved to be exempted from the generall state of little children declared in Scriptures Well then to close up all let me but desire you to passe the same judgement of charity on all little infants as you do on some even upon the little ones of unbelievers Infidels Turks and Pagans whilst infants of whom in general and indiscrimmatim the Scripture gives a good report not commending believers infants above them and against whom in particular no exception can be raised more then against the other saving that one fault of theirs onely that they were not born of believings parents which I hope you have so much charity as to pardon Hope I say as well of the infants of unbelieving parents that they have faith and the holy spirit specially since it cannot appear that these have by any actual sin barred themselves or deserved any more then the other to be exempted from the general state of little infants declared in Scripture and then the controversie between you and me which is whether little children born of believing parents only may be lawfully baptized is like to be at an end for then certainly you will either agree to it that all infants in the world even of infidels Turks and Pagans these being in the judgement of Charity as undeserving damnation as others may be and are dying in infancy though this with you is as heinous a thing as to â—ay the Divels may be saved p. 7. in as much possibility to be saved and so at least in as much right as the others to be baptized or else that no infants at all it being not possible to be presumed certainly which have the spirit and which not and charity judging a like of all till it see a difference are at all to be baptized both which being the very truth I am content for my part to agree with you therein with all my heart To which Dilemma I am well enough assured you can answer nothing in the least measure satisfactory as the most judicious readers if you Ministers inquire of them will undoubtedly affirm also and so I proceed to your other Arguments Disputation That opinion which makes the Covenant of the Gospell worser then that under the Law contrary to the Apostle in Heb. 8.6 is a wicked and false opinion But the opinion of the Anabaptists which denieth baptism to little children whereby a moâ—ty of the Christian world is cut off at once from being members of the Church maketh the covenant of the Gospel worser then that under the Law Ergo that opinion is a wicked and false opinion Disproof The Major here is most undeniably true for what opinion soever doth make the Gospel covenant worse then that under the Law contrary to Heb. 8.6 is indeed both false and wicked But the Minor wherein you say that the denial of baptism to little infants makes the Gospel covenant worse then that under the Law contrary to Heb. 8.6 where the Gospel is said to be a better covenant then that of the Law in this respect as it is established upon better promises this is most palpably false yea I appeal to every man who doth not wilfully shut his eies against the truth to judge between us whether our opinion or your own rather doth most clearly contradict that Scripture of your own alledging Heb. 8.6 in order to the true discerning of which First Mark well what it is that is there asserted concerning the meliority of the Gospel covenant above that of law and you shall find it to be this viz. That the Gospel
presentment of the righteousness of Christ without faith is a figment of the Anabaptists without ground or reason from Scripture the Covenant of the Gospel being the righteousness of faith To which I contradictorily reply that there is another way revealed for the salvation and justification of little infants from all the guilt that lies upon them in infancy which is no other then that which comes upon them for the sin of Adam onely and from all that mischief which comes on them onely meerly and simply for that sin then that way of faith and that is the presentment of the righteousnesse of Christ to God on their behalf without faith and this way is no figment of the Anabaptist as you No-Baptists do foolishly fancy but that which hath such strong ground and reason from Scripture as you will never overthrow while you live although to men at years that have acted transgression in their own persons and are capable to act faith and other good as well as evil the Gospel is granted to be a Covenant that gives righteousnesse by Christ in no other way then that way of faith and obedience to him We usually put cloaths upon infants but men put their clothes on themselves and so must we put on Christ by faith in order to justification when we come to years of discretion Gal. 3.27 and not before I know the multitude of Scriptures that speak in general or at least in such indefinit terms as are in sense equivalent to universal concerning salvation to all them that believe and nothing but condemnation to all them that believe not as Mark 16.15.16 Iohn 3.15.16.18.19.36.11.26 Act. 10.42 Act. 13.43 Rom. 1.17.3.22.25.26.28.30.4.6.24 a most monstrous mistake of all which as also of the whole Scripture makes you miserably misbelieve this matter viz. the way that all dying infants are saved in for you deem or rather dream that the Lord by these expressions whosoever believeth in me shall never dye he that believeth not shall be damned he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life c. delivers his will and testament not onely concerning persons at age but concerning infants in their very infancy also whereas if you Divines had not Divin'd your selves to very dotage you could not but understand that little infants are not intended in any of these or any other places that hold out faith as the way of our salvation for do but judge in your selves were it not shameful senslessnesse to read thus out of those places viz. God so loved the world c. that whosoever infants in infancy as well as men believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life those infants that do believe on him are not condemned but those infants that believe not are condemned already and why because they have not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God And this shall be the condemnation of infants as well as men that light and life is come to them and yet infants believe it not neither will come unto Christ that they might have life but but love darknesse more then light because their deeds are evil for thus you may read it if infants as well as men be there meant and so were it not sottish to read thus out of Rom. 4.23 it was not written for Abraham onely that faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse but for infants also to whom it shall be imputed if they do believe on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead c. so would it sound any whit savourly in the ears of one that 's of a sound judgement to read Mark 16.15.16 so as to understand infants together with others viz. go preach the Gospel to every creature who ere believeth and is baptized shall be saved but whoever believes not man or woman old or young infant or suckling shall be damned would not this grate harshly upon charitable ears but surely infants are not spoken of here nor are they in any other Scripture for ought I can find with the best sight I have where faith is spoken of as the condition on our part without which nothing is to be expected but condemnation I am sorry Sirs to see you Clergy men cloath your selves with such darke conceits and confusednesse of mind as not to know of whom and to whom things are spoken in the word nor whom in general the Scriptures you professe to be so profound in concern and preach to and I beseech you be not too wise in your own conceits to learn one lesson at least from him that is a fool among you for Christs sake viz. whereas you say infants must believe or not be saved the Scriptures declaring no other way to salvation but faith in Christ that the Scriptures were written only for our instruction that are at years to understand them and not for the use and instruction of infants in infancy in the way of life the Scriptures were given as a coppy of the testament and the will of God concerning men and women to declare to them what he requires of them and in what way he would have them to wait upon him in order to the attaining of that salvation he hath purchased by the blood of Christ and will freely confer on them for his sake viz. the way of faith repentance baptism supplication submission self-denial obedience both active and passive perseverance therein to the end and in a word attendance to the law of Christ the voice of that prophet that he hath now raised up in all things or else to have no part among his people from all which conditions and performances I say from every of them as well as any one of them from believing as well as obeying in baptism or any other part of his will or any other works of God under the Gospel among which belief is a chief one Iohn 6.28.29 little infants as being yet uncapable subjects to obey in any of these are universally exempred in their infancy otherwise I dare a vouch no dying infants in the world shall ever be saved for can they do any of these things in infancy so such as are to be baptized are called to do Act. 22.16 and who ever so doth shall be saved and whoever doth not shall perish Ier. 10.25 if the way wherein men are to be saved must be walkt in by all infants too in order to their salvation then wo to all infants that die in non-age for alas how shall infants call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not yet heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and who can preach to them before they can understand Rom. 10.14.15 so then they cannot believe for faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God some way or other outwardly as well as inwardly preached Babist The spirit here speaks de subjecto capaci onely viz of the way how men
some infants above others as you do who by your mouth I mean Mr. Blake declare some by nature now as of old to be Children of God and Saints and some dogs and swine some holy i. e. in your sense in Covenant as the Iew of old and some unclean i. e. in your sense out of Covenant with God and sinners of the Gentiles which distinction is now destroyed much lesse that such prerogative of seed is intended by the Apostle in that texâ— even I my self I say do look on all infants as holy in some sense as I have shewed before i. e. negative as far as meer innocency and freedom from iniquity may denominate holy not counting them to be in Adam and so impure but recounting them in Christ till by actual sin and a wicked life they take me off from that account and on some children also viz. those of Christian parents as having in some sense a prerogative of seed so far as they may be a seed of prayers more then othess and in some sense too not yours a holinesse above others i. e. as they may be sanctified to their parents as blessings as every thing else may be by their prayers whether good or evill in it self if yet what is blest to us may be properly denominated holy as every creature is said to be sanctified to the Saint 1 Tim. 4. and yet for my life dare I not baptize any at all and as for Tertullian though he mistaking Pauls meaning holds such are holy by a kind of prerogative of seed as Mr. Marshall speaks yet t is very questionable to me whether it be that so transcendent kind of birth holiness and prerogative you expound him of and howbeit Dr. Holmes and Mr. Marshall would fain fetch that father in by force of forged construction to witnesse as a God-father to their federal holinesse yet I cannot easily believe by his words that he hath respect to any more then a bare recounting and reputing these to be holy in a sense abstract from any reallity of their being holy by natural birth and in their childhood as the Doctor vainly descants on Tertullians phrase wherein he mentions them to be holy or till such time as they are holy indeed by that new birth from above and Mr. Marshal takes my part against the Doctor in this too saying they are in Tertullians sense designati sanctitatis i. e. as these words are expounded by the following witnesse the Doctor himself counted holy but not Sancti i. e. not holy till they be born of water and the spirit p. 36. much lesse can I ever believe that he counted them holy and priviledged above others so far as thereupon to assert them or so much as to allow them to be baptized for that 's an utter in consequence of your own from Pauls text 1 Cor. 7.14 and from Tertullians text to who though he take Pauls speech of such childrens holinesse a little the wrong way yet wrests them not so far out of the way to the proof of such a popish practise as you do yea there is not a little in Tertullians testimony you so talk of that tends at all to testifie the truth of infant baptism indeed had the Epithet given by Tertullian fidelium filiis been so as that instead of that phrase wherein he saies they ought to be designati sanctitatis et salutis i. e. reputatively holy and happy ones he had said they should be signati sanctitatis salutis i. e. signed in your own phrase sealed ones of holinesse and happinesse there had been some hint towards baptism but as t is there is none at all of such a matter The Dr. draws neck and heels together to make Tertullian speak to his mind but t will appear he was of another mind then he as to the baptism of any infants when all is done for saith he Babist Tertullian shews childrens capacity of grace and salvation Baptist. And what then yea what if we grant you that they are capable of salvation yea the Scripture asserts it and we do not deny it therefore you need not trouble Tertullian for this testimony but what follows upon it what then Babist What then why consequently they are capable of the seal for the deeds and their seales follow the right of the inheritance Baptist. This is your inference Mr. Dr. from which inference of yours now we talk of inferring I le infer two things by way of quaere and so let it passe viz. First if the seales in plurali marke your words therefore both at least yet both are but signs neither in true locution must both follow the right of the inheritance of which children are in capacity as well as men then to fill you with your own phrase why is not one seal of the same inheritance of the same salvation given to infants by you as well as the other i. e. the supper as well as baptism Secondly if these in plurali or if no more then baptism be to be given to children consequently upon no more then capacity oâ— salvation the capacities of infants being equal and they quoad nos all alike capable to enjoy it if God who is neither bound nor barred please to bestow salvation why are not both these or at least that one sign of baptism which you give to some infants given by you to all infants as well as some i. e. to ungodly mens children as well as to those of godly parents the Dr. strives with all his strength and straines one point more yet to strain Tertullians testimony to his turn yet will it not do in any wise Babist Tertullian in that text mentions not onely childrens being holy but he mentions also that place Iohn 3.4 in relation to children except a man be born again of water and of the spirit c. from which we may perceive that Tertullian grounds infants baptism upon Scripture Baptist. To which first supposing that by that birth of water and the spirit is meant nothing but baptism in that place of Tertullian we are yet upon I reply Secondly thus viz. appealing to the Drs own conscience and Mr. Marshals also whether he speak that very clause of Scripture in that very place of his we are now upon to that very intent as to ground infant baptism upon it or whether if it be read with a right and true Emphasis and reference it doth not of the two rather suppose it was not to be in infancy for having as Mr. Marshal understands confessed so far of infants of the faithful that they are designati sanctitatis et salutis i. e. to be held in the mean time to wit in childhood and before baptism as holy and happy reputatively only yet he saies that none of all them are sancti i. e. holy indeed for that we see is Tertullians sense of the word enter into the kingdom unlesse they be born of water and the spirit that is as I conceive till they
as failing in that point if you do it no otherwise then it was done then and there viz. the dayes and places wherein the primitive Churches dispenst it for they were all so wholly strangers to your infant baptism that not so much as the sound of such a thing was ever heard among them and howbeit Dr. Feaâ—le tells us a tale p. 16. out of Origen on the Romans whose originall is lost and into which work of his on the Romans t is shrewdly suspected by the learned that Ruffinus and the Romans have Sophisticated such a sentence that the Church had infant-baptism from the Apostles and thence very goodly grounds A positive argument of very great moment saith he that may convince the conscience of any ingenuous Christian viz. that the Apostles in their dayes began to baptize infants and the whole Catholique Christian Church in all places and ages even from the Apostles dayes hath admitted the children of Christian parents to holy baptism therefore t is no error Yet I must tell you that Origens bare word and single say so if it were his own is no warrant whereupon all men may safely muchlesse must necessarily believe it was so but the word of the New Testament of which the Apostles mostly were the Pen-men is warrant enough to us to believe that it was not so were the word onely silent about it how much more whilest it hath so much against it that we may say t is exclusive of it Howbeit therefore you say that infant baptism hath been universall it is sufficient proof of its non universallity in that you can never prove that it hath been universall and we have proved that in the Apostles dayes it was not so that in the first Century t was not so nor in the second for ought any man living can possibly shew how ere it began to creep in about the third and howbeit it hath been never so universally and erroneously practised from the fourth or fifth Centuries till now yet neither will it follow that the universall Church hath practised it nor that the universal Church hath erred in it nor that Christs promise Mat. 28.20 Ioh. 16.13.14.16.17.29 concerning the spirits abode and guidance is not true for that 's not more made then made good to those that perform the condition and terms on which it was made viz. the observation of what he commanded in which case the spirit is ever present and ever was and shall be with those few that keep the truth as for the most when they began to dote on mens teachings and traditions and to fashion themselves more at a venture after the words of the wise and prudent then after the word of God it self and to Idolize the dictates of Synods and Ghostly fathers so as blindly to subject themselves to their sentences as their onely Oracles then Terras Astraea reliquit Christ who did ingage to lead them by his spirit who would be led by it was dis-ingaged and true enough in his promises though he left the world to lie in darknesse and to be filled with their own wayes and with the fruits of their own inventions Moreover t was not the Church in the capacity of a Church in respect of outward form and order but his disciples to whom that promise was made to whom also it was performed and made good in all ages according and in such measure as they kept close to him for in the time of the treading down of the Temple and holy City and the true worship and worshippers and of all that visible fabrick and Church posture which stood in the primitive times and even in the grossest darknesse God gave power to his two witnesses i. e. by his word and spirit in the hearts and mouths of his Saints impowered them to prophesie and testifie to the truth against the traditions of Rome and against infant baptism as well as other of her superstitions and heresies how else could Bernard have said as he doth Serm. 65. super cant of some that opposed the corruptions of his time They laugh at us because we baptize infants because we pray for the dead and require the prayers of Saints yet even to those Martyrs that did witnesse to some truth in times of Ignorance the light was though not so totally and terribly as to the rest of the world much ecclipsed ore now it is and that promised manifestative presence of Christ not a little interdicted and communion with him interrupted by the interposition of that smoak which comming out of the bottomless pit clouded the sun and thickned the aire and as Christ himself foretold also it should be Iohn 14.30 by the intervening of the Prince of the darkness of this world who was to have his time wherein to darken all things and had it too so that by his delusive wiles the whole world was won to be once an Arrian and after that an Antichristian worshipping the Dragon and the Beast wondering and erring all together into one Catholique Church-body called Christendome and by common consent bearing the whore or false Ministery called Clergy warring at her will against the Saints and though not finally for so the gates of hell cannot yet or along time prevailing against them that dwell in heaven Rev. 13.4 5 6 7. In all which time nevertheless as I said before some truths were revealed to some and so much to such as then sought to Christ and not to men as may well serve to verify Christs words and justify all the promises of his presence with his people as to the true purport of them as yea and Amen Babist But where was your Church then all this while till these latter times Baptist. Where it was to be according to the word of prophecy Rev. 11.1 viz. troden underfoot for 1260 years by the nominall Christians or Gentiles coming by the lump into the outer Court i. e. into a bare name and feigned form of Christianity after the time of Constantine at the compulsive call of the Clergy since when though there have been an number of Saints in sackcloth that have seen much light from Christ and suffered for it yet I am so far from undertaking to prove there was that I am rather of the mind there was not nor was to be if the word be true any truly collected truly constituted visible Churches at all in right outward form and order standing upon that true foundation i. e. the principles of the Doctrine of Christ and the primitive prophets and Apostles for many ages upwards even from the Clergies carrying the Church captive into Babylon unto these daies wherin the foundation Heb. 6.1.2 with Eph. 2.20.21.22 which hath been razed is laid again and the measuring line gone forth upon the Temple is in the hands of the true Zerubbabel Christ Iesus who shall also finish it not by Army nor by strength but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hosts If this answer be not satisfactory that our Churches
passes from you p. 26 27. of your paper viz. to avoid a querulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at a gnat giving over the company of the flock of more goats then sheep for every rub alias refusing to reform seperating from the congregation alias the parish church of the Popes congendring for a ceremony alias some small thing which to synodical prudence it hath seemed good to add to the ordinances of Christ as if his wisdome had not made things full and fine enough e. g. the surplice the forced gesture of kneeling before the railes and Altar yoking of sheep and swine together in the Supper and in baptism the crosse the form of slâ—tting two or three drops of water with wet fingers on the face instead of dipping and orewhelming and this too but to an infant instead of a professed believer by which ceremonious quirks they brought in not so much alterationem as alterum and ceremonized the whole substance of what Christ required quite away to endeavour after a true temper of a son of the church humbly to submit to the judgements of others sooner then our own alias to see through the Priests eyes and say we see it not what ever we see to the contrary not to dare to contend with any much lesse Superiors alias Popes Counsels whole Classes of Clergy men for they will bite Mic. 3.5 without strong and evident and convincing reason for our assertions which if we have not for our baptism against yours never men had in any controversy since truths resurrection from under the pawes of the Pope and Priesthood to this day not to see things amisse alias go on hoodwinkt with implicit faith if we cannot but see things amisse to hide and cover them specially the nakednesse of our father and shame of our Mother alias the Pope and Clergy out of whose loines and the Catholique Christendome in whose womb almost all error is ingendred least if their spiritual fornications should be rendred too discernable reformation should prove too desirable and that too destroyable to their enjoyments not to let a light matter alias so light ahd vain a thing as the vanity of infant-baptism work dislike in us much lesse departure and divorce not to depart by seperation save in case of a great and unfufferable crime alias some worse and more fearful error then can well be about the dispensation of baptism of which there 's dispair of redresse which was the Protestanâ—s case with the Church of Rome and our case also with the Protestant nations in which though we reprove them roundly for it as well as declare against it we see little forwardnesse to forbear their infant-sprinkling which by your leave gentlemen for all your soothing and smoothing and smothering over the thing as no great one if it be one sometimes for your own ends yet to take you at your own words in this place is little lesse than an unsufferable crime and a business in which to erre is most fearfully ro erre in one of the most necessary points of religion and either betokens a totall desertion by the spirit of God or else you shew your selves but ignorant men in speaking so of it and that is the very truth of it indeed for though an error about the subject and essential form of baptism be at no hand to be set so light by as t is by you when you see men resolved to depart from your societies in case of your refusal to reform that double error which in that point remaines yet among you while you Rantize infants yet neither is it to be so mightily magnified and made such a hydeous such a fundamental such a dangerous such a damnable error unlesse persevered in willfully against light or conscience and then a smaller matter then that may prove of sad consequence to any soul is as inconsistent with all possibility of their salvation that in times of ignorance did happen to hold it or puts all such persons under an absolute impossibility of having any thing of the spirit of God in them as meerly by reason of non discovery of it do go astray by it as to go round again you who care not which extream you run out into when you suppose your own turn against us to be served by it do seem to make and magnifie it in this place Neverthelesse as I said once above as much as you sleight it other while and Mr. Baxter also who spends a pair of pages viz. 10.11 to shew how little stress God laies upon this point making it as the non-Churcâ—â—rs usually do upon whose principles how neer he borders some see better then himself though he yet own the use of ordinances as it were a low small matter a piece of ceremonâ— and letter which God will dispense with saying circumcision is nothing i. e. in suâ—o sensu not much material whether baptized or not a small part of the ministers work which Paul left to others to dispense as belonging not much to him to administer who was sent to preach aâ—d yet I believe if we say as indeed we do that there 's no such need that the dispensation it self be done by the hands of one that is specially sent to preach and in holy orders Mr. Baxter will either be against us or else against all his brethren of the Clergy who will have none to baptize but such as are sent to preach as much I say as you and Mr. Baxter sleight it and as little fundamental as you make it yet I must tell you in Mr. Baxters words and your own too that Christs commands are to be obeyed by us great and small as far as we know them and so necessary a point of Religion is this as to the outward part of Religion that howbeit Mr. Baxter p. 11. denies that outward part of baptism or external washing to be called one of the foundations Heb. 6.2 any otherwise then for its praecedency viz because its first laid in order of time not because it beareth up the building even that outward burying of believers in that baptism is both to be done necessitate praecepti by special command from him Act. 2.38.10.68 whose voice whoever will not hear i. e. obey when heard in all things whatever he saith little commands as well as greater Mat. 5.19 shall be cut off from among his people Act. 3.22.23 and therefore how farre forth necessary necessitate medii and ad salutem to life it self so far forth as we know his will in that particular let Mr. Baxter judge And also Secondly is to be done in such wise and manner as he himself hath commanded and not after mans precept and tradition there being no lesse rejection plague and cursing denounced against changing the ordinances and serving God after such manner as men require then to neglecting it altogether Isa. 24.5.6.29.13 Mat. 15.9 And also thirdly is to be done
thereby members of the Iewish Church could not be the visible church according to the Gospell unless they did manifest faith and so be in covenant with Abraham according to the spirit and baptized into the same faith Whereas if the Covenant now under Christ were the same that was before Christ with Abraham and his posterity in the flesh then by the same right they possessed circumcision and the Iewish Church state they must possesse this since Christ which they could not do therefore it is not the same It is true therefore that the Covenant of God makes the Church both in time of the Law and Gospel too for the Church is nothing else but a people in covenant with God now look how the covenant differs so the Church and people differs which is made by it and which enter into it Now the Covenant whereby God took a people outwardly to be his people then was that whereby they did being circumcised participate of all those outward meanes which led to Christ which was to come Psal. 149.19.20 But the Covenant whereby he takes a people outwardly to be his people now whereby they are admitted to be baptized is that profession they make of faith in Christ Acts 8.12.37 Mat 3.6 Whereby they have true and spirituall conjunction with God and are his people Heb. 3.6 Indeed it is true that Christ is and ever was the Mediator and Means of salvation and also that all those that were saved were saved through faith in him both before and since his comming But yet because the outward means of making Christ known doth differently depend upon his being yet to come and upon his being come in the flesh the one being more dark the other more plain the one more carnall the other more spirituall therefore the participation of these meanes doth make the state of the participants to differ Thus far are his words and then noting certain differences to the number of seven or eight between the Old Testament and the New which is 1. Established upon better promises 2. After the power of an endless life 3. In Christ. 4. And liberty of the spirit 5. A Celestial Jerusalem 6. A State of faith He very truly concludes that such onely as are in the New Covenant in Christ in faith of the promises born from above and partakers of the spirit and the power of that endless life or of the world to come are suitable to be admitted to Gospel Church priviledges In the time therefore before Christ saith he such as would circumcise themselves and their males and observe the Law in the rites and ceremonies therof together with their children by generation were the seed and in covenant with that Church but now since Christ only such as believe in Christ and are thereby children by regeneration are the seed and in covenant with this Church and this he proves further yet First Because None of the Natural seed of Abraham are in the Covenant by vertue of any natural relation though they did remain in the Iewish Church till the death of Christ and as that Church then ceased so their being in the Church by an natural relation ceased also Act. 10.28 Rom. 9.8 Gal. 5.28.31 3.7 8 9 14.16.19.26.28 29. Secondly The Gentiles have no natural relation to become Abrahams seed by therefore a believers child cannot become the seed of Abraham by being the seed of a believer unless such children do believe themselves and cannot otherwise in no respect be participants in the covenant made with Abraham p. 14 15. And again p. 18. No Gentile saith he is Abrahams seed at all but by believing the righteousnesse of faith allthough he be the child of believing parents Now therefore because you tell us not only First that believers children in infancy are Abrahams children though they yet do not the works of Abraham i. e. believe not on him that justifyes them as some of you dote they do but also Secondly that the promise of the Gospel is to believers and their seed These both are abundantly confuted by that quotation of mine which quotes more Scripture then you will ever answer so that I wonder you blush not to shoot out so boldly two such blind and unsound assertions together the second of which I shall say no more to it being virtually answered by what is more formally spoken to the first also because I have shewed so undeniably above that I know your consciences must yield to it and that from this Act. 2.39 whence you would wreâ—t a proof to the contrary that the promise if you take it for the profer of the Gospel Grace is to all men in the world every creature and so not to believers and their seed only but to all unbelievers and their seed also in case they shall believe for he conditionats the promise on calling for such these were whom Peter spake to whilst he was yet speaking that very word to them viz. the promise is to you and your children but if you take it for the thing promised which is not Church-membership and participation of baptism as some say whose absurdity therein I have declared but the spirit remission of sins and salvation this is made good also to the believer himself and it is mercie enough to him that it is so I think but not at all to his seed for his sake nor his faiths sake for if it be I testify his children need no faith of their own nay more God never made promise to save any of believing Abrahams natural seed without faith in themselves for Abrahams sake as neerly as he took Abraham to be his friend for even he had sin enough of his own to have sunck him if the same Mediator that saves any of his seed in that way of faith had not mercifully saved him the same way nor yet for Abrahams faiths sake for that merited not salvation for them nor was it instrumental but faith only in themselves to any one of his sonnes salvation for every one must bear his own burden if Christ bear it not and the just must live by his faith and not his fathers neither did he ever promise for his faiths sake to give faith to his natural seed as his for then they must all have had it qua sic including de omni and being universale summum or God should ly which he cannot neither could God blame them as he doth for unbelief but himself without whom say you they could not believe who had promised to make them believe and did not though yet he promised to circumcise i. e. by his spirit to sanctify the hearts of his spiritual seed as well as his own i. e. all such as believe and are in the faith with him for the promise being still sure to all the seed which it is made to they all must be blessed with faithful Abraham Now if God who made the old Covenant promise of the earthly Canaan to Abraham and his
ours therefore I shall not trouble my self with it but the first of them which you say is so directly against us t is because you are blind if you do not perceive it to be an express downright declaration of a general justification of all from Adams sin as to life i. e. a resurrection from that bodily death which that sin brought upon all mankind and from which as there is now a universal return of every individual by Christ so there had never bin any returning for any one man in the world but by Christ to all eternity world without end 1 Cor. 15.21.22 Yea as universally as that judgement or condemnation to that first death came by Adam upon all men so that it spreads its black wings upon them all and brings them all down to the dust from whence they came so universally is justification unto life i. e the benefit and resurrection from that death from which else no one man should ever have risen come by Christ upon all men really and truly and not onely so but a capacity also and possibility of eternal happinesse and well being after that resurrection and all this whether persons believe it yea or no yea and a promise and certainty of it in case of belief in this Christ otherwise indeed a losse of the Resurrections becoming a mercy and benefit to them and a lyablenesse even after that escape of the first death that came by the first Adam to a sorer even that second death that lake of fire which by the second Adam by whom comes eternal blessednesse on believers comes upon all unbelievers and that for ever So that if there be no salvation to infants without justification yet ther 's justification of infants without faith or baptism either And whereas you argue from the cart to the horse from the justification and salvation of infants to their faith I argue from their non capacity to believe to their justification and salvation without it no salvation or justification without faith say you but infants are justified and saved therefore they believe if no justification and salvation without faith say I infants who cannot believe can neither be justified nor saved but infants so farre as they need justification for they have no sins of their own are justified and saved also for the kingdome of heaven belongs to them therefore there is justification and salvation for infants without faith To conclude therefore this opinion of you adversaries to the truth which allows no salvation to infants without faith puts you miserably to your shifts viz. either to find out a new way of coming by faith which Paul saies comes onely by hearing or else to damn innumerable dying infants who whilest they lived were uncapable to hear the word preached and so to believe or else as you do p. 18. to dream out a new kind of hearing whereby infants come by their faith viz. an inward wonderful miraculous hearing of some voice of the spirit within such a sigment of your own brains as the Scripture is wholly silent in and no true Church of God nor rational man but your selves who dream dreams and divine â—alse divinations and things of nought deceits of your own heart and tell them to the deceiving of others did ever dream of and whosoever shall consider the impertinencies of your proofs in a cause of so great consequence shall have just cause to suspect all your other doctrines and to take heed how they take any thing any more upon trust as the whole world hath done now of old from these new masters the Clergy who instead of being ministers in truth or servi servorum dei have bin domini dominorum Lords over the heritage and over the faith of all civil powers and people teaching them instead of the true doctrine of the old ministers the traditions and commandements of men And so I have done both with the head of this third argument and with that long tail also that trails after there remains no more of it to be meddled with but a certain slender sting that sticks to this tail put forth against us with more length then strength in prosecution of the argument which I shall cut out into many pieces and after set upon each section severally and then I hope your great hope of help from these three unworthies will prove a forlorn hope indeed Review But to prosecute this Argument for the full satisfaction of the simple but honest Reader since there is no way to come to salvation but by justification and no justificatnon but by faith why should it be doubted by any but little infants which are ordained to salvation are also by faith made subjects of justification those soules which please God so well as they are to see him presently after their separation from the body why should they not be capable of faith without which the Apostle saith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Re-Review The Reader had need be honest for I dare say he will be simple enough that receives full satisfaction your way by your present prosecutions of it because there 's no way for salvation and justification for men that are actual sinners and capable to believe and to whom justification and remission is preached to the end that they might believe it to their comfort is there therefore no other way wherby God willing and ordaining to save little infants from eternal wrath can possibly or doth certainly save them that can neither sin or be preacht to nor believe but that very self same way of believing is he tied to that means to save infants by as we are tied to it in order to the saving of our selves viz. the way of faith if so why not to repentance and self denial also for both these are the way to us Act. 2.38.40 Mat. 16.24 and would it not shift a man out of his seven sences to hear such doctrine that infants as ever they will be saved dying infants must even in their infancy repent is it not manifold more suitable to reason and sense of Scripture that as infants so far as they are guilty become guilty unwittingly to themselves by the presentment and imputation of the first Adams sin without personal disobedience in themselves so also should be justified from that imputed sin by the presentment of the satisfaction and imputation of the righteousness of the second Adam as unwittingly to and without personal obedience in themselves and because without faith t is impossible to please God for such as have actually incurred his wrath such as come to him by prayer for these indeed must believe that is God and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ther fore is it impossible for infants also who yet actually disspensed him nor yet are capable to come to him by belief or prayer Is that Scripture think you intended to infants for shame scope the Scripture a little better Review Is it not the
to believe the Scriptures which by necessary consequence confirm the thing we would leave the manner of doing it to him whose work it is the spirit of God who is able to do it we do it in other articles of faith and the resurrection of the body and ask not how it can be done because the Scriptures have delivered it and this of the renovation of soul is no lesse Miracle Re-Review And well may it be difficult to understand how faith should be bred in infants and doubted that they have it not since if we have learned to believe the Scriptures they are so far from confirming such a thing so much as by any possible or probable consequence that by necessary consequence they contradict it while they tell us that there is but one way whereby faith cometh and that such a one as it can never possibly come to infants in viz. hearing the word of God preached not inwardly by the spirit only as you prate below for he speaks not of such a thing there Rom. 10. but outwardly by some visible or audible creaturely ministration as is plain by the words foregoing viz. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard how hear without a preacher how preach except they be sent And whereas you tell us the spirit is able to work faith in them therefore we must leave the manner of doing it to him not offering as it were to pry into it Good Sirs spare your labor talk not about the unknown manner of a matter as unknown as the other for the thing it self is not yet clear in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither doth the spirits ability to do it prove that it is done any more then it proves there is a 1000 worlds or that all men have faith because these things are possible to be effected by him but the evidence that he doth such a thing which if it be wanting as it is in this case it is but egregious folly to argue it from the other so as to say God can do it therefore though the manner how he doth it is not known to us yet we must not meddle further then to believe it is leaving the manner of doing it to him Moreover Sirs assure your selves of this that in some sort the manner is usually manifested to us in the word as well as the matter of such things as we are there called upon to believe even that miraculous work of the resurrection of the body which is your present instance wherein 1 Cor. 15.35 to the end the Lord condescendeth at large to explain the manner oâ— it as well as to prove the matter of it before and whereas you say you leave the manner of the doing things when it is nor clear to you to the spirit himself whose the work is in other articles of faith I wonder you are so forgetful as to bear such false witnesse as this against your selves when as in the point of dying infants salvation which for the matter of it is so clear that you cannot deny it though not clear to you in the manner you leave not the manner of it to God himself whose work it is to save them but limit him to the way of Church-membership faith baptism and holinesse c. whereas the word that was not at all for infants instruction declares to men and women what way he will save them in asking in many places of your book how can infants be justified without faith how can Turks and Pagans infants be saved what hopes of our infant salvation without baptism and all this too though there is no fear of their damnation by actual sin though it also ask you plainly enough how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard and consequently how can they be saved by faith though it tell you also plainly enough Act. 8. where that question is expressely askt what hinders c. even because they yet believe not with all their heart you had said true therefore had your words bin thus viz. we do it not in other articles of faith And whereas you say the renovation of a soul is no lesse miracle then the matter of infants having faith it seems you confesse it to be a miracle that faith should be in infants and for my part I fully confâ—sse it with you for surely t is such a thing as was seldome or never yet seen since the world began to this day but the renovation i. e. conversion of soules of men and women depraved and corrupted as infants never were by any actual sin p. 5. is no lesse miracle indeed then the other for the one is not at all and the other where it is is yet no miracle at all but a matter that happens ever and anon in the ordinary course of things as a miracle doth not and besides you are of those I am sure who are in the mind that miracles are ceased And lastly for you to sprinkle all the new born infants in all the Christian nations at this hour as taking it for granted that these all have faith for so you suppose though you see not any individual or particular infant hath it that is brought to you and yet hold infants faith to be a miracle and yet to hold miracles to be ceased also it is if not miraculum yet mirandum monstrum et horrendum at least to me i. e. a marvelous work and a wonder that ever the wisdome of wise men should so perish and the understanding of prudent men so come to nought Thus having done with your forlorn hope I le march on now to give checkmate to that wretched crew of cavillers that are so impudent as to be responsive against reason and its Regiment and to undertake to make it good against them that infants have faith and must have baptism Review The objection that reason makes against it will easily be answered it is done for satisfaction to the Reader Re-Review Yea Sirs is Reason in so little request with you as that you not onely dare so audaciously ingage against but also set so light by it as to say its objections are easily answered let it be put to the voâ—e if you please throughout the whole earth whether you deserve the title of good Logicians i. e. Reasonable men who here professedly wrestle against reason it self and whether your faith can possibly be found any other then faction and meer fiction against which Reason it self is by your selves confest to be opponent I confesse I have heard men called divines speak of many points of Religion and faith as above reason but I yet never met with men under the name of ministers so far devoid of Reason as to say that Religion and faith are against Reason till I met with you whose faith and practise of baptism to believers infants upon account of their appearing to believe more plainly then the profession of persons at years can make it appear
the principle of reason and facultie of understanding in infants the faculty of understanding is an innate habit necessarily to be concluded and that in the highest degree to be in all infants t is in omni per se quâ ipsum but faith in Christ is by your own confession but an infused habit and by your own confession as not in all infants so in you know not which and which not till you see them act it and yet by your own conclusion to go round again t is in such not in such viz. not at all in Turks and Pagans infants for they are all in a damnable condition with you but in all infants of Christians even such as yet give no specimen of it and that so necessarily that a man may as truly deny that which is naturall to them even the faculty of understanding as deny the habit of faith to be in them Next in order to a fuller and more direct answer you prepare the way by a pannel of six or seven positions which you say you must necessarily hold concerning two or three of which we may say it s no great matter whether you hold them or no for any undoubted and infallible truth that is to be found in them in the sense wherein you take them or at least for any great matter of assistance that acrues to your cause by them and as for the rest of which you say you must necessarily hold them you might have said rather you must necessarily yield them to us for indeed they are the giving up of your cause and no other then the drawing of a dash with your own pen over all that ever you say throughout the residue of your works as concerning that sufficient appearance of faith you assert to be in believers infants yea he is blind that doth not see you thereby perfectly blotting out again what ever you penned in that particular with your own hands First say you the habit of faith must be before it can work I know no necessity of holding this for truth neither indeed would you hold it but that you imagine faith to be another kind of habit then it is for there are more kinds of habits then one though you speak of habit by the lump all along as if you were aware of but one for here 's ore and ore again habit habit habit habit habit but not the least hint of what kind of habit you mean you are never the men that distinguish of habits whereas qui bene distinguit bene docet there being some habits acquired and obtained no otherwise then by acting and faith it self is such a habit as will hardly be proved for all your confidence in the contrary to be any other at least to be apparent in any one or visible to the view of others till some act thereof hath past the persons in whom it is neither is any one in the world that I know of habitually a believer in Christ till having heard of him or his word he doth actually believe Secondly whereas you say the spirit of God infuses this habit I grant he infuses it if you take the word infuse in a true sense i. e. for begetting it in persons by the preaching of the word other infusion of faith if yet that may be properly called infusion which is a phrase rather of your own coining in this case the word knows none God indeed gives it but he gives it in the way of hearing the word of faith in the way of hearing Christ preached in which way he never gave it to infants neither is it his gift to them in any other the spirit works it but not without the use of means not per saltum and in nictu oculi i. e. so suddenly as you fancy but by the discharge of that office he bears from the father to that end and purpose towards the whole world i. e. moving striving perswading inwardly whilest the word doth without inlightning convincing a man of sin in himself of righteousness to be had and of a judgement to come wherein we shall be saved or damned according as we believe or believe not accept or neglect so great salvation upon which motions and convictions which are â—tricter and stronger in some then in other some some yield and believe and obey the Gospel and some for all this rebel and obey not so that t is true the spirit thus effects the business within us yet not so as that he is said wholly to do it without us he is the supreme efficient the operative cause of it but we are to be concurrent cum causà operante we have a part to do as well as he when he hath done his part towards us i. e. to believe which if we do not he will not force us he will go no further nor shall he be blamed but we and we not onely blamed but damnd for not doing it accordingly but if we do believe and turn at his reproof then indeed there is a promise of an infusion or rather effusion of the spirit in other i. e. those more special and peculiar offices of a witnesse to our spirits that we are Gods children a seal a comforter a revealer of the things freely given us of God a supporter under suffering c. all which it performes towards the Saints and in â—espect of which onely its called the holy spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 in this manner the spirit of God in order to that sweet infusion of it self into us may be said if you will call it infusion for which a fitter word may be found to infâ—se i. e. to work faith other infuâ—ion of faith into men much lesse into iâ—fants or such a downright infusion as I suppose you dream on the Scripture makes no mention of at all Thirdly in that you say he is not bound to work it in all the children of Christian parents nor barred from working it in any of the children of infideâ—â— this indeed you must necessarily hold as you say for t is undeniable truth but in holding it you must wholly let go all you held before concerning believes infants appearing to have faith and that in contradistinction to the infants of unbelievers for first you use to say as p. 14. out of Act. 2. that the promise of it is to believers and their seed i. e. as believers seed and so consequently to all and onely their seed not the seed of unbelievers for quod convenit qua ipsum convenit omâ—â— soli semper belongs alwayes to all of one sort and not any man of another and thereby you use to bind the spirit unlesse he will bee unfaithfull to work faith as without which you think he cannot give them salvation in all the seed of believers for a promise that is made to such or such a seed qua si must needs be sure as the Scripture saith Romans 4.16 and made good or else God that cannot lie breaketh his word to
them all together viz. it unchristens the whole Church of God c. I say thus confessing that our doctrine unchristens whole christendome which the Pope hath called the Church of God but is indeed the whole world of Gentiles that hath got into the outer court the meer outward form and name of christianity and hath trod down the holy City and true worship for 1260 years that whole world that hath for ages and generations wondered after the beast nor is this inconsistent with the truth of Christs promises of his presence and guidance among those that are his true Church and people indeed for howbeit he hath according to the word left those to their own wayes that left and liked not his wayes yet he ever hath still doth and ever will lead those into truth that love the truth and will be led by his spirit when he will lead them yea though he tied not himself to teach them that should chuse the Pope for their Tutor yet according to his promise he hath bin more or lesse with those that observed what he commanded them in his word from the beginning and so shall be even to the end Review Lastly it doth the devils work in the shape of angels of light to make men renounce their baptism and if from Nero's hating the Christian Religion the antient Apologetist of the Church did rightly gather the goodnesse of it we may the validity of infants baptism from the devils hatred of it it hath ever been said of him he will not make a bargain with any soul till it hath renounced its first bargain which was made with Christ at baptism the Anabaptists are his Proctors and do it to his hand Re-Review Of which desire of his to have us renounce our baptism being not a little aware though immediately after I renounc't that Rantism I once had unawares to my self in the innocency and ignorance of my infancy in the room thereof received real baptism I had one messenger from Satan to buffet me and beat me off from further proceeding in and owning of that practise yet through the goodness of God and that grace of his wherein I still stand I was so far from being removed that I was much more settled strengthned and stablisht in the present truth wherein I walk and I trust shall walk in unto the end unlesse I receive more evidence to the contrary then ever I have done from any writings or any discourses of any that ever I met wiâ—h of what principle or profession soever which messenger whose name was William Everard after the flesh but the name that the father had given him was Chamberlin as he said for he lived in the secret chambers of the most high though he came to my house pretending that he was immediately sent from God with a message to me in particular viz. to renounce that practice of baptizing which himself had sometimes walkt in also but now relinquisht did to my self and some others after half a dayes most serious observation of his speeches strange extasies and uncouth deportment by many prodigious passages blasphemous pratings and as by experience we then proved them flatly false pretences to what he had not and most presumptuous yet successeless undertakings and frivolous fopperies of which I am willing at any time but not capable under a hours time to give fuller account to any that shall desire it discover himself to be one of the Archangels of darknesse which the devil now sends forth a new in the shape of angels of light and is now no lesse apparently I think to all that know him and where he is And howbeit it hath bin more then once but once especially as I have hinted to the Reader in a shrewd shake of sicknesse that befel me above a twelve moneth since to the great retarding of this work reported that I was shaken sheer out of my mind and judgement concerning this way and baptism so as to have recanted and renounced it yet I call my God to witnesse to whom also I give thanks for his mercy toward me in that particular that partly by the more then ordinary advantages I then had through my sequestration from all other occasions to seek the Lord to search and try my wayes and turn again unto him partly by the more then ordinary ingagements that were then upon me so to do and that seriously and sincerely through my dayly expectation to be clapt up in clods of earth till the great day of acccounts I have bin much more sweetly satisfied since then concerning the truth of this way then ever I was in all my life before neither did I then find any cause to repent me of coming to Christ in it as neither shall any that renouncing your Rantism do rightly receive it so they continue to walk uprightly in it to the end but this I must confesse I found good cause to repent of it that I had not honoured it so much as I might have done since I ownd it nor walked so profitably serviceably blamelesly holily and worthily in it nor so suitably to so holy and worthy a way as it is in it self not withstanding the account of basensse and foolishness that it hath in the world 1 Cor. 1.30 So that ever since that forenamed sifting I had from Satan by the mouth of that his Agent by whom he solicited me to forgo my baptism I side with you in this viz. that t is the Devils worke in the shape of an Angell of light to make men renounce their baptism and though I am somewhat otherwise opinioned about the Divels affection to infants baptism then you are for I think if he hate it t is as he hates holy water or any other of his own inventions wherby he hath juggled away the truth and imitated Christs ordinances out of doors yet I am fully of your mind that he so hates the true baptism I mean the baptizing of professed believers from whence I gather the goodnesse and validity of it against him that it is most of the business about which he is at work in the shape of an Angel of light in these daies wherein his time growes short and his old kingdome begins to fail him by means of the true baptism to erect to himself a new kingdome and in order thereunto to make men renounce that baptism as knowing that he cannot strike a downright bargain with a soul to become fully his as the high Notionists and spiritual Sensualists of these times do till it hath renounced its first bargain made with Christ in baptism not what was made with Christ at infant rantism for infants are not capable per se to bargain with Christ and how they do it per alios I do not see sith such as say they do it for them were never appointed by them so to do nor by Christ neither that I know of nor do I remember any bargain to own Christ and not be ashamed of
signifies and not to sprinkle and therefore that I may rouze all those people into a remembrance of this matter whose Priests deceive them and draw them to dream that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both to dipp to sprinkle which some whether it be of that ignorance of the truth that cleaves and accrues to the common sort of Priests through their taking things upon trust and tradition one from another without tryal or of meer malice making them willfully to hide the truth after they have received the knowledge of it I know not God knowes but some I say stick not still as much as they can to make their people believe it But to awaken such to some attention to the Heterodoxness of their Priests as well as all waies to the Orthodoxness of them I here summon all the priests in Christendome out of either Stephanus or Scapula the two Greek Lexicons that are in so great request and of such ordinary use among you and such friends to your selves as you may see by the bitter invectives of both of them against us as Anabaptists as a Diobolicall sect and therefore would favour your cause as far as in conscience they could to shew the contrary to what I here have said viz. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eiher doth not signify a totall dipping of the immediâ—te subject that is denominated baptized or dipped by it or that it ever signified such a thing as sprinkling at all Yea the word that signifies to sprinkle is another word viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ever used in Scripture by the spirit when he speaks of such a thing as sprinkling yea t is used three times in one chapter viz. Heb. 9.13.19.21 and is all along englished by sprinkling neither is there any one place of Scripture wherein the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered to baptize or used to signify baptizing neither is there one Scripture wherein the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred sprinkling or used to signify such a thing as sprinkling not is there any reason why it should be so rendred specially if you consider Secondly The Non Identity and deep diversity that is between these two actions viz. Sprinkling and Baptizing Anglicè dipping by which as by a second Argument its most plain that sprinkling is not only not the baptism of Christ but in truth no baptism at all and so consequently that he is properly no-Anabaptist who baptizeth them that were but sprinkled and he Ano-Baptist that doth but sprinkle Rantist Our sprinkling is baptizing as well as your dipping and these two are one say you what you will Baptist. I tell you and you will see it at last that as Christ hath but one water baptism and as he hath by appointment but one subject for that one baptism and not two kinds of subjects as you dream viz. a believer only and not both a believer and a believers seed so he hath but one true way and essential form wherin that one Baptism is to be dispensed and that is baptizing Anglicè dipping and not two waies forms or dispensations of it specifically and essentially distinct from each other so that they are not so much as in speciall kind the same but sprinkling and baptizing alias dipping are truly two waies two forms two actions two kinds of actions â—o really different in their essentials so specifically diversified in their nature as actions that even homo and brutum which he is a brute that will say are all one and the same do not differ more essentially in Praedicamento Substantiae then sprinkling and baptizing alias dipping do differ in the Praedicament of action and therefore they cannot be called one and the same T is true all things that are are the same in general i. e. genere remoto for Ens dividitur in omnia so that all things that are are equally denominated entia i. e. things that are so a man and a beast in genere proximo they are both Animals yet are they not so all one as that the one may be universally understood by the naming of the other nor the one denominated by the other so as to say a man is a beast and a beast is a man they are one in genere two in specie and the like may be said of dipping and sprinkling which are two dividing members of one and the same general as Homo and Brutum also are and as specifically distinct they are in genere remoto both actions yea they are in genere proximo both wettings with water yet are they not one kind of action or wetting in specie nor all one so as the one may be universally used and done instead of the other and yet the business be as well done or both done and yet but one and the same thing done but one and the same word of command obeyed in so doing nor so as that the one may be as well understood as the other when eiâ—her of them is exprest nor so as to be denominated properly by each other nor so as that the one is the other but all actions that are so specifically the same as sprinkling and baptizing alià s dipping are made to be with you are so as that they may be indifferently promiscuously universally used and done one in the room of the other and yet no other then the self same thing in specie is done still as much as if we had used or performed the other yea so as they may be properly denominated one by the other so as that in specie one is the other so as that in speech sense and signification they are so alike that it matters not which term you use or which of the two you speak by for the sense will still remain the same and stand perfect sound and entire and the sentence have no non-sence at all in it notwithstand e. g. smiting and striking or to smite and strike to be smitten and stricken are all one and may be denominated one of the other so as that one is the other and though here are two terms yet but one thing is exprest thereby and the sentence you place them in may be without non-sense and as entirely the same as before if you use one of them in the room of the other as he mas stricken or he was smitten are the same in sense yea universally in all speech where you may use the word smite you may use the woâ—d strike and both the sense and matter signified thereby will still be the same But now so it is not between sprinkling and baptizing t is so indeed beâ—ween baptizing and dipping baptizing and overwhelming with water baptizing and putting under water baptizing and dousing or plunging ore head these are all one they all denote the very same kind of action the very same kind of wetting with water and though here be a difference in terms yet t is in word onely not in deed the distinction is onely nominall not
himself speaking properly enough when he speaks so yet little otherwise then thus do you speak and think you speak properly enough too whilst you commonly call them i. e those persons baptized that never had more then a little baptism I cannot call it neither but meer Rantism on their faces from which though we are foold together with you by a custome of speech to afford persons that denomination of sprinkled at least yet to say the truth t is more then may be well challenged from us if we should stand upon it and plead for propriety to the utmost or for denomination but ex majori which reason would back us in if we should so little of that little subject i. e. the infant whose face onely you sprinkle is sprinkled by you when all is done but we let that passe Neverthelesse know this that totall baptizing is the onely true baptizing and a subject not baptized totally may not be said to be baptized properly but onely figuratively and Synechdochecally and surely the spirit speaks not all along by Senechdoche and t is as improper almost if not altogether to say that man is baptized whose fingers face hands or feet onely have toucht the water as t is to say the swan is black because his feet are so or the black-moor white because his teeth are so expresse not dentes et pedes and then Ethiops albus and Cygnus niger are two monstrous creatures indeed and baptizatus merè rantizatus is no other then rara avis in terris nigroque simillima Cygno We may not therefore without abuse to our selves and them conceive them that wrote the hystories of the new Testament that we might know the certainty of those things which were at first done Luke 1.14 and to this very end too that we might do thereafter to speak so improperly all along as to declare and denominate those to us to be baptized i. e. in true English washt plunged in water submâ—rsi dipt under water who if it were then as you say or at least as you do now were onely wetted with a few drops or if dipt whose noses foreheads or faces onely felt the water the wisdome of the spirit in them would rather have used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he ever doth when he would have us conceive no more then sprinkling as Heb. 9. or else some more moderate phrase suitable to such a petty padling as face dripping is had that been the onely way of those times then the word baptize or else have exprest that particular or member of the body which onely was baptized if he would not have been understood as speaking of the whole for that 's the usuall way wherein the spirit speaks when he speaks of the dipping of some members onely as Luke 16.24 when he speaks of the dipping of a member onely he expresses the member so dipt and the particuler subject so denominated he saies not send Lazarus that he may be dipt or that he may dip himself or that he may dip his body in water but that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue so Mat. 26.23 he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish he denominates not the man dipt from the dipping of so smal a member as the hand or face or feet or what ever member of the body it was that you imagine was then baptized for that wetting of the face onely came up surely in Cyprians daies when they had got that trick of ease to be baptized I should say to have their faces the onely member at that time extant besprinkled in their beds Rantist But Mark 7.4 Christ speaks thus of the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unlesse they be baptized they eat not and yet by that baptism is meant no more but the washing of their hands and that appears plainly in the very verse above where it s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unlesse they wash their hands and then immediately after thus and when they come from market 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except they be washed i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their hands suitable to what 's said before they eat not yea and surely he would have exprest so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that t was exprest so just before under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it was needlesse to repeat it and therefore he rather leaves it to be understood therefore sometimes you see Christ denominates men baptized or washed when no more then some members of them are dipped or washed Baptist. That by the baptism or washing spoken of v. 4. and exprest by the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant no other then the washing of the hands of the Pharisees I freely grant and also that the 3. verse so clearly proves it that no man living I think may rationally deny it nor can I think that the Pharisees when ever they came from market were plunged ore head and ears before they sat down to dinner or were washed or baptized any further then manuum tenus onely in that part viz. their hands but I beseech you be you as ingenuous in acknowledging what you must also necessarily grant and what you have in a manner given and granted also viz. that the force and sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the verse before is carried to the 4 verse so that it must be understood to the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also as following it as well as it followes the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be exprest onely under the first of them and then your recourse to the former verse for the finding out of the sense of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 makes much for the proof of what I say viz. that Christ does not usually denominate the whole man to be dipt or baptized when yet he meanes that some part of him onely is baptized or washt without expressing some way or other that part of the body wherein he is washt and according to which onely he denominates him so to be for even here by your own plea and t is the truth we must to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except they be baptized subaudire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand this word their hands which as you say so I say also would undoubtedly have been set down under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that to be the plain sense and meaning out viz. washing the hands but that it was so newly named before under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that its more elegantly understood then exprest So that the place runs as smooth for us as we would have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pharisees except ever and anon they wash or be washt as to the hands at least for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first future of the middle
any way in ones armes is easie enough to the dispenser when the disciple is once gon down with him into the water and yields himself to be laid along in it by his hands but conceive what part of a man you will except the hands which you will not for shame say is the onely member to be baptized and I le say hic labor hoc opus est t is a matter of no smal difficulty to dip meerly that for if you will dip a mans head and shoulders onely in the River you must poise and posture him Archipodialiter with his heeles upwards if his feet and legs onely you must first at least lift him up wholly and carry him in clearly from the ground which kind of dipping men in Rivers as t is more toilsome surely then that totall dipping which Iohn and Philip used so let him take it who is minded to make himself more moil then needs for our parts we have a way wherein to do it with more ease and to do it more sufficiently too then by the halves As for the other of the Dr. quibbles viz. First for the rest of them are elsewhere removed That the Israelites were baptized in a cloud not dipt into it Resp. nor sprinkled neither but onely metaphorically baptized Secondly that Zebedees children were baptized with blood the baptism wherwith Christ was baptized and yet neither he nor they dipt into blood Resp. Both he and they were baptized with sufferings shame and contempt and affliction and all misery in the world for truths sake i. e. penè yea penitus submersi sunk ore head and ears in deep waters of the proud going over their souls and overwhelmed with the waves of the wickeds wrath prevailing against them for a time and that 's the bloody baptism he speaks of not litterally the sprinkling of their own blood upon them when they were slain for Iohn suffered otherwise but his blood was not shed at all Thirdly that the fathers speak of the baptism of tears but no dipping in that baptism Resp. we mind not what your fathers spake hyperbolically but what our fathers spake in truth and plain sobernesse in this case It was therefore a totall dipping certainly which was then used and by which Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the water and not any other kind of washing there as the Dr. dreames which is also evinced yet a little further by this forasmuch as though the Eunuch was gone down with Philip into the water yet he was not said to be baptized till Philip had dipt him therein for if the wetting or washing or dipping of some parts of the body onely might passe for sufficient baptism then as soon as Philip had conducted the Eunuch into the River he might have led him out again as a person sufficiently baptized for he was washt already and dipt so far as to the Ancles but the businesse was not done though the Eunuch was in the River till he had baptized him thereinto Rantist Give me leave though to put in one thing by the way and that is this t is a question to me for all your confidence whether Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water at all or no the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon you ground it doth not alwayes signifie into but sometimes unto and why may it not in this place be thus read viz. they went down both of them unto the water both Philip and the Eunuch Baptist. No it cannot for they came unto the water before and so it s expressely spoken in the text ver 36. where its said and as they went on their way they came unto a certain water t is probable some foord or brook that they were to pass through and the Eunuch said see here is water what hindereth me to be baptized if they were come unto the water already as the word saies they were they could not be said properly except they had gone from it first to come unto the water again after they were come unto it therefore the next motion was into it without question yea the very Dr. himself with whom we now deal confesses no lesse then this that Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the river and that such baptism of men hath been used if then they were used to be baptized in the water they went down first certainly into it not unto it onely for then they could not be well said to be baptized in it As therefore to that other quirk whereby the Dr. seeks to evade all baptizing in water and pleads for a baptism with water onely viz. that the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commonly is put after the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not in but with and is so translated and this is one of Mr. Cooks Crotchets too p. 12. of his book the Drs own grant quite cashieres it while he saies that Iohn and Philip baptized Christ and the Eunuch in the river for though I deny not but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be and sometimes is truly enough translated with especially in Rev. 19.21 the place quoted by Dr. Featley and Mr. Cook who both strive to enervate A. Rs argumentation from that praeposition which is used Mat. 3.7 Mark 1.8 where Iohn saies I indeed baptize you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in water saith A. R. with water saith the Dr. and Mr. Cook yet if it be granted as it is by the Dâ— to be in the River then it cannot be denied but that it is in water however and so the Dr. thwarts himself in that Neither is there such inconsistency in my conceit between baptizing in water and with water as that either this or that should be held exclusively of the other for they rather necessarily stand both together yet so as that the advantage stands still by it on our hand for whoever baptizes at all yea he that baptizeth in water baptizeth with water also and likewise he that will baptize wiâ—h water must necessarily baptize in water too i. e. obruere overwhelm or plunge persons over head and ears therein or else if we go to the truest signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in reality he baptizeth not at all Let it be rendred therefore baptize in water or with water which you will it s all of a price to us sith the one of these includes the other And whereas the Dr. and Mr. Cook both make such a matter of the words that follow viz. He shall baptize you with the holy spirit and fire the Dr. pleading that the Apostles were baptized with fire not dipt in to it and Mr. Cook that one may as well say Christ baptized in the holy spirit and in fire or put the party into the holy spirit and fire as that John baptized in water the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being there also I answer we may as well say so indeed for t is a truth as well
purses in the name of a prophet she hid it in three measures of flour in all which places the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Englished in or by Resp. As if because this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath other significations besides into but specially the signification in in other places where very common sense and reason shew that it cannot there bear be Englished into but only in therefore it cannot by any meanes bear to be Englished into in this place where it s as good sense save that it shewes sprinkling to be nonsense yea and more suitable to a genuine and candid construction of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and undoubtedly to the spirits meaning in the place to English it into then to English it in for though he was rantized Anglice sprinkled into Iordan be ridiculous yet he was baptized Anglice dipped into Iordan is as proper to the full as he was baptized in Jordan yet they blush not to say for so saies Mr. Cook and there lies the very force of his reason viz. that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in though he knowes iâ— signifies into also therefore it were absurd to render it into here at all Mr. Blake also makes this his sole ground whereupon to say that the Scripture is against our Englishing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here by into because elsewhere viz. in the places they alledge where the sense will not bear it to be read into its rendred all along in or by I cannot but believe that those two gentlemen are Judicious enough to discern their own halting and meer shuffling in this case for if I should argue upon them as to but one of those places where they will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Englished in on this wise viz the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very frequently and most properly signifies into as namely Luke 5.3 he entered into one of the ships Rom. 11.24 thou art grafted into a good olive tree Ephes. 4.9 He descended into the lower parts of the Earth Mat. 6.6 Enter into thy Closet Mat. 6.13 lead us not into temptation Acts 8.38 they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch therefore it is absurd for you to render it in in Mat. 4.13 and the Scripture is against that interpretation if I say I should urge so upon them and so they argue to us ward they would quickly spye out my nakednesse in that consequence but O how abominable blind are they at home Neverthelesse I tell you plainly that though right is right and to be stood for to a tittle and that if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 1.9 were rightly rendred it should be rather into then in yet the service the word in will do us in that place is little lesse then what the word into will do so that we need not stand contending for the sense of into having enough from your own professed sence of in without the other wherefore waving out right in that at present we wâ—ll freely fall in with you as the sense is in yea we grant that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in and that in many more places then those alledged by your selves as namely to add to your store Act. 2.27 thou wilt not leave my soul in hell Luke 11.7 my children are in bed with me But is it so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in and is so rendred in that place and many more then I am sure that here it doth not signify out of for he that is in a City put a Nazareth or Capernaum is at that time when said to be in it not out of it nor only by it but in it money that is truly denominated to be in a purse is at that time truly in it and neither out of it nor beside it leaven hid in three pecks of Meal whilest hid is in it overwhelmed covered with it and not on the outside with a few dusts of meal sprinkled on it only He that is in hell i. e. the grave in bed while he is truly said to be in it he is in it and not at it only and so he that is truly denominated to be baptized in water or in Iordan in the River Jordan is not out of it not at it not by the side of it not neer it only as you fancy them to have bin that were baptized of John in Jordan He I say who is said truly and the spirit lies not to be baptized in Jordan must needs be whilest he was in the Act of this baptizing not out of Jordan nor just by it only but truely in it and that 's more then he needs to be in order to baptism if he can be baptized as well standing by it only in that fiddling way of sprinkling Whereas therefore you contend against baptizing i. e. dipping into Jordan into Rivers and plead for a baptizing in water onely by the Example of Christs baptism which you yield in Jordan but not into it I marvel what wide difference you see in these two that you should grant it to be in and yet be affraid to grant it to be into Jordan you cry out not into not into by any meanes for that is no way consistent indeed with your dry washing but by all meanes let it be in only viz. in water in the River in Jordan let it be in water then as much as you will for me so it be in water that you are baptized and not out of it and not well nigh without it as most of yâ—ur christened Creatures are whilest little or none in comparison of such a measure of water as must necessarily be in order to a true baptizing of them doth once come neer them Fourthly it appears plainly that the way of baptizing in the primitive times was by totall dipping not sprinkling in that they chose to do it in places where there was much water or many waters which they need not have done if sprinkling might then have past for baptizing Iohn baptized in the River Iordan and was baptizing Iohn 3.23 in Enon neer to Salem and the reason is rendred thus viz. because there was much water there and there they came and were baptized and as the reason why they went to be baptized there was because there was much water or many waters for the word is Plurall so surely the reason why they went to such a place was that they might be baptized i. e. dipped in water as they could not conveniently be elsewhere at least not every were for where might they not easily have bin sprinkled and upon this account no doubt as Iohn chose to preach about those River sides viz. Iordan and Enon that their converts might conveniently be baptized Paul and Silas being at Philippi and abiding in that City certain daies to preach the Gospel on the Sabbath the most likely time of vacuity from other occasions for people to assemble to hear in went
peace of conscience which I was once constrained to deny my self of because it was once inconsistent in me with such peace but welcome that disgraced truth of dipping disciples sith t is that truth which I am certain howbeit they have trampled it for a time the gates of hell shall never prevail against nor the ablest man on earth so as to disprove it by all that is to be said to the contrary from the word of Christ. Rantist There 's more to be said yet to the contrary and more then ever was answered yet or ever will be to any purpose by you or any one else of your gang and that not onely in way of exception against much of that you have alleadged about the childishnesse vanity and insufficiency of infants sprinkling but also against that dipping fancy you are fallen into which is some new motion or renewed notion at the best having for all you have said neither good ground nor example from the word onely the old greek word may be so construed and that 's all the ground I could ever learn for that fluid practise and I am confident that you and that party are wholly in the wrong for I have seriously studied that controversie and besought the Lord to guide me and his good spirit by principles from his word of truth sealed upon my conscience doth assure me that way of dipping is groundlesse irrational and more uncivilly foolish then infant baptism can be called childish and I desire you to tell me what commission he had that baptized you who may possibly be an unbaptized person or if he was not yet if you look but some few removes backward and inquire who baptized him and who him and who him c. you must come at least to unbaptized persons I mean even in your own account who deny sprinkling to be baptism and such I hope you do not count fit administrators of baptism and yet such must begin it for your way was not in use very long agon also what commission hath Christ given you to baptize you being no minister of the Gospel and also what commission he hath given you or any else to baptize in that manner which is without Scripture against reason and common sence and discretion yea I may say against all principles of modesty and common honesty and charity to mens lives and so against both the sixth and seventh commandement that many judicious men have judged it to be little lesse then murther and adultery and I could easily prove it to be as bad as I say of it but that its superfluous so to do sith sundry of our worthy Mr. Baxter Divines viz. Dr. Featley Mr. Blake Mr. Cook and especially have some of them in one perticular and some of them in another done it so sufficiently already that I le rather refer you unto them Baptist. I have been so much innured to such hot-shots since I owned the truth that I can well walk in the middest of them now without amazement much of this sort of matter I have under my hands in private letters to my self and others and what of it is not there is legible I confesse as it were in text letters in the printed Polemicals of your Champions whose sharp censures and heavy charges of the way of truth which we walk in how judicious they are shall God willing be anon examined sith you send us to them at present you shall have a short word to your quaeries and such other passages which may occure and intervene either from your self or their writings in way of contradiction or obstruction to any thing that hath been said before Your first is grounded upon a simple supposition that an unbaptized person may in no case baptize or make a fit administrator of baptism whereas there is nothing in the world more clear then this that when it is to be done and cannot be well done otherwise it may be done as well as by one that was by one that never was baptized at all yea why not in case of innitiation after intermission as well as at the innitiation of the Gospel it self I wonder who baptized Iohn the Baptist that was the greatest administrator that ever was for either he was baptized surely or else he was not if he was ever baptized at all who baptized him but if he was never baptized the matter amounts still to be the same i. e. to evince no lesse then we assert that at the innitiation of the dispensation whether at first or after a long unlawful cessation an unbaptized person may baptize for if Iohn the Baptist himself was not baptized himself or if he was either by one that was unbaptized or else by one that was first baptized by himself he talks in his sleep that saies an unbaptized person may not in such a pressing case baptize Your second querie is as unsolidly grounded as the other and supposes your opinion to be this that no man though baptized himself unlesse he be a Minister i. e. an ordained officer may baptize for say you what commission have you to baptize you being no Minister of the Gospel whereas if by Minister you mean one officiating as a pastor over a people there is nothing more cleer in the world or in the word either then that others besides the Ministers may baptize viz. not any she for which there 's no president but rather precept to the contrary 1 Cor. 14. 2 Tim. 2. but any prophet i. e. any he gifted disciple especially when by the improvement of his gifts he proves as not seldome such do instrumentall of the parties convertion Ananias baptized Paul himself yet was he but a certain disciple Acts the 9. if you say that he was sent by God himself to that service it serves to shew this however which we affirm that God limited not that dispâ—nsation to the Ministry for if he had he would have sent Peter or at least some other officer to that work Did not Philip baptize the Samaritans and the Eunuch yet he did it in the capacity of a disciple and howbeit t is true he was ordained to be a Deacon and Deacons were by the Bishops babishly authorized to baptize yet that was no part of his office as a Deacon for his Deaconship designed him to no more then barely to have a care of the poor and if you say he was an Evangelist also so is every one that is gifted to preach the Gospel and doth it whether he be in any office or no for Evangelist is nothing but a preacher of the Gospel and such are they that occasionally preach it as well as such as preach it constantly by way of office therefore all the disciples that were scattered together with Philip it s said went every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 11.20 and Philip that was one of those disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8.40 preached or did the work of an
out and his bringing them in again he took them and washed their stripes and was baptized he and all his straightwav Thirdly that when he had brought them into his house which words compared with verse the 30. where it is said he brought them out shew clearly that he and his were with them still without hearing the word washing them and submitting to be baptized i. e. immergendo washed of them he made them eat and rejoiced now what man but one minded to overlook what likes him not can chuse but see this to the confutation of these three mens opinions which I doubt because it is theirs more then any thing else may be the opinion of 3000 that the Iailor first brought them out and then washed their stripes and was baptized and then brought them in and rejoiced with them is clear Rantist You have spoke long enough to little purpose to this for I am not yet of your mind pray let us see what you will say to those worthy mens writings in disproof of the proofs that you have brought Baptist. I come then to consider what is said by either any or all of these three repugnants in exception against what is said by us for the way of dipping having spoken already to the first as you desire in its several parts The next exception I find Mr. Baxter makes against what we say is this the word signifies saith he to wash as well as to dip and so is taken when applied to other things as Mar. the 7.4.8 and herein he sums up in short the whole mind of Mr. Cook and Mr. Blake also in this matter who say viz. Mr. Blake p. the 4. 5. to Mr. Blackwood that Scapula saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to dip to drown and sometimes to wash the Septuagint use the words baptizing and washing promiscuously Mr. Cook p. 11. to A. R. much what the very same viz. that baptism signifies washing and p. 13. quoting the same Scripture Mark the 7. here you have saith he the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wash To all which I answer but briefly having toucht at this before who doubts of this that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to wash how is it possible that it should not signifie washing so long as it signifies dipping dipping being no other then a kind of washing what ever word signifies properly and primarily as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth to dip drown plunge in overwhelm with put under water must needs be supposed secondarily consequently and even thereupon to signifie washing neither does it signifie sometimes onely to wash as Mr. Blake observes out of Scapula but it alwayes signifies to wash there being no dipping but signifies a washing dipping being not a dipping onely but necessarily a washing also wherefore very ofâ— baptizing and washing are and well may be promiscuously used each for the other but what will the men make of all this that because baptism signifies a kind of washing viz. the washing of its own kind or such a washing as dipping plunging or swilling is therefore it signifies all manner of washing a kind of washing it ever did but all kind of washing it never did yet signifie since the world stood a washing by immersion and submersion is the sense on t a washing by infusion is not but as for your washing by bare aspersion so far is it from being the true sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is no kind of washing at all yea if you will go critically to work as Mr. Blake would have us about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between which yet there is no such difference as he imagines and keep close to the signification of the words both your petty powring and your spoil-all sprinkling will be discarded so far from the name of baptizing that they will not be found to meet it half way nor on a true account to amount to so much as the name of washing for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies originally to dip plunge or overwhelm and therefore consequently to wash we deny not that being indeed not onely a way but also the most effectual and usual way of washing therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes promiscuously used with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which originally signifie washing of what kind soever whether that which is by dipping in water or rubbing water upon the subject when they are each applied unto the other but as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one signifies to powre out onely the other to sprinkle onely but neither this nor that alone and abstract from some other concurrent action as rubbing the water on that 's so applied which was never done at any Rantizing that ever I saw doth yet signifie so much as any kind of washing whatsoever therefore though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred not onely by mergo submergo to dip or plunge over head and ears but also by lavo abluo to wash clense or wash away and very fiâ—ly sith baptizing or dipping is really and truly such a washing yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred effundo to powre out and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by aspergo perfundo irroro to sprinkle or moisten as it were with a small dew but neither of them by lavo abluo nor do they signifie such a thing as to wash nor are they such a thing as washing in any wise so far are they therefore from bearing the name of baptism that you may as well render baptizing by rantizing and say to baptize is to sprinkle which is a thing that all men in the world cannot shew to be so much as a remote sense of the greek word baptize as render rantizing by baptizing that is to say that to sprinkle is to baptize which likewise can never be shewen to be so much as a remote sense of the word Rantize if therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come not so neer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to be adem with it in tertio to be latinâ— with it into lavo or to be englisht with it so much as by the name of washing which is but a secondary sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how will you ever reach your rantism into the name of baptism it self whose prime signification is submergo i. e. to overwhelm out of which prime signification that it should be used continually as you say the spirit uses it in Scripture where all along you strain a point to have it englisht washing and never overwhelming at all for pray where shall it be englisht by the term of overwhelming just no where by your good will is a piece of simple slipslop to utter Rantist But Mr. Blake tells you another tale that I believe will make you eat these words you last declared for whereas you talk so much of dippings being the prime signification of 〈◊〉
to believe we baptize heaâ—hens children as soon as them Thus the man busies himself beyond measure in beating the aire and wearyes himself ad ravim usque and his reader ad nauseam in refuting non entities about the proof of such things as no body denies and per ignorationem Elenchi concludes that which is as clear to his Antagonists as to himself and leaves that utterly undemonstrated which is the onely thing denyed by them the absurdity of whose way he pretends it to be his businesse to discover For verily those against whom he fights under the name of Anabaptists are as clear in it as he can be that no Christians child qua talis is to be baptized when he comes to years saving upon the same account on which an heathens child may be at years so baptized as well as he viz. his own personal profession of faith and desire of baptism Again they hold dipping naked to be intollerable wickednesse as well as he yet these things he be labours himself not a little in making good but that which is denyed indeed viz. that it is our usual practise to dip women and maids naked this he charges us with most stoutly most desperately and tells a tale of us most absurdly to the base abusing of himself the true Church and the whole world also but he is so impertinent and impertinently imployed in proving naked dipping to be a sin that he either forgets or has no while to prove it to be practised by us at all But Sirs who but he that sees the right eye of the idol shepheard to be utteâ—ly darkned would ever think that from such a man as Mr. Ba. desires to be accounted such a piece of paultry should proceed that such a messe of balterdash as here is should ere be broached by him that such a mad report of the walkers in truth should be publisht by one that goes for a publisher of the truth among thousands of deluded people Me thinks I see Satan gone forth and become a lying spirit in the mouthes of the prime among their prophets perswading and in the just judgement of God prevailing with multitudes of meer formal Gospellers to be strongly deluded and to believe lies out of their mouthes that they may be damn'd because they receive not the truth that was troden down for 42 monthes and now rises again and shines forth in the love therof that they may be saved but have pleasure in unrighteousness and superstition and have no pleasure in the truth Me thinks I see National Ministers of singular piety in peoples eyes prove men of singular pravity singularly bewitched into an implicit belief of the base tales that vain fellowes raise of the way of truth and singularly bewitching their people into implicit belief of them that so it is as they say that neither Priest nor people may obey the truth but both stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and ashamed each of other in the end Good Lord how is the practise of the truth made a reproach unto thy people and a derision dayly for I have heard the defaming of many report say they and we will report it possesse the pulpit and make the Priest believe it and then all the Country shall ring out and the people soon be diabolized into the faith on 't but hear ye rude reprochers of that people that are reprovers of the wayes whereby you run a whoring from the Lord you shall not prevail by such sleights such plausible pretences you shall be greatly ashamed you shall not prosper and unlesse you repent of your belying the truth of God your everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten It is too bad to be credulous to flying reports worse so violently to vent them worst of all malevolently to invent them I dare not say nor dare I deem Mr Ba. to be guilty of the last but of the two first I cannot clear him sith I perceive that he takes it for a truth that we ordinarily dip naked and thereupon disputes against it as our usuall practise and then not confidently onely but of a certain relates to the whole world that it is no bare word nor any doubtful thing but an experience a known practise if he can clear himself he hath leave to do it for me who also summon him in the name of Christ Jesus whose true disciples he hath done such dispite to the Lord keep him from despiting the spirit of grace the people of whose love are the people of his wrath to prove it our practise ordinarily to dip naked yea to produce but one instance of any women oâ— maids that ever he saw dipt naked in all his daies and I le abate him much of that I now accuse him of in the court of my conscience but if he say as indeed he does in effect that he never saw any dipt at all whilst p. 134. he saies that all that ever he saw baptized had water powred on them how can he say Epertus loquor it is his experience he having never so much as seen such a thing unlesse it were upon the brazen fac't front of Featleyes book where he fasly feignedly and filthily describes men and women dipping in that fashion or else upon the Titlepage of Ephraim Pagit who there paltrily pictures out this people practising thus and there I believe he hath experienced it or if he only hath it from the the mouthes of such as heard it from the mouthes of others who never saw it but receive it by tradition as well as he and that originally too from the mouthes of some that made it and in such a manner very likely it was first bruted for I am perswaded there was never such a thing done of late in England unless by some Arch Knave and Arrant Whore in way of mockage to the Gospel which is rather a glory then a shame to Christ his truth then let Mr. Ba. bear the blame of his blind blaspheming the people of the everliving God Or if he know indeed that such a thing as baptizing maids and women naked hath been done in serious wise by any persons I further challenge him to make some proof of it and to print the names of such men as have done it and such maids and women that have suffered themselves to be dipped naked and the names of such credible eye witnesses as will testify it as in the sight of God which if he can though I shall not give place to him thereupon so as to be satisfyed therby for his overlashing in asserting it to be our practise to dip naked or for condemning and denominating a whole party much more their cause by the defects abuses of some persons whom the cause disclaimes for then there was 12. devils because one among the twelve and then what an Augaean stable is your Church of England by many members of which notorious roguery is committed every houre Yet I shall satisfy him
many run to ruin besides some he names were never baptized though neer it as Mr. Saltmarsh 5. Whether it be just to load them that still stick to the truth with the blame of all their blasphemies that go off from it T is true the way of truth will be evil spoken of by the Priest by reason of the madnesse of the false Prophet 2 Pet. 2.2 but that is ought let every reasonable man examine The Rantizer renounces his sprinkling and is baptized in truth and after renounces that and runs on to be a Ranter and then all is reckoned to his baptism poor truth may say quum nemini obtrudi potest itur ad me every one shifts it off from himself and truth must carry the scandal and baptism bear the burden of all the Priest and his people are they by whom the false Prophet and his people they by reason of whom the way we walk in is evil spoken of but vae illis per quos vae illis presertim propter quos veritatis via blaspemabitur quam optimum esset utrisque si nati non fuissent Mat. 18.7 26.14 2 Pet. 2.2 What force therefore is in this Argument to conclude against the truth of our way yea what absurdity is in all Mt. Baxters Arguments against us you see in all which he sits beside the cushion yea and indeed the whole bulk of them is nothing but a thing full of emptinesse Rantist I would fain see you answer that book as nothing as it is I believe it is more then ever will be answered by any to any purpose Baptist. First there is a great part of his book needs no answering from us being such an absurd aberration from what we hold and practise in contradistinction to him to other things which he undertakes to disprove though we and who doth not do join with him fully in them and do hold as he does as namely almost all those 7 or 8 Arguments from page 125. to page 138. wherein he spends himself mostly in declaring against judgements and practises that are no more ours nor any ones else that I know of more then his own for who holds Christians children quâ Christians children i. e. without their own personal profession of faith and Christianity in which case heathens children may be baptized also are to be baptized when they come to years any more then the children of heathens Again who holds or practises such a thing as naked dipping of women and maids not I nor any man breathing under heaven I imagin nor will any wise man be coxcombd into the belief of it that t is our practice I hope because Mr. Ba. disputes against it as ours yet these are the main matters argl'd against well nigh in all those pages yea if he prove the baptism of Christians children at years ordinarily to be against rule t is fully sufficient against the Anabaptists saith he if we had not a word more against them the man feigns adversaries to himself and finds himself work with them and takes on and layes about him like a Thatcher and fights and fences against his foes when he hath none at all about him Secondly much if not more then a third part of it viz. from p. 262. to p. 286. consists almost universally in a particular private publike prate to Mr. Tombs in vindication of himself fâ—om Mr. Tombs's valedictory vindication of himself from Mr. Baxs abuses of him which tedious mixt blattering recrimination and red-argumentation if any save Mr. Tombs himself whom it so personally relates to shall trouble himself with from better employment and the world with any more reply to then the Lord rebuke him he hath more time then wisdom profitably to improve it Thirdly much if not much more then a third part of the residue viz. from p. 289. to 338. he spends in division with other divines for pleading and practising baptism to infants from other grounds and principles and to other ends and purposes then himself doth as namely from Tradition and yet in order to baptismal regeneration as Mr Bedford who is fain to fly to tradition for proof of infant baptism and yet holds that baptism doth really as an instrumental efficient cause confer and effect the grace of regeneration of nature on infants which Mr Bedford Dr. Burges Dr. Ward together with Mt. Baxter himself and I know not how many more Divines in the meandrous multitudinous mist of whose pro and con opinions a man may sooner loose himself then find the truth are all ore the tops of the boots in dissentaneous discourses about a businesse called baptismal regeneration the quiddity quantity and commodity of which non ens of which nonsense as to infants is so curiously pryed into and learnedly inquired after by them that it is not for every ordinary body that hath no more learning then Peter and Iohn had who never Scholasticallized the plain Gospel out of the reach of plain men and poor folks as our Rabbies now adaies do to come within a mile or two of their meaning some divining on this wise some on that some one thing some another some that baptism is instituted to work the first grace in infants i. e. habitual but not in men in whom the first grace is prerequired as Mr. Bedford some thwarting that by this reason that baptism cannot have two different uses to men and infants and yet saying with all that it may be for some ends to the Aged for which it is not to infants as Mr. Baxter some saying that baptism is a Physical some a Metaphysical some a Hiperphysical instrument to convey real grace into infants the spirit working it in them thereby naturally or rather supernaturally as Mr. Bedford who holds that it really conveyes grace on all infants elect or non elect and Dr. Burges who yet differs and subdivides from him holding that it conveyes grace on the elect infants only and not on the non-elect some that baptism is onely a moral instrument and the spirit neither a Physical nor Hyperphysical but a moral Agent in baptism signifying and so working on the souls sealing and conveying no real grace but relative grace i. e. right to the real as Mr. Baxter who saith that real true grace and change of mind is to go before baptism as a condition both in the institution and every example of baptism through all the bible therefore not to be conveyed in it this Mr. Baxter proveth by the institution Math. 28.18 Mark 16. and by the examples of the Iewes Samaritans the Eunuch Paul Lydia the Iaylor the Corinthians who all did gladly receive the word repent and believe and then and thereupon only were baptized p. 300. and because all this is exclusive of infants who have no faith nor grace for to the utter confutation of the Ashford Disputers who say infants in their infancy have faith and the spirit of grace and that apparently enough the Scripture making it plainly
the mercy here promised to thousands of them that love God necessarily to include church-membership he confesses at last that it lies doubtful in the text what mercy in particular is there meant which if he do then t is not necessary that church-membership be implied in it for there may be much mercy yea special yea eternal saving mercy shewed to persons to whom the mercy of membership in the visible church and baptism is not vouchsafed or else what becomes of such infants as notwithstanding your timely admittance do yet dy without both membership and baptism are they shut out of the kingdom of heaven Secondly he confesses it is doubtfull in the text to how many generations God shewes mercy to the children of parents that love him whether it be to the remote or neerest progeny onely and though he passe his judgement that it is onely to immediate children of godly parents that the promise in the commandment is made yet thereby he contradicts his own sense of the place and overthrowes all that he contends for in that if the words were as he would have them read viz. I shew mercy to a thousand Generations or to the thousandth generation of them that love me it were evident that he meant not the next generation only for that to a thousand generation should signifie no more then one generation to come is most irrational and plain brutish to imagine and if he say t is to a thousand generations if such children succeed their parents in godlynesse that sense excludes infants quite from the mercy here promised and extends it to such children onely as are at years and that on condition of being godly themselves and on that condition of being godly themselves God shewes mercy to the immediate seed of the very wickedest parents as well as of the Godliest parents in the world But in very deed to put him out of all his doubts at once about this place viz. whether God mean the remote or immediate children I desire Mr. Baxter to consider that this promise is not made to any mans posterity at all but only to all such individual persons as love him and keep his commandements for the words are not as he reads and construes them viz. I will shew mercy to a thousand generations of them but to thousands of them that love me i. e. to thousands of such people such persons as love me and keep my Commandments and so if the mercy were that of membership yet it were nothing concerning infants in their infancy at all but concerning thousands of such individual persons as love him and keep his commandments or else God must shew mercy to all infants in their infancy to this day meerly for their father Noahs sake though the immediate parents be wicked and if he he do not he shewes not mercy to the thousandth generation of believers infants there being not a thousand generations from Noah to this day We may see what little plain proof these men can find for their false way of inchurching and baptizing of infants in the New Testament in that they are faine to fetch it so far off as the old thus doth not Mr. Ba. onely but others also as well as he who would certainly never look for it so far behind as he second commanment if they could easily find it neerer hand among the rest this mindes me of one of more then ordinary note viz. Dr. Channell of Petworth in Sussex who Ianuary the first 1651. in a publique discourse with my unworthy self being desired to assign some particular place of Scripture where Christ commands the practise of infant-baptism assigned the second commandment to whom as I said then before hundreds of people so I testify here again before the whole world that if any man see infants baptism commanded in the second Commandment it is because his eyes are out for though he tell me that the generall scope of the second Commandment is to command all Gods people to observe all Gods institutions from time to time yet I tell him again as also I did then that infant baptism is none of those institutions yea I tell him yet further and Mr. Bax. also that unlesse it can be made appear by plainer Scripture proofs then ever were yet brought by either of them that Christ Jesus injoined the baptizing and inchurching of infants or that its any other then a tradition of man and an addition to the Gospel which was not so from the beginning and that is more then either of them will ever make plainly to appear the second Commandement doth rather forbid them both yea Ah si fas dicere sed fas the second commandement the general scope of which as their own selves expound it is to prohibit all will worship and superstition all serving of God after our own invention all customes devices innovations Traditions of men all addiâ—ion to and alterations of Christs will and Testament all teaching other doctrine then is contained in the word doth forbid it and therefore as haled in by head and shoulders to serve the turn of these men and to help to uphold them in their rantizing of infants into the same visible body with them whom yet they deny to drink with them into the same spirit as all that are baptized into the same body are to do 1 Cor. 12. which infellowshipping persons by the halves into Gospel participation if it be of Christ what else is of man I plainly know not His 17 plain Scripture-lesse proof for infants Church-membership and baptism is drawn from Psalm 37.26 where it is said that the seed of the Righteous are blessed whence he argues as before and therefore need not have made a distinct Argument of this if God have pronounced the seed of the righteous blessed then certainly they are members of his visible Church its absurd once to imagine quoth he that god should pronounce a society blessed and take them for none of his visible Church But I am ashamed of such trifling stuff such straw and stubble as he here builds upon as if God himself can no way be said to blesse the seed of the righteous unlesse he require them to be baptized and inchurched visibly in their infancy as if God had but one blessing even that of baptism and church-membership upon which all other blessings are so eternally intailed even to infants that such of them as attain not to an actual inrerest in these are ipso facto accursed in all respects else that for ever wheras to say nothing how that phrase the seed of the righteous may be taken for the race of righteous ones that succeed one another in righteousnesse as well as a seed of evil doers Is. 1.4 for the whole race of evill doers that succeed their fore-fathers in evil doing for these indeed I take to be the seed to which the Scripture oft pronounces blessing and cursing and not alwayes the meer natural seed of good men and
baptized till he came to years then though under the Law the circumcised were circumcised in their infancy yet under the Gospel none are to be baptized till they come to years His 25th runs thus If the Scripture frequently and plainly tell us of the ceasing of circumcision but never at all of the Churchmembership of infants then though circumcision be ceased yet we are not to judge their membership to be ceased but c. Therefore This is so far from a demonstration that it s not a Topical but Sophistical Syllogism in which there is fallacia homonomiae or ambiguity in the middle term viz. the Scripture tells us which may be taken for an expresse or for an implicit telling or having a word for a thing yet one of his propositions will be false let him understand it how he will for if by the Scripture telling us and having a word for it he means an expresse telling of the cessation of membership in totidem verbis a Syllabical word given out of that particular by name then his consequence is false for it follows not because there is not an expresse particular prohibition in the New Testament for the cessation of things that were under the old therefore they are not ceased for so we shall make most of the types and ceremonies among which infant membership was one as I have shewed to remain in force still as well as that as the dedication of the first born and many others the cessation of which is not so syllabically spoken of But if he mean an implicit prohibition or word for the cessation of Churchmembershâ—p of infants which is enough then there is prohibition enough yea the very command for the cessation of circumcision of infants any more Act. 21.21 vertually is a command to cease inchurching of infants for the very end and intent of circumcision was the inchurching of infants thereby which thing was formally done then by circumcision besides circumcision ceasing the whole law ceased with it the whole of which he was a debtor to keep that was circumcised also Heb. 2.12 t is sayd summarily thus viz. that the priesthood i. e. of that testament being changed there must be of necessity a change also of the law And so I have done with all his arguments for the church-membership of infants which is the second medium and next to that of discipleship by which he would prove but cannot infant baptism His third medium which he onely names and handles not therefore I shall do the like in speaking to it is drawn from the duty of parents to engage their infants solemnly to God in Covenant and runs thus viz. if it be the duty of christian parents solemnly to devote their children to God in covenant then they ought to do it in baptism but c. therefore He proves his Minor from the practise of the old Testament from the duty of parents then from which time as to that particular of dedicating and solemn engaging of their children it will not follow to our doing the like in all respects now as they did for then we must thus dedicate our first born and that doth of man and beast His consequence is also false of his Major proposition for I may devote my children in a gospel sense to God according to my duty I mean ingage my self to the Lord to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and also devote them to him in prayer i. e. give them up to him as his right and to him to teach by his word and his spirit when they come to years and sundry other wayes and yet no necessity of doing any of this in baptism But I shall make this as short as he does himself and gather up the sum of what he hath said viz. infants are disciples visible Church-members and to be solemnly engaged to God in Covenant as a holy seed c. therefore are to be baptized denying now the consequence as to him as I did the antecedent before which I have been all this while in disproving For Ad hominem so long as he argues for baptism to be after the manner of circumcision the consequence will not follow if this were as true as t is false that infants are now disciples Church-members and a holy seed and in covenant that therefore they must be baptized for women under the Covenant whereof circumcision was a sign were both disciples and visible Church-members and a holy people in the sense of the Covenant and dedicated to God in Covenant as well as males and yet not then circumcised and why viz. for want of a commission to do it and the like I say now of infants if they were as t will never be proved while the world stands that they are disciples in right to visible membership and holy in his sense and to be ingaged c. yet of necessity it followes not they must be baptized unlesse there be some command or commission for it which no man ever shall find in the word of Christ all the rest of his arguments wherein he undertakes to disprove the practise of baptizing naked and baptizing children of Christians of age as I have shewed above are ignoratio elenchi a dispute besides our practise for we do not so therefore though I see some grosse absurdity in them all yet I le meddle no more with them here Thus I have done with both that subject of rantizing which partly at the motion of you Ashford disputants I was ingaged in at the end of your Review and partly by that meer demi-reformation that is made in this point of baptism by a party of men in Lincolnshire and elsewhere of whom I suppose there are several congregations who having long since discovered the true way of baptism as to the subject viz. that professing believers onely and not any infants are to be baptized but remaining ignorant of the true way and form of administration of that ordinance are fallen into a frivolous way of sprinkling believers which to do is as much no baptism at all as to dip infants in no baptism of Christs ordaining which people for whose sakes as well as others I write this will be perswaded I hope in time to be as to the outward form not almost onely but altogether Christians and rest no longer in that meer midway mongril reformation I have done also with this book of Mr. Baxs for infant baptism the weak arguments of which for it were enough if I had no more to convince me of the error of it to make me doubt of it renounce it even as Mr. Ba. himself saies he had like to have done once when he saw the weak arguments of others for it which had he done he had done no more then what is his duty to do now and in order to Gods glory though it were as much to his own shame as it will be rather for his honour to deny himself and imbrace the
at that time neither could possibly be all baptized unless baptism abide in its right in all ages unto the end by all nations every creature all the world Christ denoted all people of the earth that then were or thereafter should be whom as they should successively arise and grow into capacity for it he would have to be in their several generation succesively taught and baptized Besides how plainly doth Christ expresse his meaning to be that this course of baptizing in waâ—er should be kept a foot in all ages and generations v. 20. where after his precept to observe that dispensation he adds this promise of his presence And lo I am with you alwaies i. e. in your faithful observation of all these things for if men be not found in this way he is disingaged even to the end of the world Amen Whence the argument in form may be thus What way of outward administration Christ not onely required to be observed to the end but likewise promised his people to be present with them during their due observation of to the very end of the world that must stand of right to the very end of the world But Christ hath not onely required that outward administration of water baptism to be observed to the end of the world but likewise hath promised his people to be present with them during their due observation of it to the very end of the world Ergo that administration of water baptism is of right to stand even to the very end of the world The objections that are usually made against what is asserted hitherto concerning the needfulnesse of water baptism to all who will not be under a just account of rejecting the counsell of that Prophet and rebelling against the command of King Jesus among which I shall set down none but such as to my own knowledge have been made and among them I shall not fail to set down if not all yer at least hose that by the opposite party in this point are called and counted the principal for so is one parcel of the ensuing reasons stiled in a certain coppy of them which was given to me lately while I was at the presse viz. The principall Reasons why believers need not be baptized whereby you may ghesse how little worth answering the lesse principal are are on this wise Ranterist The Baptism mentioned Mat. 28.18 19.20 was not water baptism but the baptism of the spirit Baptist. Your blind boldnesse and buzzardly blindnesse in this I inwardly blush at when I as I hope your self will also when you consider 1. that it was a baptism enjoined and commanded to be dispensed and that 2. By meer men Who never were yet since the world stood so highly prerogativ'd from the Father as to be made administrators of more then water baptism or to be baptizers with the spirit for that was ever yet now is and ever will be the peculiar prerogative royal of Christs own royal person never to be impared to any other to give i. e. to baptize persons with the holy spirit the father by him and he immediately by himself without imparting any of that power which he only had to do it to others to give it in his name is the sole giver of every good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 So Luke 9.13 Your heavenly Father will give the holy spirit to them that ask him So Act. 5.32 the holy spirit which God hath given to all them that obey him 2 Cor. 5.5 God who hath given us the earnest of his spirit 1 Ephes. 13.14 sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest c. The Baptism with the spirit is the inward seal upon the heart that only God sets and not any meer man meer man is commissionated and impowerd from God to dispense no more but the outward sign i. e. water baptism which is not the seal of the New Covenant as the Priests call it for that 's the spirit which God onely gives throw Christ the Son for him onely hath God the Father sealed i. e. authorized honoured with that priviledge viz. to be under himself the sole dispenser of the spirit Iohn 6.26 which wherever it s given gives gifts in such wise as seems good unto him 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit all these worketh that one and the self same spirit distributing to every one severally as he will There are differences of administrations diversities of operations meaning internall administrations and operations upon the soul for there be outward administrations and operations ad extra as preaching praying water baptism laying on of hands with prayer breaking bread in which men act to Godward in order to his acting toward us in the other for men may promise us the spirit and shew us what to do and baptize us in water in order to our having the spirit and pray for us that we may receive the holy spirit c. and minister to us outwardly in the ordinances of divine service which this new Testament which in respect to the old Testament is called the ministration of the Spirit because God gives down to them that wait on him sincerely and believingly in these outward waies of the Gospel which are to see to but foolish instruments earthen vessels in some measure here the heavenly treasure of his spirit and hereupon as they hold forth the word of the gospel in the hearing of which the spirit is received as t was not in the hearing of the law for the spirit was not the promise of that Covenant of Circumcision but the old Canaan for I will circumcise thy heart c. was a Gospel promise though made in the time of the law and in these respects viz. as preaching and dispensing gospel ordinances they may be stiled and in such a sense onely are they so stiled 2 Cor. 3.6 Ministers not of the Letter i. e. the Law but of the spirit i. e. the Gospel But there is but one and the same Lord and t is one and the same God who worketh all in all All in All is Christs own glorious Paul and Apollos and the Ministers by whom we believe may work and do all that is to be done without to all men they may baptize in water by commission from Christ for so he himself baptized not but his disciples viz. Iohn Baptist and the rest and wicked men may by his permission baptize i. e. overwhelm us with suffering shame c. But himself onely baptizes us with that holy spirit of his that must support us under suffering he sends the comforter he was the onely baptizer of them upon whom the spirit sell in the Apostles ministration of baptism with water in which case the spirit was promised Act. 2. and of laying on hands with prayer in which way though not ever yet ordinarily it was dispensed I indeed baptize you in water saies Iohn i.
e. we men can minister no further to you being but messengers from him to do that but he shall baptize you with the holy spirit and fire Mat. 3.11 so see how Iohn peculiarly indigitates him Iohn 11.33 as in sole right to that service the same is he that baptizeth with the holy spirit and as Iohn did baptize onely with water so with no more then water did all the disciples and Apostles after Christ crucified baptize not with the spirit for that Christ onely did in their due dispensation of the other they had no promise any where that I find of such a priviledge I find it promised to them Act. 1.9 that they should be baptized with the holy spirit not many daies thence but never that they should baptize with the holy spirit Christ keeps himself the right of powring that out upon all men as they turn to him Proverbs 22.23 I am ashamed therefore at the cloudy conceits of such as say that was not water baptism with which Christ commanded his disciples to baptize the Nations after teaching Mat. 28.18 19.20 And the rather because Secondly it s as clear as if it were written with a beam of the sun that what was done most immediately and more remotely by the disciples in obedience to that commssion when once power was come on them to go forth till when they were to stay and forbear their testimony Luke 24.47.48.49 Act. 1.8 which was no more but teaching and as to baptism the baptizing in water for Act. 2.38 Peter promised them indeed that they should receive or be baptized with the holy spirit in case they would repent and be baptized but the baptism he prest them to and upon which he promises the other cannot be that of the spirit but water unlesse wee l feign Peter to have spoken such Tautological non-sense as this to them viz. repent and be baptized with the spirit and then you shall receive the holy spirit and as the beginning of their execution of Christs commission was no other save what they promised as to their dispensation of baptism then teaching and baptizing in water and after praying for the Spirit with laying on hands so were all their proceedings suitable hereunto for he is fast asleep with his eyes open resolving to see and say nothing in favor of water baptism but to cry it down against light that shall say that those which are said to be baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 8.12.16 Act. 19.5 and to be commanded by Peter to be baptized in the name of the Lord Act. 10.48 were baptized by Philip Paul Peter or any man else with any more then meer water baptism for the baptism with the spirit is in all these places spoken of as received from God in way of laying on of hands in prayer and preaching besides the other as either preceding or succeeding it as the Lord pleased in his own season to dispense it Ranterist If it were water baptism that was meant Mat. 28. and that was practised by Peter Philip Paul and the other primitive ministers yet that water baptism was no other then the baptism of John onely and not of Christ that was ere long to cease and to vanish before the baptism of Christ i. e. that of the spirit when that should come in and not to continue as a standing dispensation to be used and practised to the end John the Baptist Mat. 3.11 opposeth his baptism to the baptism of Christ which could not have been done if the baptism with water was an inseparable companion of Christs doctrine how could John say verily I baptize you with water but he shall baptize you with the holy spirit if Christ had been commanded to baptize with water as well as Iohn if so the words of John would have run thus verily I baptize you with onely water but he shall baptize you also with the holy spirit Baptist. Here again I cannot but professe my to be ashamed at this curious conceit of yours who distinguish the baptism of water and that of the spirit into Iohns and Christs and oppose these two one to the other as if the one of these were destructive to the other as if that of Iohns were his own and none of Christs when yet that is so undeniably evident as it is that this of water as well as that of the spirit was given out by Châ—ist himself so plainly as a part of his will and testament to abide together with teaching believing and repenting to the worlds end You talk as if the baptism with water was an ordinance of Iohn a baptism of which not Christ but Iohn was under God the main Moderator pro tempore while it stood in force as if Iohn had instituted and ordained it and Christ put an end to it as if Iohn were the Author of it and Christ the finisher to cause it to cease whereas nothing is more clear then that Christ himself was both the Author and finisher of it in another sense i. e. he that first ordained and appointed it to be administred even by Iohn himself and after Iohns decease yea and after his own death and resurrection too gave order to its continuance and for the observation of it among all Nations now as thitherto it had been observed only among the Jews I say its clear that the baptism with water was Christs baptism and howbeit it be called Iohns as Iohn was the first minister and messenger from Christ to begin it for behold I send my messenger and he shall prepare my way before me saith Christ of Iohn Mal. 3.1 yet Christ himself was the chief Author of it in whose name and not in Iohns it was begun and dispensed ever even in that juncture wherein Iohn himself was living and verst about it and before Christ had so specially commanded the continuance of it in all Nations to the worlds end in his own and the fathers and the spirits name as he does Mat. 28.18.19.20 and ever after that also as we may see Act. 2.29 where Peter preaching the same doctrine that Iohn himself did viz. the baptism of repentance for remission of sins sayes repent and be baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of sins so Act. 8.16 they were baptized with this water baptism in the name of the Lord Iesus so Act. 10.47 he commanded them â—o be baptized in the name of the Lord so Act. 19.3.4 where after that to certain disciples who were baptized with Iohns baptism Paul had said Iohn veryly baptized with the baptism of repentance saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after that is on Christ Jesus it is said that when they heard this they were baptized i. e. in water in the name of the Lord Iesus We see therefore that though its called the baptism of Iohn as Iohn began it yet it is that which Christ who was no minister servant or disciple of
I freely do and every one must grant and therefore what is spoken by you in proof of that might well have been spared also that the bare submission to that outward dispensation of water is not that which simply of it self and abstract from the inward i. e. the answer of a good conscience doth save us must needs be granted also but what of this will it therefore follow that it is to be omitted and not made use of at all in reason surely it cannot be so assertter for as the bare outward hearing of the word without doing it will do us no good but rather hurt yet that outward hearing is an ordinance at no hand to be neglected but necessarily to be used in order to the doing of the word without which we had better never hear for we shall not save but deceive our own souls Iam. 1.22 and shall perish in the end Mat. 7.26 and as bare outward fellowship in breaking of bread is so far from saving that we eat and drink judgement to our selves unlesse withall we discern the Lords body and be pattakers of the thing signified and yet that outward service is needful to be performed so though water baptism doth not save us ex opero operato and unlesse it be answered within by the answer of a good conscience yet what consequence is there from hence that it need not be done at all neither doth Peter altogether exclude the putting away the filth of the flesh as not to be practised and place the business of baptism wholly in the answer of a good conscience as you here say he doth but rather places the baptism that saves in both these not in either without the other yea in that he saies thus baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience he includes the baptism with water as that which is to be done but not to be rested in as available to salvation without the other Ranterist There is no man sent by Christ to baptize so that were I never so willing to be baptized yet there is none to baptize me for though it should be granted which neverthelesse is false and cannot be evinced out of the Scripture that the Apostles were sent to baptize with water yet this doth not warrant others to do so likewise unlesse they can prove that whatsoever was spoken to the Apostles was spoken to them and by this account they must go into all Nations and make them disciples having first stayed at Ierusalem till they have been indued with power from on high for both things are injoined to the Apostles by Christ. Baptist. That the Apostles were not sent to baptize in water in such a sense as Paul saies 1 Cor. 1. Christ sent not him to baptize in i. e. to dispense that ordinance necessarily with their own hands so but that when they had preacht and converted persons to the faith others might help â—o administer it I granted above but that they were not sent to preach the Gospel i. e. the baptism of faith and repentance for remission of sins among all Nations as far as they were capable and that baptism in water was not a part of that Gospel ministration which was committed to them to command all Nations to observe and to see dispensed on all that should be discipled therein this I utterly deny and the contrary to it is so clearly evinced in the word that he that runs may read it for either Christ commanded them Mat. 28. to teach baptizing not with the spirit but in water or else Peter miserably mistook his commission that in obedience thereto presses 1000â— of people at once enquiring what they should do to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus promising onely that so doing they should not from him surely but from Christ receive the holy spirit Act. 2.39 and also concerning a people that were already baptized with the spirit asks who can forbid water why these may not be baptized commanding them who were ready to hear no more then what was commanded him of God to deliver to them Act. 10.23 to be baptized in the name of the Lord and if by the Apostles you mean the eleven onely that were within hearing when Christ spake as t is to him that is not afraid of cold water undoubtedly true that these were so as undeniable it is that others were sent to baptize in water as well as they viz. Philip that baptized the Samaritans and Eunuch Paul that baptized so many of the Corinthians as he did and Ananias that baptized him or else they made and preacht a Gospel of their own heads another Gospel and not Christs which if they did they made more hast then good speed to themselves for such as teach for doctrines of Christ their own traditions and run before they are sent do both worship God in vain and shall neither of them have any thank from him for their labour and that what was spoken to those 11 Apostles themselves as to the point of baptism was spoken also to us even to such in all Nations as being once discipled are after that enabled from God to preach the Gospel is no lâ—sse evident then all the rest Matth. 28.19 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you among which water baptism was one v. 18. and whereas you say upon this account we must go into all nations and make them disciples who doubts but that t is our duty so to do to the utmost of our power and they could do no more for that 's commanded and baptism too to be observed to the end but for their staying at Ierusalem till they were indued with power from on high and beginning first to preach there that did concern them only as a special circumstance for that time not pertaining to the substance of the service nor required of all the Apostles themselves and administrators of baptism then for if it had Ananias Philip Paul began at the wrong end of their businesse when one of them began to preach the Gospel at Samaria the other at Damascus not going up to Ierusalem first Gal. 1.17 and if not of them why it should be of us I know not Neverthelesse as to the substance of that command I grant that every one is to tarry till he be indued more or lesse with power i. e. boldnesse wisdome knowledge utterance resolution self denyall c. before he goes out as Christs Messenger to preach to the nations but being so indued and furnished must out for ought I know among all people as he hath ability and occasion beginning at the place where he is and proceeding to spread the Gospel afar off if he find not work enough neerer home Ranterist Could it be proved as it cannot that there are some sent to baptize yet even then will it not follow that I and such as I am ought to be
once before all the principles of the doctrine of Christ whereof this laying on of hands is said to be one and not only so but secondly from these words you ought to be teachers that by this time they should have been of ability to teach these principles to others which also shews that these principles ought all along still to be taught Moreover if it be queried where or by whom these Hebrewes were at first taught this A B C these principles of the oracles of God there spoken of is it not as clear as the sun to any serious understanding considerate spirit that it was by Peter at Ierusalem in his first preaching there in obedience to Christs commission Mat. 28. after power was come upon him from on high in Act. 2. which I direct to as a second place wherein we may find it preached did not Peter there lay this foundation of the principles of the doctrine of Christ among them in preaching as they did themselves in practising Heb. 6 2. and howbeit the whole form of the doctrine he there delivered is not set down as none of the doctrine that Philip preacht at Samaria is nor of that Paul preacht at Philippi Act. 16.14 nor at Corinth Act. 18.8 yet is it not by sundry passages as evident that he taught that principle of laying on of hands among all the rest as it is and how evident that is is shewed above that they in those other places preached baptism shall we think that Peter taught the principles of the doctrine of Christ all which he was to lay as one foundation among them by the halves did he build them upon one part of the foundation and not on the other part did he constitute them partly upon it and partly beside it did he teach them all the rest of the principles every of which its said Heb. 5.12 they had been taught viz. faith repentance baptism resurrection and judgement and did he leave out that one onely of laying on of hands specially since it s said that with many other words he exhorted that people who are said there also to continue in the Apostles doctrine what man that devotes himself to the comparing of Scripture with Scripture can imagine it and if not why not be satisfied that it was preacht by some at least of Christs Apostles to all baptized believers A third Scripture I direct the inquirers unto is Act. 8.5.12.14.15.16.17 whence first its evident from the Apostles administring and the Samaritans submission to it that the doctrine in the purport and tendency of it was first declared unlesse we shall judge the Saints at Samaria were such idiots as to act by implicit faith as men were not to do but by comparison of what they said with the Scriptures under the ministry of the Apostles themselves Act. 17.22 and to yield blind obedience to they knew not what the Apostles also justifying them in it which if they did then you that professe your selves to be yet ignorant in that service and that you know not the meaning of it may submit to it as safely though as senslessely as they from the hands of such as do which yet when all is done I am sure you may not but Secondly more evident yet if you weigh some passages of that text it self the words whereof are on this wise viz. then went Philip down unto Samaria and preached Christ to them v. 5. and when they believed the things spoken by Philip pertaining to the Kingdom of God they were baptized both men and women when they at Ierusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto them Peter and John who when they were come prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit for as yet he was fallen upon none of them onely they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus then laid they their hands on them and they received the holy spirit It s said that Philip preached Christ and spoke of the things pertaining to the the Kingdome of God and that they received the word of God which they did not surely so much as to believe what was to be done till he had preached it now can any rationall man think that he preached Christ and the things pertaining to his kingdome and the word of God and not preach so much as all the principles of the oracles of God not so much as all the first Rudiments or whole beginning word of Christ but left out imposition of hands onely among all the rest as none of the word of Christ nor of the things pertaining to his kingdome as not to be preacht no not in that juncture wherein immediately after it was to be and accordingly was so universally submitted to by them and dispenst unto them or if you say they received not that word of laying on of hands from Philip but from Peter and Iohn I answer t is true practically from the hands of Peter and Iohn dispensing it but by faith so as to believe it to be a practicable doctrine that was their duty to own from the mouth of Philip dispensing the doctrine of it or suppose that Philip spake nothing of it till Peter and Iohn came which is non supponendum yet is it likely that the Apostles that were sent to them from Ierusalem though nothing is said of that they said that therefore they said nothing to them at all yea will right reason ever receive this for truth that the Apostles were sent to Samaria upon the account of some service whether solely that of prayer and laying on of hands it matters not so long as that was one part of it at least and yet neither acquaint them whether before acquainted with it or no to what end and purpose they came and what was the end and purport of that service they onely or mainly came for he that can receive this let him receive it for my part I professe I cannot A fourth place from whence it is easily gathered that the doctrine of laying on of hands in order to their receiving the holy spirit was wont to be preached to all baptized believers is Act. 19.1 2.3 where Paul speaking to the whole company of disciples that he found at Ephesus the number wherof were then but about twelve among whom the doctrine of laying on of hands in order to the receiving the holy spirit had not been preached at the time of their baptism seems to reprove and blame the neglect of it enquiring whether they had not received the holy spirit supposing surely at least that the promise of it had been to them and prayer made for them in the usual way with laying on of hands that they might receive it but marveiling much that they being baptized believers had not been informed about these matters nor had so much as heard of the holy spirit have you received the holy â—pirit saies he no nor so much as heard of it say they no unto what then
were you baptized saies he if at least you have not so much as heard of it as who should say who baptized you I wonder and did not so much as instruct you about the spirit nor laying on their hands pray for you that you might receive the spirit this plainly shewes that by right they should all about the time of their baptism in water have heard of the holy spirit and in what way it was to have been expected by them even that of laying on of hands none of all which they having so much as heard of as yet Paul therefore after some words of fuller information to them and such other passages as fell out thereupon laid his hands on them verse 6. in order to their receiving the holy spirit These Scriptures what they are to others I know not are to me a cleer and safe conduct into the belief of this truth that the doctrine of laying on of hands with prayer in order to receiving the holy spirit both was in the primitive times and was to be preached to all baptized believers as that which was no lesse then their duty to own and submit to have dispensed to them And as it was so universally taught and preached so was it as universally in those times practised dispensed submitted to ownd and observed in all the churches and among all baptized believers even men and women without exception This is evident out of the four forenamed places viz. in the first of which it is not only expresse that they i. e. all that Jewish Church had been taught this principle among the rest but also that it had been practically owned and observed among them as well as all the rest for as it s said there of all the principles together that these Jewes had need to be taught them again so that they should not now lay them again but go on to perfection which shews that as these principles had been all preacht to them all so all these Jewes or Hebrews did once lay them all as a foundation at their first beginning to be a Church and therfore this of laying on of hands among the rest In the second we read that Paul laid his hands on all the baptized believers that he found at Ephesus being then no more in number then about 12. speaking as it were by way of blame and reproof of those by whom they were baptized that this was not also done by them at their baptism in order to their receiving the holy spirit much more in that they were not so much as informed that there was a holy spirit to be expected by them ver 32.3 which may serve also as an Argument to them that say as some of the inquirers do that the reproof of the omission of any service doth evince that that service ought to have been performed and as an answer also to the fourth question of the abovenamed enquirers with the ground thereof which is this viz. In the third place we find it most expressely asserted that Peter and Iohn prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit and laid their hands on them i. e. all those men and women for that 's the only substantive to this pronoun them in that place of whom it s said before that they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus which word only they were baptized intimates to us thus much also viz. that though they had submitted so far as to baptism yet they had not practised all that was to be practised by them but that some other service was yet behind which ought to be performed towards them viz. that of laying on of hands In the fourth it s asserted also most plainly that all the three thousand believers that were baptized did gladly receive the word i. e. the word that Peter preacht to them who exhorted them with many other words then those that are there specified viz. repentance and baptism and that they continued in the Apostles doctrine of which word and doctrine if we may judge the word or doctrine of Christ the Apostles to be one and the same laying on of hands was part as well as faith repentance baptism resurrection and judgement Heb. 6.1.2 besides if the word and doctrine of Christ that was preacht and practised at Jerusalem was the self same word and doctrine that was after preacht and practised at Samaria then we may safely gather that whatever was preacht and practised by them at Samaria had been preacht and practised by them at Ierusalem before from whence they came immediately to Samaria where its easie to be discerned by any but such as will bend their brains to multiply impertinencies and to make bluâ—ies to themselves and others in businesses that are beyond doubt to impartial inquirers that they laid hands praying for them that they might receive the holy spirit on all those believers there that were baptized whether men or women without exception if we may as warrantably understand the men and women that are said to be baptized v. 12. to be the same persons that are said to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus v. 16. and the same persons that are denoted by that pronoun them v. 14.15.16 as I am sure we cannot warrantably because not congruously do otherwise for who else can be meant all along but the very same and not some of them onely but even all the same even the men and women that are related above to be baptized for whereas its said ver 12. when they believed they were baptized both men and women and v. 16. that the holy spirit was fallen upon none of them onely they were baptized must not they and them there be taken for all those that are said to be baptized above and so consequently when it is said ver 15. that they prayed for them and ver 17. that they laid their hands on them doth not them denote out the very same Yet this cannot be digested for truth with some of the inquirers for t was asserted as his opinion the rest assenting to it by their silence by one of those with whom we had some discourse at Ely house Maâ—ch 27. 1653. whether the same be the sense of all those that sent him I know not that Peter and Iohn did not with prayer lay hands on all the baptized believers at Samaria but on the men only and not on the women And whereas in proof of the contrary I asserted that the pronoun them in v. 14.15.16.17 doth relate to not the men onely but the men and women even all those that are said to be baptized as the adaequate substantive with which it did agree t was answered by him to this purpose a pretty put off I confesse but nothing to the purpose viz. that the Scripture had expressions both particular indefinite and universal that the word them here as t was not a particular so t was not an universal for then it would have
but as t is asserted in the argument as a practical part of the Law will and Testament of Christ concerning baptized believers as one of the oracles or holy things of God as one of the very principles of the doctrine of Christ as a part of the foundation or beginning word of Christ as well as baptism or of the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles on which the true visible Church is built as upon a certain basis and from which the whole building growth up an holy temple in the Lord toward perfection an habitation of God through the spirit being first fitly framed together by a joint uniform visible obedience unto that one whole form of doctrine whereof I say this laying on of hands was a part and was practised at their first beginning to be disciples at or about the time of their baptism and before actual fellowship in the visible Church this all is clear enough of it self to him that consults Heb. 5.2.6.1 considerately comparing them with Eph. 2.20.21.22 Rom. 6.17 Act. 2.42.8.12.14.15.16.17.19.2.6 out of all which places at least collectively consulted with we cannot but see that after baptism and before fellowship in one body or building in higher things there was this of laying on of hands practised owned observed as one of the first principles of Gods oracles of Christs doctrine Antecedent to fellowship and laid as a part of that first form of doctrine that was delivered and obeyed after obedience to the whole of which they were counted babes in Christ new born begotten to him belonging to him and in present capacity as no fleshly babes are to be added and admitted into his Church and as one piece of that foundation or word of the beginning of Christ on which the Church it self is built and therefore necessarily precedent among persons to their fellowship together in it for the foundation must ever be wholly laid even in every part of it and therefore why not in laying on of hands before there can be any firm or any but a deformed or defective building no more therefore as unto that Again that it was dispensed together with prayer for it on all baptized believers in order to their receiving the holy spirit t is not denied by any for ought I know as indeed it is undeniable to all Act. 8.15.16.17.19.2.6 And further there is not the least hint of any limitation of that doctrine of laying on of hands on all baptized believers to those times onely or intimation in the word of Christ that t was his mind there should then be a cessation of it any more then there is of baptizing all believers or any other ordinance or outward administration or any other of the principles of Christs doctrine if there be I desire of the Enquirers who use inferences themselves and yet allow not us to speak any thing as to the continuance of this ordinance but some expresse text of Scripture to shew some Scripture if they know of any that speaks expressely or if it be but consequentially it shall serve my turn though from us it will not theirs so the consequence be legitimate and truly rational of the continuation of all other the principles of the doctrine of Christ and the cessation of onely this of laying on of hands on all baptized believers for what we are sure was in use among all baptized believers in the primitive times it concerns them that call for a cessation of it alone among all the principles of Gods oracles to shew us some plain word of Christ for the right of such a cessation of that onely and no other before they blame us for calling on them for a continuance of that still but for my part as I find none so I suppose they may look till their eyes are weary before they can out of Christs testament not a tittle of which is yet disanul'd produce any text tending to such a purpose And because I have inserted and asserted no lesse in the Minor of the Argument I am yet in proving then this viz. that as there 's no intimation of any cessation of laying on of hands on all baptized believers till such time as the work of baptizing all believers it self shall cease but also a plain injunction from Christ for the continuance of the one of these as long as the other and for a continual teaching and observation of both as well as either among all the disciples that should be in all nations to the worlds end I le direct the enquirers to a plain text of Scripture for it viz. Matth. 28.20 whence suppositis supponendis taking it for granted till I shall see more then ever I have yet seen from them or I believe ever shall see from any to the contrary that the dispensation practise use and observation of laying on of hands among the Apostles and the primitive baptized believers who expected that whatever the Apostles delivered to them was first commanded them of God Act. 10.33 was no other then what God commanded then to them all it is as plain as the high way that the very same is commanded to be continued downwards even to be taught to and observed by all that ever should be discipled in the nations to the worlds end for on the very day in which Christ was taken up after that he through the holy spirit had given commandments to the Apostles whom he had chosen being seen of them four'y daies after his resurrection and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God among which I quaery of the Enquirers whether laying on of hands were not one he expresly charges them that whatever he had taught and enjoined them to observe they should teach all the nations i. e. the disciples and baptized believers in all nations to observe the very same promising his presence in the observation of the same among his disciples not to the end of that generation or age onely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have shewed above to the end of the very world itself Going out teach all nations baptizing them i. e. that believe teaching them i. e. the now newly baptized believers to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and therefore laying on of hands surely it being one of the principles of his doctrine and lo I am with you i. e. not your persons onely but your party not your selves onely whilest you live but your successors also in what age soever they shall live in the observation of what I have commanded you and shall command them by you alwaies to the end of the world Finally that laying on of hands on baptizd believers hath the same ends grounds and reasons why it was to be used continuing still to this very day as much as as in the primitive times is as evident as all the rest for as the grounds and reasons why they observed such a service then were and could be no other then the manifestation of
Christs next appearing Thus having sufficiently proved the Minor of the forenamed argument in each particular of it in which as neerly as I could well croud them together are coucht as many if not all such particulars are needful to be proved to the evincing of the continuance of this doctrine and dispensation of laying on of hands to the end I shall hasten to an end both of this subject and of this system also but because I find some things put in by way of positive exception and objection against this truth from the mouthes of some as well as something by way of query from the pens of others who also in that way have appeared against it so newly at the the presse viz. the late Enquirers above-named a remnant of whose Questions â—emain yet unanswered here though not so unanswerable as some do deem them I shall adde a word or two more toward the removeal of these two sorts of blinding bushes whereby I fear many may be infatuated so as to turn andâ— from the way of truth in this particular and so leave both it and them unto the Lord. First then whereas by word of mouth some tell me That Laying on of hands was a way peculiar to that juncture designed of god to the time then being only wherein the Apostles say some and othersome the Lord gave the holy spirit in some visible eminent and extraordinary gifts thereof as tongues prophecy miracles healing c. simply to this end that these might be a sign to confirm it visibly to the eyes of people that the doctrine they taught and practised in the principles and other parts of it was from above and no other then the oracles of God First I grant that in the primitive times there were and that in the way of prayer and laying on of hands given not by the Apostles though for as is shewed above they were not baptizers with the spirit but by the Lord onely whose onely prerogative that is to baptize with the holy spirit sundry gifts as healing c. which may be called extraordinary and rare respectively to these times wherein they have bin seldome or never seen or heard of as I know not that that of tongues now adaies ever was though as to that of healing and that of discerning of spirits and some other manifestations of the spirit given to profit withall as a word of wisdome and a word of knowledge it is within a little of past doubt to some that such as these as the Lord pleases are some lesse some more frequently given now among them that walk in truth though what gifts some have seen and been sensible of in others or themselves t is not so fit to boast of as to be silent Secondly I grant that many of this sort and hapily many more then either are or need to be or shall be given now were given then to confirm the New Testament doctrine in the first delivery of it to the world in the room of the old one to be of God of some of which there maybe a cessation the end they had such special respect to then being sufficiently accomplished and the word being now committed unto writing Mark 16.17 18 c. Heb. 2.3 4. But thirdly that either such gifts of the spirit as these were either the onely or the chief kind of gifts of the spirit that were to be and were expected lookt after or given in that way of prayer and laying on of hands as a service destinated pro tempore only in order to the receiving of such or that these gifts were so extraordinary in respect of the eminency or excellency of them because more visible and ad extra beyond such as may be warrantably by promise expected and are in that way assuredly and ordinarily given at this day these two I see no warrant to subscribe to for as t is most sure that the promise was so far as I find in terminis nor onely nor so oft of these things though I deny not but these were at that time for ends that concern not these times promised too but of the spirit to several other purposes as above the holy spirit the spirit in the fruits and graces and comforts of it the gift of the holy spirit we find it all along almost in no lesse then scores of Scriptures whereof some few are more plain so assuredly the holy spirit in that way of prayer and laying on of hands was given to baptized believers in other gifts then these viz. the graces comforts and fruits of it love joy peace assurance c. In respect of which in case those outward gifts of the spirit should all have failed or shall fail now yet that dispensation is not therefore rendred empty useless and out of date but remaines rather more gloriously useful then as to external gifts of tongues and such like continually even unto the end yea also if we speak of gifts meerly externall and visible as some call them though for my part I judge the spirit is as visible to us and manifested to be in men by the fruits and graces as by those things that are more commonly but not more properly then those called gifts I suppose his senses as well as his reason doth not a little fail him that descerns not not only those most excellent waies of grace as love joy c. 1 Cor. 12.31 but even the best and most excellent and profitable outward gift of the spirit even that of prophecy or speaking to exhortation edification and comfort for that is the gift of prophecy and the best outward gift that we can covet or compasse given unto baptized believers whom we pray for and lay hands on at this day to whom nature and University Nursery never gave it And if any say we see such a kind of gift as you call prophecy given also to others aswel as such as submit to it That 's nothing to us what God does whose word binds us to such or such a way but not himself we are quaerying what we are required to do by him upon the account of which we may by promise expect the holy spirit not what God does God often anticipates his own promise and is better then his word as Act. 10. 47. he gave the spirit before baptism which is promised onely to baptized believers Act. 2.39 yet that does neither give us disingagement from Gods outward way nor warrant us to expect the spirit out of it but ingage us so much the more unto it ver 48. If God will give any other men his holy spirit out of that way I am glad sith it pleases himself he is so good to them but as that assures me not that I specially if inlightned about his way yea then assuredly I shall not shall have it so too so sure I am that in his way I shall obtain it and if any have been so highly favoured of god as that he
the shadowes flie away and Christ comes as a swift Roe and young heart upon the mountains of Bether so that now we are to exercise our selves rather unto Godlinesse for all bodily exercises as baptism breaking bread and Church order c. profit little besides t was said there should be a falling away from all those forms of worship and the way of ordinances which was in the primitive times 2 Thess. 2.3 and a treading down of the holy City and Temple Rev. 11.1.2 as to the form it then stood in both which have fell out also accordingly so that there hath been a taking of all that dispensation of ordinances in their primitive purity totally out of the way therefore now we are to meddle no more with them at all at least unless we had some extraordinary Prophets as the Iews had after the treading down of their temple and and worship to satisfie and shew us that its the mind of the Lord we should set up that old fabrick and form again Baptist. This is the old tune which you and your followers have been used to sing in any time this seven year which yet I could never learn to this day distinctly to sing in after you and I am perswaded never shall unlesse I could hear more clearnesse and distinction in the sound then yet I do to whom while I sound how sutable your sense is to the sense of Scripture you are Barbarians when you speak thus That Christ now comes in the light and power of his spirit as a swift Roe and hart upon these mountains of division that now are between the PPPriests among themselves and between others and them and that abundance of light comes dispelling that fog and smoak of mens traditions which hath risen out of the bottomlesse pit and of a long time darkned the Sun and the air and the hearts of people all this I grant but that this coming of his doth put an end a ne plus ultra to any one of his own traditions or ordinances that were instituted by him and in his name delivered to the Churches in the primitive times as a part of his will and testament then this is as hard a lesson for me to learn as t is for some to learn that t is their duty to be baptized for assuredly nothing but Christs own personal coming shall put a period to any one tittle of his Gospel will and Testament or of that outward dispensation which by appointment from himself was then in force and therefore to neither baptism imposition of hands or Churchfellowship in breaking bread every of which most undoubtedly was a part of the preceptory part of Christs Gospel in those daies and of that new Testament ratified in his blood 1 Cor. 11.25 which gospel testament and holy will of his that he as a great Prophet left in charge for all men to observe when he went away Mat. 28.20 Mark 13.34 Luke 19.17 to the 28. and not any new one delivered since is the very same according to which he will judge all men at his return any part of which therefore in either promise or precept suppose but the ordinances of it for I am sure it was a testament and Gospel that had ordinances then wo be to that man or angel that shall once dare to declare as null yea let no man flatter himself and delude others with pretences of an Angelical Seraphical life to be led now in an higher kind of way then the Saints and Churches did in the primitive ages of the Gospel for I tell that man that if he were not only appearing to himself to be wrapt up above Paul but really an angel from heaven and not Christ himself who when he comes personally shall say indeed unto his servants come up higher he must be Aaathema preaching and holding forth other then what the Apostles at first delivered to the Churches of Galatia who received the Gospel with the outward ordinances and Church order thereof Gal. 1.6.7.8.9.11.12 compared with 1 Cor. 11.23.24 c. in which Scriptures its evident that the whole intire Gospel which was preached then by Paul who received it together with the ordinances of baptism Gal. 3.27 and the supper not of man but of the Lord was strictly required to be kept without hearkning to any other things then what were then delivered and received in the Churches though spoke by an angel from heaven or their very selves who at first preached them who if ever any such thing should have fallen out as their falling off from that truth and contradicting themselves for so doing must have been held accursed yea if Paul himself should have come some 100â— of years after to the Churches of Galatia and gainsaid what he had said before saying you received the Gospel from me at first with ordinances but now you may let the ordinances of it alone it s enough for you to believe onely and live up to God in the spirit he had condemned himself to cursing out of his own mouth if then the Apostles that at first gave out the Gospel to the world were not on pain of being accursed to preach any other then what at first they preached what cursing attends thee O wretched Ranter that deifiest thy self and takest upon thee not onely to deny but to defie the Gospel of Christ in the ordinances of it and the holy oracles of the living God Thou tellest us of a coming of Christ by his spirit into the hearts of men after which there need be no more use of ordinances that when Paul saies men must continue breaking bread till he come he means till he comes in spirit but I tell thee if the right eye of reason were not utterly darkned in thee thou couldâ— not but understand that till he come 1 Cor. 11. speaks of the same time as Christ himself speaks of when he saies to his Church in Thyatira Rev. 2.25.26 which were then in a Church posture and under the use of ordinances that which ye havâ— already hold faâ—t till I come and that that time was no other then the end of this world which he shall put a period to by his personal coming is cleared by the verse following he that over cometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the nations where by the end as he means the same period he pointed at before in that phrase till I come so he means the time of Christs second coming to judgement to raign at the end of this world mentioned Mat. 24.3 and in scores of Places more and not the time of his coming by his spirit unto men for so he was come and hath come more or lesse well nigh as soon as and even ever since he went away yea according to his promise he soon sent his spirit to abide with his people in their observation of his commandements and not otherwise as a comforter in the absence of his person Iohn
dispensation till the substance it self comes childish things that must be put away when once we become men things imperfect and in part onely which when that which is perfect is come must vanish and be done away and such like and all this as t is nor more nor lesse then we say our selves so t is even as much as we need desire thee to say as to the evincing of what we contend for for sith we yet see not face to face 1 Pet. 1.8 in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable c. when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Iohn 3.2 i. e. then and not before and since that which is perfect i. e. the substance is not yet come for as we that remain and shall be alive at the coming of Christ shall not prevent or as to perfection be before hand with them that are asleep in Iesus 1 Thess. 4.15 16 17. so they i. e. that are long since dead both in and for the Lord without us shall not be made perfect Heb. 11.40 sith we are not all yet come to be men at age to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ therefore ad hominem till then we must look through the glasse till then the shadow and that which is in part and imperfect as being indeed most suitable to an imperfect state must stand till then the outward work of the ministry in point of offices and ordinance for the perfecting of â—he Saints for the edifying of the body must remain Eph. 4.11.12 13. Thou tellest us mistaking the sense of Paul Phil 3.13.14 Heb. 6.1.2 that higher things perfection are now to be minded and prest after and these to be forgotten that those are principles of Châ—ists doctrine which were once eyed and laid as a foundation but must be left and not laid now any more But contrary to what David saies of himself Ps. 131.12 thine eyes are so lofty thy heart so haughtily exercised in minding the things thou callest high some of which are too high and others too low and base for any Christian to be busied in that thou mindest not the words of Paul to all Saints Rom. 12.16 where he saith not minding high things for so the greek words truly translated are but together with high things minding low things t is confest that in some sense we are to forget or not to mind what is behind but to mind to presse after to reach forth to things that are before to leave the principles the foundation of Christs doctrine go on to perfection but not in thy sense o Ranter who hereby takest upon thee to buryall manner of observation of these things even by any under utter oblivion to prohibit all present practise of principles by so much as babes to rase the foundation so as to declare it not fit to be laid at first now as of old it was no not by very biginners in the School of Christ but in the spirits sense who in those places means no other then thus viz. not that the babes in Christ must not use milke in these times as well as in the primitive not that the beginner in Christs School is not now as well as then to learn his letters and to begin first in his ABC not that those that will begin to build themselves an holy temple in the Lord an habitation of God through the spirit must not now lay any foundation at all but that having laid the foundation they should not think that their building is at an end but build up higher grow up higher in Christ thereupon that they should lay the foundation so sure at first that they should not have need in respect of their non proficiency or relapses into sin to be laying these i. e. faith of remission repentance c. ore and ore again but to proceed to perfection that babes should not remain alwaies babes feeding on nothing but milk but growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and in ability to bear stronger meats higher doctrines that the young Scholar should not remain alwayes a novice an ABC darian no further learnt then in his horn book but according to the time he hath had learn to read perfectly that he may be able to teach others rather then need to be taught his letters again this is the spirits sense for otherwise it s ever necessary that babes have milk and absurd that a Scholar should be bid to forget his letters and how to spell that builders should leave laying any foundation when they begin nay veriâ—y the most studied Scholar must first learn and then remember his letters or else he cannot possibly read babes must be fed with milk at first or else they will not thrive to be perfect men builders must lay a foundation and have an eye to it too all along in their building upward even till they come to the very top observing how all the whole fabrick that they work after doth square and keep touch with that or else they may chance to make such a crooked fabrick as will fall to the ground at last yea perveniri ad summum nisi ex principiis non potest Thou tellest us as concerning the outward ordinances of the Gospel that bodily exercises profit little but art wretchedly ignorant of it that by bodily exercises which profit little Paul means not at all as thou dost the ordinances of Christ or any ouâ—ward parts of his worship and will revealed in his word for that is though not the greatest yet a great part of godlinesse it self which according to the true signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a right serving of God according to his own will in his word of truth where he requires us to serve worship and glorifie him in our bodie as well as in our spirit 1 Cor. 6.19.20 but such bodily exercises and old wives fables as abstinences from meats lent'n and good friday fasts and such ordinances as touch not tast not c. which men subject themselves to after the commandements and doctrines of men of Popish Priests whose Religion stands mostly in such matters 1 Tim. 4.3.4.7.8 Col. 2.20.21.22 Thou tellest us as one of the main grounds whereupon there must now be no more walking in ordinances and that way of outward service that was at first that it was foretold 2 Thess. 2.3 that there should come a falling away from it and a treading down of all that outward form which then was which to say nothing how probable it is that that prophecy 2 Thess. 2.3 and several more do point more at that falling away that thou oh false prophet shalt cause in the very last dayes then at that which by the proud PPPriesthood hath been made before thee I declare to be such an absurd and senslesse consequence as is more worthy of a silent sleighting then a
6.14.15.16.17 Rev. 14 18 9 10.8.4.5 and is there not a reed given and a command to rise and measure the City and Temple and worshippers in order to building again of what was ruined as the plummet was then in hand of Zorobabel Zach. 4 10. we have for ought I see as plain promises prophecies warrands and grounds as they had to build when they came from Babilon if we have eyes to see them unlesse nothing will serve to the satisfying of us as indeed it will not to the satisfying of some that our acting in the old way of Christ is his mind and will concerning us now but miracles to confirm us in the belief of it by whose leave I must rather call for miracles from them to confirm it that their leaving that old administration of ordinances and beginning to act in that new way of no ordinances is of God for as for the doctrine we practise t was at first confirmed by miracles as Gods manner ever is at the remove of any old Testament or will of his and establishing a new one in its stead but theirs though a new one nor yet committed to writing was never yet confirmed by miracles at all and suppose they had had more extraordinary Prophets then we have at the restoring of their ruins after the Babilonish wastings yet le ts know what extraordinary Prophets they had to build upon for the re-edifying of their dayly sacrifices and religion when trod down for a time times and an half also by Antiochus that most lively type of Christs Church-wasting enemies under the Gospel of whose violent ablation of all and lawful restoration of all again by the Jews according to the old pattern excepting what corruptions were afterward among them which yet did not disannul the right of the remaining of any truth may be read at large 1 Mac. 1.2 Mac. 7.2 Mac. 10. which all stood in force notwithstanding that falling away even till Christ himself who also confirmed and practised to a tittle according to Moses Testament during his life at last put an end to it by his death All thy arguings therefore O libertine from a falling away to no return from a treading down of the true way of ordinances to no erecting it again are but a sort of sorry shifts whereby thou fencest off that part of Christs Gospel which I confesse from some experience in my own crooked deceitful yet self-searching heart flesh and blood takes no delight in for if we consider things under the Gospâ—l with that relation and proportion they stand in to things under the Law which were Types and shadows of them then we must conclude there is a certain space or intertime between the last period of the 42 months or of the time of treading down of the true Gospel worship by might and Christs coming to abolish and take away their right as there was after the Babilonish captivity a space of 70 weeks in which the Saints according to the call and warning given them to worship God aright and decline the beasts worship and come out of Babilon Rev. 14. Rev. 18. are obedient and continue in the word of Christs patience under all the mallice of the beasts worshippers and in the observation of the commandements of God and the faith of Jesus and of all the works that Christ left in charge at his departure to be kept in memoriall of him in his absence viz. baptism the supper c. that so when the Lord shall come as a snare and as a thief on all that are disobedient to his voice and contentious against any tittle of his truth they may be found as Noah and Lot till whose separation the doom determined could not fall upon the wicked Gen 19.22 out of Sodom Rev. 11.8 in Zoar in the ark i. e. Christ and his true wayes Ordinances and worship which are to them as those of old to the other a little Sanctuary and being found so doing as Christ required keeping his commandementâ— may be blessed and have right to the tree of life and to enter in thorow the gates into the City Rev. 22 14.15 and be entertained with well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a very little and over a few things have thou authority over much over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 Luk. 19.17 Thou tellest us that the day star arises and the day approaches and therefore now there need be no such heed given to the edifying one another in Assemblies by the use of Ordinances but whether we shall believe thee o perverter who saiest we must give attendance to these things so much the lesse or Paul who saies so much the more as we see the day approaching let any judge but thy besotted self who speakest all along by a spirit most contradictory to and yet canst not be perswaded but that in all thou speakest answerably to the word Thou tellest us that Christ is now in his Saints the hope of glory but thou tellest us no newes in this for I know not when he was otherwise while they walkt not after the flesh but after the spirit in obedience to his voice in holy conformity to his will and word and in fellowship one with another in the use of all his holy ordinances but as for thy self o spiritualist that separatest thy self sensual not having the Spirit though pretending to have it in a higher degree then any that live in bondage unto Ordinances I know not how to believe he is so much in thee as the hope of glory for every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 Thou tellest of seeing face to face of present perfection and manhood and that that which is perfect is come and that thou livest already with God in God in full and actual enjoyment of heaven and all heavenly happinesse God dwelling already in thee and thou in him in the very substance which was once shadowed out by the childish things called Ordinances in the secret chambers of the most high in the heights of God in the very bosom and inmost imbraces of the father in a high degree of godlinesse spirit and glory But to let passe how thou contradictest confutest and givest thy self the lie when thou expressest all this sometimes by no higher a term then Christ in thee the hope of glory for hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for but if we hope for that we see not then do we not say we have it but with patience wait for it as not yet actually enjoyd Rom. 8.24.25 we know well enough forthy own practise and sometimes thy own speech bewrayeth thee what thy spiritualnesse perfection and godlinesse is thy spiritualnesse is to fulfil the will of the flesh with out scruple to feed and feast it without fear to swaggar and swear â—evil roar and
that it may come up the more easily by the roots and seeks what he can to kill it by his kindnesse The other viz. thou PPPriest though that thou mayest seem to be totally for the truth and all others to be enemies to it but thy self and thine thou cravest I might say commandest and challengest such a large toleration for what thou callest truth that nothing else must be tolerated besides it yet the truth is the truth as it is in Jesus which is Heresie with thee is lesse beholding to thee then to the other for it hath not so much as leave from thee to live if it can nay it can take no root at all at least not thrive above ground if it do where thou livest at the length of thy Lordlines for like Nimrod the mighty hanter before the Lord thou hast built to thy self great B B Babel a Triple Tower a three-fold Fort or form of Tyrannical Churchlines wherein thou seatest and securest thy self and whence being jealous least all that comes neer thee under the name of truth should undermine thee thou fightest it afar off Thou art as it were a wild man like Ismael having thy hand against every man and every mans hand against thee dwelling alone as much as thou canst in the midst of thy brethren by thy sword and thy bow by cutting and slashing and shooting out thy sharp arrowes even bitter words viz. Hereticks Hereticks against all that heed not what thou sayest before thou hearest them these are the rough hands of Esau wherewith thou handlest thy brother Iacob that will obtain the blessing before thee TTThou art the 3 heads of that Eagle spoken of 2 Esdras cap. 11. cap. 12. and wheresoever thou lookest and spreadest thy black wings thou lookest that all other birds should tremble under thee and be subject to thee so that none of old durst so much as chirp against thee no not one creature upon earth but so soon as any began to appear any where within thy range that was not Pullus Aquilae a chicken of thy own brood thou hast rapaciously torn it with thy Talents and made it a prey to thy young ones and whersoever thy wonted principle of persecution for conscience hath taken place and thy gawdy greedy griping Government stood up in full force the truth hath lien groaning and grovling under thee upon the ground Thus verily hath it been not onely for ages and generations within the dominions of the old Bruitish but also more lately under the domination of our BBrittish Priesthood Yea thou O P P Priest hast been such a thicket of thorns to the Lilly that she could never flourish upwards without a thousand scratches from thee such a tall crop of tares as hath overtopt starved and strangled the wheat TTThou knowest not what spirit TTThou art of thou wouldst fain command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as if it were Christs mind that receive not Christ Jesus in the wayes of thy own invention thou judgest them that are without that are none of thy C C Church whom were thy Church the true Church thou should leave to God to judge 1 Cor. 5.13 if they be but in the same Nations wherein thy Church is and that shrewdly too sometimes when thou canst get the strength and power of states to stand to thee and execute such censure as thou saiest is due to Hereticks and Schismaticks in the Church yet I cannot much blame thee whilst thou clap'st whole common-wealths at once under thee as thy Church which ought as much to be corrected into an observance of the directories and decrees of Synodical power in matters spiritual as of the Senatical in matters civill thy chief way to cure Hereticks when they are in health is to kill them this Panpharmacon is letting blood thy present remedy against the remedilesse disease of Truth-telling Truth-spreading is Truth treading and present smoothering it from the vulgar by stopping the passage of the press and opening the Pipes in the Pulpit and present tampering with the Truth-teller who if he unsee not what he sees is ense recidendus to be dispatcht out of the way ne pars sincera trahatur lest sincere ones that seek after truth should find it when it flies abroad and be in-per-fected by it as well as he thou massacrest men to the Masse slayest men into thy service books setst up thy religion by treason when it can stand no more by reason fightest with fire and sword when thou canst do little by the spirit and word makest thy pen knife keen enough to cut when thy pen is not quick enough to countetfeit thou stopst Stevens mouth with stones and bearest him down with brick-bats that he blasphemes when thou canst not resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which he speaks like the wolf in the fable thou accusest the poor innocent lamb of troubling the waters for nothing but drinking at the pure fountain and when the lamb replies my cause is better then thine Oh but quoth the wolf my teeth are better then thine I must devour thee Now therefore as to the civil Magistracy throwout all Nations Tongues kinreds and people where thou O proud P P Priesthood ridest them I humbly beg of them in the name of Christ and on behalf of his truth and people which thou hast suppressed that they would no longer set TTThee up as Lady of Kingdoms as Lords over Gods heritage as Supream dictators to the whole nations where they live so in all Matters of Religion faith and Gospel as that all people must fal down to thee and worship God only according to thy more dimme and divided then divine directions but that people may go forth from under thy Egyptian prohibition to serve the Lord according to his own will and word which thou hast hid from the vulgar by unknown tongues and forcing thy own constructions on men in nations wherein its mostly truly translated and believe no more at a venture as the P P Priests believe by any law as from the Magistrate whose duty it is not to force men to unity of faith and uniformity in Religion further then they find freedome to fall into such unity among themselves but to force men to live at unity and peace in honesty and innocency in all justice and civility one towards another under what diversity of religion soever may be among them and whilest any Religion puts its people in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates in civil things for conscience sake and not to resist them in rebellious waies in such cases under pain of resisting the ordinance of God and receiving to themselves damnation according to Rom. 13.12 Titus 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14.15 to see that it have as mutuall protection from them as it yields subjection to them for this is the good will of God concerning them as such and whether they be Heathens or Christians they are Gods
illuminated Tradesmen Christ the Carpenter Peter the Fisherman Paul the Tentmaker Aquilla and his wife Priscilla from which kind of poor folks and babes to whom it seems good in gods fight to preach the plain Gospel and reveal by his word and spirit what he hides from wise men when they will not see this prudent PPPriesthood if he were not proud might learn more truth and Gospel purity then ever was taught him by his Grand-father the Pope or any of those Clerical Councells or Ghostly fathers which he consults more with then with Christ and Scriptures The Reason of all his obstinacy against tradesmens teachings is this he knows that his trade of teaching for hire and divining for money Must fall if tradesmen begin once to turn divines and to teach truth for nothing ye know that by this craft quoth he Act. 19.25 c. we have our wealth moreover ye see and hear c. he is well aware and so are we that if he lose the lives of persecution for conscience and sprinkling of infants Iachin Boaz the two main pillars grand Supporters of his kingdom his Temple will quickly rend in to more pieces then 3 PPPs from the top to the very bottom and all his matchlesse magnitude and numberlesse priestly Prerogatives drop directly to the ground viz. his Lieutenantship to the prince of this World his Lordship over the heritage his headship over the Church his dominion over the faith his title to the tenth of every mans estate his merchandize of slaves bodies and souls of men his leave to trample the holy city and slay at pleasure the truth tellers that torment him his rich revenues dignity glory power seat and great Authority together with all the priviledges profits liberties immunities thereunto belonging All this his royalty must fail if he give ground but a little and would have failed ere this time If he had a face could blush at his own abominable blindnesse or ingenuity to confesse himself hurt or own the plain truth while his lungs will serve him in reply or Amor sui constrain him to cry heresie against the truth therefore this Diotrêphes that loves to have the preheminence over all for ever because he hath had it for a while receiveth not truth but prates against it in the pulpit and elsewhere with malicious words and though he contradict himself ever and anon in his own Sermons and discourses yet if he say any thing at all he thinks it much when wisemen weighing it find it little to the purpose Tertullian thus describes Hermogenes Loquacitatem facundiam existimaret Impudentiam constantiam deputaret c. so he when he bumbasts the pulpit and slashes the Saint Schismaticks in their absence before his people supposes he hath spoken with no small grace when t is for want of grace that he did it and that when he is most audacious against all reformation as at Rome and even that he hath sometimes sworn himself and others to as here in England when he finds it more crosse to his credit then he thought of when he undertook for t he counts them fickle unconstant that change their minds and mend their manners and himself only stable and constant to the CCChristian Religion Hence it is that the effects of Disputation with him have been not onely fâ—ustrate but dangerous dangerous I say to him no otherwise then as it overturned his Kingdome that the truth of Christ might take place but to them that disputed with him in this respect as it hath been no lesse then their pretious lives were worth once to oppose or open their mouths against him witnes Wickliff Hus Ierome of Prague and all the executions done in Queen Maries daies upon such as durst dispute against the Pope or meddle against the mass and those done in Queen Elizabeths upon Barrow Greenwood and Penry who were hang'd by Episcopal malice for professing against them and the Common-prayer which now well nigh all England hath renounc't as a corruption and what should have been done upon such as disputed against or depraved the Presbyterian directory is well known for that Clergy hath shew'd themselves so much in their Fathers colours that ere long all England will renounce both it and them and in this respect it hath been also frustrate as to peoples conviction for truths witnesses to dispute never so clearly against him for as much as he hath still stopt their mouths with the stake prison or gallows and kept his own wide open against them in the pulpit when he hath secured them from all capacity of storming him there for The common sort are apt to think those have the victory that live to speast last and that their CClergies cause is never wrackt by the cause of Christ as long as one is left alive that can speak a word in that against the other And by how much error takes with our corrupt nature more then truth by so much there is more danger of its spreading where the Roots i. e. the self love vain glory ambition covetousnesse pride Lordlines universality and cruelty of the CCClergy who are plants that our heavenly father never planted Stocks from whom stemes out a stench from whom abomination branches it self out to the corrupting therof in al quarters of the Earth Rev. 11.18.17 5.19.2 are not plucked up and rooted out for from the Priest and the Prophet profanness heresie hath gone out into all the world and spread it self like a leprosie or some raging canker and for the most part such is the resolvednesse of the CCClergy to bind the people still to a blind obedience to their blind guidance of them beside the word that Disputations with them if not carefully I mean clearly and also coolly proceeded in with love to their persons and almost without zeal against their evils which yet we must not abate them an ace of for all their anger pacem cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum they Raise more evil spirits of wrath and divellishnesse in them then we can lay because they see them raise more good spirits of doubts and earnest enquiries after truth in the people who before were wont to take their ware on trust without trial then then they can lay again while they live by all the shifts and subtleties they can devise for when once people are resolved to believe things to be heresie by hearsay no more but to fancy them according as they find them in the word and to see into the plainness of speech that is in the Scripture with their own eyes they see so much disproportion between the national Church wayes and those of the primitive Churches of the Gospel that they commonly resolve not to see at all adventures through the unclear eyes of CCClergy men any more This makes them fret and fume and fain and fiddle hither and thither which way to fasten their Heretical opinions further if it be possible on them in whom they they
by little and little circumcising away all flesh for so he now stiles the waies of the word and spirit crucifying all that flesh of Christ till he becomes welnigh as spiritual as the devil 7 To endeavour after the true temper of a son of the Church which consists especially in these two qualifications 1 Humility or self denial 2. Charity or love humility is a being low in your own eyes Christ bids you learn it of him Nothing hath broacht Heresie and Schism so much as self conceit and self love as is shewed above in the case of the PPPriesthood who conceive themselves to be those unerring orracles from whom the law for Religion and faith is to go forth to the people throughout the several Nations this makes men these spiritual men especially to stand out in their own odd opinions as if all were heresy ipso facto that jumps not with them obstinately defend them utterly untractable to any argument though never so clearly urged out of the word it self that shall be brought against them resolved never to yield to any Iudgement nor willingly be in much lesse embrace any company that holds contrary to them proudly prohibiting any but such as are approved of by themselves disdaining to be discipled by any but men in orders as if that poor people and those babes to whom God delights to reveal the Gospel rather then such prudent ones as they are in their own sight were all as they said of old of such a people that know not the law and are accursed for which things sake the Lord suffers blindnes to happen to them leaves them to live in error as men lea ing to their own understanding but true humility as she is ever conscious of her own weaknesse and darknes so when she is most sure that in the Lords power and light she sees light and is most diffusive of it and desirous that all others should see it also and very zealous of promoting it yet is she far from glorying over others or boasting as if she had not received what she hath much lesse is she so impositive as by compulsion or otherwise then by plain proposal round reproof or earnest intreaty to inforce her faith as a rule for all people to believe by and howbeit it submits not as some say she does is the judgments of others sooner then its own for that verily is no other then that humble ignorance and implicit knowledge into which the PPPriesthood hath beguild the earth who as much as they perswade men to expresse their humblenesse by a voluntary submission of themselves to others judgements yet are as far from that expression of their own humility as men can be that would have all men see with their eyes swear into their faith and resign up themselves to their judgement against their own yet she submits her judgement as proud Papacy Prelacy and Presbytery never did to such free examination by others judgements as to leâ—d free leave to such as judge it wrong and are not satisfied to close therewith to decline and reject it and both to believe and worship as they find occasion and howbeit she must contend sometimes she dares not contend with any much lesse her superiours as the Priest does with his whole parish now and then about some trifle or remnant of tithes for so small a matter as a smal matter of means or maintenance but for matters of much more moment and of eternal consequence viz. that faith and Gospel which was once delivered unto the Saints for here indeed she gives place by subjection neither to ghostly father nor holy mother no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue and as t is Christs things she seeks and strives for and not her own so she assaults not without strong and evident and convincing reason from Scripture for her assertion not such butterflies and brown paper reasons as mans tradition 1500 yâ—â—rs profession nor meer internal imagination and spiritual perswasion which the Rantizer and the Ranter render and even then too she prosecutes her cause with such candor and dociblenesse as to be ready to receive what ever is made manifest in the conscience to the contrary without such arrogancy as appears in some Divines when they dispute who are more ready to call them sawcy fellows that dares affront their false assertions then to clear what they hold to be the truth and without the Spirit of contradiction that is wont to shew it self in every haughty heart which is more asham'd to seem ignorant then to be so most specially in the Priesthood when the truth tendred is such as if it be acknowledged will not onely crack his credit but certainly pare his profit also As for Charity alias love it is the very cognizance of a Christian the property of it is to blow out the coals of contention not kindle them in the true Church of Christ though it contend sharply with the false Churches for the truth to seek what in it lies to prevent not foment rents Schisms divisions and offences therein contrary to the doctrine at first delivered the love of which occasions offences in the world it is the very rafiers that hold all the house of Christ whose house they onely are that are built upon the foundation or form of doctrine delivered by the first Apostles the principles of which are set down Heb. 6.1.2 together in most comely frame and order Oh that the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ of those Churches that walk in truth would among all yea and above all those pretious things commended Col. 3.12 ad 16. to be put on would put on this which is the very bond of perfectnesse this is that which will make them endeavour in all lowlinesse and meeknesse and forbearance and forgivenesse of each other to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.2.3 the love of the Brotherhood within it self which is hinted to us by Peter Pet. 2.17 and harpt upon more then any other string by that beloved Disciple Iohn 1 Ioh. 2.9.10.11.3.10.11.12.13 c. ad finum 4.7 ad 13.20.21.5.1 2. Ep. 5.3 Ep. 1. is that more excellent way which the Apostle Paul so magnifies to the Church of Corinth as that without which all other gifts tongues of men and angels prophecy understanding of mysteries knowledge faith of miracles liberality to the poor exposing the body to be burned can make a man no better then as sounding brasse and a tinkling cymbal yea knowledge puffs up and so plucks down the true Church but love edifieth buildeth it and pulls down nothing but BBBabylon 1 Cor. 8.1 love sufereth long and is kind love envieth not love â—aunteth not it self rashly is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseeemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh none evil rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth beareth all things believe all things hopeth all things endureth all
is told to and by me and Iohn Brain Both being once of thine one children twain Thou seest yet wilt not see this but remain Silent least friends turn foes and thee disdain But some must shew 't or else they see 't in vain Through England Scotland Italy France and Spain Amen Hallelujah TTTripartita Tribus Tribulaes Tribulusque Triunus Discipulis Christi Triplexque Tricepsque Tyrannus Trico Tricornis Trifurcifer atque Triformis Tristificus Sanctis toti Ter damnifer Orbi Ter decimas sapiens capiens rapiensque Triarchus Reges ipsa regens ipsos super omne triumphans Te credens proh vana fides genus esse deorum RRRoma O RRRoma Tibi mulier formosa videris Attamenes MMMeretrix vix heu pendenda Triuncis Viribus ipsa tuis te perdis quo peritura es Tempus adest aderitque brevi tibi Terminus ipse Dixi haud magis malus Piscator ac tu ac tui O SSSacerdos estis Pessimi Pisces qui nisi resipiscamini Reiiciemini in eternum Mat. 13 48. In Domino viz. via Domini Salvetote FINIS * Witnes the Letter sent to me in the name of more from from one of the opponents which in fuller satisfaction concerning my call to this work is extant at the end of this Epistle * In which sad winter visitation I may not but take notice here in satisfaction to the deluded world how miserably I was misreported to have met the Divel in a field to have been out of my wits and senses stark mad bound down in my bed to have renounced and that with raging that way of the Gospel which throw Gods goodnesse I stand fast in to this hour of all which not the least Jota is true and this too not onely by much people but in part also by such of the Priesthood as lived neer enough to me to have given truer intelligence had they or their Earwigs been either of them any better then they should be * Dr. Featley Dr. Holmes Mr Marshall Mr Bayly Mr Blake Mr Cotton M Cobbet Mr Cooke Mr Symson of Smardens soveraign preservative against Anabaptism Mr. Baxters Plain Scripture proofs * Whose â— words in his return to mine are these viz. as for that most reverend Clergy whom in general you spatter with so much dirt with what fingers a blind man may discern I shall leave them to vindicate themselves and their profession from such immerited obloquiest Expedias persâ—ta co suum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 picasque doce as verba nestra canari That 's the dreadfull phrase whereby you also term your selves ghostly fathers to awe poor ignorants into the greater observation of you and yours express the holy spirit else the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be Englisht by the word spirit at all times as well as some both in translations treatises and discourses b Dr. Blechenden c Mrs. Chute as she was then cal'd now Mâ—s. Dean d Habent artificium quo prius persuadent quam docent veritas autem docendo suadet non suadendo docet Tertull. as cited by your quondam friend Mr. G. C. in his second letter to me e Dr. Austin and Dr. Blechenden e Infans of non fans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f See Mr. Blake in birth priviledge p. 5.11 g P. 87 88. of the way of the Church in N. England 1 Cor 10.1 2. 1. Argum. h Featleys dip dipt p. 178. 2. Argum. i See Mr. Baxter p. 109 297.298 k See Mr. Blake p. 4. 3 Argum. m p. 9. of his grounds and ends of baptizing children n p. 35.36 of his grounds and ends c. o p. 58. of his animad on Mr. Tombes Exercit. p p. 63. of the same book q Demonstratio est ex prioribus notioribus et causis r See Pareus p. 357. and Kekerman System log p. 12. tignum est quod seiâ—lum sensui et preter se aliquid animo ostendit or Râ—sâ— preter speciem quam iâ—gerâ— sensibus aliâ—d asiquid saciens incognitionem venire Taia enim debent esse â—t res invisibileâ— significent â—i enim debent esse adminicula fidei oportet percipi externo sensu quo movetur sensus internus quod enim non vides non est tibi signum qui facit signum invisibile implicat contradictionem et facit signum non signum res sunt invisibiles non signa alioqui signa non possent significare res multo minus confirmare quia incertum confirmaretur per aeque inceâ—tum hinc veteres sacramentum ita definiunt sacramentum est signum visibile invisibilis gratiae p. 212.213 of his reply to Mr. Tombs s Privatio sacramenti non damnat â—i non accedat contemptus christus non adimiâ— salâ—â—em eis quibus adimiâ—â—r baptismus t Quantum damni invexerit dogma illed male exposâ—â—um baptisma esse de necessitate â—alâ—â—is pauci animadvertâ—nt Ideoque minus sibi cavent nam ubi invalâ—it opinio perditos esse omnes quibus aquâ— tingi non contigit nostra conditio deâ—enor est quam vereris populi quasi restrictior esser Dei gâ—â—â—ia quam sub lege venisse enim Christus censebitur non ad implenâ—as promissiones sed abolendas quando promissio qâ—ae â—unâ— ante octâ—vum diem saluti confeâ—endae per se erat satis effiâ—â—x nunc absquo signi adminiculo rata non esseâ— Non arceri a regno caelo rum infances quibus è prae senti vita migrate continget antequam aqua mergi dâ—tum fuerit atqui jam vi sum est fieri nou leveÌ„ injuriam dei saederi nisi in eo acquiescimus â—csi per se infirmum esset qâ—um ejus effectus neque a baptismo neque ab ollis acestionibus pendeat * ubi vides ibi fides where we see it is there we say it is nati Discipuli sacti nati Eunuchi casâ—rati x p 37. to Mr. Tombs y p. 120 121. of his Animadv on M. To. Exercit. Non cum Iesu Itis qui Itis cum Iesuitis Reason Reasonless Reason Reasonless Reason Reasonless Reason Reasonless Reason Reasonless Reason Reasonlesse Reason Reasonlesse Reason Reasonlesse a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a In eundem in quem nostra nunc intendunt Scopum et vetera illa spectarunt nempe ut ad Christum diâ—igerent pene manu ducerent aut ipsum potius ceu imagines representarent ac cognoscendum proferrent b Eam promionem in evangelio datam per sacramenta nobis magis declarat Deus nempe per analogiam signorum cum rebus quae per ea significantur sicut similitudo declarat id cujus est similitudo haec enim
quando intelligitur etiam id cujus est similitudo fit perspicuum et quidem magis quam fine similitudine et ut vera similitudo non intelligitur nisi analogia similitudinis intellegatur ita nec sacramenta nisi Analogia signorum et rerum intellegatur hoc sensu Apologia Augustanae confessionis aliquoties sacramenta vocat picturas x See legh crit sac p. 76.77 where he ore and ore again confesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ignifies to dip plunge under water c. primarily and properly p. 76. it signifieth primarily such a kind of washing as is uâ—ed in Bucks where linnen is plunged or dipt Beza neque vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat lavare nisi a coÌ„sequenti nam proprie declarat tingendi causa mergere also p. 77. the native proper signification of it is to dip into water or plunge under water Joh 3.22 23. Mat. 3.16 tanquam ad tingenduÌ„ mergo Causab immergo intingo abluo Bucan mergo et tingo Bullinger proprie significat immergo submergo obruo aquâ Zanchius videtur copiam abundantiam perfectam quandam perfusionem denotare Areâ— a witnes these words received in a late letter from two Gentlemen of Chichester viz. SIR The occasion of these lines is the result of a late conference viz. to desire your grounds arguments in wriing for the continuance of water-baptism what you conceive required to evidence a right administrator and subject thereof Sir our end herein if we know our own hearts is to be assured of the mind of the Lord Christ touching that ordinance and our duty therein that we may walk conformably to his will c. a Acts. 3.22 b Is. 55.4 * for â—o Mark records the commission whereâ— Matâ—thewes meaning is much explaind Mar. 16.15.16 Go ye out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptizd shall be saved c. Argu. 1. d For these I speake to now and not to such as are shy of the use of Christs ordinances on an other account viz. a wretched conceit of such worth and weightinesse in them that no men in the world are now found fit to meddle with them or are admitted by Christ to be administrators of them for both these wayes doth the devil deceive men by to erre from the plain way of Christs truth e 1 Cor. 1.18 Rom. 1.16 f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor. 1..1.25 Argu. 2. f Act. 20.27 g Mat. 21.25 h Luk 7.29.30 Argum. 3. g Mat. 5.19 h Luke 16.10 h Rom. 14.2.5 i 1 Cor. 7.27 28. k Act. 8.4 l Act. 8 3â— m Act. 8.12 n Act. 8.14.10 36.18 11. o Act. 9.6 p Act. 22.10 q Act. 10.6 r Act. 10.33.48 s Rom. 6.34 t Gal. 3.26.27 v Act. 12.1 2 3 4. c x Col. â—2 12 r Act. 16.15.22.23 Arg. 4. Arg. 5. * for God whose waies limit us not himself was somtimes better then his word and anticipated the disciples obedience in these things so as to give his spirit beyond even Peters expectation to persons before baptized and prayed for yet did not this disingage them from doing that outward service but the more ingage them to be baptized Act. 10.45.46.47.48 h for its most certain that this was the will of Christ and tendred to all the world as so so to stand in all ages generationâ— of it to the end yea a special part of his testament as well as preaching faith repentance prayer and the rest and that since as well as before the Testators death Mat. 28.18.19.20 Act. 2.39.8.12.16.10.47 48.16.15.33.18 8.19 5.22.16 after which death of the Testator no man ever knew so much as a mans testament altered or disanul'd in one tittle of it without grosse palpable injury to the Testator x Mar. 1.4 y in which juncture of time he spake nothing to his discipâ—es by way of commandement or otherwise but such things as pertained to the Kingdom of God and to his Church and Gospel Act. 1.2.3 * See Mar. 1.1 2 3 4. the beginning of the Gospel of Christ Ioh. did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins * in his book called Some glimps of that bright and morning starr a Mat. 24.34 Mar. 13.30 Luk. 21.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this generation or age meaning wherein we see the signs of Christs coming will no passe or be ended before all be fulfilled and â— he come b Eph. 3 2. speaking of ages divisim even all the several ages to the very end of time and age it self to the end of all times he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all ages of the world or to all ages of time of times even for ever c which how neer kin it is too to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth semper i e. alwaies every smarterer in Greek may understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John did no miracle yet what he spake was true nor were any held excused that believed not his baptism to be of heaven but those are said â—e reject the councel of God against themselves that were not baptized of him * as if Christ had administrations in force but had made no provision of administrators whereby they might be at all dispensed * which may serve to the satisfaction of such as think that after the long cessation of tune baptism that hath been in the world there must be an utter omission and no resurrection of it again for ever because none but unbaptized persons to begin it for Iohn himself the greatest administrator of water baptism that ever was eiâ—her was not baptized himself at all or else by â—ome that were never baptized or else by some of those which himself had first baptized which still makes the case the same and evidences that unbaptized persons may possibly be right administrators and that the non baptization of the person that does it nulls not the dispensation of it to believers * As Christ also doth Mar. 16.16 saying he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved for true he that believeth not whether he be baptized or no shall be damned * 1 Pet. 4.11 * for he that hearkneth not to his voice in all things whatever he saith shall be cut off from among his people Act. 3.22 â—3 Major Minor * for no man can of himselfe by name prove expresly that he shall be save the Scripture promising life to neither Peter nor Paul by name save as they were believers but onely by an inference from the Scripture and in the ballance of right reason comparing Scripture with Scripture or by arguing in some such manner out of it viz. he that believeth and is baptized continuing in that his faith and obedience till death shall be saved Mark 16.16 Rom. 2.7 Heb. 10.35.38 but I believe and am baptized and continue in that faith and Gâ—d assisting will never draw back Ergo
contrary unto truth for women may be Magistrates but not Church Ministers and may be Supreme in authority in a State as Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth but are bid to be under obedience and fordid in Church matters so much as to speak much more to usurp authority in the Church 1 Tim. 2.11.12 1 Cor. 14.34.35 viz. in refusing to be judge in matters of faith and religion * For Custos et vindex ut ciusque tabulae under the Gospel because it was sounder that typical standing of the Law is but a tale and a trick of our Priests whereby to curry â—avour with their princes the truth is that whole Jewish State which was also a Church as no one whole nation under heaven now is was a type and both the Kingly Priestly and Prophetical office that then headed that Church were typical of that tripple true head of the Gospel Israel Christ Jesus and are no more to be drawn in as an example so as to argue more warrantably from the Kings then to the civil Rulers now then from the High-PriestHood to the Popedome * my Petition to the powers on behalf of the Church is that it may have as much peace and as little preferment as they please for ever Cum Ecclesia peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem y Two spritualties whereof as bad as the first is the latter will be more sensuall then the former having not the Spirit Jude 17. though pretending to it more supremely then the other under which last the devil now acts as under a new vizard to the deceiving of people from the way of truth perceiving his old vizard worn so thin that all men begin now to see through it * Luk. 9.53.54 55. * Witness the Iesuites that may kil Kings if Hereticks the Northen presbitery that may lawfully fight England if it receive not their directory and the Episcopal war against the State * So Iulius the second who seeing himself vanquisht â—hrew away Saint Peters keyes into the River Tyber protesting he would thence forth help himself with S Pauls sword * The contrary to which where ere t is well may men submit out of fear till they can help themselves but never out of love while the world stands for conscience is a tender thing and though but a worm yet if trod upon wil turn again * Howbeit they shall never want flatterers to perswade them that they are Abj. Ans. * Vid. Tho. Beacons Reliques of Rome set forth cum privilegio 1563. Pope Servitius ordained that Hereticks should be banisht An. 588. fol. 214. Pope Pelagius the first that all Hereticks and Schismaticks should be put to death by the secular power provided that the Bishops in their spiritual courts do first prosecute convict and condemn them for Hereticks and then commit them to the temporal Magistrate to dispatch them out of the way by fire sword or halter for they say as the chief priests to Pilate it is not lawful for us to put any to death In the councel of Lateran by Innocent the third 2 Patriarchs 70 Arch-bishops 400 Bishops twelve Abbots 800 Priests the Legates of the Greek and Roman Empire the Embassadors of Spain Jerusalem France England Cyprus it was decreed that all Hereticks and so many as should in any point resist the Catholique faith should be condemned that the secular power of what degree soever should be compelled openly to swear for the defence of the Catholique faith and to the utmost of their power to root out and destroy in their kingdomes all such persons as the Catholique Church should condemn for Hereticks and if any King should be a Heretick or defender of them and not reform within a year then his subjects should be absolved by the Pope from yielding any further subjection or obedience to him or keeping any fidelity with him and so t was in the case of John here in England who resigned to the Popes Legate his Crown kissing his knee as he came into England which John was after poisoned by a Monk who having his pardon from the Pope poisoned himself first to poison the King and also that the Pope may give that land to Catholiques to possesse peaceably and without contradiction all Hereticks being rooted out of it Obj. Ans. * 1 Sam 5.24 * which he hath more faith then I that believes they ever will for surely the CCClergies Win all or lose all will pull them down at last * 2 Es. 15.5 to the 12.49 to 57. Rev. 11.10.6.19.2 * for howbeit it was the Roman civil power in Potius Pilate passing sentence yet it was the Priestly malice that caused him to be crucified or else Pilate had released him so its Princely power but PPPriestly malice crying out crucifie him crucifie him that hath caused him under the Gospel be crucified in his truth and Saints or else many of the civil Powers would release him * Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 Magistrates are called the ordinance of God as the materiality of the thing we call government is of him the ordinance of man as to the particular form of government viz. whether it shall be by Kings Parlia c. and also the particular persons that shall execute that form is altogether in choice of the people * Act. 18.12.13.14 * Se supra p. 279. * For that name Clergy however by themselves improperly impropriated to themselves as if they onely were the heritage of God for that 's the plain English of that Anglico-greek word Clergy yet in plain truth pertains properly to all Christs people and that in contradistinction too from the Ministry for the spirit speaking of the Elders and Pastors of the Church charges them not to Lord it over the heritage i. e. in other location not to domineer over the Clergy 1 Pet. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. we see therefore God calls the flock and not the Sheepheards muchlesse the Sheepshearers by the name of Clergy but the Pope as if he had projected purposely to betheeve Gods people out of all their priviledges and rights leaves them not so much as their own proper name to be known by but bestows the name of Clergy upon the Creatures of his own creating and leaves them the name of Laicks in its stead telling them when they begin to charge his CCClergy with impropriation of preaching and pay to themselves that they are but a Clergy of Laicks see Featleys Epistle but to say the truth excepting some few of his sons of the Episcopal and Presbyterian CClergy that are come from him two wayes viz. by dissent and descent who may be honester and wiser then the rest and yet are not so wiâ—e as to know their own father the rest are mostly A CCClergy of Lazicks or lazy locusts In like manner hath he ingrost other titles to himself and his CCClergy all which the Scripture gives to all Christs people as namely that of Spiritual men as if all the world
all the seed to whom as such it is made But sith now you say that the spirit is not bound to give faith and salvation to believers seed nor barred from giving it to any of the seed of infidels which is as much as to say he is at liberty from all obligation of himself by promise to either of these above the other and to work it in which he pleases you will I hope unless you be more ashamed of seeming to have been ignorant then ashamed of your ignorance so as to give glory to God by confessing it relinquish that wonted position of a birth priviledge in this point in believers seed more tâ—en in others which you ground and prove from that promise Aâ—t 2. and ingenuâ—usly confesse that for ought you know the one hath no more ingagemeat of God to them by promise then the other so that unlesse there were more warrant then you have to single out one from the other as the special subjects of baptism and heirs of salvation you ought to baptize them all alike i. e. in very deed to let them all alone till you come as in infâ—ncy you confesse you cannot to presume what children have the habit of saith and what have not Fourthly where as you say wheresoever the habit of faith is it inclines to holy actions when there is opportunity and the season for bringing them forth whether this be necessary to be held or no yet wee l hold it to do you a pleasure in calling you thereby from your false cause for else its like to do you more displeasure in your cause of infants faith then you well considered when you penned and printed it for wheresoever faith is the opportunity and season for its bearing fruit and working by love and other holy actions is ever present and perpetual yea its never unopportune or unseasonable for him that hath faith to be acting obedience in one thing or other yea if any one say I have faith and have not works and holy actions much lesse if no inclinablenesse to holy actions that faith cannot save nor stand him instead faith without works being dead and profiting nothing therefore if where ever faith is it inclines to holy actions when opportunity and season for it is then I am sure there is no faith at all in infants for there is no opportunity or season at all in infancy wherein faith is found fruitfull in them and if you will say they have faith though you have no evidence of it and prove it is so because it is so then it is a faith without works and that faith is dead unprofitable and cannot save them Iames 2. and if so you would be better opinioned towards infants in my mind to hold them saved without faith then to hold they have a faith which cannot save them for better never a whit at all then never the better Fiftly whereas you say that this inclination to holy actions is not equally alike in all in whom the habits themselves are that may be so too yet Sampson and David are no such sufficient instances of it but that more sufficient might have been given for as there are many worthy things recorded which both these did by the power of faith Heb. 11. so he of whom you say he exceeded in acts of piety was in some things not to say as impious yet impious as well as the other besides to make comparisons between two such worthies as doing the one more good the other lesse both which by faith did no lesse the subdue and in their times fully deliver Israel from the Philistines for which the spirit is pleased to record and recommend them both as examples to all ages and rank them among others of whom the world was not worthy in one line Heb. 11.32 caeteris paribus unproved too such comparison if any be so is beyond all comparison odious and subject to many exceptions but be it all just as you have said it yet as little yields it to the support of your infant faith and childish baptism as if you had said nothing at all Sixthly whereas you say that instruction of the understanding in matter of faith in some sort must go before any act of faith can be discovered And seventhly and lastly that no judgement of science can be passed i. e. true demonstration made of this habit of faith till the acts themselves be seen and examined and that a posteriore onely the discovery of habits is made and then from all these preparative premises draw up your conclusive answer in three heads answering thus in the first place viz. That it cannot be certainly presumed what children have faith what have not and that the working of the spirit in that particular is not known to us and ore again also that the spirit is not bound nor barred and therefore there can be no conclusion made I say t is all necessarily to be held for truth yea t is a truth so preciously pertinent to our purpose against the purpose of your own pamphlet that had we been to conclude in a little compasse all that need be said toward the appearance of this position viz. that it doth not sufficiently appear by any evidence of it in their infancy that infants of believers have faith any more then other infants we could not in so few words have spoken so pithily to such a purpose which when I consider I cannot but wonder and conceive you will once wonder at your selves when your eyes are open that they whose words all these are should act against them all so absurdly as to make it the biggest business throughout their book to make it appear and that sufficiently that believers infants have faith beyond other infants Babist A charitable judgement concerning their having faith is sufficient to admit them to baptism and that is the utmost that we assert can be had of their belief not a judgement of certainty Baptist. A judgement of charity that there 's faith in persons sufficiently warrantably and certainly grounded is sufficient to baptize upon and such is that judgement on which we baptize who baptize none but such as the word requires us to believe to be believers i e. such as personally profess so to be and of such as those though we have but a judgement of charity concerning their faith yet have we from precept and president out of the word a judgement of certainty concerning their right to baptism but a judgement of charity taken up on meer fancy and conceit without warrant from or rather against both Scripture and reason warrants no man to dispense baptism upon it as from God for if it do I may as well baptize the great Turk as a little infant and no better is your judgement of charity concerning faith in little infants upon which you attempt to baptize them Babist Our charity is better grounded then so yea far better than yours as certain as it is and is as due