crouch and bend to her and that he became Lord and master of all then did he among the rest of his requitals entertaine and command such part of the Dragons religion and Church-seruice as might giue him the best content and most aduance his owne temporall state of glorie So that hauing once obtained the Dragons seate and that all his heads hils and hornes were his he thought he might now do what he list fell to desolating of the true worship of God and to consuming of the Saints of the most high the remnant of the true Spouse the children of the woman before described and pulled downe the daily and spirituall sacrifice which they the spirituall house of God offered vp acceptable to him by Iesus Christ cast the truth to the ground as the Prophet had foretold of him brought in and set vp the abhominable and most execrable religion of the heathen compounding it and dignifying the parts practise and practisers of it the more to delude the world with the names and titles of God Christ holy Spirit the word of God his holy Church his worship Seruice his holy Sacraments and Saints And that he might haue all in obedience made such lawes by the aduice of his priuie councell that whosoeuer would not worship the Beast and this image of the Beast the idols and abhominations of the heathen and pagans should by the executioners of his will be taken and killed And because he would be sure to know his own and to find out all that would not submit caused all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receiue a marke in his right hand or in his forehead and that no man might buy or sell saue he that had the marke c. Now when once things were come to this passe it was no longer time for any soule that would be saued to stay and for this cause it was that Christ commandeth saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partaker of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues for her sins haue reached vnto heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities And these were the very reasons why at the first the Church of England separated from her and also why so many of other nations did forsake her When Wickliffe Husse Tindal Luther Cranmer Latimer and others forsooke the Church of Rome and came out of her they stood not to make question about their outward calling or ordination they had receiued before of the Church of Rome but God hauing called them now by a more speciall heauenly calling to preach his truth they staid not for neither did they look after another Nay if they had the truth might haue lien hid we might haue sat in darknesse vntill this day but they finding the approbation of God and his people It was enough Let me aske If God should vouchsafe to call the Bishop of Rome the Pope that now is and that he should forsake all those abhominations which he now liueth in and become such a Scribe Bishop or Elder as before we haue described who would condemne him or call him Antichrist for that he was once the Pope of Rome though he had neuer other outward ordination more then the approbation of God and his people or who would call the people that should imbrace him Antichristians doubtlesse not any of the children of wisdome Agiane presuppose that the state of all Europe were now as it hath beene heretofore all vnder Antichrist and his Church and that God should call one of the Bishops of that Church out from them and in due him with the knowledge of his truth by his word Spirit and that there be a necessitie as thou saist that he must haue another outward ordination before he can Minister the word of God vnto any people so as to be a Bishop or Elder vnto them whither wouldest thou haue him to goe for it or where wilt thou finde an Eldership to ordaine him In Europe there be none all are Antichristians Wilt thou haue Apostles againe to lay a new foundation and must they ordaine new Elders before their can be a true constituted Church with her offices and ordinances as thou termest them Is this thy iudgement It may be if it be not Nay it must be if thou hold thee to thy former It hath beene the opinion of some of thy predecessors that held themselues as wise as thy selfe whatsoeuer thou art as for instance there were among others three Brethren ancient Separatists from the Church of England liuing sometimes in the Cittie of London their names were Legat these held it stifly that their must be new Apostles before their could be a true constituted Church and they drew it from this their ground the one was called Walter Legat who about twenty yeares since was drowned being with one of his brethren washing himselfe in a riuer called the Old Foord Another of them called Thomas Legat died in Newgate about sixteene yeares since being laid there for the Heresie of Arius The third called Bartholomew Legat was burnt in Smithfield about ten yeares since being condemned for the same Heresie of Arius for they all held and stood stoutly for the same also These Legats had a conceit that their name did as it were foreshew and entitle them to be the new Apostles that must doe this new worke but you see what became of them There was also one Iohn Wilkinson another ancient stout Separatist who with diuers that followed him held the same likewise drawing it from the same ground as a necessary consequence thereof who also came to naught But if there be any yet that will needs haue new Apostles as no doubt there be for their carnall contentions worke still to that point then let me aske thee whence must they come who shall send them Christ is ascended and he doth not now appeare to call and send any as he did the Apostle Paul and Apostles must be such as come from the presence of the Lord and haue seene him For which cause Saint Paul saith in the defence of his Apostleship Haue not I seene the Lord c. And he that was to be in Iudas his roome must be one that had bin conuersant with the Apostles the time of Christs being then on earth an eye witnes to publish that which he saw and beleeued So that Apostles thou canst not vpon any good ground expect If thou saist the Church may ordaine nâ—â— Elders I aske whence came that Church who plant 〈◊〉 first can there be an Orchard of fruitfull trees and was there not a husbandman that planted it Can faith be without preaching or can there be a Church without faith If thou hast found a true Church find but out him that planted it that first preached the word of God vnto it whereby it beleeued and became his Church thou hast found an Elder feare it not thou needest not make further
A DISCOVERY OF THE ERRORS OF THE ENGLISH ANABAPTISTS As also an Admonition to all such as are led by the like spirit of error Wherein is set downe all their seuerall and maine points of error which they hold With a full answer to euery one of them seuerally wherein the truth is manifested By Edmond lessop who sometime walked in the said errors with them PSAL. 40. 1. I waited patiently vpon the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie He brought me also out of the horrible pit and mirie clay and hath set my feete upon the rocke and ordereth my goings And he hath put in my mouth a new song of praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and trust in the Lord. Therefore haue I not hid thy righteousnes within my heart but haue declared thy truth and thy saluation and haue not concealed thy mercie and thy truth from the great congregation ver 10. LONDON Printed by W. Iones for Robert Bird and are to be sold at his shop in Cheapside at the signe of the Bible 1623. Their principall points which are handled in this Booke viz. 1 That God did predestinate all men to be saued vpon condition that they repent and beleeuè the Gospell 2 That God did not elect before all time to grace and life any particular persons but in time he doth elect qualities as faith and obedience and then finding these qualities in men he doth elect their persons for the qualities sake 3 That all men haue free will in themselues as well to repent of their sinnes to beleeue the Gospell and obtaine saluation as they haue to remaine in hardnesse of heart and vnbeliefe and in the estate of damnation 4 That the stedfastnesse of mans iustification and saluation doth depend vpon his owne will in continuing in the act of beleeuing and works of righteousnesse and that such as haue faith in Christ Iesus regenerate persons hauing their names written in the book of life may fall away from all may become vnregenerate and haue their names rased out of the booke of life againe and perish and that God doth alter and change his purpose and promise and come to hate and reiect such as he hath formerly loued and iustified 5 That there is no Originall sinne but that all children of all maner of people in the world as well heathens Infidels Idolaters worshippers of Diuels all kind of blasphemers fornicators vncleane persons whatsoeuer as of the faithfull are free from all pollution of sinne both in the conception and birth and dying before they commit actuall sinnes are saued 6 That none ought to be baptized but such men and women of yeares onely as haue attained to true repentance and iustifying faith being both in the account of the Church and in the sight of God regenerate persons and that the baptisme of children vsed is no baptisme at all but is the marke of the Beast spoken of in Reuelat. 13. 7 That the Church of England is a false and Antichristian Church and ought to be separated from As also a touch of the errors of the Familists 8 And that a King or Magistrate cannot be a true Christian except he giue ouer his kingly office or Magistracie AN ADVERTISEMENT to the Christian Reader WHereas Beloued there hath risen and sprung vp from amongst vs many dangerous and erronious opinions in these our last dayes about the subiect of Religion let it not therefore seeme strange vnto you being the Spirit of God did not onely foresee but also foretold of the same long before they did appeare euery one being diuided into sundry and seuerall factions all pretending to worship the true and euerliuing God in spirit and in truth speaking peace vnto themselues when as the most of them do yet lie wallowing in the puddle of iniquity and cradle of securitie being not purged in heart all which doe rise two sundry wayes being branches of one stocke deriued from one principall head namely the spirit of error The first is in that they contemne or so little or lightly esteeme that meanes which by Gods prouidence is affoorded vnto vs vnder our peaceable dread Soueraigne Lord the King Secondly they being selfe conceited or as Saint Paul speakes aduancing themselues in those things they neuer saw rashly puft vp with carnall mindes supposing they know some thing more then others vnderualuing all and ouerualuing themselues the conceit whereof causeth them to fall to Schisme and seperate from all others when as indeed and in truth they being examined by the word and Spirit of God it will appeare to the godly wise that as yet most of them know nothing aright or as they ought to know if euer they expect the saluation of their soules For if they were but possessed with the true knowledge an liue of God in Christ and so were of a sound mind at Saint Paul exhorts all to be it would rather cause humiliation then exaltation which would truly teach euery one how to dâ—meane carry himselfe about so weighty a subiect The neglect hereof doth bring them into a labyrinth of errors following after a forme of godlinesse through the wisdome and knowledge of the braine onely without the power thereof contenting themselues in the out side of religion blessing themselues in what they can doe and measuring the loue of God to themselues by their owne doings as of old their predecessors the Scribes and Pharises did following shadows insteed of substances dreaming of a kind of felicitie in this forme and in that seeking peace and rest to their soules where it is not to be found which condition of theirs I cannot but condole desiring with the Prophet That my head were water and mine eyes a fountaine or well of teares that I might weepe day and night for their misery And in speciall for them who are neere and deere vnto me in the bonds of nature For poore soules they couer their spirituall misery with Adams fig tree leaues or with the spiders web striuing for an outward separation in the flesh when alas it is much to be feared that with many of them there is litle or no care at all for a separation of the soule from sin challenging and assuming vnto themselues soundnes of religion and assurance of Gods loue euer measuring themselues by themselues and not by that eternall wisdome which is Iustified of her children being blinded through selfe-loue not willing to iudge themselues and so become low in their owne eyes that God might be all in all but contrariwise iudging and condemning all but themselues after this maner doe they follow the vision of their owne hearts deceiuing and being deceiued running and flitting from one opinion vnto another being vnstable in all their wayes Which practise of theirs may well be compared vnto certaine flies feeding on the backe of a gald horse which is euer flitting or remouing from one place to another vntill at last they come to sucke so much
hate and reiect such as he hath formerly loued and iustified Answ TO teach that the stedfastnes of mans iustification saluation doth depend vpon his owne will in continuing in the act of beleeuing and works of righteousnes and that such as haue faith in Christ regenerate persons hauing their names written in the book of life may fall away from all become vnregenerate and haue their names rased out of the booke of life and perish and yâ— God doth alter his purpose promise of mercie and loue and come to hate and reiect such as he hath formerly loued and iustified to teach all this I say is to denie the very foundation and to make God vnfaithfull and is one of the maine errors of the Antichristian Church of Rome But the doctrine of the Church of God is this That such as to whom God hath giuen true repentance and faith in Christ whereby they are iustified from their sinnes and haue their hearts sanctified such as haue their parts in the first resurrection whose names were written in the booke of life from the foundation of the world shall neuer fall away from this estate nor from any part thereof because they stand not neither are kept by the strength of their owne will act of faith or works of righteousnes but by the power strength of God in and through the vertue and life of Christ their head For as God the Father did of himselfe first chuse them in Christ his Sonne and predestinate them vnto the adoption of children and to be conformed to the image of his Sonne euen from the foundation of the world and as he also in time calleth them to repentance iustifieth them purifieth their hearts by faith through grace in Christ and by the Spirit of his Son which he sendeth forth into their hearts doth adopt them to be his children and conforme them to the image and likenesse of his Sonne both in respect of his death and also in regard of his resurrection dying to sinne and rising to holinesse and newnesse of life from minding earthly things to set their affections on things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at his right hand so I say it is God which in and through his Son doth keepe and defend them as it is written Who are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Yea he is the rock of their saluation and strong tower of defence he is their watch-man which doth neither slumber nor sleep their shepherd that feedeth them as the Psalmist speaketh he is the husband-man that did not only ingraft and plant them in his Sonne the true vine and cause them to beare fruite in him but euery branch that beareth fruit in him he purgeth that it may beare more fruit he gaue them his Sonne and his Son them and the Sonne reiecteth none that come vnto him but taketh them into his protection like the good shepherd and they heare his voice and he knoweth them and they follow him and he wil giue them eternal life they shall not perish for none are able to pluck them out of his hands and the Father that gaue them him is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of his Fathers hands Nay if Satan should desire to sift them and that their faith through the violence of temptation should seeme to faile as touching their act of beleeuing and that their fruit by meanes thereof should not appeare for so it may sometimes befall them as it did the Apostle Peter yet notwithstanding the Lord their rocke the foundation and chiefe corner stone whereon these liuely stones are built sustaineth and vpholdeth them the vertue and strength of him the true vine in which they are ingraffed the Son in whom they haue beleeued he hauing also prayed the Father that their faith faile not shall raise them vp refresh them and make them to flourish again as well in regard of their faith as fruites and being thus conuerted and raised vp shal be able thenceforth to strengthen their brethren And in these respects considerations Christ faith to Peter Vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For as at the first they were not iustified from their sinnes by their owne act of beleeuing though their act of beleeuing were necessary vnto their iustification nor yet by their works of righteousnes which followed though they were also necessary for the proofe and manifestation of their faith but by the free grace of God in Iesus Christ ministred vnto them by his word and Spirit which their act of faith onely in their hearts doth entertaine so neither doe they stand or are vpholden by their act of beleeuing though it be necessary also for their continuall comfort that they should be euermore exercised as in the word and promise of God so in the act of beleeuing going on still from strength to strength drawing nearer and nearer vnto God in the full assurance of faith vntill at last they come to see his face and enioy his presence in the promised Ierusalem where is all fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore as assuredly one day they shall not yet by their works of righteousnesse though it be likewise necessary that they should be alwayes walking in and working the works of righteousnes but the stedfastnesse and certaintie of their estates in Christ their life saluation and glorie euerlasting dependeth on the stedfastnesse certaintie and vnchangeablenesse of Gods purpose promise loue and on the loue and life of Christ their head which was once dead but is now aliue and liueth still for euermore And so sure and certaine as God purposeth and it cometh to passe as he promiseth and faileth not loueth once and loueth to the end so sure as Christ which loueth them liueth shall they abide in him liue by him and not die for euer as it is written He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent me and I liue by the Father so he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me For he is the bread of life and euery one that beleeueth in him doth in a spirituall maner eate of him and so liueth by him and shal haue euerlasting life For as Saint Paul reasoneth If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saued by his life So that he that is once iustified by the blood of Christ and reconciled to God through faith in him his estate is certain and permanent and though the mountaines shall depart and the hils be moued yet shall not the kindnesse and loue of God in Christ depart nor the couenant of peace towards them in
him be euer remoued from them as the Prophet testifieth Nay what shall or can possibly separate them from the loue of Christ or froÌ„ the loue of God the Father towards them in him Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Nay saith Saint Paul In all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded saith he that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus as God did predestinate call iustifie and sanctifie them so it is he that keepeth defendeth them and the stedfastnes of their estates in him doth depend vpon the stedfastnes and immutabilitie of his purpose promise loue and on the loue and life of Christ and all is free without any respect of will faith or works of ours in him and of him to whom be all power and glorie praise and thanksgiuing for euer Amen But some will obiect and say What then meaneth the Scriptures which so often speake of falling away from righteousnesse from faith from Christ from God as where it saith But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie and dieth in them for the iniquities that he hath done shall be die And againe it is said that he which taketh the plough by the hand and looketh behind him is not meete for the kingdome of God And againe When a soule spirit is cast out of a man and he walking in drie places findeth no rest but returneth to the house from whence he came out and finding it swept and garnished entreth therein with seuen more worse then himselfe and the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning And again some are said to beleeue for a time to be offended when tribulation cometh And some branches are said to be taken away from the vine Others to withdraw themselues and to depart away from the liuing God to be made partakers of the holy Ghost and to taste of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come and to fall away not to be renewed againe by repentance That a man may be sanctified by the blood of the testament and afterwards tread vnder foote the Son of God and count the same blood as an vnholy thing and despight the Spirit of grace Some to be cleane escaped from the filthinesse of the world and after this to be entangled againe whose end also is worse then the beginning likened vnto the dog that returneth to his owne vomit and to the sow that is washed and turneth to wallow in the mire againe And some that do make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience with diuers other sayings to this purpose Also these doubtfull speeches He that endureth to the end If ye hold fast vnto the end Whose house ye are if ye continue He that ouercometh and keepeth my words vnto the end And againe Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing I will take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie These Scriptures seeme to contradict all that is said before and to proue that there is no estate to be attained vnto but may be fallen from lost and vndone againe These Scriptures may seeme with men not instructed of God to contradict all what haue been mentioned before and to proue a falling away from all grace whatsoeuer but with such as God hath been pleased to instruct it is otherwise and although not only your sects but the Antichristian Church of Rome the Arminians and others doe conceiue and teach from these Scriptures that there is no estate to be attained vnto in this life but men may fall therefrom and perish and because you will not admit as it were too grosse yee should of contradiction in Scriptures wrest wring all the former Scriptures which doe cleerly proue the contrary either to make for this your erronious conceit or else at least not to oppose the same yet I say neuerthelesse the truth is that ye are deceiued not only in this but in the other of your points being most of them of the same nature but all tending to the wrong marke It is true these Scriptures do plainly shew that men may attaine to many excellent graces and gifts of the holy Ghost they may receiue the word with ioy take the plough by the hand be enlightned beleeue and be baptized they may be branches in the vine they may haue a foule spirit cast out of them and be swept and garnished they may taste of the heauenly gift and be made partakers of the holy Ghost and taste of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come they may be in some respects sanctified by the blood of the testament and be cleane escaped from the pollutions of the world they may haue a kind of righteousnes and be in some sort termed righteous men they may haue faith to cast out diuels and doe many great works all this they may attaine vnto and yet come short of the chiefe things fall away from all lose all and Christ may notwithstanding all these things iustly and truly say vnto them in the day of account Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I neuer knew ye And it is as true that there be greater and more speciall things then all these which whosoeuer can attain shall as certainly abide in Christ and be saued as Christ abideth in the Father and liueth But the greatest difficultie lieth in this to distinguish these things rightly asunder according to the meaning of the Scriptures that so their true difference being discerned of vs we may not only auoide the great confusion which the want thereof hath caused in the mindes of many and the sundry errors they through their ignorance haue fallen into but may be brought to examine and proue our selues by the rule thereof whether our estates be yet such as will abide the triall in the day of account or no. If we find that they be we haue then great cause of comfort if not then haue we great reason to feare and with all speed to humble our soules before God and earnestly â—o desire him that he would be pleased to forme his sonne Christ in vs and to conforme vs vnto his image which is the estate that will giue vs boldnes in the day of his appearing Now that we may rightly vnderstand these things and discerne their true difference let vs obserue that as the Gospel hath two seuerall operations in the hearts and consciences of men to some it is the sauour of life vnto life and
to others the sauour of death vnto death not of it selfe but through the wickednes of mens hearts so likewise there is a two-fold administration thereof the one generall common to all the other speciall peculiar to a few that which is generall and common is a publique declaration that such a thing there is whereby all men in general haue this benefit namely yâ— whereas after Adam had sinned before the promise was made that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head there was no time nor place for repentance to any nor remission of sins vpon any ground to be expected now since that time by vertue of the promise all sinne iâ— made pardonable there is time and place for repentance to all and remission of sinnes thereupon granted so that whosoeuer shall come and with sorrow of heart confesse his sinnes vnto God and humbly desire mercie and forgiuenesse at his hands shall receiue it and thus far the Gospell is preached to all euen to euery creature vnder heauen as Saint Paul speaketh so that there is not nor hath been a nation or people in any time or part of the world that can truly say we haue not heard it for as it is written their sound went forth throughout all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world and so all are left without excuse because God hath not left himselfe without witnesse But the maner and measure of Gods declaration of his Gospell hath been diuers he declared it vnto the nations of the Gentiles in former times yea and at this present doth in diuers parts of the world onely by the workes which he hath created and benefits that he daily giueth them as the heauens and firmament day and night Sunne and raine and in that he giueth them fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse with many other blessings all which do in their maner and kind preach and declare vnto them that God is good and gracious to mankind and hath some speciall respect vnto him and doe also call vpon them daily to seeke him that made all and giueth all those good things vnto them and proueth vnto them that if they had sought they might haue found in him yet greater things which some of them doubles haue attained vnto the rest by this means are left without excuse He shewed it to the nation of the Hebrewes not onely by his works and benefits which they especially had in great abundance but in another more excellent maner and in a far greater measure as namely by the testimonies of the Fathers and by the ministerie of Moses and the Prophets who receiued it from God and spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost he stretched forth his hand all the day long vnto that people preaching his Gospell the word of faith vnto them so as that they of all other had least reason to say in their hearts Who shall ascend into heauen for vs to fetch it vs or who shall go downe into the deepe to bring it vs that we may heare it and doe it but the word was nigh enough vnto them euen in their mouthes and in their hearts and if the Gentiles were left without excuse much more they And now he hath spoken and declared it vnto vs in these last times by his Sonne Iesus Christ that Seed which was promised to Adam to Abraham was spoken of by Moses foretold by the Prophets in whom by whom and through whom all blessings all hope all grace and life is granted is purchased is to be attained by him I say and by his holy Apostles in the power and gifts of the holy Ghost he hath declared vnto vs all things cleerly many whereof being such as in all other former ages were not knowne so that the earth floweth with the knowledge of the Gospell in these dayes aboue all those other times past and many haue been enlightned through the preaching of it by the Spirit and haue beleeued and giuen their assents vnto the truth of it many haue tasted of the heauenly gift and haue been made partakers of the holy Ghost haue tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come many are able to preach and discourse thereof in great and excellent measure and if the Hebrewes could at no time truly say we haue not heard it nor yet those Gentiles that had not the Law to wit those Scriptures and ordinances of the Law which the Hebrewes had what can we then say who haue not only had all the meanes and light which those Gentiles Hebrews had but also the plaine reuelation of the Gospell according as it was foretold to be in these last times confirmed by the death resurrection of Iesus Christ and left recorded vnto vs by his holy Apostles in full measure how can it be I say therefore but that the things which we haue heard and beleeued will be vnto vs the sauour of death vnto death in a fuller and larger measure then vnto any of them seeing we haue receiued a greater larger measure of knowledge if we obey not the Gospell if we attaine not vnto the speciall grace and benefits thereof for as the Lord himselfe testifieth He that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes But some will say we haue not onely knowledge of his will but obedience also we are not like vnto those strange fornicators and idolaters of the Gentiles nor as the cruell vnbeleeuing Hebrewes which killed the Prophets and murdered the Lord of glorie neither are we of the common sinners of the world though we haue been so heretofore nay the power of the holy Ghost by the preaching of the word of God hath altered vs the foule spirit is now cast out by a stronger then he we are now cleane escaped from the filthinesse of the world our liues and actions are reformed we apply our selues now to the hearing of the word we conferre thereof and reade it oft we pray also oft we receiue the Sacraments oft we instruct our children and our seruants in the principles of Christian religion we keep the Sabbath we distribute of our goods to the poore we neglect no dutie which we conceiue we ought to performe so that we are washed and sanctified by the blood of the testament I confesse thou hast here a kind of obedience and doest in part thy masters will and art so far forth sanctified by the blood of the testament for by it all graces and gifts of the Spirit are purchased and thou couldest neuer haue attained to these things but by vertue of it yet I say notwithstanding all this the chiefe thing may be wanting in thee for if this be to do thy masters will according to our Sauiours meaning then doubtlesse the Scribes and Pharises did his will as wel as thee they made
beleeue and acknowledge him and submit themselues to be informed by his word though they had not yet either true repentance or iustifying faith For they knew that such a beliefe and profession as made men meet for outward baptisme might be where iustifying faith was not and that both that beliefe profession and baptisme did but make a Christian outwardly as the outward profession and circumcision of the Iewes did but make a Iew outwardly and no better did they iudge or conclude of any but when they saw better cause Now concerning the baptizing of children which they say is no baptisme at all but do call it the marke of the Beast we affirme that the children of all such beleeuers as may themselues be baptized may also be baptized and that it is not nor can be the marke of the Beast spoken of but is true outward baptisme First to auoid many of their vaine and idle obiections and that we may come the more cleerer to the point let vs remember that it is sufficiently proued already that all haue sinned in Adam and that death is passed on all for that all haue sinned in him being polluted from their very conceptions and that therefore there is a necessitie of a new birth from aboue of water and of the Spirit as wel to the yongest man of dayes or houres as to the eldest man of yeares So that whosoeuer is borne of the flesh he must be borne again from aboue of the Spirit either sooner or later if he be saued and that although repentance and faith be the parts of this new birth and that repentance hath these parts whereby it is exprest in men of yeares sorrow for sinne confession of sinne and desire of pardon as we haue before defined and that iustifying faith which is the other part of this new birth be an assurance or full perswasion wrought in the repentant heart by the Spirit of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and reconciliation with God in Iesus Christ as we haue also defined it I say in men of yeares who also do confesse with the mouth as it is written With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation yet neuerthelesse the true nature of both these parts of the new birth may be in another maner defined and still remaine the same in substance as the first part is called in Scripture A heart of flesh an humble and contrite heart a broken heart and Saint Paul calleth it the fleshly tables of the heart in which regard it is called the baptisme of water and the birth of water which we define thus namely that it is a speciall effect or working of the holy Ghost whereby the heart which is naturally hard and stubburne euen from the birth is made soft and tender as water or as flesh is in comparison of a stone that so it may receiue the impression of the grace and loue of God The second part which is called the baptisme of the holy Ghost and the birth of the Spirit we define to be a speciall gift of the Spirit also but more excellent which writeth and sealeth in the soft and tender heart of flesh grace and peace from God in Christ and filleth it with heauenly comfort and ioy like vnto that which is said of Iohn being in his mothers womb when the voice of the salutation of Mary sounded in the eares of Elizabeth The babe leaped in her womb for ioy which doubtlesse was caused by the Spirit of Christ in the soule of the child Now in this sort children are capable of both the parts and so of the whole new birth which in them is no other in nature but the very same which is in men of yeares though it be not outwardly so exprest as we may perceiue by the words of Paul to the faithfull of the Church of Corinth Forasmuch saith he as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart For as the law of death was written in tables of stone and all the hard and stonie hearts of the whole posteritie of Adam not onely might but also did and doe receiue euen in their very conceptions a deepe impression thereof so on the contrary the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus euer was is and is to be written in hearts of flesh soft and tender hearts and in no other And therefore it was that God did promise to take away from his elect the hard and stonie heart and to giue them a heart of flesh an humble and broken heart because his pleasure and promise is to dwell with such to reuiue and comfort them and no other And to speake plainly howsoeuer perhaps some doe otherwise conceiue it is not our act of beleeuing that doth iustifie vs but it is the free gift of grace sealed in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ whereby God iustifieth vs which grace and Spirit is the cause of our act of beleeuing or faith by which we are so often said in Scripture to be iustified where the effect is named for the cause by reason it is thereby made apparent vnto vs as also in another sense we are said to be iustified by works because works do demonstrate and make manifest our faith to others as it is said of the primitiue Church of Rome that their faith had shined throughout the world meaning by works which are the effects of faith So that Saint Paul calleth the faithfull the Epistle of Christ not so much for their act of beleeuing as in respect of the grace of God which was written in their hearts by the Spirit of Christ by which they did now beleeue and crie Abba Father as it is written He hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts which crieth Abba Father And for this cause the grace of the Gospell is called The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus These things being so what should now let that children may not be baptized Are they capable as we see of regeneration and are they not capable of the signe thereof May their hearts be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and may not the filth of their flesh be washed off with water for the baptisme of water is bnt the doing away of the filth of the flesh as Saint Peter speaketh euen as outward circumcision was but the cutting off the fore-skin of the flesh representing the cutting off the sinnes of the flesh the circumcision of the heart as also baptisme doth For the circumcision which was the cutting off part of the fore-skin of the flesh and that baptisme or washing away the filth of the flesh we doe not say that the one was a type of the other but were both types of one truth namely the baptisme or purification of