no efficient but a Recipient cause of it As even they confess that call it a Receiving Instrument And yet we have it not till we believe or consent Who would have thought that such a mâ—n as you had taken your own faith to be an efficient cause of your own Justification and so that you justifie your self And what if one give land to you and your heirs It is none of theirs till they are in being And yet their birth is no efficient cause but only the cause of the subjects receptive capacity I am ashamed that you put me thus to catechize you Mr. T. 5. If visible Church-membership be antecedent to the interest a person hath in the Covenant then the Covenant is not the cause of it But c. Ergo Answ The word Interest may signifie the Interest that fallen mankind hath in the Covenant as conditional antecedent to mans consent And thus I suppose neither you nor I here speak of it But if by my Interest you mean that I am the person to whom the Covenant giveth a present Right to its benefits I answer Some benefits follow long after but when I consent then I am the person to whom the Covenant giveth a present Right to union with Christ in the first instant and consequently with his Church or body in the second so that here is no such thing as your feigned membership before Covenant interest that is before a Right to that Relation by Gods donation And as 〈…〉 former dream that this is not a Right anâ— moral effect but a physical it was your self and not I that subjected you to the shame of such an assertion which I will no more confute Mr. T. 6. If the Covenant c. be the only 〈…〉 bought Orphans of Turks wholly at our dispose are no visible members c. Answ No friend of truth will run into the dark with a controversie and argue à minus notis Many judicious Divines think that Gods Covenant with Abrahams Infants born in his house proveth that two things go to make up the capacity of an Infant for baptism 1. That he be his own and at his dispose who offereth him to God 2. That he be offered or dedicated by a Consenting Owner Now their reason is because if they be our own we have the dispose of them for their good and our wills are theirs But the case is most clear about those that by Generation are our own and darker about those that are by Adoption or purchase our own Now here you do nothing but deny the darker which you cannot disprove and thence the plainer which we have fully proved Mr. T. 7. If the Covenant oâ— Law with the Parents actual faith without profession make not the Parent a visible Church-member neither doth it the child But Ergo. Answ I grant both major and minor He that is not known to have faith is not a visible adult member And he that is not known to be the justly reputed child of a professed believer is 〈◊〉 an Infant Church-member And what 's this 〈◊〉 our controversie Heart consent maketh a mystical or invisible Christian and member and Professed belief that is Believing Consent maketh a visible member of the parent and is necessary to the visible membership of the child If I may call that Making them which is but the Disposition of the material Receptive constitutive cause It 's pitty we should have need to talk at this rate Mr. T. 8. If persons are visible Church-members and not by the Covenant of Grace then it is not true that Christ by his Law or Covenant is the sole efficient of visible Church-membership The minor is proved in Judas and hypocrites Answ 1. They are not the sole efficient Gods Love and mercy also is efficient 2. You profess your self that the name Christian and Church-member are equivocal as to the sincere and the hypocrites If they be not the same things no wonder if they have not the same causes That Donation or Covenant may be the sole nearest Instrumental efficient of True membership and yet not of Equivocal 3. God who is our Paternal Beneficient Ruler doth give some of his benefits by his Law or Covenant absolutely and antecedently to mans conditions and some consequently as Rewards And Gods Laws having first a Preceptive part as well as a Donative or Premiant a Right may accrue in foro ecclesiae to an hypocrite from that precept As e. g. God antecedently doth by his Covenant give the world an Impunity as to the punishment of Drowning it And so by his common Law of Grace he giveth the world many common mercies by a Redeemer and perhaps many by that you call a physical act immediately And by his Law he having given a conditional pardon and life to all commandeth his Ministers to offer it and All men to Accept it and his Ministers to judge by mens profession and to use professed Accepters as real because we cannot see the heart This being so when the hypocrite professeth his consent the Law obligeth the Minister and Church to receive it by which in foro ecclesiae he hath a right to his Church station And Christ himself called Judas and sent him out to Preach and his mandates were as Laws So that the Right that an hypocrite hath he hath by the Law which obligeth the Church to use him as a true believer upon his professing to be such None of this can be denyed But Judas was called immediately by Christ himself and his follow me was a precept which gave him a Right to his Relation Mr. T. 9. If Infants are visible members by the Covenant on Condition that the Parents c. then either the next Parents or in any generation precedent c. Answ The next Parents that are Owners of the child and have the trust and power of disposing of him or covenanting for him And the Reason is because they have 1. That Propriety and 2. That trust and power Mr. T. 10. If an Infants visible Church-membership be by the Covenant on the Parents actual believing and not a bare profession then it is a thing that cannot be known c. Answ I pitty Readers that must be troubled with such kind of talk 1. The Right of the child is upon the Believing Parents dedication of that child to God by consenting that he be in the mutual Covenant 2. Heart consent known only to God giveth no Right coram ecclesia known to men but only to such mercy as God who only knoweth it giveth without the Churches judgement 3. Believing and profession qualifie for Right in the Judgement both of God and of the Church 4. Profession without consenting faith qualifieth for Right in the Churches judgement according to Gods Command who biddeth them so judge and do Wrangle not against plain truth Mr. T. 11. If other Christian priviledges be not conveyed by a Covenant upon the Parents faith without the persons own act and consent then neither
16. It is a foolish pretence of peaceableness and quietness to stand by in silence for fear of our own or others trouble and see well-meaning people seduced Christ and his truth and name abused and God dishonoured and his Churches shaken and made a scorn and scandal to the world and all for fear of being accounted contentious If it be lukewarm as they say themselves to hear dayly swearers cursers scorners and such other prophane sinners and not give them a close reproof or admonition so much more is it to see or hear hurtful falshoods published as the precious truths of God and not to contradict it nor endeavour to save mens souls from the infection If Satans work must be done without resistance as oft as a mistaken well-meaning man will do it there will be little safety for the flocks § 17. When Paul fore-told the Ephesians of two sorts that would assault them viz. Grievous devouring wolves and men arising among themselves that would speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them his conclusion is Therefore watch And what that watching is he tells Timothy The mouths of such deceivers must be stopped not by force for that Timothy had no power to do but by evident truth And Truth hath a power in its evidence if it be but rightly opened and managed And were it not that God in all ages had enabled some of his servants faithfully and clearly to vindicate truth and defend sound doctrine and hold fast the form of wholesome words and stop the mouth of ignorant pride that wrangleth against them what had become of us long agoe And though ill disputes have done much mischief and too often disputing succedeth more according to the Parts interests or advantages of the Disputers than according to the evidence of truth Yet for all such abuses Truth must be defended and it findeth something even in nature as bad as man is to befriend it few love a plain falshood unless where interest greatly bribeth them And upon tryal Truth will at last prevail where sin doth not provoke God in judgement to leave men to the delusions which they chuse § 18. If then the way be to Teach and Learn and quietly open the evidence of truth and in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves and to avoid contentions as we avoid wars till other mens assâ—ults do make them unavoidably necessary and yet not to be cowardly betrayers of the Truth and Church of God nor suffer Satan to deceive men unresisted but earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints It must be considered I. To whom this earnest contending may be used II. And by whom § 19. I. We must not be over sharp or earnest 1. With those that are yet strangers to Religion of whose conversion there is hope and who are liker to be won by a gentler way which more demonstrateth love and tenderness 2 Tim. 2.25 26. § 20. 2. Nor with Godly Christians who fall into such sins of infirmity as we are lyable to and whose tenderness maketh compassionate tender dealing fittest to their recovery Gal. 6.1 2 3. § 21. 3. Nor with humbled dejected Christians who are apter than we to aggravate their own faults and have need of comfort to restrain their sorrows and keep them from despair 2 Cor. 2.7 § 22. 4. Nor with sinners that under conversion and repentance are humbling themselves by confession to God and man Luk. 15. Philem. 10 16 17. § 23. 5. Nor with Christians that differ from us in tolerable matters and manage their differences but with tolerable infirmities not hazarding the safety of the Church or mens souls § 24. But in these cases we must use plainness sharpness and earnestness 1. When in secret where mens honour with others is not concerned it is necessary to mens convictâ—on and repentance 1. Because of the Greatness of the sin or error which will not be known if it be not truly opened and aggravated 2. Or by reason of the hard-heartedness or obstinacy of the sinner that will not be convinced or humbled by easier means § 25. 2. And when we are called so to admonish a publick sinner for his crimes or heresies which must be opened as they are before he will be convinced and humbled openly before the Church § 26. 3. And when the people or Church is in danger of being infected by the sin or error if the evil of it be not fully and plainly opened and the sinner rebuked before all that others may beware § 27. 4. When the offender or heretick sheweth us by his obstinacy that we have no cause to expect his cure and conviction but are only to defend Gods truth and mens souls against him then he must be used as Christ did the Pharisees and as Rulers execute malefactors not for their own good but for the warning of others and preservation of the innocent § 28. 5. And when our gentle speeches tend to scandalize those without and make them think that we prevaricate and favour Christians in their sins § 29. All these cases you may see proved 1. In Nathans dealing with David and Christs with Peter Matth. 16. and Pauls Gal. 2. c. 2. In Pauls dealing with the incestuous man 1 Cor. 5. and Peters with Ananias and his wife 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke before all c. 2 Tim. 4.2 Tit. 1.13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith cuttingly Tit. 2.15 Rebuke with all authority especially when we deal with Inferiors who must be humbled Tit. 3.10 11. Mat. 23. throughout And Eli's gentleness or remisness is our warning § 30. II. And as to the persons who must use this sharpness and earnestness against errors and sinners in contending for the faith 1. It is not those who overvalue their own conceptions and grow fond of all that is peculiarly their own and insolently take all men to be enemies to truth and faith and godliness who are adversaries to their odd opinions 2. Nor must inferiors rise up with insolency against superiors or the young against their elders and the ignorant against the wife on pretence of a zealous standing for the truth Though they may humbly and modestly defend that which is truth indeed 3. Nor should unstudyed Christians presently think hardly of any party and backbite them and inveigh against them because their Leaders call them hereticks or reproach them as erroneous dangerous men as almost all parties do against each other 4. Nor should those Ministers who have not a through insight into a Controversie meddle much with it nor be too forward to reprove and reproach where they do not understand nor to undertake disputes which they cannot manage 5. But as God doth indow men with various gifts if each man were imployed according to his talent all would have their honour and comfort and the Church the benefit of them all § 31. We have notoriously all these sorts of Ministers in the
meerly because he elected them some will say why may he not do so also by the Parents at least renewing them all in transitu § 15. If you say that He giveth them freely his sanctifying grace and giveth them right to Salvation as sanctified though he tell us not who are sanctified I answer 1. Take heed lest you teach the presumptuous to say the same of Infidels Heathens and almost all that God may in the passages when they are dying sanctifie and save them all 2. Still this giveth no positive hope of any particulars nor more to Christians for their Children than they may have of the Children of Infidels nor any promise of the spirit and sanctification as Believers have § 16. I take it therefore for the soundest Doctrine that Gods taking the Children of the Faithful into Covenant with him and becoming their God and taking them for his own doth signifie no less than a state of Grace and pardon and right to life eternal and that they are in this state upon their Parents Consent and Heart-devoting them to God in Christ before baptism but baptism is the solemnizing and investiture which openly coram Ecclesia delivereth them possession of their visible Church-state with a sealed pardon and gift of life For it is not another but the same promise and Covenant which is made to the faithful and their feed And all Gods promises to the many Generations of them in the second Commandment and many other Texts cannot mean any such little blessings as consist with a state of damnation and the possession of the Devil And all the ancient Churches in baptizing of Infants were of this mind whom I will not despise And Abrahams case perswadeth me that the Children of Natural and Civil Parents truly their Owners have this right before they are baptized But the former natural Parents have plainer evidence than the later which is a darker case But as for them that think either that all Infants are saved or all baptized Infants â—ure vel injuria though no Parent or Owner consent or dedicate them heartily or openly to God or though they are hypocrites and truly consent not for themselves or theirs let them prove it if they can but I must say it is past my power § 17. I know the grand difficulty is that then this Infant-Grace is lost in many that live to riper age I have said so much of this in my Christian Directory that I will refer the considering Reader thither only adding 1. That far greater absurdities will follow the contrary opinion and the greater are not to be chosen I am loth again to name them 2. That the universal Church as far as by any notice we can know did for many hundred years grant the conclusion and take it for no absurdity but a certain truth yea much more Austin and his followers themselves thought more at age were truly justified and sanctified than were elected and did persevere And some hold that not all that have the sanctifying spirit but only certain confirmed Christians have a certainty to persevere And others hold that as the spirit of Christ is promised to Believers though men believe not without the spirit so that measure of Grace which causeth men only to believe as antecedent to that promised spirit of Power Love and a sound mind is but such as may be lost as Adams was and that it is the spirit following it as the rooted habit which cannot be lost And others come yet lower and say that the Grace which giveth faith it self cannot be lost because such have the promise of the spirit but yet the grace which only enableth men to Repent and Believe called sufficient may be lost before it produce the Act Accordingly some think of Infant-Grace The last sort think that they have real pardon of original sin and right to life and have real Grace but being Infants that grace is but such as will enable them to believe if they come to age and not infallibly cause it and that this may be lost And so I might run over the opinions of the rest And among all these the judgement of Davenant Ward c. of the loss of an Infant-state of Grace as by them opened is not so hard as I think the contrary way will infer And it seems by Art 1. c. 17. that the Synod of Dort was of their mind § 18. Our darkness about the future state of Infants Souls hath occasioned some diversity of thoughts about their present state Indeed they will neither in Heaven or Hell have any work for Conscience in the review of any former actions good or evil And it seemeth by Nazianzene before cited Orat. 40. that some Ancients thought as most Papists do that unbaptized Infants have neither the joys of Heaven nor any punishment but the loss of these But what state then to place them in they know not To think that they shall remain in a meer potentiality of understanding and shall know no more than they did here is to equal them with bruits and to encourage the Socinians who say the like of the separated souls of the adult And if they can allow understanding to those that died baptized why not to the rest And if they understand they must have grief or pleasure But who can know more than God revealeth § 19. In sum 1. That God would have Parents devote their Children to him and enter them according to their capacity in his Covenant as I have elsewhere proved is a great truth not to be forsaken 2. And also that he accepteth into his Covenant all that are faithfully thus devoted to him and is peculiarly their God and such Children are holy 3. That they are certainly members according to an Infant capacity of the visible Church as they are of all Kingdoms under Heaven These are all clear and great truths 4. And that there is far more hope of their salvation than of those without 5. And I think the Covenant maketh their Salvation certain if they so die 6. And it seemeth to me that the investiture and solemnization of their Covenant with Christ should be made in Infancie from Matth. 28.19 20. and the exposition of the universal Church 7. But if any should think with Tertullian and Nazianzene that the time of investiture and solemnization is partly left to prudence and may be delayed in case of health yea or should think that Infants are not to be solemnly invested by baptism but only the adult so they confess Infants relation to God his Covenant and Church I would differ from such men with love and peace and mutual toleration and communion CHAP. I. The Occasion of this Writing § 1. AS I was by great and long importunity unwillingly engaged at first to meddle publickly in the Controversie of Infant Baptism with Mr. Tombes so I then resolved to meddle no more with it unless I found that necessity made it an apparent duty § 2. Accordingly when Mr.
old Church without professing faith in the Articles necessary to salvation repentance and obedience And wherein the supposed new call and frame doth in this differ from the old save only that a more full and express revelation of Christ requireth a more full express faith Mr. T. I know not what profession each Jew did make or was to make Reply I would you had been as cautelous and modest throughout It is evident that they were to profess consent to Gods Covenant which those that denied Asa would put to death SECT CVI. R. B. YOu may see the words near the end of your Letter that occasion the seven last Questions and towards the middle that occasioneth the first As for your motion of my fully describing the priviledges of Church-members I shall add no more at this time to what is already elsewhere said of it Reply Here Mr. T. chides me for wronging him by length and being afraid the Reader will do so too I make haste SECT CVII CVIII R. B. ANd now I have gone thus far with you in an enquiry into the truth I entreat you be not too much offended with me if I conclude with a few applicatory questions to your self Quest 1. Is it not an undertaking as palpably absurd as most ever any learned sober Divine in the world was guilty of to maintain that Infants were visible Church-members not by any promise or precept but by a transeunt fact and that there was no law or ordinance determining it should be so but only a fact of God which is a transeunt thing not repealable But either by this fact you mean Legislation and Covenant-making or not if you do what a saying is it that Infants were made Church-members not by Covenant but by a Covenant-making not by a Law but by a Law-making If not either you must say that God makes duty without any law and gives right to the benefit without any promise or Covenant-grant as the cause or else that it is no benefit to have right to Church-membership and no duty to enter into that relation and to accept of that benefit and to be devoted to God Which ever of these ways you chuse and one you must chuse or change your opinion hath the world heard of any more unreasonable and ridiculous or else more unbeseeming a Divine from a learned sober man of that profession Pardon the high charge Let the indifferent judge Reply To this I find no answer worth the reciting SECT CIX R. B. Quest 2. IS it not a great disgrace to all your followers that they will be led so far into such ways of Schism and be so confident that they are righter and wiser than others and that by such unreasonable arguings and shifts as these which one would think any man should laugh at that knows what a Law Promise or Covenant is And do you not prove that it is not because of the evidence of truth but by your meer interest or confident words these people are changed and held to your opinion Do they know what a transeunt fact is that without Law or Covenant makes Church-members I say do they know this which no man that ever breathed till now nor ever man will know again And do you not proclaim them men of distempered consciences that dare go on in such a Schism on the encouragement of such fancies as were hatcht so long after their perversion and never waking man I think did before so solemnly maintain Reply I have nothing to say here but Mr. T. seems very angry at this SECT CX R. B. Quest 3. IS it not a desperate undertaking and dare you adventure on it to justifie all the world before Christs incarnation except the Jews from the guilt of not dedicating their children to God to take him to be their God and themselves to be his people Yea to justifie all Jews against this charge that should neglect or refuse to engage their children to God in Covenant as members of his Church And doth not he that saith there is no law say there is no transgression Mr. T. He doth Let him tremble at his desperate undertaking to uphold his Lie of Infant Church-membership and Baptism by such Lies as these and fear the ate of Liers Reply Charge not your self and I will not I propose it to your consideration whether the persons that solemnly take God for their God according to Gods Covenant and are by his visible word of Covenant taken by God for his people be not visible members of the Church universal And whether he that saith There is no Law of God binding to do thus for his children do not infer that they sin not by not doing it SECT CXI R. B. Quest 4. DAre you yet justifie also at the Bar of God all the world since Christs incarnation from the guilt of sin in not dedicating their children to Christ and entring them into his Covenant as members of his Church Dare you maintain that all the world is sinless in this respect Mr. T. I dare justifie the Non-baptizing them Reply Here you make a modest stop It seemeth you dare not justifie men for not solemnly dedicating them in Covenant to God and visibly engaging them to Christ as members visible of his Church SECT CXII R. B. Quest 5. HAve you well considered of the fruit of your ways apparent in England and Ireland at this day Or have you not seen enough to make you suspect and fear whether indeed God own your way or not And is it any wonder if posterity be left in controversie about the History of former times when you can venture even in these times when the persons are living in our company to tell me that you think I am mis-informed that they are Anabaptists and you think that there are very few of them that were ever baptized when of many that we know and multitudes that we hear of there are so few that were not before against Infant Baptism and the Seekers first such and when the Quakers themselves commonly cry down Infant Baptism and it is one of the questions that they send to me and others to answer how we can prove it by express Scripture without consequences or else confess our selves false Prophets Reply The answer to this I leave to the Readers judgement SECT CXIII R. B. Quest 6. HAve you felt the guilt which we too strongly fear you have incurred of the perverting of so many souls opening them such a gap to schism contempt of the Ministry and Apostasie destroying a hopeful reformation that cost so dear or weakning our hands in the work and filling the adversaries mouths with scorn enticing the Jesuites and Friars to seem your proselytes and list themselves among you as the hopeful party to befriend their cause hardning thousands both of the Papists and profane and setling them again on their dregs when many once began to shake O what a Church might we have had and were likely to have
not receive them though we approve not of their way § 30. And were it in my power as a Pastor of the Church I would give satisfaction by such an answerable profession as this Though it be our judgement that Infants have ever been members of Gods visible Church since he had a Church and there were Infants in the world and do believe that Christ hath signified in the Gospel that it is his gracious will that they should still be so And that he that commanded Mat. 28.19 Go ye and Disciple all Nations Baptizing them would have his Ministers endeavour accordingly to do it and hath hereby made Baptism the regular orderly way of solemn entrance into a visible Church state and therefore we devote this child to God in the Baptismal Covenant Yet we do also hold that when he cometh to age it will be his duty as seriously and devoutly to make this Covenant with God understandingly himself and to dedicate himself to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as those must do that never were Baptized in Infancie And we promise to endeavour faithfully as we have opportunity to instruct and perswade him so to do hoping that this his early Baptismal dedication and obligation to God will rather much prepare him for it than hinder it § 31. Me thinks these Professions should put off the chief matter of offence and exception against each other as to the ill consequents of our opinions And if sober good men would by such a mutual approach be the more disposed to live together in love and holy peace how easily should I bear the scorns of those Formalists that will reproach me for so much as motioning a Peace with the Anabaptists even in the same Communion Who by making it a reproach will but perswade me that such as they are less worthy of Christian Communion than sober pious and peaceable Anabaptists § 32. And if with the partial sort of themselves such motions of Peace be turned into matter of contempt and they proceed in their clamours and reviling of me as an enemy of the truth for being against their way I shall account it no wonder nor matter of much provocation finding in all Sects as well as theirs that the injudicious sort are apt to be abusively censorious and the more mens Pride Ignorance and uncharitableness remain the more they will swell into self-conceit and trouble the Church with a mistaking wrangling hurtful sort of zeal § 33. And as I must needs believe as ill of some sort of Zeal as St. James hath spoken of it Jam. 3. and experience hath too long told the world of it yet I take it for truly amiable in men that they have a love and Zeal for Truth in general and a hatred to that which they think to be against it and that their bitterness against the truth and me is upon a supposition that both are against the truth and God for this beareth them witness that they have a zeal of God though it be not according to Knowledge and if they knew truth indeed they would be zealous for it § 34. I conclude with this notice to the contrary minded that the evidence for Infants Church-membership seemeth to me so clear both in nature and in Scripture that I bid them despair of ever perswading me against it But if they will have any hope of changing my judgement it must be by confessing the visible Church-membership of Infants and proving that yet they are not to be baptized and that Baptism was appointed for initiating none but adult converts and not to be the common entrance into the Church which yet I think they can never do while the plain Law of Christ Mat. 29.19 and the exposition of the universal Church doth stand on record to confute such an opinion But here they have more room for a dispute § 35. But though I expect to be censured for it I will say once because truth is truth that though Rebaptizing and Reordaining are justly both condemned by the ancient Churches and pronounced alike ridiculous by Gregory Mag. Lib. 2. Ep. Indict 11. c. 46. and many others yet were men Rebaptized but for Certainty to themselves or to the Church and to quiet their consciences and on such terms as in my Christian Directory I have shewed that a seeming Reordination might in some cases be tolerated and would not wrong Infants nor make it an occasion of division or alienation I know not by any Scripture or reason that such Rebaptizing is so heinous a sin as should warrant us to contemn our brethren No though it were as faulty as the oft commemorative baptizing used by the Abassines CHAP. III. A General View of Mr. Danvers book § 1. MR. Danvers book is entitled a Treatise of Baptism in which he giveth us the History of Infant and Adult Baptism out of Antiquity as making it appear that Infant Baptism was not practised for 300 years in his second edit it is near 300. And in his Append ed. 2. I cannot find that it was practised upon any till the fourth Century And he giveth us a Catalogue of witnesses against it By which those that hold their Religion on the belief of such mens words will conclude that all this is true and that Infant Baptism is a Novelty and those that are against it do go the old and Catholick way § 2. Having perused his testimonies on both sides I am humbled and ashamed for the dulness of my heart that doth not with floods of compassionate tears lament the pittiful condition of the seduced that must be thus deceived in the dark and of the Churches of Christ that must be thus assaulted and shaken and distracted by such inhumane horrid means The book being composed in that part of history which the stress of the cause lyeth on of such UNTRUTHS in fact and history as I profess it one of my greatest difficulties to know how to call them Should I say that they are so notorious and shameless as that I say not only a Papist but any sober Turk or Pagan should blush to have been guilty but of some page or line◠of them and much more a man of any tenderness of conscience the Readers would think that the language were harsh were it never so true and some would say Let us have soft words and hard arguments And should I not tell the Reader the truth of the case I might help to betray him into too much fearlesness of his bait and snare and I doubt I may be guilty of untruth by concealing the quality of his untruths And it is not matter of Argument but fact that I am speaking of § 3. But it pleaseth that God whose counsels are unsearchable as to permit five parts of the Earth to remain yet strangers unto Christ so to permit his Church to be so tryed and distracted between Church Tyranny and dividing separations Sects and parties as that in many ages it hath not been easie to
be believed As for his talk of Disgracing the Nonconformists it 's true in two senses 1. As he and I disgrace Christianity by being so ignorant and bad 2. Or if he mean not My own Nonconformity but his even his Nonconformity to a great deal of truth and Christian duty and common honesty by concatenated falshoods I have done my part when constrained to disgrace it § 15. Sometime a friend to Calvin and then a greater to Arminius saith he Answ 1. Did he tell the Reader where by one in any words I contradict the other 2. But see the misery of a Sectarian spirit that taketh it for a contradiction to be a friend to Calvin and Arminius both He would as this inferreth take it ill to be thought a friend to Anabaptists and Paedobaptists both to Independents and Presbyterians and Episcopal too But that is to such as I the greatest duty which to him is a shameful contradiction When I think none Christians but Anabaptists I will be a friend to no other as such Men of so little a Church must have answerably little Love Censoriousness is a friend but unto few 3. But by this your friendship seemeth narrower than I thought it I thought it had extended to all the Anabaptists But they are divided into Free-willers and Free-gracers as they call them that is into Calvinists and Arminians and are you a friend but unto one part of them 4. But indeed Sir the Controversies intended by you under these names are not such as a man of my poor measure can fix his judgement in every young and promise that it shall never change nor that I can take it for a shame to grow any wiser in them than heretofore though perhaps your judgement changed not from your Childhood And I hope if what I have written may be published to make it appear that such as you that speak evil of what you understand not are the grievous enemies of the Churches of Christ as to Truth Holiness and Peace by your militant noise about Calvinism and Arminianism stirring up contentions and destroying Love by making differences seem greater than they are and laying the Churches Concord and Communion and mens salvation upon such questions as Whether the house should be built of Wood or Timber And is not this worthy of your zeal § 16. He adds Sometimes a great Defender of the Parliament and their Cause and then none more to renounce them and betraytor them for their pains Answ 1. Was there never but One Parliament and One Cause Perhaps you mean that the Parliament called 1640 and the Rump as called and the Armies Little Parliament and Oliver and the Army Council and all the rest of the Soveraigns were all One Parliament Or that to swear to the first Parliament or fight for them and to shut out and imprison them and to dissolve them as Usurpers and to set up one chosen by who knows whom and to set up Oliver and his Son and to pull him down again and to set up the Rump again and to pull them down and set up a Council of State c. were all one Cause And that one day it was Treason not to be for one Soveraign and another day not to be against that and for another Your Army did not betraytor them when they forced out one part as Traytors first and thrust out the major part after imprisoning and reproaching many worthy wise and religious men and when they pulled down all the rest at last Had you or I more hand in these matters Whether you know your self I know not but I am sure you know not me nor what you talk of § 17. It followeth Sometimes a great Opposer of Tradition and anon a great defender thereof Answ 1. If you take Tradition equivocally you calumniate but by equivocation but if thereof mean the same Tradition your falshood hath not the cloak of an equivocation Prove what you say by any words of mine It is between twenty and thirty years I think since I largely opened my judgement of Tradition in the Preface to the second edition of my book called the Saints Rest which I never changed since If you will deny that your Father delivered you the Bible or any other or that the Church hath used both Bible and Baptism from the Apostles dayes till now Let the reproach of such Tradition be your glory if you will It shall be none of mine But do you write a book to prove the Tradition of Adult Baptism from Christs time to ours and when you have done renounce and scorn it See Reader how he valueth his own work § 18. He addeth Sometimes a violent impugner of Popery and yet at last who hath spoken more in favour of it Answ Here again if by Popery and it you mean the same thing You hold on the same course Prove it true and take the honour of once writing a true accusation I have not hid my judgement about Popery having written about seven or eight books against it in above twenty years time by which you may see in comparing them whether I changed my judgement If you cannot refuse not to blush But I was and am a defender of that which is Popery and Antichristianity with you the Church-membership Covenant-interest and Baptism of Infants and it 's like many more parcels of the Treasures of Christ which you zealously rob him off and give to Antichrist As too many Sectaries do the greatest part I doubt more than nine parts of ten of his Kingdom or Church universal And as Divines use to prove that carnal minds are enemies and haters of God because they confess honour and worship him both in Name and in respect of many of his Attributes and relations and works yet in respect of others they are averse to him so I would be a monitor to you and such like Sectaries to take heed of going much further lest before you know what you do while you honour Christs name and cry up some of his Grace and doctrines you should really hate oppugn and blaspheme him and take Christ himself for Antichrist and his Churches and servants for Antichristian If you will take him for Antichrist that taketh Infants into the visible Church I think it will prove to be Christ himself § 19. Reader How big a volume wouldst thou have me write in answering such stuff as this Tears are fitter than Ink for such fearless rash continued visible falshoods to be deliberately published to the world as truths by one that calleth himself a man and a Christian and seemeth zealous to new Christen most of the Christian world Unless I should tire my self and thee I must stop and cease this noysome work Only one charge more which runs through much of his book I will answer because it concerneth the cause it self § 20. He oft tells you that when I have called my book Plain Scripture proof I yet there and after contradict my self by saying that
Papists baptism administred and received be nullities and all Papists to be rebaptized and all Protestants that were baptized by Papists are questions which I will not be so vain as to dispute with one that talketh at this mans rate But yet we have not done with the high charges of his Preface He saith Oh! were not those twenty Queries so much against the self-evidencing authority of the Scriptures in his Admon p. 142. in favour of Tradition a heynous provocation to say no more of them Answ It seems they were so to you But really did you read that book and the other to Mr. Bagshaw and yet not fear to follow him and out-do him in notorious untruths after so full a conviction and warning as was given him Think on it and again cry out But alas whereto will not men run left to themselves I there professed and proved to your friend Mr. Bagshaw that I was for and wrote for the self-evidencing authority of the Scripture and it is untrue that those twenty Queries or any one of them is against it· But seeing you think otherwise if indeed you hold the contrary to the assertions implied in those twenty Queries I am not at the end of the Catalogue of your strange Doctrines If you and my revilers own them so will not sober men e. g. XLIII Every Christian must see the Copies of the Scripture written by the Prophets and Apostles own hands Or at least must understand the Transcripts in the Original tongues XLIV God hath promised unerring infallibility to all Scribes in the world that write out the Bible and all Printers that print it Or at least to some of them and we may be certain who those are XLV Though the several Copies have a multitude of differences it is certain none of them are erroneous or mistaken XLVI Those men and women that understand not Hebrew or Greek may be certain only by seeing a Hebrew and Greek Bible without a Translators help that every word in it is the word of God XLVII Either he that will be sure which Copy is without mis-writing must first see all the Copies in the world that differ or else if he never see but one or few he may be certain that it is right in the words in which it differeth from all the rest which he never saw XLVIII No corrupt or mis-written Copy of the Scripture can come to a true Believers hands Or if it do he can infallibly tell us the Errata XLIX A true Believer that never saw the Originals can by seeing a translation judge of all the diverse readings in the Originals L. The Translators are either all infallible in translating or else a true Believer is certain which of them is and which not and which translation among many faulty ones is faultless LI. He that never saw all Translations but perhaps but one can by that one tell that it is truer than all the differing ones which he never saw LII All this of Copies and Translations is known to Believers either by Prophetical Revelation from Heaven or by the self-evidencing demonstration of the Copy and Translation which he seeth LIII Every true Believer without being ever told it by man can tell by the self-evidencing demonstration of the words that the Canticles and the Books of Judges Ruth Chronicles Jonah are Canonical and that the wisdom of Solomon Baruck Pauls Epistle to the Laodiceans Clemens to the Corinthians c. are not Canonical LIV. Either God will give faith to no one that cannot read among all the illiterate Kingdoms of the world where the Gospel is to be preached or else all that cannot read may without ever reading a word be certain by self-evidence which readings in the differing Copies and which Translations are true or false and which books and verses and sentences are Canonical and which not LV. Either God hath promised that every illiâ—â—â—â—te Christian that cannot read shall hear 〈◊〉 one else read every word of the Bible to him in Originals and Translations or one that he may judge or else by the self-evidence that person that cannot read nor never heard half the Bible read can certainly tell what words are truly or falsly written or Translated without ever hearing them LVI When the greatests Learned Linguists differ about a Lection or Translation as the Septuagint c. such as Lud. Capellus Usher Buxtorf Bootius De Dieu L' Empereur Walton c. or when such as Luther Althamer c. differ about a Canonical Book as James it is because they see not that self-evidence which every Christian may see that cannot read nor was ever told it that one part if not more do herein err while their judgements are contrary None of these fifty six are Articles of my Faith nor Gods Commandments that I can find I say not that these ignorant Revilers hold all these but I say that He and They that will openly exclaim against the contrary assertions as heynous errors or tell about among the receivers of false reports that I hold dangerous errors for saying the contrary to these doth either perswade men that all these are his Opinions or else that he is an impudent Hypocrite in reviling known truth as heynous error or else a rash Calumniator that dare reproach or speak evil of that which he understandeth not nor will not so much as by reading my plain words be at the labour to understand Perhaps some better minded person will say It casteth poor Christians into perplexity to hear such doubts about the Scripture readings and translations were they not better concealed Answ They are not to be talkt of unseasonably to uncapable persons They are not to be told the ignorant instead of a Catechism But they are all publickly known to the learned world long ago and told the ignorant people by the Papists to ill ends And if any one will perswade you to hold the contrary and make you believe that all or any of these absurdities and falshoods are the true Protestant Religion or any part of it and that they that hold the contrary are Popish it is time to vindicate the Protestant Religion and all sober godly Protestants from the scorn of such imputed dotages But this is the unhappy fruit of overdoing There are some men among us so overwise and overrighteous in defending the sufficiency of the Scriptures that they would perswade us that it is sufficient to expound it self without a teaching Expositor and to preach it self without a Preacher and by consequence from their generals to Write and Print it self without a Writer or Printer and to bring it self down from the Apostles to every man without the hand or tongue of man and to preserve it self from corruption without the care of man and to translate it self without a Translator And that all Printed Sermons or books of Divinity all Catechisms all Sermon notes for memory all forms of Prayer yea the dividing the Bible into Chapters and Verses
and Printing Contents and Citations or References much more the Geneva Notes and Pictures are all sinful additions to the Word of God As if the sufficiency of the Statutes of the Land lay in Keeping Printing Transcribing Pleading and Expounding themselves without the use of Scribes Clerks Lawyers Law-books or Judges I am well assured that God needeth not our Lies to his Glory and that truth and falshood do so ill agree that though falshood may steal a cloak from truth yet truth will never be beholden to falshood for friendship and defence And if ever Lies pretend any kindness or service to the truth it is but treacherously to supplant it and will turn to its disservice and injury at last In a word All the Devils in Hell and all the Consistory at Rome could not easily find out a more effectual way as far as I can understand to turn multitudes to Popery than 1. By calling truth and sober Principles Antichristian Popery and Idolatrous 2. And by describing the Religion of the enemies of Popery as made up of Lies and Dotages 3. And by falling all together by the ears and breaking into a multitude of Sects and condemning each other as unmeet to be communicated with and so making men believe that they must be Papists or distracted Dotards whose self-conceitedness in Religion hath made them mad I say nothing that I know of doth tend more to multiply Papists than this unless I may except the way of sensuality and violence murdering some and drawing others by fleshly and worldly motives Nor do I know any thing in the world that more quieteth the Consciences of Persecutors and Scorners in all that they do and say against us and hindreth them more from all conviction and repentance Mr. Danvers endeth his book Ed. 1. with a smart reflection on Mr. William Allen and Mr. Lamb for forsaking the cause of Anabaptistry and Separation which they had written for And I will end mine with a few words concerning them concluding with a free and faithful Admonition to Mr. Danvers to consider whether He or They should be most earnestly called to Repentance and most speedily practise it CHAP. IX REader having the following vindication of Mr. Allen put into my hand I think it not unmeet upon this occasion to undeceive some who to render his example in receding from the way of Separation wherein he was sometime engaged upon the account of Infant-baptism the less imitable and his endeavours to draw off others the less successful have given out that he did but turn with the times for worldly ends when the King came in Whereas I can bear him witness that that return was made by him the year before the coming in of the King as did sufficiently appear to me both by Letters which then passed between him and my self about that affair and also by his book called A Retractation of Separation published by him that same year Which Book I would entreat the sober Reader to get and lend to some of the separating mind they will find no temporizing or formality in it but a spirit of Christian love and peace And if the reasons in that Book and in his perswasive to peace and unity since published be such as none of the Separatists can confute or stand before they will have no reason to impute the Authors change to carnal reason or worldly interest I question not but experience after trial which is wont to make teachable men wiser put him upon reviewing the grounds of his practice and so had a great hand in that alteration which he made And I would have those who account it a disparagement to a man to alter his Judgement at any time to tell us at what age we come under that law when we must grow no wiser nor no better And what I say of Mr. Allens alteration of his judgement I must say also of Mr. Lambs whom those that easily judge before they know have accused also as turning with the times when as on my knowledge his change was in 1658. or the beginning of 1659. For by letters I did sollicite him to that alteration and received his answers sooner than I knew of Mr. Allens change And I perceive that Mr. Lambs words and example are slighted by very many upon two accusations 1. That he is run into the other extream of overmuch conformity 2. That he is over hot As to the first my distance maketh me a stranger to his mind and practice But as long as he conformeth not as Ministers do but to that which belongeth to a private man what doth he more than Mr. Tombes hath largely written for And Mr. Nye hath written to prove it lawful to hear Conformists in the Parish Churches and for the Magistrates to appoint publick Teachers for the people 2. And as to the second not justifying my own earnestness much less others which I am not acquainted with to calm the minds of the offended I may well say 1. That it is no wonder if a man that is naturally of a warm and earnest spirit do shew it most when he thinks that he speaks for God and Truth and the Church and mens Souls 2. That it is no wonder if a man that was drawn himself so deep into the guilt as to be a Teacher of an Anabaptists Church and to write for them be an earnest expresser of his Repentance when he is recovered and earnestly desirous to save others from the snares in which he was intangled and to do as much for Truth Unity and peace as ever he did against it What followes are Mr. Allens own words Worthy Sir I Having some intimation that you are about to make some return to the Author of a late Treatise of Baptism do apprehend that if you think fit to Print this following Paper at the end of your Book you may do the good office of removing a stumbling-block at which some are too apt to dash their foot and thereby also further caution men against being misled by giving too much credit to the quotation of Authors as managed by that Treatisor In reading a Treatise of Baptism of the first Edition Penned by H. D. I observed that in the two last pages of his Postscript he mentions two discourses that were publiâ—hed about one and twenty years ago the one by my self and the other by another and saith that both of us are gone back to that which therein we call will-worship and Idolatry Indeed I am sorry that that author should put me upon any necessity of reflecting so much upon him in vindicating my self as to tell the world that upon this occasion I having twice reviewed that Book of mine did not find so much as the mention of either of those two words will-worship or idolatry upon any occasion whatsoever Nor am I conscious to my self of ever being so absurd as once to think that to be idolatry which he most untruly saith I call so in that Book That cause