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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57955	A vindication of the baptized churches from the calumnies of Mr. Michael Harrison, of Potters Pury in Northampton-shire. Being an answer to his two books, intituled, Infant baptism God's ordinance. By William Russel, M.D. A lover of primitive Christianity.	Russel, William, d. 1702.	1697 (1697)	Wing R2360A; ESTC R218555	79,105	138

Amity with him And therefore their opposing force to force in their own Defence and for the maintaining the Liberties of Europe cannot be otherwise than lawful This is our Case Mr. Harrison after himself was become a Dissenter could not be contented to enjoy the Liberty of his Conscience to Worship God by the Favour of our Rulers who have permitted him the quiet and peaceable Exercise of Religion in his own way but he must be disturbing his quiet and peaceable Neighbours Preaching and Printing against them in such a shameful and unpresidented manner that they were not able to be silent but Necessitated to write in their own Defence Whatever therefore is the Consequence of this Vndertaking we are to be excused and the blame must lye at his Door he being the Aggressor After his first Book was published Mr. Hercules Collins did write an Answer thereto which was sufficient to have silenced him from any further prosecution thereof together with that addition made by that eminently Learned Minister Mr. Richard Claridge But as if nothing had been done of this kind he runs over his old Nine Arguments again in his second Book without giving a solid Answer to any thing that those Gentlemen had said And for want of Truth Reason and Argument to defend his own Position he stuffs his Book with scurrilous and abusive Language railing and reviling ridiculing and reproaching both them and the whole Party So that his Books can be esteemed by sober judicious Christians no other than scandalous Libels And if this be the first Fruits of his Labour in print it 's adviseable he either stop here or alter his Mode of Writing for in both these Tracts he hath dipt his Pen in Gall and Vinegar yea in the Poyson of Asps That this is true will appear if we consider That he is not contented only to accuse the Baptists in general who whatever he thinks are no inconsiderable Party with Error Heresie and Blasphemy in Points of Doctrine but Vnchristian Carriages fearful Curses yea with Murder it self and that their Imployment hath been to Play with Rattles ride on Hobby-horses and wallow in their own Dung with much more of this kind which I have faithfully Collected from his two Books and placed together at the entrance of my own that the World may see what a Monster of a Man I have to deal with in this Vndertaking If therefore I have let drop any words which may savour of great Indignation against such a procedure I hope the Reader will make a Charitable Construction of it For as the Apostle saith in another Case He hath Compelled me Having thus given this brief Account both of the Occasion and Manner of Manageing this Vndertaking I shall commit it to thy serious and impartial Perusal and Consideration Begging that the Father of Lights may assist thee therein that thro' his Blessing it may be a Means of thy Illumination in the Truths of Christ and through his Grace of the Salvation of thy precious Soul W.R. The EPISTLE of the Author to Mr. Michael Harrison Teacher of a Presbyterian Congregation in Potters-Pury in Northampton-shire SIR YOur Person I know not but I can with great facility discern your Spirit and the Frame and Temper of your Mind by your two Books for it 's discovered almost in every Paragraph thereof I have endeavoured to shun following your Example Quoad potest with respect to the Nature of the thing and instead of Railing to give you Scripture Reason and Argument for what I have said But whether after all as to your self I have not lost my labour you are best able to resolve For my own part I have little hopes of such who set themselves to oppose and contradict the Truths of God in such a way as you have done However I have according to my power endeavoured your Conviction being exhorted by the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.25 In Meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth But Dear Sir remember that in the Judgment of the Apostle it 's but a peradventure be not therefore high minded but fear For as our Lord said to Paul It 's hard for thee to kick against the Pricks to spurn against the Authority of Jesus Christ in his Word Sir One Eminent Instance of your Wilfull Opposition to Truth and the Conviction of your own Conscience is that you tell us about Aenon in John 3.23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized Now Sir You tell us it could not be supposed to be done by dipping nay almost impossible it should because of the extream scarcity of Water that there was not Water to dip such multitudes in That at Aenon where John was baptizing there was not much water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but Oculus an Eye a very little Fountain now here you speak directly contrary to the very Letter of the Text For the Holy Ghost saith There was much water And you say There was not much water Which must we believe This is a bold and daring Assertion Now Mr. H. Collins in his Answer to your first Book sufficiently confutes this Assertion of yours not only from Scripture but by the Authority of Learned Men who also were for Infant-sprinkling as the Learned Lightfoot Dr. Hammond Erasmus and that profound Critick Mr. Poole who all testifie there was Pools of Water many Waters gushing Streams of Water and that the Word so signifies both in the Greek and Syrian Languages Now if you had confessed your Error in your Second Book you had heard nothing from me about it But in your second Book you persist in your opposition hereunto for you say in page 33. Mr. Collins saith I have contradicted the Scripture in saying there was not much Water there Which you are pleased to say is no contradiction for notwithstanding the Scripture saith otherwise yet you say what I have said is true And you bring the Evidence of the Learned Piscator after all this to contradict your self The words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videntur significare plures rivos c. That the words signifie many Rivers c. If there was many Rivers as your Author saith no Man can doubt but there was much water and that it was a fit place to dip multitudes in And why you brought this Testimony unless to confute your self I know not The next Testimony you bring is Hierom Aquae multae erant illic there was much water there But because that would have directly contradicted your self you say which Holybuse Englishes many Waters And you say the Town had its Name from some Fountains of Water springing there And you further say That Aenon come from the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnajin a Fountain A Man would have thought all this had beeh a full Confutation of your self and you had been

A VINDICATION OF THE Baptized Churches From the Calumnies of Mr. MICHAEL HARRISON Of Potters-Pury in Northampton-shire Being an Answer to his two Books Intituled Infant Baptism God's Ordinance By WILLIAM RVSSEL M.D. A Lover of Primitive Christianity None of old were wont to be Baptized but in a grown Age and such as desired it Ludovic Viv. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. Cap. 27. Baptizing of Children was not in use in Paul's time Erassmus on the Romans There 〈…〉 such thing as Sprinkling used in Baptism in the Apo●●●●…s time nor many Ages after them Mr. Mede on Titus 3.5 The Baptism of Infants hath not been practised in England for about sixty Years Infant Rantism being introduced in the room thereof Why therefore should Mr. Harrison revive an Abdicated Controversie and force his Discourse upon us about a Non-entity For having laid aside the Commandment of God ye hold the Tradition of men making the Word of God of none effect Mark 7.8 13. LONDON Printed for the Author in the Year 1697. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Reader OUr real Purpose and Design in presenting this small Epistle to thy View and serious Consideration is to satisfie all who patiently wait for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ and all who have perused that scandalous Pamphlet set forth by Mr. Michael Harrison of Potters Pury But especially to the satisfying of all poor Souls who may be dissatisfyed inhabiting in and about Stony Stratford Yardly Gubbin Potters Pury Pauls-Pury and elsewhere and also to clear our selves from all those uncharitable Reflections and scandalous Aspersions which Mr. Harrison hath ungratefully given forth against us who are falsly called Anabaptists Therefore seeing the Cause of God lye at stake and his Holy Truth defamed can do no less than endeavour to clear our selves and Vindicate our Lord and Master's Cause owned by Us and held forth in Holy Writ That we are no Disturbers of the Publick Peace but endeavour to live in Love and to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace is very well known to some of you And that we are not either envious or troublesome in Matters of Religion wherein we are obliged to excel in Love and Virtue which may evidently appear in our Carriage towards Mr. Harrison when first he came into these parts who more ready to Vindicate him and to stop the Mouths of them that reproachfully defamed him than we have been But Mr. Harrison Ahab like 1 Kings 18.17 retorteth on us as though we were the Troublers of Israel when he at the same time is setting up his Posts by God's Posts and Contemning our Lord and Saviour's own Ordinance and Appointment and instead thereof sets up Will-worship and Humane Tradition as the Common-Prayer-Book declares they doubt not but that God favourably allows this Charitable Work of theirs in bringing Infants to Holy Baptism Do but Observe the Words and how plainly they are laid down then any Unprejudiced Man may see how Mr. Harrison Contradicts the Church of which he was a Minister so many Years But what is that and many more of his sayings but to darken Counsel by Words without Knowledge Job 38.2 But he hath Confidence enough when he thinks to prove Infants Baptism to be God's Ordinance in a Book of a Groat whenas his Predecessors with all their Study and Pains could not do it with all their great Volumes But Christian Reader that thou mayest be informed of those Ignorant or Wilful Abuses Mr. Harrison throws upon us and how he Contradicts himself like Mr. Baxter whose Arguments are his Proof and his Reflections his Arrows which he shoots furiously at his despised Neighbours beyond the Rule of Christianity yea of Civility But that thou mayest know whether Mr. Harrison's Heart and Tougue goes together consider these following Particulars First That he asserts from the Pulpit and the Press in his Printed Book that our Way of Baptizing over Head in Water is not lawful but a heinons sin and after this Book was printed and published Mr. Harrison confessed and declared in the presence of many he did believe and allow our way of Baptizing to be lawful and warrantable by the Word of God Secondly Mr. Harrison declared in his own House in Potters-Pury in the presence of us and many others That God's Decree was before his Foreknowledge Herein we hope his Fallacy will plainly appear to the World as it doth in many more of his Assertions which you may see viz. when he saith That God hath from all Eternity decreed a particular number of Mankind to be unavoidably damned and leaveth them without any Means of Mercy or Hopes of Recovery And further he adds That Christ never dyed for them But these things being so Erroneous in the Eyes of most Christian People he would fain cover his Opinion with applause viz. That Christ dyed not for all alike contrary to his former Assertions Thirdly Mr. Harrison hath greatly defamed the Works of Mr. Henry Danvers in his last Book and since that same Book was Published Mr. Harrison hath declared publickly that he had never seen any Book of Mr. Danvers's Writings which is admirable that he which pretends so much Honesty and Civility should abuse a Man of so much Wisdom Larning Honesty Sobriety and Holy Conversation though now deceased and yet to confess he knew him not nor his Writings all which shews his Prejudice against the Truth And many more things he hath unjustly charged against us but not being willing to burthen the Impartial Reader nor tire your Patience with Mr. Harrison's Book which is so full of Contradiction to his own Confession at other times and therefore we shall not particularize that which is so full of Errors but shall commit the following Treatise to your Perusal So Christian Readers Desiring your Christian Consideration and wishing God may be pleased to give you a Discerning Spirit to discern between Truth and Error and to weigh all things herein by the Word of Truth so wishing all good Success to your Holy Progress and that ye may go on in Holiness and be Happy here and Eternally hereafter is the Desire of us who are and desire to remain Servants to all in the Bond of the Gospel George Boulton John Brittain jun. William Wright THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Courteous Reader IT is my unhappy Lot at this time to be engaged with Mr. Michael Harrison in this Controversie Not spontaneously but by the Importunity of others The Cause I am engaged in is good not only as it is Causa Dei but also as it is in the just Defence of his people from those invidious Calumnies he hath thrown upon them All Men esteem a Defensive War lawful because it 's to preserve themselves in their own just Rights Mr. Harrison hath dealt by the Baptists as the French King hath by the Potentates and People of Europe entered into a War against them who did him no Injury but lived in Peace and

My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And what great torture some of the blessed Martyrs have endured is not unknown This therefore I take to be meaning of those words I will close this in the words of a Learned Protestant Writer J. G. I shall saith he say no more of this Baptism but only leave this Note That every suffering is not the Baptism of suffering but only great and deep sufferings unto blood and death Hence the Ancients call it the Baptism of Blood in opposition to a lesser degree or measure of suffering being dipped and plunged into afflictions So Wilson's Dictionary And still this carries the signification of the Word with it Some conceive this phrase to be borrowed from such places in the Old Testament as these Psal 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my Soul I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me Psal 88.7 Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Selah Ezekiel 26.19 For thus saith the Lord God when I shall make thee a desolate City like the Cities that are not inhabited when I shall bring up the deep upon thee and great waters shall cover thee In the next place Mr. H. proceeds to speak of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of Fire for which he cites Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Now I perceive Mr. H. is as much mistaken in the true Notion about this Baptism as he is in the other two and indeed 't is common for one Error to follow another at the heels What need therefore have Christians in general and more especially those that are Ministers who are Guides to others to be very cautious of admitting any thing for truth but what they have good Authority for from the Word of God The Lord pour out of his Spirit to give us more light and to make us all sincere I find by his citing these Texts in Isa 52.15 Ezek. 36.25 and Heb. 10.22 that it is his Opinon That Regeneration wrought in the Soul by the Spirit is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of Fire For saith he the giving of the Spirit is expressed by sprinkling Now for my part I am quite of another mind for as I do not believe that any were baptized with that Baptism from the beginning of the World to the coming of the Messiah so neither do I think that any have been baptized with it since the miraculous Gifts of the Spirit did cease after the Apostle's days And to make it appear that it 's more than only the sanctifying Graces of the Spirit I might recite the Opinions of divers learned Men I shall content my self with what is already prepared to my Hand by a Learned Pen whose Words are these That this Phrase hath a further meaning in it see Wilson's Dictionary Also the Learned Cameron and Dr. Hammond on this place viz. Mat. 3.11 who both refer and that rightly this for the further opening of it unto Acts 2.3 4. There appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance So that this Baptism of Fire hath clearly reference unto and was fulfilled in this extraordinary appearance of the Spirit like as of fire That this was the Baptism of the Spirit promised Mat. 3. and Luke 3. appears further by Acts 1.4 5. The Apostles being assembled together Christ commanded them that they should not depart from Hierusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence Which was accordingly fulfilled Acts 2. See also Acts 11.15 16. the Case of Cornelius as reported by Peter As I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning viz. in Acts 2. before-mentioned Then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit This Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire is first called a pouring out of the Spirit in the Old as in Joel 2.28 29. and the Baptism thereof in the New Testament Acts 2. as borrowing its phrase from the Baptism of Water Mat. 3.11 still carrying the signification of the word with it both terms to wit a pouring forth of the Spirit and Baptism in opposition to a sprinkling or dropping of the Spirit in the ordinary measures thereof Moreover The account we have of it Acts 2.2 proves it And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of à rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost c. From whence I observe the resemblance it had to the Baptism of Water For 1. They were filled with it 2. It sat upon each of them 3. The House was filled therewith So that it was not only about them but it covered or overwhelm'd them even as the water doth in Baptism 4. All that were baptized with this Baptism had the Gift of Tongues 5. It is to be observed that the Spirit was not thus given before For they were all amazed at it and said one to another what meaneth this Ver. 12. and this did agree with that promise of our Saviour John 7.37 c. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified From hence I infer It could not be the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit with the sanctifying Graces thereof for this the Apostle had before his death but such an eminent pouring forth which is called the Baptism of the Spirit by which they received the Gift of Tongues and Prophesie by which they were endued with power from on high to execute their Masters Commission Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 To go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature This they did not receive till that wonderful pouring of it out upon the day of Pentecost Acts 2. it was a Gift reserved till that time to put a Glory upon the Messiah in the presence of those who had been his Murderers By this time I hope Mr. H. is satisfied of his Ignorance about points of such Importance as these are I wish with all my Soul that he were a Man of that meekness of Spirit which he ought to be so as to be willing to learn the truth as it

is in Jesus but I very much doubt it because he hath took no more notice of what Mr. Collins had told him but to persist in his Errors after he was detected so manifestly both by Scripture and strength of solid arguing And parcularly in the case of John's baptizing at Aenon near to Salem because there was much water And notwithstanding he was so sharply rebuked for contradicting the Spirit of God yet he goes on with a confidence not befitting a sincere Christian much less one that takes upon him to be a Guide to others I shall not therefore trouble the Reader with his foolish Repetitions having given a sufficient Answer to all that he hath said or can say about it but shall now take him to task for his abusive Language and scurrilous Reflections upon those who are better than himself And altho' he seems to glory in that which should have been his shame and will be if ever God please to open the Eyes of his Understanding so as to bring him to the knowledge of the truth by putting of it in the front of his Book yet I have chosen that last as being to me an unpleasant and strange Work CHAP. VI. Being an Account of what is contained in his first Chapter pag. 11. concerning his Calumnies against the Baptists HIs first Chapter is a piece of shameful scandalous Railery not fit to be committed to the Press but remembring the Saying of the wise Man Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit I have thought fit to give some Answer altho' I expect nothing but unsuitable returns from Mr. H. for my kindness but it may thro' the blessing of God be of use to others Anabaptism saith he is but of yesterday and all the Antiquity it can lay claim to is not two hundred years the first Anabaptist in the World being one Nicholas Stock or Stork a German and a blasphemous Heretick who about the Year 1521. or 1522. began to disgorge his malice against the baptizing of Infants and that dipping was the only way of baptizing Now suppose this should not be true how finely were the World fitted with such an Author That it is not true I thus prove 1. That there were Persons in the World of our Perswasion more than 1600 Years agoe I have already proved John who dipped our Saviour and many others that this Holy Prophet was a blasphemous Heretick will be hard for him to prove Christ himself commanded Believers to be baptized and his Apostles practised it in Obedience thereunto I hope these were not also blasphemous Hereticks 2. I can prove and that by an Imperial Edict that was issued forth against them by that name That in the time of Theodosius and Honorius Anno 413. they were in that called Anabaptists intending thereby such who maintained the same Opinions with the Baptists in this Age and this is above 1200 years agoe See the Bloody Theater c. The same Author gives an account of divers of them that in every Age have been in the same profession of Baptism as we are and who have suffered for that cause in every Century from the time of Christ until now That you may have a small Tast of their cruel usage I will give you the words of one Edict against them in the Reign of the Emperour Charles the fifth Anno 1535. That all those who had been baptized in their Infancy if they should afterwards be baptized again upon their profession of Repentance and Faith that you punish them with cruel deaths c. I hope this is enough to stop this clamour against us But if I were minded to give him Lex talionis I might tell him that Presbytery hath no more ancient date than about the time he mentions for I take Calvin to be the first Founder of their Sect. He ought therefore to blot out Stock if there ever was such a Man and put in Calvin that bloody Persecutor who burnt Servetus alive meerly for some difference in Opinion about matters of Religion and yet this is the Man you reverence and adore But he hath not done with him yet for saith he in the Carkass of this unclean Beast was bred a multitude of stinging Insects such as Muncer Matthias Kniperdoling John of Leyden Michael Servetus John Hut David George Socinus c. I may very fairly deny some of these Men to be admitted for among others I never yet knew Socinus to be reckoned an Anabaptist as he calls them Now because John of Leyden is the man that at every turn our Enemies take occasion to upbraid us with I shall take this occasion to give you the true History of that Action as I find it recorded in that famous History written by Tileman Jan Van Braght Printed at Amsterdam Anno 1685. Entituled The Bloody Theatre or The Martyrs Mirrour of the Baptists Perswasion c. Wherein is contained an Historical Description collected out of divers Authentick Chronicles Memoirs and Testimonies of those Holy Martyrs of the Baptists Perswasion that have suffered for the Cause of Baptism in particular or for the Testimony of Christ in general in every Century from the time of Christ until now As also concerning Holy Baptism it self with an account of those that have been found in the Faith and Practice thereof from the beginning of the Gospel unto this Age. So that here is a constant Succession of those of our Perswasion proved from Authentick Testimonies which no other Protestants can produce for themselves and the practice of their Churches wherein they differ from us And for Presbytery themselves know it is but of yesterday Calvin being the first Founder of it who lived but in the last Century He reports the matter thus That those destructive and wicked practices that were acted at Munster about the Year 1534. cannot according to truth be charged upon the Baptists because they themselves were innocent and thro' fear did fly from those ravenous birds of Prey leaving their Goods behind them and hid themselves in Rocks and Hollow Trees and were necessitated to keep themselves conceal'd in Holes and private Places during that time But it must be charged upon the Score of some Lutheran Ministers c. The truth therefore of the matter as we find it in the Writings of divers credible Authors stands thus Anno 1532. One Bernard Rotman a Lutheran Preacher at Munster in the Church of St. Maurice began to preach against the Popish Doctrines which the Papists being informed of they prevailed with him for a Summ of Money to depart But having repented himself thereof after some Months he returned again and having given Notice before-hand to divers principal Inhabitants of the City of Munster he had a Pulpit erected for him in the Portal of the Church and fought also to have the Church opened for the greater promoting of his Doctrine and withal told them if it were not granted he would procure it to be done by