THE Foundation OF THE Font DISCOVERED To the view of all that desire to behold it AND The baptizing of Men and Women when they believe in rivers and fountains proved to be a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ to the end of the world By plain Scripture-proof In Answer To Mr. Cook 's Font uncovered for Infant-baptism And To Mr. Baxter's Plain Scripture-proof for Infants Church-membership and Baptism With a word sometimes upon occasion to Mr. Hall's Font-guarded which is more fully answered by Thomas Collyer BY HENRY HAGGAR A servant of Christ and the Congregations of his Saints And they were all baptized of John in the river of Jordan confessing their sins Mark 1.5 And whom they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Acts 8.12 And John also was baptizing in Enon neer to Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized Joh. 3.23 And the eunuch said See here is water what hinders me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest c. Act. 8.36 37. London Printed for Giles Calvert at the black Spread-eagle at the west-end of Pauls 1653. To the Reader Courteous Reader BY this I give thee to understand that I should not have troubled thy patience with these ensuing lines knowing there are so many books extant but that many whose judgements are not rightly informed in the truth would still have thought as they have many times said that the things which I here write against are not nor cannot be answered although they were answered even before they came forth both by the holy Scriptures which they seem to lean upon and also by other mens writings gathered out of the Scriptures yet a great number of men remain very confident that these books viz Mr. Cooks Font uncovered for Infant-baptisme and Mr. Baxters Plain Scripture-proof for Infants Church-membership and baptism do still remain unanswered unanswerable For which cause I thought my self in conscience bound being also concerned in one book by name and challenged to answer to use the talent that God hath given me for his glory the vindication of his truth and people and also for the good of those which as yet are not the people of God that so I may remove the reproaches and slanders cast upon my self and others falsly for the truths sake and take away those stumbling-blocks which are laid before those which as yet walk in darkness and know not whereat they stumble because the God of this world hath blinded their eyes so by setting their Faith in the wisdome of men and not in the power of God that the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ doth not yet shine into their hearts neither do they believe what is written in the holy Scriptures for their instructions but do turn aside their eares from the truth and are turned unto Fâ—bles 2 Tim. 4.4 therefore I have resolved in the strength and wisdome of the Lord once more to present my self publickly in Print to the view of all men whether friends or enemies not questioning the courteous loving acceptance of the one nor fearing the subtilty and malice of the other but do earnestly desire the good and happiness of all being also fully assured that the Lord will not fail me of a blessing upon these my weak endeavours for he dispiseth not the day of small things Furthermore I give thee to understand that the persons I have to deal with in particular are two viz. Mr. Cook and Mr. Baxter as aforesaid their volumes together no less then sixty two sheets therefore let not the Reader think me too tedious in eighteen sheets neither let any think me too short for these following reasons 1. Because in their writings there is abundance of superfluous words by which they darken the counsel of God and labour to subvert them that read and hear them but we are commanded to lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and to receive the ingrafted word of God which is able to save our souls James 1.21 2. Because in the multitude of words there wants no sin Prov. 10.19 therefore I shall take heed of using any more then need 3. Large Volumes are in danger never to be read over because some will not and others are poor and cannot spare time or money for them 4. Because I am commanded not to answer a fool according to his foolishness lest I be like him Prov. 26.4 Now if these men have spoken many words wherein there wants no sin and have not consented to wholsome words even the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness then they are fools knowing nothing as they ought to know 1 Tim. 6.3 4. but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envie strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth supposing that gain viz. an hundred or two a year is godliness from such we are commanded to turne away and withdraw our selves therefore none can justly take exception at these words for if it doth appear still when the Reader hath perused my lines that there is no folly in their words then my folly will returne upon my self and they and their cause will be exalted Thus have you the reasons why I will be as brief as may be And if any shall say that I have been so briefe that I have not answered the matter I took in hand I answer to all my Antagonists It s the better for them if I come short of a full answer and they will have the greater advantage against me and let them take it and spare not therefore I desire all whom it may concern to read and consider wisely and try it by the holy Scriptures of truth judge impartially asking the Lord for wisdome to discerne between things which differ and the Lord give you all understanding in all things that concern his glory and your comfort which is and shall be the prayer of me his unworthy servant who desires to remain to the utmost of my power Yours in the service of Christ Jesus my Lord till death Henry Haggar The Method and Order of this Book is a followeth 1. I Shall shew what foundation the Saints ought to build upon 2. I shall discover the foundation of the Font and shew whence and how it came to be in use and that by the confession of those which make use of it 3. Concerning Infant-baptism I shall shew whence it came and by whom it was brought into the Church 4. I shall answer to the beginning of Mr. Cooks Book and to Mr. Baxters 10 Positions upon which himself saith his whole Book standeth and without which he confesseth it caneot be understood in his 3 pag. 5. I shall answer in general to their Arguments about Infants Church-membership and
us that we are such as the Apostle speaks of when he saith The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfeigned from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling desiring to be teachers of the Law understanding not what they say nor whereof they affirm and here you think you hit us home Answ Sir I must confess now you have catched us out of our Element and in your own for we know you are scholars and have learned to contend about words to no profit which tends to the subverting of the hearers but be it as it will Seeing we erred in saying we affirm a Negative we will either confess our errour or else shew you a president which may justifie us in our practice Rom. 3.12 Paul saith There is none that doth good no not one here Paul affirmeth a Negative saying There is none for there is is an Affirmative therefore if you had been by him you might have taught him to have said I deny that any doth good no not one and then he had spoke as like a scholar as your self Again Isa 45.5 the Lord saith by the Prophet I am the Lord and there is no God besides me now Sir if you dare presume to be a teacher here it should have been thus I deny that any God is but my self And I pray shew us the word negative in the Scripture if you can Lastly to conclude Job 1.20 When they sent to John to know who he was the Scripture saith He denyed not I pray observe if he denyed not then he affirmed and what did he affirm Answ He said I am not the Christ here John affirmed a negative confessing and saying I am not c. now that I am is to affirm is evident for vers 23 he saith I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness c. And now let me shew poor souls the mystery of Mr. Cooks iniquity about the affirming a negative 1 The word negative is not to be found in all the Bible but hatched up in the schools and now is nursed by them and grown to such a stature that none must say they affirm a negative without great dishonour amongst them and yet to affirm is but to say a thing is so and to deny is also to say a thing is not so As if I should say or affirm when the Sun shines it is day and when it is down I should say or affirm it is night all honest men will understand me without prejudice Again that man that saith he will prove a Negative is among scholars much derided because they stand upon punctilioes but yet the thing may be honestly done thus If I say I will prove a man is not alive if I shew others that he is dead do not I prove he is not alive Again if I affirm or say a man is not in his house if I go and shew others his house and he is not in it do not I prove he is not in it and so prove a negative viz. that he is not there c. And now seeing you will make us offenders for a word may not we justly say that you are one of those the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 6.3.4 in these words If any teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine that is according to godliness he is proud and knoweth nothing doting about Questions and strife of words whereof cometh envies strifes railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth supposing gain to be godliness c. And now do not you doat about words viz. the affirmative and negative whereby you gender envie strife c. And do not you count gain godlinese viz. an hundred or two hundred a yeer for Preaching and Baptizing Infants and rather then you will part with it you do dispute perversly like a man of a corrupt minde destitute of the truth as it is in Jesus I beseech you in the fear of God consider it And know also that although we have affirmed a Negative yet you cannot justly apply that Scripture to us 1 Tim. l. 5 6 7. because we desire not to be teachers of the Law and therefore Mr. Baxter saith we are Antinomians and deny the Law But I answer Both you and he desire to be teachers of the Law witness your running to Moses to prove Baptism of Infants and Church membership from Circumcision and the Old Covenant that was faulty and therefore done away Heb. 8.7 and another to be established upon better promises vers 6. and in this I am sure you nor Mr. Baxter know not what you say nor whereof you affirm therefore take the Scripture wholly to your selves and consider it well And thus Mr. Cook I shall at present take leave of you for a time and apply my self to Mr. Baxter Sir in the first place to your Positions in the first of which p. 3 you say thus It hath pleased the holy Ghost to speak of some things in the Scriptures more fully and of others more sparingly and where God spake more sparingly the thing must needs be more difficult and yet truth still Answ But he never speaks of Infants Baptism in all the Scripture neither fully not sparingly therefore none of his Truth nor ever was But you instance in four particulars but that which is pertinent to the matter in hand is your fourth wherein you say The New Testament speaketh more sparingly of that which is more discovered in the Old and say you what need the same thing to be done twice except men should question the authority of the Old and if God should reveal his minde in one part of the Scripture what use should we make of the other Therefore say you how silent is the New Testament concerning a Christian Magistracie which made the Anabaptists of old deny it And say you further Where finde you a Christian in the New Testament that exercised the place of a King or Parliament-man or Justice of Peace or the like And so of an Oath before a Magistrate of war and of the Sabbath how sparing is the New Testament and why say you because it is said enough in the Old To all which I answer You have spoken many words to no purpose except it be to deceive the hearts of the simple for whereas you say That which is spoken on in the Old Testament need not be spoken of again I answer Infants baptism is nowhere spoken of neither in the Old nor New Testament therefore you ought not for shame to speak of it 2. As for your saying Where finde we a Christian Magistrate in the New Testament I answer Surely you have forgotten the Deputy that was turned to the faith by Paul Act. 13.12 Sergins Paulm by name Likewise the Eunuch a man of great authority under Candace Queen of the Ethiopians who had the charge of
them and said Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children you shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Child the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven Observe He doth not say that the little Child was or should be greatest in the Kingdome of heaven but whosoever of his Disciples did humble themselves as this little Child the same is greatest c.. And then saith he vers 5. Whoso shall receive one such little Child in my name receiveth me Thus it is plain and clear as the mouth of the Lord himself hath spoken it what children he would have received as Disciples in his name not little children of a few dayes old that can neither speak nor understand but such as humble themselves and are converted from their sins and become as little children But some will say How do you mean they should become as little children Answ I mean as Christ in this place that they should be humbled and converted and as Paul meaneth 1 Cor. 14.20 that they should become Children in malice but in understanding be ye men and as Peter meaneth 1 Pet. 2.1 that men should Lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings and as new-borne Babes desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby and whosoever shall receive one such little one as a Disciple in the name of Christ receiveth me saith Christ bur whoso shall offend one of these little ones that believe in him it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Mat. 18.5.6 Again if we shall understand that little Children are believers in this place then it followeth that whosoever is a believer and chastiseth his son betimes as Solomon adviseth It were better for him to have a milstone hanged about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the Sea for certain we are that whosoever correcteth his Child will offend him And thus you see the absurdity which will follow Thus having answered all his Arguments or rather Cavils that have any weight in them or colour upon them I leave it to the wise to judge and proceed to prove that little children that can neither speak nor understand are not nor cannot be Christs Disciples And having proved already both by Scripture and reason that Disciples of Christ are such as are capable of the teachings of Christ I go to my second Argument Argument II. My second Argument is from John 8.31 32. in these words Then said Jesus to those Jewes which believed on him If you continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and that shall make you free But little Children that can neither speak nor understand cannot abide in the words of Christ for they know not what they are neither can they be made free by knowing the truth for they know nothing at all of it Therefore such little Children are not Christs Disciples indeed Argument III. My third Argument is from John 15.8 in these words Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit So shall ye be my Disciples whence I argue thus If the Disciples of Christ be such as must bring forth much fruit to the glory of God and so be his Disciples then little Infants that cannot bring forth much fruit are not his Disciples But the Disciples are such Therefore Argument IIII. My fourth Argument is from John 13.34 35. in these words A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples c. from whence I argue thus If this be the mark that Christ hath given to all men to know his Disciples by namely if they love one another as he hath loved them then no man can know little Infants that can neither speak nor understand to be the Disciples of Christ because they cannot so love one another as Christ hath loved them neither do they know it is their duty But by this shall all men know Christs Disciples Therefore little Babes cannot be known to be his Disciples Argument V. My fifth Argument is from Luke 26. compared with Mark 13.37 Watch and pray alwaies that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of man And what I say unto you I say unto all Watch. But little Children that can neither speak nor understand cannot watch and pray as Christ commanded all his Disciples neither doth God require it of them Therefore none of Christs Disciples Argument VI. My sixth Argument is from Mat. 13.10 11. in these words And the Disciples came and said unto him Why speakest thou unto them in Parables He answered and said unto them Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome but to others it is not given From whence I argue thus If the Disciples of Christ be such as it is given unto to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven then little children that do not know the mysteries of the Kingdom are not his Disciples But it is given to the Disciples of Christ to know the mysteries of the Kingdome and that 's their priviledge Therefore little Children that do not know them are not his Disciples Thus far I have gone to prove that infants that can neither speak nor understand are not Christs Disciples and now it followeth that they cannot be his Disciples the which I prove by my seventh Argument Argument VII My seventh Argument by which I prove that Infants cannot be Christs disciples is from the same Text Matth. 13.11 To you it is given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom but to others it is not given From whence I argue thus If it be given to none but the disciples of Christ to know the mysteries of his kingdom then children to whom it is not given cannot at that present be Christs disciples But it is given to none but the disciples of Christ to know the mysteries of the kingdom for to others it is not given vers 11. Therefore children to whom it is not given cannot be Christs disciples But I remember Mr. Baxter said If God call children Servants why may not we call them disciples Now it may be he will object here and say If Christ say that little children are of the kingdom of heaven Why may not we say they understand the mysteries of the kingdom I answer The cause is plain all children that are free-born subjects in a kingdom are of that kingdom and belong to that kingdom and may enjoy all the priviledges in that kingdom so far as little children need to enjoy but yet none of them know the mysteries of the Government and Order of that kingdom nor the Rights
reign upon a multitude of persons in London or elsewhere that never were dipped in cold water let him or any man deny if they can Now if Mr. Baxter do know none of his own knowledg that have perished or are like to perish by dipping by any of his aforesaid strange diseases and is also convinced in conscience that thousands in the Nation do dye of them that were never dipped in cold water then let all impartial people judge whether Mr. Baxter be a good tree by the fruit he bringeth forth If his intentions seem in his owne eyes to be good and that he aymeth hereby to undelude some souls and keep others from being deluded yet he must needs be one of those Paul speaks of in Rom. 3.8 which do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just The next thing Mr. Baxter speaks of is Mr. Tombes his salving up all this with saying that they may be baptized in warm water I answer I am not of his Judgement in that for I believe it s his weakness But then Mr. Baxter saith we cannot agree among our selves and therefore people have no reason to believe us I answer We do not desire people to believe us if we did agree never so well but to search the Scripture to see whether the things we speak be so or no like the noble Bereans Acts 17.11 and therefore to believe we would not have them hanged out of the way because they believe not us as Mr Baxter would have us because we believe not him but we know the Wheat and Tares must grow together in the field which is the world until the harvest according to the commandment of Christ 2. What if we do not agree together in every thing doth it follow therefore that the truth must not be believed and practised I hope not for its easie to prove that the Disciples of Christ in the first Churches did differ in their judgements although it was not their wisdome nor yet to the glory of God when one was of Paul and another of Apollo and another of Cephas and another of Christ 1 Cor. 1.12 c. and I believe that Paul and Barnabas were not of one minde when the contention grew so sharp between them that they parted and walked no more together Acts 15.39 and likewise Paul and Peter when Paul withstood him to the face 3. It is no marvel he telleth us of this because Mr. Baxter and his brethren the Ministers of England agree so well doth not one hold for baptisme with the sign of the Cross and another against it for Baptism in a Font and another in a Bason one for baptizing children of believers onely and others for the baptizing of all one for Railes and bowing at the Altar and others against it one for the Common-prayer-book and others for the Scotch Directory nay do not they persecute one another to Prison Banishment even death it self sometimes If Mr. Baxters Argument be good then let all people take good heed how they believe him and his brethren and so I desire they may do however except they bring plainer Scripture-proofes then Mr. Baxter hath done in his book for Infants Church-member-ship and baptisme The next remarkable thing of Mr. Baxter is denying of dipping of believers to be the custome of the Church in the primitive times and he is not ashamed to give the Scripture the lye before all men saying It is not proved by any Answ And why is it not proved I pray it may be because our Translators have not put the word Baptize into English and called it Dipping therefore he will not grant it but yet I question not the proving of it by the Scripture notwithstanding his subtil evasions of the truth saying They might well be said to go downe into the water because the country was mountainous To which I answer If this be all that Mr. Baxter have to prove it was not dipping in those dayes I think I have more to prove it was dipping and first I shall take what Mr. Baxter and his Brethren have granted me for Mr. Baxter in his 135. page saith the word signifieth as well to wash as to Dip so that by his owne words it signifies Dipping as well as Washing And in the Catechisme made by the learned of the Land when they question what is the outward form in baptisme their owne answer is Water wherein the person baptized is dipped c. thus much as Paul saith to the Atheniens Acts 17.28 their owne Poets confess From whence I argue thus If the word do signifie Dipping as well as Washing then they can no more blame us for practising dipping then we may blame them for practising washing Secondly If the word signifie Dipping and Washing one as well as another as Mr. Baxter and others say it doth then how are they to be blamed that do neither but onely sprinkle a few drops of water upon the face of a child for if the word signifie both Dipping and Washing and sprinkling be neither Dipping nor washing then they have deluded the People all this while and at leaft there quarters of the People of this Nation are still unbaptized And what an horrible thing is this that a whole Nation almost should thus be deceived by a company of learned self-seeking Men who profess themselves to be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and to teach others that they should not deceive and as yet have not taught themselves Thirdly If the word signifie both washing and dipping then it must needs be washing by dipping or wetting all over for who can wash a thing that is not wet As for Mr. Baxters objection that Christ saith Ye need not but wash the seet and ye are Clean every whit I answer If Christ had spoken that about baptisme as he did about washing the Disciples feet to teach them humility it had been a good proofe but he did not therefore it s none but for to shew their humility and make them clean every whit from pride the washing one anothers feet did shew it as well as if they had washed their whole Bodies but now Christ when he speaketh of baptizing believers Mar. 16.16 he doth not say He that believeth and is baptized on his Feet shall be saved every wit but He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and Philip and the Eunuch went both down into the water and he baptized him and not his feet only for then they should not have needed to have both gone down into the water Again If the word him or them includes the whole man or men as all that have understanding will confess it doth if they be not partial in this case then whole man or men and women were baptized of John in the River of Jordane confessing their sins and of Philip Acts 8.12 and the Scripture saith Mar. 1.10 that when Christ was baptized he came up out of the water which plainly sheweth that he
they were to make confession of at their baptism But that Christendom might encrease and be filled with the word of God the Church hath thought good for mortalities sake that the children of Christians should be timely baptized 20 Johannes Bohemius lib. 2. De gentium moribus saith In times past it was the custom to administer baptism alone to those that were instructed in the Faith and seven times in the week before Easter and Pentecost Catechised or asked questions and then upon Confession of their Faith they were baptized But afterwards when it was thought and adjudged needfull to everlasting life to be baptized it was ordained that new-born children should be baptized and that Godfathers or sureties were appointed who should make confession of their Faith and renounce the Devil in their behalf 21 Bilander de Trinitate Justinianus the Empererour ordained Novella institutione 144. That children should be admitted to haptism and those that are come to their full growth should be taught before they were baptized Thus have you it out of the mouths of their own Poets and by them confessed that baptizing of babes is Wili-worship which the Scripture saith shall all perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Col. 2.22 23. and thus having discovered the foundation of the Font and having shown whence and when and by whom Infant-baptism came in I shall leave it to the view of all and proceed to the next Now for better and more full satisfaction the book is suddainly to be reprinted and will be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls and is Entituled as followeth A very plain and well-grounded Treatise concerning Baptism Wherein is very cleerly shown and out of good grounds demonstrated that Baptism was instituted and ordained by the Lord Christ for those that believe and Repent and was so taught and used by his Apostles and observed and followed by the Primitive Church As also how that in process of time the baptism of children in stead of true Baptism was brought in and received and by divers Councels Popes and Emperours commanded to be observed Now we come to answer something to the beginning of Mr. Cooks book and to Mr. Baxters 10 Positions upon which himself confesseth his whole book standeth and without which it cannot be understood See his third page before he lay down his first Position But first I shall desire the Reader to take notice that after the truth of the Gospel had a long time been preached and publickly at Stafford both by my self and others who constantly affirmed according to the Scriptures that men and women when they believed in Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins were to be baptized into his name as in Mark 1.5 with Act. 8.12 is evident with ver 37. these things being preached in the presence of many people and some Ministers to the number of seven or eight at a time who stirred up the people to oppose it as indeed they did very much we desired them lovingly to bring their Teachers that they and we might reason about it before them the which the people were very confident they should have obtained but never could insomuch as I was carryed forth to declare my earnest desires in publick before some Priests and many people divers times thinking that then they could not in Civility have denyed it but yet we could never attain ours nor the peoples desires but they rather sought to satisfie them in private using divers Reasons and Arguments to perswade them to the contrary as if they were afraid to come to the light lest their deeds should be manifest as indeed we told the people at last we judged they were because they so much incensed the people against us privately and yet would never come to speak to our faces in the open Congregation although the honourable Governour Danvers did freely offer to engage himself that not the least wrong nor abuse should be offered them yet these men were in great fear where no fear was as it s written Psal 53.5 as appeareth by Mr. Cooks Epistle in his Font uncovered to the inhabitants of Stafford Notwithstanding we divers times offered them to reason with them twenty miles from Stafford as we have done since but it would never yet be received but rather paper-conference which for my part I was always against and was then although I was perswaded by the Governour and Captain James Brown to set my hand to that paper which was then sent them which did not exceed a quarter of a sheet to which they have answered seven sheets but to what purpose I shall leave it to the Reader to consider when he hath perused my following lines in answer to Mr. Cook and Mr. Baxter and first to Mr. Cooks Font uncovered Pag. 1. our words which he hath there put down are these You having avoided publike dispute by your selves so much prest for at first and since have rather desired paper-conference we to gratifie your desires therein have written these few lines hoping thereby to beget some discussion of the truth wherein we affirm that the baptism or sprinkling of infants whereby the national Churches of Spain England France and Rome are Constituted and from thence called Christians and Christendom is not the baptism or dipping of believers which Christ Jesus ordained and his Disciples practised for the right constituting of Churches under the Gospel whereby they rightly became and were truly called Christians To all which you begin to answer thus saying Cooks In this our stating the question divers things must be animadverted that we deceive not our selves and others through darkning the truth by words without knowledge for say you we take it for granted that you hold that by the baptizing or sprinkling of infants Churches are constituted but this you deny and proceed to affirm that 1 As Faith or interest in Christ or the Covenant of Grace constitutes a Christian so the joynt and orderly profession of faith and interest in that Covenant or Gods owning a people to be in his Covenant is that which constitutes them a Church 2 You say baptism is not essential to the constituting of a Church being but adventitious or additional as a sign or pledge of peoples entring or admission into the Church the penitent Thief on the cross was a true believer though unbaptized and a multitude of such penitent ones joyntly professing Christ should be a true Church though they wanted opportunity to be baptized c. 3 You tell us that the Church of England received its constitution in or anon after the Primitive times when by the Ministry of the word some were converted from heathenism to Christianity at which time you grnnt persons of yeers were baptized upon their profession of Repentance c. H. To all which I answer 1 It is to be observed that Mr. Cook can say nothing nor give any Answer in the least to our
her treasure who beleeved and was baptized by Philip Act. 8.27.37 38. and what say you to Erastus the Chamberlaine of the City Rom. 16.2 3. and likewise of those Saints of Caesars houshold Philip. 4.22 And for an Oath did you never read in the New-Testament Heb. 6.16 that an oath for confirmation is an end of all strife And for War did you never read Luke 3.14 that the souldiers came to John and asked what they should do and he did not bid them lay down their arms but be content with their wages and do violence to no man And did you never read of Cornelius a Censurion of the Italian band Act. 10. and doth not the Apostle Peter put us in mind to subject Magistrates 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Likewise Paul to Tit. ch 3.1 and 1 Tim. 2.1.2 and Rom. 13. Is not the Scripture full of these things and yet do you call for Scripture Surely you read so many other books that you forget to read the Scripture For I well remember in your third position you say that some 8 years agoe you had read some hundreds more then most of them you call Godly Christians and thought yourself as wise as most of them and some thought you wiser you say but it seems you are not yet wise enough to lay aside those hundreds of books and give your self wholly to read and study the Scriptures which are able to make you wise to Salvation if you were you would be better acquainted with the matter contained in them And thus I proceed to your second position finding your first so frothy and full of superfluous words In your second you say that The great difficulty of a point is no proof that it is not truth and a thing is not therefore to be rejected as not of God because it is not easie to understand You affirm also that multitudes of silly ignorants do the same In all which I shall not oppose you But your next considerable is this you say If a subtill Pagan should come amongst the people and dispute that the Scripture is not the word of God and that Christ Jesus is not the Son of God he would silence them more then the Anabaptist con do Answ Here Mr. Baxter makes himself very suspicious and his words very unsavory in that he rather sideth with Pagans and Atheists that deny both God and Christ and the holy Scriptures then with those which are falsely called Anabaptists though we honestly own God and Christ and the Scriptures and desire to plead nothing else for our practise for which cause he crieth out against us in his 10. position calling us brute beasts and nothing but because we call to him for Scripture for to prove his practice and yet now he makes as if the Atheists and Pagans had more to say for themselves then we all which I leave to God and the impartial Reader to judge Again Mr. Bextar speaks a great swelling word of vanity saying he will hazard all the reputation of his understanding on it that there is ten times more to be said for free-wil then can be said against Infants baptism yea it is twenty times more difficult and yet you offer to dispute it with any man and must it therefore be true say you Answ 1. Sir as for the reputation of your understanding I will not say what I judge its worth 2. If you had said there is ten times more to be said for free-will then is to be said for Infants baptism you had hit it right Lastly whereas you say free-will is such a difficult point I am not of your judgement in that for I beleive its easie to them that will understand to know that no man in himself or of himself without God hath any free-will or power to think or do that which is good for In him we live move and have our being Act. 17.28 in and through God that gives all men life and breath and all things to the end they may seek him Act. 17.25 26 27. Even the wickedest and Hypocrites the worst of men have a will and power to do more good then they do and that 's one cause of their just condemnation Moreover its evident that wicked Balaam had a will and desire to dy the death of the righteous and that his latter end might be like unto theirs Numb 23.10 And Paul saith plainly To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I know not Rom. 7.18 by all which it is evident that free-will is not such a difficult point as you would make it but it s an easie matter with you to call Light darkness and darkness light Isa 5.20 But I leave this at present and proceed to your fourth position wherein you say That if never so clear evidence of truth be produced yet it will still be dark to them that are uncapable of discerning it for its Gods work to make people understand And then you instance in the Author to the Heb. cap. 5.11 12 13 14. who had many things to say to them concerning Melchisedec which were hard to be uttered because their ears were dull of hearing Answ We grant you all this I That though there be never so cleer truth for a thing yet it will still be dark to some But however let us see some cleer evidence of truth first and shew where it s written that babes must be baptized and then if we do not believe it be it upon us We know it is Gods work to perswade the heart but its mans work to declare the truth by which the heart is perswaded The Apostle often preacht very plainly that men should Repent and be baptized but there were many that heard them which rejected their words though very plain as they are still upon record but you bring us no Scripture for what you affirm about Infant-baptism but call us unreasonable men and bruit beasts for requiring Scripture of you for your practice and yet you would bear the world in hand in this your Position that you have proved cleer evidence of truth for it but we will not believe it but I say once more shew us but where it s written in the word of God which alone is able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and then if we will not nor cannot believe it our blood be upon our selves but till you shew us something written we have nothing to believe As for your saying we had need study the controversie at least seven yeers I answer What Rule have you for that Did the three thousand in Act. 2.41 42. study this controversie seven yeers or seven days either Consider it again and those men and women Act. 8.12 that believed Philips preaching and were baptized and the Eunuch in the latter part of the chapter and Lydia and the Goaler Act. 16. and Crispus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue with his houshold and many of the Corinthians who did not
36 37 38. c. 10.47 c. 16.33 34. c. 18 8. therefore I pray let this custom be of weight to your self and do not baptize little babes that cannot believe nor understand what they do especially because you say there was weight in that Argument when Paul said We have no such custom nor the Churches of God Again you say that you can prove that Infants-baptism was used in the Church as high as to the Apostle as there be many sufficient histories extant inform us and that the deferring of baptism came in with the rest of Popery upon popish or heretical grounds Answ O Sir have I now found you out truly seeing I have I must not conceal your wickedness lest I become guilty with you of the blood of souls and therefore I do by this declare to all men that you are both a deceiver and a blasphemer the which charge I now come to prove I That you are a deceiver it is evident in that you have entituled your book Plain Scripture-proof for Infants Church-membership and baptism by which you perswade many hundred souls that there is plain Scripture indeed in the Bible for Infants-baptism when there is no such thing but your self confess in your 9 Position that your proof is from some histories extant which you judge sufficient O that poor ignorant souls would but see and consider your cunning craftiness wherewith you lye in wait to deceive them before it be too late 2 That you are a blasphemer is plain if the Scriptures may be heard to speak for you say deferring of baptism came in with the rest of Popery Answ But Sir do you not know that our glorious Lord Jesus Christ deferred his baptism till he was thirty yeers of age Luke 3.21 22 23. and yet he was the child of believing parents I think you dare not deny And now do you not see your wickedness in affirming that deferring of baptism came in with the rest of Popery or do you think wickedly that Christ brought in any part of popery take heed Again doth not the Commission of Christ defer baptism till believing Mark 16.15 16. saying He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and doth not Philip defer baptism upon the same account to the Eunuch Act. 8.36 37. when the Eunuch said to him See here is water what hinders me to be baptized Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest shewing by these words plainly that if he did not believe it was to be deferred and that unbelief would hinder And thus is your folly made manifest though I fear you will not see it but however I leave it to the consideration of all rational men desiting that the Lord will give them wisdom to consider how you delude poor souls by this means perswading them that there is very plain Scripture for infants-baptism when at last you confess there is none but some histories which you judge sufficient and thus have you made proselytes and when they are made they are sevenfold more the children of Satan then they were before for before they were forced in their non-age to receive the mark of the beast spoken of Rev. 19.20 which was not received by a few despised people as you say the Anabaptists are but he caused all both free and bond rich and poor small and great to receive it yea and that none may buy or sell save he that had the mark c. See Rev. 13.16 17. and this is most properly applyed to you for there is never a small child in the Nation if it were but eight days old but you would look it should be Rantized and in that receive the mark on its forehead namely to be signed with the sign of the cross in token c. and this was so universal throughout England that if any did but stand up to oppose it they must neither buy nor sell amongst you but must be imprisoned banished or hanged So that all both rich and poor free and bond small and great were glad to be and suffer their children to be baptized or rather Rantized or else they could not be suffered to live for to buy and sell amongst you to get a livelihood And thus I have presented you a glass to look in that you may behold what manner of persons you are Again its impossible that you should apply these Scriptures to those you call Anabaptists because now they have their liberty to declare their minde freely they do not desire small and great to receive the mark of baptism which they practise but onely great ones which can understand what they do and give a resson thereof even as we read Act. 2.41 They that gladly received the word were baptized and added to them c. and Act. 8.12 when they believed Philips preaching they were baptized both men and women And Act. 11.8 Crispus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized And thus you may sue that the more we do look in the glass of the Gospel which is the perfect Law of liberty to them that fear God Jam. 2.12 the more we see our selves conformable to the image of Christ and walking according to the Primitive pattern and we are so far from compelling rich and poor that we would have neither rich nor poor to be baptized until they believe the truth of the Gospel and amend their lives and can give an account thereof to those that ask them a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness Again you say Position 10. Evident Consequences or Arguments drawn by Reason from Scripture are as true proof as the very express words of a Text and if we have the words without the meaning and reason we have no proof at all for the devil used the words of the Scripture to Christ To all which I answer As for your saying that Consequences or Arguments drawn from Scripture are as true proofs as Scripture this is but one of your untruths for most certain it is that what the Scripture saith we need not prove by Consequence for that would be but darkening the Counsel of God by words without knowledge as for example Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and earth now what need you prove this by Consequence again ver 3. God said Let there be light and there was light And what can any Consequence do in this case And again ver 7.8 And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament and it was so And this I do believe without any Consequence and if you will deny it because it is plain Scripture without any Consequence you may if you please but your folly will be manifest as it is to me already When you say if we have the word without the meaning and reason we have no proof at all I answer
am sure I have Christ my Judge on my side for this Thus you may see and consider how like your forefather Doctor Story you speak and behave your self and to that end I have writ it and that the Reader may consider that even as these wicked Tyrants dealt with the poor Martyrs that suffered in Queen Maries days for that part of truth which they then saw in those times of ignorance and darkness even so would Mr. Baxter and his brethren deal with us now if they had but their liberty witness these words of Doctor Story compared with Mr. Baxters tenth Position by which it appeareth that they are children of one father whose works they do Joh. 8.44 And now whereas you say we disclaim Reason I answer It s but one of your false accusations we own all things written in the Scriptures of truth and they are better reason about heavenly matters then any you can bring for they are able to make us wise to salvation as aforesaid But now I come to the great invincible Argument of Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cook which is this saith Mr. Baxter Do you think the Lord Jesus knew a good Argument or the right way of disputing why how did he prove the Resurrection to the Sadduces from that Text I am the God of Abraham and Isaas and of Jasob would not one of these men if they had stood by have chiddeu Christ for this Argument and have said Give us a Text that says the dead shall Rise what 's this to the Resurrection that God is the God of Abraham would not these have reported abroad that Christ could not confute the Sadduces or bring any Scripture for his doctrine thus far Mr. Baxter the same saith Mr. Cook in his 24 and 25 pag. To all which I answer that the Lord Jesus knew a good Argument and the right way of disputing better then Mr. Baxter Mr. Cooke or my selfe or any man else I humbly confess to his praise and therefore I desire to make use of his words that he hath already spoken knowing that he hath reasoned and proved all things better then I can But Mr. Baxter although he confess for his own ends that the Lord Christ knew the best reasoning yet he is not content with his reason but adds to it these words in his 10 Position 1. If God be the God of Abraham then it will follow that Abraham in soul is living 2. This is not directly proved from this Text but another principle must be taken in to support it viz. That God is not the God of the dead but the living 3. If Abrahams soul be living then his body must needs be raised 4. If Abrahams body shall rise then there is a resurrection and others shall rise also To which I answer 1. Mr. Baxter in all these consequences that he hath drawn hath but darkened the councell of God spoken by the mouth of Christ 2. The resurrection is more plainly proved by the words of Christ without all his consequences as appeareth by the word of the Text Luk. 20.35 36 37. But they that shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dy any more for they are equall with Angells and are the Children of God being the Children of the resurrection Thus Christ himselfe in plaine terms hath proved the resurrection already speaking plainly of the happiness of those that shall obtaine the resurrection from the dead and then when he had done he concludes that the resurrection of the dead is so plain that even Moses shewed it at the Bush c. 3. Let Mr. Baxter prove if he can that Christ did draw any consequences from his owne words but left them barely as he spake them as sufficient proof without the help of any of Mr. Baxters consequences 4. If Christ had used never so many consequences to prove any thing yet his words were all Scripture and infallibly true So true that whosoever of Men or Angels should add to or take from it they were accursed But Mr. Baxters are none such therefore we weigh them not 5. Whereas Mr. Baxter is pleased to say If we had stood by we would have said to Christ Give us a Scripture that saith the dead shall rise I answer So Christ did give them two Scriptures though Mr. Baxter is so blind he cannot see them for he telleth us ver 35. of the world to come and the Resurrection from the dead in plaine tearms saying They which shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage And in ver 37. he saith that the dead are raised And we would have Mr. Baxter and all men know that we take all the sayings of Christ to be as good Scripture and of as great authority as any part of the Bible therefore now Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cooks folly and wickedness is manifest who would insinuate into peoples mindes that Christ did not bring Scripture to prove the resurrection of the dead but they must help him by their consequences But their deceit lieth in this namely in that they did conclude that because Christ did not bring some other Scripture that was written before to prove the resurrection therefore he proved it by consequence never minding that what he said was Scripture and what he approved of is approved and ought to be approved of all without murmurings or disputings But now to make their folly manifest I will reason with them another way and if they prove as plainely that Infants ought to be baptized as Chirst did there prove that the dead should rise they shall have it and I will confess my selfe in an errour And now to the matter 1. Mark 12.25 For when they shall rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage Now do you shew a Scripture that saith And when they shall baptize little Children they shall c. 2. Ver. 26. And as touching the dead that they rise have you not read c. Now do you produce such a Scripture if you can that saith And as touching little Children that they be baptized have you not read c. bring you but Scriptures that come but thus neer the matter and we will grant you Infant-baptisme but till then you are unreasonable in your reasoniags and while you accuse others you are guilty your selves Obj. It may be some will object and say that I will tie Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cooke to plaine Scripture but yet I have written many words in this Book my selfe that are not plaine Scripture Ans It s one thing for a man to use words to express himselfe to those that will not believe the Scriptures as they are written and it s another thing to bring the holy Scriptures to shew men a Rule to walk by and what their duty is in matters of faith and obedience We will
continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free And again cap. 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you and the word is able to save our souls Jam. 1.21 and the Lord will have respect to them that are of contrite spirits and tremble at his word Isa 66.2 but whose despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that regardeth the Commandment shall be rewarded Pro. 13.13 And thus its evident that if we run to the word for refuge we do wisely and are safe in so doing But as for Mr. Hall he hath never a word to run to for Infant-baptism as he himself confesses pag. 30. in his fifth Argument in these words In express terms so infants baptism is not commanded nor a thousand things more which get we are bound to observe I shall now conclude with shewing some undenyable Reasons why the word of God must beunderstood and obeyed as it is written without adding to or taking from 1 Because God did never without words make known his minde to the sons of men therefore we read that God at sundry times in divers manners spake to our fathers by the Prophets but now in these last days he hath spoken by his own son c. Heb. 1.12 2 By words the minde of God is compleatly made known so that to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.12 13. 3 Because Christ blames men for erring from the Scriptures saying You erre because you know not the Scriptures Mark 12.24 4 Because we are commanded to hear the words of Christ in all things what soever he shall say unto us Act. 3.22 5 Because they that consent not to wholsom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to godliness are proud or fools knowing nothing 1 Tim. 6.3 4. 6 Because the Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation through faith in Jesus and to make the man of God perfect and throughly to furnish us to all good works 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 7 Because when Paul left the Church in a dangerous condition because of deceivers he committed them to God and to the word of his grace affirming it is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified 8 Because if men or Angels shall preach any other Gospel then what is already preached they shall be accursed Gal. 1.8.9 9 Because those that preach are commanded to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.12 and not their own words 10 Because Christ will judge all men by his words that he hath spoken in the last day and then they which do add to his word he will add to them all the plagues written and those that diminish from it he will take their names out of the book of life and their part out of the holy City and he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God and obey not his holy Gospel Joh. 12.48 Rev. 22.18 19. 2 Thef 2.7 8 9. Lastly I shall propound these following Queries with a desire to have them answered by any who will or can 1 Whether God doth require the sons of men to believe any thing in point of Justification that is not recorded in the holy Scriptures of truth 2 Whether God doth require or command us to obey any thing after believing which is not contained in the word of truth 3 Whether the Saints have any ground to believe the Resurrection from the dead and eternal life in glory but as it is recorded in Scripture 4 Whether if a man believe and obey all the known precepts and promises contained in the word of God as much as in him lyeth will God condemn and punish him at the great day because he hath believed and done no more 5 If the Scriptures be not a perfect rule of faith and obedience without the help of any mans inventions what is Or who may we trust or at whose mouth must we seek wisdom 6 If the Scriptures ought to be believed and obeyed as they are written then how dare some deny faith in and obedience to some part of them and impose things not written in the Scriptures to be obeyed in stead of the ordinances of Christ 7 Whether there be any sin or corruption incident to man that the Scriptures doth not reprove and make manifest in express terms 8 Whether there be any vertue or praise in any thing that the best of men ever did but what is expresly commanded or commended in the Scriptures of truth 9 I appeal to every mans Conscience in the sight of God whether their Consciences do not condemn them when they walk contrary to what is written in the Scripture 10 Whether every mans Conscience do not justifie him when he walks according to what is contained in the word of God Now if all these Queries be granted as they are stated to be true then it followeth that those that teach and perswade men to do any thing in matter of Justification or salvation more or less then is plainly written and expressed in the word of God are such as do add to or take from what God hath spoken to the sons of men for instruction and are guilty of those plagues pronounced Rev. 22.18 19. but infants baptism is nowhere written nor expressed in all the Scriptures as Mr. Hall Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cook do confess therefore they and all they that plead for it are guilty of the plagues aforesaid except they repent And thus have I answeâ—â—d to Mr. Baxters ten Positions which he saith pag. 3. must necessarily be well understood before we can understand the point in hand So that the Reader must take notice that if these Positions be not well understood to be true then all the rest of his book cannot be understood to be true by his own confession For saith he If people be mistaken in that which goeth before no wonder if they deny the consequents or that which followeth after c. So that if I have fully answered these Positions I need say but little to the rest of the book All which I leave to the Reader to consider of But howsoever I shall not fail by the assistance of God to speak so much to the two first parts of his book as may undermine his building and lay it in the dust As for the last part of his book from the 162 page to the end himself confesseth that they are but such vain contendings as he is like to be guilty of and Mr. Tombs also as you may see in his Epistle to the Church at Bewdley towards the latter end Likewise Mr. Cooks Arguments being the same with his the substance of both tending to prove that infants are in Covenant and that they are
c. but this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my laws in their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God they shall be to me a people and they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest c. This is the new Covenat of grace Now that Children that cannot speak nor understand cannot be in it is evident by the following reasons 1. Because they that are in this Covenant have the Laws of God put in their minds and written in their hearts but little babes that cannot speak nor understand have not the Laws of God in their minds nor written in their hearts therefore they are not in this Covenant Now that such little Children are not in a capacity to know the mind and Laws of God is most plaine Isa 7.14 15 16. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel butter and hony shall he eat that he may know how to refuse the evil and chuse the good for before the child shall know how to refuse the evil and chuse the good the Land that thou abherrest shall be for saken of both her Kings Thus its evident that even the Lord Christ as he came in the flesh of the seed of David there was a time in which he was not capable of discerning between things which differ and therefore it is said againe that he grew and waxed strong in spirit and the grace of God was upon him Luke 2.40 And againe Jesus increased in wisedome and stature and in favour with God and man ver 52. From all which I conclude that if it were thus with the Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh as he was man much less do other Children understand the Laws of God in their non-age to have them written in their hearts and minds and therefore not in Covenant Obj. But it may be some for want of wisdome will object that upon this account Christ will be excluded the Covenant in his infancy Answ To which I answer Such people know not what they say for the Lord hath given him for a Covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles Isa 42 6. chap. 49 8. And he is the Mediator of the new Covenant Heb. 12.2.4 And his blood is the blood of the everlasting Covenant chap. 13.20 with Luke 22.40 And he is the seed to whom all the promises were made and in him they are yea and in him amen Gal. 3.15 with Cor. 1.20 and without him could be no Covenant of life and peace for he is the substance and life of the Covenant Therefore vain and foolish it would be for any man to make such an objection Again those that are in the new Covenant shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least Heb. 8.11 but little babes born of the flesh of a week or a month old cannot know the Lord for they know not their own parents nor their right hand from their left Jonah 4.11 therefore the Lord saith plainly that children are innocent yea the children of those which worship and do sacrifice to the devil Psal 106.37.38 in these words They sacrifice their sons and daughters to devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan therefore little babes though innocent are not nor cannot be in Covenant for that which is born of flesh is flesh but the new Covenant is a spiritual Covenant and they which enter into it must be born again for those that worship God must worship him in Spirit and in truth Joh. 4.24 Thus have I plainly proved that little babes that cannot speak words nor understand Reason cannot possibly be in the new Covenant Obj. But now followeth that great and unanswerable objection as Mr. Cook and Mr. Baxter supposeth which is this If children be not in Covenant they cannot be saved therefore saith Mr. Baxter in his 21 and 22 Arguments pag. 71 72. that Doctrine that leaveth us no sound grounded hope of the justification and salvation of any dying infants in the world is certainly false Doctrine But that Doctrine which denies any Infants to be members of the visible Church doth leave us no sound grounded hope of the justification and salvation of any Infants in the world therefore it is certainly false Doctrine The same saith Mr. Cook in his 13. Argument pag. 44. That Doctrine and practice is to be abhorred as most contrary to the Covenant of God which puts the Infants of Christians into the same condition with the children of Turks and Infidels and leaves them in the visible kingdom of the devil as no visible members of the Church c. But the Doctrine of the Anabaptists is such therefore to be abhorred To all which I answer first denying that any children are saved by vertue of visible Churth-membership or being in the Covenant as believers are and let Mr. Baxter Mr. Cook or any for them prove it by the Scriptures if they can Secondly I answer there is no difference between the children of believers and unbelievers in their non-age for the children of believers are but innocent when we make the best of them and the children of unbelievers also are innocent Psal 106.37 38. yea though their parents be such as worship and do sacrifice to the devil yet the Lord hath pronounced them innocent ver 38. saying They shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan Thus it is plainly proved by the word of the Lord that the children of the murtherers and Idolaters that worshipped and sacrificed to the devil as ver 37. were innocent and those that are innocent God will not destroy See Exed 23.7 with Job 22.30 and Prov. 6.16 17. Again there can be no difference between the children of believers and unbelievers because no such children have actual sin and the best of children of men have that which is called original sin viz. the sin that came by Adams transgression for which they must all dye and return to their dust even the best of Saints as well as the worst of sinners for it s appointed for all once to dye and after that cometh judgement but the Scripture doth not say that any shall be judged according to their original sin or condemned for Adams transgression but it saith They shall be judged according to their works Rev. 20.13 and that every one shall receive according to that he hath done in his body whether it be good or bad 1 Cor. 5.10 therefore no ground to fear the salvation of children dying in their non-age for although they must dye for Adams sin yet Christ is become their Resurrection and they have no actual sin to
generall in them but also such words as speak to every Saint in Christ and member in particular as the word all the Saints every Saint in Christ and every one of you and every branch in me c. But for example I shall give you one probable Argument from Mat. 18.15 16 17. in these words If thy Brother sin against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother if not then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it to the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee an Heathen man and a Publican From all which I argue thus First If it be the duty of Church-members to watch over one another and proceed in order according to this rule then they must be such as understand this rule But little babes of 8 daies weeks or months old cannot understand this rule Therefore they cannot be visible Church-members Secondly If it be the duty of Church-members to tell one another of their fault then they must be such as can both speak and judge what a fault is or else how can they tell one another of their faults But little Babes can neither speak nor judge in such cases Therefore they cannot be Church-members Thirdly If the faults of particular members in such cases may and must be brought before the whole Church for them to hear and judge then the whole Church ought to be such as can judge and likewise declare their minds But little Infants are not such Therefore no visible Church-members But it may be the objection against all this will be That this rule doth not reach or concern all Church-members because the word all or every one or whole Church is not found in the text But I shall leave it to the judgement of the wise that fear God and are worshipers of him in spirit and truth Many more such Arguments as this might be brought of which the time would fail to relate therefore I shall omit them and proceed to prove in opposition to Mr. Baxters and Mr. Cooks other Arguments that little Children that cannot speak words nor understand the Gospell if they hear it are not nor cannot be Christs Disciples Arguments I. My first Argument is from Mat 28.19 in these words Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit The plain English of which Mr. Baxter himself confesseth to be Go make Disciciples baptizing them c. From whence I argue thus If those Disciples which Christ commanded the Apostles to baptize must be first made so then they were not so born if they had they should not have need to be made so Again the word saith Teach all Nations or make Disciples saith Mr Baxter Whence I argue thus If make Disciples all Nations and teach all Nations be all one as Mr. Baxter affirms then it s clear that Disciples are made by preaching the word But Infants that cannot speak words nor understand earthly things if we tell them can much less understand the things of the Kingdom of Heaven declared by the preaching of the Gospell Therefore Here Mr. Baxter and I must have some discourse before we part a for he telleth us of divers waies to make Disciples besides teaching of them which in plain terms is to say There is divers waies to make Scholars besides or without teaching of them which to me is a Paradox Again Mr. Baxter being very willing to prove Infants Disciples saith page 22. line 1 2 3. that its enough to make them Disciples that they are devoted to learning if they live and that they are consecrated to Christ as their Master who can teach them hereafter So that he would prove them Disciples or Scholars first and have them taught afterwards strange doctrine and unheard-of Divinity the which lest any should object against he stoutly backs with a learned Argument as he would have it thus Is it not a common thing to call the whole Nation of Turks Mahometans old and young why then may we not call our selves and our Children Disciples of Christ And then he tells us another story of a man that hired a Philosopher to teach him and all his Children and were they not all then Disciples of that Philosopher Answ But is this Mr. Baxters plain Scripture-proof that he telleth us of in the title of his book I do much admire that a man prosessing so much seriousness in his matters and soundness in his judgement tenderness of conscience and zeal for truth as Mr. Baxter doth in his first chap. page 2 should so turn aside his ears from the truth of the word of God unto such fables as these as if he were resolved to make the Apostles words true upon himself 2 Tim. 4.3.4 which are these The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn aside their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables c. But let me a little speak to Mr. Baxter in his own language lest he be wise in his own conceit and think I cannot answer such learned Questions Suppose I should grant that little Children as soon as they go to Schoole and begin to learn their letters are Scholars doth it therefore follow that they are then fit to learn the things of God and be immediately nay long before that the Disciples of Christ I think not for the Lord Christ saith John 2.12 If I have told you earthly things and you beleive them not how shall you beleive if I tell you Heavenly But such Children that go newly to Schoole to learn their letters you may tell them of many earthly things that they cannot understand nor beleive at all Againe What if we grant Mr. Baxter that little Children are Scholars the first day they are sent to Schoole and having learned but the first letters This would make nothing for his purpose for do we ever know any man so idle and foolish and void of understanding as to send his Child to Schoole to learn its letters befor it could speak or understand would not Mr. Baxter himself say such a man were void of reason but Mr. Baxter doth affirn such to be Disciples of Christ and would have them sent to Chrits Schoole but if this be equity or godly wisdome let the godly wife consider and judge But Mr. Baxter would teach men by parallels and lay aside the word of God he might have made the comparison thus As little children the first day they go to Schoole to learn their letters are commonly called the Scholars and Disciples of Men even so those little Children or babes in Christ 1 John 5.21 the first
went first down into the water or else how could he come out of it and the Scripture saith John 3.23 that John baptized in Enon neer to Salem because there was much water there c. But Mr. Baxter hath given a learned answer to that Scripture viz. That Travellers report that the River Enon where John baptized is but a little Brook that a man may almost step over and that he had from some lying Traveller or other for the Proverb is that Travellers may ly by authority O fearfull wickedness and surely want of the fear of God and love to the truth of his word that a Divine a professed teacher of others should turn aside his eares from the truth of the Scripture that saith there was much water there and that was the cause that they carried there to baptize I say that he should turn aside his ears from such plain Scripture to believe a Man nay a travelling Man who are suspected of all Men to be lyers in many things A desperate afrront to the word of God which is true from the beginning Why may not Mr. Baxter as well believe Sir John Mandevil as well as another that telleth us of Men that are born with but one foot and yet go as fast with it as we can do with two and it is so big that in the heat of the day they can lay them down on their backs and hold up their foot against the Sun and it shades their whole Body and of other Men that have no head at all but their eyes and their mouth stand in their Brests This is Travellers news if Mr. Baxter will believe it and Sir John was to believed be for ought I know as soon as the Taveller that told Mr. Baxter that the River Enon was but a little Brooke that a man might almost step over But it s a good turn the almost is in but is this Mr. Baxters plain Scripture-proof Then the Lord be praised that hath delivered my Soul from believing of him and such as he is and let every poore Soul labour to save themselves as Peter saith Acts 2.40 out of the hands of such an untoward generation which speak things they ought not and believe Travellers reports rather then the truth of the word of God and all for filthy lucres sake But again What if we grant that the Travellers words are true will it therefore follow that the River Enon is no bigger in no place then it was where the Traveller could almost step over Are there not many Rivers in England that are very little in some places and yet in other places very large I cannot think but Mr. Baxter doth know that it is so and if so then Enon might have much water in another place though but a little where the Traveller was Further He saith the Jaylor in the night in his house was baptized but the Scripture saith that He tooke them the same hour of the night and washed their Stripes and was baptized he and all his straightway and then he brought them into his house and seâ— meat before them and rejoyced believing in God with all his house Now if the Jayler took Paul and Silas it implies they took them out and the next words prove it plainly for it saith He brought them into his house His next is this Mr. Baxter saith that we desperately conclude that if it be Gods way he will save our lives how probable soever the danger may seem to be to which he answereth four things 1. He saith this is to beg the question nay he saith he hath shewed and is a shewing that it is not Gods way Answ 1. If he hath shewed any thing already in these six Arguments which do prove baptizing of believers not to be Gods way I leave it to the Reader to judge when he hath considered his Arguments and my Answers and compared them both with the word of God by which we ought to try all things Againe He saith he hath shewed and is a shewing that it is not Gods way by which the Reader may take notice that Mr. Baxter is conscious to himself that he hath not yet proved it to any purpose and therefore he saith he is a shewing that it is not the way of God Answ Well then we will take notice how he proves it hereafter for by his owne confession it seems he hath not proved it yet 2. He saith God must not be temped This was the Devils trick to have drawn Christ under pretence of Scripture and of trusting God to have cast himself into danger of death Answ But therefore that way which the Devil tempted Christ to walk in was never the way of God but baptizing men and women when they do believe hath been and is the way of God Act. 8.12 Again whereas you say the Devil tempted Christ by pretending the Scripture I answer it is true he did so but there was no Scripture that said Cast thy self downe nor yet that said He shall keep thee at any time as I have shewed you already at large in answer to your tenth Position And so likewise when you tempt men and women to baptize their little children you also pretend Scripture but you have none that say they should or ought to be baptized nor any Scripture that sheweth that ever they were baptized in all the word of God and therefore I well remember how angry you are with us in your 10 Position for asking you for a Scripture to prove baptisme of Infants calling of us bruit beasts c. Therefore whose practice is most like the tempters yours or ours I leave it to the impartial Reader to judge 3. You say we might have said to the Disciples That if it were Gods command to keep the Sabbath then they needed not to rub the ears of corne for God could sustain them without Answ So we might if it had been Gods command so to keep the Sabbath as not to eat on the Sabbath day but it was not for they might eat and did eat on the Sabbath dayes Exod. 16.22 23 24 25. although they were not to kindle files to bake or seeth or rost on that day and therefore this your Objection is worth nothing for there is both command and example to baptize men and women when they believe all the world over See Matth. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 16. with Act. 10.48 and chap. 8.12 but there is no command nor example to compel or perswade men to fast on the Sabbath day more then of another day therefore your Argument is frothy and vain 4. You say If it were a Duty yet when it is inconsistent with a greater duty it is at any time sinful for it is alwaies a sin to prefer a less duty before a greater But the duty of self-preservation is a moral duty and baptizing is but positive therefore it is a sin to prefer it before self-preservation Answ Now I hope Mr. Baxter hath laid himself open to
And we know very well that the poor Anabaptists had rich and potent Enemies wrote the stories against them for by Mr. Baxters own confession pag. 140 and 141. Zuinglius was constrained to dispute and try his strength with the poor Anabaptists and when he could not stop their mouths he had the help of the Senate who imprisoned banished and put them to death such Arguments I confess as neither Paul nor Peter nor John could answer but were forced to yeeld to them and suffer as Hereticks pestilent Fellows movers of Sedition and ringleaders of Sects see Acts 24.5 and so were these Anabaptists served at Germany for Mr. Baxter saith pag. 140. They did not suffer as Anabaptists but as men perjured disobedient and seditious and so I thought indeed for as there is no such way to have a silly sheep worried and torn in pieces as to put on a Bears skin on the top of him so these learned Divines as they call themselves know very well that the only way to have the Anabaptists prisoned or banished or hanged is to cloth them with all the filthy names and reproaches they can devise and then all people will be ready to stone them for alass they think whatsoever their Preists and Teachers say must needs be true or if any should question it he is presently suspected to be an Heretick amongst the rest And this is Mr. Baxters way pag. 136. he would by Logick prove that we are guilty of the breach of the sixth Commandement because we dip men in water and then he cries out to the Magistrate to hang us up as soon as high way-murderers and this is and hath been the practice of their fore-Fathers in the Prophets times and Christ and the Apostles Lastly You tell us that Calvin wrote a Book against them very well then it seems Zuinglius disputed with them and rendered them odious to the Magistrate and cast out their name as filth for the Son Mans sake as you do ours now Luke 6. and so the Magistrate prisoned and banished and hanged them and when they were dead and laid in their Graves Calvin falls a writing against them when he was sure they were past answering for themselves but Mr. Baxter I write to you and Mr. Hall and Mr. Cook while you are alive and may answer for your selves therefore I expect an answer from you if you have any thing to say according to truth or else you may forbear But now to Calvins Letter wherein you say pag. 141. he sheweth that the Anabaptists are divided into two sorts one of which did boast of Scripture and pleaded Scripture with great confidence for all they held Answ If they boasted of the holy Scriptures they boasted of no evil but of that which is good which we ought to make our boast of and to rejoyee in for Paul saith 2 Cor. 11.10 As the truth of Christ is in me no man can stop me of this boasting c. and in God we will boast all the day long and praise his name for ever Psa 44.8 and if you would boast of them more then you do it would be better for you But you say further they pleaded Scripture with confidence for all they held Answ I wonder Calvin and you were not ashamed to speak of these things what doth it displease you to hear men plead Scripture for what they hold are you such enemies to the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise to salvation then take heed lest while you boast your selves to be wise without them or above what is written you become not fools for the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are but vain and takes the wise in their own craftiness therefore let no man boast nor glory in man but in God and his word See 1 Cor. 3.19 20 21. but Mr. Hall and you have found out a way beyond the Scripture affirming that there are a thousand things not written in the word of God which you ought to obey to which you have a large answer to your tenth Position But to conclude this point if that be the worst you and Calvin can say of those Anbaptists namely that they made their boast of the Scripture and pleaded Scripture for all they held I shall not be ashamed to owne them for Christians before all men And as for your other sort you talk of which are above Scripture and confound all things good and bad God and Satan together I and all that own Scriptures do deny and defie them and their wayes as abominable and detestable and you do very wickedly to call them Anabaptists thereby to cast odiums upon us for your self confess pag. 141. that Calvin calls them Libertines and why then I pray are you so wicked and malicious as to call them Anabaptists I suppose all men that are impartial and rational will see your folly and wickedness for in the conclusion of all you would heap all their wickedness upon our heads pag. 142. saying No man can shew you one man of the Anabaptists that is not tainted with some of these foresaid wickednesses Answ If any one of us should say we never were lyers then we should be still lyers like your self for all men are lyers or have been and there is none righteous no not one but all are gone out of the way and with their tongues have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips their mouth ful of cursing and bitterness and their feet swift to shed blood See Rom. 3.10 11 12 13 14 15. and so are yours Mr. Baxter or else you would never perswade the Magistrates to hang up the Anbaptists as well as highway-murderers page 136. but this I confess is the condition of all men before faith and repentance for the Lord Christ saith that those 18 upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell Luke 13.2 3 4. were not greater sinners then others but except they repented they should all likewise perish and so must you Mr. Baxter and others for God is no respecter of pers ons Againe I read 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. the Apostle speaks thus to the Saints Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God and in the 11. vers he saith Such were some of you but now ye are washed but ye are sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Now if there were such in the Church of Corinth as had been thus wicked and yet were washed justified and sanctified from their sins by the Lord Jesus then I dare not say but such as have been gross sinners may have repented and converted and come into the Churches of the Anabaptists as you call them in these dayes for I finde that Christ came