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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85422	VVater-dipping no firm footing for Church-communion: or Considerations proving it not simply lawful, but necessary also (in point of duty) for persons baptized after the new mode of dipping, to continue communion with those churches, or imbodied societies of saints, of which they were members before the said dipping; and that to betray their trust or faith given unto Jesus Christ to serve him in the relation and capacity, whether of officers, or other members, in these churches (respectively) by deserting these churches, is a sin highly provoking in the sight of God. Together with a post-script touching the pretended Answer to the Forty queries about Church-communion, infant and after baptism. By John Goodwin, a servant of God in the Gospel of his dear Son.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing G1213; Thomason E723_15; ESTC R202234	72,402	91

amongst the Saints and which hath put the Christian world about us into a flame is by one of the gravest Authors and and greatest Apostles of the Anti-paedo baptistical Faith called and that with evidence enough of truth a carnal Ceremony † i. e. an external Rite of some sacred signification or import Now to make new partition walls of carnal Ceremonies and this not only between Abrahams spiritual seed and the prophane Gentile part of the world but between one part of this blessed seed it self and another so that the one because of this Ceremony rising up in their way may not come at to enjoy any spiritual communion with the other is it not the founding of a new kind of Judaism in the world and the making work for Christ to be crucified a second time for the dissolution of it CONSIDERATION X. Ignorance in some things appertaining to the knowledg of God and the mystery of Christ whether found in a Church or in particular persons rendereth neither the one nor the other unclean upon any such terms but that both may lawfully and without the least tincture of guilt be conversed with in a Church-way Otherwise there will neither Church nor Member be found upon Earth but whose communion will defile us in as much as the Apostle speaking as well of himself and his fellow Apostles as of the intire successive body of Christians in all ages saith We know in part and we prophecy in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. Again where Churches or persons know but in part it cannot be expected they should practise in whole or in full He is a good Christian who practiseth and walketh up to his light though he doth not walk above it yea although his light be somewhat low and mixt with much darkness And though an erring or mistaking Conscience will not simply or totally justifie a concurring practise yet will it justifie it comparatively it being better to follow the dictate or light of a mis-guided or mis-taught Conscience then to rebel against it Otherwise sad were the case of those sacrilegious Church-breakers who out of Conscience I judg no worse of many of them practise this enormity Now then they who give sentence against a Church or people as unclean for communion only because they do not practise Baptismal Dipping must ground the equity of such a sentence either 1. Upon their non-conviction of the necessity of such a practise or 2. Upon the non-practise it self which they must suppose either to be concurrent with or repugnant unto the light of their Judgments and Consciences If the former of these the ignorance or non-conviction of a Church or people of the necessity of Dipping be pretended for a ground of the sentence we speak of to justifie this pretence it must be proved that every mistake or dissatisfaction in Judgment in any controversal Point whatsoever of like difficulty or disputeableness with that about the necessity of Dipping rendereth a Church or people unclean for Communion But I look to see Jesus Christ as he is long before this be proved 2. If the ground of the said sentence be the latter the non-practise of dipping then in case it be supposed that this non-practise be a matter of conscience in the Church or people we speake of and confirm to their judgments they are adjudged unclean for not defiling or not sinning against their conscience But far be it from us to suspect our Brethren in the Faith of such a judgment as this If it be supposed to be contrary to their judgment and that in refusing to practise Baptismal dipping they go against their consciences then are the Supposers judgers of evil thoughts supposing that which they cannot prove indeed have no ground or reason at all to suspect but ground in abundance to conclude the contrary So that they can upon no Christian or reasonable ground pronounce any such hard sentence against their non dipping Brethren as of uncleanness for Church Communion And if they would but please plainly and clearly to declare wherein they place the high demerit the unpardonable crime of non-dipping whilest men remain dissatisfied either touching the lawfulness or necessity of the practise I verily beleeve they would soon be ashamed of their notion and out of hand pull down all they have built upon it CONSIDERATION XI When the Apostle writeth to the Churches in his days in sundry the inscriptions of his Epistles unto them wherein he describeth them he insereth the mention of their sanctification their calling to be Saints their being beloved of God their Saintship their faithfulness in Christ c. but never so much as hinteth their having been baptized Which is a strong presumption at least if not a demonstration that in case it be supposed that all these Churches were baptized yet the Apostle did not look upon their Baptism as any part of their Church-ship or of the visibility thereof much less as any essential part or point of either For if such a thing shall be supposed what reason can be imagined why their Baptism should not once or twice at least have been mentioned in their discription as well as their Faith Sanctification calling c. so frequently and well-nigh constantly I mean one or other of them So then it is a plain case that the Apostle doth not estimate the truth of Churches by the observation or practise of Baptism much less by the practise of such or such a determinate kind of baptizing but by the Faith and Holiness of the persons inchurched Baptism is never mentioned so much as by way of commendation either of Church or person at least not more then the observance of other ordinances no not when several other matters of praise are insisted on in reference unto either See 1 Cor. 11 2. Rom. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. Ephes. 1. 5. Luk. 1. 6. Acts. 11. 24. to pass over other texts of like import and yet many things may be commendable in either which are not essentially requisite to their being And doubtless if men were not under some strong enchantment and the rational powers of their Souls strangely held in reference at least to the subject we now speak o● such an imagination as this would never have been found amongst all their thoughts That Baptism according to one mode or other should be a constituting principle of a true Church CONSIDERATION XII When the Apostle Paul instructeth Christian Churches with their respective members who and what manner of persons they are who are unmeet for their Christian Communion he mentioneth Fornicators Covetous Idolaters Railers Drunkards Extortioners Disorderly walkers c. but never persons of an holy and blamless conversation whether baptized or unbaptized If our Brethren reply that there was no occasion why he should mention persons unbaptized in as much as there was none such in these days who lived holily or had the names of Brethren amongst Christians We answer 1. That our Brethren are still

understandings nor with all the additional help of the light hitherto afforded us by our Brethren tell how to beleeve or conceive that all the Land of Judea and they of Ierusalem with all the region round about Iordan were all over-powered by any such high hand of Faith who yet came thick and threefold troops upon troops and companies after companies to be baptized of John and were baptized accordingly CONSIDERATION XIV For those who are babes in Christ and weak in the Faith yea for those who know but in part and higher then thus neither doth their knowledg it self rise who think they know more then all the world besides to mistake where in a manner all the judicious learned and grave all the zealous faithful and best conscienced Christians and Servants of God throughout the world Fathers Martyrs Reformers and others for sixteen generations together even from the days of the Apostles until now have mistaken and not been able to discover the truth or mind of God is doubtless the most venial and pardonable mistake that can well be imagined yea although it should be supposed that the subject matter wherein or about which this mistake hath been be of very great weight and consequence Such as this and no whit worse or more culpable then this is the mistake if yet a mistake it be of those Churches and Saints who judg it no ways necessary nor agreeable to the mind of Christ for them to desire a baptismal dipping having been regularly as they conceive and sufficiently baptized in their Infancy Now the common and best-known principles of reason and equity and of Christianity most of all upon mistakes of the most-venial nature and which are incident to the best the most watchful and faithful of men teach men to inflict the lightest punishment whether by censure or otherwise if any at all that well may be If then to judg and condemn a Church or people of God as a spurious and unclean Congregation with whom no man can joyn in Church-communion without polluting himself in the sight of God be an high and heavy censure which I presume no man questions then must they who inflict this censure only upon the account of the demerit of the aforesaid mistake needs be extreamly irregular unrighteous and unreasonable in so doing And yet they who in the open view of the world inflict it by an actual hasty and as it were a frightful rending and tearing off themselves from such Churches inflict it upon the hardest and most unchristian terms that can be imagined And give me leave here only to add this that I know no more pregnant a symptome of a strong inchantment delusion or distemper then when a petty handful of men are rank of confidence and conceit that all the world are out of their witts but themselves and that they are as so many stars of the first magnitude and all other men but as the snuffs of so many Candles CONSIDERATION XV That Baptism how duly soever administred is no Churchmaker but at the highest a Church-adorner and this possibly in some cases only too is evident from hence that the Lord Christ whilst he was yet unbaptized was as much the head and as legitimate an head of the Church as after his baptism And as Christ obtained not the Head-ship of the Church nor right unto it by being baptized so neither do beleevers obtain their right to membership in a Church by their being baptized Yea it is but conjectural and traditional Divinity to affirm or hold that all the members of all the Churches in the Apostles days were baptized Certain I am that Baptism cannot rationally pretend to so much Interest to constitute ●● legitimate members of Christian Churches under the Gospel as circumcision might to constitute the members of the Iewish Church under the Law Yet this Church was altogether as true a Church and all Abrahams children by Isaak as true members of this church when and whilest they had no practise of circumcision amongst them as viz. during their Fourty years journeying through the Wilderness as when it was in the most regular and standing use among them Yea doubtless Abraham and his family were as much the Church of God before the Ordinance it self of circumcision was delivered unto him as afterwards And why the Iewish children before the eight day should not be judged members of that church as well as after I understand not Therefore without all controversie Baptism is no builder of Churches although as some men now set it on work it is a puller of them down Nor doth it at all savour of Gospel dispensation that God should build his spiritual Temple upon Foundations made of a carnal ceremony or that he should deny that poor and mean priviledg comparatively of Church-membership unto that Grace I mean Faith unto which he hath vouchsafed that High and Heavenly prerogative the making of men to becom the Sons of God Besides that which is no where mentioned as commending any man either unto God or men more then or so much as many other duties or qualifications cannot reasonably be judged more necessary to any mans regular admission into Church-fellowship then those other things Now Baptism is no where represented in the Scriptures as commending any man either unto God or men nor as any considerable testimony of any mans Faith vast multitudes of people having been baptized by Iohn yea and by Christ himself or his Disciples whereas there were very few true beleevers amongst them Mat. 3. 5. Mar. 1. 5. Luk. 7 21. Compared with Iohn 1. 11. Ioh. 3. 32 Acts. 1. 15. whereas other qualifications as Faith Love Righteousness Holiness Humility the new Creature the hearing of the Word the searching of the Scriptures with many others of like character are frequently insisted upon as matters of worthy testimony unto those in whom they were found yea and some of them of signal acceptance with God Therefore certainly it is a most groundless and importune conceit to estimate the truth of a Church of Christ by the Baptism of the members or to deny unto such congregations or bodies of Saints the legitimacy of Church-ship upon a pretence and conceit of their not being baptized which are in all things which commend a Church either unto God or men the Glory of Churches yea and in the Apostles sence 2 Cor. 8. 23. the Glory of Christ himself CONSIDERATION XVI The main if not the only ground and reason why our newbaptizing and baptized Brethren reject the Baptism so esteemed and practised among us is because they suppose it to be a meer nullity and to have nothing in it of the Baptism appointed by Christ Upon this their supposition they proceed with the utmost severity against us they excommunicate us and deliver us up to Satan that we may learn rightly to baptize But if the Lord Christs rule be true a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. And again that every tree is

become as Publicans and Heathens unto the other By means whereof many spiritual temples and habitations of the living God fair and large and wherein his Soul delighted to dwell are in imminent danger of being made waste and desolate Alass the fires of Swenkfieldianism Famdism Antinomianism Lutheranism Calvinism Super-Ordinancism with the sparks of Quaking and Ranting were and are but as ignes lambentes fires running up and down and licking only the outside of the house without kindling upon or burning any the principals or main timber whereas the fire of Anabaptism is like the fire kindled by God himself heretofore in Zion the fierceness whereof was so sore that as Ieremiah lamenteth the case it devoured the Foundations thereof Lam. 4. 11. And if we diligently consider the nature of that design the accomplishing whereof Sathan projecteth by this fire we cannot reasonably conceive but that it should be very subtil and penetrating in its kind I mean very apt and proper to insinuate and convey it self into the judgments and consciences of good men either less knowing or less considerate and yet withall so propertied also that persons who are diligent in the use of the touchstone and of through judgments may not feel the least warmth or heat of truth in it That fire which is to separate between Silver and Silver between Gold and Gold had need have somewhat more then ordinary fire in it And when Sathans device and work is to sever and divide Saints from Saints true beleevers from true beleevers imbodied as close and fast together as the scales of Leviathan the fire whereof he must make use in the operation must be some notion opinion or apprehension one or more so calculated and conditioned that in face it may look like a truth of God and yet in heart be far otherwise For by means of such a composition or constitution as this it is apt to take good people of lighter and weaker judgments and less considerate and to leave those of stronger and more inquiring and thus the operation is finished and the separation wrought For there is scarce any Church or congregation of Beleevers but is compounded of these two sorts of persons some who are more credulous and more easie to be taken with appearances others who are more jealous of faces and who must see a sound bottom before they approve or commend tops Now the Doctrine or opinion with the concurrent practise imbraced by those who are best known from others by the Name of Anabaptists I intend no reflection in the term nor any avouchment of the propriety of it in reference to those meant by it but meerly designation is of that calculation we speak of it hath a face or shew both of truth and Godliness but it hath an heart of error and prophaneness By means of the former it captivateth one sort of men by means of the latter it alienateth the judgments and affections of others from it I know not good Reader whether thou hast taken any notice either of the Fourty Queries about Church-communion and Baptism some while since published or of the Answer so called to them published more lately I judg it not worth either mine or any other mans pains to make an Anti-answer or just reply Heaving at a feather is too childish a posture for a man Something may be said in commendation of a fair face although the heart relating to it be never so foul and bad My Antiquerist is a man of parts and worth in his sphere but what the word of God and evidence of truth make crooked what parts or abilities of man are able to make streight I shall upon occasion of the subject discoursed in the precedure of these papers here only say this giving in withal a small first-fruits of an account for such my belief that I verily beleeve that there is nothing answered to any one of the said Fourty Queries but what is defective either in point of pertinency or of truth or at least of proof The grounds of my Faith in this kind are partly the nature and import of the questions partly the tenor and substance of such of the Answers which I have had time to weigh and consider For the former If I should propose such a question the tenor whereof should import that I verily beleeve the Sun to be up at noon day or that the body ought not to be sacrificed upon the service of the shadow or the rayment belonging to it or the like could I expect or think that he who should undertake in Answer to such my Questions to overthrow my belief imported in either could alledg or insist upon any thing but which of necessity must be either impertinent or untrue if not both or if neither yet uncertain which in close disputations especially if the degree of uncertainty be any thing considerable amounts to little more then to that which is untrue For the latter because I would not be thought to seek out my Antigonist where possibly he may be more obnoxious or weak I shall give a brief account of his weakness in the best of his strength for I presume that if he be stronger then himself anywhere it is in the front of his battail and in his formost Answers Therefore let us in a word see whether the foundations both of his first and second Answers be not less either in pertinency as hath been said or in Truth if not in both or least in proof 1. In his Answer to the first Query he layeth for one ground hereof that which is the matter of question between him and his Querist viz. that Constituting of Churches without Baptism is a corrupt practise 2. That Infant-sprinkling is a corrupt practise also Now what an impertinency is it in arguing to assert that without proof which is denyed by the adverse party and that in the Question it self under debate and withall to build the process of the dispute upon it 2. He layeth this for another ground of his Answer that there was no such practise as either constituting of Churches without Baptism or sprinkling of Infants on foot in the world till after all the Books of the Holy Scriptures were finished This likewise he affirms without all proof notwithstanding he well knows that the sence of his Querist stands to the contrary This is of the same house and lineage of impertinency with the former 3. He builds another strein of his Answer upon this ground that the Querist hath disclaimed communion with the Church of Rome and the Parochial Churches in England and this upon this ground because there is no example in Scripture for such Church-Constitution as that of Rome and England is Here are more untruths then one un ess a very improper construction of the phrase disclaim communion contracts the number For I never disclaimed communion with the Church of Rome more then I have done with the Church of Mahomet nor had I ever occasion to do the one

gibbrich or non-sence unto me For sayth he the same things have the same consequences and two things alike belong to the like reason and judgment He that either can understand these topiques or fit them to his case must plough with a stronger and nimbler heyfer then mine That which I suppose the man would have is this but his demand is most unreasonable and importune that if Baptism succeeds circumcision in one thing it must succeed it in another yea in all things How empty such a conceit as this is both of reason and of truth hath been shewed in the last of our foregoing Considerations And however some of us upon occasion sometimes say that Baptism succeeds circumcision which is a truth evident enough and acknowledged such in some respects by one of the Great Apostles of the Anti-querists Faith in the matter of Baptism yet have we no need of such a saying to support our cause of Infant Baptism For the analogy or proportion of reason from whence we argue that infants may be as well the subjects of Baptism as of circumcision may equally stand whether Baptism be looked upon as Successor unto circumcision or no But if our good Freinds intellectuals be not too far spent with the strength of the Inchantment upon him but that he yet remains in some competent capacity to receive instruction I shall here once for all give him an account why though it were to be granted which yet it is not but only with limitation as was lately shewed that want of circumcision did exclude from Church-ship under the Law yet this at no hand proveth that therefore a defect of or in Baptism should do the like under the Gospel 1. The Church of God being in the Infancy or nonage of it under the Law the state and condition of it was more servile then now under the Gospel Now I say that the heir as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all But is under Tutors and Governors until the time appointed of the Father Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the Elements of the world But whtn the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons * In respect of this different State of the Church under the Law and under the Gospel the Churh is not to be looked upon as under a like rigour of subjection to any carnal Ordinance or Ceremony whatsoever as it was under the Law Nor are the external Ceremonies of the Gospel pressed upon like terms of peremptoriness and severity upon the Saints as those of the Law were imposed upon the carnal Church of the Jews If they were the two so different States of the Church mentioned should be confounded But somewhat to this purpose we speak in our Considerations where we declared that in the Gospel no man is threatened for not being Baptized Baptism being here enjoyned or recommended unto men by way of indulgence and for their spiritual benefit and accommodation not with any intention on Gods part to render the bare omission of it an article of condemnation against any man much after the manner of the Law of the free-wil offering under the Law And whereas it was said unto Abraham concerning circumcision He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy mony must needs be circumcised It is no where said unto any person in the New Testament ye must needs be baptized Yea unto the Eunuch requiring Baptism Philip answered If thou beleevest with thy whole heart thou MAYST not thou MUST be baptized There is an eye of this Evangelical liberty concerning external observations in the Institution it self of the other Ordinance also as the Apostle Paul recordeth it 1 Cor. 11. 25. 26. This do ye as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Here is no Injunction of the Quoties but a plain intimation of a liberty touching this only the manner of the Toties is strictly prescribed which is the direct calculation or manner of sanction of the Institution concerning the free-wil offering under the Law This kind of offering was imposed upon no man as of necessity only the terms of the oblation of it when offered are strictly prescribed See Levit. 1. 2 3 c. and again Levit. 22. 18. 19. 20 c. But 2. Concerning Circumcision there never was any question among the Jews nor indeed any place or occasion for a question either whether it was commanded by God or no or whether the practise of it was to continue till the coming of the Messiah or no no nor yet concerning the due mode or manner of its administration So that whosoever refused to submit to circumcision during the reign of it did ipso facto and without dispute openly manifest yea profess disobedience to God in an express command Whereas the Anti-querist well knoweth that amongst the Saints and servants of God themselves and persons as tender conscienced of as rich an obediential frame of heart towards God as himself or the best of his late-born perswasion there are many scruples questions and cases of conscience about Baptism some being unsatisfied whether there be any command of God or of Christ in the Gospel requiring subjection of any person in these days unto such a thing others ohether the mind and pleasure of God be that the ordinary and standing administration of it should be made to Infants or persons of mature years others again whether the administration of it may not with as good or better acceptance with God be made by sprinkling or pouring water on the baptized as by dowzing or dipping besides several others of like nature And such questions and dissatisfactions amongst holy humble grave and sober Christians as these undeniably shew and prove that the mind and will of God t●uching these particulars is very sparingly obscurely and with much scantness of discovery delivered in the Scriptures The premises considered the case must needs become plain why though it should be granted that circumcision was made by God a necessary condition of Church-ship under the Law yet this no ways proveth that he hath made Baptism especially in any particular mode of its administration a like condition of Church-membership under the Gospel If God should have intended Baptism as some men count Baptism for a necessary requisite or ingredient into Churchship under the Gospel he should have made a Law for the inchurching of his Saints which would have excluded the far greatest yea and best part of them from all part and fellowship in that gracious accommodation and which would have brought in an Heterogeneal generation of vain and loose persons in their stead as now the groundless conceit of such a Law

beleeve it is much harder for the Anti-querist to escape goaring as he calls it by one or other of the horns of this Dilemma then we found it to make an escape from both the horns of that Dilemma which was prepared by him to do the mischief 12. Concerning the Text 1 Cor. 12. 13. where the Apostle saith not as our Anti-querist citeth the words shorter by the head that they were all baptized into one Body but BY ONE SPIRIT they were all baptized c. this Scripture I say we argued somewhat at large in the last of our Considerations and found war in the heart of it against Church-constitution by Water-Baptism And running is no posture for repetitions Only whereas my Friend the Anti-querist challengeth me that some while since I interpreted this Scripture comportingly with his notion the truth is that I do not find such a line in any fragment of the history of my life extant at present in my memory yet because I dayly find so little stedfastness in my memory as I do I had rather in the business trust my Friend and his memory then mine own But this I well remember that long since I learned this Christian Principle from an Heathen Philosopher {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A man must be content to sacrifice even his own sayings and opinions upon the service of the Truth This kind of sacrifice I have oft offered and if my Antagonist and some others could be perswaded to consecrate themselves Priests of this Order with me the water of Baptism would be no longer a fire to divide between Friends and Friends But they rather chuse to be Priests of that Order whose Hierourgy or Priestly Function mainly stands in sacrificing the body upon the service of the rayment or the substance upon the service of the shadow 13. Whereas he demands Ought not that which was a reason to them he means the Apostles in the primitive times not to admit Church-members into Church fellowship we pardon the impropriety without Baptism to be a reason unto us likewise to steere the same cou●se c. doth he not very impertinently and groundlesly suppose that they had a reason not to admit the admission he speaks of He hath not hitherto so much as intimated unto us any reason at all of such a non-admission in the Apostles as that now mentioned If that should be granted him which he will never be able to prove viz. that the Apostles did not admit into Church-fellowship without Baptism yet it will not follow from hence that therefore they had a reason to admit none without it especially if the case were so as the Anti querist seems to suppose it viz. that no unbaptized person ever desired such admission of them And suppose for argument sake that they had de facto admited into Church-communion only unbaptized persons it would not follow from hence that therefore they had reason to exclude all others as all that were baptized in case they had desired it If all who desired Church-fellowship and consequently all who were admitted unto it were baptized is this any argument or proof that therefore in case others had desired it they must needs have been rejected If a man should go a fishing upon the Seas and should catch only of one sort of Fish as suppose Whiteings would it follow that therefore he had reason to catch no other 14. How importune and impertinent are these words also If so then farewel all Gospel obligations For if we may take liberty to cast away one Law of Gospel Order and Worship then why not two and so three and in the end all c. For doth he not here suppose that separating from Churches or persons unbaptized though esteemed in the world and by all but himself and his baptized is or was a Law of Gospel Order binding Christians of the first age Surely this Law is written on the back-side of some of Pauls Epistles where no man did ever read it And they that take liberty to cast away this Law are more like to bid all Gospel obligations welcome then to bid them farewel Secondly he supposeth that those rules by which the Apostles ordered themselves in their times were binding to Christians of that age which is broadly importune and truthless For the truth is that no rule whatsoever by which the Apostles ordered themselves as Apostles and certainly they ordered themselves by many such rules as these was binding unto any other Christian of that age but unto themselves only Thirdly and lastly he supposeth it a grand absurdity and tending to a dissolution of all Gospel Order to imagin that there were any Gospel rules binding only to Christians of the first age of the Gospel Doth he think that when Christians of the age he speaks of sold their possessions lands and houses and brought the prices of them and laid them down at the Apostles feet they did this irregularly or without rule or without a rule binding unto them If this latter then it follows that either Christ himself or his Apostles prescribed some rules which were not binding no not unto Christians of this first age Or doth he think that that rule by which those Christians acted in the case specified is binding unto us now Yet that Rule respected charity and self-denial and so in reason should be more binding unto us now then rules respecting only an outward rite or ceremony Again it was a rule binding unto those Christians he speaks of that their women praying or prophesying should have their head covered and that men on the contrary should have their heads uncovered Doth he judge this rule binding unto us now Or do all men sin who Prophesy i. e. joyn with him that preahcheth the Word in the act of hearing with their heads covered I beleeve there are many who should sin much more if they should Prophecy with their heads uncovered viz. all those who by reason of weakness or tenderness are like to suffer in their healths if they should sit uncovered for an hour or two together in a cold place and cold season There is the same confideration of a frosty-dipping to persons that are valetudinary of a crazy and infirm constitution though it were supposed that there was a rule binding Christians of that age and of those warm Countries to dip at all times immediately upon their beleeving Instance might be given in several other Gospel rules which were binding unto Christians of the first age at least unto those particular Christians to whom they were prescribed and yet are not so unto us now The rule which prescribed the Holy kiss which prescribed the speaking in an unknown tongue by two or at the most by three 1 Cor. 14. 27. which prescribed the holding of the peace to him that was speaking in the Church in case any thing were revealed unto another 1 Cor. 14. 30. which prescribed abstaining from meat offered to Idols and from blood c. were

of his Querie For though he should say which yet he doth not the Anti-querist making too bold here as too frequently elsewhere to mis-recite his words as the Reader may readily observe by comparing the Original all along with the transcript that under the Gospel Circumcision by a Synechdoche speciei is put for all external rites and ceremonies yet doth not such a saying as this necessarily suppose or imply circumcision to be a Gospel rite For rites or ceremonies being of two kinds some of Divine others of humane institution the Apostle may by the sayd figure Synechdoche mention only circumcision in stead of all other Divine rites without supposing it to be a Gospel rite inasmuch as there were far more rites of Divine institution under the Law then there are under the Gospel His following words And if for all kind then certainly for Gospel rites and ceremonies for they are some of all have neither goodness of sence in them nor pertinency to his business in hand For what though circumcision be put for all kinds of rites of Divine institution and consequently for Gospel rites also yet doth it follow from hence that it self must needs be a Gospel rite By what principle in reason is this consequence formed Supposing there are two sorts of men in the world rich and poor and I having occasion to speak of men in general should to give some light to my discourse instance in John Thomas or James I should not by my instancing Iohn for example in this case suppose him to be determinately either a rich man or a poor But these things I confess are scarce worth the examining excepting only that me thinks I perceive my Anti-querist in a little extasie of contentment by vertue of a conceit he hath that I have so ill behaved my self in the passage in hand that he can make large earnings by descanting upon it And I would wilingly awaken him out of his extasie For certain I am that there is nothing in the Query rightly understood but is exception-proof And the truth is that all things in his Answer to this Query from first to last duly considered together with that his contentment mentioned there seems to be a mixture of a kind of discontent against the Apostle for opposing Faith the new Creature keeping the Commandments of God unto circumcision and not Baptism rather For if it had been written thus In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Baptism which is by dipping or plunging into water I beleeve he would have been as hard or heavy to be born as an hand maid that is heir to her Mistris Prov. 30. 23. And I understand that a Great Doctor of that way taking occasion not long since to open the said passage of the Apostle to his people made speciall treasure of this observation from it that although the Apostle saith That in Christ Iesus circumcision availeth nothing yet he doth not say that Baptism availeth nothing If he had understood the Apostle a trouble of mind not much incident to th●● generation he must needs have known that however the Apostle did not in so many words say That Baptism availeth nothing yet constructively and in pregnancie and neer-handedness of consequence he said every whit as much yea and somewhat more too For by shuting out Circumcision instance-wise together with uncircumcision and letting in onely Faith the New creature the keeping the Commands of God it is a plain case that together with circumcision he excluded Baptism also yea and all other ceremoniall practications whatsoever But such an observation as that now specified is a competent instance or example whereby to estimate how unworthily the Scriptures are commonly handled in those Congregations But 6. My Anti-querist greatneth the pile of his former impertinencies by heaping all these words upon it Neither surely would any man much less the Querist be so impertinent as to assert no externall rite availeable under the Gospel because circumcision is not unless he held circumcision to be as much a Gospel rite as any other since it is against common sence to say That which is greater is not available to such or such an end because that which is less is not and yet more irrationall would it be to assert the non-availeableness of that which is from the non-availeableness of that which is not which yet would be the trip of the Querist if he should not think that circumcision had some manner of institutive being yea as eminent a being under the Gospel as any other rite of the Gospel hath Hereunto add we this vaine-glorious vapour in the following Paragraph Truly I cannot but think that cause hard bested that is fain to beg its bread out of such desolate places as is that of Circumcision for one whose foundation was long since rased by the hand of the Gospel to the very ground The long thread of all this discourse is spun of tow that hath touched the fire The basis and ground work of the whole Fabrick hath been already rased to the very ground For my friend al along supposeth 1. That I make the best and most conscientious observation of Gospel rites of no acceptation at all with God 2. That I argue that comparative non-availableness of Gospel rites which I assert and hold from the non-availableness of Circumcision simply considered Against both these I have sufficiently explained my self already and likewise vindicated the words of the Queree from any intimation or supposition of either Touching the former I shall add nothing to the premises relating thereunto For the latter I have likewise shewed in as plain English as I know how to write that neither do I nor the Queree argue the comparative non-availableness of Baptism which the Queree onely asserteth as the Anti-querist himself yeildeth as we formerly heard from the non-availableness of Circumcision simply considered this we have formerly shewed to be a palpable mistake but from Circumcision considered in that opposition which the Apostle maketh in the Scripture before us between it and Faith and again between it and the New Creature From this opposition it evidently appeareth that the Apostle by excluding Circumcision with uncircumcision from that availableness with God which he solely ascribes unto Faith the new creature and the keeping the Commandments of God intended together with circumcision to exclude all ceremoniall observances as well those of the Gospel as those of the Law This considered it had been more honour for the Anti-querist to have kept himself as free from the charge as the Querist is from the crime or trip of reasoning at any such rate of non-sence at this because that which is less is not available to such or such as end therefore neither is that which is greater available hereunto Or again because that which is not is not available therefore neither is that which is How can I but think that my Friend dreamt waking when such reasonings as these presented themselves