teach Thus these two Pillars of the Protestant Reformation are so far from deriving their Call to the Ministry through the Papacy as some late Protestants pretend to do that they do utterly reject any Ordination which comes from them Nor was Luther and Beza ordained after they came from the Papists Mr. Stub's Occas Quaer But Beza is said to defend his Call to the Ministry by Instances of those that were called extraordinarily as Isaiah Daniel Amos Zecharias c. These things premised we may assume that either of these ways as approved by our Reformers respectively could we go to defend our Call to the Ministry as well as they Being first many of us ordained by those who received Ordination from you and some may run with you to Bishop Cranmer who was ordained by the Papacy and then proceed till we come up to Clemens or Lucius and so to St. Peter And as for the pretence of Beza or Luther about their extraordinary Call it 's not impossible for us to give as fair a Demonstration of it as either of them specially if we take the Rules given by Mr. Beza to judg of such a Call by to be cogent viz. good Life sound Doctrine and the Election of the People But to be plain we do not very well like either of these ways Not the first it is so sordid as that the Papists themselves in deriving their Call through the Papacy are forced to take it from so many false pretended Popes or Diabolical Popes even Witches and Devils incarnate by their own confession that they make but a lamentable Succession of it in the end And especially if Stapleton may be regarded tho a Papist who tells us That it is not a bare and personal Succession but lawful Succession which is a note of a true Church and defineth that to be lawful Succession when not only the latter succeeds into the void rooms of those that went before them being lawfully called thereunto but also hold the Faith which their Predecessors did Now let this Rule be honestly stood by and we are sure the Papists shall never be able to prove a Succession of many points of their Faith and Doctrines from the Apostles whilst the World stands and consequently neither can the Protestants derive a lawful Succession from them We like not the second way for we will not compare with Isaiah Daniel Amos nor Zechariah in respect of their immediate Mission But this we say That our Call to the Ministry is no otherwise extraordinary than our Call to believe the Gospel is so or as it stands clear from all the idle Ceremonies used by Papists or others in their Ordinations or as it is ordered as near as we can according to the Word of God And is the sacred Word of Power to beget us to God and by the assistance of his Spirit to make us his Children or Christians and is it not of Power or Authority sufficient to enable us to worship God in his own Ordinances which were made for Christians and not Christians for them This seems justly ridiculous We make no doubt but that it 's easy with God and no extraordinary thing to raise a People to himself in a Nation where all have corrupted the way of Christianity or lost the State and Praise of a true Church meerly through his Blessing upon the reading and diligent searching of the Scriptures I speak of a Nation where the Scriptures are received as that is our case The Truth is all the ways of God's Worship are in the Word made ready for us and laid at our Doors and we do but take up gladly what others let lie as useless things that they may hug their own Devices But now to silence a Papist for ever which some will think to be a difficult undertaking do they not allow even by the Pen of the Learned Bellarmine chap. 7. that even an Heathen that is not baptized may administer Baptism in case of Necessity And this they esteem a valid Baptism And why then may not we when God hath opened our Eyes to see any other Truth as well as that enter upon the dutiful observance of it in the best way we can our Circumstances especially the case of Necessity being considered For is not Necessity as good a Warrant to take up the practice of or to restore one Truth as well as another Certainly one Ordinance is as sacred as another and where Churches are setled ought to be dispensed in the most honourable way and by the most fit Instruments even Christ's Ministers Wherefore till the Papists shall recal their opinion about Baptism and prove a Succession as necessary to Baptism as Ordination they can with no shew of reason insist upon the necessity of Ordination to be founded upon Succession But further It 's evident from the Scriptures Acts 13. that a Succession is not necessary to true Ordination for tho the Apostles were yet living it was not thought necessary that they should impose Hands upon Barnabas and Paul but this is done by gifted Men or the Prophets that were in the Church at Antioch The only question here to be resolved is Whether this laying on of Hands was for Ordination The Papists do hold it was some Protestants deny it but some Protestants do affirm it Mr. Churchman in his History of Episcopacy tells out of Chrysostom That tho Paul was an Apostle neither of Men nor by Men yet as for the Work to which he was separated ask the said Father saith he and he will tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was the Office of an Apostle and that he was ordained an Apostle here that he might preach the Gospel with greater Pewer And certainly that he had not the Apostleship before may be made manifest by that which followed after But tho some Protestants doubt whether this were Paul's Ordination tho the matter is clear of it self yet here is the Ordination of Barnabas without all question and then it is evident that there was an Interruption of Succession in the case of Ordination even in the Apostles Days and therefore by no means to be held to be necessary in our Days who are so far removed from the times of the Holy Apostles that in vain do Men think to find a clear and undoubted Succession of any one Ordinance from them Wherefore we may safely conclude that where the Truth of the Gospel is received with the Gifts of God's Spirit as that was the case at Antioch there is a sufficiency of Power on the Persons so gifted with the advice of the Church to send forth or appoint Men to the work of the Ministry altho 't is true this course is most warrantable in the case of necessity and in no wise to be done in contempt or wilful neglect of that way which is more ordinary and regular Howbeit to tye all Power of Ordination so strictly to the Persons of Men ordained by such as were ordained by
Disciples when such a Spirit appeared in them And have we not seen a refined Generation as they would be thought peeping forth with the Name of Blood or the smiting Principle written on their Forehead with direction to their Proselites to pray that God would destroy all Oppressior and Oppressors from off the face of the Earth Lord what is this The greatest part of Mankind peradventure are Oppressors in one thing or other and must a Christian pray for their Destruction or for their Conversion Sure the latter is the Duty of all Christians 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. They cannot desire such a woful Day but that Mercy may be extended knowing that themselves were sometimes foolish disobedient living in Malice hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. But alas do not these Men pray for their own Destruction Who sees not that such a Principle is pregnant with Oppression O let all Christians beware of it And let us pray for them that hate us persecute us and speak all manner of Evil against us falsly for his Names sake who hath called us not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Thus leaving all Men of bloody violent and treacherous Principles to consider what Spirit they are of how unlike our Lord Christ how different from the Primitive Christians how contrary to Humanity it self which teaches all to do to others not as they do but as we would they should do to us We shall proceed to the next Point of Doctrine grounded upon the second Direction in the Text Love the Brotherhood Doct. II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians This Brotherhood being not natural but spiritual and mystical admits of a twofold Consideration 1. In the largest Sence the Word and Use of it in Scripture will bear 2. In a more strict and special Sence In the first we must comprehend all that own the holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith believing in the only true God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost for these three are one that Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification that live soberly according to the general Rules of Christianity tho they may be diversly persuaded in the Methods of Christian Worship Or I could be content if the State of Christianity would bear it in these Days to express my self in this Case in the Words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ among whom he found Diversities of Opinions as well as Disorders in practice of Ordinances Not that he allows either but labours to reform both yet so as he would preserve Amity among them as they were Brethren tho some of them were carnal 1 Cor. 3. others allowing themselves a very dangerous Liberty in religious Matters even to eat Things sacrificed to Idols some doubting of the Resurrection others very loose in their Devotion at the Lord's Table they were some tumultuous others otherwise vicious 2 Cor. 13. Now whether the Apostle in his Exhortations to Unity intends that notwithstanding these Errors they should hold ample Communion with the Erroneous or whether upon adhering to Reproof by him given and their obeying the Epistles which he sent to them he obliges them to maintain and uphold their Communion is the Business to be considered The first it is not like to be for then few Errors either in Doctrine or Life could break this brotherly Fellowship among Christians And then to what purpose are these Rules given Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. 6. Surely all that can be required as to Unity with these Christians is a brotherly Compassion to encourage what we can the Truth they hold or the Good they do to hold with them in the common Cause of Christianity against the common Enemy of it I conceive the latter to be the only safe way viz. That notwithstanding their great Carnality Weakness of Judgment or Frowardness in their erroneous Opinions c. if now they would receive the Counsel of the Lord's Messenger or which the Lord by his Messenger had sent unto them that then the Brotherhood once found among them should still continue tho they had too evidently forfeited their Privileges Thus to take the Apostle's meaning is to make him harmonize with himself 2 Thess 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But to take the Apostle in the first Sence would make him irreconcileable to or with himself So then Paul did not advise the Faithful at Corinth to hold ample Communion with those of ill Life and erroneous Principles in the necessary parts of Religion such as the Resurrection and Separation from Idolatry doubtless are for he that denies the first denies Christ to be risen makes the Apostles false Witnesses and the Faith of Christians vain 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. And the second makes Men uncapable to serve God Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Idols or Devils 1 Cor. 1. 10. Let us then consider the second or more strict Sence of the Word Brotherhood in our Text. And here we must take it as it pertains to truly constituted and well-governed Societies of Christians For undoubtedly God intended to have the Christian Religion stated and maintained in all Nations according to the pristine Simplicity of the Gospel without the mixtures of Legal Ceremonies or humane Innovations For when Jesus gave commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them and then to teach them to observe all Things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28. 19 20. and gave being to this Order to continue to the end of the World it must needs be highly rational on the part of all such as do piously stand to this Form of Doctrine as explicated and delivered to the Churches Rom. 6. 17. Heb. 6. 1 2. And consequently it must needs be very pleasing to God and commendable in the Church that his Institutes be kept with the greatest exactness as they were delivered at first 1 Cor. 11. 2. For if once Variations in either the Doctrinal or Practical Parts of the Christian Religion be admitted there can be no certain duration of any Truth A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump Gal. 5. 7. And this the Apostle speaks too with relation to the Imposition of some Legal Rites which once had a Divine Original and Use in the Church of God and yet now could not consist with obedience to the Truth Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth Hence Saint Paul would not give place to St. Peter himself when too much
symbolizing with legal Ceremonies Gal. 2. that so the Truth of the Gospel might continue in the Churches of Galatia plainly shewing that as Light and Darkness cannot dwell together so the Gospel is exclusive of legal Ceremonies and humane Innovations And seeing all must grant there has been a very great departure from the Truth of the Gospel both in Doctrine and Practice there cannot be a better Method I suppose thought on to amend what is amiss in the Christian World and thereby to restore true brotherly Fellowship than that used by our Lord Mat. 19. 8. to reform a Corruption among the Jews and such an Error too as had a shew of Scripture-Authority for it I mean the Case of Divorce yet our Saviour suppresseth that Custom by referring to the primitive Institution of Marriage From the Beginning it was not so And upon this Text how well does our Brethren I mean the Sober and Pious in the Church of England defend themselves against Popish Innovations both in Opinion and Practice One of them speaks thus As touching each of these Errors we can say with our Saviour in this present Correption of the Pharisees that from the Beginning it was not so and we care not whence they come unless they come from the Beginning This hath ever been saith he the Rule the warrantable Rule to reform a Church When Esdras was intent on building the Temple he sent not to Ephesus much less to Rome he did not enquire into the Rituals of Numa Pompilius but had recourse for a Temple to that of Solomon and for a Rite to that of Moses Indeed for Things meerly indifferent as he observes there must be preserved a Liberty in all Churches to consult and do for the best I dare not say as he To make Constitutions for that 's a great word but to manage her Affairs with Decency Order and Charity But to come more directly to our Doctrine which is Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians Certain it is that our Love as Christians may go much further than our actual Communion in all things Christian may do and yet this Love it self is a kind of Fellowship The Angels have Fellowship with us and acknowledg themselves our Fellow Servants Rev. 19. 10. and yet they do not partake with us in all our acts of Religion but only by approbation and corroboration in things which are well done Now the best or most orderly sort of Christians cannot conceive a greater disproportion between their Churches and the Churches of the most erring if but well-meaning Societies that conscientiously profess Love and Obedience to Christ And even hence we are obliged to hold as much Brotherly Fellowship with them as we can especially that of Love and Brotherly Compassion For when we consider that even some of all sorts of Christians will rather dye than basely deny their Lord and Master we cannot but have Fellowship with such in our Spirits whilst it is the same and not a feigned Christ to whom they shew their utmost testimony of Love And this Consideration alone may suffice to take away that imbitteredness which is too often found among Christians dissenting one from another Let their Appellations be what they will so that they believe in the true Christ and live well being also faithful to what they know And tho they be never so angry with me for opposing them in their Traditions or erring Notions otherwise yet I must have a Brotherly tenderness towards them all for the Truths sake which dwelleth in them But now for ample or full Communion I see not how that can be attained and maintained but where there is antecedent to it an Union both in Doctrine and Practice in things necessary to the true Constitution and Government of the Church of Christ And seeing also our Differences about these things are not small or trivial it cannot I think be better ordered than that a Friendly Distinction and Brotherly Forbearance be permitted as to ample Communion for that Men cannot comfortably nor peaceably join together till they be agreed in these things I see not that the difference betwixt Paul and Barnabas was so great as to the thing about which they differed as the things about which Christians differ in these days and yet its certain their Contention being great for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies provoking gauling and imbittered Speeches and Minds say the Learned it is certain they could not transact their Affairs in the Gospel together but apart And this was written perhaps to shew that a competent Unity in Judgment must precede our actual Communion and till that be attained among us there is a necessity in regard partly of human Frailty and partly in regard of some precious Truths to forbear one another without destroying the Truth to which we have attained respectively And this is the greatest Love we can extend to one another under these difficult Circumstances 1. To pity and heartily to pray one for another for the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all Men in Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 2. There must be all Patience exercised and Compassion shewed to the Ignorant and those that are out of the way especially where the scruple is tender and conscientious And in the mean time the faithful Minister of God must hold fast the form of sound Words he must teach the same Doctrine which was committed to his Trust by the Apostles He must warn others that they teach no other Doctrine He must not give place to Jewish or other Fables And the Church must so walk in Christ as they first received him rooted in the Foundation-Principles established and built up in him Not carried about with every Wind of Doctrine but speaking the Truth in Love must endeavour to grow up into Christ in all things In a word it is the Duty of this Brotherhood to stick close to the whole Councel of God and not to partake with other Mens Sins or Errors in Life or Religion which cannot be done where contrarieties in Doctrine and Practice about things necessary to the true State and Government of the Church of Christ are allowed in the same Fellowship or Community Love the Brotherhood This Fraternity are in a special manner to love one another 1. Because God himself hath loved them with a special kind of Love And if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 3. It is happy when the Love of Christians is founded upon this bottom viz. the Manifestation of God's Love to them and not upon any thing of human Excellency for this is to have Mens Persons in Admiration and not to admire this Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us 2. Because this is the sweetest Manifestation that we are the Children of God for in this is manifest the Children of God 1 John 3. 10. namely that they
love their Brethren And every one that loveth is born of God And our Saviour makes it the true Character of Christianity By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Joh. 13. 35. 3. Because this is the uniting Grace among Christians this makes their Society sweet their Fellowship desirable it s a Fellowship of Love Phil. 2. 1. This makes them like David and Jonathan they are bound in one Girdle and their Love was wonderful 4. Because this makes the Sufferings of Christians easy when those that suffer love them in defence of whose Faith they do suffer and see themselves beloved of their Brethren even then when all Men seem to hate them This made Paul himself rejoice in his Sufferings Phil. 4. 10 14. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again Ye have well done that ye have communicated with me in my Affliction Let us touch the things briefly which may be sure Evidences of this Brotherly Love 1. If then we love the Brotherhood we are much concern'd about them in our Thoughts For what is the Object of a Man's Love is the Subject of his Meditation All true Lovers know this by Experience and let the Love of the Brotherhood exceed our Love in other cases An instance of this Love we have in St. Paul Col. 2. 1 2. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them of Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my Face in the Flesh That their Hearts might be comforted being knit together in Love c. 2. If we love our Brethren we bear them much upon our Heart in our Prayers we cannot forget them if we rightly love them Paul made mention of him in every Prayer of his whom he dearly loved 2 Tim. 1. 3. Let all Christian Brethren do so too for we cannot do less for any of them or for many of them we can do no more 3. If we love the Brotherhood we will esteem them highly according to the Vertues which we see in them 2 John v. 1 2 3. And whom we love we will commend and advance as much as we can because it 's the native Property of Love to do so as appears in the interchanges of Love in the Song of Solomon between Christ and his Church and is the way too to encrease Love as all Experience shews 4. If we love our Brethren we will to our best defend their Reputation against those that injure them Thus Paul vindicated not himself only but those faithful Ministers which were with him when some reported of them that they walked after the Flesh and said Let us do Evil that good may come whose Damnation for such vile Reproaches against the Servants of Christ he avers to be just 5. If we love the Brotherhood we will to our Power relieve their Necessities For He that hath this Worlds Good and sees his Brother want and shutteth up the Bowels of his Compassion how dwells the Love of God in him And saith another Apostle If a Brother or Sister be destitute of daily Food and ye say Be ye filled and give them not those things that are necessary what doth it profit Wherefore let Love be without Dissimulation Let it be fervent For to this end were our Souls purified in obeying the Truth through the Spirit even unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren 1 Pet. 1. 22. 6. The last Evidence If we love the Brotherhood we will seek and preserve as much as we can the Peace of the whole and the Prosperity of every part Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem saith David they shall prosper that love thee for my Brethren and Companions sake I will now say Peace be within thy Walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces How greatly does the true Son of David our Lord Jesus pray for this Blessing upon the whole Church That they all may be one as he and his Father are one And what Christian will not tremble to think of doing any thing against the tenour of his blessed Prayer I will conclude this point with a solemn Protestation against those Evils which chiefly hinder the love of the Brotherhood and the first is Pride 1. Only through Pride cometh Contention saith the Spirit when Men are admirers of themselves Proud Boasters they soon become despisers of those that are good and Enemies to the Love of the Brotherhood Diotrephes being got to this point presently makes havock of the Church by casting the Brethren out of the Church that shewed their brotherly Love to the travelling Ministers And why because he loved to have the Preheminence insomuch as he spared not to undervalue the Apostle himself Aproud Professor cannot love the Brotherhood 2. As all proud Men are Enemies to brotherly Love so most of all such as take themselves to be infallible about things most disputable being vainly confident that God is opposed when their Impositions are not obeyed These Men commonly drive furiously rend and tear if their Mandates meet with dislike or non-reception These Men will ever stand strenuously upon Niceties and make things which are doubtful and meerly indifferent to become necessary 3. Those who make Gain their Godliness are great Enemies to Brotherly Love these are called greedy Dogs by the Prophet greedy Wolves by the Apostle these seek their own not the things of Christ They are Enemies to him their God is their Belly they mind earthly things they change with every Wind for Preferment They are Lovers of their own selves They teach things which they ought not for filthy Lucres sake They love not the Brotherhood but their Money Thus much to the second Point We come now to the third part of our Text. Fear God Hence the Doctrine has been propounded thus Doct. III. Christians must have an awful Fear of God before their Eyes that in Matters of Religion they may serve him only and not provoke him by sinful Courses nor by the Fear of Man To come rightly to the performance of this Duty we must endeavour to have a right knowledg or Belief of this God whom we are to fear for this our Saviour makes to be the weighty part of our Religion Faith and the Fear of God Now in this Faith which anteceeds the Fear Worship and Service of God we must consider the Essence and Attributes of God In the first he is infinitely beyond the reach of our knowledg or finding out unto Perfection Job 4. 24. It is but a small portion that we know or can know of him in this World Faith therefore satisfies it self with knowing that God is or that there is one God That he is a Spirit Eternal Pure Omnipotent Immutable Invisible Merciful Faithful Holy Just and Good and that he is infinitely and perfectly so and whatsoever else may be said to represent him Great and Glorious Great in his Sovereignty and Dominion Glorious in his doings towards
for Faith Neither do we pretend to judg Mens Hearts for tho God has ordered Faith to be a Pre-requisite to Baptism yet we are only to judg of the Profession of Faith not of the Sincerity of it And as it is true as you say that Infants cannot play the Hypocrite so it 's true they cannot play the Christian and therefore not fit for the Duties of Christians of which Baptism is one Mr. Taylor 's Argument 12. They who are capable of the Ends of Baptism may be baptized But Children are capable of the Ends of Baptism Therefore they may be baptized ANSWER 1. If by the Ends of Baptism you mean the Things which concern God's Mercy in the Redemption of Man only then the Major is denied but if by the Ends of Baptism you mean the Things required on Mans part then the Minor is not true for Mortification and Vivification are the Ends of Baptism on Man's part of which Infants are not capable for they cannot put off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh nor have they any need so to do neither can they rise to Newness of Life And tho I grant and have often said it that we ought to devote our Children to God in the best manner we can yet to go beyond the Word of the Lord under that pretence will neither profit us nor our Children 2. What you say here of Baptism being a Seal to Infants c. is answered before And surely the word Heathen so often used by you as it imports sometimes an Enemy to God yet being of it self of no ill signification Infants are not so to be accounted Heathens nor doth the word Christian as it imports a Follower of Christ belong to Infants So that this is only a Noise of Words to talk that our Infants are not distinguished from the Infants of Heathens tho I have shewed a difference between them Mr. Taylor 's Argument 13. Whom the Church of Christ ever received to Baptism may still be baptized But the Church of Christ hath ever received Children to Baptism Therefore they may be baptized ANSWER 1. The Minor Proposition is not true and therefore I do deny that the Church hath always received Infants to Baptism And indeed you do not so much as pretend any thing from the Scriptures to prove it but before do honestly confess That Infant-Baptism is not mentioned in the New Testament and therefore certainly it will be impossible to prove that the Church did always receive Infants to Baptism And it is also very observable that Eusebius who wrote the History of the Church for four hundred Years after Christ does not so much as mention Infant-Baptism at all 2. But how then does Mr. Taylor prove his Minor Why his chief Author to that purpose is Mr. Walker in his Book called A modest Plea for Infant-Baptism which Book in that part has been answered by Mr. De-Laune to which I refer the Reader The Sum of which Answer is to prove that all Mr. Walker's Testimonies from Antiquity for Infant-Baptism for the first 300 Years after Christ are either invalid or taken out of forged and spurious Books And it is more than sufficient to ballance Mr. Walker's and Mr. Taylor 's bold Assertion That the Catholick Church hath always received Infants to Baptism by the contrary Testimonies of Ludovicus Vives and Dr. Barlow the first expresly saying In old Time none was brought to Baptism but he was of sufficient Years to know what that mystical Water meant and to require his Baptism and that sundry times The other tells us There is neither Precept nor Practice in Scripture for Infant-Baptism nor any just Evidence for it for about 200 Years after Christ 2. You say That for many hundreds of Years the Question about Infant-Baptism was not moved But this is a great Mistake for Tertullian did question it as an unwarrantable Practice in the beginning of the third Century as is shewed by Mr. Tombes and others who have diligently enquired into the ancient Customs of the Church 3. The first Instance which you bring for the Practice of Infant-Baptism in our Nation is that in King Ina's time about the Year 692 but we can prove it was opposed by the Britain Bishops two hundred Years before this See Fabian's Chron. part 1. fol. 107. 4. You say The deferring of Baptism among the Ancients was not for their questioning Infant-Baptism But sure if they did think themselves too young to be baptized at twenty or thirty Years of Age they could with no reason think their Children old enough for Baptism at seven or eight days old Extremes have undone all they were too slow and you are as much too quick But the proper time for Baptism is when Men attain to the new Birth Baptism is therefore rightly call'd the Washing of Regeneration 5. You seem to hold That Infant-Baptism was lawfully practised by God's People before Christ and even from the Apostles Time since Christ But I wonder by what Law you give us none but Mr. Walker's Book which is very well answered by Mr. De-Laune in his Book entitled Truth defended And I am sure the best Antiquity says nothing for you Mr. Taylor 's Argument 14. That Doctrine which introduceth many Vnchristian Consequences is erroneous But the Doctrine of the Antipoedobaptists Introduceth many Vnchristian Consequences Therefore the Doctrine of the Antipoedobaptists is erroneous ANSWER 1. The Minor Proposition is not true for our Doctrine in the Case of Baptism is true and Truth does not introduce any erronious Consequences Now that our Doctrine is true appears thus Because it fully agrees with your Text Mat. 28. 19. even as it is expounded by your self in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Going to disciple all Nations instruct them in the Principles of my Religion and then being Disciples baptize them This you say and this we say the only difference is We do as we say but You say and do not You therefore must needs be in the Error in this case 2. But let us hear what you have against our Doctrine First you say It opposeth the whole Current of Scripture nullifies many Scripture-Promises and Privileges and destroys the Covenant of Grace as the premised Pages manifest But I hope the premised Answers do manifest the Charge which you bring against our Doctrine to be very unjust And seeing you are the Men and not we that have changed the Ordinance of Baptism you may justly fear the Censure of the Prophet Isa 24. 5. for breaking the everlasting Covenant See the Place and consider it seriously 3. You say Our Doctrine introduceth the World into Gentilism or Heathenism and makes Christ's Church always gathering and never gathered But how can you say this seeing we are for the teaching or discipling all Nations and every Person in the Nations as they are capable and God gives his Ministers opportunity and we take the same way to do this which the Apostles used according to our Ability i.