baptism shewing by the Scriptures I. Why Infants that cannot speak nor understand cannot be Church-members under the Gospel II. Why they cannot be Christs Disciples 6. To Mr. Baxters 8. Arguments by which he saith he proveth the Anabaptists way of baptizing sinful 7. Lastly I shall shew the reasons of our separating from the Church of England which standeth upon these four Legs viz 1. Infant-Baptism 2. Humane learning 3. Tythes their wages of unrighteousness 4. The Magistrates sword which they have used 1. to support themselves 2. to persecute and pull down others ERRATA Page 71. line 4. for send nothing can speak no salutations read speak nothing can send no salutations NOw according to the method propounded I shall proceed to shew First What foundation the Saints ought to build upon which Foundation is Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 for other foundation no man layeth then that which is layed which is Christ Jesus and the Apostle saith Eph. 2.20 that we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets of which Christ himself is the chief corner-stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth to an holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit To this also agreeth the words of Peter 1 Pet. 2.3 4 5. If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices holy and acceptable to God by Jesus Christ And again it is also plain in the words of Christ to Peter when Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God then saith Christ to him Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Observe upon what Rock not Peter as the Papists say for Peter is called a stone but Christ is called a Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 for they drank of that Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ and who that is a Christian knoweth not that the Church of Christ is built upon the Rock Christ and therefore David saith 2 Sam. 22.2 The Lord is my Rock fortress and deliverer and verse 47. The Lord liveth and blessed be the God of the Rock of my salvation c. All which I suppose will not be denyed by any that own Christ But the 〈◊〉 Question is How the Saints may or ought to build upon this Rock Christ Which is cleerly answered by these following Scriptures Mat. 7.24 in these words Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will lâ—ken him to a wise man that built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was founded upon a Rock c. From all which we learn that to build upon the Rock Christ is to hear his sayings and do them and those that hear his sayings and do them not are likened unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand c. and to this agreeth the saying of the Apostle Act. 3.22 23. for Moses truly said to the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people and that destruction is an ever lasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.8 9. Now seeing these things are so it standeth every soul in hand to search after the sayings of this great Prophet Christ Jesus and in searching they shall finde that he sharply reproveth all those that call him Lord Lord and yet do not the things which he saith Luke 6.46 and so saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.4 He that saith I knew him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyer and the truth is not in him and all Lyers shall have their part in that Lake which burreth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21 8. And thus we see the imminent danger that all those are in which say or think they are Christians and that they know Christ and will call him Lord Lord and yet not do the things that he hath commanded them nor keep his sayings the which danger to prevent I shall briefly endeavour by putting down his Commandments and sayings in order as they were spoken by him and practised by his Apostles and Saints in that generation And first The sayings of the Lord Christ after his Resurrection when he had obtained of God the Father all power both in heaven and earth are as followeth Mat. 28.18.19.20 And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the world To this agreeth his words in Mark 16.15 16. And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned c. These are the words sayings and Commandments of the Lord Christ which we ought to hear and obey as aforesaid From all which words we observe 1 That he commanded the Gospel to be preached to every creature or all Nations 2 The end was that they might believe it 3 That those which did believe it should be baptized into his name 4 That those baptized believers were after to be taught to observe all other things whatsoever Christ had commanded his Apostles to teach them 5 To this practice viz. to a people thus walking according to this rule hearing his sayings and doing them the Lord Christ hath promised his presence saying And lo I am with you always even to the end of the world but the end of the world is not yet therefore Christ is still with those baptized believers which do thus walk Thus have I shewed the order of the words as they were spoken by the Lord himself I shall now proceed to the example of the Apostles and see whether they did act accordingly or whether they baptized children as well as believing men and women or whether John the Baptist did baptize any children And if it can be proved by any word of God that any baptized little babes that cannot speak or understand then I confess they that practise it may be born with and they which cry it down as Antichristian superstition and mans traditions may be to blame now therefore to the words and
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
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
they were so when he had left them in the judgement of the learned Priests and Rulers as appeareth Act. 4.13 Thus all men may see how contrary the Priests of this Nation do walk to Christ and his Disciples Object But Christ was able to teach them all wisedome and did give them extraordinary gifts for the perfecting of his work but now there is none such therefore men must get abilities by humane learning Answ This is a gross mistake for we have nothing else to do but to beleive and obey that word which was by them preached when they were so indued with those gifts aforesaid And now if any man preach he must preach that word 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4. for that is able to do all the work of conversion and sanctification and to make us wise to salvation through faith in Jesus and to make the man of God perfect and throughly to furnish him unto all good works chap. 3.15 16 17. And if men or Angels preach any other Gospell then what they preached let them be accursed see Gal. 1.8 9. and therefore we are commanded to stand fast and hold the traditions which they have taught us whether by word or epistle see 2 Thess 2.15 and the Lord Christ prayeth for all those that shall believe in him through their word John 17.20 therefore they are the Preachers by whom I do believe and the word is already preached that I must believe and obey therefore no need of a little dirty humane learning to make a man a preacher of that which is so plainly preached already but every English man may declare it to his Native Country-Men and so may Men in all Nations 2. Whereas you say Christ taught them then himself I answer so he doth now teach those that desire to be taught of him and I question not but some are so well taught by him that they are able to stop any of your mouths by sound Doctrine that shall oppose them And thus have I given you another reason of our dissenting from the Church of England The third reason is their lying deceit even when they are exercised in the holy ordinances of Christ as I shall make appear by shewing the depth of their deceits concerning their baptizing of Infants which they have no word of God for but have successively brought it along with them from Rome as appeareth thus When Luther and others separated from Rome they were not baptized againe after they separated but brought Romes baptisme along with them notwithstanding they confess that it is a false antichristian Church a den of theeves a cage of unclean and hatefull birds from which all Gods people are commanded to separate and touch no unclean thing and then he will receive them 2 Cor. 6.17 yet they will and do still touch their baptism which is the ground and root from whence all other branches do spring for without baptism there is no visible Church all will grant that own ordinances but they being thus far charged they presently fly from the Church of Rome and plead their own innocency and purity in separating from them the which I deny so long as they retain the Popes or Divels baptism But they will tell that the Ministers of England have given us great satisfaction in shewing the reasons why Infants ought to be baptized which are as followeth in the Sacraments or things so called Quest What is required of persons that are to be baptized Answ Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Quest Why then are infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform it namely this faith and repentance Their owne answer again is this Answ Yes They do perform it by their sureties which promise and vow both that is to say both faith and repentance in their names Well thus far we have drove the matter and now we will hear what the Scriptures say for themselves and the children they answer for thus When a poor Child is to be Christened as they call it or rather cozened as I call it then the Minister doth demand of the Godfathers and Godmothers as they call them these ensuing questions 1. Dost thou forsake the Devil and all his works the vain pomps and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh so as thou wilt not follow or be led by them Answ I forsake them all I say It is well if they do Quest 2. Dost thou believe all the Articles of the Christian faith c. Answ All this I stedfastly believe I say it is well if they understand them first Quest Wilt thou be baptized into this Faith saith the Priest to the sureties Answ It is my desire say they when they never intended it because according to their owne judgement they were baptized in their infancie before they knew it Thus all rational men may see what abominable lyes they tell when they are about baptizing infants the God-Fathers and God-mothers saying it is their desire to be baptized into that faith when there is no such thing intended and then they take the poor child that knew nothing of what they said or did together and sprinkle a few drops of water upon its face putting to or taking the name of Christ in vain over it and then they say it is a Christian and fall a praying that it may lead theremaining part of its life according to this beginning And now let all that fear God judge whether there be not wickedness lying and deceit used in them baptizing or ingrafting members into the Church of England yea such lying and deceit as all men may see if they be not wilfully blinde Therefore now let all men take heed henceforward how they satisfie themselves with such frothy stuff with such lying and deceit instead of the truth of Jesus Christ which is able to save their souls that cleave to it and contend earnestly for it but all lyers whosoever doth either love or make lies shall have their part in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death See Rev. 21.8 with chap. 22.15 But now the great Objection by which men think to save themselves from the guilt of all this evil is this O say they but we have laid aside the Common-prayer-Book and we will no longer owne the things therein contained Answ Then it seems you grant that it was not of God but of Satan and therefore you have laid it aside for if it were of God it is your grievous sin to lay it a side and not practice it for you and I and all Christians ought to lay down our lives for the truth of Christ rather then let it be laid aside 2. But have you laid aside your baptisme that you had by the Common-prayer-Book I speak to all you that are 16 or 20 years of age and upwards if you have not