open the signification of the word Baptism by context of Scripture which you build your Faith so much upon and to shew you how you deceive your selves in binding limiting and confining the word to signifie only to dip plung overwhelm without warrant of the learned in the Tongues or sense of holy Scripture I must acknowledge my selfe the unfittest of many to intermeddle with a work of this nature by reason of my want of skill in the Tongues as you likewise acknowledg the same yet you bring many Authors to prove the word Baptize to signifie to dip yet you confess they say it also signifieth to wash or sprinckle so that by your own grant the testimony of the Learned proveth no more for * It is error to confine it as you do you then against you and forasmuch as the Learned themselves are at their wits end concerning the signfication of some words in holy Scripture as in Job 2. 9. Some say where it is translated Curse other say Bless also the word Euriclydon Act. 27. 14. One saith it signifieth a North-East wind another a soultery hot wind but forasmuch as many words in Scripture are left by the learned in the original Term though in English Letters as Baptize Messiah and many the like It behoveth you I being Englishmen not wholy to rely upon the learned in Tongues seeing the Jewish Rabins skilfull in Tongues did not all of them understand the true sense or meaning of the Scripture nor yet to slight or lightly esteem of the worthy endeavours of the learned in translating the Scriptures who have dealt so honestly where they durst not confine the word to one sense or tearm they left it to be understood by the people of God as the Spirit of the Lord should direct them The word Messiah being alledged against a Jew to prove the death of Christ how the Angel prophesied Messiah should be slain Dan. 9. 26. I saith the Jew but Messiah signfieth any one that is anoynted Governor so that when words in Scripture have large or divers significations we ought carefully and wisely to consider the divers use and meaning of them to agree in a harmony of holy Scripture Likewise â—ell an Athiest that God made the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 1. 1. He may answer as the Learned in the Tongues say Aelohim sometimes is used to signifie Angels Psal 8. 5. with Heb. 2. 7. sometimes to signifie magistrates Psal 82. 1 6. therefore he believes not any such God properly as we profess not having Gods Spirit to understand the sense and true intendment thereof Likewise the originall word for worship as the Learned do express the same Latria and Latréuo sometimes largely used and sometimes more strictly so that word worship generally comprehendeth the performance of all duties required in the first Table of Gods Law Deut. 5. 6. 15. more strictly and properly to worship is to bow down and supplicate to God Mat. 2. 2. Again the originall word for Church Congregation or Assembly given in by the learned Kahal in Hebrew and in Greek Ecclesia which word is used for any Assembly which without the help of Gods holy Spirit cannot be rightly divided as the gathering together in a Market is Ecclesia where Women as well as Men have equall priviledge to speak yet the word Ecclesia a gathering in a Church Assembly where men and women have not equall priviledge alike to speak 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Likewise when but two or three are gathered together in Church worship Mat. 18. 20. they bear the name Ecclesia and when the Church consisteth of thousands they are but Ecclesia Acts 4. 4. Acts 7. 38. Exod. 19. 1 3 5. 6. So when it signifieth the least we are not to despise the day of small things Zech. 4. 10. Luk. 12. 32 Likewise the word Saviour sometimes signifieth Christ sometimes Christs Miniâ—â—â—rs Obadiah ver 21. 1 Tim. 4. 16. sometimes civill Magistrates or Deliverers Neh. 9. 27. which divers use is approved by the Scriptures by which we ought to take the more notice of the word Baptize which as is said before that the learned give in to signifie to dip wash water sprinckle so that my friend R. A. you are very bold upon you own head and the men of your Judgment to bind up the word Baptize to only dip without either the learneds assent or warrant of holy Scripture therefore both you and all of your Judgment consider by what hath been said how many words in Scripture a few before treated on that cannot be confined without adding or diminishing from the mind of God but to be understood by the directions of Gods Spirit Rev. 22. 18. Deut. 4. 2. Pro. 30. 6. and learn the counsell of the Holy Ghost of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2. 14 15. So then forasmuch as the holy Scriptures hold forth three several Baptisms by the one word Baptism I shall endeavour by the help of the Lord to lay down some grounds according to the sense of Scripture how we may rightly divide the Word of Truth to understand the same comparing spirituall things with spirituall 1 Cor. 2. 13. and not altogether rely on the learned in Tongues though in due place and right use are not in the least to be despised but highly esteemed for we read the Book is given to one that is learned Saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed And the Book is delivered to him that is not learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I am not learned Esay 29. 12. So that great is the mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. So that when the holy Scriptures as so made use of and interpreted that no one Scripture jar against another but agree in one harmony like as the Levites having Cymbals and Psalteries and Harps and with them an hundred and twenty Priests sounding with Trumpets they made but one sound to praise the Lord 2 Chron. 5. 12. 13. so also the true Trumpets of Gods holy Truths make but one sound 1 Thes 1. 8. Rom 15. 6. to praise the Lord which none can learn but the redeemed from the earth Rev. 14. they can tune both old and new Testament to agree in one harmony of melody and soul comfort Psal 81. 2. Rev. 14. 2. Rev. 15. 3. never a Scripture to jar one against another by which learning our Lord and Master put to silence the learned Rabbins in the Mother Tongue Mat. 22. 41 42 to 46. with this learning and wisdom Stephen in disputing the Studients were not able to resist the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spake Acts 6. 9 10. But the unlearned and unskilfull to reconcile the Scriptures
A Necessary TREATISE for this Age OR A Plain discovery of that great Error of denying Baptisme with Water to the Children of Believers In justification of the Arguments of John Turner for Infants Baptisme against Robert Admond Together with several other useful particulars on this Subject the Contents whereof follow in the next Page Briefly and plainly handled and discust by THOMAS WALL Luke 18. 16. Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Acts 2. 39. For the Promise is to you and your children c. Acts 16. 15. And when she was Baptised and her houshold c. London Printed for Tho. Wall and Barn Frencham and are to besold by Nath. Croucâ— at the Cross-Keyes in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-Hall 1669. The Contents 1. A Plain discovery of that great Error of denying Infants Baptism with water to the Children of Believers 2. John Turners Argument for Infants Baptism justified 3. A desoription of the state of Infants as they come from Adams loyns 4. What Christs spiritual blessing was on the Infants brought to him the want they had of it and benefit received by it and by it they had right to Baptisme of water 5. That a mans children are his houshold 6. That Believers children were Baptised by the hands of the Apostles 7. The word Baptisme opened by context of Scripture 8. Who are the true Administrators of Baptisme 9. Where it ought to be done 10. On what part of the body it ought to be administred 11. That the Anabaptists according to their own judgment are not yet Baptised 12. That the Baptism received in Apostate Churches ought not to be reiterated The Preface to the Reader concerning the occasion of this Treatise I. T. that worthy Souldier of Jesus Christ about 12 years ago delivered his Judgment in a Sermon from 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. verses Proving from thence the lawfulness of Infants Baptism One that heard him took the sum of the matter delivered in writing and gave it to R. A. who made some Answer to J. T 's Doctrine and sent it to him In answer to which writing of R A. J. T. framed this Argument in the beginning of this Treatise and to the Argument R. A. made some farther Answer R. A. shewing me the writings of both sides I having well considered the matter and discerned much wait in J. T 's Argument and R. A's grant to the same And J. T. being aged and weakned much in body by reason of his long nigh 14 years imprisonment for the Cause of Christ and after that a long time of sickness was not forward to trouble himself with Controversies in his latter dayes but to imploy himself in more comfortable Meditations I thought my self bound in duty having received a Talent of the Lord and ought not to hide it in the earth Matth. 25. â—8 27. the Harvest being so great and they that are faithful Labourers so few and the truth of God so much in these our dayes decayed I could not forbear but set the trump of Gods Word to my mouth to vindicate this blessed Truth of the Lord of the Right that the Infants of Believers have to Baptism of water Isa 59. 19. though the Enemy shall come in like a Flood for the same but the Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid Psal 27. 1. Considering if it were possible to reclaim my friend R. A. from his error I sent to him the tenor of this ensuing Treatise which remained with him about a year and half expecting his approving or disproving of the same A friend of mine understanding what I had wrote â—esired to see it much desiring me to put it to publick view for some Reasons First Because the truth of Infants Baptism so plainly manifested is so needful to come abroad Secondly Because so many poysoned Books in denying Infants Baptism are spread abroad Thirdly The many thousands of people that are led away in the error of the same the Captain of this and other Errors was one Of this Mr. Smith is more spoken in this treatis worth noting Smith who Baptised himself being once a seeming Member of a true Church in Amsterdam where Mr. Henry Ainsworth at that time was Teacher but for Error Mr. Smith was cast out which was as the Star called Wormwood which fell upon the third part of the Rivers and upon the Fountains of waters and many men dyed of the Waters because they were made bitter Rev. 8. 10 11. but the waters of Gods truths being pure water of Life clear as Crystal Rev. 22. 1. which make glad the City of God Psal 46. 4. but false Shepheards and evil Teachers do foul and muddy the waters of Gods Truth with their feet Ezek. 34. 18 19. So that bitterness springeth up to trouble the faithful Heb. 12. 15. With their Tongues they have used deceit Rom. 3. 13. And lye in wait to deceive Ephes 4. 14. What need then hath every Soul to search the Scriptures daily Acts 17. 11. Believing no mans Opinion of Scripture unless it be so understood that the Old and New Testament may agree in one harmony together and then he or she shall go on in safety which is the desire of him who is thine in all Christian duty Tho. Wall John Turners Argument for Infants Baptism Verbatim sent to Robert Admands THey that Christ blessed with a spiritual blessing had right to Baptism of Water Little Children held in Arms had right to Baptism of Water because Christ blessed them with a Spiritual blessing R. A's Answer to J. T 's Argument And grant is That the Infants blest by Christ were blessed with a spiritual blessing with this denyal That those Infants which Christ blessed with a Spiritual Blessing had no right to Baptism of Water Tho. Wall ' s Reply to R. A' s Answer of J. T' s. Argument Forasmuch as you grant that those Children held in Arms and brought to Christ were blessed with a Spiritual blessing it is then needful to examine by the golden Reed of Gods written Word what this spiritual blessing was the necessity the Children had of it the benefit they received by it and that by partaking of it they had right to Baptism of Water so I shall begin in order with the first particular That is What this Spiritual blessing was Christ bestowed on those Infants brought to him The Evangelist Luke is a true expounder what Christ Spiritual was as it is written Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the Earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 3. 25 26. Again Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Rom. 4. 7. And again Blessed be the God and
to Romes I shall lay down their manner as their own Writers say It is a dipping three times in water In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost in Bellarm. de sac Bap. 1. 1. c. 25. Bellarm. de Image 1. 2. c. 29. Again consider my friend suppose a man while he is an unbeliever in the Wars have a leg or arm shot off and yet by Chyrurgery he is cured that he is as heart-whole as ever and may probably live as long as if that had not befallen him and in process of time comes to be a Believer shall not this man be Baptised if he was not Baptised before because you cannot Baptise all the whole man having not all his Members As many members make one body 1 Cor. 12. and this man with his heart believeth and with his mouth confession is made to Salvation Rom. 10. Shall not this man be Baptised think you and here a part must be taken for the whole or else it is not lawful to Baptise some Believers contrary to the Scriptures And again If the Baptism be utterly denyed not to be retained which we have received in Apostate Churches you thereby affirm all the people that are in our known parts of the world to be unbaptised and you cannot prove a succession in your way and so no lawful ministry to Baptise a People for no unbaptised person may be a Minister to Baptise but such was Mr. Smith in his own judgment Neither have any unbaptised people power to elect or ordain a Minister among them of this can no rule president or example be shewed in the Scripture but all to the contrary especially since all extraordinary Officers have ceased So must all the building of Christs Church and work of the Ministry cease until some second John Baptist or new Apostles be sent down from Heaven c. And they that make a new Ministry as Jeroboam did will be found to be the worship of the Devil and Ministers of Sathan 2 Chron. 11. 15. 2 Cor. 11. false Apostles deceitful workmen must also make a new Gospel and confirm it with new Miracles as I have heard some say when they could not prove a succession of Dipping by a trùe Ministry from the Apostles dayes they have thought an unbaptised person might begin the work to Baptise by Dipping but for warrant hereof no one word of God could be brought as Israel who made them Idols after their own understanding Hos 13. 1-3 When the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. but that we may beware of the Rocks of Popery and quick-sands of Anabaptistry by the light of God's Word let us consider what is the safest way to take in this distress when men are at their wits end whither should we go but to the Lord for counsel Isa 42. 16 God's gracious Spirit blowing upon the sails of our faith we shall safely sail through all these difficulties into a strait way to the sincere practise of the Gospel for he that hath ascended up on high hath not left his Church destitute of counsel in all times and estates whatsoever and though the Lord for the judgment of the world and trial of his servants and manifestation of his power bring his servants into Babylon yet knoweth he how to deliver his servants without justifying of Antichristian or Babylonian Assemblies to bring his people forth to Sion and to rear up the decayed Tabernacles of David which were fallen down Amos 9. 11. without using one stone of Babel in the work for a corner or for a foundation And we being fallen into deep Apostasie in these parts of the world let us see whether we can find any president of such times and see whether we can fetch any better directions for the retaining of the Ordinance of Baptism than your way of Anabaptistry or twice baptizing for it is good for all to observe that the persons which John Baptist and the Apostles did baptize were not baptized before as we were in the state of Apostasie We read That whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our instruction Rom. 15. 4. And we find written in the time of Hezekiah that the Kingdom of Israel had a long time remained in Schism and Apostasie having forsaken the true Temple and made to themselves new Temples new Altars as the History of the Chronicles do declare 2 Chron 30. neither could by any warning be reclaimed only such as did return and left their false worship and came to the true Temple to worship God were received and admitted to the Passeover without either gathering correcting or repeating the Circumcision they had received in the times of their Apostacy The like we read in the times of Josiah in 2 Chron. 30. and in Ezra and Nehemiah when they had yet longer continued in their Schism and Idolatry and yet upon their return out of captivity unto the Lord the Circumcision then received was not repeated again Ezra 6. 21 22. yet no doubt to those men in those times while they continued in that idolatrous estate the Circumcision then received was no true seal of Gods Covenant to them being added to their false Worship Idolatry and Apostacy And I think this will be granted of all hands that God's Covenant is no longer continued with any Church or people than they remain in his faith and obedience Rom. 2. 25. But some may say I justifie the outward action of Circumcision as it is done in the false Church nothing less but condemn it altogether as a hainous profanation of God's holy Ordinance yet when it is purged by sincere repentance of the abuse thereof it pleased God in pardoning the faults and to reserve and not repeat the outward action which because it was vvrongly done it cannot be said not to be done at all for vve must put a difference betvveen a thing not rightly done and a thing not done at all for the errors and defaults of the Baptism being purged by Repentance and done away by the mercy of God the Lord now beholdeth the rest of the action and the thing which in pretence they seemed to do as his Ordinance so that we find this way the way of God concerning Circumcision received in the false Church when as those persons that were Circumcised in that state and after came to the true way of God they were not Circumcised again the like may be said of Baptism seeing Circumcision was the seal of faith and Baptism now as is before proved So by like equality as the one Seal received in Apostacy and not repeted so Baptism received in Apostacy is not to be repeted and so we have a foundation in Gods word to build our faith upon and not to follow your own spirits Object But if any say that Circumcision could not be repeted again and Baptism may because the foreskin being once cut could not after be cut again Answ The Apostle resolveth this doubt saying If any man called being Circumcised let him not become uncircumcised 1 Cor. 7. 18. which words do import that there might be a gathering of the flesh again by the Art of Chyrurgery as divers Histories do declare Joseph Antiq. Lib. 12. chap. 6. And again what should be more against reason to think why the outward Baptism delivered in a false Church should be denyed to be retained seeing Circumcision that was received in a false Church was not denyed when as the Scriptures shew that the state of the Romish and false Church in their Apostacy is like the state of Israel in their Apostacy as these and like Scriptures do shew Rev. 17. 1. 5 with Jer. 3. 8. Hos 2. 2 3. 1 Thes 2. 3. Therefore Baptism received in such estate is to be esteemed Now as Circumcision was in Israel in their defection but that Circumcision was so esteemed and such a state and walking was only repented of Thus if persons will follow the president of Scripture they shall find comfort at last but for persons to deny this Baptism and own that true Baptism for a man to Baptise himself as Smith did is proved by several testimonies this will be their reward as saith the Prophet Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall-lye down in sorrow Isa 50. 11. Thus according to my weak ability in unfained love to your soul I have returned you some Answer to your answer to John Turners Argument for Infants Baptism though he himself if he had pleased while he lived could have given you a more fuller Answer But forasmuch as your desire was I should peruse the writing between you I was willing for the vindication of the Truth of God in this point though the unfittest of many but as many of their great abilities brought rich things for the work of the Tabernacle yet those of small abilities who brought but Goats hair being accepted of God was not despised so though my abilities be but small to farther the work of the Lord I hope it will not altogether be despised of any that are imployed in the work of the Lords Tabernacle the true Church of God the stay and pillar of truth thus desiring the Lord to bless these my labours for the comfort of his Elect and the Lord alone to have the glory honour and praise now and for evermore Amen Reader I having no thoughts when I first wrote this Treatise that it should come to publick view but seeing providence hath so disposed thereof I think good to acquaint thee if these people which deny Infants Baptism have likewise deceived thee as perswading in word or writing that it is not lawful to eat blood and things strangled which is the Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4. For thy help against that error you may have a small Treatise where this book is to be had proving it lawful by the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to eat blood and strangled things in these dayes of the Gospel Published by the Author of this Book FINIS