and people did begin so high as Abraham or before such time as Moses and Aaron had according to Gods command to them ceremonially sanctified by the bloud of sprinkling and dedicated both the Book of the Covenant and all the people and all the vessells of the Ministery and all other things pertaining to that Tabernacle for both that holy people and all their ceremonially holy things whereby you need not be ignorant unless you will that the holiness of that seed and their sanctuary was the same and began and were to end both together were first consecrated didicated purified sanctified all at one time under Moses Heb. 9.18.19.20.21.22 c. whether I say the holiness of the seed began so high as Abraham is a thing so out af doubt to me that I dare say that as the holy land was not relatively holy till they came into it so the holy seed as well as the other holy things of that Covenant were not ceremonially consecrated nor formally sanctified nor vouchsafed that title of a holy seed though vertually they were a choise seed before till a little before they were to enter it and howbeit I challenge no man yet I intreat any man in the world to shew me if he can where they were denominated and distinguished from all other people as unclean by that term of a holy people till God intituled them so by Moses Exod 22.31 ye shall be holy men unto me neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts ye shall cast it to doggs which place compared with Levit. 22.8.9 Deut. 7.6 chap. 14.2 chap. 26.19 doth so plainly shew these two things First That the holiness there spoken of began but thenceforth Secondly that it was but a certain ceremonial distinction and a holinese opposite to that kind of defilement which might be contracted by eating of unclean beasts and so fully ceased in Christ that I even blush to read Mr. Blake and have been ashamed in my mind to hear some Independents also bring those Scriptures wherein God called Israel a holy people to himself to prove that an inchurched believers meer fleshly seed is now by nature holy in the same sense Now then let us hear the conclusion of this whole matter of the things that have been spoken this is the summe viz. that there are three kinds of holiness of which when you say children of believing parents have holiness and consequenrly the spirit you undoubtedly mean one viz. Matrimonial Ceremonial Moral The Middlemost of which because your fellow laborers against the Gospel intend that chiefly in their books I have treated on last and most largely and I now say three things of it in special First That it is a Holinesse which once was but now is not in being Secondly That it is a Holiness which of it self when it was in being as it was at the beginning of the Gospel before Christ crucified could not without faith and moral holiness interest the persons in whom it was seated in any of these three things viz. Gospel Promises Gospel Priviledges or Gospel Ordinances 1. Not the promises for they were made to Abraham in Christ and his spiritual seed not his own fleshly seed upon such terms as bare birth of his body or such holiness and righteousness as was under the Law intituling to Canaan Rom. 4.13.14 Gal. 3.16.29 2. Not the priviledges viz. Gospel immunities and Church-membership for those that could plead they were under the typical freedomes of the old house or Church under the Law as Abrahams seed only were are denyed by Christ to be that holy seed that should stand in the Gospel house that was now to be built or share in that spiritual freedome which the sonne gives which is the only freedome indeed unlesse they did Abrahams works Iohn 8.32 to the 40th 3. Nor yet the Ordinances no not so much as Baptism the initiating ordinance it self for when that old holy seed remaining yet under their relative and denominative holiness unabolished did plead it as to baptism they were put back by Iohn and not permitted barely upon that account upon which they stood in the old house without faith unless they now believed and amended their lives whose repulse of them when they came to his baptism was this viz. begin not to say we have Abraham to our Father c. Mat. 3.7 8 9. Luke 3.7.8 Thirdly suppose baptism were entailed so to that holinesse and a meer fleshly seed of believers or of believing Abraham himself as truly as t is true it is not yet how grossely were you overseen Gentlemen in undertaking to prove the holy spirit by it to be in infants for that 's the probandum the very thing which by the holinesse of infants you went about to make good for the minor of your first sylogism which was this but little children have the holy spirit being denied was proved say you first by their faith secondly by their holinesse thirdly by those Eulogies given them in Scripture if then by holinesse you mean this kind of holiness I mean ceremonial which once was in the Iews by nature you have a wet eele by the tail then indeed for ask but Mr. Blake and he 'le tell you that that holinesse was in thousands who yet had not the holy spirit yea in truth all the Iews had that holinesse of whom not a Tenth even then when they had it were either in infancy or at years morally sanctified or indued with the holy spirit and as I have said these three things in special concerning that one kind of holinesse so I have three things in general to say in short concerning al these three sorts of holinesse viz. First one of them was in infants of old and now is not but is vanisht and when it was it proved not the spirit viz. ceremonial Secondly another is but nothing to your purpose I mean the proof of the spirit though it be in most infants viz. matrimonial Thirdly the other is not yet come for ought yet appears to infants viz. morall which if it did appear to be in them positive qualitativè as an inherent quality not negative onely so as to be without sin or absolutely innocent for absolute innocency hath no need of baptism then I should say something more to you but you see it doth not therefore though you said nothing then as I wish since I had suffered you to do from infants holinesse to the proof of their having the spirit and right to baptism yet I have searcht but cannot possibly find what holinesse you could possibly have proved it by I have been the larger here though you gave me but a bare hint by the nomination onely of infants holinesse first because here lies indeed the very principal knot and basis of this controversie which you erring in are consequently erroneous in all your wayes for Error minimus in principio fit major in medio Maximus in fine And as for all oâ—her arguments pro and
upon denial of any sufficience in all your former proofs to make it appear is at last undertaken by you to be made sufficiently appear in this last Syllogism which if it do not make it as sufficiently appear concerning unbelievers infants considering your own matter used to prove the Minor as concerning the other then my candle is quite gone out but if it do then surely the very light that is in you is utter darkness In the next place you dispute upon us by way of Question and Interogation thus Disputation 1. How do those men and women that are baptized at years make it appear to those that baptize them that they have faith and the holy spirit If it be answered by their profession 3. Whether their profession since it is possible they may lie can make it appear infallibly If it be answered no. 3. What judgement then can they that baptize them passe upon them to be the subjects of baptism as they call them whether any other than that of charity If it be answered that of charity T is replyed then let them passe the same judgement upon those little infants of whom in general the Scripture hath given so good a report and against whom in particular no exception can be raised and the controversie between us is at an end Disproof First whereas you quere how those we baptize make it appear that they have the holy spirit before we baptize them I answer I know no necessity of making ir appear that persons have the holy spirit before their admission to baptism for though we find once that God Anticipated his promise and gave the holy spirit before baptism Act. 10. yet I know not nor yet do you any promise there is whereupon in an ordinary way we can expect it of receiving the holy spirit of promise till after faith repentance obedience turning to God baptism and asking of it Prov. 1.23 Iohn 7.38.39 Act. 2.38 chap. 5.32 chap. 8.16.19 Luke 11.13 Ephes. 1.13 Secondly as for the holy spirits appearing infallibly I answer first it may possibly appear infallibly to be in some in whom it is as Act. 10.44.45.46.47 by sundry fruits and manifestations of it which may warrant us to say God is in them of a truth Mat. 7.16.17.18.19.20 1 Cor. 12.7 1 Cor. 14.25 It may I say undoubtedly appear to be in men and women but cannot and way at all so appear to be in infants if we may believe your selves who tell us p 8. that infants have not the exercise and fruit of faith and p. 18. that instruction of the understanding in matter of faith in some sort must go before any act of faith can be discovered and that no judgement of science can be past upon infants till the acts themselves be seen and examined for a posteriore onely the discovery of habits is made and that unlesse it could be certainly presumd what children have it what have not there can be no conclusion made And howbeit I am not of the seekers mind that an appearance of the holy spirit in any person before baptism in water doth exempt him from it but am well assured that it strictly rather ingages him to it or else Peter could not have commanded them in name of the Lord to be baptiz'd in water upon whom the holy spirit fell Act. 10. but must rather have forbid it as frustraneous and altogether superfluous yet that the spirit should appear at all to be in men in order to their baptism much more that it should appear infallibly to be in them is a matter of no necessity that I know of sith in the word it s not required that persons be baptized with the holy spirit first in order to their baptism with water but that they be first baptized in water in order to their receiving the holy spirit Act. 2.38 for the baptism of the spirit as t is promised onely to believers so we believing obeying the Gospel and asking the holy spirit t is signified to us as one thing that shall be given among the rest in that very way of water baptism so that its enough for us as to the baptism of persons to take cognizance of it that they believe and repent which things though they cannot do without the spirit performing its common office of striving drawing moving inlightning convicting of good and evil sin and righteousness c. in all which it acts to the whole world Gen. 6. Rom. 1.20 Iohn 16.8 Act. 7.51 yet they not only may do them without but must do them before they can by promise expect the spirit in those special respects wherein he is promised to believers and calld that holy spirit of promise And now because you ask how we know they have faith whom we baptize I answer by their profession which gives though not infallibility yet by your leave for all your preferring the Eulogies given in general to all infants above any mans personal profession for himself in this case a far clearer and better grounded judgement of charity concerning them that they have faith then that you have concerning infants which at best is but charity mistaken for cruelty whilst it takes that to be in infants and that on pain of their damnation too they dying without it viz. believing see p. 8. which infants are utterly uncapable of and whilst it takes even that too without which it holds no infants are saved to be in but very few infants viz. believers infants onely and so damns all other dying infants which are far more innumerable and as capable of faith and as little barring themby actual sin from salvation and as little deserving damnation as the other so that whether we or you plead the cause of innocent infants let the world judge And whereas you suppose that because in charity onely we judge men and women to believe therefore we passe no other judgement then that of charity onely on them to be the subjects of baptism herein you grossely mistake our grounds of baptizing for thought that of charity onely is the judgement whereby we judge them to be believers yet that is not the onely judgement whereby we judge them to be the subjects of baptism but as to that we go upon a judgement of certainty and infallibility also for though it be not infallible to us that every one that professes to believe doth as truly believe as he professes yet this is infallible to us concerning him that professes viz. both that he professes and also that professing to believe with all his heart so that we in charity may judge him so to do whether he lie or no he is by the rule of the word quoad nos a warrantable undoubted and as no infant is infallible subject of baptism for the word requires us to baptize such as after our preaching the faith to them do truly professe to believe whether they believe as truly as they profest or no for that indeed is not so infallible to
seal together with all your vain conversion and worship by tradition from your fathers yet you never learn'd it from our fathers in the word wherein shew me if you can from the beginning to the end save in Rom. 4.11 where in anosense sense viz. not to strengthen a weak faith but to honor great faith circumcision was set as Gods broad seal to confirm Abraham in his fatherhood any one of the four which you call Gods seals viz. either circumcision or the passeover baptism or the supper is call'd a seal by God himself Babist The formal term of a sign is no more to be found in Scripture to be given either to baptism or the supper then the term of a seal yet you grant it to be properly called a sign and so why may it not be called a seal though it be not so called in Scripture Baptist. Though the expresse denomination of a sign be not given in Scripture to either baptism or supper yet no lesse is sounded forth in sense and signification but the other term of seal as to these things is not consonant to the rule of faith for verily as no other is exprest so no more then one seal of the Gospel Covenant is so much as implied or hinted at in holy writ and that one seal is no other then the holy spirit by which those that believe are said to be sealed Eph. 1.13 Eph. 4.30 and howbeit God preacheth the Gospel to us outwardly by words oaths signes and visible resemblances viz. baptism and the supper and this in the ministration of men who may minister to us all these and set them close to our ears and to our eyes yet when he preaches it to us inwardly so fully and firmly as by seal he preaches it himself alone and though by a baptism yet a better baptism then that of water that is the holy spirit which though the sign may be set first to profest believers that are not so indeed secondly and this very visibly and openly to the view of others thirdly by men like our selves yet first is never set to any but believers in truth secondly and that secretly and indiscernably to any but themselves that are seald thirdly by none but God himself who onely sets that baptism close to the conscience within which baptism no man under heaven can administer what we set i. e. the sign may very easily be to a blank our ministration being liable to mistake but what Christ sets i. e. the seal that makes us most sure from himself that cannot possibly be misplaced for where and whensoever the spirit of God within is sent to bear witnesse and cry Abba i. e. father there and then God is a father indeed your own selves say that where the seal is that soul is sure at that time a real heir and from that time forth say you also for ever and so say I if that soul continue for ever cleaving to the Lord not quenching resisting or so grieving that holy spirit as to cause it to depart for ever for if so ther 's another tale told you from several Scriptures 1 Chron. 28.9 Heb. 6.4.5 Heb. 10 29. But if it be so as you say that Gods seal seals up none but such as are both true heirs by faith at present and must necessarily abide so for ever then first here 's an Argument ad hominem how ever i. e. an evidence to you out of your own mouthes that your baptism is none of Gods seal sâ—th it is set by you not onely to 1000s that after it fall from him but indeed to 1000s that never knew him their father nor never will I again therefore once more for all that I may not trouble my self with them when I meet them in other places protest against these your expressions of circumcision and baptism by the name of seals Gods seales of the Gospel Covenant c. first as none of mine wheresoever you are found fathering them on me as p. 6.7.14 Secondly as none of Gods expressions though I know not how many times ore viz. p. 4.6.7.8.13.14 you aver the ordinances to be Gods seals and father that very phrase on God himself who as he useth not such a phrase when he speaks of those foolish things as the world counts them 2 Cor. 1. which he chuses as his outward witnesses shews signs and love tokens from himself to us so he useth no such tools indeed as these Instrumental signes are when he ministreth himself for these he appoints men to minister in these are the instruments of the foolish sheapherds Zach. 11.15 even the outward instruments which God hath chosen for the under sheapheards to act by he uses none of these I say as his own seal and inward witnesse for that 's no lesse then the holy spirit which whattypes shews and signes of the Gospel Covenant soever there have bin outwardly both before and since the Gospel begun hath bin is and ever shall be the onely earnest that God hath given the only witnesse that him self hath us'd the onely seal that he hath set in any age whether before the law or under the law or under the Gospel Psal. 51.11.12 Eph. 1.13.4.30 2 Cor. 5.5 Rom. 8.15.23 So having removed the rubbish of rude expression with which your last argument was clouded and not a little over loaded as you delivered it I come now to consider it nakedly as it lies substantially enough compriz'd in these expressions viz. Vnder the Law circumcision was by Gods appointment dispensed to little infants Ergo under the Gospel baptism must be to infants also or else the Gospel Covenant is worse to the spiritual seed of Abraham now then it was to his carnall seed under the law This is in short the plain sense and ordinary way of urging this argument By way of Answer to which let me be so bold first as to ask you this one question viz. why you stand so stâ—fly to have baptism dispens'd so strictly after the manner of circumcision and yet stray and vary your very selves from the fashion of that administration in a manner as much as any men in the world for verily though the way of circumcision be that you stickle for yet you stragle from it and as to the very subject it self vary from it as much as in any thing else if that be rhe rule after which men must baptize as you plead why then do ye not baptize for so they circumcised First onely males and no females Secondly all male servants upon the masters single faith as well as male children on the fathers Thirdly on the eighth day onely and neither sooner nor later nor one day before it nor behind it Fourthly by the hands of parents fathers Mrs. Mothers as well as by the hands of the Priesâ—s onely Fifthly any where viz at home or abroad in Inns or other places as occasion is but onely or for the most part in your great stone houses for this is both
so then if you had pleased but your blunt delivery of your selves here without any modification of your meaning makes it out as if you meant to fright the whole Countrey to baptize all their infants in all hast as ever they mean to have any hope they shall be saved besides if they be but doctrinally damned and not really by the denial of baptism to them the matter is so much the lesse for as they are not one straw the better whether living or dying in infancy if they have it so they cannot be as to salvation one straw the worse if they want it and die without it and then what need such thundring out of terror to the parents as if there were no way but one that is damnation to their dying infants out of hand if they do not see to the baptizing of them in infancy before they dye moreover if it be doctrinally to damn all infants to deny their right to baptism then how damnable is your doctrine to that innocent age who deny it to no lesse then 20 to one viz. all the dying infants of unbelievers but the best on t is though your doctrine is so desperate and ungodly as to declare nought but damnation to all such as the Pope doctrinally damnes i. e. all that are not born within the pale of the Church yet there is salvation enough for these infants as well as for the other in Christ Jesus whereby till they deserve exemption by actuall transgression they may be saved really though with you they are doctrinally damn'd and with us as well as you deny'd to have or so much as to have any right at all to baptism Thus Sirs I have done with your deep Disputation there remaining no more but a certain magisterial moderation or determination in which you are your own carvers taking upon you to manage it by the mouth of him whose onely arguments all these are in which piece of your Pamphlet I shall briefly take notice of some passages wherein you speak very fairly of your selves very fowly falsly and injuriously of your respondent very conrradictorily to what you said before very ignorantly of the word very impertinently as to the proof of faiths being in and baptisms belonging to those infants you plead for more then those you plead against and then come to consider your Review you speak as followeth Determination Since it hath been proved that little infants have the holy Ghost c. here let there be a recapitulation of the former arguments therefore baptism is not to be denied unto them Detection Doubting belike whether any stander by can find in his conscience to give so good a testimony as you afford and such ample approbation to your Arguments as you desire and they deserve not you ingrosse the dijudication of the disputation between yourselves and me into your own clutches and then claw your selves in the face of the world and bestow such commendatories upon your simple shuffles as if it were proved and put out of doubt thereby that believers infants have the spirit faith holinesse and such apparent right both to heaven and baptism as no creatures have in the world besides them but having shewed how shallowly fillily and slenderly you have argued all this above I decline detest and disclaim this your positive dijudication and make my appeal from the high Commission Chair of you Clergy men who for ages and generations have sate judges in your own cause unto the people whom you have ever mis-led by your blind guidance to judge between us among whom not they who have so long commended themselves as Orthodox will be approved at last but those whom the Lord commendeth Determination If any doubt be raised concerning particular infants the judgement of Charity will cast that out especially considering no other judgement can be past upon those that are Adulti Detection That the judgement of charity concerning faith the holy spirit and right to the kingdom can in infancy be past no more upon believers infants then upon all infants is told us so plainly by your selves that if you be not resolved that you will never learn any thing that is truth from your selves you must needs see it as well as we since you say p. 18. there is no discovery of the habit of faith but by the asts and none by the acts in any infants at all in infancy and that the spirit is neither bound to work it in all the children of Christians nor barred from working it in any children of infidelâ— and p. 5. that the judgement of charity must so pass that we are to presume well of all who by actuall sin have not barred themselves and deserved exemption and that there 's better ground to build a judgement of charity concerning faith and the spirit in adultis then infantibus viz. profession and visible manifestation by the fruits and acts and a better judgement then that of charity viz. of certainty is to be had of adult persons right to baptism we seeing them certainly to professe faith as infants cannot which whether they deceive us in that profession or no is clear ground to baptize them on this I have shewed so sufficiently above that there needs no more be said of it here Determination Our Respondent hath confessed that Ishmael who was that carnall seed of Abraham yet had right to the seal of the Gospel Covenant circumcision and that the spirituall seed and their children have under the Gospel as good right to the seal thereof which is baptism Detection O rare and base what again Sirs what again I professedly denyed baptism to be a seal at all witnesse my then disavowing the Scotchmans proceedings in the dispute of baptism under the term of initial seal I also denied circumcision to be the seal of the Gospel Covenant or that it was set to Ishmael under such a notion yea you your selves are my witnesses but three pages above that I said circumcision was a seal to Abraham only and not to his posterity and yet here again as well as before you turn false witnesses against me and will needs fasten this upon me for a farewell that I grant all for truth that your selves ignorantly assert in these particulars and not content therewith a matter more monstrous then all the rest you say I confess not only Abrahams spirituall seed themselves i. e. believers but their children also to have under the Gospel as good right to baptism as the seal of it as they the direct contrary to which is the Position I stood then to evince yea which I both then did do still and ever shall till you disprove it better than you have yet done maintain against you or else wherin do we differ Sirs you should have done well to have expressed your minds in plain right down English and then the scope sum and scum of them would have risen and appeared thus viz. we the Disputers and Scribes of the Ashford
any way in ones armes is easie enough to the dispenser when the disciple is once gon down with him into the water and yields himself to be laid along in it by his hands but conceive what part of a man you will except the hands which you will not for shame say is the onely member to be baptized and I le say hic labor hoc opus est t is a matter of no smal difficulty to dip meerly that for if you will dip a mans head and shoulders onely in the River you must poise and posture him Archipodialiter with his heeles upwards if his feet and legs onely you must first at least lift him up wholly and carry him in clearly from the ground which kind of dipping men in Rivers as t is more toilsome surely then that totall dipping which Iohn and Philip used so let him take it who is minded to make himself more moil then needs for our parts we have a way wherein to do it with more ease and to do it more sufficiently too then by the halves As for the other of the Dr. quibbles viz. First for the rest of them are elsewhere removed That the Israelites were baptized in a cloud not dipt into it Resp. nor sprinkled neither but onely metaphorically baptized Secondly that Zebedees children were baptized with blood the baptism wherwith Christ was baptized and yet neither he nor they dipt into blood Resp. Both he and they were baptized with sufferings shame and contempt and affliction and all misery in the world for truths sake i. e. penè yea penitus submersi sunk ore head and ears in deep waters of the proud going over their souls and overwhelmed with the waves of the wickeds wrath prevailing against them for a time and that 's the bloody baptism he speaks of not litterally the sprinkling of their own blood upon them when they were slain for Iohn suffered otherwise but his blood was not shed at all Thirdly that the fathers speak of the baptism of tears but no dipping in that baptism Resp. we mind not what your fathers spake hyperbolically but what our fathers spake in truth and plain sobernesse in this case It was therefore a totall dipping certainly which was then used and by which Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the water and not any other kind of washing there as the Dr. dreames which is also evinced yet a little further by this forasmuch as though the Eunuch was gone down with Philip into the water yet he was not said to be baptized till Philip had dipt him therein for if the wetting or washing or dipping of some parts of the body onely might passe for sufficient baptism then as soon as Philip had conducted the Eunuch into the River he might have led him out again as a person sufficiently baptized for he was washt already and dipt so far as to the Ancles but the businesse was not done though the Eunuch was in the River till he had baptized him thereinto Rantist Give me leave though to put in one thing by the way and that is this t is a question to me for all your confidence whether Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water at all or no the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon you ground it doth not alwayes signifie into but sometimes unto and why may it not in this place be thus read viz. they went down both of them unto the water both Philip and the Eunuch Baptist. No it cannot for they came unto the water before and so it s expressely spoken in the text ver 36. where its said and as they went on their way they came unto a certain water t is probable some foord or brook that they were to pass through and the Eunuch said see here is water what hindereth me to be baptized if they were come unto the water already as the word saies they were they could not be said properly except they had gone from it first to come unto the water again after they were come unto it therefore the next motion was into it without question yea the very Dr. himself with whom we now deal confesses no lesse then this that Christ and the Eunuch were baptized in the river and that such baptism of men hath been used if then they were used to be baptized in the water they went down first certainly into it not unto it onely for then they could not be well said to be baptized in it As therefore to that other quirk whereby the Dr. seeks to evade all baptizing in water and pleads for a baptism with water onely viz. that the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commonly is put after the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not in but with and is so translated and this is one of Mr. Cooks Crotchets too p. 12. of his book the Drs own grant quite cashieres it while he saies that Iohn and Philip baptized Christ and the Eunuch in the river for though I deny not but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be and sometimes is truly enough translated with especially in Rev. 19.21 the place quoted by Dr. Featley and Mr. Cook who both strive to enervate A. Rs argumentation from that praeposition which is used Mat. 3.7 Mark 1.8 where Iohn saies I indeed baptize you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in water saith A. R. with water saith the Dr. and Mr. Cook yet if it be granted as it is by the Dâ— to be in the River then it cannot be denied but that it is in water however and so the Dr. thwarts himself in that Neither is there such inconsistency in my conceit between baptizing in water and with water as that either this or that should be held exclusively of the other for they rather necessarily stand both together yet so as that the advantage stands still by it on our hand for whoever baptizes at all yea he that baptizeth in water baptizeth with water also and likewise he that will baptize wiâ—h water must necessarily baptize in water too i. e. obruere overwhelm or plunge persons over head and ears therein or else if we go to the truest signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in reality he baptizeth not at all Let it be rendred therefore baptize in water or with water which you will it s all of a price to us sith the one of these includes the other And whereas the Dr. and Mr. Cook both make such a matter of the words that follow viz. He shall baptize you with the holy spirit and fire the Dr. pleading that the Apostles were baptized with fire not dipt in to it and Mr. Cook that one may as well say Christ baptized in the holy spirit and in fire or put the party into the holy spirit and fire as that John baptized in water the praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being there also I answer we may as well say so indeed for t is a truth as well as the other they that are baptized with the spirit and
is before him here Eccl. 8.14 and the 9.1.2.3 yet sith he speaks of ruinating judgements let the consequence passe as valid but then his minor is utterly false for the Anabaptists are not all ruinated yet nor will be till the Clergy are quite cashiered as evident as it is that they have every where withered and suddenly come to nought heretofore and since he speakes of spiritual judgements e. g. that practise saith he hath never helped but hindred the work of God where it comes nor hath God blest their ministry to conversion of soules as he hath other mens but rather they have been instruments of the Churches scandal and misery Secondly that hath been the inlet to most other vile opinions few stop at it but go much further God hath usually given up their societies to notorious scandalous wicked lives and conversations more then others that professe godlinesse and never prospered them so far as to have any established Churches which should credit the Gospel I grant that some of these are sad emblems of a people none of Gods onely Mr. Ba. hath here saddled the wrong asse for this way of baptism hinders onely the work of mans Tradition which would make void the commandement of God but being it self the work and way of God is hindred where ere it comes by Priestly malice preaching Gods fear after precepts of men nor hath God blessed the Nationall ministry to the true conversion of soules as he hath done theirs but to the conversion of them to a Gospel of their own making for repent and be baptized was the Gospel that Peter preached and that is it that is now practised by us and how many are converted and baptized accordingly is so evident that it needs no proof at this hour but repent and be not baptized is the Gospel the Priesthood preaches and if you call that conversion which indeed is confusion we confesse their converts are more more then ours such instruments of scandal and misery to the true Churches are the Priests in all places by their reproaches nor is baptism the inlet of any vile opinions any more then the same was in the primitive times wherein many that were baptized did turne hereticks when they had done as they do now but what wise man then imputed it to their baptism and yet some of those opinions Mr. Ba. calls vile will be proved to his conscience in due time to be the truth yet many that are baptized do run out to very vile opinions and practises no better then their principles and stop not there indeed as he saies but go much further and degenerate into wayes oâ— wickednesse more abominable then ever in former time and of these Ranters Mr. Copp is none of the least attainers whom Mr. Ba. p. 148. hath very well set forth in his colours for I believe God in Iustice hath given him up and many other besides him to more notoriousnesse of error and enormity then ever any that profest godlinesse But what then shall we impute that fault to his being baptized I trow not for howbeit Mr. Ba. so imagines yet it was because he honoured not the truth when he had owned it nor walked in Christ after he had received him in which case how often God gives over to strong delusions is evident not only by the word which declares that when men like not to retain God in their knowledge he oft gives them over unto vile affection But also by sad experience in the world in these last times wherein 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Tim. 4.1 and the 2.3.1 doctrines of divels are rife among them that once owned the faith yet the faith not a whit in fault for all that but departure from the faith before expressed And that the fall of these men is into worse then ever before it is no argument against but rather for the way they newly fall from the sensuality of such as separate themselves from the true Churches in the later times i. e. congregational after these are once separated from the false ones i. e. the nationall being prophesied of 2 Pet. 2. Iude 19. of old that it should be greater then that of all beastly men that were before them besides corruptio optimi pessima the higher the rise into reformation the more desperate the fall into deformation of those that reform and prove deformed again that greater depth of hell therefore men fall into that fall from us proves the hight of our Churches to be neerer heaven then that of yours for if after they have escaped c. 2 Pet. 2.20.21.22 when Cop was in his standing in the Church of England I remember very well for I knew him better then then ever since he had some bounds from conscience to his corruption but having been once inlightned higher then Mr. Baxter ever was yet in the will and way of God and tasted of the heavenly gift and made a partaker of the holy spirit and obeyed the truth as it is in Jesus and yet fallen away his conscience is seard with a hot iron and I have small hope of his renewing against by repentance who thus denies the Lord that bought him and crucifies the Lord afresh and is twice dead pluckt up by the Roots a raging wave of the sea foaming out his own shame But what is all this to those that yet walk in truth of baptism more then to warn them that they depart not from it as he hath done lest they come into the same condemnation with him doth it prove baptism to be the cause of that grosness that often followes when a person is baptized in no wise for his non abiding in the love of the truth and that doctrine of Christ gives God occasion to give over to the height of wickednesse I appeal therefore to the conscience of Mr. Baxter 1. Whether the Pope may not by as good consequence charge all these errors that are upon Protestanism saying Thus the Ptotestants stop not there but run out further from Episcopacy to Presbytery and to Independency and so to Anabaptism and so to all it is true Protestanism is occasio or causa sine qua non for such as sit still in the smoak of the Popes Traditions are not acquainted with the new found fancies of the Ranter But Protestanism is not the true cause 2 Whether Mr. Ba be so well aware as he should be what time of day it is when Peter and Iude point out these things so plainly and yet he wonders at them as a Mystery 3. Whether the few owning and the few abiding in the true way of baptism doth not prove it to be the streit and narrow way that leads to life which few find 4. Whether he think we lay not to heart their misery and madnesse that run off from us as well as he and strive not to warn and watch over them as much as he and if so why he blames us more then himself that do what we can so
were you baptized saies he if at least you have not so much as heard of it as who should say who baptized you I wonder and did not so much as instruct you about the spirit nor laying on their hands pray for you that you might receive the spirit this plainly shewes that by right they should all about the time of their baptism in water have heard of the holy spirit and in what way it was to have been expected by them even that of laying on of hands none of all which they having so much as heard of as yet Paul therefore after some words of fuller information to them and such other passages as fell out thereupon laid his hands on them verse 6. in order to their receiving the holy spirit These Scriptures what they are to others I know not are to me a cleer and safe conduct into the belief of this truth that the doctrine of laying on of hands with prayer in order to receiving the holy spirit both was in the primitive times and was to be preached to all baptized believers as that which was no lesse then their duty to own and submit to have dispensed to them And as it was so universally taught and preached so was it as universally in those times practised dispensed submitted to ownd and observed in all the churches and among all baptized believers even men and women without exception This is evident out of the four forenamed places viz. in the first of which it is not only expresse that they i. e. all that Jewish Church had been taught this principle among the rest but also that it had been practically owned and observed among them as well as all the rest for as it s said there of all the principles together that these Jewes had need to be taught them again so that they should not now lay them again but go on to perfection which shews that as these principles had been all preacht to them all so all these Jewes or Hebrews did once lay them all as a foundation at their first beginning to be a Church and therfore this of laying on of hands among the rest In the second we read that Paul laid his hands on all the baptized believers that he found at Ephesus being then no more in number then about 12. speaking as it were by way of blame and reproof of those by whom they were baptized that this was not also done by them at their baptism in order to their receiving the holy spirit much more in that they were not so much as informed that there was a holy spirit to be expected by them ver 32.3 which may serve also as an Argument to them that say as some of the inquirers do that the reproof of the omission of any service doth evince that that service ought to have been performed and as an answer also to the fourth question of the abovenamed enquirers with the ground thereof which is this viz. In the third place we find it most expressely asserted that Peter and Iohn prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit and laid their hands on them i. e. all those men and women for that 's the only substantive to this pronoun them in that place of whom it s said before that they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus which word only they were baptized intimates to us thus much also viz. that though they had submitted so far as to baptism yet they had not practised all that was to be practised by them but that some other service was yet behind which ought to be performed towards them viz. that of laying on of hands In the fourth it s asserted also most plainly that all the three thousand believers that were baptized did gladly receive the word i. e. the word that Peter preacht to them who exhorted them with many other words then those that are there specified viz. repentance and baptism and that they continued in the Apostles doctrine of which word and doctrine if we may judge the word or doctrine of Christ the Apostles to be one and the same laying on of hands was part as well as faith repentance baptism resurrection and judgement Heb. 6.1.2 besides if the word and doctrine of Christ that was preacht and practised at Jerusalem was the self same word and doctrine that was after preacht and practised at Samaria then we may safely gather that whatever was preacht and practised by them at Samaria had been preacht and practised by them at Ierusalem before from whence they came immediately to Samaria where its easie to be discerned by any but such as will bend their brains to multiply impertinencies and to make bluâ—ies to themselves and others in businesses that are beyond doubt to impartial inquirers that they laid hands praying for them that they might receive the holy spirit on all those believers there that were baptized whether men or women without exception if we may as warrantably understand the men and women that are said to be baptized v. 12. to be the same persons that are said to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus v. 16. and the same persons that are denoted by that pronoun them v. 14.15.16 as I am sure we cannot warrantably because not congruously do otherwise for who else can be meant all along but the very same and not some of them onely but even all the same even the men and women that are related above to be baptized for whereas its said ver 12. when they believed they were baptized both men and women and v. 16. that the holy spirit was fallen upon none of them onely they were baptized must not they and them there be taken for all those that are said to be baptized above and so consequently when it is said ver 15. that they prayed for them and ver 17. that they laid their hands on them doth not them denote out the very same Yet this cannot be digested for truth with some of the inquirers for t was asserted as his opinion the rest assenting to it by their silence by one of those with whom we had some discourse at Ely house Maâ—ch 27. 1653. whether the same be the sense of all those that sent him I know not that Peter and Iohn did not with prayer lay hands on all the baptized believers at Samaria but on the men only and not on the women And whereas in proof of the contrary I asserted that the pronoun them in v. 14.15.16.17 doth relate to not the men onely but the men and women even all those that are said to be baptized as the adaequate substantive with which it did agree t was answered by him to this purpose a pretty put off I confesse but nothing to the purpose viz. that the Scripture had expressions both particular indefinite and universal that the word them here as t was not a particular so t was not an universal for then it would have
been said all them but an indefinit expression signifying some onely not all whereby he bewrayed his too little acquaintance with one received rule among the Rationallists viz. that an indefinite proposition or expression in a necessary matter is equivalent ever to an universal howbeit my reply to him then was not so but on this wise viz. that if we must take them but indefinitely only for some and not all the persons or things before spoken of unlesse that particle all be added to it then we had consequently no clear command from Matth. 28.19 20. to baptize all that are discipled and converted to the faith for by the pronoun them that is there used also we must not mean all them but some of them onely in the nations that are discipled because it s not said all them but meerly them but I intreated him from his conscience to tell me whether he did think that when Christ saies Go teach all nations baptizing them teaching them he meant that they should baptize all them or but some of them only in the nations that were discipled his return was that if there were not other places that did more clearly prove it that Christ commanded that all should be baptized then Matth 28. he could not see it fully commanded there and being desired to assign any place wherein Christ did more universally command baptism then there he directs us to Luke 7.30 where it s said the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized whence he gathered that baptism was the Councel and consequently the commandement of God to all men because they are here reproved for rejecting it which if it be a sound Argument to prove baptism to be the command of God to all men because the pharisees in particular for the Pharisees is but a particular expression indigitating one single sort of men among all the rest and not so much as an indefinit much lesse an universal because I say the Pharisees in particular are reproved for refusing to obey it how much better may we collect that both baptism and laying on of hands with prayer for the spirit are commanded by God to all men because we find all those save Simon witnesse his giving them his holy spirit recorded as most highly approved of God that at any time did reject neither but silently submit themselves both Those passages between that my beloved friend and my self I could not conscientiously neglect to set down least I should seem to love any man more then the truth for the sake of which principally and partly for his also and theirs he walks with whom I love in truth as far as they love the truth I write this that he reviewing here his own empty evasions may more evidently discern himself to be mistaken in many things then he may be capable to do in a discourse by word of mouth and that they remembring how they in proof of baptism it self to be Christs command to all believers are necessitated to use such cloudy inferences and deductions as those above may excuse us more then many if not most of that party do if in proof of laying on of hands to be the duty of all baptized believers we take the like liberty to our selves in order to their satisfaction to use more clear inferences and deductions then those out of Scripture and out of Heb. 6.2 it self as t will appear that we do to reason it self rightly acted in comparing of Scripture with Scripture which I for my part refer the enquirers unto as the surest rule to try the spirits by and to try all inferences or deductions by because the best of men are liable to mistakes and sure enough to fall into them if ceasing to exercise their reason in deducing inferring and gathering one thing out of another they will receive nothing for truth though otherwise never so plain even to common sense and reason unlesse they find it in so many words in Scripture as t is by us exprest in and this is all that I shall trouble my self to say in reference to the seventh and eighth questions of the late Enquirers with the grounds thereof which are laid down in these words And now further to prove the Minor of the forecited syllogism in some other particulars of it that remain unproved viz. that laying on of hands was not only taught and practised dispenst and submitted to ownd and observed among all baptized believers in the primitive times but all this as by command from God I argue thus viz. Either by command from God or without it But neither without nor against command from God Ergo by it the consequence of the first proposition is most clear for whatever Gospel administration was never commanded by God to be dispensed is practised if practised at all as a tradition of men and without nay against Gods command whose command it is that no man shall presume to teach for doctrines of his the traditions or commandments of men the Minor is as clear that the Apostles did not teach for doctrines of Christ any traditions of their own for as Paul who was one of them that practised laying on of hands saies of himself 1. Cor. 11.23 that he received from Christ that which he delivered unto the Church at Corinth so may we say on the behalf of all the rest as concerning what doctrines they delivered and dispensations they practised to the Churches for surely as Christ the great and immediate messenger from the father could do nothing of himself was not to do his own will but the will of his father which sent him nor to speak or do any thing but as the father gave him commandement confessing that even his doctrine was not his own but his that sent him so they that were the great and immediate messengers from Christ might speak and do nothing in things pertaining to him but as God by him gave commandements unto them neither were any doctrines they delivered among the Churches their own nor any other then the doctrines of Christ whereupon though as Christs doctrine and commandements are called his because he preacht and gave them from God and yet were not his own but the fathers so theirs are called the doctrine and commandements of the Apostles as they had them immediately from him yet are they not their own but the doctrine and comman-of Christ and had they done any thing more then they had order for from him who from him were to give order to the Churches either in the point of laying on of hands or any thing else they would surely have heard harshly from him for it been reproved by the spirit in the word but as to this service of prayer and laying on of hands on all baptized believers in many places he is recorded as approving of them in all they did Moreover that laying on of hands was taught and practised not of their own heads
it to â—hem from Christ to be his holy command mind and will concerning them and to be a certain outward administration of his own chusing which thoâ—gh as despicable a dispensation and as weak low foolish earthen and empty a thing to see to as wash in Iordan yet was to be done sith the Lord had bidden it to be done as well yea rather then if it had been some greater matter if to no other end then meerly to testify their love to him and themselves meerly to be his disciples servants and friends by observing whatever he commanded Iohn 14.15.21.23.15.14 1 Iohn 5.3 how much more when it was a way and order of his own appointment to be observed and to wait upon him in together with prayer and supplication in order to such a glorious and profitable end and purpose to themward as this viz. that they waiting on him in that his own way might as not onely they did but all others shall that wait on him in the same in sincerity according to their faith or else its possible that we may fail of it as they also might and did in his measure manner and time receive his holy spirit Now I say as these were the ends grounds and reasons why among baptized believers this of laying on of hands was observed then so there are the same ends grounds and reasons why the same service should be observed now For first we have it manifested as sufficiently to our Reason and understanding unlesse we will darken the councell of God to our selves by a number of needless queries superfluous scruples and words without knowledge either expressely or by infallible inferences and undeceivable deductions in the word to be an urepealed undisannulled dispensation and patt and principle of Christs doctrine will and Testament as they had and as baptism it self which the Enquirers walk still in the practice of is manifested so to be Secondly we are also as much required and have as much reason as they to manifest our selves to be lovers of Christ to be his disciples servants and friends by our readinesse to do whatsoever he hath commanded Thirdly we are in as much liablenesse as they to be the least in the kingdome of heaven if we break one of the least of Christ commandements and teach men so i e. that they may do so too and as much capablenesse of being greatest in the kingdom of heaven if we do the least of Christs commandements and teach men so i. e. that they must do so too Fourthly we have as much need of the holy spirit now as they had to perform the same good offices for us as he did for them viz. to comfort and support under sufferings to lust against our flesh to lead us into all truth to bring to our remembrance the things that were spoken by Christ which many men would fain have to be forgotten to help to mortifie the deeds of our bodies to seal us up to the day of redemption to reveal unto us that we may rejoice therein the things which are freely given us of God which are the same he gives to them and to gift us likewise with such gifts as he not as we shall please for beggers must not be chusers for fellowship in the body that we may be an habitation of God through the spirit and to gift some also even such as he pleases for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body in the several offices he hath given to it for the ervice of it and the truth viz. messengers elders deacons c. for all this he did for them Fifthly we are as much under the promise of the same holy spirit of promise being baptized believers as they were for the promise of it was to them that were far off as well as to them that were nigh whether in respect of time or place and therefore to us yea and to all men on the same terms on which it was tendred to them all that repent and are baptized all that turn at Christs reproof all that believe all that ask the father for it all that obey him to the worlds end have on these terms a promise of the holy spirit as well as all the baptized believers of the primitive times and why the baptized believers of these times should have all these ends grounds and reasons why and in order to which laying on of hands with prayer was dispenst on all baptized believers then continuing till now and yet that dispensation cease and not continue in its use and that they should have the promise of the same spirit and yet not be bound to wait on God and seek it in the same way is a very riddle to me I confesse there may be through the unbelief of baptized believers who will not take Gods word in his word but say shew us a sign that we may see and believe shew us such visible gifts shew us miracles the gift of healing and in particular that gift of tongues which thou gavest to baptized believers in the primitive times in this way of prayer and laying on of hands and we will submit to it and believe it to be thy will and command to us now else not I say for their unbeliefs sake that obey not and their too too great defect in faith that do draw neer to God in prayer and laying on of hands there may be and that justly and I think is a cessation of Gods giving out such measures and full manifestations of his spirit as else he would yet some gifts he gives now and that there is warrant to expect by any promise thereof some particular gifts that God for signs of confirmation of the Gospel doctrine to be from heaven in the first giving of it out and removing the old testament gave in the primitive times as miracles tongues this I deny but that he gives not the gift of the spirit and the graces of it which was the thing mainly promised and not so much in plurali the gifts of it as men count gifts distinct from the fruits of it Gal. 5. temperance love joy peace c. as if these were not the spirits gifts much more that the promise of the self same spirit it self though it appear not in every individual gift that we out of curiosity desire to see doth not cease to us and that there is no cestation of that outward administration of laying on of hands with prayer on baptized believers which Christ then was sought to in for the fulfilling of his promise this I dare and do still affirm and testifie neither do I judge any man is capable by the word to give any sound reason why it should cease it being a principle of the doctrine of Christ till all the principles of the whole foundation spoken of Eph. 2.20 Heb. 6.1.2 on which the visible Church is to be built and all ordinances do cease also together with it at
in that truth on their side doth animate and assist them you meet them with staff and spear and humane accomplishments and they stand before you in the name of God and strength of that truth and true Israel of his whom you yet defie this makes Schoolmen like Schoolboyes under the rod when they are taken tardy in their exercise and see they are like to be whipt for it cry spare us in that their School-masters the Pope and Councels have overtaskt them and set them a Theam which Scripture whence onely they must fetch all their proofs saies just nothing of at all This makes the Disputers the Divines to come abroad a begging in print among the vulgar as you here do saying cover pass by bewayling the weakness of their Arguments their defects in disputing their presumption in entring the lists their non-preparation for the disputation because it s not the true Gospel they disputed for a very stripling may make a Gyant give back if he have hold on the hilt of his sword and the other thrust hard against the blade 't is hard for thee O Saul to kick against the pricks a learned lawyer may be at loss in a lame suit Asinus ad lyram may play his part better and make sweeter musick then the most accurate musitian that hath nothing to beat upon but a board it may well put any but the meer Sophister to his shifts to prove the moons made of green cheese and so 't will any save the meer self-seeker that is set to serve it out of a sight that he can serve himself of it and therefore is resolv'd to make any Argument serve turn even libet ergo licet rather then leave it to prove Infant-baptism much more Infant-rantism to be a good cause and yet the more 's the pitty this is the cause you have to make good and have been so bold as to stand up for which though your wishes are here that it may not suffer wrong through your defects yet mine are much rather that you may not suffer your selves to be wrong'd any more or to be wrong'd for ever through its defects for howbeit it flatters you into an opinion of its ability to be maintain'd by you by its appearing ability to maintain you yet you 'l find ith'end that by its fair flourishes it hath flusht you into more zeal then furnisht you with ability to maintain it when it shall have brought you to your choice of one of these two ex quibus minimum est eligengendum viz. either of Repentance from it and all other your Parochiall dead works tithes and other traditions that depend upon it upon a sight and acknowledgement that you have been mistaken about these as well as other Romish Remnants that you have seen cause through the Parliaments eyes to renounce since that long since Lutheran reformation which after longer standing out will be so much the harder Chapter for you Clergy men to run throw or else which is worse then nought of perseverance in your evil waies and dead works against light to prevent the other which last the Lord prevent from befalling any of you if it be his will Pre Who would not have presumed to have entered the lists c. Post. It had been no presumption in you had you been true Ministers of Christ and the cause you stood up in Christs cause indeed for grant it to be presumption in Vzziah to meddle in the publique service of the Temple and in Vzziah to put forth his hand to uphold the Ark and consequently for so you argue not we for men to meddle so as to minister to the Gospel publiquely in your Churches that are not in holy orders yet it is none vos Apello for the Priests or ordained Ministers of Christ to stand up any where in defence of Christs truth where it s traduced but rather duty which in speciall they stand bound to in that therefore you accounting your selves Christs Ministers do grant it to be presumption in you to put forth so publiquely when you saw it tottering you do no less thou give the cause you stood up in to be none of his as indeed it was not but your own and that was it only which made it presumption and very high presumption in you too in that you durst enter the lists against the Lord Iesus in in his own ordinance and that with such weak Arguments such flags as flam'd like swords but alas such as could not bear the brunt when it came to blows here how much less will they in that battel of the great day of God Almighty which is now marching apace upon you 'T is true therefore as you here confess you have been presumptuous and presumption is one of the most desperate sins that can be against Christ yet for all that in his name and as an Embassador from him though otherwise an unworthy and ever a contemptible creature in your eyes as though himself did beseech you by me I am bold to beg of you that you would not despair but come in and be reconciled to him presuming no more to stand up against him with such weak weapons as before least he tear you in pieces fall upon you and grind you to powder but sit down and humble your selves that you have stood so long in the way of Sinners so that they could not come to Christ through your Blurres lay down your arms and yield your selves prisoners to him stoop to that golden Scepter he yet holds out unto you own him as your King Priest and Prophet list no more against him but list your selves under him for he is gracious and will yet receive you and baptize you with his spirit if you turn at his reproof and repent and be baptized in water in his name for remission of sins Pro. 1.23 Act. 2.38 become little children in such a sense as you should be that you may be baptized and then be baptized in truth and in token for your memory hath lost your traditionary token sprinkling that hereafter you will not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified but manfully fight under his banner against sin the world and the devill and continue Christs faithful souldiers to your lives end How happy had it been for you if you had took quarter from Christ before this time for he would have given it and forgiven all your enmity against him in his truth but you are stiff-blades and your words have been stout against him you Clergy men are Lords you will not come neer but I beseech you become Lord beggars at the throne of grace as Brightman said truly the Bishops were for earthly honor at the thrones of Kings and Princes that you may have more of that grace and holiness to worship God with reverence according to his own will which God gives to all humble Suppliants then had you less learning and living then you have and more disgrace in this world then ever
being half afraid that you had been Anabaptists when God wot you are so far from Rebaptization that you neither do baptize nor ever were so much as once truly baptized your selves cries out against you who were in truth the men that first began to digrade and divest all those holy trinkets of that denomination of holiness wherewith they had invested them and that with a most hideous out-cry saying pa. 181. of his book thus What evil their disciples mingled with the Brownists have done in the Sanctuaries of God in England and Ireland though I should hold my peace the timber out of the beams and the Chalices out of the vestry and the Marble and brass out of the Monuments of the dead would proclaim it to the Everlasting infamy of this prophane sect You then being together by the ears so much among your selves about this question viz. whether Temples Vestments Altars Fonts and Monuments and other Steeple house stuff and Temple trumpery which was in the Bishops times be holy yea or no with that Relative holiness as D Featley calls it wherwith the holy places and Temple furniture of the Jewes was holy I might safely slink away here and leave you Presbyters to tugg it out with your Fathers the Bishops who have indeed already drawn that controversy so neer to an end as to determine all the holy things and well nigh all the holiness they had out of doors Yet that you may know I own and honor you so far as freely to side with you so far as you are willing to reform indeed and renounce Rome and her Religion but Alas Sirs that is not fully yet for notwithstanding the covenants whereby you have sworn both me and your selves to extirpate to your power all popery superstition Idolatry and meer mens inventions yet Oh what Remnants of Romish rubbish viz. national Churches popish parochial postures popish payments and profits old tricks of trotting after tythes more then truth and seeking to benefice your selves well rather then to benefit the people do yet abide unabolished among you yet so far I say as you do reform I am willing to go along with you and therefore will lend you my hand so farr as to sling one stone after all that Canaanitish holiness wherewith the Pope and his Clergy hath consecrated and christened not only all the babes born in Christendome but also the very bells and other bawbles belonging to the several sanctuaries with the name of HOLINES to the Lord as far as t is possible to keep it out from creeping into England any more and that shall be an Argument from the meer typicallness of all that Dedicative holiness that was once resident in the Iewish Church and every thing almost that pertained thereunto the like to which Dâ— Featley feigns to be now in the Christian nations and thus I frame it All that holiness which was but typical was but temporal or ceremoniall and so to be abolished under the Gospel But all that holiness whereby the Iewes land City Temple Altar Priesthood people first fruits profits and all the appertenance of that first Tabernacle were denominated holy was but meerly typicall and figurative of a future holiness that was to come in more fully under the new Covenant second tabernacle or Church under the Gospel Ergo all that holyness wherewith the Iewes land City Temple i. was holy was but temporal or ceremonial and so to be abolished under the Gospel The first Proposition needs no proof for your selves deny not but that all things under the law that were but types of things to come were terminated and taken clean away when the truth or things typified thereby did come in under Christ. The Minor is no less cleer then the other for the Law had but the shadow of things to come not the very Image of the things Heb 10.1 it had but the patterns of holy things in the heavens not the holy or heavenly things themselves those holy places made with hands and all the holy furniture thereunto pertaining were but figures of the true holy place i. e. heaven it self into which our high-priest is gone there to appear in the presence God for us Heb. 9.23.24 yea read through the 8th 9th 10th chapters to the Hebrews and you shall find that all things under the law did but serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things and were but as it it were a figure for the time then being imposed on the Iewes untill the time of Reformation i. e. till Christ came Now as to the Minor in the Prosyllogism which is this viz. that the holinesse which fanctified the Jews seed was the same and no other then that which sanctified all the other appertenances of that Covenant t is but a folly for me to offer to prove it sith Mr. Blake himself the man that most earnestly pleads the present being of that same holinesse in believers seed as in the Iews seed of old doth little less then clearly confess it in the 3 and 4 page of his birth-priviledge where he writes thus viz. common things dedicated for holy service and use are holy a people by nature sinners dedicated to the Lord are for holy use and service of the Lord when others are for the service of Idols therefore Ierusalem a City none of the holiest for any transcendent holiness of the Inhabitants thereof is yet called by the Evangelist the holy City by reason of the Temple and worship there that were holy and from thence saith he this observation follows A people that enjoy Gods ordinances convey to their issue a priviledge to be reputed of a society that is holy to be numbered amongst not unclean but holy persons in proof of which observation among other things he saies thus viz. The land of their habitation where they dwelt and injoyed this peculiar priviledge is ordinarily stiled the Holy Land being the land of Emanuel and the language there spoke the holy language being a mark to discern the people of God the distinguishing and discrimminating Epithite given to them was still holy even all of this root who were branches of Abraham Isaac Iacob all of this lump whereof Abraham Isaac Iacob were the first fruits they peculiarly had this honor to receive c. and that in infancy c. distinction from all others All which words of his collectively considered must needs bear such a sense as this viz. That as the things that were else wise common were holy things and in such sort as the City Ierusalem was a holy City their Temple a holy place their service which we know stood mainly in offering of gifts and sacrifices meats drinks divers washings and carnal ordinances for that time onely a holy service their land of Canaan it self a holy land their language a holy language and in a manner every thing of theirs was discriminated by the term holy from what ever was then counted common and unclean among the Gentiles in
subjects denominated and distinguished by it under the Law to be but Ceremonial and now nullified under the Gospel is this That holiness whose contrarily opposite commonness sin and uncleanness waâ— but meerly ceremonial and is now utterly ended and abolished must necessarily be but ceremoniall and now abolished also But that holiness which successively through all generations for the time then being did denominate and distinguish the Iewes and their progâ—â—y from all people and their seed as holy is a holiness whose conâ—rarily opposite commonnesse sin and uncleanness was but Ceremonial and is now abolished Ergo That holiness which did distinguish the Iews and their natural progeny as holy from all other people and their seed was but ceremoniall and is now utterly abolished also The Major cannot possibly be denyed for contrariorum eadem est ratio contrariorum uno sublato tollitur alterum of contraries take away one and the other cannot remain in its opposition to it any longer as for example the commonness sinfulness prophanness uncleanness of some meats flesh birds beasts places persons and their natural seed above others being ended the cleanness of some meats flesh birds places persons and their natural seed above others mâ—st without controversie be at an end also under the law whilest there was more uncleanness commonness and prophanness in such and such meats places people then in others there must necessarily be by the Rule of contraries more holiness in these meats places people then in those but under the Gosspel there being no more uncleanness commonness or prophanness in these things places or persons above those there must be consequently no more holiness in those than these and so if there be no such birâ—h holiness as was under the Law there can be no such birth uncleanness as was under the Law and if no one man in all the world is more sinfull common and unclean then another by nature no man can be more holy then another by nature with the holiness directly opposite to that uncleanness but all men must now be all alike by nature or fleshly birth And now as to the Minor viz. that the commonness sinfulness prophanness or uncleanness of some mens fleshly seed above others oppositely answering to the holiness with which the Iewes seed was then holy above others is totally destroyed as well as all that uncleanness and the holiness contrary thereunto that was then in some meats and flesh of birds and beasts above others is evidently proved to be a truth to any which will impartially consult and compare these three scriptures each with other viz. Act. 10. v. 11.12.13.14.15.28 Act. 11.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 also Gal. 2.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18 in all which if you be not either so blind that you cannot or so obstinate that you will not see you cannot avoid the sight of this very thing viz. that not only the Commonness and uncleanness that was once in some meats and flesh of birds and beasts forbidden as abominable to be eaten under the Law but also the commonness and uncleanness that was in some people and their seed more then in others even that sin and uncleannesse of the Gentiles by nature in respect of the Jews who were then forbidden to eat with them as a thing for them unlawful and abominable is not at all in being now under the Gospel but quite abolished and consequently the birth holiness directly opposite to it abolisht also which holiness yet that was as then in the Iews by birth and nature M Blake is not ashamed to scrue his wits to prove a translation of from the Iews seed now to the seed of believing Gentiles under the Gospel and that from the last of these Scriptures viz. Gall. 2. verse 15. then which I testifie no Scripture doth more clearely confute him As to those Scriptures cited out of Act. 10. and Act. 11. these things are well worthy your observation in them first that Peter though under the Gospel stood yet opinioned God having not till now discovered the contrary to him according to the Law that such meats as were then forbidden to be eaten and such people as were not Jewes by nature but by nature sinners of the Gentiles were unholy unlawfull unclean and abominable for him that was a Jew so much as to eat or eat with still Secondly that God did not shew unto Peter in that vision any such thing as Mr. Blake dreams and seems to himself to have the vision of viz. that he had now translated that old commonness and uncleannesse that was once in the Gentiles by nature and stated it now upon such as are Iews by nature and such as are by nature descended from unbelieving parents and contrary wise translated and stated the birth-holiness that was once among the Iews by nature because they now believe not upon such Gentiles by nature as are born of believing parents for no more then Gentiles by nature can I call them still for all their parents faith not Christians or Saints by nature as Mr Blake frivolously fancies them to be that are descended from Christian parents after the flesh onely for howbeit the fleshly seed of the Iews are Iews still both naturâ nomine et natione yet the meer fleshly seed of Christians and Saints are not Christians and Saints at the same rates in Gods-account how ever they are in the Popes and his any more then the meer fleshly seed of believers are by birth nature name and nation believers as much as their parents which that they are Mr. Blake himself will not surely be so shameless as to assert and though he tells us a trifling tale that the name of Christian would not long hold in any family or among any people if it be not so that as Iews are Iews by birth so Christians are Christians p. 6. yet I tell him again 't is no great matter whether it do or no yea 't is not onely worth nothing but worse then nothing to have the meer name and title of Christian communicated and derived from parents to children from generation to generation without the nature for that 's the main mischief that hath overspread all Christendom and fill'd it with a thousand Antichristians to one true Christian indeed Secondly as simply as he saith God provideth for a continuance in succession of that name from age to age yet I know no such provision that God hath made in his word for any such thing as the continuance of the meer name of Christian in one family or nation by any such birth-priviledge or propagation thereof from Christians to their meer natural posterity but all the provision that hath been made in this behalf hath been made by the Pope and his priesthood Yea if God himself had took order for any such matter then me thinks the name Christian should have been continued to this day among the posterity of that Gospel Church of the Hebrews i. e. those many thousands of Iews which in the primitive times
turned Christians yea then so many thousands of the Iews which then believed and became Christians Act. 21.20 might have multiplied as easily by this time into one Christian nation at least by the pastoral power improvement and sanctity of Saint Simon Peter as the Church of Rome i. e. those few Gentiles which at first believed there did at last by the pollitick power improvement and subtilty of Sir Simon the Pope his supposed successour increase and multiply into so many And as God did not shew unto Peter in the forenamed place that he had now removed that birth priuiledge and old Covenant holinesse from the Iews by nature to the natural seed of believing Gentiles so Thirdly he shewed him point blank that he had now quite abolished and put an end to that old outward carnal legal ceremonial account of things and persons as holy and unclean so that now as no meats nor flesh of birds and beasts should be counted common or unclean in relation to other as aforetime so no men now or flesh of men however born should by meer fleshly birth of such parents though unbelieving Gentiles be counted common or unclean in relation to others whether Iews by nature or believing Christians natural seed as more holy by birth then they for being cavill'd with by them of the circumcision i. e. the birth priviledged Iews for eating things common and unclean and for associating himself with men uncircumcised common or unclean for so both the Gentiles or uncircumcision in the flesh and many meats eaten by them and prohibited to be eaten by the Iews are call'd and accounted under the law he tells them chap. 11. that he was at first as scrupulous of the thing as themselves till a voice from God declared to him that he must not now call any thing common or unclean that was so before in respect to other as more holy then it in the sense of the law because whatever was then common or unclean in such a sense God had now cleansed i. e. destroyed that denomination and distinction that was between it and what answerably to it was wont to be called holy And that these discriminating terms of holinesse and uncleannesse are as much abolished in all people and their fleshly seed as in all other flesh of birds and beasts appears undeniably chapter 10.28 where he tells Cornelius the very same as concerning men who aforetime were by birth common or unclean that he tells them of the circumcision as concerning other creatures which aforetime were called common or unclean Ye know saith he that t is an unlawful thing meaning according to the will of God under the law for a man that is a Iew to keep company or come unto one of another nation for then indeed Iews by nature might not eat with such as were by nature sinners of the Gentiles but now God hath shewed me that I should not meaning in these dayes of the Gospel call any man common or unclean observe the words I beseech you and consider them with reference to the vision it self and that further exposition of it which Peter himself makes in the 11. chapter and the result thereof is no less then this viz. That as there is now nothing i. e. no meats or flesh of birds or beasts or other creatures more unclean unholy unlawful or abominable to be eaten then other as some was under the law so there is not now any man by birth nature or nation unclean in such sense as the Gentiles were of old in reference to the Iews but that all men are alike now by birth and none by nature more holy or unclean then other in such wise as before none by meer nature neerer to God or further off more or less the people of God or accepted with him further then by holinesse or unholinesse of life they are distinguisht In further consideration of which v. 34.35 Peter opened his mouth again and said thus of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons i. e. now he accepts not men of one nation above another no not Iews by nature more then those which heretofore in relation to that birth-holiness the Iew had were counted sinners of the Gentiles nor any one man above another as meerly descended of such a parent but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Though therefore time was when the natural seed of Jewish parents as meerly so born though proving never so morally wicked profane and unbelieving in their own persons were still accepted of God I mean in that outward ceremonial sense onely as his people his peculiar chosen generation his holy nation above all nations of the earth though as Mr. Blake saies truly none of the holiest for any transcendent manners of the inhabitants yet when Christ came the hour came and now is wherein no fleshly birth or being of this or that nation or parentage or natural descent and condition doth invest one person or people with this birth-priviledge of acceptation before God as his people or denomination of a holy people or seed more then others the hour now is wherein in meer infancy there 's no more distinction at all between persons as holy and unclean wherein faith and not typical but true holiness or holinesse of truth onely Eph. 4 17 18.24 makes the distinction between the Church of the Genliles and other Gentiles wherein there 's no difference between Iews and Gentiles and the children of both save according as they are called and have hearts purified by faith Act. 2.39.15.9 wherein the righteousness and grace of God is unto all and upon all alike without difference in time of infancy and upon all alike that believe a like when they come to years for there 's no difference Rom. 3.22 wherein there is neither Iew nor Greek circumcision or uncircumcision more unclean or holy by nature either then the other as of old but all alike accounted sinners or holy according as they live sinfully or holily and not other wise If then we may not call any man of what blood nation or parentage soever under the Gospel common or unclean as God shewed Peter that he should not no not those who saving the abolishing of that unclaanness are as abominable by birth as the Gentiles were in the time of the law then may we not call any man however naturally descended holy upon the same account of that his natural birth in comparison of others Whereupon though Christ called the Canaanites by nature dogs in reference to the Iews and their seed the children while that birth-uncleanness or holinesse stood yet unabolished Mat. 15.12.26 after which example Mr. Blake takes such blind boldness to himself as to imagine the new born infants of believers and unbelievers may respectively be so denominated still yet he takes upon him much more then God ever gave Peter leave to do or any man else in those dayes of the Gospel if
sure have spoken of four covenants or testaments and not two onely viz. two old ones and two new ones or the first and second the third and fourth and so by that reckoning this is the fourth testament that we are under yet truly it is but a second and a second truly it is in respect to that first testament that 's now vanisht that once was in force and had truly though more carnally and also typically of this and as this also more spiritually hath ordinances of divine service and a sanctuary and a mediator and Saviour and salvation and Priesthood and sacrifices and blood of sprinkling and purifying an atonement and an inheritance and a promised land and a seed entitled to it and a circumcision evidencing it and given as a token viz. that to the fleshly seed which was circumcision of the flesh this to the spiritual babes I mean believers i. e. the circision of the heart And howbeit that was a kind of administration of this that the map this the main thing meant by it that the picture this the person represented that the clothing this the body at that time set forth gloriously thereby yet all this denies not but that that map that picture that clothing that glorious administration was also as it is also called a distinct Covenant within it self which though it stood truly for a time yet because also as a type of what should be under Christ is now utterly abrogated utterly nullified together with the holinesse of all its most glorious holy ordinances whereof circumcision was a chief one and in infancy to be dispensed and with the holinesse of all their holy things and their holy persons also i. e. the whole race of the Iews to all their posterities which holy persons Mr. Marshal wellfare his heart for it in that clause I now answer to confessing to be a type must consequently confesse their holinesse to be totally taken away now the truth is come in and not translated from that holy people to believing Gentiles and their seed for these can have none of the holinesse of that old Covenant now which yet you will needs have to be no more but a bare administration of the new And lastly take it to be but so you will gain by it no smal disadvantage to your cause for though you yield it not to be point blank another Covenant yet if you yield it to be another administration of the Gospel Covenant divers from this we are now under you grant us enough as to our present purpose yea as much as we need to desire for our dispute is not now to the Covenant it self so much as to its manner of administration so that let that covenant and this be as much one as they will yet if the manner of administrations of the Gospel Covenant in its outward ordinances were then as you say unlike to what they are now you give us no lesse by your own argument then even all that we contend for for the very thing you plead from the consideration of that Identity which is dreamed by you to be in the Covenant is an Identity in the manner of administration of ordinances under both the law and the Gospel for whoever shall say that the manner of administration of baptism under the Gospel must be as the manner of administration of circumcision was under the law and in proof thereof shall say the Covenant of the Law and Gospel is one and the same though the manner of administration be different suo se ingulabit gladio will even quite cut the throat of his own cause yet thus plainly doth Mr. Marshall speak p. 12. of his Ser. viz. Now this external administration of the covenant is not the same with us as it was with them but the Covenant is the same But is it so Sirs so you say it seems as well as we then you have brought your hoggs to a fair Market indeed for it the externall administration which was then be as to the manner of it different from that which is now then I wonder what pattern you can pick from that manner of administration whereby to steer your cause now and to direct your selves about the true manner of this for will any wise man in any wâ—rk action or administration he is about to pâ—â—form take his example by another work action or administration which himseâ—â— confesses is quite different from it and not after the same manner as that is to be done in which he hath now in hand to do yet thus do you whilest contending that the outward administration of the covenant among the Jews was not in the same manner as the outward administration of it is to be now you yet contend to have our baptism as much as may be after the manner of their circumcision you must and you must not it seems and these both aâ— once walk after those customes and do things now after the manner of Moses If any man then ask me this question viz. sith the Gospel covenant is everlastingly the same for substance and little children under the law received circumsion the seal as you call it of the Gospel covenant why then should not little children under the Gospel receive baptism the seal so I hear you say of the Gospel covenant and why should not this administration of the covenant in outward ordinances be after the manner of that of old I answer him out of Mr. Marshalls own mouth thus because though for substance the Gospel Covenant be ever one and the same yet the manner of external administration thereof is not the same with us as t was with them and therefore we are not to take example in our Dispensations and administrations by them nor regard to do after the manner of them the Priest-hood being changed of necessity there is a change also of the Law for the administrators are not the same with us as with them nor the administrations the same in matter nor the manner of administration to them the same nor the subjects to whom these administrations belong the same for those were to all the holy Jewes though never so unholy and unbelieving but these to Jewes and Gentiles as they believe and no otherwise least of all is the subject of circumcision and baptism the same for that above all the rest was limitted to all males and those only at eight daies old this extending to males and females and those only when they professe to be believers Babist Circumcision was a more Evangelical administration hen the rest as being given when the Gospel was preached to Abraham 430 years before the Law therefore we may give the more heed to that sith it is of the Fathers and more then to the other ordinances which by institution were more immediately of Moses Baptist. Though it were in being so long before Moses yet was it as directly belonging to his law as any other administration what-ever for howbeit it was before
them all together viz. it unchristens the whole Church of God c. I say thus confessing that our doctrine unchristens whole christendome which the Pope hath called the Church of God but is indeed the whole world of Gentiles that hath got into the outer court the meer outward form and name of christianity and hath trod down the holy City and true worship for 1260 years that whole world that hath for ages and generations wondered after the beast nor is this inconsistent with the truth of Christs promises of his presence and guidance among those that are his true Church and people indeed for howbeit he hath according to the word left those to their own wayes that left and liked not his wayes yet he ever hath still doth and ever will lead those into truth that love the truth and will be led by his spirit when he will lead them yea though he tied not himself to teach them that should chuse the Pope for their Tutor yet according to his promise he hath bin more or lesse with those that observed what he commanded them in his word from the beginning and so shall be even to the end Review Lastly it doth the devils work in the shape of angels of light to make men renounce their baptism and if from Nero's hating the Christian Religion the antient Apologetist of the Church did rightly gather the goodnesse of it we may the validity of infants baptism from the devils hatred of it it hath ever been said of him he will not make a bargain with any soul till it hath renounced its first bargain which was made with Christ at baptism the Anabaptists are his Proctors and do it to his hand Re-Review Of which desire of his to have us renounce our baptism being not a little aware though immediately after I renounc't that Rantism I once had unawares to my self in the innocency and ignorance of my infancy in the room thereof received real baptism I had one messenger from Satan to buffet me and beat me off from further proceeding in and owning of that practise yet through the goodness of God and that grace of his wherein I still stand I was so far from being removed that I was much more settled strengthned and stablisht in the present truth wherein I walk and I trust shall walk in unto the end unlesse I receive more evidence to the contrary then ever I have done from any writings or any discourses of any that ever I met wiâ—h of what principle or profession soever which messenger whose name was William Everard after the flesh but the name that the father had given him was Chamberlin as he said for he lived in the secret chambers of the most high though he came to my house pretending that he was immediately sent from God with a message to me in particular viz. to renounce that practice of baptizing which himself had sometimes walkt in also but now relinquisht did to my self and some others after half a dayes most serious observation of his speeches strange extasies and uncouth deportment by many prodigious passages blasphemous pratings and as by experience we then proved them flatly false pretences to what he had not and most presumptuous yet successeless undertakings and frivolous fopperies of which I am willing at any time but not capable under a hours time to give fuller account to any that shall desire it discover himself to be one of the Archangels of darknesse which the devil now sends forth a new in the shape of angels of light and is now no lesse apparently I think to all that know him and where he is And howbeit it hath bin more then once but once especially as I have hinted to the Reader in a shrewd shake of sicknesse that befel me above a twelve moneth since to the great retarding of this work reported that I was shaken sheer out of my mind and judgement concerning this way and baptism so as to have recanted and renounced it yet I call my God to witnesse to whom also I give thanks for his mercy toward me in that particular that partly by the more then ordinary advantages I then had through my sequestration from all other occasions to seek the Lord to search and try my wayes and turn again unto him partly by the more then ordinary ingagements that were then upon me so to do and that seriously and sincerely through my dayly expectation to be clapt up in clods of earth till the great day of acccounts I have bin much more sweetly satisfied since then concerning the truth of this way then ever I was in all my life before neither did I then find any cause to repent me of coming to Christ in it as neither shall any that renouncing your Rantism do rightly receive it so they continue to walk uprightly in it to the end but this I must confesse I found good cause to repent of it that I had not honoured it so much as I might have done since I ownd it nor walked so profitably serviceably blamelesly holily and worthily in it nor so suitably to so holy and worthy a way as it is in it self not withstanding the account of basensse and foolishness that it hath in the world 1 Cor. 1.30 So that ever since that forenamed sifting I had from Satan by the mouth of that his Agent by whom he solicited me to forgo my baptism I side with you in this viz. that t is the Devils worke in the shape of an Angell of light to make men renounce their baptism and though I am somewhat otherwise opinioned about the Divels affection to infants baptism then you are for I think if he hate it t is as he hates holy water or any other of his own inventions wherby he hath juggled away the truth and imitated Christs ordinances out of doors yet I am fully of your mind that he so hates the true baptism I mean the baptizing of professed believers from whence I gather the goodnesse and validity of it against him that it is most of the business about which he is at work in the shape of an Angel of light in these daies wherein his time growes short and his old kingdome begins to fail him by means of the true baptism to erect to himself a new kingdome and in order thereunto to make men renounce that baptism as knowing that he cannot strike a downright bargain with a soul to become fully his as the high Notionists and spiritual Sensualists of these times do till it hath renounced its first bargain made with Christ in baptism not what was made with Christ at infant rantism for infants are not capable per se to bargain with Christ and how they do it per alios I do not see sith such as say they do it for them were never appointed by them so to do nor by Christ neither that I know of nor do I remember any bargain to own Christ and not be ashamed of
one foot out saying yet I may go on the other in saying yet I may go back bespeaking its patrons to be in a twitter in a temper between Hawk and Buzzard afraid to dispute too downrightly for disputation least that should ingage them another time ashamed too directly to dispute down disputation least it be thought they have no mind to it any more But to come to the thing it self I confesse you have spoken Bonum but not Bene Rectum but not Rectâ— it is a moddle of for the most part right good true and honest matter onely made use of either very simply or very subtly to a bad end viz. the provoking of the Priesthood no need to bid mad folks â—un to preach up a false and oppose the practise of the true baptism Secondly most miserably misapplied if conscientiously and not cunningly it is the better to an improper subject and perverted the wrong way viz. to the fastning of the name Hereticks and Schismaticks for non-conformity to the Clergy upon those true Churches of Christ for non-conformity to whom in opinion and practise if miscariage about baptism may properly be so stiled the Clergy are in very deed the trust Hereticks and Schismaticks in the world I shall therefore in a serious survey and examine of what Heresie and Schism is discover plainly First that the people whom you call Anabaptists upon account of meer dissent and separation from you in the point of baptism are no Hereticks nor Schismaticks but the truest visible Church that Christ hath upon the earth Secondly that you the PPPriesthood of the Nations who dissent from them in that point are as to that point at least the veriest Hereticks and Schismaticks your selves Thirdly after some pathetical expostulation with your selves addresse my self by way of Peraphrase upon your own pathetical and paraenetical passages pathetically to exhort the true Pastors and paraenetically to perswade all people as you do yours to beware of us to beware of you the spirituallity by whom the way of truth is dispited who though you disguise your selves under the name of Gods Clergy or Heritage for a while yet will appear to be but cruel crushers of his true Clergy in the end First then let us see what Heresie and Schism is and then who is a Schismatical Heretick in the doctrine of baptism Heresie as to the Gospel is held and that truly by all manner of men I think the holding or maintaining any erroneous opinion in the faith and doctrine of the Gospel contrary to that doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles in the primitive times obstinately and pertinacously against all meanes that can be used towards conviction of the truth Schism is division or making of a rent fraction or faction in or separation from the true Church and from walking with them in the truth by the holders or maintainers of such false doctrine or opinion and consequently Schismatical Hereticks who ere they be are such as are bewitched from the simplicity of the truth as it is in Jesus and from the doctrine that was once received by the Church from him and his immediate Apostles so as both to believe and practise contrarily thereunto against all manifestations of the truth whereby to reduce and reclaim them and do also rend from and make a head against the true Church and true head thereof Christ Jesus separating themselves so as to have no fellowship or communion i. e. nor union of action nor unity of affection with them that walk in truth Now whether it be you O PPPriests who rantize infants or we who baptize believers that are thus gone off and divided from the primitive faith and practise from the true head of that Church from the true foundation i. e. the doctrine of the Apostles Eph. 2.20 Heb. 6.1.2 and from fellowship with and conformity to the true Church in baptism and otherwise is evident to him that is not blind or blear-eyed for verily the water baptism which we dispense is abundantly shewed above to be that one baptism Eph. 4. which was used in the primitive times then which there is no other water baptism enjoined or exemplified in the word as Christs ordinance to his disciples viz. the burying of new born babes i. e believers in water and bringing them up again in token of Christs death burial and resurrection and of their dying to sin and rising to newnesse of life this I say is that one onely baptism the Churches then practised and thus and no otherwise do we at this day for which the word is our warrant yea it is that faith which was once delivered unto the Saints that we now contend for and the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of the Lord as we are specially injoined to do in these latter daies by both Peter and Iude who foretold how they would be sleighted as we see they now are by the two Spiritualties viz. the Rantizer and the Ranter the one Hereticizing in the excesse by adding a new thing the other in the defect by owning nothing both Schismatizing accordingly from the way of truth and howbeit after that way which you call Heresie Schism separation from the Church and such like so worship we God yet as sure as the coats upon your back you shall first or last to your weal or wo find that as to the point of baptism Churchfellowship and the supper also it is no other then the way of truth we walk in yea so far are we from erring and Schismatizing from the Church that we of all men do stand for a full reformation in faith practise doctrine discipline worship manners government and baptism according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches i. e. those mentioned in the word according to which we are all sworn to endeavour to reform as we will not be justly charged with Perjury Perfidiousnesse and Prevarication the guilt of all which how little the Orthodox protesting covenanting Clergy are clear of in the sight of God and man is good for them to consider yea conformity in all things to the primitive practise is that we plead for presse after and persue and howbeit to the shame of his ignorance be it spoken Orthodox Mr. Baxter is pleased among other sectaries to charge the Anabaptists so he calls us that baptize aright as the Authors and approvers of the horrible wickednesse of these times and speaks of us as dispappointing and destroying their hopes in point of reformation to the grief of his heart yet with grief of heart that the way of truth should be evil spoken of by him by reason of such as do wickedly indeed yet those lascivious waves he laies to our score are lesse approvvd on in our Churches then in the purest Parish Church in all Christ'ndom Kederminster not excepted yea I tell him and God I hope will one day seal it home upon his heart to the grief of it another way that
may read as it were in text letters your own abstract from that of mine when you please and signing the Titles of the CCClergy whether true or surreptitious with three letters in the front as C. C. C. PPP c. most commonly when I speak of â—hem in the lump to denote the three PPParts into which that great City B B Babylon which they make stands divided I proceed as followeth That Heresies must be the Apostle hath said yet it makes no more for a tolleration of them in the true Church I mean though others mean in the civil state than that of our Saviour of offences saying foreseeing no question how by means of the Clergies crying out Heresie Heresie Schism against the way of truth being once turned aside to Heresie themselves the world would be offended at his little ones for walking in it They must come but wo to the man by whom they come the Apostle reckons Heresies among the works of the flesh Idolatry Witchcraft c. Gal. 5.20 which alone is argument sufficient against the Patronage and Invitation of them unless withal license in the true Church should be given to all other carnal sins why should the Church of God upon Earth make much of those against whom the Kingdome of Heaven shall be shut her pale is not so strong to keep them out from breaking in upon her like wild bores and wolves to spoil and wast her but her good will should not be so great to them as to wellcome them in to her fellowship till they repent from their dead works of superstition bloody tenet of persecution for cause of conscience worshipping God after mens traditions blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven trampling the holy City Heresie Schism from the primitive truth c. Neverthelesse howbeit to tolerate and harbour Hereticks in communion with them whilest they oppose the true way of Christ would be an error and an evill too intollerable in a true Church of Christ yet I hold that opinion of the C C Clergy not onely intollerably Heretical in it self but intollerably hurtful also to themselves that Hereticks may not be tolerated in a civil state for if Fines Prisons Banishments Racks Wâ—ips Tortures headings hangings burnings and such like punishments with the civil sword were the due of every Heretick and Schismatick in the faith as the C C Clergy have for ages and Generations born the world in hand that they are to the causing of all these their national Church censures to be inflicted on the Saints when they have once blindly sentence them to be Schismaticks to the civil power if this I say were the due of every Heretick or Schismatick and every true Heretick and Schismatick had his due too good Lord how have the C C Clergy condemned themselves out of their own mouthes to devastation when the civil powers shall find them to be the Arch-Hereticks in the world if taking them at their word they shall do with them as they say they ought to do in this case concerning others but God forbid that with what judgement they judge they should be judged and with what measure they meet it should be measured to them again at our suggestion if their own Cheek-by-jole carriage to the Stern-men of the State do not pull it unavoidably upon themselves yea verily though as far as those that oppose themselves against the truth of Christ they may well challenge the name of Schismaticall Hereticks and though Amen might justly be said by the Magistrate in this point to the opinion of Gangraena and his Gang and might Amen be said to his wise wishes as concerning us who teach and practise baptism in its primitive fashion we could expect to be suffered in the Common-wealth no more then High-way Murderers yet dare we not desire their exâ—irpation out of any of their native rights in the several states wherein they are nor such uncivill suppression of them meerly for their erroneous Tenets as they have sollicited the higher powers to concerning us we have not so learned Christ nor would they if they had heard him and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus for howere it comes to passe that the C C Clergy whose own the worst would he if that were true and execution done accordingly are so besotted as to believe that Hereticks and Schismaticks from the faith men of false waies worships religions though elsewise never fo peaceable and innocent must not onely be dischurched but discommunicated also from the patronage of the civil power and cut off from the priviledges of other Subjects yet neither Christ nor any of his Apostles as from him gave any order for such rigid rejection indeed the Apostle Paul wills in his Epistle to Titus cap. 3. who was a Church officer that a Heretick after a second and third admonition be rejected i. e. from the Church and Gal. 5.12 wishes that they were cut off from the Church that did trouble the Church and Rev. 2.20.21 the Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and seduce his servants to fornication i. e. false worships c. but it will noâ— follow therefore that such may not have license to live civilly in civil states for the weapons of the Churches warfare wherewith she is to fight against Heresies and which she is ever to have in readinesse to revenge all disobedience to Christ by are noâ— carnall 2 Cer. 10.4 5 6. not such as are used by the officers of States but onely spirituall as admonition reproof and in case of obstinacy putting out from among them delivering up to Satan and not delivering up to the secular power as the Popish Priesthood used to do when any of their creatures specially of their Clerico-creatures turned Hereticks i. e. departed from their Heresies to the truth saying pray take him into your power and be merciful to him meaning hang or burn him for a Heretick The Church I say is neither to use the carnal weapons of the State nor yet to stirr up the State so to use them on her and truths behalf as to imprison fine hang burn or banish false worshippers unbelievers misbelievers or Hereticks further then they are withall as by meer unbelief they are not offenders against the civil State I find the Lord Christ foretelling by himself and his Apostles that for the most part the more is the pitty the Rulers Kings Governours and Princes of the world would be such enemies against his Gospel that his Disciples should be â—ald before them as evill doers for his names sake Matth. 10.18 that not many mighty and noble men would own his truth 1 Cor. 1.26 that rich men would oppresse the Church and draw them before their Judgement seats and blaspheme that worthy name wherby the poor in this world which commonly are the richest in faith are called Ia. 2.6 that the Kings
enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ— beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians grew up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the principle of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3.12 Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pilate whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus Caesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—n why he would have the tares to be let alone least by rooting out the tares the wheat be rooted out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all people may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4.5 then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and so there 's quit for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall elsewhere even every where where the tares are resolved to stand alone and so Homo Homini Lupus Christianus Christiano Diabolus men must be wolves and devils each to other throughout the world Besides if the power in any place be ignorant and under an erring conscience that conscientia errans
dayes and were not by him persecuted nor constrained either to be of his Religion nor to say nothing against it nor against any other in after times indeed when the Emperours grew bloody against the Christians all Religions lived quietly under Caesar but the Christian that was worse then nought and I think it not a little too bad and not doing as our duty is to all men as we desire they should do to us but the way back to Priestly blindnes if we put Caesar on now because he is a Christian to let the Christian Religion live quietly under him and none else for my part I dare not desire that the Jews may not not onely live but till they see better serve God in their wayes of worship in the State as well as others for a being they must have somewhere and may no where without sin if not here for is it more sin for one Common-wealth to let false worshippers live in it till they see the truth then for another yea and let them and others too preach and promulgate even all that ere they can for their way Ob. I know men fear false Religions will seduce men from the true to themselves An. Let them gain what they can whom can they gain not the elect which in your sense are a sort of individuals without respect to any thing done in time personally unchangeably positively and not conditionally determined to faith and final perseverance in it to the death and if they seduce others to damnation it self they are no other then such with you as are as particularly peremptorily and not conditionally onely of their loving darkness more then light afore of old ordained to that condemnation therfore me thinks you of that principle of all others should see no danger of doing more hurt then God decreed to have done by suffering seducers in the world before the foundation of it and as for us who hold no such though as much election and reprobation as your selves in that sense in which the Scripture speaks oâ—t which bids us know that God hath chosen the godly man to himself and ordained ungodly men to condemnation not determining the individuals to life or death before birth but upon account of belief or non-belief of the truth that 's told them for he hath chosen men to life no otherwise then through belief and ordained men to be holy i. e. that they shall believe and live holily that mean to live for ever even we that know there is danger enough and yet hope enough too of life for men that neglect not their own salvation â—are venture truth among all false wayes whatsoever which when and where ere it lives uncurbd as it never yet did in England without molestation more or lesse to these our dayes for a 1000 years and upwards will shine through all the rest so clearly to mens souls as either to save them or else at least to convince them so as if they perish by following any false wayes that grow up by it to leave them without excuse because they either did know and did not what they knew or might have known more then they did but would not besides if any religion be as I am sure the true one is not though the RRRomish Jewish Turkish and all others are such a dead Sea of Divinity as hath not life enough in it to live of it self if it may have bare leave unlesse all others that would live beside it be sneapt by the civil sword so that they must not shew their heads by it for its sake let that Religion be the Jews and the Turks and the Popes and the Prelates and the Presbyters and the Independents too if it will for me but while I live to Christ surely t will be none of mine So I have done with you my dear friends of the Independent way and shall wait and pray that you may first laying as your foundation then leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ go on unto perfection T is time to return to talk on with the Pope and PPPriesthood to whom I have almost forgotten what more I was about to say being put by it by ones presentment of these proposals to me inter scribendum which draw'd me on to this long Perenthesis and off from my present purpose viz. the proving of the PPPriesthood to be that themselves which they most falsely father upon them whom they as falsely call Anabaptists I have shewed how though they call us an impure and carnal sect a cruel and bloody sect yet themselves are both these much more then we yea and much more that 's nought then either of these two also For next whereas you stile us a prophane and Sacriledgious sect yet that you are a more Profane and Sacrilegious generation then those whom Dr. Featly calls so will appear very plainly if you consider either what Sacriledge and Profaneness are indeed or what Dr. Featley if he may be your spoksman to whom you refer us doth falsey suppose it hath defined it to be for he states profaneness or sacriledge for these two with him are one to be the extream in the defect to Religion to which the extream in the excess saith he is superstition which is the offering to God what he claimes not for his own whilst the other i. e. profaneness Sacrilegiously Robs God of that which is his own in a particular manner which if so then you CCClergy men are more guilty in this behalf then any other under the Sun for besides that you erre from the true religion in the excesse by superstitious attribution of such things to God as his by institution which are not his but your own inventions viz. payment of Tithes to you infant-sprinkling and many other which you plead for as if the Lord had required them Iure divino or Iure Apostolico whereas it is no false Latine because true English to say they stand Iure humano et Apostatico or rather Daemonito by the devil and the whores appointment you erre from it also in the defect by Sacrilegious ablation and abolition of the true Baptism and Ordinances from the Church which Christ hath appointed this though it be wonderful strange yet is marvellous true for though ordinary men miscarry from the mean but by one extream ordinarily e. g. if men erre from the vertue liberality by prodigality they are not covetous too or if by covetousness they are not prodigal too but so extraordinarily out of holy order are you O ye that are in holy orders that you content not your selves to go beyond the word but you 'l be behind it too you will make God own that he never commanded neither to use the phrase and figure in which he speaks of himself came it all into his mind and disown his own precepts which you make void by your traditions T is bad to be in the extream on either hand from the truth but to be in
both the extreams at once is to be extream bad indeed yet thus it is with you O ye Priests as whos 's not onely superstition but sacriledge also hath exceeded and by sundry degrees surpassed all that ever was whether among Anabaptists or others yea if you look with a cleer eye all that of those whom your Doctor of Divinity makes such remarkable observations of as suffering the hand of God inflicting curses on them for this sin of Sacriledge The first whereof is Xerxes who attempted to pillage the Temple at Delphos His second Caepio the Consul who spoiled the Famous Temple at Tolouse Thirdly Crassus Fourthly Herod both whose men of warre were ruined for rifling the Sepulchre of David Fiftly Belshazzer who was frighted with an hand-writing for carousing in the vessels of the Temple Sixtly Copronymus that had a Carbuncle arose in his forehead for taking a Crown out of a Christian Church alias Steeple house which was set with Carbuncles Seventhly Iulian together with Felix who both had Gods vengeance lighting on them for carrying away the Golden Vessels and rich presents which the Devotion he should have said the Superstition of Constantine and Constantius dedicated to God in the new Temple at Ierusalem Eightly Rotman with Câ—iperdolin who seized on the Church alias high place dedicated to St Mauritius a Saint of the Popes canonizing Ninethly Munster and Phyfer who being it seems in war made their magazines and cast their ordnance in the covent of the Franciscans Tenthly Iohn of Leyden who sacrilegiously converted into apparel for himself and others the holy things of God for so he must call them or else he keeps not to his text and his own interpretation of it which is that the Anabaptists are a sacrilegious sect viz. the holy Copes holy Altar Cloathes and holy vestments which the Priests were wont to wear in their holy Masses which Iohn of Leyden I should have thought he had been lost if he had not come in at the last sith at first or last I find him serving every turn of Dr. Featley insomuch that the whole six fold tale he tells of the Anabaptists would never handsomely have hung together if Iohn of Leyden the Tailor did not stitch it up for Iohn of Leyden serves to prove them an Illiterate and sottish sect Iohn of Leyden a blasphemous and lying sect Iohn of Leyden an impure and carnall sect Iohn of Leyden a cruel and bloody sect Iohn of Leyden a prophane and sacrilegious sect Iohn of Leyden a sect whom Gods vengeance followes Who ere is another Iohn of Leyden is one You may thank Iohn of Leyden else all were undone These are the many instances wherewith your Dr. patches up two or three pages of that fift piece of his Remarkables wherein he tell tales the Anabaptists to be a sacrilegious sect in which if ye were not bedoted as much as your ipse Dixit O ye disciples of Dr. Featley you might see of your selves first that if the actions instanc't in were sacriledge yet the men were no Anabaptists for the last are more called then proved so and the rest which are well nigh two parts of three were never so much as named so since the world stood secondly that if the men had been all Anabaptists yet all the actions were no sacriledge for set aside what Belshazzer did whose action of common drinking in the Temple vessels was then sacriledge as now it now it would not be all that relative holinesse of Temples and Vessels Places and Things dedicated the Doctor so much prates of being ceased since Christ crucified Iohn 4. I say set that aside and all the rest viz. rifling of the things which he calls Churches viz. the Temple of Appollos at Delphos and that of Tolouse that of St. Maurice at Munster of Queen Hellina at Ierusalem and the Fryers Covent whether they may be called Theft or no I know not were are as far from being sacriledge as the places were from being holy places in truth and that is as far as the Popes holiness is from Gods but to conclude this matter it s much of a price to you O Priests whether the matters of fact that Fearley fains to be sacriledge and would fain fasten and father as well upon the Anabaptists of this present age as that above be so yea or no for this we are sure of however that either the things he defines it by viz. the demolishing alienating or common using of hallowed Temples Fryers Covents Tables Altars Altar Cloathes Copes Cups and other rich Vestments Vessels Vtensills Fonts Pulpits Profits and Emoluments Gleabs Centries Tithes first fruits oblations and other Obventions is no sacriledge nor robbing of God nor fingering of holy things as I utterly deny it to be or else if it be that the Protestant Priesthood are more deeply guilty of it if not in affection yet at least in action then the Anabaptists of this age for if we ask who sacrilegiously sacrificed and in their sacred zeal for King Charles against King Christ coined to his common use and unholy war the plate devoted to their Colledge uses in the holy Benevolence of Benefactors did not some of you Masters Provosts Fellowes of Colledges and such like who towards a Reformation from Rome demolished 645. holy Abbeys and Monasteries 90 holy Colledges 110 Hospitals 3314. holy Chanteries and Chappels and diverted the infinit riches which was devoted by the freewill offering of devout persons and assigned for the Maintenance of the ministry that then was viz. the holy Priests Monks Nuns and Fryers from the Ecclesiastical use of that Spiritualty to the Temporall Revenew of the Crown didst not thou O Prelacy flatter King Henry the eighth into this and the subversion of the Roman Supremacy that thou mayest have a Supremacy of thy own under a colour of giving it to the King who have confiscated the holy Pallaces and devoted profits of two Arch-bishopricks 20 Bishopricks 26 Denaries 60 Arch-deaconries 544 spiritual dignities and Prebendaries to Auxiliations and Augmentations hast not thou O Presbyterian didst not thou alone uncover the sin and nakednesse of thy old father Episcopacy out of a covetous and ambitious desire to steal away the birth-right from the elder brethren the Deans Prebends and Canons and now that heaven deceives thy longing expectation so that thy Kingdom falls irrecoverably and men will no more fall down before thee nor do the worship and double honour of observation and maintenance to thy Lording Eldership but impropriate all that thou gapest for to themselves together with all thy Vicarages besides 5439 Parochial benefices being no impropriations so that neither thou nor the true Ministry neither shall have any of it unlesse thou forsake thy errors for it and they the truth is it these Independents whom thou falsely callest Anabaptists or those whom we truly call Antibaptists that are now acting all this sacriledge and more lately yet who did a way I mean directive
matters of the law and Tithes offerings and things that came by Moses and now are not at all but who hath robbed him in matters of grace and truth and ordinances and things that came by Christ one tittle of whose Testament shall not be contradicted by man nor angel under pain of cursing you talk of golden cups and vessels in which the whore fills out her abominations and filthinesse of her fornication to the whole earth but who hath taken away the key of the Kingdom of heaven i. e. from the people and Church in whom the power lies fundamentally and primarily for t is but derivatively from the church under God secondarily executively and ministerially in the Officers not onely Papa but PP too see Rutherfords Presbytery wherein he wrests the power of the Keyes from the people who hath taken away the key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men as neither willing to go in themselves by the right way and baptism nor to suffer them that would who but ye O Priests have been in these things more sacrilegi church-robbers then sacerdotes or givers of holy things yea what evil of this kind YYYou have wrought in the sanctuaries of God how you have laid them wast throughout the whole earth how you have defiled the pure waters thereof and did so Claudere rivos shut down the floodgates that the people could have none of these to drink and caused all discourses and all places to overflow with muddy and brackish waters if I should hold my peace the stones out of the wall even those living stones out of the true Temple that are living monuments of Gods mercy at this day in that they are alive from the dead even the dead night of your errors will proclaim to the everlasting infamy of that generation that have been the neerer the church the further from God Thou makest thy boast of God O PPPriesthood and wouldst seem to approve of the things that are most excellent and art confident thou thy self art a guide of the blind and a light of them that sit in darknsse an instructer of the foolisâ— a teacher of babes but indeed thou art a blind guid a dark lantorn a foolish instructer and hast need thy self to be taught by those babes which live upon the sincere milk of the word which be the first principles of the oracles of God thou hast a form of knowledge and of truth as it was in the Law that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long since abolished according to which thou Enthusiasts to thy self a Iudai al Pontificall Politicall Pollitical Religion of thy own but thou art grossely ignorant of the truth of the Gospel and that form of doctrine that Rome obeyed from the heart of old before it came to be a mother of harloâ—â—y and of such a crew of corrupt children as have since then come from her to the corrupting ing of the earth thou teachest another but thou teachest not thy self thou preachest a man should not steal but thou stealest thou saiest a man should not commit adulâ—tery but all the Kings and their people in the christian earth have committed adultery with thee thou seemest to abhorre it yet thou more then any committest sacriledge yea thou o PPPriesthood art that holy harlot that holy thief that hast fingred the most holy things yea even the holy Scripture it self which is the store-house and under Christ the treasury of truth and hid it from the world under unknown tongues and a heap of unsound sences which thou hast put upon it therefore thou art inexcusable O woman when thou judgest the now churches of sacriledge for wherein thou judgest them thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things which thou saiest they do but they do not and therefore is he now killing thy children with death and we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them that do such things Yea wo unto you O ye blind guids ye strein at a gnat and make it sacriledge and church robbing to take Fonts and railes and pipes and pictures and altars c. out of your stone Temples and keep a do about cleansing and hallowing and having these outside decencyes and orders and offerings but swallow a camel and demolish the true temple of God and the vessels of the sactuary i. e. the ordinances thereof which is holy indeed which Temple the Saints are that are built together a spiritual house unto him and your selves are full of ravening extortion and excesse you are as graves that appear not and the men that walk over you are not aware of you nor how they are rid over by you nor how very well to be rid of you wherefore the wisdome of God even Christ Iesus now sends you prophets and Apostles and wisemen and Scribes to warn you yet these you kill and crucifie and scourge and persecute as your enemies because they tell you the truth that the blood of all the Prophets that have prophesied in Sack cloth and tormented you and your forefathers and your people that dwell on earth for 42 moneths may come on this generation and so your house be left unto you desolate for ever And fourthly there needs no more to prove you to be what you say of us that we are viz. a lying and blasphemous sect then all these forenamed falsities which are asserted of the Anabaptists when of right they belong more properly to your selves Yea great need indeed and good reason that you should be the Plantiffs in this businesse of loaâ—ing with disgraces belying and blaspheming who have bin your selves nex and immediately under Satan Supreme false accusers of the brethren to the world and the powers Courts and consistories thereof civil and ecclesiastical for Hereticks Schismaticks Sectaries seditious deceivers hypocrites blasphemeâ—s enemies to Caesar trouble Townes and what not with which kind of nicknames you the false kingdome of the Priests have overwhelmed the true royall Priesthood as with a flood the burden of whose scandals blasphemies tales and disgraces wherewith you have loaded the saints per mille ducentos sexaginta annos 1260. years exceeds any id genus that the saints have loaded you with in number weight and measure per millies mille ducentas sexaginta Lias 1000000260 l. You have cloathed the pretious sons and daughters of Sion as the persecuting Emperors did of old with the skins of wild beasts and so cast them to the dogs to be devoured i. e. with the names of Monsters and so exposed them to the hatred of the world with the which kind of sport not onely Dr. Featley and Mr. Edwards while they lived made themselves merry and their friends too by bestowing Legends a piece towards the support of their severall false wayes as one great Benefactor did a Legend of lies on the Papistrey to the maintaining of that which they call the golden Legend but others also bely the nicknamed Anabaptists
of this present age and nation as denying any obedience to civil Magistracy any propriety in goods as holding plurallity and community of wives divorce for difference in religion as dipping men and women stark naked and such like Yea just the same lying shiâ—ts and inventions that the Popish Clergy did use to help their Religion by against the Protestants when they began first to protest against them and their abominations do you the Protestant CCClergy i. e. both Prelacy and Presbytery strengthen your cause by against the Anabaptists especially of all sectaries 1. They detain the People from reading the Scripture alledging to them the perills they may incurr through misinterpretation you likewise would not have the Scripture medled with by this Clergy of Laicks Mechanick fantastick Enthusiasts profound watermen Sublime Coachmen Illuminated Tradesmen c. Apron Levites Sectarian Preachers as Dr. Featley and Mr. Baily call them for they say you are dunces and ignorant both of tongues and arts and so must needs run into errors and are insufficient for these things let the smith keep him to his Anvile and the Cobler to his last 2. These bred Antipathy between the Papist and Protestant and debar them all sound of the Protestant Religion as much as may be by prohibiting books of the reformed writers and Traffick with such Hereticall Countries or such places where those contagious sounds and sights as they term them might make them return infected You also forbid your good Protestants all society and commerce as much t is possible with these pitchy persons as those that they can't come neer but they must be defiled with them 3. Those by the severity of their inquisition and so you by your high commission and spiritual alias spiteful Courts while they stood and by complaints to the next Classis Synod c. as in Scotland and threats to have an order taken with such and such as here in England crush as far as you can in your people the very beginnings and smallest suppositions of being this way addicted 4. They teach their people to Believe that the Protestants and so do you that the Anabaptists are basphemers of God and his Saints Those that in England Churches are turned into Stables you that the Anabaptists preach in Tubs that Stables are turned into Temples stalls into Quires Shopboards into Communion-tables Those that the people i. e. Protestants are barbarous and eat young children that Geneva is a professed sanctuary of Roguery c. you that the Anabaptists are filthy and base in their Conventicles and are for Murder Adulteries Butchery Bawdery the veriest villains in the world You tell the world that the Anabaptists would have no rules nor bonds of lawes because of their dissolutenesse which though it be true enough of the Ranter that Peter and Iude speaks of that seperate themselves from their churches sensual presumptuous self-willed despising Government Peter the second Epist. chap. 2. yet is most false of our Churches that seperate from you that we would have no discipline in the Church no learning nor universities No coercive power in the civill Magistrates to restrain us because we walk inordinately whereas though we cannot away with your Canons yet we are the only men in the world for the rule which Christ himself hath set for men to walk by even the word the Scriptures which onely and not Synodicall constitutions nor holy chair we stand to have the standard for truth to be tryed by to the worlds end and are for all lawes in nations save such as obedience to which makes us palpably rebellious against the law of Christ viz. lawes for tithes with trebble dammages for Christ never appointed mens goods to be streined and they sold out of what they have to pay his own Ministers for preaching his own Gospel much lesse to pay the Popes Ministers for preaching a Gospel of their own also laws to come to masse in Latine or Masse in English or any service of mans making under penalty we also stand for a true Church that hath right matter viz. professed believers baptized and right form viz. free not forced fellowship in breaking of bread and prayers we are also for the true discipline i. e. Christs not the Clergies in that Church we hold also that Magistrates though their persons should be wicked men and heathens for the notion of Christian addes nothing to their power as Magistrates are the ordinance of God To maintain all civil justice and righteousnesse between man and man and to restrain abuses such as murder treason adultery drunkennesse theft false witnesse though they have no coercive power to keep men from serving God according to his own will that power we deny yet go not about by violence to withstand it but in quietnesse suffer under it when it is put forth against us we are also for learning for t is a good talent to use for God and too good for the Devill a good servant but a bad master and we wish that there were more of it then there is among you CCClergy if it may be also well improved as it seldome is by those of you that have it for as those of you that are more singular schollars then the rest in humanity and that meer Anthropo-Theology that is among you which you call Divinity are deep dunces for the most part in the school of Christ and most opposite through the wisdome of their flesh which is enmity against God to the follishnesse of the Gospel so no lesse then legions of you are little learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either Yea verily and fiftly howbeit among other things you brand the Anabaptists with the names of an illiterate and sottish sect cut as chips out of Nicolas Stock whom Featly faines to be the father of the Anabaptists and stiles a very blockhead and such as know not how to teach nor dispute for truth because they know not the original and cannot conclude in mod and figure p. 113.164.163 nor make able ministers of the Gospel because they understand not the Scripture in the Original languages and cannot expound without Grammer nor perswade without Rhetorick nor divide without logick nor sound the depth of any controversie without Philosophy and School divinity p. 118 yea Dr. Featley defeats 1000s of his fellow Clergy men utterly in so saying from the name of able Ministers yea as he saies of us in another so may we of them in this case hos suo ingulamus gladio we may wound them with their own dudgeon dagger for if ignorant and unlearned men are not fit to make ministers then not onely their Laity which are millions are unlearned for the most part and so by Dr. Featleys own confession unfit to be teachers of truth but even multitudes of their CCClergy too for it is none of the least brands saies Dr. Featley p. 164. of the Roman Antichrist that he filled the Church with
9.31 yet their Messengers to the world must expect to be continually under clouds and to be counted deceivers disturbers trouble townes turners of the world upside down where ere they come and to be in tumults and dishonors and evill reports among most men 2 Cor. 6.4.10 yea wo unâ—o those Ministers that desire all men should speak well of them t is a shrewd sign they are none of Christs I think God hath set forth us Messengers last of all saith Paul of the Messengers to the Church of Corinth when it was at rest 1 Cor. 4.9.13 as men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and Angels and men we are fools for Christs sake we are weak the Church themselves may be honoured but we must be dispised we hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffetted and have no certain dwelling place and labour working with our hands being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made the silth of the world and are the offscouring of all 's things unto this day So that I marvel men should think we seek to be cryed up among men yet thus are we censured by the Clergy and all that ever were forward for the truth and sought to vindicate it in any part thereof since it began to return from under those clouds wherewith the Clergy hath overcast it were so censured by the Common Councel of Clergy men in their several climates as drawing disciples after us that they might be called after our name and not Christs and so wee and not he be glorified The papists calumniated Luther with it that he affected his disciples should be called Lutherans but he denyed it non â—ic o â—atue non sic oro ut meum nomen taceatur absit ut mihi faetido vermium succo accederet ut filii Christi meo vilissimo nomine dicerentur in like manner say we to them who are insatuated into the same faith concerning us Non sit O sacerdos non sic Oramus non ut nostrum sed ut Christi nomen nominetur et ut quisquis nominat nomen Christi ab iniquitate ista abscedat 2 Tim. 2.19 Imo absit a nobis gloriari nisi in cruce Iesu Christi per quem mundus nobis cruâ—ifixus est nos mundo Gal. 6.14 novit dominus qui sui sunt as for your selves O Priests non vâ—detis id manticae quod in tergo est T is the praise of men that most of you seek much more then the praise of God this makes you so erre from the way of truth this makes it more tedious to you then t is ordinarily to other men to be of that sect that is every where spoken against and to see the Gospel whose constant companions disgraces are when it shines upon you you are impatient of hearing so much ill as poor Christ in his disciples must and so are for the most part capable but of little good 4. Covetousness St paul cals it the root of all evil al in the church al in the commonwealth growes out of the root of Papal Prelatical Presbyterian I had almost said and might say it if they turn Tith-mongers too whether per se or per alios Independent covetousnesse Achans â—acriledge Naboths Murder Naamans Idolatry Iudas's treason Demetrius's persecution Demas's apostacy even all the mischief of all these kinds which haue been acted by the CCClergy throughout all christendome who as is shewed above are in truth the most sacrilegious cruel false worshipping Christ selling truth treading and Apostatical generation that are from Apostolical purity doth proceed from this rotten root of covetousnesse which hath so corrupted the whole Masse of men called Ministers for this 1260. years and upward that vel duo vel nemo few or none of them have ever preacht the Gospel nor freely and fully held forth the truth in all points as it is in Jesus from thenceforth to this very day And indeed how can any other be expected then corrupt doctrines from men of corrupt minds which hold gold to be godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.5 and suppose liberal and bountiful maintenance and rich Revenues to be the chief corner stone in their church work yet thus the Clergy by their wonted clamors for it not onely at Rome but at Westminster also seem to me to suppose yea the higest pitch that many of them seem to point at in reformation of religion is the restoring of impropriations and crushing the pride of the swelling Poppies or Epâ—scopal clergy and conferring that large allowance on the Presbyterial you cry out that a base Ministry can never do good upon the people and that the poverty of the Ministry is enough to bring them into contempt and that the church is robbed of a painful Ministry because there is not hony enough in the hives to feed a drone But I say you have made your selves more base by far and brought your selves into more contempt by your covetousnesse and greedy gaping after riches then ever yet you came into by poverty and that one Drone will devoute more maintenance if men put into his mouth as long as he will open it as many honest self-denying ministers will make a good shift not only to live but to live to Christ on they are not seducers that preach on cheaper terms but the basest Ministers if you count that basenesse to be destitute of liberal maintenance were ever yet the best Ministers of the Gospel and the most inriching Ministers to the people Christ foresaw clearly enough that a rich ministry would make but poor work in his Vineyard therefore in his wisdome chose not many rich nor mighty nor noble but the foolish weak base abject dispised ones in the eyes of the world and earthen vessels to send his treasure by into the world 1 Cor. 1.26 27.28 2 Cor. 4.7 yea those Ministers of Christ that were in afflictions necessities distresses hunger and thirst cold and nakednesse poor and having nothing that neither had nor provided silver nor gold nor brasse in their purses as Peter and Paul and the rest of the primitive preachers had not were the most pretious plain painful profitable preachers of the Gospell that ever the earth boâ—e Matth. 10.9 Act. 3 6. 1 Cor. 4.11 2 Cor. 6.4 ad 11. 2 Cor. 11.23 ad 28. and if mighty meanes were such a mighty means to make able Ministers of Christ as is pretended by you Clergymen that tell the State they may as well set Carpenters to build without tools as send forth Ministars without liberal maintenance I wonder there are no better Ministers at Rome where they are maintained more like Monarchs then Ministers of Christ but t is a true proverb that their golden cups made them become such wooden Priests Cum ecclesia peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem you tell the Magistrates that they l discourage persons from medling therwith if they allow not large maintenance to the
illuminated Tradesmen Christ the Carpenter Peter the Fisherman Paul the Tentmaker Aquilla and his wife Priscilla from which kind of poor folks and babes to whom it seems good in gods fight to preach the plain Gospel and reveal by his word and spirit what he hides from wise men when they will not see this prudent PPPriesthood if he were not proud might learn more truth and Gospel purity then ever was taught him by his Grand-father the Pope or any of those Clerical Councells or Ghostly fathers which he consults more with then with Christ and Scriptures The Reason of all his obstinacy against tradesmens teachings is this he knows that his trade of teaching for hire and divining for money Must fall if tradesmen begin once to turn divines and to teach truth for nothing ye know that by this craft quoth he Act. 19.25 c. we have our wealth moreover ye see and hear c. he is well aware and so are we that if he lose the lives of persecution for conscience and sprinkling of infants Iachin Boaz the two main pillars grand Supporters of his kingdom his Temple will quickly rend in to more pieces then 3 PPPs from the top to the very bottom and all his matchlesse magnitude and numberlesse priestly Prerogatives drop directly to the ground viz. his Lieutenantship to the prince of this World his Lordship over the heritage his headship over the Church his dominion over the faith his title to the tenth of every mans estate his merchandize of slaves bodies and souls of men his leave to trample the holy city and slay at pleasure the truth tellers that torment him his rich revenues dignity glory power seat and great Authority together with all the priviledges profits liberties immunities thereunto belonging All this his royalty must fail if he give ground but a little and would have failed ere this time If he had a face could blush at his own abominable blindnesse or ingenuity to confesse himself hurt or own the plain truth while his lungs will serve him in reply or Amor sui constrain him to cry heresie against the truth therefore this Diotrêphes that loves to have the preheminence over all for ever because he hath had it for a while receiveth not truth but prates against it in the pulpit and elsewhere with malicious words and though he contradict himself ever and anon in his own Sermons and discourses yet if he say any thing at all he thinks it much when wisemen weighing it find it little to the purpose Tertullian thus describes Hermogenes Loquacitatem facundiam existimaret Impudentiam constantiam deputaret c. so he when he bumbasts the pulpit and slashes the Saint Schismaticks in their absence before his people supposes he hath spoken with no small grace when t is for want of grace that he did it and that when he is most audacious against all reformation as at Rome and even that he hath sometimes sworn himself and others to as here in England when he finds it more crosse to his credit then he thought of when he undertook for t he counts them fickle unconstant that change their minds and mend their manners and himself only stable and constant to the CCChristian Religion Hence it is that the effects of Disputation with him have been not onely fâ—ustrate but dangerous dangerous I say to him no otherwise then as it overturned his Kingdome that the truth of Christ might take place but to them that disputed with him in this respect as it hath been no lesse then their pretious lives were worth once to oppose or open their mouths against him witnes Wickliff Hus Ierome of Prague and all the executions done in Queen Maries daies upon such as durst dispute against the Pope or meddle against the mass and those done in Queen Elizabeths upon Barrow Greenwood and Penry who were hang'd by Episcopal malice for professing against them and the Common-prayer which now well nigh all England hath renounc't as a corruption and what should have been done upon such as disputed against or depraved the Presbyterian directory is well known for that Clergy hath shew'd themselves so much in their Fathers colours that ere long all England will renounce both it and them and in this respect it hath been also frustrate as to peoples conviction for truths witnesses to dispute never so clearly against him for as much as he hath still stopt their mouths with the stake prison or gallows and kept his own wide open against them in the pulpit when he hath secured them from all capacity of storming him there for The common sort are apt to think those have the victory that live to speast last and that their CClergies cause is never wrackt by the cause of Christ as long as one is left alive that can speak a word in that against the other And by how much error takes with our corrupt nature more then truth by so much there is more danger of its spreading where the Roots i. e. the self love vain glory ambition covetousnesse pride Lordlines universality and cruelty of the CCClergy who are plants that our heavenly father never planted Stocks from whom stemes out a stench from whom abomination branches it self out to the corrupting therof in al quarters of the Earth Rev. 11.18.17 5.19.2 are not plucked up and rooted out for from the Priest and the Prophet profanness heresie hath gone out into all the world and spread it self like a leprosie or some raging canker and for the most part such is the resolvednesse of the CCClergy to bind the people still to a blind obedience to their blind guidance of them beside the word that Disputations with them if not carefully I mean clearly and also coolly proceeded in with love to their persons and almost without zeal against their evils which yet we must not abate them an ace of for all their anger pacem cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum they Raise more evil spirits of wrath and divellishnesse in them then we can lay because they see them raise more good spirits of doubts and earnest enquiries after truth in the people who before were wont to take their ware on trust without trial then then they can lay again while they live by all the shifts and subtleties they can devise for when once people are resolved to believe things to be heresie by hearsay no more but to fancy them according as they find them in the word and to see into the plainness of speech that is in the Scripture with their own eyes they see so much disproportion between the national Church wayes and those of the primitive Churches of the Gospel that they commonly resolve not to see at all adventures through the unclear eyes of CCClergy men any more This makes them fret and fume and fain and fiddle hither and thither which way to fasten their Heretical opinions further if it be possible on them in whom they they
bearers onely and doers of all that you know and not some things onely as some do and patient both hearers and doers of what God and not what man saies Temptation hardly prevails against that soul that is built upon the practise of Gods commandements but as is shewed above and exemplifyed in the parish people that are so built and no otherwise and whose fear toward God is taught after the precepts of men the soul that is built on the practise of mens commandements in his religion faith worship is easily prevailed with to be of any Religion the State pleases as well a false as a true as well Popish as Episcopall or Presbyteriall 4. To beware of the ordinary converse and needlesse society of these Schismatical Seducers the PPPriests that have drawn the whole world into a deep dotage after themselves and desperate departure from the plain doctrine of the primitive Churches and Apostles not to frequent groundlessely their popish parochial Antichristian Assemblies that say they are Jewes i. e. the Churches of Christ and are not but do ly and are the Synagogue of Satan and if any of the disciples or others think themselves strong enough to encounter with them or if they be so indeed yet to take heed of being foiled and spoiled throw their philosophy and vain deceit after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 2 Col. 8. and however of offending weak ones by their example The Arguments of some nay of all these HHHierarchian Hereticks have not prevailed half so much to the perverting of the saith of so many millions of men and women as in all ages of their reign have been perverted from the truth as it is in Jesus as the examples of some shall I say nay of wellny all the Great ones in all nations the gentry the mighty the wise the noble not many of which can submit to own the Carpenters son in the homely ordinances mean waies foolish and base things he hath chosen 1 Cor. 1. yea the Kings of the earth that falling into folly and committing fornication with this cunning women the CCClergy were besotted to sacrifice all their Crowns and the wealth and power and strength of their whole kingdomes to her will and to set up her waies Rev. 17.2.17 Who perhaps onely for noveltie or curiosity at first but at last after some few ages and generations out of principles of foolish custome and pretended antiquity have been present themselves and not by their own example onely but extremity of Lawes and Statutes which the Saints onely in each age have smarted for the breach of enforced others to be present at their will worships superstitious services extravagant dispensations and erroneous exercises and yet the bare example of great ones in a false faith without other enforcement is inforcement great enough amongst Parochiallists and the carnal commonalty who commonly live and believe much more by example then sound reason the faith of he Rulers right or wrong is usually the rule of their faith and Rex sum such a convincing reason with them as seldome receives other reply then nil ultra quaero plebeius 5. Not to be too rash to believe every Spirit nor to receive any more implicitly the spirit of the spiritualty the PPPriesthood no though it come â—n never so ghostly shapes and gorgeous pretences of piety humility zeal prayers tears c. for she is a mystery and this is the very mystery of the Whores iniquity that she hides all her guile with a godly garb In nomine domine incipit omne malum saith the old Proverb and I wish that in homine domini occidat omne malum may be a new one if it prove a true one i. e. that in thy fall O man of God there may be an end of all mischief yet surely a worse mischief to the true Church sharp and short will arise out of thy ashes yet before the end false prophets muâ—â— come in the name of the Lord as well as true ones How gloriously did Balaam profess As Austin saith of Pelagius whose doctrine he counted devillish that his life was like a Saints so I say the Sancti Sanctorum of all Christendome in pretence have been in doctrine the veryest devils Alexander of â—ales writes say some of Bonaventure that Adam did not sin in him and yet of all the Papists none leâ—t more blasphemy behind him the Crocodile weeps till he hath got his prey the Priesthood won the world to it self with the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and then set up the trade of being Lords and Lawgivers themselves and rooted out his from off the earth 6. having once found out and fallen into fellowship with the true Church that is rightly constituted upon the true foundation of the Prophets and Apostles or principles of the doctrine of Christ to be stedfast and unmoveable in the way of truth not suffering themselves to be swayed aside in any wise by any deep devises or perverse pretences Satan of whatsoever and in order to their standing to avoid a weak and querrulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at a gnat giving over the company of the flock for every â—ub forsaking the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is seperating from the Congregation not so much for a ceremony as through a crooked and carnal conceit that t is but a meer ceremony to assemble and meet or meddle with any outward ordinances at all a matter in force onely for that small moment of the primitive age of the Gospel and now of no moment to us weak worships low things carnal ordinances unprofitable dispensations empty elements bodily exercises beggerly rudiments c. like bruit beasts depraving the precious precepts of Christ even those holy matters of his which they understand not the weight and worth of these and such like have made such as of old Jude speaks of and we see so doing at this very day to depart and seperate themselves from Saintship to sensuality from Church-fellowship in the faith to fellowship in filthynesse thus the Seeker seeks to subvert himself and others and all that holy law of Christs own giving as foolishnesse to overturn all that is of Christ whilest Christ is overturning all that is of man he scruples every thing till he is satisfyed to own just nothing as if because there is some waies of error therefore there can be no way of truth he is weak in the faith believing nothing to be good till he believes every thing to be so and nothing to be bad or naught at all And wheresoever his weaknesse is at first it thrives into wickednesse at last so that how ere he seems modest against the truth a while yet after there will be raâ—â— censures arrogant and bold speeches and Iudgements condemning or at least contemning both of good persons and holy things Thus this man runs up to ranting
by little and little circumcising away all flesh for so he now stiles the waies of the word and spirit crucifying all that flesh of Christ till he becomes welnigh as spiritual as the devil 7 To endeavour after the true temper of a son of the Church which consists especially in these two qualifications 1 Humility or self denial 2. Charity or love humility is a being low in your own eyes Christ bids you learn it of him Nothing hath broacht Heresie and Schism so much as self conceit and self love as is shewed above in the case of the PPPriesthood who conceive themselves to be those unerring orracles from whom the law for Religion and faith is to go forth to the people throughout the several Nations this makes men these spiritual men especially to stand out in their own odd opinions as if all were heresy ipso facto that jumps not with them obstinately defend them utterly untractable to any argument though never so clearly urged out of the word it self that shall be brought against them resolved never to yield to any Iudgement nor willingly be in much lesse embrace any company that holds contrary to them proudly prohibiting any but such as are approved of by themselves disdaining to be discipled by any but men in orders as if that poor people and those babes to whom God delights to reveal the Gospel rather then such prudent ones as they are in their own sight were all as they said of old of such a people that know not the law and are accursed for which things sake the Lord suffers blindnes to happen to them leaves them to live in error as men lea ing to their own understanding but true humility as she is ever conscious of her own weaknesse and darknes so when she is most sure that in the Lords power and light she sees light and is most diffusive of it and desirous that all others should see it also and very zealous of promoting it yet is she far from glorying over others or boasting as if she had not received what she hath much lesse is she so impositive as by compulsion or otherwise then by plain proposal round reproof or earnest intreaty to inforce her faith as a rule for all people to believe by and howbeit it submits not as some say she does is the judgments of others sooner then its own for that verily is no other then that humble ignorance and implicit knowledge into which the PPPriesthood hath beguild the earth who as much as they perswade men to expresse their humblenesse by a voluntary submission of themselves to others judgements yet are as far from that expression of their own humility as men can be that would have all men see with their eyes swear into their faith and resign up themselves to their judgement against their own yet she submits her judgement as proud Papacy Prelacy and Presbytery never did to such free examination by others judgements as to leâ—d free leave to such as judge it wrong and are not satisfied to close therewith to decline and reject it and both to believe and worship as they find occasion and howbeit she must contend sometimes she dares not contend with any much lesse her superiours as the Priest does with his whole parish now and then about some trifle or remnant of tithes for so small a matter as a smal matter of means or maintenance but for matters of much more moment and of eternal consequence viz. that faith and Gospel which was once delivered unto the Saints for here indeed she gives place by subjection neither to ghostly father nor holy mother no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue and as t is Christs things she seeks and strives for and not her own so she assaults not without strong and evident and convincing reason from Scripture for her assertion not such butterflies and brown paper reasons as mans tradition 1500 yâ—â—rs profession nor meer internal imagination and spiritual perswasion which the Rantizer and the Ranter render and even then too she prosecutes her cause with such candor and dociblenesse as to be ready to receive what ever is made manifest in the conscience to the contrary without such arrogancy as appears in some Divines when they dispute who are more ready to call them sawcy fellows that dares affront their false assertions then to clear what they hold to be the truth and without the Spirit of contradiction that is wont to shew it self in every haughty heart which is more asham'd to seem ignorant then to be so most specially in the Priesthood when the truth tendred is such as if it be acknowledged will not onely crack his credit but certainly pare his profit also As for Charity alias love it is the very cognizance of a Christian the property of it is to blow out the coals of contention not kindle them in the true Church of Christ though it contend sharply with the false Churches for the truth to seek what in it lies to prevent not foment rents Schisms divisions and offences therein contrary to the doctrine at first delivered the love of which occasions offences in the world it is the very rafiers that hold all the house of Christ whose house they onely are that are built upon the foundation or form of doctrine delivered by the first Apostles the principles of which are set down Heb. 6.1.2 together in most comely frame and order Oh that the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ of those Churches that walk in truth would among all yea and above all those pretious things commended Col. 3.12 ad 16. to be put on would put on this which is the very bond of perfectnesse this is that which will make them endeavour in all lowlinesse and meeknesse and forbearance and forgivenesse of each other to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.2.3 the love of the Brotherhood within it self which is hinted to us by Peter Pet. 2.17 and harpt upon more then any other string by that beloved Disciple Iohn 1 Ioh. 2.9.10.11.3.10.11.12.13 c. ad finum 4.7 ad 13.20.21.5.1 2. Ep. 5.3 Ep. 1. is that more excellent way which the Apostle Paul so magnifies to the Church of Corinth as that without which all other gifts tongues of men and angels prophecy understanding of mysteries knowledge faith of miracles liberality to the poor exposing the body to be burned can make a man no better then as sounding brasse and a tinkling cymbal yea knowledge puffs up and so plucks down the true Church but love edifieth buildeth it and pulls down nothing but BBBabylon 1 Cor. 8.1 love sufereth long and is kind love envieth not love â—aunteth not it self rashly is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseeemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh none evil rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth beareth all things believe all things hopeth all things endureth all
himself and in no commission from Christ to make his Ministers could not secundum te O Presbyter make those true Ministers that made those that made them that made these that make you and so what ere you are as from him yet as from Christ you are no Ministry at all but in very deed the very same that I cal you viz. of the Beast and of the Dâ—agon as also the three fold CCChristendome of whom you say that they are Jewes i. e. Christians when they are not are no other then the Synogogue of Satan In all which so far am I from reviling that I speak the words of sobernesse and truth which whoever does may not unlikely be reviled as a reviler by you but is a faithfull reprover indeed for it is not simply vile terms spoken that make a reviler if spoken both seriously and in season but their non agreeablenesse to them they are spoken of for else undoubtedly not onely your selves who spake as vilely of the Pope as I of you but Iohn Baptist Peter Paul yea and Christ Iesus himself none of which reviled at all though upon occasion of their enmity against God they called men whom else they respected well enough too by the name of Satan evil and adulterous generation Generation of Vipers children of the devil enemies of all righteousnesse bruit beasts Foxes Doggs Swine c. must all be revilers with you too This take therefore from me and let it satisfy viz. that I le never fasten any terms upon you which by your works you first fasten not on your selves yet know that persisting as you have done under the notion of Christs Ministers in pride and perversenesse against his Gospel though I should never call you Deceivers Antichristian and the WWWhore of BBBabylon yet you l prove your selves to be so in the end Now therefore Oh HHHarlot hear and fear for I have heard from the Lord of Hosts a consumption determined upon thee throw out the whole earth thou hast being well mounted harnased and attired upon the back of thy beast made warr against the Lamb in his Saints thy Hereticks for fourty two moneths a time times and a half or 1260 years and power hath been given thee and the beast which thou spurrest to overcome them and over kindreds tongues and nations so that all that dwell upon earth have worshipped him and thee on him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yea thou hast opened thy mouth in blasphemies and caused thy beast under thee to blaspheme the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven yea thou hast spoken great words against the most High and worn out the Saints of the most high and thought to change times and lawes and they have been given into thy hand so that who was like to thee and thy beast who was able to encounter and make war with him but now behold thy proud times are ended and the Lamb will overcome thee for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful and thou that hast led into captivity shalt go into captivity and thou that hast killed with the sword must be killed by the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints And the very ten hornes themselves even all the kingdomes of Christendome into whose hearts it hath been put to give thee all their power and strength as well as the tith of all their glory and riches and carnall things upon thy pretence of ministring to them in spiritual all which thou hast swom upon been born up and fortifyed by as Babylon of old by the River Euphrates and with all which thou hast as with so many hornes of a savage beast tossed bruised gored the sides of Saints under the name of Sinners even these shall now turn upon thee and unhorse thee yea they shall hate thee O Whore and make thee desolate and naked and burn thy flesh with fire so that all thy lovers great and small and thy Merchants that have been rich by trading as in other things so especially in bodies and souls of men shall bewail and lament when they see the smoak of thy burning saying Alas Alas for thee whilest Gods people that are first come out of thee yea whole heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets who now suffâ—r under thee for telling thee the truth and shall be avenged of thee shall rejoice over thee at thy downfall You will hardly give audience O ye Priests to this word but some of you rather cry out against me as multitudes of your Churches good children did some few dayes since in Smithfield when by one of the City Marshals meerly for preaching the Gospel to thousands there assembled to hear it I was betrayed into their hands to be abused saying away with him away with him hang him t is pitty but he should be stoned and such like hue and cryes as were heard of old others of you Seers may be ready to call to me scoffingly out of your mount Sier watchman what of the night watchman what of the night but whether you will hear or whether you will forbear I tell you Sirs the morning cometh and also your dead night therefore if you will enquire enquire quickly return and come to the truth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you or if it may not be said as of old it was that many of the Priests were obedient unto the faith yet Oh that many of your people would know in their day the things that make for their peace before they be hid from their eyes and partake no more of your sins least they partake of your plagues but if IIIezebel and her lovers will lie in bed together and not repent when God gives them space to repent of their fornications then me thinks I hear a noise among them as of those that are in hellish tribulation yelling out from beneath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alas Alas whilst from above a voice of much people in heaven saying Hallelujah Hallelujah for now our Lord will raign And judge that Scarlet WWWhore who still doth fain Her self to be Christs Spouse and so maintain Her self a Qeen the world her slaves in chain Though like a Quean she doth the whole earth stain Wiâ—h Whoredomes and Saints blood whom she hath slain Three PPParts three CCCrowns three HHHeads of subtle brain A TTTripple TTTribe Rides Christndom t is plain And like Hells three mouth'd Monster stands to strain Souls that scape thence and bark them back again Yet when t is told this Minx this whore in grain Frowns Frets Hates Teares Fumes Threats Storms Fomes amain But IIIezebel wo to thy house refrain Thy pride thy lies thy wrath like that of Cain Thy filth thy self thy greediness of gain Else as thy mirth hath been shall be thy pain This
not this absurdity ensue which I dare say you will evade if you can if the holiness be such as you say viz. that the unbelieving husbands and wives must be baptized and inchurched also upon their yoke-fellowes faith being sanctified thereby as well as the Inâ—ants therefore is it not rather think you a Civil and Matrimonial then an Ecclesiastical faederall sanctity Your usual evasion is this Babist The Parents are sanctified by the faith one of the other not so as to be in covenant themselves by their sanctification nor yet so as to be baptized thereupon but they are sanctified as a holy root so as to bring forth a holy issue that hath by vertue of its holiness a right to the Church Covenant and Baptism Baptist. Then it seems the unbeliever is with you a holy root as well as the other and gives holiness to the child and makes it holy as well as the other parent yea so holy that by that concurrence the child is in covenant and to be baptized First do you not say somtimes that the child hath its holiness from the believing party onely as if there were no influence passing from the unbeliever towards its holiness why then do you say sometimes again that from a holiness which is in both they are co-contributers of holiness to the Infant which of the two is most undoubtedly true for the holiness what ever t is is such and such it could not be if it were any but Matrimonial as is in and equally flowes from the unbelieving parent as much as the believing to the infant Secondly if the Root be holy are not the branches so and if the branches be holy is not the root at least as if not more so in the same sence with the holiness of the same kind which it conveyeth to the branches and if so then must not this unbelieving parent being a Root have the same kind of holiness the child hath is he not as holy as the child is and so as capable of being baptized and in covenant thereby sith you all agree that Nil dat quod in se non haâ—â—â— and Quodcunque efficit tale id est propriè est magis tale whatever is a proper efficient to make another so or so must be more so it self so that if the unbelivnig parent be as holy with your very covenant holiness it self as his child must he not as well by vertue thereof be admitted to the same priviledges having though no more faith then his child yet somewhat else viz. That holiness that with you intitles to baptism yea it is more eminently in him than the other either therefore deny those old received Axiomes and that I think you need not do for they are truths or else deny that which is so commonly asserted by you viz. that the unbelieving parents are sanctified so as to be holy Roots to their children by the faith of their believing yoke-fellows as well as the believing yoke-fellows are by their own and this you will be very loath to do for you will hardly coin such a handsome shift as that is in hast again if you let it go or else deny that the unbelieving husband and wife is sanctified or holy at all but that you cannot do for the text saith they are hallowed as well and in the same sense as their children and believing companions are in being married to them what sense soever that is or else grant us they are holy with the holiness we stand for as that onely which is meant in this place viz. Legitimacy freedome from the least tincture of uncleanness and baseness in their cohabitations generations and issue and this I believe you must do when all is done but then you lose such a supporter of your practise that let go one more viz. Act. 2.38.39 which must be handled also hereafter and Iachin and Boaz the two prime pillars that stand by the entry into your Temple i. e. Infants sprinkling which is your entring ordinance will be removed a matter of no small tendency to its ruin or else le ts see in you rejoinder for I put these things upon you by way of quaere expecting to see if by silence you give not the cause how well you will distinguish your selves out of the briars which your opinion upon the place brings you into and how well you will wind your selves out of those many absurdities which you are led aside into from the way of truth by the extravagancies and cunning concavities of your crooked logick lane Thirdly let it be considered that the holiness here predicated of the unbelieving parent and the children is not such as is the result of the faith and faederal holiness of the believing parent as is so frequently asserted among you but of the marriage Covenant which being holy by institution and honourable among all and undefiled gives the denomination of civil sanctity to the unbelieving couple and their seed as to a couple of believers and their seed as also the denomination of honourable in an unbelieving magistrate and master arises not from any praise worthy qualification in their persons much less in the persons of the Correllatives as you say the holinesse of the unbeliever doth from the faith of the believer but from Divine ordination which constitutes them as holy in their places this will be evident First if you consider the manner of speech here used by the Apostle who saies not the unbeliever is sanctified in the believing wife and believing husband but in the wife and in the husband i. e. in her being his wife and his being her husband and howbeit its true which is commonly return'd to this viz. that 't is the believing wife of the unbelieving husband and the believing husband of the unbelieving wife when the marriage is between believers and unbelievers yet the believing party is not here preferred before the unbelieving parent as to the conferring of this holinesse upon the issue but they are said to be both and that by your selves who confesse they jointly make one holy root equall in this influence and are sanctified not one by the faith of the other as you suppose the unbeliever to be by the faith of the believer but both by the ordinance of God viz. their marriage each of other so that they both alike do sanctifie the issue Secondly if you consider the true genuine proper direct tendency and weight of this Relative particle else which if you allow it a right reference relates not to the faith or believing of either but to their being true man and wife to the lawful wedlock of them both for that which is the ground of your error about this place is the forcing of this particle else the wrong way for Else i. e. say you if one of the parents be not a believer then the children are unclean wheras the sense of it runs thus vix else i. e. if you be not holy in your copulations
if you be not sanctified one in to and by the other as lawful man and wife by your union formerly contracted notwithstanding your now disunion in Religion then your children are unclean and this is truth for so the children are in this civil sense if begotten and born out of matrimony whether the parents be believers or no buâ— the other is not truth for whether both or but one or none of the parents believe the infants for that cause alone and without respect to matrimony are in no sense ere the more holy or unclean Thirdly and this will yet appear more plainly if you consider that faith alone in either one or both the parents begetting out of wedlock cannot sanctifie the seed so begotten with this civil holiness here meant no nor with that faederall holiness you plead for nor could it do so even then when that holinesse or birth priviledge you talk of was in force as now it is not viz. in the daies of the law for if two believers came together then out of marriage their seed were not onely base born and so unclean in this our sense but also to the tenth generation uncapable to be admitted into the congregation and so consequently unclean even in your own Deut. 32.2 whereupon how Pharez and Zarah were dealt with it matters not sith they were born before the law was given Ieptha was exempted from any inheritance with his brethren because he was the son of a strange woman Iudg. 11.2 and Davids unclean issue by Bathsheba that in the wisdome of God was taken away by death on the seventh day might not surely without breach of the law have been accounted holy and of the congregation if he had lived beyond the eighth whereupon your selves also are much fumbled about the holinesse of bastards and the baptism of base-begotten babies so that you scarcely know how to behave your selves about it though the parents sinning be believers at least en-churched in your Churches yea it s generally known saith Mr Cotton that our best Divines do not allow the baptism of bastards and though he is pleased to say they allow it not sine sponsoribus without Sureties yet I wonder sith Deut. 32.2 Gods denial of such of old is made the ground of their denial of such now to enter into the Congregation as unholy that our Divines dare take on them to admit cum sponsoribus and so to go besides their own Rule viz. the order of things under the law wherein God gave no such allowance but to let that tolleration pass which they take to themselves you may learn thus much of your selves if you will that though wedlock without faith make a holy seed in our sense yet faith without wedlock in the parents can make a holy seed neither in our sense nor in your own nor any at all for the infants of the married are holy but believers bastards are both civilly and federally unclean inso much that your selves see cause to refuse as federally holy the spurious seed euen of those whose lawfull issue you unlawfully sprinkle Fourthly if you more seriously consider that the holinesse in the Infant here must needs be the fruit and result of that and that must needs be the cause of the holiness here spoken of in the infant quo posito ponitur sanctitas sublato tollitur which being in the parents a holinesse must necessarily be thereupon which not being in the parents a holinesse cannot be in the seed for positâ causà ponitur effectus sublata tollitur abstract the cause and the effect cannot be suppose the cause and the effect cannot but be now that which if it be not in the parents the holiness is not but being in them the holinesse is consequently in the infants 't is not the faith but the conjugal or marriage Relation of the parents for as for the first of these viz. faith it may be in one yea in both of the parents and yet no federal holinesse at all be in the infants witness Ishmael the seed of Abraham the father of the faithful and his Sons by Keturah also born of him after Covenant made with him and his seed in Isaac and Iacob and yet neither of them in that Covenant witnesse the base born children of true believers among the Jews suppose David and Baâ—â—sheba which for all the parents faith could not by the law be admitted in thâ— Congregation nor have that birth-priviledge to be reputed holy which from the parents faith you universally intail to the infants moreover this birth-priviledge and Covenant-holiness by generation which did inright to Church ordinances which once was but now is a non-entity and out of date might be then when it was in being in children in whose parents faith was not found at all for most of the Iews were unbeiievers yet all their legitimate children were holy federally therefore faith in the parent cannot be the cause of such a thing yea if you will believe Mr Blake himself the strictest pleader for a birth-priviledge of federal holiness in Infants that ever I met with and that from this very place he condescends so far as to contribute one contradiction to himself toward the helping of the truth in this case viz. That faith in the parâ—nt is not the cause of this holinesse whilst making the holinesse in this text to be a birth priviledge or Church-Covenant holinesse and to be the fruit and result of the faith of the believing parents and consequently their faith to be the sole and proper cause of the same he confesses flatly elsewhere page 4. that a loose life in the parent and mis-belief which is as bad in some cases worse then unbelief for which is worse to believe false things or not to believe true yea Apostacy from the faith which all if they be not inconsistent with faith I know not what is do not divest nor debar the issue from having that holiness which himself saies is meant in this text Babist Perhaps he means not by faith strictly the parents true believing but in generall his being in the covenant and faederally holy himself and so a cause of this federal holiness in the issue Baptist. First Paul means true believing here in 1 Cor. 7.14 whether Mr Blake do or no. Secondly what will he get as to the point in hand by his Synonamizing faith and faederall holiness for still neither the one nor the other is made here the cause of the holiness of the seed for the holiness here spoken of may be where neither of them is and may not be in the seed even where they are both in the parent as for example in Ezras time Ezra 10 3. we find abundance of the Jews both Priests and people that were in the faith or at least in faederall holiness yet the children were put away as unholy as well faederally as otherwise because their marriage was unlawfull and that bed adulterous wherein they lay with strange