6.6 and alledgeth 't was God's Ordinance that the people of Israel should swear by his Name Deut. 16.53 And lastly for Infant-Baptism the matter in dispute Perin gives this account pag. 15. which I desire the Reader to observe it because we have so ancient a declaration of their faith in this particular That they being constrained for some hundred years to suffer their Children to be Baptized by the Priests of the Church of Rome they deferred the doing thereof as long as they could having in detestation those Humane inventions which were added to the Sacrament which they held to be but pollution thereof And forasmuch as their Pastors were many times abroad imployed in the service of the Churches they could not have Baptism Administred to their Infants by their own Ministers For this cause they kept them long from Baptism which the Priests perceiving charged them thereupon with this imposture viz. That they were against Infant-Baptism Which saith Perin not only their Adversaries have believed that is the Papists and from hence came all that Bedrole of Decrees Councils Decretal Epistles and Edicts against them but also others saith he who have well approved of their Life and Faith in all other points amongst the number of which we must reckon Mr. Tombes and the Author of this late Treatise of Baptism now under examination This ample account given by such an excellent impartial Historian so many years since before the World was so troubled with disputes about Baptism and from one of their own Country-men a man unconcerned as to interest or dissenting parties in this controversy and being so faithful in his relations of the Faith and sufferings of the Waldenses that he was never that I could hear of questioned or suspected will undoubtedly be credited by all ingenious Persons and is sufficient to dismount thousands of those Canons Edicts c. the Author brings Besides this that I may if possible undeceive the Antipaedobaptists who are hardly brought to believe any thing that is against them I will add two other Testimonies from whence we may conclude the Body of the Waldenses were not against Infant-Baptism one of them is Luther the other Bullinger both of which have written smartly against Anabaptists and would never have given such a large Encomium of the Waldenses had they apprehended them to be touched with the error of denying Baptism to the Children of Believers Luther professeth that he hated the Waldenses whilst a Monk as desperate men until he knew their piety and truth of their Belief by their own Confessions and Writings whereby be perceived that those good men were much wronged and that the Pope had condemned them for Hereticks being rather worthy of the praise that is due to the Martyrs And Bullinger that wrote a Book against the Anabaptists saith in his Preface to his Sermons upon the Revelations That above 400 years since the Waldenses have made Profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout France Italy Germany Poland Bohemiah and other Kingdoms 4. If this be not enough to cleer the Waldenses from what the Author would have us believe from the Testimony of their Enemies the Papists we are willing to give him full measure pressed down and running over and that is by the Testimony which they give of themselves in their Publick General Confessions of Faith We have before shewn the Author could find nothing in any of their Confessions against Infant-Baptism let us now see whether we can find any thing for it First they purge themselves from the imputation of denying Infant-Baptism Hist Wald. Lib. 1. c. 4. p. 15. So Lib. 1. c. 6. p. 43. and shew the reason why for some hundred years they forbore it as before he that writes the History professedly sets down in his 3d part of it the Doctrine of the Waldenses and Albigenses and particularly what their Faith was touching Baptism in these words of their own viz. And whereas Baptism is Administred in a full Congregation And for this cause it is that we present our Children in Baptism which they ought to do to whom the Children are nearest as Parents c. In the year of our Lord 1535 an Assembly of the Waldenses from all their Valleys met at Angrongne Perin Hist Wald. L. 2. Cap. 4. pag. 57. and there was signified what they understood of their Brethren of Provence and Daughine namely that they had sent into Germany their Pastors George Morell and Peter Mason to confer with Oecolampadius Bucer and Capito touching the belief which they had time out of mind Mark hereby the way how unworthily the Author Prevaricates and endeavours to blind the Reader pag. 329. of his Book as if all the Waldenses were declining or Apostatizing towards the Antichristian Abomination of being present at Mass if some of them of Provence were faulty yet this Assembly at Angrongne stood fast in the Truth where saith Perin when they had read certain Letters of encouragement sent from Oecolampadius both to those of Provence Dhugtony and to themselves Afterward concluded on certain Propositions and Articles of Faith which were read and approved signed and sworn to by all the Heads of the Families and their Pastors with one mind and consent to Conserve Observe Believe and retain amongst them inviolably without any contradiction as being conformable to the Doctrine which hath been taught them mark it from the Father to the Son for these many hundred years out of the Word of God If therefore among any of these Articles we can find Infant-Baptism owned what becomes then of all the Crack that the Author makes as if they had been of his judgment The Articles there agreed on were in number 17 too long to be inserted the last is about Baptism and thus it is to a Syllable Article 17. Touching the matter of the Sacrament it hath been coneluded by the H. Scriptures that we have but two Sacramental signs the which Christ Jesus hath left unto as the one is Baptism the other the Eucharist which we receive to shew what our perseverance in the faith is as we have promised when we were Baptized being little Infants This is the Confession of the Faith of the Assembly at Angrongne where a letter was read from Oecolampadius to those of Provence who it seems out of fear were sometimes present at Mass with the Papists or at least some of them who did in heart doubtless abhor it but how doth this prove they were not heartily for Infant-Baptism And because the Letter is so Excellent a Disswasive from any Complyance with Superstitious and Idolatrous Worship I shall here insert it Oecolampadius his Letter to the Waldenses of Provence 1530. WE understand that the fear of Persecution hath made you to Dissemble in your Faith and that you bide it Now we believe with the heart to Righteousness and confess with the mouth to Salvation But they that fear to Confess Christ before the World shall not be received
not depends on variable circumstances of the State of the Persons to whom Christs Ministers are sent be they such as the Apostles were then sent to they must be Discipuli facti made Disciples by Preaching and then be Baptized But be they the seed of Disciples they are Discipuli nati born Disciples by the Relation of the covenant and so may have the seal set on them without any preceding teaching 4. Lastly not to insist upon that that Infants are Christs Disciples because all Nations must be Discipled and Infants are included in those Nations we conceive we have no obscure ground for the Baptizing the Children of Believers because as Mr. Ainsworth on Gen. 17. Mr. Tombes saith in his Examen pag. 89. That it is well known Baptisme was in use among the Jews in the initiating Proselytes for many years together with Circumcision quotes Selden and Ainsworth for it and Mr. Godwyn in his Moses and Aaron lib. 1. cap. 3. pag. 10. do inform us Baptism was in use as a kind of Initiation among the Jews though it was not a Sacrament till Christ his Institution and therefore this Rite seemed no strange thing unto them as appeareth by their coming to John questioning not so much his Baptisme as his Authority by what authority he Baptized John 1. 25. For as the Learned Dr. Hammond observes the Institutions of Christ who came first Messias to that people was born of that Nation lived regularly under their law and observed their customes were by him drawn from their former practices in the old Testament and so were lightly changed and accomodated to his own purposes he instanceth in divers things and at length comes to this of Baptisme or Washing a known right for initiating the Jews and Proselytes into the Covenant of the Lord. For he doth abundantly shew out of the Talmud and Rabbies that the way of entring into the Covenant was by Circumcision and Baptism so says Mr. Godwyn also in the place before mentioned And as the Natural Jews were thus entred so were the Proselytes and as the Proselytes of age so also were their Infant-Children Baptized So the Gemara Babyl tit Chetub c. 1. They baptize the little or young stranger or Proselyte as the Hebrew hath it And Maimonides in tit Isuri bia c. 13. They Baptize the Infant or little Stranger upon the knowledge of the house of judgement i.e. on their desire in behalf of their Children From all which it appears that the Jewish Ceremony of Baptizing was accomodated by Christ to the Right of our initiation of the Profession of Christ whereof saith he we have as little reason to doubt as that a Picture was taken from that Face which it resembleth to the life And from hence we have as he conceives and that very rationally a clear foundation for our practice namely to baptize not only those who make a profession of their Faith in Christ but likewise their Children with them And though some men of late years have denyed the warrantableness thereof and darkned the truth by their arguings against it yet one may well suppose it was clear and obvious enough to the Apostles from the knowledge they had of the former administration which took-in the Children with the Parents into Covenant for if it had not been Christs mind believers Children should be sealed with Baptism under the new administration he would certainly have given some intimation thereof and given his Apostles some such caution as this when he sent them to Disciple all Nations and Baptize them See that you do not baptize Children Lastly we may from hence also gain light that the Essence of Baptism doth not lye in being immerst or plunged under water for it can never be proved that this was the manner of the Jewes Baptizing persons or things I shall shut up this with a passage of the Learned and Godly Bucer upon these words Sane dum non habent locum quo praecipitur tantum doctos baptizari nihil roboris suae sententia hinc adferent etenim nos docemus antequam baptizemus Ne quid vel his vel iospiam alibi Scripturarum habetur neminem baptizari debere nisi ille Doctrinam Christi per se quoque perceperit Bucer in locum Go teach all Nations Baptizing them Since the Anabaptists saith he have no place of Scripture that commands us to Baptize none but those that are taught they cannot strengthen their opinion from this Text For we our selves do teach i.e. Adult-Aliens before we do baptize neither can we from hence or any other Scripture prove that no one ought to be Baptized unless he shall understand or learn the Doctrine or Christ The Evangelist Mark varies the words of the Commission thus Go ye into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature The one hath it Nations the other World and the terms are equipollent signifying the same Rom. 11.15 But what must they do in all the World preach the Gospel i.e. publish abroad to all without exception the freeness and fulness of Gods rich Grace in the New Covenant even that same Gospel that was preached long before to Abraham Gal. 3.8 And this blessing of Abraham is come upon the Gentiles ver 14. And this is to be Preacht 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every Creature i.e. with a distinction to every humane creature which the opposers of Infant-Baptisme may do well to consider since they stand so rigidly upon the Syllabical Letters of every word in the Commission so as they will not allow us liberty to draw out the sence of some places that relate to Infant-Baptism from the Letter by rational deduction and consequence and according to the Harmony of Scripture but we must superstitiously adhere to the very Syllables of the Text whereas whatsoever appears truth from the Analogy of Faith or by just consequence is as practicable and obliging as if it were written with a Sun-beam in so many Capital Letters It would be a senseless undertaking indeed to Preach the Gospel to every individual creature in the World and therefore it is to the understood restrictively of mankind poor lost man for whom Christ dyed Lastly the Connection too he he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved hath some difficulty in it and the sence is not so obvious to every capacity for if it had many of those controversies between us and the Papists had never been as Whether Baptism be of absolute necessity to salvation which Protestants deny and many Papists affirm And let the Antipaedobaptists well consider that this Evangelist doth as closely conjoyn believing and being Baptized to Salvation as the other doth teaching and being baptized and if we must so exactly stand upon the Order of words to prove the Institution We may saith Sydenham argue from Mark as well as they from Matthew as none must be baptized but they who are taught so none but those who believe and are Baptized shall be
Christ in whom the Covenant was confirmed to them and their seed Cottons Dialogue of Childrens Baptism p. 130. For as Mr. Cotton observes The Axe was laid to the Root of the Tree even to the stock of Abraham and all the Branches that grew upon it and were ingrafted into it so that now if they brought not forth this good fruit to believe in Christ who was then come whom the Jews generally rejected as an Impostor they and their children were cut off from the Covenant of Abraham and must say no more We have Abraham to our Father but if they held forth Repentance and Faith in Christ then the Covenant that was made to them and to their Children before did still continue to them and to their children and that 's the ground and meaning of Peters exhortation Act. 2.38 39. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of the Lord for the promise is to you c. Now what prejudice can this be to the Baptisme of Believers Infants who are admitted in the right of their Parents laying hold on the Covenant for themselves and their seed now under the new Administration as Members of the Church of Christ and in Covenant with God 2. Neither will we take the Authors word for what follows Nothing now but fruit meet for Repentance gives right to Baptisme without some qualification For first I demand what fruit of Repentance John saw in that great multitude which he then Baptized viz. Jerusalem Judea and all the Regions round about Jordan ver 5. which could not be less then some thousands of whom he could have no cognizance as to their fruits of repentance 2. I farther demand whether he could judge this great multitude which were strangers to him to be all the Spiritual seed of Abraham And since the Author observes from Johns words they had no right to Baptism from being Abrahams natural seed neither could he look upon them all as the spiritual seed let him tell us on what account he baptized them 3. It is like he will tell us they confessed their sins ver 6. and so were Baptized But will any man think they did all do so or is it said he baptized no other but such It will be hard for any man to prove that John did impose this upon them We find as Mr. Marshal notes that he Baptized them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Repentance not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as state in Actual Repentance and his calling upon them for Repentance and Preaching the Baptism of Repentance shews that this was the lesson which they were all to learn not that they all manifested it before he Baptized them For ought we can find from the Text the Pharisees and Sadduces were Baptized by him and had they been such Penitents it had been great uncharitableness to call them Vipers We have the Author over-lashing again in the next words for he lies open every where Nothing saith he short of the spirits birth can orderly admit to Water-birth and Spiritual ordinances But since you are not Infallible let it be supposed you have been mistaken in your judgment and have baptized a person which afterward appears to be unregenerate Did you admit him orderly or no you will say you did because he was Baptized under the apprehension of being regenerate The Church lookt upon him as such and saw nothing to the contrary Very good now you are come about to what I would have and indeed if the New Testament-Church did consist only of the spiritual seed real Godly ones how abominably is the Ordinance prophaned when it so happens as it often doth that any Hypocrites are Baptized and when it appears that the Title which they had to Baptisme was but seeming will it not follow that all that was done in reference to them was a Male-Administration and Null ab initio Mr. Blakes Covenant sealed and as God looks upon them as unbaptized though they have been dipt so ought the Church to look upon them and if these Hypocrits shall repent and be converted are they not bound to offer themselves a-fresh to Baptism and can the Church refuse them and thus according to the Authors principle there will be need of a Multiplication of Baptisms He concludes this Chapter with the sayings of two Doctors as wide in judgement from each other as the two Poles yet it seems he can make them meet to serve his purpose The first is Dr. Owen who is much engaged for his Elogy but nothing at all for wresting his sentences from his intention 'T is well known the learned Dr. like to the rest of his Brethren of the Congregational way is a zealous Assertor of Infant-Baptism and the import of what he says in his Catechisme is no more then what all Congregational men hold namely That the matter of the Church is a Society or Fellowship of visible Saints and this according to the singular dexterity of this Antagonist who beats us still with our own Weapons is found to be point blank against Infant-Baptism But we shall clear this point in the next Chapter under which it falls properly to be spoken of The other Gentleman is Dr. Taylor we have said enough of him before how much he was for Infant-Baptism notwithstanding he plays the Orator and tells us he will act the part of an Anabaptist and shew what may be said for them though they are in an Errour but let us hear what he says for according to the Author he doth rarely accomodate that which he thinks is truth when as it is only by bestowing a few complements upon an error we shall seldom meet with such a parcel of affected words delivered in such a strain as did notably fuit with the Genius of the times when he writ them that is before the turn of times when men were high flown and above Ordinances The Baptism of Children saith he is an outward duty a work of the Law a Carnal Ordinance it makes us adhere to the Letter without regard to the spirit to be satisfied with shadows to return to Bondage to relinquish the mysteriousness the substance the spirituality of the Gospel c. This is brave stuff indeed high towring language I never met with the like unless it were in Mr. Saltmarsh his shadows flying away and beams of Glory And is not the Baptism of Believers think you bravely accomodated with these Rhetorical Flowers Is there one grain of Logick or Reason in all he saith And then at last the Doctor doth so well accommodate that which H.D. calls the truth that he attempts to maintain it by two gross errors delivered in one breath for saith he if the Mystery goes not before the Symbol yet it always accompanies it but never follows it in order of time But first I would fain know who told the Doctor that Grace always accompanies Baptisme for that I take to be the plain English of Mystery and Symbol without the help
but it was from a conspiracy of Husbandmen against the Bishops and Canons which was called the Rustick League for which he quotes Baronius how that it began in the year 1502. which was the Praeludium of that great Sedition which was in its Vigour 1525. according to Osiander's account But how doth this mend the matter they were not first in the wickedness in the sedition but seconded it A sorry evasion and besides the Author is gone off from that which he should speak to and that is of the Vproar and Confusion that was made in Swevia in the year 1525. and did not the Anabaptists begin and propagate that Spanhemius tells us in his first Chapter that Nicolas Storch Mark Stubner and Thomas Muncer three Anabaptists were the Persons that began that lamentable Sedition 2. The Author tells us Persons of all sorts concerned themselves in it Like enough for so it is usual in all popular commotinos persons of all sorts and interests joyn in No Man is so weak as to think those 40000 pesants in Swevia and Franconia were all Anabaptists but Sleiden in his Com. L. 5. and also Spanhemius informs us that the Trumpeter and Ringleader was Thomas Muncer who with other Anabaptist-Teachers stirred up the discontented people to rebel against the Magistrates and imbodied them into an Army It was that impostor who was their General that set out his Declaration that his design was to restore Liberty and to deliver Subjects from the Youke and Tyranny of Princes which was as much to be cast off as the Popes of Rome 3. He makes an odious comparison between the Protestants of Geneva in the recovery of their Civil and Spiritual Liberty and these Germans who if they had miscarried in their attempt might he conceives have fallen under as much Obloquy as the chiefest of those People did in their defeat But the actings of Geneva the Switzers and the Cantons were more justifiable than theirs and not so barabarous nor their Tenents so blasphemous as theirs Notwithstanding the reflections of the Papists and some others of late who have in print branded our first Reformations for Rebellions and they are Men too that would be thought obedient Sons of the Church of England and of great names but yet one that hath but half an Eye may easily see that these Theologasters either wanted discretion or affection to the Protestant Interest and 't is pitty the Virga Censoria is not taken from them and they turned out of their office as the Romans used to serve the Censors when they abused it But I hope no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can charge those of Geneva to have robb'd the Nobility plundred Towns and Castles and rifled all that is Sacred as those Germans did but that they fell off from popery and sought Reformation in a more regular way 4. The Author speaks not right concerning the Commotion at Munster in saying Spanhemius acquaints us that the first stir in the City was about the Protestant Reformation the Synod he means Senate siding with Mr. Rotman and other Reformed Ministers against the Papists and the Bishop that opposed them to Arms. For though the Senate would not obey the command of the Bishop who was then at a distance from the City in taking away some of the Churches which a little before they had granted for the use of the Reformed Divines yet this difference was soon composed and it never came to Arms or Blows Spanhemius tells us 5. That which follows is exreamly scandalous namely That there is good ground to doubt of the truth of what is reported concerning the Monstrous wickedness and villanies of John Matthias and John Becold of Leyden and what are those grounds of doubt why 1. Because saith he the things are written either by malicious Papists their mortal enemies or else by some of their most inveterate enemies the Protestants who were willing to take up and improve such reports to blast not only the whole party of the Anabaptists but their Principle also Reply I dare say that here are in the latter part of this Sentence so far forth as it relates to Protestants many untruths and may sigh over it that old saying Quot dicta tot maledicta Alas to see whither affection to a cause will carry Men 1. Then the Protestants were not inveterate Enemies to the Anabaptists but very loving Friends to some of the chiefest of them both before and after they took up the Opinion until the Rebellion of Muncer and that at Munster Witness the Friendly and Brotherly conference that was between Luther and Muncer at Wittenberg where they had often Conference and Luther intreated him to be quiet and not broach such Doctrines as were against Magistracy and Civil Government Zwinglius dealt tenderly and gently with those that fell off from his Church for they were his intimate Friends Musculus visited them in Prison relieves them and was their Advocate and perswaded the Magistrate to be kind and to use no severity for that was not the way to reduce Men from their errors 2. Bullinger of whom we have before spoken begins his Book with a Lamentation at God's Judgments on Christians for their not profiting by the Word for which God gives them up to delusions and to a reprobate Sense he professeth that before he did in silence conceal their Crimes and spoke less than they committed Luther hearing of their vile pranks at Munster was necessitated and so were divers other Ministers for the honour of the Reformed Religion which did so much suffer by those Exorbitancies to put forth a Testimony in print against them in which he saith It was plain that Munster was become the habitation of Devils for so the Justice of God had punished the Sins of Germany and especially the loose and prophane life of those that professed the Gospel but in this Tragedy of Munster the marvelous Mercy of God evidently appeared that e had not permitted that old subtil Serpent and cunning Satan to contrive and govern that business but only had given way to some Silly Blockish Devil who seemed not well skill'd in Villany to be their Guide and Conducter and that though the State was disturbed by it yet he conceived the Church on that account would receive the less prejudice by it 3. Spanhemius in his History of their Actings saith That the Protestant Ministers were extreamly troubled at what happened and the Papists vilified the Gospel by reason of it for the Popish party said this was the fruits of revolting from them and they were afraid the Magistrate would have an evil eye upon them and suspect that the liberty which they granted might tend to the sowing of Sedition if they did not declare against them and preach down the Doctrine and Practices of those Anabaptists 4. Lastly What other thoughts can we have then of that uncharitable passage That the Protestants were willing to take up and improve such reports to balst not only the
to scatter saving Grace in this Nation which are if not raised yet fomented by Anabaptism And their Principle he conceives hath been very prejudicial to the Conversion of young-ones amongst whom usually the stream of converting Grace runs because it speaks an actual disingagement from all relation to God his Covenant Church and Ordinances till of their own choice they take them up at years of discretion Now whilst persons live loose from such engagements as in their proper nature and tendency further Conversion no wonder if the work goes slowly on among them 3. By confounding the World and the Church together which Christ hath separated Not so For Baptism is God's Sheep-mark as Mr. Ford calls it to distinguish those that are of his Fold from such as graze in the wild Common of the World what confounding is there in this Principle That not only they who do actually profess Faith in and Obedience to Christ but also the Infants of one or both Believing Parents are to be Baptized and they only 7. By introducing and establishing many Humane Traditions and Inventions of Antichrist This is Mr. Tombe's his 6th Arg. Exercit. p. 1. Many of which and some of the worst attend the Baptism of grown Persons in the Church of Rome as Chrism Exorcism c. And when Mr. Tombes urged this very Argument against Infant-Baptism Mr. Geree tells him it was rather a Motive than a Reason against it to move peoples affections against the inconveniences following it rather than to convince the unlawfulness of it But that which is lawful in it self cannot reflect any scrûple of unlawfulness upon that which occasions it And if any corruption occasioned accidentally and separable from an act of Worship could cashier it then farewel Baptism it self Prayer Lords Supper and all that is Sacred for what a world of superstitious devices have the wanton and superstitious Heads and Hearts of Men taken occasion from them all to devise and practise it is so clear there needs no instances to be given 8. By being saith he such a Make-mate such a Bone of Contention and that among themselves too that own it as well as with those that oppose it The Lord open the eyes of those who are so zealous against Infant-Baptism that they may see their own nakedness consider the beam that is in their own eyes certainly whilst they judg our principle condemnation is written in their own foreheads First how furiously do they contend among themselves What a heat is there between Mr. Bunyan and Mr. Paul both of them for Baptizing Believers the former having published a little Book whose Title is Differences in Judgment about Water-Baptism no Bar to Communion or to Communicate with Saints as Saints proved Lawful of which I have before hinted complains in the Epistle to the Reader That the Brethren of the Baptized way would not suffer them to be quiet in their Christian Communion but did assault them for more than 16 years and as they had opportunity sought to break them in pieces meerly because they were not in their way all Baptized First He professeth that he denyed not the Ordinance of Baptism though they feigned it but all that he asserted was That the Church of Christ hath no warrant to keep out of their Communion the Christian that is discovered to be a visible Saint and walketh according to his light with God And for this Orthodox position they charge him to be a Machivelian a Man Devilish Proud Insolent Presumptuous words saith the poor Man fitter to be spoken to the Devil than a Brother He puts out his Confession of Faith upon which Mr. Paul makes reflections and tells him he defies all the Brethren of the Baptized way and Blasphemes them that dwell in heaven p. 3. That he belyes all Expositors p. 13. and calls upon the Heavens to blush at his insolency p. 35. that his Inferences are ridiculous top-ful of ignorance or prejudice and deserve no other answer than contempt p. 43. and then falls to prayer the Lord judg between us and this accuser to whom we shall say no more but the Lord rebuke thee And what sayes Bunyan to this in his Book of Differences in Judgment about Water-Baptism First that in his simple Opinion their rigid and Church-dividing disquieting Principles are not fit for any Age and State of the Church pag. 1. and I wish there were not too much truth in what he saith he accuseth them for endeavouring and perswading him to break Communion with his Brethren tampering with others that their Seeds of division might take and prevailed so far as to rent and dismember some from them and that the judgment of God so followed their design that the presons which then they prevail'd upon became afterward a stink and reproach to Religion I find our Author falling upon this good Man two to one is odds and lashing him to the purpose for his last Book you have it at the end of his Treatise of Baptism He chargeth Mr. Bunyan with absurdities contradictions traducing the Wisdom of Christ hainous Errors and fundamental mistakes whose Principles saith he are presumptuous savouring of ignorance and folly contradicting the Wisdom Authority of Christ ridiculous man of egregious ignorance and self-condemned and at last that he is one that pleaseth not God and is contrary to all Men which last must be understood with a limitation of all Men like himself But why should Professors of Religion throw so much dirt in the Faces of their Brethren that dissent from them Tantaene animis caelestibus irae Sure such language becomes not Christians Let it be supposed that they have truth on their side this is no good way to propagate it it needs not tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis The Wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable The Servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all In meekness instructing those that oppose if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But haughty and uncharitable Spirits follow not this Rule if they be set upon a point though controvertible they have such a fire of zeal within that it breaks out into a flame that consumes the good name and credit of any that dare oppose it Your Opinionists if they have Faith they will not follow Paul's advice and keep it to themselves but are infinitely desirous to propagate it and are the severest Censurers in the World Two other Antipaedobaptists viz. Mr. Allen and Mr. Lamb being come off from that hide-bound Spirit of having Communion with none but those of our own Judgment are also lasht in the Authors Postscript They have saith he both declined the Truth and their Books which were pen'd with great Judgment strength of Argument and Authority of Scripture in his Opinion shall rise up in Judgment against them without Repentance for declining the Truth so confident is the Author
that he speaks by way of Prophesy that what they have writ shall not only live as a Witness for God and his reproached Truths but as a living Testimony against themselves in their unreasonable and unrighteous departure from the same except they repent to all generations if these Man cannot appeal to Heaven touching their own integrity so thundring a Sentence must needs trouble their Consciences Moreover if I mistake not they are divided amongst themselves about the Administrator of Baptism as unwholsome word because unscriptural Pastors Teachers Ministers we read of but no Administrators some holding none but men in Office may give Baptism others that a private Man may do it especially in case of necessity and Mr. Tombes favours this Opinion Praecursor pag. 72. and he gives his reason for it viz. because all or most of the Ministers ordained in England are against Baptizing of Persons of years Sprinkled in Infancy and there lying upon them that see Infant-Baptism a corruption a necessity to be Baptized upon Profession of Faith there is a necessity that they be Baptized by Persons not Ordained I like a man that will speak plainly his mind I will be as plain in opening mine and I think I have hit upon the truth namely that the Opposers of Infant-Baptism must hold that unbaptized Persons ☞ may Baptize and a Church with true Ordinances may be of unbaptized persons or else they must disown their new Baptism and all their Ordinances and turn Seekers For the first of their Administrators must either Baptize himself or else was Baptized by some Person Baptized in Infancy that is with them by an unhaptized Person Lastly I want not Instances to shew how impatient they are of having their adored Opinion contradicted and must prepare my self for the hard Censures of my Antagonist and his Party and had it not been for the honour of truth and love that I bear unto it they should have gone on till Dooms-day though I believe God will shortly break the neck of their ridged Principle before I would have disturb'd their quiet and exposed my self to their ill-will It is sufficiently observed and deplored by sober Christians that are unaddicted to faction how turbulent this fort of men have alwayes been as in forreign parts so in our own Country in the propagation of their Opinion and how distastful it is to them to have any thing said against their way There is a sad passage quoted by the Author himself pag. 308. of his Treatise out of Cloppenburg's Gangrene viz. The Troops of Anabaptists that dwell in Friestand although they trouble not the Commonwealth they suffer not the pure Reformed Churches to be edified without daily conflicts and what a stir they kept in Gemany with those Godly Ministers Luther Zwinglius Musculus contesting with them disturbing their Churches you shall hear shortly in our Animadversions upon the Authors historical part at the latter end of this discourse 9. By being an occasion saith he to stir up much bitter hatred wrath strife emnity persecution against those that oppose it How have they been followed with Stripes Imprisonments Confiscation yea Death it self Something of this may be layd at their own door as before hath been manifested in the persecution of the Tongue to which they are so much addicted but as for those Martyrs he speaks of that have suffered stripes imprisonment death we find very few of them in Fox his Martyrologie and none of them punished purely for opposing Infant-Baptism but the Antichristian Tenets of Rome Transubstantiation the Mass c. for which other Protestants suffered and some of them were put to death for asserting dangerous errors and for sedition here in England and multitudes for horrid acts beyond the Seas as shall appear in the Historical Narrative 10. By confirming hereby the whole Antichristian Interest as made good by the Preface An unworthy calumny and spoken without the least ground of reason only because Mr. Baxter hath declared his single Judgment in some things in reference to Baptism in some of which he speaks not positively and dogmatically but as I remember he qualifies it with such expressions as I think so or suppose so and how doth the delivery of his private Opinion about it render Infant-Baptism it self a point that confirms the whole Antichristian Interest that is not derived thence and hath no reference to or favour for it and when many Paedobaptists differ from Mr. Baxter and are unsatisfied at those passages in his Christian Directory Absurdities 11. By ushering in great Absurdities viz. 1. That Persons may have Regeneration and Grace before calling This is no Paradox to those who have heard of John Baptists being Sanctified in the Womb. I could here turn the Author to several places in Mr. Tombes his Works where he dares not deny but Infan̄ts may have the seed of Grace but I have spoken to this before only take notice of that is his Praecursor pag. 13. It is not doubted but Infants belong to the invisible Kingdom of the Elect but how they attain Salvation is not so certain if by a Seed of Faith and Holiness without actual exercise the thing is more easie to conceive c. And again he saith There are Believers of two sorts either in the Seed or Fruit either by Ordinary or Extraordinary Operation in one of which wayes Infants are or may be Believers 2. That Persons may be visible Church-members before Conversion And is that such a wonder We have proved that Chapter 6. Part 1. They were Church-members under the Law why not under the Gospel when were they excluded 3. That Persons may Repent Believe and be Saved by the Faith of another We own no such thing 4. That Types and Shadows profit after the Antitype and substance is come introducing thereby the Birth-priviledge The weakness of this is discovered before proving the Covenant made with Abraham still to continue to Believers and their natural Seed as you may see towards the end of the 3d Chapter Part. 2. 5. That the better to exclude Believers-Baptism new Church-Covenants are invented c. This is directed only against one sort of Paedobaptists called Independents whom he saith in point of order do err more than Prelate or Presbyter owning Infant-Baptism and yet denying them the right of Church-membership this is answered Chap. 6. Part 1. by shewing that they own the Infant Seed of Believers to be Church-members that is of the Universal Visible Church before Baptism and the reasons for it as also why they admit them not into their particular Churches when grown up till they make a serious Profession of that Faith into which they were Baptized and claim the priviledg of Communion Contradictions 12. By the manifold Contradictions that attend the Practice 1. By asserting that Baptism is a Symbol of present Regeneration wrought and yet apply it to ignorant unconverted Babes so uncapable of Regeneration This is a crambe bis cocta answered again and again