in his judgment I will desire no mercy but I will be content to be put to death under the judgment of a Jury of twelve honest men but what saith the Scripture Cast out the bondwoman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heire with the son of the free woman Gal. 4. the sonne of the bond-woman plainly signifieth the Devill and the old Law for the old Law is the spirit of bondage and so is the devill as I in this book have plainly proved Now I will shew you in brief of Gods love and mercy For if the Pope and his Clergy and the Bishops and their Clergy will forsake the old Law and their false power and false doctrines and traditions which is contrary to the true worship and will of God and then be reconciled to Christ and the second covenant of grace God is rich in mercy to forgive them and receive them into his everlasting kingdome of glory Wherefore I will conclude with S. Paul as it is written 1 Tim. 2.3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God out Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediator betweene God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himselfe ransome for all to be testified in due time whereunto I am ordained a Preacher I say againe whereunto God my glorious Father hath ordained me to be a Preacher I speake the truth in Christ and lye not for the spirit of God drawes but one way that is to Christ and to the obedience of the new Covenant my text saith All things that reproveth are made manifest by the light Now by that light God hath given to me I shall reprove the Anabaptist which will not allow young children to be baptized but by the help of God I will prove in briefe by human reason and spirituall signification of Scripture that they are deceived in their judgement my first proofe is Heb 10. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come which doth signifie that the old Law was a type and shadow of the New for the Apostle saith plainly concerning the Jews which were under the Old Law he saith they were baptized to Moses in the cloud 1 Cor. 10.2 the cloud signifieth the Old Law now I understand that Moses did not baptise with water but to signifie that circumcision was a type of Baptisme and young children were circumcised at eight dayes old Againe I finde it written Acts 16. concerning the Jaylor and Lydia which were converted by S. Paul it is said they and all their houshold were baptized Now what man is able to gainsay but those two persons might have young children that were baptized by S. Paul Againe Acts 2. when the Apostle told the Jews that they had crucified the Lord of life they were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we do Peter answered Repent and be baptized and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and to your children these places of Scripture doth plainly signifie that all young children of faithfull parents are to be baptized to the mysticall body of Christ Againe Christ said Suffer little children to come to me and forbid them not for to such belongeth the kingdome of God Marke this point I beseech you for Christ saith plainly that the kingdome of God doth belong to young children and Christ and his Gospell signifie Christ and his Kingdome Now if I aske the Anabaptists if they doe beleeve the Baptisme with water to be an holy Ordinance which doth belong to the body of Christ and to the second Covenant of grace they will answer yea why then my answer to them is in briefe that all those that will not suffer young children to be baptized they doe exclude them from the mysticall body of Christ and from the second Covenant of grace I pray God give all such people grace to forsake that wicked practise or else they will draw downe the fiery wrath of God upon their owne soules and thus I praise God I have proved in briefe by humane reason and by plaine signification of Scripture that young children must be baptized Againe I have shewed you that those two beasts doth signifie the Pope and his clergy and the Bishops and their Clergy that their false power are both as one It is written Iohn 16.13 14. Christ saith plainly When he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth he shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you marke I beseech you the commanding power of God for Christ Jesus who in the true and perfect God he saith expresly that the spirit of truth shal receive of his and shal shew it unto you Now by that spirit of truth which Christ hath given unto me I will shew you in briefe the true signification of Christ and his glorious Church with those holy Ordinances which doth belong unto it for there are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Iohn 5.1 the Word signifieth Christ Jesus who is the second person in Trinity and all those people that will be reconciled to Christ and to the divine power of his word their spirits shal be joyned to the glorious Trinity my first proofe is in 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith know you not that Christ Jesus is in you except yee bee reprobates But how is Christ in his people my answer is by the vertue and divine power of his word which is revealed in his Gospel Again 1 Cor. 6.19 What know you not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you Againe Ephes 4.4 There is one body one spirit one faith one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all These three places of Scripture doth plainly prove and justifie that all those people that will be reconciled to Christ and to the obedience of his word which is revealed in the New Testament their spirits shall be joyned to the holy and glorious Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost which shall be all ingraffed as in one man though they shall be in number thousands of thousands and thus I praise God I have shewed you in briefe the true foundation of true and sound Religion which by the help of God I dare boldly say that the Devill and all his carnall Ministers shall never be able for to overthrow or shake this foundation Now by the help of God I will shew you in briefe how and after what manner children are to be baptized for I think it fit that the Minister first reade that portion of Scripture Gal. 3.21 For if there had beene a Law given that could have given life verily righteousnesse should have beene by
by the hand and say these words after the Minister I John take Anne to my wedded wife to love and cherish in sicknesse and in health until death us depart according as God hath commanded by the divine power of his Word and thereunto I give thee my troth and then for the woman I Anne take John to my wedded husband to love and to cherish in sicknesse and in health until death us depart according as God hath commanded by the divine power of his Word and thereunto I give thee my troth And after this the Minister shal read that part of Scripture as is written Eph. 5. beginning at the 22. Verse and read to the end of the chapter And thus I praise God I have shewed you in brief what wil be sufficient for marriage which is agreeable to Gods Word and wil now for the burial of the dead I think it fit that the dead bodie be caried into the Church and there may be Divine Service or Preaching for the edifying of the people and then lay the dead body into the grave and the Priest and people may sing to the praise and glory of God the 113. Psalme for there is no cause of mourning for those that die in the faith of Christ therefore I say again I thinke it fit when the dead body is laid in the grave for the Priest and people to sing a Psalme And thus I have shewed you in briefe what wil be sufficient for the burial of the dead Now for Church-govemment I think it fit for to have a Justice of Peace in every Parish of note for to bear the sword of justice for to punish the evil doers and for the upholding of the just and good Againe I thinke it fit for to have Church-Wardens and Side-men in every Parish as already is for to keep the Houses of God in repair and for gathering of money for the poore that the hungry may be fed and the naked may be cloathed that so the members of Christ may rejoyce in glory together Now some with say this Church-government hath beene held here in England a long time My answer is in some respects it is very good but by the help of God I shal prove in brief that in some respects as it is held forth it is abominable in the sight of God for the Magistrates and Church-wardens they will suffer none to declare their mind to the people in the Churches but those which have beene brought up in the Universities and in so doing they deny God of his divine power for God breaths his Spirit where it pleaseth him Againe I say if God give a man a great and perfect gift concerning the art of preaching the Clergy and Magistrates will not suffer him to exercise his gift unto the people which God doth allow and command by the divine power of his Word as I shall prove in briefe My first proofe is in 1 Pet 2.9 Ye are a royall Priesthood an holy nation that you should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Now I pray how shall the Saints and servants of Christ set forth those praises and honour and glory which doth belong to Christ and his glorious Church but by the manifestation of his Word which is revealed in his Gospell Againe the Apostle S Paul saith expresly 1 Cor. 14. When the Church are come together let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge for ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learne and all may be comforted This saying of S. Paul doth plainly prove and signifie that God hath appointed that every man should have free liberty for to exercise his gift in the Church in an orderly and decent way for he saith All may prophesie one by one and for to prophesie is to open and unfold the mysteries of God to the true meaning and signification Againe I plainly understand that prophecying and preaching they are both as one in signification for prophecying is to unfold the mysteries of God to the praise and glory of his grace and to the confounding of false power and false doctrine which proceedeth from the devill and preaching is for the very same purpose I say that which doth proceed from God Now the Apostle maintaines his argument with a commanding power for to prove that God doth allow that every man should have free liberty to declare his mind in a decent way for he saith expresly in the 37. Verse of the same Chapter if any man think himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord. Thus I praise God I have proved by plaine and cleer signification of Scripture that God doth allow and command by the divine power of his Word that his Saints and servants should have free liberty for to declare their mind in the Church in an orderly and decent way but the Clergy and Magistrates and Church-wardens they will not suffer those things to be done in the Church which God hath commanded by the divine power of his Word I pray God give the Clergy and Magistrates and Church-wardens all grace to forsake that wicked practise and that henceforth they will suffer those things to be done in the Churches as God hath commanded which if they shall wilfully refuse to do they will be sure to have their portion in hell for ever Thus I praise God I have shewed you in briefe how Church-government may be held to the praise and glory of God Againe I have shewed you how Church-government in some râ—spects is held forth which is abominable and hatefull in the sight of God Againe I acknowledge the Lords Prayer and other golâ—ly prayers and Davids Psalmes shall abide in the Church of Christ for ever for the Psalmes those that are in prose to be read for Divine service and those that are in meeter for the people to sing to the praise and glory of God but for the old Law and Testament that is quite abolished by Christ Now if there be any Protestant Papist Anabaptist or Brownist that can be able to shew and set forth Christ and his glorious Church with those holy Ordinances that doth belong unto it in a plainer and cleerer and briefer way then I by Gods help have done I shall rejoyce to see that manâ— and I will be of his Religion if it shall appeare so to be by the plaine and cleare truth of the word of God and by the judgement of the high Court of Parliament which I hope are gathered together for the triall of the spirits FINIS
the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve but before faith came that is before Christ came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed which faith was revealed by Christ and the twelve Apostles For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ and then after this Scripture is read I think it fit for the Minister to reade the Lords Prayer and then the Minister shall baptise the child naming it by the name as the Father of the child or some other in his stead shall give it and shal sprinckle water on the face of the child saying I baptise thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost for a seale and pledge that for ever hereafter thou shalt not be ashamed to fight under the banner of the suffering of the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ but to continue his faithfull souldier even to thy lives end So when the child is baptised with water I think it fit for the Minister to declare these words saying Christ so loved his Church and gave himselfe for it that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5. that is Christ wil have his Church which are baptized to his glorious body to bee so chast unto himselfe and to his glorious Gospel that it should be free from false doctrines and false worship which proceedeth from the devil I doe not say that we shal be free from failings and infirmities here in this world for a child as soone as it is baptised it is joyned to the gloious body of Christ but then God wil have them as they grow in ripenesse of yeares that they should be fed with the sincere milke of the word in the doctrine of the New Testament that they may grow thereby in heavenly wisdome from grace to grace and strength to strength until wee all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4. that ye be no more children in understanding tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine and slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in waite to deceive but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ for God our glorious Father gave us his Son Christ to be head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all unto whom be all praise honour power and glory both now and evermore world without end Amen Thus I praise God I have shewed you in briefe a true forme for the baptizing of children which will be to the praise and glory of god and to the edifying of the hearers but for God-fathers and God-mothers and the Crosse on the forehead be laid aside Now by the help of God I will shew you concerning the Sacrament of bread and wine it is written 1 Cor. 11.28 But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drink of that cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe And why doth he so the answer is because he doth not discerne the Lords body Now I understand as Circumcision and those Ordinances that are written Heb. 9. did belong to the Old Law and Testament which Christ hath abolished by his suffering now on the other side baptisme and the bread and wine they are the holy Ordinances which doth belong to the mysticall body of Christ and to the second covenant of grace for Christ saith plainly Luke 22.20 This Cup is my blood in the New Testament which is shed for you therefore I say againe the Sacrament of bread and wine doth belong to the body of Christ and to the New Testament the Apostle saith He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe because he doth not discerne the Lords body Wherefore I pray God give the Bishops and the Clergy all grace for to forsake the old Law and Testament which Christ hath redeemed us from and that they may be reconciled to Christ and to the second Covenant which if they shall wifully refuse to doe they will be sure to eate and drinke their owne damnation Againe if any man or woman have committed the sin of theft or adultery or any other hainous sin I pray God give all such grace to forsake it by turning to Christ by true repentance and then let them eat of that bread and drink of that cup to their everlasting joy and comfort for Christ is the fountain of mercy and love which doth not desire that any should perish but rather that all should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved for the office of a Preacher is this First he must shew the people how they must be ingrafted into the true vine Christ by the divine power of his Word and then the people may grow in grace after they be ingrafted into the true vine for as grace and vertue doe grow by degrees by the divine power of the Word of Christ that will be a means to cause sin and wickednesse to die and vanish out of the people Again I think it fit that the Minister read the first chapter to the Ephesians and the Lords Prayer before he deliver the bread and Wine and then the Minister shal deliver the bread the people receiving it upon their knees saying take and eat this in remembrance that Christs body was crucified on the crosse for to redeem your soul from the bondage of hel and death and honour and glorifie his blessed name for ever and then the wine saying take and drink this in remembrance that Christs bloud was shed on the crosse to redeem your soul from the bondage of death and hell and honour and glorifie his blessed name for ever and when the people have received the bread and wine I think it fit for the people to sing a Psalme to the glory of God and after that these words The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the most sweet and comfortable fellowship of God the Holy Ghost blesse keep and defend you from this time forth and evermore Amen Thus I praise God I have proved that no people have any due or right to the holy Sacrament of bread and wine but such as wil be reconciled to Christ and to the second covenant of grace Now I wil shew you in briefe for the marriage for I think it fit that the man and woman take one another