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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86928	An ansvver to Mr. Tombes his scepticall examination of infants-baptisme: wherein baptisme is declared to ingraft us into Christ, before any preparation: and the covenant of the gospel to Abraham and the gentiles is proved to be the same, extended to the gentiles children, as well as to Abrahams: together with the reason, why baptize children, is not so plainly set down in the gospel, as circumcise children, in the law, and yet the gospel more plain then the law. / By William Hussey, minister of Chislehurst in Kent.	Hussey, William, minister of Chiselhurst.	1646 (1646)	Wing H3815; Thomason E343_3; ESTC R200939	83,416	79

is estimated by God limited and extended according to the good pleasure of God Isai 48.17 I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Paul plants Apollo watereth it is God that giveth the successe and if it should stand in that sense as a preparation to baptisme in the commission it must contain a manifest falshood or prove undeniably universall grace if they shall teach with profit all nations and baptize them or at least an universall nationall acceptation of the Gospell teaching with profit can admit of no milder sense then that and if every person must be taught with profit before he be baptized then none ought to be baptized but the elect of God and it were a sin for any Minister to baptize any other but such as received profit by the word the word worketh to the hurt of the reprobate whatsoever shew of profit it may seem to have 3. Reason That doctrine that taketh away the distinction of the two Sacraments that is a false doctrine but Anabaptisme doth take away the distinction of the two Sacraments ergo the doctrine of the Anabaptists is a false doctrine That doctrine that requireth preparation to both Sacraments taketh away the difference of the Sacraments but Anabaptists require preparation to both Sacraments therefore Anabaptists take away the difference of the Sacraments The difference doth consist in this that the Sacrament of baptisme is preparative to the Lords Supper sacramentally giving that to us which we stand in need of to make us fit for the Lords Supper I say sacramentally not that God cannot or doth not take his owne time of calling sometime before we are partaker of either Sacrament sometimes after we have both Sacraments yea and after we have sinfully prophaned the Lords Supper but Sacraments have their proper use and signification and are as all other duties lyable to abuse Wee must behave our selves as men under the meanes we have our duties charged upon us of God whereof some are officiall some personall belonging to every mans person about the performance of all which we may sinne either by omission or misuse but all the good that we receive by word or sacraments is of God what we doe by way of office that lyeth charged on us by the rule that we receive from God which is to baptize all Nations and teach them the successe is of God and the account of faith must be given to God we can take some account of some workes to wit those that are externall but of faith and of such workes as are imminent the thoughts of the heart we can say nothing to them Now the communion that is between Christ and us is set downe in Scripture by Christs being or dwelling in us and we in him we must first be in Christ before he can be in us we were in Christ by election before the foundation of the world and therefore may bee received into Christ before we can have faith nay we are said to be baptized into Christ Rom. 6.3 so many of you are baptized into Christ Jesus and the grace of baptisme is said to be wrought by the Spirit by the Spirit ye are baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 and Gal. 3.27 As many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ Christ is never said to be conveyed into us by baptisme but by faith Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith what is instrumentally ours by faith is sacramentally ours by the Lords supper he therefore that eateh Christ in the Lords supper Christ is in him Iohn 6.56 Hee that eateth my flesh dwelleth in me and I in him but Christ is never laid to be in us by baptisme but we are baptised into Christ he is not baptized into us but he is communicated into us in the Lords supper for which faith is required as a preparation and the habitation of Christ in us is ascribed to faith as a meanes as before that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith but our birth in Christ or regeneraion is not at all ascribed to faith but to the Spirit and water John 3.5 Except a man be born by water and the Spirit and to the Word 1 Cor. 4.15 I have begotten you through the Word but never are we said either to be born or begotten by faith the acts of faith are growth life and fruits of sanctification Joh. 6.35 Those that believe and come to Christ are said to eat and drink Christ For he that cometh unto Christ is promised he shall never hunger and he that believeth in him shall never thirst And this vertue is ascribed to the body and blood of Christ from whence Divines do justly gather that he that believeth doth eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ but no intimation in Scripture from whence any man can collect that he that believeth is baptized unlesse it be à posteriori For he that doth believe must first be baptized by the Spirit before he can believe and thus are the graces offered in the sacraments kept distinct which otherwise would be the same that the grace of baptisme is initiall that of the Lords supper is perfective which may further be manisted thus our calling hath two parts the proffer of grace and the acceptance of grace proffered The first is by the Word the Spirit and Baptisme the other is by the Word Spirit Faith and the Lords supper I have here added faith because the Scripture doth so making faith an instrument by which we receive Christ but Christ must be proffered to us by his Spirit and Word before we can receive him which is expressed in the word calling as distinct from justification and goeth before justification in which we have the first act of faith Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinateth them he also called whom he called them he also justified we are not called by faith but we are justified by faith Rom. 2.28 and 5.1 Baptisme is the seal and sacrament of Gods work in us which had need to be most cleerly manifested and confirmed unto us as having most of God and least of us that we might submit to it wherunto we are most averse therefore what hath most of us in it that pleaseth us best as works better then faith and faith as we look on it in our selves as a qualification is more delightfull to us then as it is in its own nature working humiliation teaching us to deny our selves and rest on God men do use to magnifie faith but too many under a false apprehension even of secrecie and liberty before 〈◊〉 faith is not a boasting quality nor to be pleaded before men but God and this 〈◊〉 cap. 2. doth handle at large shewing that men are very inclinable to 〈◊〉 ●●o●st of faith before men and rely on works before God and herein the deceitfulnesse of our hearts is very great when we conceive we deal with an 〈◊〉 power then we finde the things of faith apprehended

Text nor signifie what is there said Amendment of life hath not relation to baptisme but to that sin they stood guilty of and that they were convict that they had crucified the Lord of glory the immediate argument that he useth to perswade them to baptisme is that the promise belongeth to them it is no argument at all why they should be baptized because the promise belonged to their children nor because the promise belonged to them that are afarre off but because it belonged to them that only was ground why the Apostle should perswade to be baptized what is further added is to note the amplitude of the promise to raise up their faith to lay hold on the promise of so bountifull a God that extendeth his promises so largely not to them only but to their children nor stayeth his bounty there but reacheth it out also to them that are not called to wit such of them as he shall call you and your children sensu determinate them them that are afarre off sensu indeterminate but if all had been limited by as many as the Lord shall call S. Peter had drawn an universall conclusion out of particular premises For if that part of the verse alledged out of which the Apostle doth inferre this conclusion or inference be limited then the proposition is particular as thus If the sense of the words be the promise belongeth to as many of you as the Lord shall call then it is no more but the promise belongeth to some of you a few of you therefore be baptized every one had been a very irrationall argument nay if you restrain promise to its strict sense for promise with effect to the effectually called then it can belong to a very few of them therefore every one of you be baptized were very strange The promise therefore must be understood in such a sense as it was when applied to Abrahams seed according to the flesh as the faith of God in his promise is not of none effect though some do not believe the promise must be understood by us as left for all though all attain not to it and this not in reference to universall grace but universall dispensation of means by us men and herein God did go before us by his owne direction in the infancy of his Church leaving us to walk by the same rule when we have a more ample dispensation of the means of grace committed to us God did command all Abrahams seed to be circumcised and all circumcised to eat the Passeover though they were taught alwayes they should not possesse the land of Canaan unlesse they obeyed the voice of the Lord Deut. 28. and 29. Chapters and all along Moses and the Prophets preach the blessing to the beleever and though under the forme of works not the covenant of works it was faith that God looked as in Heb. 11. all the workes of the Patriachs are ascribed to faith and Abrahams obedience is commended by his faith and he and they justified by faith and not by workes faith grounded on the same truth of God and the same Christ God useth the same liberty of his will Rom. 9.15 in the dispensation of his grace 13. An instance out of the old Testament in Esau and Jacob will serve as well as in Peter and Judas the grace of God did no more nor lesse depend on Sacraments then now God did not account any man circumcised but a beleever no more doth he now baptized Moses and the Prophets did teach faith and obedience so do the Apostles and that notwithstanding the promise yet the unbeleever and murmurer shall not enter into the land of Canaan thus went the doctrine thus the estimation of God in all ages the dispensation of Word and Sacraments to the Iewes and them that were afarre off as many as the Lord shall call under the Law but now to all Nations all are now called God doth command all men every where to repent in the sence of these words all the world have an outward calling St. Peter doth argue with the Jewes to perswade them to Baptisme à notioribus they knew right well the bounds and extent of the promise it was no new thing to them that the Gentiles called should be accounted among these to whom the promise did belong nor that baptisme did legally wash away sinne nor that sinners must repent but that the promise should be sealed by baptisme that only was new as for that Peter did teach repentance with baptisme both together as saith Mr. Tombs that is not the question repentance and faith ought to be taught at all times as being such things as God doth only look on most seasonably at all times to all men Luke 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish but out of this place it doth no way follow that repentance must goe before or is required as a preparation to baptisme verse 38. is an answer to this question what shall we doe we that have crucified the Lord of glory if to this generall question what shall we doe Peter had failed to instruct them to repent he had been wanting to his duty but presently to argue from the promise to move them to baptisme and baptise them presently will scarce stand with any Anabaptisticall discipline you would hardly have any great company of Catechumen's if you follow the example of the Apostle which you so much stand upon nay the keeping men of years many yeares under the discipline of Catechumen's directly contrary to the Apostles example But of preparation to baptisme we shall have further occasion to consider in other arguments Mr. Tombes telleth us that the promise doth not belong to all Infants of beleevers which is the minor universally taken he hath formerly told us of women and believers before Abraham I have formerly given satisfaction to those exceptions but the promise is to be understood three wayes as before may appear Either first in estimation of God or secondly in dispensation of the inward grace of the Sacraments and effectuall operation of the means or thirdly in the outward dispensation of the means of grace The two former are distributed according to the election of grace to the believer only but the last under the Law to Abraham and his seed and in Abrahams seed which is Christ to all the families of the earth But now in a more explicit and plain way to all the nations of the earth and that not only in p●tentia but by particular dispensation and providence unto many nations in actu exercito actually many nations have the Word and Sacraments and God grant more may have But it seemeth he granteth the promise doth belong to some of the Infants of believers but which they are he cannot tell and therefore will baptize none The way of God was to Abraham that because he could not distinguish he should circumcise all God commandeth baptisme to be administred to all nations it will not serve our

2 Colos 11.12 The argument he raiseth thus To whom circumcision doth agree to them baptisme doth agree but to Infants circumcision doth agree ergo also baptisme The major proved If baptisme succeed in the room of circumcision then baptisme belongeth to them that circumcision belonged but the antebed●●●s true ergo the consequent The major of the Prosyllogisme is apparently false for to them that circumcision did belong to them sacramentall baptisme doth belong the contradictory is true but his meaning is that men of such condition in respect of Infants and he denieth and cutteth and divideth the major of the conditionall Syllogisme into such parts that he may find out something that he may deny that it doth succeed baptisme he cannot deny nor readily sinde out a reason why a man of yeers under the Gospel should not be able to bear as much as an Infant under the Law I speak this in reference to the dispensation under the Law of the promises the condition of the Church is called infancy the heir under age now how should● childe of eight dayes old when the whole Church is under age be able to receive circumcision and now the Church is at age our Infants not able to receive baptisme He telleth us that the argument supposeth baptisme to succeed circumcision it doth not suppose it but proveth it out of Colos 2.11.12 but he prepareth for a deniall so to succed that those persons to be baptized that by Gods appointment were to be circumcised it should be persons of such quality but because he taketh no advantage of that difference let him alone with his own expressions In this sense it is false saith he females were not circumcised nor believers out of Abrahams family as for believers out of Abrahams family if he understand it of such believers out of Abrahams family as lived before Abrahams time or before the Law of circumcision such a plea to prove all believers under the Law were not circumcised were vain for to prove exemption from a positive Law by some persons that lived before the Law was made were exempt but for persons that were out of Abrahams family the promise was made to all families in Abraham and they might be circumcised though neither bought with money nor born in Abrahams family but desirous to eat the Passeover only and so believers they and all their males must be circumcised but for the females circumcision was given in terms that did exempt females baptisme to all nations not males only as circumcision was but females also Besides the Scripture doth tell us that the Apostles did understand all nations male and female and accordingly did baptize Acts 8.12 Now because God hath called in females because they are capable of the signe of baptisme which in circumcision they were not may you without warrant thrust out Infants or doth it any way follow because some persons of some quality are added therefore those that were before capable are now uncapable if God had declared infants uncapable as he hath women capable we must have been satisfied baptisme may succeed circumcision though with such difference as God is pleased to make but because God maketh one difference in reference to the persons man may not take liberty to make another As for Job Lot and Melchisedeck or whom soever else you can name we know if they lived after the Law of circumcision was made they might come and be circumcised the extent of the promise made to Abraham did reach to them and what those persons you name did you cannot tell if they had any particular exemption that is nothing to the question we know none had priviledge to the ordinance but circumcised and in plain terms both in the old and new Testament nouncircumcised person shall eat thereof Exod. 12.48 and Rom. 3.1 2. this is reckoned the profit of circumcision that they had the Oracles of God here is every circumcised person for that it is properly assigned to circumcision as the profit of circumcision there it is no uncircumcised person yet Mr Tombes will tell us all persons in covenant were not circumcised this is the reverence that is given to the Scripture when it crosseth their opinion though they would make the world believe that they were the only men that did respect the Scriptures he should have made his personall difference by believers and not believers by Infants and men of yeers and not by male and female in or out of Abrahams house Two sorts of succession which he denieth of baptisme to circumcision is of time because baptisme began before circumcision ended What if circumcision did overlap a little and baptisme did begin a while before circumcision ended the same Gospel Christ in his person and by his Spirit in his Apostles did put down one and set up another that is all I say to that and surely it is so frivolous I needed not to have said so much In respect of signification here Mr. Tombes is put to his shifts in some signifcations he confesseth but not in others First I will consider the significations he alloweth and observe that wherein they agree cannot hinder their succession they both signifie the righteousnesse of faith saith Mr. Tombes but he must mean it doth sacramentally confirm or seal not demonstratively signifie but how soever he doth agree that baptisme and circumcision have the same respect to the righteousnesse of faith and yet the hinge of all Mr. Tombes his work is on this that Abrahams seed were circumcised whether they believed or no none must be baptized but actuall believers and yet circumcision and baptisme have the same respect to faith Me thinks the bare acknowledgement of this is enough to dash all that any Anabaptist can say the controversie is at an end if there be no difference in respect of faith why should faith be required more to the baptized then the circumcised certainly I would have found out some difference or found some other reason why Infants should not be baptized then want of faith or I would never have opened my mouth in such a case I would never have confessed them both seals of the righteousnesse of faith and yet the whole weight of the busmesse depend on this that one might be given in infancy to them that have not actuall faith the other may not be given in infancy for no other reason but because they want faith What is the reason why circumcision the seal may be given where there is no faith but baptisme the seal of faith may not and that for no other reason but because faith is wanting What may a man make a difference of a common accident or make a genericall form a specificall difference or a specificall form a numericall difference this is all one as if a man should say that a Bear were not a man because he can see or not a Lion because he can hear and yet after confesse that both men and Bears and Lions can both heare

were vainly reported and taken up to countenance severall errors as delivered from the Apostles if some have disclaimed the proof of Scripture for childrens baptisme and held it notwithstanding lawfull from weaker grounds that doth not any way weaken the authority of Scripture and strength of reason taken from thence If any one hath proved baptisme lawfull from Apostolicall tradition that doth not hinder me or any other from proving it lawfull by Scripture neither doth the mixing it with errors in the same person make the baptisme of Infants erroneous if so all truths would quickly be turned into errors seeing few men have been without their slips which yet have not only held but defended and propagated with admiration many pretious truths Mr. Tombes would be loth if his Anabaptisme be convicted erroneous that all that he hath or shall hereafter speak should be therefore reputed erroneous by the same reason all the truths that were taught among Papists are eo nomine erroneous because they taught them and so not only the doctrine of the Trinity but the incarnation of Christ th●● 〈◊〉 of the dead were therefore erroneous because those that held 〈…〉 held likewise many other heresies and so his tenth argument 〈…〉 ●●●wered His 6 7 8 and 9. 〈…〉 neer alike and all to little purpose that I had thought wholly to 〈…〉 them but that men would have given some other construction then 〈…〉 were weak and therefore omitted I shall therefore say something of 〈◊〉 le●t men willing to be deceived should place strength where indeed there is none He telleth us in his sixth argument that Infants baptisme hath caused many inventions to support it and hath occasioned defect in Church policy but proveth none of that which he saith he only affirmeth that Infants-baptisime was supported by sureties and Episcopall confirmation and that it brought in Church-covenant as a preparation to the Lords Supper for abuses that may creep in with any duty they do not take away the goodnesse or lawfulnesse of the duty it self His seventh argument accuseth baptisme of Infants with four errors First that baptisme conferreth grace by the work done The second is regeneration The third Infants dying are saved by the faith done The fourth regenerate persons may fall from grace To these two arguments I plainly say that none of all these things are occasioned by Infants baptisme or if so men may not doubt of the goodnesse of all such things as wicked men may or will take occasion to be offended at for then Christ and the Gospel should be principally questioned the great stumbling stone and rock of offence so that occasion of offence is an argument rather of goodnesse then of fault Satan being most ready to entice us to corrupt our best actions What doth baptizing Infants imply the conferring of grace by the work done nay we say of Baptisme as Saint Paul of circumcision that is not baptisme that is outward in the ceremony but that which is of the heart but the praise of that is not of man but of God we cannot praise men for baptisme of the heart God baptizeth seeth judgeth the heart we baptise the body but leave the residue to God only in steed of Christ we teach those children that by their parents are brought to be enrolled the disciples of Christ the things that Christ hath commmanded us and tell the baptized when they come to be catechised that they must have the effect of their baptisme by faith in Christ and not by the work done What Mr. Tombes are all Pedobaptists Papists these are strange calumnies and why must Infants baptisme necessarily imply that the regenerate may fall away from grace can none of your baptized persons that are baptized being of full yeers fall away from the effect and benefit of their baptisme if that be not an heresie that such men as are judged believers by your Ministers and so adjudged fit for baptisme and baptized cannot ever after fall away from grace I know not what is I hope Religion and knowledge of God is not brought to that outward formality that all should consist in your humane judicature it seems Mr. Tombes when he baptizeth any he will promise the parties he baptizeth that they shall never fall from grace I have heard many ignorant people use this argument but that Mr. Tombes a man cried up for learning should use such an argument is admirable and strange to me and certainly by this Mr. Tombes doth plainly confute himself guilty of that opinion that baptisme doth conferre grace by the work done For he inferreth that if children may be baptized in Infancy then men may fall away from grace because many not withstanding their baptisme become wicked afterward doth not this imply that if they were baptized they were gracious if baptisme do not conferre grace by the work done how can it be inferred that such men as after baptisme turn wicked do fall away from grace Saint Paul speaking of false teachers 1 Joh. 2.19 saith of them they went from us because they were not of us not that they fell away from grace but they deserted the profession because they were not gracious but saith Mr. Tombes if baptisme be administred to Infants and they walk not according to their profession they fall from grace no such matter unlesse Mr. Tombes will say baptisme cannot be administred but to the gracious they fall from baptisme and so will many that Mr. Tombes or any the most discerning of them all notwithstanding all the caution that can be taken or else it were a most happy case to come under their hands which cannot be imagined unlesse it flow from the oper●tion of the work done some of them that passe their examination will undoubtedly be unfaithull or at least may be such for ought they can do to prevent it so that if they do deceive them and obtain baptisme then baptisme must conferre the grace or they may remain ungracious still and so notwithstanding their baptisme they cannot be said to fall away from grace which they never had though they should renounce their baptisme muchlesse by not walking answerable to the profession into which they are baptized or not behaving themselves as Disciples ought to do The eighth Argument is taken from this That baptisme of Infants hath caused many faults and abuses in discipline worship and conversation this is likewise only said nothing proved in it he reckoneth ten of these First private baptisme Secondly baptisme by women Thirdly of unborn Infants Fourthly Baptizing Infants of uncertain progeny Fifthly they that are baptized in the the name of the Lord know not the Lord Sixthly it hath brought in the admission of ignorant and prophane persons into the Church and unto the Lords Supper for who can deny rightly the right of the Church to the baptized Seventhly it p●rverteth the order of discipline that first a man be baptized and after among the catechised Eighthly the sacrament of baptisme is turned into

said Be baptized and wash away thy sinne but wash thy sinne first and then be baptized Act. 15.9 St. Peter sheweth that faith doth purifie the heart Now it is true faith doth receive the Word and Sacraments and maketh one and the other effectuall but both Word and Sacrament doe propose Christ the Word to the eare Sacrament to other senses Baptisme doth represent the bloud of Christ washing and sense doth looke on the washing of water and faith on the promise annexed Now as the word is proposed to the eare so water is tendred and the body washed with water whence faith doth collect the purgation of the soul from the testimony of God water is no more the immediate object of faith then the word it is the authority of God in the word that is the object of faith as likewise the bloud of Christ in baptisme they that beleeve and they that beleeve not heare the word and it is no prophanation of the word to preach it to an Infidell neither is it any prophanation of baptisme to baptize an Infidell yet it is hard to make him heare patiently that in no measure doth beleeve unlesse miracles or in defect of them some assistance of the Civill Magistrate doe concurre so that baptisme is but an offering of the purgation by the bloud of Christ to the eye and the body as the word doth to the eare and may be tendered as the word to all Nations the power of the one and the other is by faith in Christ conveyed unto us in the sacrament of baptisme or the word baptisme cannot worke as baptisme till after administration whatsoever is said of it before is but the operation of the word the washing of water doth sacramentally strengthen our faith no duty of preparation charged on any no man ever reprehended for receiving baptisme unworthily though the Minister hath baptisme charged on him as part of his duty yet never any caution given to Ministers in generall or to Titus or Timothy to take heed that they baptize no unworthy persons nor any sinne or punishment charged on any Minister for baptizing any rashly or without due examination no precept concerning any difference but baptize and teach all Nations to the end that they may become the Disciples of Christ Now where no Law is there is no transgression where God doth not charge sinne how dare any mortall man say this or that is sinfull if any preparation be required let the Scripture bee shewed where that was taught where baptisme was deferred till any competent preparation were manifest what Scripture is directed to the catechumeni nay what one sentence of Scripture is applicable to them that is not applicable to Christians at all times as well after as before baptisme Baptisme is a religious rite which men are easily perswaded out of principles of nature to embrace as may be seen in all Idolatrous worships they have their religious rites which they are perswaded come from the appointment of their gods upon which ground they receive them Now that God did appoint baptisme is no abuse and so we must tender it to Nations by the appointment of Christ which though they receive but as an Infidell doth the word yet when faith commeth they make use of it Therefore the Apostles argue to move newnesse of life from baptisme already received So Romans 6.3.4 5. St. Paul argueth what use wee should make of our baptisme namely that wee should rise with Christ but though the most noble way of arguing be from causes and therefore in the Sacrament of the Lords supper where the worthy receiving of that doth depend on an antecedent cause there faith is said to obtaine the whole vertue of the worke Joh. 6.35 I am the bread he that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst v. 47. He that beleeveth hath everlasting life 51. Hee that eateth of this bread shall live for ever Whereby he plainly saith That he that beleeveth eateth my flesh this bread which is my flesh sacramentally and made such to me by faith Never any such doctrine as this he that beleeveth is baptized because no doctrine is extant precedent to baptisme in reference to the Gentiles See all the Epistles to the Rom. Corinthians and the residue all are written to Churches already baptized Paul declared the whole counsell of God and yet not one word what should be the carriage of the Catechumeni or the Ministers towards them as if he should suppose none under the right of the Gospell that will not first bee baptized and received by the commandement of Christ so he that will teach any thing in St. Pauls Epistles they must teach them to the baptized to whom they are directed as for the Catechumeni nothing is written or directed either to them or concerning them As for those histories of the Acts the greater part were Jews in Covenant with God already unto whom Peter did indeed preach repentance in reference to that bloud that they were guilty of in killing the Lord of glory not as preparation to baptisme but repentance and baptisme are both exhorted unto as precedent to the gift of the Holy Ghost whereas if such preparation had been needfull to baptisme Peter should have stayed for the gift of the Holy Ghost to manifest their fitnesse or at least given them some directions by which they might manifest their fitnesse or shew their repentance and faith which he never did St. Luke doth indeed say They that gladly received the word were baptized but that they manifested it any way but by receiving baptisme gladly doth not appeare and this was ground enough for an Historian to say they gladly received the word wherein they were exhorted to be baptized when they were gladly baptized As for that story of Cornelius that was indeed a pure Gentile Though Peter had commission enough to have gone to him by the command of Christ Mat. 28.19 and to have baptized him and taught him the commands of Christ yet it is plaine Peter did not understand the Commission therefore God for Peters owne satisfaction and the satisfaction of them of the circumcision was pleased in all that story to goe before Peter in a miraculous way Peter was so farre from baptizing of Cornelius that he was hardly perswaded to goe to him or preach to him but as God did go before him by miracles which when they of the circumcision saw the text saith they were astonished And of this very story St. Peter Act. 15. and other places maketh use of to satisfie the Jewes touching the calling of the Gentiles but this was the mercy of God during the infancie of the Church to use such extraordinary meanes for the drawing off the Jewes from that ceremoniall distinction that God himselfe had put between Jewes and Gentiles but in the orderly administration God sent the Holy Ghost though by extraordinary manifestations yet in a seasonable time when first he had

most weakly of any thing we can please our selves better in the opinion of our works then of faith but when we come to deal with man we are sure we treat of colours before blind men there we can boldly talk we may speak as freely as travellers we cannot be disproved whereby it cometh to passe often times that heart that is least upright is most bold faith is indeed in time of need very heroick in her exploits in that she acteth by the power of God but ascribeth little of her best actions to her self she is alwayes conversant with God and therefore cannot but be conscious of much weaknesse and infirmity faith is so always loaden with difficulties that she hath very little to say of her self there must be great preparation on Gods part before there can be any sense or feeling in man of the things of faith there must be the mighty operation of the Word and Spirit and God is pleased to adde baptism too for faith to work upon these things are of mighty operation and so they had need considering the sloth of heart that is in us to believe it is well if after the Word and sacrament of baptisme faith do come God layeth it as a ground and foundation for faith to work upon and accordingly all the arguments of Scripture are to raise us to walk worthy of amendment of life and to rise with Christ Rom. 6. as if it should be said God hath offered you grace in baptisme therefore accept of it ye are born anew in baptisme let it appear in your conversation Argum. 4. That which maketh the admission into the Church meerly arbitrary that is a false doctrine but the doctrine of Anabaptists maketh admission into the Church meerly arbitrary Ergo the major is plain for that nothing is more directly contrary to the service of God then will-worship but denying any that are tendred according to the mind of Christ in the Word and requiring such disposition in the party to be baptized as the Minister pleaseth without any rule from Gods Word is to make the publike service of God or at least a great part of it wholly arbytrary and this doth appear to flow from their doctrine not yet any man durst affirm what was the measure of faith to be required how much he must believe that must be baptized by means whereof the whole matter dependeth on the will of the Baptizer a thing most contrary to the nature of Religion it cannot be imagined that the Holy Ghost would have been so silent in giving rules for the Ministers to walk by in the triall of the faith of the person to be baptized if any such charge had lain upon his office He must baptize believers only saith Mr. Tombes and the Anabaptists but no Scripture directeth what or how much he must believe must it be as much as the Minister shall think fit then some Ministers will baptize with very small triall others will be very hardly satisfied some will baptize as soon as the childe can be taught to say he believeth in Christ others not till ten or twelve others twenty yeers of age wherein no man can either satisfie his own conscience or any reasonable man for that he walketh without rules neither doth this difficulty from this doctrine come from accidental misconstructions or phansies but inevitable necessity from the doctrine it self that the Minister must baptize none but believers yet cannot tell how much or what he must believe before he be fit for baptisme unlesse he walk by rules of mans making without any intimation from Scripture 5. That doctrine that giveth man that power which is divine that doctrine is blasphemous and false but the doctrine of the Anabaptists giveth man that power which is divine therefore the doctrine of Anabaptists is blasphemous and false That doctrine that giveth man power to judge of faith in another that doctrine giveth man that power that is divine but the Anabaptist giveth men power to judge of faith in another therefore the Anabaptist that power that is divine Faith is in the heart with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to salvation Rom. 10.10 He therefore that judgeth of faith must judge the heart which is proper to God I the Lord try the heart Jer. 17.10 Neither will it serve his turne to say that he judgeth by rules of charity if this charge lay upon his office to judge charitably it is one thing another to judge ex officio for the judgement of charity can never pronounce the person so judged to be such as he is judged by charity to be judgements of charity are not alwaies true if it be possible we have warrant enough to judge it so by charity if children may possibly be such as the Kingdome of heaven doe belong too wee may in charity judge them such but if we are tyed by our office to baptize none but beleevers it will not serve turne to say we judge them such by charity to prove that we must baptize none but such as are beleevers seeing we may by charity judge many beleevers which yet are not beleevers againe judgement of faith is denied to belong to the Apostles themselves not that we have dominion of your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 If God had appointed Ministers to have judged of mens faith before they had baptized them he would have given them some rules by which they should have been able to walke which he hath not done he hath annexed baptisme to the Ministers calling to let men know that the grace of baptisme commeth immediatly from Christ therefore he sent the seale of it by that calling that came immediately from him but hath promised those officers of his no speciall qualifications whereby they shall have abilities to discern the faith of men more then other men have the judgement of charity is not a Ministeriall qualification that belongeth to every man and is no Ministeriall qualification 6. That doctrine that denieth the interpretation of the promise made to Abraham which S. Paul maketh that is a false doctrine but the doctrine of Anabaptists denieth the interpretation of the promise made to Abraham wch St. Paul maketh therfore the doctrine of the Anabaptists is false Those that deny the blessing of Abraham and in him of all the Nations of the earth to be the Gospel preached to Abraham in reference to the Gentiles after their call deny the interpretation that S. Paul maketh of the promise made to Abraham but the Anabaptists deny the blessing of Abraham and in him of all the Nations of the earth to be the Gospell preached to Abraham in reference to the Gentiles after their call therefore the Anabaptists deny the interpretation made to Abraham which S. Paul maketh the words of S. Paul are plain Gal. 3.8 the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be