refuse the most sordid and shameful ways to promote it They will fall in with slanderous Papists and take up what they say to defend their Opinions Witness my Antagonist and his Predesessour and Tutor Mr. Tombes who was checkt by Mr. Baxter for his evil carriage in this very thing he boldly justifies himself and tells us in his Precursor pag. 29. That Petrus Cluniacensis was though a zealous Papist yet thought fit by Illyricus to be reckoned among Witnesses of truth in his Catalogue and if such as he and especially Bernard be not taken for Witnesses of things in their times I know not how Protestants will make up their Catalogue of Witnesses for them in all Ages I think these are dangerous words somewhat derogating from the honour of the Protestant Religion The other eminent Person which is joyned in History with Peter Bruis is Henricus These two as is said were the first and most famous Preachers of the Albigenses and Waldenses This Henricus saith the Author witnessed to this great Truth being a Friend and Collegue of P. Bruis whose Doctrines and Positions are also recorded by the Magdeburgenses under eleven Heads the first whereof was denying Baptism to Children Cent. 12. p. 843 We have observed before that Bernard is so ingenious as to acknowledg that he takes up these things by hear-say and upon report ab iis qui ad Pontificiam ecclesiam redierunt of such as were returned again to the Church of Rome and who is such an infidel as not to believe what they say Furthermore the Magdeburgs tell us that when the Henricians or Disciples of Henricus were examined Bernard himself confesseth they denyed the things that were Objected against them and that haply say the Magdeburgs because they Objected such things as they never taught Ait porrâ— in Examine eos Objecta negasse Haec ille sc Bernardus Quia forte alia â—is Objecta fuerunt quam docuerunt Magd. Cent. 12. p. 845. Mr. Tombes told his Tale about Henricus a little handsomer than the Author in his Praecursor pag. 29. And is not ashamed to say it seems utterly unlikely to him that be and his followers should be belyed and tells us what Bernard said of them in 204th Epistle the same also he hath in his Exercitation p. 31. and let us compare the Author with him and we shall see he hath the Story from him for thus he concludes this Section The Author The same Bernard in his Epistle to Heldefonsus Earl of St. Gyles saith The Henerici did deny Holy-days Sacracraments Churches and Priests complaining that the Children of Christians were excluded the life of Christ whilst they denyed them the grace of Baptism and not suffered them to partake of Salvation Mr. Tombes Exerc. p. 31. and Examen pag. 21. The same Bernard in his first Epistle to Heldefonsus Earl of St. Gyles complains of Henricus that he took away Holy-days Sacraments Churches Priests that the life of Christ is stopped to the little ones of Christians while the grace of Baptism is denyed and they not suffered to draw near to Salvation Thus far we find the Author exactly following Tombes having little else but what is transcribed out of him only he omits that ingenious passage of Mr. Tombes Praecursor pag. 30. As for the Albigenses and Waldenses it might be saith he that some might be against infant-Baptism yet others not or it may be in the beginning beld so but after left it But this Author makes as if the whole Body of the people had been against it which followes next to be examined Thirdly saith he in the Witness born not only by some particular Men but by the body of the People 3. By the People themselves suffering for the same as appeareth by decrees of Councils Decretal Epistles and Edicts given forth against them aswell as the Testimony of many Learned Writers Reply There is no convincing Proof to be fetcht from hence of their being against Infant-Baptism because they were their Enemies calumniating malicious Papists that loaded them with all manner of reproaches to render them Odious And no marvel saith Mr. Marshal such Opinions should be charged upon them Marshal's Defence p. 66. though they held them not seeing we find this particular charged upon Luther Calvin and Beza who did all in a special manner oppose this error so that saith the same Author unless some one doth out of their own Confession give better evidence Ies Vicecom Obser Eccl. Vol. Lib. 2. c. 1. p. 103. I shall believe that this Doctrine of opposing the Baptizing of the Infants of Believers is an Innovation no ancienter than the Anabaptists in Germany And whereas the Author cites two Canons of Alexander the 3d one made in the Gallican and the other in the Lateran Council against the Waldensian or Catharian Heresy the latter Anathematizing them as for other Heresies so particularly for denying Infant-Baptism and for their Contempt of all the Sacraments We are informed by Perin the French Historian that these Canons were discharged against the Waldenses as soon upon the matter as they were known by this name For saith he in the year 1160 Peter Waldo Citizen of Lyons couragiously opposed Transubstantiation with divers other corruptions crept into the Church of Rome blaming the Vice Luxury Excess and Avarice of the Pope and his Clergy and he was the more harkened to being held in great esteem for his learning piety and great charity Now the Pope considering that at Lyons there were so many persons by reason of Waldo's teaching that questioned his Soveraign Authority over the whole Church fearing what this might come to being chased out of Lyons they spread themselves in divers companies and places and from this Waldo they were called Waldenses Perin Hist Lib. 1. p. 2 3. The Monks Inquisitors and others saith the Historian being their Mortal Enemies poured out Reproaches and laid Opprobrious Imputations on them affirming they were the Authors of all Heresies in the World and that they were Confederates with the ancient Hereticks Because they made profession of Purity they called them Cathares i. e. Puritans Because they denied the Bread which the Priest shewed in the Mass to be God they called them Arrians as if they denied the Divinity of Christ and because they maintained that the Authority of Emperours and Kings depended not on the Pope Manicheans and for other causes which they fained they called them Gnosticks and Apostoliques This Protestant Historian is large in these things but I must contract among others laid to their charge he mentioneth these 3 following 1. That they held Community of Goods 2. That it was unlawful to swear at all 3. That they rejected the Baptism of Infants This Bernard and Cluniacensis charged them with as before They acquit themselves faith Perin from these Calumnies by putting forth a Book called the Spiritual Almanack Fol. 45. They assert and maintain Propriety of Estate the Lawfulness of Oaths grounded on Heb.
which hath been before more largely evinced it be not sufficiently Evident That the Baptizing of Children is of the Institution of Christ and Practice Apostolical Thus far Dr. Hammond Next the Author saith he will give us some account of the insufficiency and Weakness if not wickedness of those first Authorities that have been leaned upon to prove this Practice to be an Apostolical Tradition c. and he reduceth it to these following Dionysius the Areopagite the Decretal Institutions or Epistles of several Popes as he calleth them Justin Martyr Origen and Cyprian Concerning the two first of these we look upon them as broken Reeds and we lean not on them at all and to produce an Argument for the Apostolicalness of Paedobaptism from these is as Dr. Hammond speaks of some which he likes not to be look upon of the number of the Blind and the Lame that are of more use to betray and lose than defend and secure that Fort in which they are placed Know then Sir that we except against them as much as your self and you know you have taken all your exceptions against these Romish Forgeries from the learned Pens of Paedobaptists 'T is by the elaborate pains of the Magdeburgenses Osiander Perkins Reynolds Rivet c. that they are detected who as you observe have laid open the Bastardy both of the one and of the other From these Mr. Tombes gleans what he hath to say upon this point in his Praecursor Mr. Tombes his Praecursor where you have them collected to your hand and from whence you fetch what you present us with and here I am tempted again to draw another Paralel you do so exactly tread in his steps as first beginning as he doth with Osiander then follows Rivet afterward Perkins then the Decretal-Epistles which pass under the name of Clement Hyginus c. All which are condemned as Spurious by Mr. Perkins and he gives undeniable Arguments for it But I observe your little design to render Infant Baptism the more odious by that appellation you give Clement Hyginus with the rest of them namely Pope say you the Decretals and Institutions of several Popes in this Second Century as that of Pope Clement Pope Hyginus and is it not strange â—hat the Pope should appear so early 'T is not handsome thus to impose upon the weaker sort that are not read in Church-History As for others that are more learned they know that Hyginus the Verus or true one of that name is numbred amongst the first good Bishops that succeeded the Apostles for so we find him in Dr. Prideaux his Catologue and to be the man that set Justin Martyr at work to frame his Apology for the Christians and was no Pope in the sence it is usually taken viz. An Oeconomical Bishop challenging unto himself and usurping Authority over the whole Church Euseb Lib. 4. c. 9. He is calculated to be the 8th Bishop of Rome living in the dayes of Antoninus Pius about a hundred and fourty years after Christ and very near to the Apostles Having thus discarded the feigned Dionysius and the Personatus Hyginus as Mr. Tombes observes he is called by Ostander with the rest of the cheating Tribe laying no stress at all upon what they say as touching the Apostolicalness of Infant-Baptism we shall notwithstanding by the Author 's good leave still retain a Venerable esteem of the other three that follow For honest Men are nevertheless honest for being rankt with cheats though I confess they are the more lyable to suspicion by such as do not examine things First for Justin Martyr we shall not altogether quit our claim to him though there be so litle left of him as Mr. Baxter notes that we cannot expect that he should speak expresly to the point Justin Martyr is supposed to have lived in St. John's days Scultetus saith he flourished Anno 140. both because he is brief and treateth on other Theams to which this did not belong and because the Church then living amongst Heathens had so much to do in converting and Baptizing the Aged that they had little occasion to treat about Children especially it being a point not Controverted but taken for granted by the Christians who knew God's dealing with the Jews Church yet nevertheless saith Mr. Baxter Justin Martyr gives such hints by which his Judgment and the Practice of the Church Baxter plaint Scripture-Proof p. 155. even in those dayes may be discerned Touching what is said in Justin Martyr's Responses against which the Author levels his discourse and especially what is said in his 56th Question ad Orthodoxos the Author sayes right that many of the afore-said Learned Writers that are Paedobaptists do disown it as spurious And Mr. Baxter himself Acknowledgeth the same that though the Book be Ancient yet it was either Spurious or Interpolate True but withal gives divers passages for our turn out of other Works of his as that in his Dialogue with Tryphon Part 2. Propos 3. Nos certe qui hujus ope ad Deum accessimus non carnalem istam Circumcisionem fed Spiritualem Hanc nos per Baptisma ut pote peccatores nati a Deo miserante accepimus eam licet omnibus similiter accipere i. e. It was Lawful for all to receive the Spiritual Circumcision which he saith was done by Baptism and if all might receive it even so Infants who were the subjects of the Legal Circumcision for they must be a part of the All and not excluded Another touch we have in that Passage of Justin importing Baptism to be the only way to Remission of Sins and Salvation and he judged that Infants are forgiven and saved therefore he judged that they might be Baptized As for the places I refer the Reader to Mr. Baxter's Plain Scripture-Proof where we have them quoted pag. 155. 2. For Origen we shall with greater confidence adhere to him notwithstanding the frivolous Cavils of the Author which are reducible to these 6 Heads 1. His First is That Origen is but one single Testimony for the practice of Infant-Baptism to be Apostolical Reply This will not pass for a Truth because we have also the Testimony of Irenaeus Irenaeus lived in the 2d Century with Justin Martyr in the Age of those that saw the Apostles and therefore could not be ignorant of their Practice who lived in the Second Century with Justin even in the Age of those that saw the Apostles within the first Century after them Dr. Hammond in his Letter of Resolution Sec. 40. pag. 212. where also we have quoted that Common though Famous passage of his Extant in Lib. 2 Adv. Haeres C. 39. Omnem aetatem Sanctificans per illam quae ad ipsam erat similitudinem Omnes enim venit per semet ipsum salvare Infantes Parvulos Pueros Omnes inquam qui per eum renascuntur in Deum i. e. Christ did Sanctify every Age by his own susception of it and
Paedobaptists are as Godly as your selves Sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be Saints 2. In not doing so you deprive your selves of the benefit of their Gifts and Graces and of that help which you might have from many eminent Ministers of Christ and that assistance for Conversion of Souls and Edification which in some of your Meetings you very much want and when those that are able of your way shall be removed by death you are like to be straitned for want of Men of competent and fitting parts for the carrying on the work of the Ministry as it ought to be done amongst your selves 2. Beware of Pride for where this is predominant it will not suffer men to recede from those rigid Principles and Practices they have taken up As Pride makes men unwilling to receive the Truth from others so it will keep them from retracting an Error though convinced thereof Luther confessed to Melancthon before his death that he would have retracted many things especially in those Sacramental Controversies but that he feared it would lessen the Authority of his Works So much of Pope hath every man in his own breast as to affect to be thought infallible malunt semper errare quam semel errasse videri they had rather always err than seem once to have erred But what-ever a man may lose in reputation of knowledg he shall be sure to gain in estimation of candour ingenuity and sincerity Austin got asmuch esteem by his Book of Retractations as by any other of his works 3. Take heed of a Censorious judging-Spirit do not condemn those that close not in with you to act against their light It is a very uncharitable passage which I find in Mr. Tombes his Praecursor pag. 91. Unless saith he I speak against my conscience I must needs say that it is ignorance or wilfulness holds Ministers and People in their stiff asserting Practice of Infant-Baptism But what it was that kept him so long in the practice of it in his Parish-Churches before the Assembly of Divines sate is best known to the searcher of hearts yet this very man 17 lines above in the same page hath that which amounts to self-contradiction viz. That he reverenceth many Paedobaptists as Godly Ministers of the Gospel far beyond himself The Lord banish from among you this Censorious spirit unto which some of you have been too much addicted How often have we been araigned at your bar for sinning against light for Obstinacy and Wilfulness your Censures have lighted most heavily upon Ministers sparing none neither Conformists nor Non-conformists Heretofore 't was wordly Interest Parochial Maintenance and fear of displeasing the people that blinded and corrupted them a hard Censure to be past upon the whole body of the Ministry of the Nation and how could it consist with Godliness for them to persist so many years in the Practice of that which they thought in their own consciences to be but a meer Tradition and Innovation But you have lived to see your mistake herein and tell us now if you can what the temptations are that blind the Non-conformists since their Ejection and keeps them from coming over to you They were in number as they say about 3000. and I think you cannot shew us a Catalogue of one in a County no not in ten Counties that is proselyted to you God by his inscrutable and wise Providence hath found out a strange way to clear the innocency of his Servants that were so often branded for Hirelings and there hath been an effectual course taken to clear their eye-sight had Wordly Interest blinded them They are now out of the reach of Compliances on that account 4. I would also humbly advise you to take heed of dividing Principles that are inconsistent with the Word especially in this Circumstance of the Church wherein we are in danger to be overwhelmed with other difficulties if it were tolerable and venial to divide at other times yet now the fault is irremissible and irrational Luther counselled the Synod at Norimberg to silence the Disputes until a fitter oportunity Meum Consilium est ut causam hanc sinatis ad tempus sopitam jacere hoc tempore enim animis sic affestis venenum est disputare I counsel you that in this juncture of time and when your minds are so much out of tune you would let this Controversy sleep and not dispute about it for it will prove poysonous 5. Take heed of rejecting those Overtures for Union which are made by your Brethren We are commanded to follow after those things that make for Peace and shall we run away from them You say they differ from you and do not you likewise from them We all see but in part and know but in part and therefore should bear with one another Why should you not have the like freedom which your Brethren have Their Arms are open to receive you You are straitned in your own Bowels and not in theirs O why will you not imbrace where Christ imbraceth and receive those whom God receiveth Or why do you refuse Communion with those here in Ordinances that you have ground to believe you shall have Communion with in Glory Perswasive to Peace If you say because they are not Baptized after Believing This can be no more necessary for Church-Communion than it is unto Salvation for the means cannot be more necessary to the subordinat end which is Church-Communion than it is to the Principal which is Salvation And Baptism is necessary to Salvation but by way of duty where opportunity concurs but not by way of means where opportunity is wanting And if to be Baptized after Faith were indeed the Paedobaptists duty the true reason why they do not perform it is the want of a Moral opportunity that is the want of Conviction that it is their duty they verily believing they were sufficiently Baptized in their Infancy and that it is not lawful for them to be rebaptized And all the while they remain under this perswasion they can no more lawfully receive an after-Baptizing by a voluntary submission to it than they can who desire to be Baptized but want the opportunity of health or such an Administrator as you call it as is necessary thereto And if their Right to Salvation under these Circumstances be not cut off as doubtless it is not for the reason before given then no more can their Right to Church-Communion thereby be cut off for the same reason To conclude let us all pray for the Peace of Jerusalem that our Father which is in Heaven the God of Peace would look down upon his Divided Children and create Peace among them That Christ Jesus who is the Peace-maker and Prince of Peace that prayed for it and bequeathed it to his Disciples as his last Legacy would reconcile our hearts one to another That the Spirit of Peace whose fruit is Peace would compose our differences and make up our breaches and give us enlarged hearts to embrace each other That the Blessed Trinity which hath nothing so proper to it self as Vnity would pitty Zion and raise up healing Instruments and rebuke fiery Spirits and remember the Promise that is made to the Church to be fulfilled in the times of the Gospel That all her Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the Peace of her Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5. 7. FINIS Errata PART 1. Page 2. line 2. for our read your P. 9. l. 3. r. only manner Chapt. 4. P. 51. l. 29. for one r. own Ch. 7. P. 4. l. 11 for not Dipping r. not only Dipping PART 2. Chap. 3. P. 152. l. 7. r. on l. 9 dele is meant ibid P. 154. l. 22. r. we idem P. 165. l. 22. Dele when Ch. 7. P. 105. l. 23. r. as idem P. 106. r. prejudic'd Ib. P. 120. l. 7 for this r. the for Kidderminster r. Beaudly c. To the Bookbinder By reason of the Author 's remote distance from the Press some great mistakes have happened so that several Leaves must be cancelled the Alphabet is also confused wherefore observe these directions The Title is a quarter of a Sheet after that place the Preface then B C. cut off 25. and 26. Pages and supply them with a leaf printed on the Title sheet D E F G. Then A a B b C c* a half-sheet then G g H h I i K k L l M m N n O o P p Q q R r S s T t a half sheet after T t place C c but cut of the 2 first leaves of the said C c D d E e F f but be sure to cut off the 4 last leaves of the said F f then G g g H h h I i i K k k a half sheet and a leaf marked K k k* printed with the Title sheet lastly L l l.