2. Nor in the Epistles themselves As Children are not concerned in the Dedications of the Epistles so neither are they as Church-Members in the Epistles themselves as may appear by a few instances to which you may abundantly add in your reading the Epistles The first we shall mention is that 1 Cor. 6.4 1 Cor. 6.4 If then you have Judgment of things pertaining to this Life set them to judge that are least esteemed in the Church And that he meant least esteemed for Wisdom and Iudgment the fifth Verse explains But Infants of 8 or 10 dayes old can neither judge nor speak therefore we must necessarily conclude there were no such Members in the Church of Corinth 2. Another you have in 1 Cor. 10.16 17 compared with 11.28 29. The Cup of blessing which webless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ And the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and whosoever doth eat and drink unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body c. But poor Ignorant Babes without understanding cannot possibly either examine themselves or have the least discerning of the Lords body whether considered as Symbolically or Mystically represented in that Ordinance Therefore were none such to be sound in the Church at Corinth nor in any other Gospel-church as Dr. Owen saith very well Dr. Owen Dr. Owen p. 103. As God hath appointed Saints to be the seal and subject of all his Ordinances having granted the right of them to them alone 1 Tim. 3.15 Instructing them with the exercise of that Authority which he puts forth in the Rule of his Disciples in this world He hath also appointed the most holy institution of his Supper to denote and express that Vnion and Communion which the Members of each of these Churches have by his Ordinance among themselves 1 Cor 10.7 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread How consonant by the way and agreeable both to Rule and Reason and Righteousness doth it appear to be to admit men upon profession of Faith to both Ordinances keeping thereby the right Subjects as well as to the due Order But how Childishly ridiculous it was in those first inventers of Baptisme for 600. years so well to observe the Order viz. first to baptize and then to communicate and yet so miserably to miss it in the Subjects applying the Spiritual Ordinances to Ignorant Babes And how much worse in the Protestant Reformers that so lamentably miss it both in the due Order and right Subjects also Which the Prelate and Presbyter do in admitting Children to Baptisme and Membership but not to the Supper And the Independent more in point of Order in admitting them to Bâ—ptisme but neither to Membership nor the Supper A third observeable Passage we have in 1 Cor. 12 25 26. 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Where the Apostle exhorts That there be no Schisme in the body but that the Members should have the same care one for another But how ridiculous would this be to be applied to a little Ignorant careless Infant A fourth considerable Instance may be fetcht from 1 Thes 5.2 4. 1 Thes 5.2 4. Where the Apostle saith That they all knew perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night That he speaks of all is evident verse 4 5. in these words But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake You as a Thief Ye are all the Children of the Day and of the Light c. But little Children that have no understanding are no such Children of the Light as to know perfectly or in part the coming of the Day of God For they know nothing at all of it therefore no such Infants were Members of the Church at Thessalonica And fifthly another convincing Passage we have in Heb. 6.11 12. Heb. 6.11 12. The Apostle thus exhorting And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the End that ye be not slothfull but of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises But little Children can shew no such diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end neither can they shew such diligence in following of them who through Faith and Patience did inherit the Promises For they have no understanding in Earthly things How then can they understand Heavenly John 3.12 Therefore no such Babes were Church-members in the Church of the Hebrews And as a further proof against Infants Church-membership 3. From the Characters Christ gives his Disciples we may add the Character Christ gives of his Disciples viz. John 8.31 32. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If you continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free And John 15.8 A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you That you also love one another By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples And again John 15.1 Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much Fruit so shall you be my Disciples And again Luke 14.27 And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple And Verse 33. So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple But how absurd would it be to apply any of these Characters to little Ignorant Infants And lastly from that General Exhortation that Christ gives to all his Disciples Mark 13.37 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man and what I say unto you I say unto all Watch. But how ridiculous would it be to include a little Babe herein Which Argument about Church-membership we shall conclude with those full words of Dr. Owen Dr. Owen so much to the purpose P. 107. viz. From all which it appears who are the â—ubject matter of these Churches of Christ as also the means whereby they come to be so namely the Administration of the Spirit and Word of Christ As also by the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit given to them to make every one of them meet for and useful in that place which he holds in such Churches as the Apostle discourseth at large 1 Cor. 12.15 16 17 to 27. Col. 2.9 Ephes 4.16 It being manifest saith he that no Ordinance of Christ is appointed to be observed by his Disciples No Communication of Gifts of the Holy Ghost is promised
but nothing is more unreasonable than because he hath tyed all men of years and discretion to this way Therefore we of our own heads shall carry Infants to him that way without his direction The conceit is poor and low and the action consequent to it is bold and venturous Let him do what he pleases with Infants we must not A Second Scripture that hath been much leaned upon is that of Joh. 3.5 Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God From whence it is concluded that there is no other way to regenerate and save Infants and add them to the Church but by Baptism and therefore have they baptized them as the Canons and Decretals of Popes and the Opinions of the Antients do demonstrate But the Consequences drawn from hence to infer the Baptizing and Saving of Infants savours of so much Ignorance and Popish Darkness that we need say little to it for since the Reformation most of the Protestants have protested against this as erroneous Yet for the sake of others that yet cleave to it saying That in Analogy hereto Children are hereby made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven I shall refer them to Bishop Tayler for Solution whose words will have more weight than any thing I can say in the Case who in p. 231. Calls such a sence of the words a prevaricating of Christ's Precepts For saith he the Water and Spirit in this place signifie the same thing and by Water is meant the effect of the Spirit cleansing and purifying the Soul as it appears in its parallel place of Christ's Bâ—p izing with the Spirit and with Fire For although this was litterally fulfilled in the day of Pentecost yet morâ—lly there is more in it for it is the Sign of the effect of the Holy Ghost and his productions upon the Soul And you may as well conclude that Infants must also pass through the Fire as through the Water And that we may not think this a trick to elude the pressure of this place Peter saith the same thing For where he had said That Baptism saves us he adds by way of Explication not the washing away of the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God plainly saying That it is not Water or the purifying of the Body but the cleansing of the Spirit that doth that which is supposed to be the Effect of Baptisme But to suppose it meant External Baptisme yet this no more infers a necessity of Infants Baptism than the other words of Christ infer a necssity to give them the holy Communion Joh. 6.53 Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood you have no life in you And yet we do not think these words a sufficient Argument to Communicate them If men therefore will do us justice either let them give both Sacraments to Infants as some Ages of the Church did or neither For the wit of man is not able to shew a disparity in the Sanction or in the Energy of its expression And therefore they were honest that understood the Obligation to be parallel and performed it accordingly and yet because we say they were deceived in one instance and yet the Obligation all the world cannot reasonably say but is the same they are honest and as reasonable that do neither And sure the Antient Church did with an equal opinion of Necessity give them the Communion and yet men now adays do not Why should men be more burthened with a prejudice and a name of obliquity for not giving the Infants one Sacrament more than you are disliked for not affording them the other And farther p. 242. If we must suppose Grace to be effected by the external work of the Sacrament alone how doth this differ from the Opus operatum of the Papists save that it is worse for they say the Sacrament doâ—h not produce its effects but in a Suscipient disposed by all Requisi es and due Preparatâ—ves of Piety Faith and Repentance though in a subject so disposed they say the Sacrament by its own virtue doth it But this opinion says it doth it of it self without the help or so much as the co-existence of any condition but the meer reception M. Baxter Mr. Baxter to this point p. 306. of his plain Scripture-proof That Baptism in it self can work no such Cause for the Water is not a subject capable of receiving Grace or of conveighing it to the Soul it cannot approach or touch the Soul nor infuse Grace into it if it could Amesius in Bel. Enervat Tom. 3. L. 2. c. 3. Outward Baptisme saith he cannot be a Physical Instrument of the infusing of Grace because it hath it not in any wise in it self Zwingli Zwinglius denieth Baptism of it self worketh any Grace or pardoneth Sin or reneweth as Tom. 2. p. 119 120 121. Dr. Owen Dr. Owen in his Theolog. l. 6 ch 5. p. 477. upon the point saith That the Father of lies himself could not easilier have invented a more pernicious Opinion or which might powre in a more deadly poison into the minds of Sinners A Third Scripture insisted on is the Commission it self Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mar. 16.16 But Infants are Believers Therefore according to the Commâ—ssion they are to be baptized In whâ—ch though all Parties agree yet how they do believe and what faith this is there is great confusion and contradiction Viz. The Antients said they had the Faith of the Sacrament as Austin The Papists the Faith of the Church as Tho. Aquinas which is intailed to all within the Pale thereof The Lutherans say they have a proper Faith which they hotly desended at the Conference with the Calvinists at Montpelgart and therefore Baptize all whether the Parents be good or baâ— The Calvinists say they have an imputative Faith from the Parent in Covenant as Musculus Oecolampadius and others at that Conference maintained and therefore baptize only the Children of Believers The Prelatick Protestants affirm they have the Faith of the Gossip or Surety but none of their own as the Com. Catechisme tells us Most of the Non Conformists do agree with the Calvinists that it is an imputative Faith from the Parent or Pro-parent in Covenant Mr. Baxter in his Right to Sacraments as before saith They have a Justifying and Mr. Blake his opposite allowes but a Dogmatical Faith some say it is a Physical some a Metaphysical and some a Hyperphysical Faith some saying as before that Baptisme is an Instrument to conveigh real Grace to Infants some say to all as Mr. Bedford and others some only to the Elect as Dr. Burgos And thus you see they are not agreed in their Verdict nor who shall speak for them But for an Answer hereto I shal again refer you to Dr. Tayler
you would attend to the proper signification of the word Baptisme signifies plunging in Water or dipping with washing Mr. Joseph Mede in his Diatribe on Titus 3.2 saith M. Mede That there was no such thing as Sprinkling or Rantisme used in Baptisme in the Apostles dayes nor many ages after them I might add many more Dr. Ham but shall conclude with that observable Remark that Dr. Hammond gives us hereon in his Annotations viz. upon Jo. 13.10 Telling us That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an Immersion or wasâ—ing the whole Body and which answereth to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for dipping in the Old Testament And therefore upon Mat. 3.1 tells us That John Baptized in a River viz. Jordan Mark 1.5 in a confluenâ—â— of much Wuter as Aenon Joh. 3.23 Because it is added there was much Water upon which account he saith That as the Greeks called the Lakes where they used to wash 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Ancients called their Baptisterioâ—s or the Vessels containing their Baptismâ— Water Columbethras viz. swmiming 〈◊〉 diving places being made very large witâ— partitions for Men and Women And upon Mark 7.4 tells us That the Washing or Baptizing of Cups Vessels Bedâ— c. was no other then a putting them iâ— to the Water all over rinsing them I have carefully examined all the places in the Old Testament where the word Dipping or Baptizing is meâ—tioned and do find it is expressed by the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mincaeus and Dr. Hamond observes and which always signifies to dip the word rendred washing being by another word as the following Scriptures will inform you Gen. 37.31 Exod. 12.22 Lev. 4.6 17.14.6.16.51 Lev. 9 9. Deut. 33.24 Joh. 3.5 Num. 16.18 2 King 5.14 which are all the places I can find the word used in in the Old Testament The word generally used for washing in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such a washing as taketh away filth from persons or things by swilling rinsing or rubbing as Buxtorfius and Leigh and which answereth to all the three words for washing that we meet with in the Greek viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a washing of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hands and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clothes as Stephens saith in his Thesaurus which word you find in very many places in the Old Testament as Exod. 30.19 20. Exod. 25. Lev. 14.8 9.16.24 c. which signification and sence of the word is emphatically confirmed to us by the several Metaphors used by the Holy Spirit in Scripture in allusion hereto viz. for Persons to be plunged into great sufferings they are said to be Baptized therein Mark 10.38 And so for persons that were indued with great measures of the Spirit they are said to be Baptized therewith Acts. 1.5 The Children of Israel being incompassed with the Cloud over their Head and the divided Sea on both sides were said to be Baptized in the Cloud and Sea 1 Cor 10. And Baptized persons are said to be deâ—d and buried in allusion to putting men into the Earth and covering them therewith none of which can hold good by sprinkling 2. From the Scripture practice Secondly It appears to be so from the practice and usage we find hereof in Scripture and the opinion of the learned upon it First in the Story of Christs Baptisme we read Mat. 3.5 Mat. 3.5 That Jesus came from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be Baptized of him and Ver. 16. And when he was Baptized he went up straight way out of the Water C jetan The learned Cajetan upon the place saith Christ ascended out of the Water therefore Christ was Baptized by John not by sprinkling or by pouring Water upon him but by Immersion that is by dipping or plunging in the Water A second Scripture considerable is that of Joh 3.23 John 3.23 And John was Baptizing in Aenon near Salim and the Reason why he pitcht upon this place is given because there was much Water there Piscator Piscator upon the place sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies many Rivers as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Singular number signifies the River of Jordan this saith he is mentioned to signifie the Ceremony of Baptisme which John used in dipping or plunging the whole Body of Man standing in the River whence saith Christ being Baptized by John in Jordan is said to ascend out of the Water Calvin Calvin upon these words saith That from this place you may gather that John and Christ administred Baptisme by plunging the whole body into the Water A Third Scripture worthy our notice Acts 2.36 is Acts 8.36 38. As they went on their way they came unto a certain Water and the Eunuch said see here is Water and they went both down into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he Baptized him and when they were come up out of the Water upon which place Calvin Calvin saith We see what fashion the Ancients had to administer Baptisme for they plunged the whole Body into the Water The use is now saith he that the Minister casts a few drops of Water only upon the Body or upon the Head A Fourth Scripture we shall mention is Rom 6.4 Rom. 6.4 Buried with him in Baptisme where the Apostle elegantly alludes to the Ceremony of Baptizing in our death and Resurrection with Christ Cajetan Cajetan upon the place saith Thus we are Buried with him by Baptisme into death By our Burying he declares our Death from the Ceremony of Baptisme because he who is Baptized is put under the Water and by this carries a similitude of him that is Buried who is put under the Earth Now because none are Buried but dead men from this very thing that we are Buried in Baptisme we are assimulated to Christ buried or when he was Buried Tilenus Tilenus in his disputation P. 886 889 890. A learned Protestant Writer gives a most remarkable Testimony in the Case Baptisme saith he iâ— the first Sacrament of the New Testament instituted by Christ in which with a most Pat and Exact Analogy between the Sign and the thing signified those that are in Covenant are by the Minister washed in Water The outward Rite in Baptisme is Three old 1. Immersion into the Water 2. Abiding under the Water 3. Resurrection out of the Water The form of Baptisme viz. Internal and Essential is no other then the Analogical proportion which the signs keep with the things signified thereby For the properties of the Water in washing away the defilements of the Body do in a most suitable similitude set forth the efficacy of Christs Blood in blotting out of sins so dipping into the Water doth in a most lively similitude set forth the mortification of the old man and rising out of the Water the Vivication of the new The same plunging into the Water holds forth to
Imprisonments yea and many times by Death it self Sealing 〈◊〉 Truths they Preached to others with â—â—â—ir own Blood In sum they were men â—ortified to all the Pomp Glories and Riches to all the Pleasures Honors and Preferments that this World could afford them having their Conversations as Strangers Pilgrims and Sojourners here bilow conforming themselves as near as they could to the Scripture-pattern and Example of the Apostles and proportionable thereto were their Labours blest and succeeded to admiration in all places where they came Perin Hâ—st p. 16. Their Pastors saith he did not only content themselves to exhort them on the Sabbath days but went all the Week to instruct them in their Villages Preaching also in the Fields to the keepers of the flocks The other way whereby the Gospel was thus promoted and spread 3. By their great Sufferings was by the great Sufferings and Persecutions that attended them especially from the 12th Century downwards For till then as observed by Fox Usher and others there was more Calmness and Serenity Satan being as it were bound as they conceived and the Reason thereof a Learned Pen observes to be That Antichrist till about this time was not arrived to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfect stature having now attained as well a Temporal as Spiritual Soveraignty his temporal Advantages accrued most to him by the Donation of Pipin and Charles the Great c. And his Spiritual not only by the Establishment of the several Orders of the Regular Monks and Friars viz. The Benedictines Franciscans and Dominicans which much advanced and strengthned the Popish Usurpations But the Ratification of the Canon Law about this time collected by Gratian as also the Sophistical School Divinity now begun by Lombard Aquinas and Albertus Magnus that gave no small addition thereto Now it was they durst cope with Kings and Emperors for Soveraignty and assert their Bloody Idolatrous Masses Images Breaden God with all Force Cruelty and Violence imaginable Against whose Pride Pomp Idolatry and Antichristian Usurpation doth the Lord raise up these his Witnesses even these poor mean contemptible People who by asserting and maintaining Christs Ministry and Ordinances according to the Simplicity and Plainess of the Scriptures faithfully do oppose impugn and confront all the Popish Traditions Usurpations and Inventions in all their Grandeur And so it may be said That against the Beast and his Armies doth the Lamb and his Army oppose themselves The Waldenses now standing up with a loud Voice do call upon all to come out of Babylon to have no Fellowship or Communion with her detecting her to be that Abomination that was to sit in the Temple of God and that should corrupt the Earth with her Filthiness And about this time it was that that most excellent Piece touching Antichrist was brought forth by them which deserves to be written in Letters of Gold supposed to be written by Peter Bruis the famous French Martyr and which hath been preserved in all Ages since by the Waldenses in the Alpes whence Perin tells us he received it and which he hath Printed at large Par. 3. Lib. 3. c. 1. An Extraâ—t of their Treatise of Antichrist In which Treatise we have Antichrist described to be the Mystery of Iniquity or a Lye under the cloak of Truth 2. It is said That this Antichrist is not one single Person but a Confederacy of Iniquity in opposition to Christ c. 3. This Contrariety of Antichrist to Christ consists 1. In his Wordly Wisdom 2. His Pharisaical Religion 3. Managing Spiritual Power by Secular Tyranny Riches Dignity c. 4. By filling up the Churches of Christ with carnal Worldlings 4. That the perfection of Antichrist consists in a full Usurpation of the Authority of Christ according to 2 Thes 2.4 5. That the work of Antichrist is to change Truth into Error and Error into Truth 2. To rob Christ of his Merits c. 3. Placing Sanctification of the Spirit in externals and Grace and Salvation in the work done 4. Neglecting Discipline 5. By maintaining Unity by Tyranny 6. The Subterfuges of Antichrist are laid open and its Causes 7. The moving Causes and Scriptures loudly calling to come out from and not to touch her c. By such like Exasperations did the Popes whose Interest Grandeur was thus struck at come forth now with all the Subtilty Malice and Revenge that Hell and their Devilish Natures could invent and that by several Methods and Stratagems to crush and suppress Truth which the more they endeavoured the more it throve and got ground and encreast in the Nations The Blood of the Martyrs proving the Seed of the Church Whose cunning murderous Designs were much after this sort the seveâ—al ways of their perseâ—utions First The â—he better to discover their Persons and Principles they sent forth Missionaries in all points to imitate them in a plain humble way to go up and down afoot amongst them to dispute with them to preach to them to gain upon them of this sort was Francis Dominick and Benedict for whose excellent Service then they have since Sainted and set up Orders in their Names in imitation of the poor People of Lyons or as they would be thought in an Apostolick guise But when that would not do when they could neither flatter dispute nor preach them out of the Truth then they Secondly came forth with Synodical Censures Condemnations Anathema's and Curses Popes Bulls and Decretals with Emperors Statutes Decrees and Injunctions But they nothing prevailing In the next place Thirdly They sent our their Inquisitors impowred and commissioned to Examine Censure and Condemn and to deliver up to the Secular Powers to all manner of Tortures and cruel Deaths which they exercised with great Severity but all in vain Fourthly They betook themselves to Surprizes and Massacres and to stir up Kings and Princes to raise Armies to suppress and root up this Generation and by Fire and Sword to lay waste their Cities and Countries which they did with great Devastation especially in Province Daulphine Languedoc But the effect was as they drove them out of one Countrey and Place they went into others and where ever they came they still met with the same measure from that spirit But God carried them through wonderfully so that they could rejoice and glory in their Tribulations that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake and whose titles of Honour as they say in the Preface of their Bible were Injured Reproached Fugitives Forsaken Despised Abandoned Excommunicated Anathematized Confiscated Imprisoned Tortured Banished publickly disgraced wearing Miters in Derision spit upon shewn upon Scaffolds their Ears cut off their Flesh pluckt off with Pincers drawn with Horses drag'd up and down broyled roasted stoned to Death burnt drowned beheaded dismembred and other like glorious and honourable Titles they say of the Kingdom of Heaven But the more they designed to suppress Truth by these means the more
it thrive These worthy Confessors being found Overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb and word of their Testimony not loving their Lives unto the Death as it was experienced in the several Countries in the several Ages hereafter mentioned as at large is given you in P. Perrins Hist Viz. The Sufferings of the Waldenses Churches in Dauphine in the 12 13 14 and 15 Cent. Chap. 3. Their Sufferings in Piâ—dmont in the 14 15 16 Cent. ch 4. Their Sufferings in the Marquisate de Saluces 16 17 Cent. c. 5. Their Sufferings in the New Lands 16 Cent. c. 6. Their Sufferings in Calabria 14. and 16. Cent. c. 7. Their Sufferings in Province 12 13 14 15 16 Cent. c. 8. Their Sufferings in Bohemia 15 Cent. c. 9. Their Sufferings in Austria 14 and 15. Cent. c. 10. Their Sufferings in Germany 13 14 15. Cent. c. 11. Their Sufferings in England 12 13 Cent. c. 12. Their Sufferings in Flaunders 13 Cent. â— 13. Their Sufferings in Poland 12 14. Cent. Chap. 14. Their Sufferings in Paris 13 14. Cent. c. 15. Their Sufferings in Italy 13 14 15. Cent. Chap. 16. Their Sufferings in Dalmatia Croatia Sclavonia Constantinople Greece Philadelphia Digonicia Livonia Sarmatia Bulgaria in the 13. Cent. c. 17. Their Sufferings in Spain 13. C. c. 18. Their Sufferings by the cruel Wars managed against them by Pope Innocent the Third for eighteen Years together in conjunction with many Kings and Princes in the 13 Cent. together with other Wars carried on by other Popes and Kings of France and Spain in the 13 and 14 Cent. with the wonderful detriment that accrued also to the Enemy who lost somtimes an Hundred Thousand Men at a Siege you have largely set forth in Perrin's Hist of the Albigenses in 2 Books Their Sufferings at Merindal Cabriers by Fox p. 201. vol. 2. Their late Sufferings in our time by the Duke of Savoy in the Valleys of Piedmont 1655. is largely set forth by Sir Samuel Morland who was the Agent sent with the English Contribution Having thus finished the Historical Account of these Eminent Worthies I cannot but again remember you That this was the People that bore so great a witness for Believers and so firmly opposed Infants Baptism as by so many Arguments in the Seventh Chapter is made good to you A Postscript UPon the closing of my Papers Mr. Bunions Book in Answer to Mr. Pauls coming to hand called Differences about Baptisme no Far to Communion defending still That Churches may and ought to hold Fellowship with Unbaptised Persons I took my self concerned having briefly hinted to his former to give some short return to this also leaving his manifold Absurdities Contradictions unbrotherly Tauntings and Reflections Contemptions traducings the wisdome of Christ and his holy Appointments to be called to account by that hand that hath so well begun to reckon with him The little that I shall do herein is not to trace him in his Meanders or to answer his Reflections with Reflections but in a few things to discover how he hath darkned Counsel by words without Knowledg and whilst he pretends Brotherly love violates the very Law of Charity and under pretence of pleading for Truth introduceth hainous Error and fundamentally mistakes himself in both his Books Five of Six of which Fundamental Mistakes are here detected and which I conceive may be as full an Answer to both his Books as if Volumes wâ—re written thereto For according to the Maxime Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per panciora In vain we do that by much which may be done by less which therefore take as followeth viz. Mr. Bunians Fundamental Mistakes 1. Asserts Principles without Scripture to warrant them First By asserting that for a Principle and Practice in the Worship of God that hath neither footing nor Foundation in the Word of God and for which neither Precept nor Example is produced to warrant it A Presumption then which as nothing can savour more of Ignorance and Folly Isai 8.20 Jer. 8.9 so nothing more dangerous and destructive to Religion it self as Mark 7.7 8 9. Secondly 2. Positively contradicts Scripture Precepts and Practice In so positively thwarting and contradicting not only the Wisdom and Authority of Christ in his Commission who enjoynes Baptisme to be the next thing after Faith and Conversion Matth. 28.19 But the constant Practice of the Saints in obedience to it As for instance Acts 2.41 it is said Then viz. immediatly they that gladly received his Word were baptised and the same Day added and so continued in Fellowship and breaking of Bread c. Where you have the direct Order kept 1. Teaching 2. Baptizing Then 3. Church Fellowship and Breaking of Bread which is the standing Directory to the Worlds end and not Teaching Church-Fellowship and then Bâ—ptisme after So Acts 22.16 Ananias exhorts Paul after his Confession to arise and be baptised with a Why tarriest thou Though he had eaten nothing of three dayes Acts 9.9 being a Duty that admits not of Delays It was not Arise and go and break Bread with the Church but Arise and be Baptised in the first place And therefore the Jailor Act. 16.33 must after his conversion straitway yea in that same hour of the night without further delay be baptised as a thing not to be neglected for a moment And so also Cornelius in Acts 10.47 though he was Baptized so eminently with the Spirit yet must forthwith be commanded to be baptized with Water a thing by no means to be deserred as Peters words imply who upon his seeing him so filled with the Spirit saith Can any man forbid Water that these should not be Baptised c. No sure no man of Knowledg or Conscience can do it or will admit of delayes therein And the reason hereof is plain Because this was the Listing Espousing Covenanting Ingrafting Implanting Ordinance Believers being expresly said hereby to be planted into Christ Gal. 3.27 and Baptised into Christ Rom. 6.3 And which Baptizing and Planting into Christ is no other but an Orderly entring into the Visible Church or Body of Christ as so fully exprest 1 Cor. 12.12 An Order faithfully to be observed as a Fundamental Practice Heb. 6.2 which must be kept Eph. 2.21 and duly regarded 1 Cor. 11.1 2. upon the severe penalties threatned Mat. 5.19 2 Joh. 9. Act. 3.22 23. And which lies so full and clear in the Scriptures that it hath obtained an universal Consent by most that have owned the Christian Religion and in any Form professed the same whether Papists Protestants Independants Baptists In so much that Mr. Baxter himself in his plain Scripture proof p. 126. saith That if any shall be so impudent as to say it is not the meaning of Christ that Baptizing should immediatly follow Discipling they are confuted by the constant Example of Scripture So that saith he I dare say this will be out of doubt with all rational considerate impartial Christians So