Discipline which Christ ordained to continue in all Churches to the end of the World But the Church of England does believe hold and maintain such Things as are evidently and actually destructive of that Christian Liberty wherewith Christ hath made his Churches free and of that sacred Baptism and holy Discipline which Christ ordained to continue in all Churches to the end of the World Ergo It is lawful just and needful to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from the Church of England in her present Parochial Constitution Supposing the Major is not to be denied by any Christian we shall endeavour to make good the Minor To begin with Sacred Baptism It is evident from the Scripture and partly from the Confession of the Church of England that the Things prerequisite to Baptism on the part of every one who is to be joined with the Church Militant or to be baptized are these 1. They ought to have the Gospel preached or some way made known to them 2. To believe the Gospel 3. To repent of Sin And 4. Willingly to put on Christ in Baptism Or to express it in short They are first to be dead with Christ and then secondly to be buried with Christ by Baptism Now that the Church of England does hold such Things as are evidently and actually destructive of this Baptism may in our Judgment be thus proved 1. She believes holds and does teach others to hold That all or the very most of her Church-Members are regenerate without hearing the Word of God without Faith without Repentance or any Knowledg of God and so believes what neither we nor any Body else can understand to be true and errs in Faith 2. Yet she does not believe that her Members are regenerate at all till she cross or sprinkle them with Water neither does she know because she has no ground to believe that Infants are thereby made anew so as to become the Children of God and Heirs of Heaven and believing this without possibility ordinarily to know it to be true she errs in Faith 3. She believes and maintains that those ought to be baptized whom she knows do not cannot believe nor repent nor in any measure know God nor any Duty of Religion and herein she errs as we conceive concerning the Faith 4. She believes and maintains that Sponsors do believe and repent for Infants or that Infants do perform Faith and Repentance by their Sponsors and believing these things and teaching her Youth to believe them without any ground from the Word of God she believes amiss or errs in Faith 5. She holds that Persons may lawfully be baptized when they are asleep and does actually pretend to baptize Infants when they are asleep which we think verily must needs be a very great Error both in Faith and Practice 6. She believes holds and maintains that Crossing or Sprinkling is a lawful way of Baptizing when indeed it is no Baptizing at all Insomuch as those that use that Mode dare not speak as they act saying I sprinkle thee in the Name c. their Conscience bearing them witness that the sacred Act of baptizing in the Name c. cannot be expressed by the word Sprinkling They therefore believing what they know is not true in this matter must needs err in Faith as well as in their Practice And this Error has in a manner destroyed the way of Baptizing used by John Baptist Christ and his Apostles 7. Thus tho we grant that the Church of England is no less zealous for the Doctrine of Baptism than our selves yet it is apparent to us that she hath accidentally lost this holy Ordinance both in respect of the Subject and Manner of it and in the due Use and End of it which was not appointed nor fitted to receive new-boru Infants into the Church Militant And by this unwarrantable Change she has defaced the State and lost the Praise of a true Church 1 Cor. 11. 2. because she has not kept this Ordinance as it was delivered by Christ and his Apostles but hath rather suppressed it and much oppressed those that labour to restore it to its due Use and Practice in all Churches which is a great Aggravation of all these her Errors in Faith and Practice concerning Sacred Baptism SECT III. Concerning Discipline WHat manner of Discipline the Church of Christ ought to observe is sufficiently declared Matth. 18. 1 Cor 5. 2 Thess 3. Tit. 3. and other places And it is very well expressed by a Minister of the Church of England in his Defâ—nce of the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England in these Words The manner of proceeding in Excommunication is first by gentle Admonition and that once or twice given with the Spirit of Meekness even as a Brother if the Fault be not notoriously known and next by open Reprehension afterward by publick Sentence of the Church to put him from the Company of the Faithful to deliver him to Satan to denounce him an Heathen and a Publican if no Admonition will serve and the Crimes and Persons be very offensive Thus he And to this Discipline we can heartily subscribe it being indeed the very same which is religiously observed by the Baptized Believers in this Age and Nation But where now shall this Discipline be found in the Church of England Does any one Assembly or Court of the Church of England observe it Or does she not practise that in her Courts which is too evidently destructive of it For so far as we can understand instead of this brotherly Admonition Men are clandestinely presented and accused and often excommunicated for they know not what What Man is now taught or bound by any Order of the Church of England that in case his Brother trespass against him by defaming his Reputation offering Injury to his Person or by wronging him in his Substance to take that brotherly Course prescribed to all Christians Mat. 18. Or if he would take this Course what Congregation is empowred or allowed to hear or determine the Strife as Sin is in such cases committed against God We see not how it is possible for the Offended to do his Duty in an orderly way to the Offender if he go about it he shall probably be derided both by Teacher and People So far is he from obtaining Justice against the Offender in any Congregation of the Church of England because the ancient Discipline is an unknown thing to the People generally And for want of this Christian Government are Men continually exposed to Suits and Troubles in Courts of Law wherein the Poor can have small Help as it is written Eccles 5. 8. old Translation If thou seest the Poor to be oppressed marvel not for one great Man keepeth touch with another and the mighty Men are in Authority over the Poor 3. But that which is more grievous We do not see that open Prophaneness can be met with or suppressed by your Discipline For suppose a Man be
in all Humility prostrate my self at his Royal Feet with this humble Supplication That it would graciously please his Majesty according to his wonted Goodness and Princely Clemency to consider and pity the distressed condition of many of his faithful Subjects who dissent from the Church of England in the case of Infant-Baptism and some other Ceremonies and cannot in Conscience to God conform to them nor deny the exercise of their Religion of which they are convinced and persuaded to be according to the Will of God O let our Lord the King consider that this is the greatest strait that any honest Christian can be put upon either to deny what he believes to be true or profess that to be true which he believes to be otherwise O let the God of Heaven be always his Majesties Chief Counsellour That by his direction he may rightly distinguish between those that are harmless in his Realm and such as have abused his Kindnesses which have been very great and thankfully to be remembred and that the present Severities against the Innocent may be abated and removed lest they be made miserable in their Native Countrey God Almighty bless the King c. FINIS The SECOND PART of the APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers Wherein the GROUNDS of INFANT-BAPTISM Are REVIEWED In ANSWER to Fourteen ARGUMENTS delivered by Mr. Nathaniel Taylor M. A. in a SERMON on Matth. 28. 19. entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therewithal The Reasons of the Separation of the Baptized Believers from the Pedobaptists modestly propounded Upon the occasion of their great and long-continued Sufferings By T. Grantham a Servant of Christ LONDON Printed for the Author 1684. AN APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers c. PRESENTED To all Pious and Well-disposed Christians in the Church of ENGLAND SECT I. Honoured and Beloved Brethren TO prevent a Mistake and to remove an Aspersion too frequently cast upon us be pleased to know that tho we differ from you and others in some things relating to the Constitution and Government of a true Church yet we do not therefore arrogate to our selves alone the Christian Name nor exalt our selves in our Imaginations above others but do believe and hope that the Number of the saved Ones will be gathered out of all sorts of Christians who heartily love God and our Lord Jesus Christ and live holily and charitably among Men tho they be diversified in respect of Ceremonies by reason of the Place and Government where they live Yea we have Charity for all Men who are faithful to the Means of Grace afforded them how small soever knowing that our God delights in Mercy and does not exact the utmost Farthing of any Man But for all this as it is certain there hath been abundance of Errors introduced among Christians so it has pleased God to raise up a People still to testify against them the Memories of whom are blessed tho they were frequently persecuted So we believe it a Duty incumbent upon us to bear our Testimony to what Truth we know and not to partake with any in their By-Paths in Life or Religion and yet endeavour as much as in us lieth after Unity and Concord with all that fear God and own the Christian Profession To which purpose we have humbly proposed what we thought concern'd us in order to a better Understanding and Compliance in our Friendly Epistle to the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England published some Years ago but has not been publickly taken notice of till lately one Mr. Taylor a Person of Worth for his Integrity and Zeal for the Protestant Interest and for his gentle Disposition towards such as fear God tho differing from him in the Case of Ceremonies It hath pleased him I say to take notice of our said Epistle and to offer something in order to a Composure of Differences which I confess with him to be a thing greatly to be desired But then he is pleased to shew us nothing of Mitigation or Hopes of the removal of the Things which hath occasioned our Disunion but does rather wholly charge the Cause of Division upon us and supposes our Difference about Baptism to be the chief Cause of our dissenting from the Church of England But tho this is indeed a matter of great Importance because true Baptism is antecedent to Church-Communion yet that which is greater in our Judgment is that open Prophaneness which God knows reigns and rages in the Church of England and therewithal the utter Neglect of Discipline to reform those Iniquities and also that persecuting Spirit which appears even in too many of the Guides of the Church by whose Cruelty our Sufferings have been much augmented For these Causes we have thought our selves concerned to make this our Christian Apology in which we crave leave to use that Freedom of Speech which the Matters depending do require And yet seeing we must acknowledg that we are not infallible as neither does the Church of England pretend so to be we shall speak under Correction and by the help of God with resolution to submit to a clear Conviction if indeed it shall appear that the Things wherein we dissent are justifiable on the part of the Church of England but till this be done it would be Hypocrisy and Baseness in us to violate our Consciences in Things pertaining to Religion to obtain Favour from Men for if we should so please Men we should not be the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And we do the 〈◊〉 desire to be heard at this time partly for that Mr. Taylor is pleased to impute Folly to us in separating from the Church of England because we allow of the most of the Thirty Nine Articles but especially being thereunto required by some of Eminency and great Authority in the Church of England who also told us That unless we could shew that the Church of England does hold some Error in point of Faith or that she does practise something in her Religion which is sinful we cannot justify our Separation from her And whether we be able on this wise to vindicate our present Separation is the Business which we pray may be seriously considered SECT II. A brief Account of the Reasons why the Baptized Believers cannot conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England REserving all due Honour to the Church of England so far as she holds the Truth in the Thirty Nine Articles and as she is a good Fortress against much Popish Superstition and Idolatry we shall humbly make our Objections in three Particulars 1. Concerning Infant-Baptism 2. Concerning her Discipline 3. Concerning her Imposing of Ceremonies From all which we think we may safely argue thus It is lawful just and needful to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from such a Church as does believe hold and maintain such Things as are evidently and actually destructive of that Christian Liberty wherewith Christ hath made his Churches free and of that sacred Baptism and holy
given to Swearing Lying Drunkenness and lascivious Talking as God knows a great Number of the Members of the Church of England are known to be such your Discipline seems to have no power in such Cases for thus saith one of your own Ministers Who minds Canon 109 that prohibits common Swearers common Drunkards notorious Whoremasters and Whores c. from the blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Do not even Bishops hear Men swear a thousand Oaths and either do not or dare not use any Discipline against them But now if a good Man do not stand up and bow to the Altar at the Name of Jesus when the Creed is read because he dares not pay greater Reverence in a religious way to any Writing than he pays to the holy Scriptures If he dares not use the Sign of the Cross in Baptism nor sprinkle his Child c. then shall he be prosecuted as a great Sinner cast to the Devil and laid in Prison yea he is sentenced already For in Canon 6. thus we read Whosoever shall affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are superstitious or such as Men who are zealously and godlily affected may not with any good Conscience approve them use them or as Occasion requireth subscribe unto them let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored until he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors 4. Thus as we conceive the Discipline of Righteousness Mercy and Charity established by Christ is laid aside and a Mercenary Court set up holding the Traditions of Men instead of Christ's Institutions in Ecclesiastical Government who also live voluptuously upon the Sins of the People But as for the Reformation of evil Manners or the making Peace and Concord alas it is not sought for nor indeed expected from these Courts And as the Reverend Grosthead said at Rome when he saw all things ruled by Money so may I say of the Courts under consideration O Money Money what wilt thou not do there As for the opprobrious Language prohibited by the Canon we think it uncomely for any to use it tho we dissent from the Ceremonies themselves SECT IV. Concerning Imposing of Ceremonies 1. ALL Divine Ceremonies ordained by Christ or his Apostles we reverence and religiously observe and keep as they were delivered 2. That any Church since their days hath just power to make and ordain Divine Ceremonies to be any necessary parts of the Worship of God we see no ground to believe much less that such Ceremonies may lawfully be imposed under pain of Excommunication Banishment Imprisonment Loss of Estate and Life For tho it is certain God has given power to the Rulers of the World to make change or disannual Laws in point of Civil Government yet we believe all the Power on Earth cannot make one Institute or Divine Ceremony in Religion And therefore we cannot but think the Church of England erred from the Rule of Righteousness in decreeing Rites and Ceremonies which God has not commanded 3. For when we see how sharply fome were reprehended by St. Paul for bringing the Christian Churches in Galatia under some Legal Ceremonies which once had a divine Original and Use in the Church of God as Invaders of the Liberty wherewith Christ had made them free averring also That if they were subject to them Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5. 1 2. We can see no ground to free the Protestants from Sin who either take up Scriptureless Ceremonies from the Papists or invent Ceremonies themselves but least of all when they force Men will they nill they to conform to such Ceremonies or else to be ejected and delivered up to Satan And surely it was very unreasonable for her Bishops to consent to a Law that pious Men only dissenting in these things from the Church of England should be banished or else hanged as Felons without Benefit of the Clergy And we humbly desire that the Severity of that Law may be considered and mitigated 4. But if it shall be said That the Ceremonies of the Church of England as the Sprinkling of Infants the Sign of the Cross in Baptism bowing to the Altar to name no more at present are not sinful then how shall we be ever able to reprove a Papist for using holy Water bowing to the Image of Christ c. Certainly if we must submit to the Ceremonies of the Church of England in her present Constitution we must submit to theirs too where they have power on their side to enforce them But he that shall impartially consider what a learned Protestant hath said of the Sinfulness of that one Ceremony of the Sign of the Cross in Baptism in his Book entituled Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies will see great cause to avoid touching with any such Inventions however they may be supposed to have had an harmless Use among Christians at the first But who sees not that when such Ceremonies have got the Reputation of Religion upon them and are forced on by humane Laws what incredible Miseries they have brought upon the Christian World How have they lorded it over Kings and Kingdoms over the Estates Liberties and Lives of Christians Who sees not that being thus set up they are sometimes more set by than sincere Faith and an holy Life as if all true Religion and Loyalty too were only to be judged of according to Mens Submission to those Humane Innovations For it is notorious even in this our Land that let a Man but conform to all the Ceremonies he shall live honourably let his Life be never so debauched almost But let a Man refuse these Ceremonies out of conscience to God because they are not from Heaven then he is Envy's Mark let his Life be never so just and harmless Such Effects should lead us to consider what the Causes are And because we are speaking of Ceremonies we crave leave to enquire What means the Ceremony of the Ring in Marriage Why are we forced not only to use it but to use it in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost The Church of England blames the Papists for saying Marriage is a Sacrament but shall we then make a Sacrament of a Ring Sure you make the Ring as sacred in Marriage as you make the Water in Baptism Such Usages as these we fear give the Papists too much cause to use this Speech A Protestant is but a Papist scar'd out of his Wits It is not then any thing of Prejudice or Obstinacy which makes us to stand off from the Communion of the Church of England but an unfeigned Desire to serve God aright and a godly Fear lest by touching with these unwritten Traditions we should bring our Souls under Guilt in the sight of God Howbeit if any can convince us that the Church of England is justifiable in these things here objected we shall suspect our selves to be mistaken in other things which we here
the Apostles themselves would in all likelihood throw the Power of Ordination out of the Church of God at this day especially if we stand upon the due Election and Qualification of Persons so claiming Succession from the Apostles themselves And because due Qualifications and Election is as necessary to a true Minister of Christ as Ordination seeing it 's most certain that unless God do first make Men Ministers it 's impossible for the Church rightly to make them Ministers We shall here add That besides his moral Vertues and Spiritual Gifts he that is regularly called to the Ministry must first be a true Member of the Church and chosen by a true Church to that sacred Employment And then we may boldly yet modestly suppose that true Ordination at least in some part of it is only found in the Congregations of Baptized Believers at this day For where true Baptism is not Ordination cannot be regular Again due Election is found amongst them whilst neglected both by Papists and Prelatists And further the true Form and Order of Ordination is found in our Churches The first is evident of it self No Baptism no due Ordination is a Truth without exception among all that own Ordination And for the second 't is certain none are ordained to any Office in the Baptized Churches till elected by the consent of the Church or the Major part to whom they are to minister And herein they follow the Footsteps of the Apostles Acts 1. when one must be chosen in the room of Judas the 120 which was the whole Assembly allowed the choice of two and good reason there is that where all are equally concerned they should all be satisfied in the choice of such as to whom they commit the care and feeding of their Souls When the seven Deacons were to be ordained the whole Church is consulted Acts 6. and the Election made by them who knew the qualification of the Persons And as holy Scripture so Antiquity stands with us in this case The Nicene Council writing their minds to the Church at Alexandria concerning some that were to succeed other Bishops gives these Directions If so be they shall seem to be worthy and the People shall chuse them What Rules were to be observed in respect of their worthiness for Ministerial Employment may be gathered from Clement Epist ad Corinth Having saith he made trial of them by the Spirit to be Bishops and Deacons And again Others well approved of should succeed into the Office and Ministry who therefore have been constituted by famous and discreet Men with the good liking and consent of all the Church and who withal have of a long time had a good Testimony from all Men. Leo gives the same direction Epist 84. c. 5. charging That none be ordained against the Wills and Petitions of the People And again Epist 49. The Custom was that he should be chosen of all that was to be over all and wills that the liking of the People and their Testimony be sought That in Ordinations the Rules of the Apostles and Fathers ought to be observed that he that is to be over the Church should not only have the Allowance of the Faithful but the Testimony also of them that are without Cyprian is as clear for us Ep. l. 1. The People who full well and perfectly know the Life of him that is to be ordained Bishop are to be present and to be chosen with their allowance who know the Conversation of every one And he brings Salinius his Colleague for Instance who was chosen by the Voice of the whole Brotherhood and the Judgment of the Bishops which came together Each Church stands free saith Dr. Bilson Perpet Govern by God's Law to admit maintain and obey no Man as their Pastor without their liking and that the Peoples Election dependeth on humane Fellowship and first Principles of humane Society and Assemblies Dr. Field informs us That this Right of the People hath been invaded many ways 1. By great Personages and Magistrates 2. When the Bishops grew to great Pomp and the Clergy began to be enriched by Benefices Elections were and to this day are made according to the Interests of the Rich and Strong whilst the People are not only deprived of but become ignorant that any Right remains in them to chuse their own Ministers or Pastors Now this Privilege tho lost in most National Churches is restored and maintained in the Baptized Churches where none are elected Messengers Bishops or Deacons without the free Choice of the Brotherhood where such Elections are made And after such Election of Persons of known Integrity and competent Ability we proceed to Ordination with Fasting and Prayer and the laying on of Hands according to the Scripture Acts 13. 3. When they had fasted and prayed they laid their Hands on them and sent them away Thus for the Ordination of Messengers which after the manner of some are called Bishops Acts 14. 23. And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church and prayed with Fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed Acts 6. 5 6. And they chose Stephen a Man full of Faith and of the Holy-Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas whom they set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their Hands on them Thus for the Ordination of Deacons All which Apostolical Practices are religiously restored and observed in the Churches of the Baptized Believers without any devised Adjuncts of our own or others By all which it may appear they have a lawful Call to the Work of the Ministry Here I meet with an Objection 'T is doubted by some whether a Man having received Ordination as a Presbyter may afterward have Ordination as a Messenger of the Churches of Christ the Objector supposing that the first Ordination is sufficient only the Church must give him another Commission This Objection I answer three ways 1. By Antiquity 2. By Reason 3. By Scripture 1. Antiquity is directly against this Objection being rather for a threefold Ordination than only one as I shall shew by and by But first I marvel how the Objector would give a Man a Ministerial Commission without Ordination the Church having no other way at all to give Commissions but by Ordination nor can any Man tell us how she can give her Commissions Ministerial but by the very Act of her Ordination and according to the Nature of her Ordination such and no other is her Commission Now our Ancients understood this and therefore did usually bring Men gradually to the degree of a Bishop i. e. a Messenger according to the Scripture Bishop or Overseer being a Name common to Elders in the Primitive Times Thus Chrysostom was first ordained a Deacon then a Presbyter after that he was ordained Bishop of Constantinople by Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria And saith the learned Bilson In the Primitive Church they were first Deacons and upon Trial when they had ministred well and were found blameless they were admitted to be Elders and after that if their Gifts and Pains so deserved they were called to an higher degree so that every one by the ancient Discipline of Christ's Church before he could come from ministring to governing in the Church of God received thrice or at least twice Imposition of Hands 2. Reason tells us that every Man that is called to the Work of the Ministry ought to have a Commission that is an Ordination commensurable to his Ministry It is Christ's peculiar to give Commission by the Word of his Mouth only the Church cannot do so she must confer Ministerial Authority in some solemn Rite or Ceremony This is plain in the case of Deacons it was not sufficient for the Apostles to say of Persons eminently qualified we order or appoint them to serve Tables or look ye to the Poor But besides their great Qualifications and Election they must receive their Commission or Authority by Prayer with the laying on of hands else they have no Commission In like 〈…〉 be solemnly ordained before the Holy-Ghost hath made him an Overseer of the particular Flock committed to his Charge And then in reason if he have a far greater Charge afterward committed to him he has need of a Commission that is an Ordination for other Commission there is none to enable him to take care of many Churches and to plant new Churches in the World We read not of any Messengers that acted as such in that great Trust without an Ordination agreeable to their Work and it is ill venturing to send Men out with a Commission too short for their Employment it being irrational so to do and without any good Example Let us see then what the Scripture will say in favour of our Answers 3. The Apostles had a twofold Apostleship the one limited to the Jewish Nation Mat. 10. the other of extent to all Nations Mat. 28. If they were ordained to either then they were ordained to both and the latter seems to be the more solemn and formal Ordination not only for that when Christ had given them Order what to do he lift up his Hands and blessed them Luk. 24. 50. but also gave them Order to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endowed with Power from on high When their Work was particular or limited they had a limited Commission when their Work was universal they had an universal Commission Sure the Church who hath no way to give Commissions but by Ordination shall do well and wisely to follow Christ the Author of all her Power when she delegates or gives it forth to any of her Ministers This Answer may suffice yet we add Barnabas is confessed to have been one of the Seventy Disciples and had a divine Authority from Christ to preach the Gospel to the Jews but when he is sent to preach to the Gentiles he hath a new Commission even an Ordination as appears Acts 13. FINIS Psal 90. 2. Rev. 4. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 147. 5. Prov. 15. 3. i See the 35th of Elizabeth Luk. 2. 22 23 24. Exod. 13. 2. Lev. c. 12. Socrat. l 6 c. 12 13.
The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS CONTAINING I. His humble Resolution to be a constant Conformist to the Scriptures and especially in these four great Duties viz. 1. To Honour all Men. 2. To Love the Brotherhood 3. To Fear God 4. To Honour the King According to 1 Peter 2. 17. II. His unfeigned endeavour for Unity in the Truth with the Church of England wherein is shewed what 〈◊〉 a distinction in Communion between the Parochial 〈…〉 those of the Baptized Believers Wherein fourteen 〈◊〉 lately published by Mr. N. T. M. A. in defence of Infant-Baptism are considered and answered III. His Plea for Church-Assemblies to be permitted to the Baptized Believers To which purpose is declared IV. The Nature of his Call to Christianity and to the work of the Ministry OCCASIONED By the great and long continued Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation BY THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ Job 21. 4. As for me is my complaint to 〈◊〉 And if it were so why should not my Spirit be troubled Causabon's Birth of Heresy c. 3. p. 11. In all Ages Men have never been contented with the true Adoration instituted by God But instead of external Signs instituted by God they have forged and brought in their own Inventions London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1684. The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them and all Christians to study to be Quiet and do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in two Sermons upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. By THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24. 21. But whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye Acts 4. 19. London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1674. To all the Baptized Believers in England c. Grace and Peace through Christ our Lord be multiplied THE great Apostle St. Paul having taught the Christian Churches in Creet their Duties towards God and towards Caesar and leaving Titus a Messenger of the Churches behind him there very strictly warns him to put them in mind of their Subjection to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Knowing how impossible it would be to propagate the Profession of Christianity if Christians did not adorn their Profession with a meek and harmless Conversation towards all Men and especially by their Obedience to those in Authority And considering the manifold Temptations that attend Christians in these days upon that account I thought it my Duty as one that has obtained Mercy to be faithful to do my best in giving warning to my Brethren lest any of them should be ensnared with ill Principles or specious Pretences to speak or do any thing that may be inconsistent with Gospel-Rules either in things relating more immediately to Almighty God or to the King's Majesty and those that are in Authority under him Such heady Persons there were in the Apostle's Days and therefore the less strange if now some such be found in the best of Churches as are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities All Ages and sorts of Christians have been troubled with such Evil-Workers And as it hath been the care of faithful Men all along to protest against them that the Truth which such Wretches only prophane by their Profession of it might not be worse thought of because of them So let it be our care to bear a faithful Testimony against all such in these Days And I beseech you Brethren whom God hath made as Guides to the rest that you give all diligence to teach and instruct those under your Charge in the Duties which pertain to every state of Life as well as in things which pertain to the Worship of our Gracious God For these are the things which become sound Doctrine and of these our Obedience to Magistrates is not the least I commit the ensuing Discourses to the Consideration of all Christians and to the Blessing of God and remain Your Brother and Servant in the Gospel THO. GRANTHAM The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them all to study to be Quiet and to do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in several Discourses upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honour the King THis great Apostle St. Peter having preached Christ in many Countries thought it meet to leave some Monuments of his holy Doctrine with all the Churches And having in two sacred Epistles assured them of the certainty of the Doctrine which he had preached and that it was no Fable or new Device but the very Truth which from the Beginning God made known to his Prophets He then exhorts them to Stedfastness and to hope to the end for the grace or fulness of Glory which shall be brought to all true Christians at the revelation or second coming of Christ He warns them to beware of Sin chiefly that root of Malice Envy and Hypocrisy for these are usually complicated in one for as it gave being to all our Misery and has been all along the ruine of Nations Churches and Communities so we are advertised that it will abound towards the end of the World To avoid this damning Iniquity we are willed to consider our new Birth and as new-born Babes to evidence our delight to be in the sincere Milk of the Word of God not in the Vanities of this World where we are but Pilgrims and Strangers assuring us that as Christ is the sure Foundation to support his Church So however some Builders do set him at naught he is the Head of the Corner and will certainly in time confound the Disobedient 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Howbeit lest Christians should be too impatient of the seeming delay of Christ's Exaltation and of the manifold Tribulations which in the mean time they must suffer he further warns them to be of an obedient and submissive Spirit to such as are in Authority and to adorn their Profession by an honest Conversation as the best way to silence their Opposers For so is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For tho it be very true that all Christians are the Lord's Freemen 1 Cor. 7. 22. yet they may not maliciously despise any Man nor dishonour any Man much less any that are in Authority Christianity being indeed the greatest Obligation that any Man can be
Disciples when such a Spirit appeared in them And have we not seen a refined Generation as they would be thought peeping forth with the Name of Blood or the smiting Principle written on their Forehead with direction to their Proselites to pray that God would destroy all Oppressior and Oppressors from off the face of the Earth Lord what is this The greatest part of Mankind peradventure are Oppressors in one thing or other and must a Christian pray for their Destruction or for their Conversion Sure the latter is the Duty of all Christians 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. They cannot desire such a woful Day but that Mercy may be extended knowing that themselves were sometimes foolish disobedient living in Malice hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. But alas do not these Men pray for their own Destruction Who sees not that such a Principle is pregnant with Oppression O let all Christians beware of it And let us pray for them that hate us persecute us and speak all manner of Evil against us falsly for his Names sake who hath called us not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Thus leaving all Men of bloody violent and treacherous Principles to consider what Spirit they are of how unlike our Lord Christ how different from the Primitive Christians how contrary to Humanity it self which teaches all to do to others not as they do but as we would they should do to us We shall proceed to the next Point of Doctrine grounded upon the second Direction in the Text Love the Brotherhood Doct. II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians This Brotherhood being not natural but spiritual and mystical admits of a twofold Consideration 1. In the largest Sence the Word and Use of it in Scripture will bear 2. In a more strict and special Sence In the first we must comprehend all that own the holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith believing in the only true God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost for these three are one that Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification that live soberly according to the general Rules of Christianity tho they may be diversly persuaded in the Methods of Christian Worship Or I could be content if the State of Christianity would bear it in these Days to express my self in this Case in the Words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ among whom he found Diversities of Opinions as well as Disorders in practice of Ordinances Not that he allows either but labours to reform both yet so as he would preserve Amity among them as they were Brethren tho some of them were carnal 1 Cor. 3. others allowing themselves a very dangerous Liberty in religious Matters even to eat Things sacrificed to Idols some doubting of the Resurrection others very loose in their Devotion at the Lord's Table they were some tumultuous others otherwise vicious 2 Cor. 13. Now whether the Apostle in his Exhortations to Unity intends that notwithstanding these Errors they should hold ample Communion with the Erroneous or whether upon adhering to Reproof by him given and their obeying the Epistles which he sent to them he obliges them to maintain and uphold their Communion is the Business to be considered The first it is not like to be for then few Errors either in Doctrine or Life could break this brotherly Fellowship among Christians And then to what purpose are these Rules given Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. 6. Surely all that can be required as to Unity with these Christians is a brotherly Compassion to encourage what we can the Truth they hold or the Good they do to hold with them in the common Cause of Christianity against the common Enemy of it I conceive the latter to be the only safe way viz. That notwithstanding their great Carnality Weakness of Judgment or Frowardness in their erroneous Opinions c. if now they would receive the Counsel of the Lord's Messenger or which the Lord by his Messenger had sent unto them that then the Brotherhood once found among them should still continue tho they had too evidently forfeited their Privileges Thus to take the Apostle's meaning is to make him harmonize with himself 2 Thess 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But to take the Apostle in the first Sence would make him irreconcileable to or with himself So then Paul did not advise the Faithful at Corinth to hold ample Communion with those of ill Life and erroneous Principles in the necessary parts of Religion such as the Resurrection and Separation from Idolatry doubtless are for he that denies the first denies Christ to be risen makes the Apostles false Witnesses and the Faith of Christians vain 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. And the second makes Men uncapable to serve God Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Idols or Devils 1 Cor. 1. 10. Let us then consider the second or more strict Sence of the Word Brotherhood in our Text. And here we must take it as it pertains to truly constituted and well-governed Societies of Christians For undoubtedly God intended to have the Christian Religion stated and maintained in all Nations according to the pristine Simplicity of the Gospel without the mixtures of Legal Ceremonies or humane Innovations For when Jesus gave commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them and then to teach them to observe all Things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28. 19 20. and gave being to this Order to continue to the end of the World it must needs be highly rational on the part of all such as do piously stand to this Form of Doctrine as explicated and delivered to the Churches Rom. 6. 17. Heb. 6. 1 2. And consequently it must needs be very pleasing to God and commendable in the Church that his Institutes be kept with the greatest exactness as they were delivered at first 1 Cor. 11. 2. For if once Variations in either the Doctrinal or Practical Parts of the Christian Religion be admitted there can be no certain duration of any Truth A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump Gal. 5. 7. And this the Apostle speaks too with relation to the Imposition of some Legal Rites which once had a Divine Original and Use in the Church of God and yet now could not consist with obedience to the Truth Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth Hence Saint Paul would not give place to St. Peter himself when too much
symbolizing with legal Ceremonies Gal. 2. that so the Truth of the Gospel might continue in the Churches of Galatia plainly shewing that as Light and Darkness cannot dwell together so the Gospel is exclusive of legal Ceremonies and humane Innovations And seeing all must grant there has been a very great departure from the Truth of the Gospel both in Doctrine and Practice there cannot be a better Method I suppose thought on to amend what is amiss in the Christian World and thereby to restore true brotherly Fellowship than that used by our Lord Mat. 19. 8. to reform a Corruption among the Jews and such an Error too as had a shew of Scripture-Authority for it I mean the Case of Divorce yet our Saviour suppresseth that Custom by referring to the primitive Institution of Marriage From the Beginning it was not so And upon this Text how well does our Brethren I mean the Sober and Pious in the Church of England defend themselves against Popish Innovations both in Opinion and Practice One of them speaks thus As touching each of these Errors we can say with our Saviour in this present Correption of the Pharisees that from the Beginning it was not so and we care not whence they come unless they come from the Beginning This hath ever been saith he the Rule the warrantable Rule to reform a Church When Esdras was intent on building the Temple he sent not to Ephesus much less to Rome he did not enquire into the Rituals of Numa Pompilius but had recourse for a Temple to that of Solomon and for a Rite to that of Moses Indeed for Things meerly indifferent as he observes there must be preserved a Liberty in all Churches to consult and do for the best I dare not say as he To make Constitutions for that 's a great word but to manage her Affairs with Decency Order and Charity But to come more directly to our Doctrine which is Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians Certain it is that our Love as Christians may go much further than our actual Communion in all things Christian may do and yet this Love it self is a kind of Fellowship The Angels have Fellowship with us and acknowledg themselves our Fellow Servants Rev. 19. 10. and yet they do not partake with us in all our acts of Religion but only by approbation and corroboration in things which are well done Now the best or most orderly sort of Christians cannot conceive a greater disproportion between their Churches and the Churches of the most erring if but well-meaning Societies that conscientiously profess Love and Obedience to Christ And even hence we are obliged to hold as much Brotherly Fellowship with them as we can especially that of Love and Brotherly Compassion For when we consider that even some of all sorts of Christians will rather dye than basely deny their Lord and Master we cannot but have Fellowship with such in our Spirits whilst it is the same and not a feigned Christ to whom they shew their utmost testimony of Love And this Consideration alone may suffice to take away that imbitteredness which is too often found among Christians dissenting one from another Let their Appellations be what they will so that they believe in the true Christ and live well being also faithful to what they know And tho they be never so angry with me for opposing them in their Traditions or erring Notions otherwise yet I must have a Brotherly tenderness towards them all for the Truths sake which dwelleth in them But now for ample or full Communion I see not how that can be attained and maintained but where there is antecedent to it an Union both in Doctrine and Practice in things necessary to the true Constitution and Government of the Church of Christ And seeing also our Differences about these things are not small or trivial it cannot I think be better ordered than that a Friendly Distinction and Brotherly Forbearance be permitted as to ample Communion for that Men cannot comfortably nor peaceably join together till they be agreed in these things I see not that the difference betwixt Paul and Barnabas was so great as to the thing about which they differed as the things about which Christians differ in these days and yet its certain their Contention being great for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies provoking gauling and imbittered Speeches and Minds say the Learned it is certain they could not transact their Affairs in the Gospel together but apart And this was written perhaps to shew that a competent Unity in Judgment must precede our actual Communion and till that be attained among us there is a necessity in regard partly of human Frailty and partly in regard of some precious Truths to forbear one another without destroying the Truth to which we have attained respectively And this is the greatest Love we can extend to one another under these difficult Circumstances 1. To pity and heartily to pray one for another for the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all Men in Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 2. There must be all Patience exercised and Compassion shewed to the Ignorant and those that are out of the way especially where the scruple is tender and conscientious And in the mean time the faithful Minister of God must hold fast the form of sound Words he must teach the same Doctrine which was committed to his Trust by the Apostles He must warn others that they teach no other Doctrine He must not give place to Jewish or other Fables And the Church must so walk in Christ as they first received him rooted in the Foundation-Principles established and built up in him Not carried about with every Wind of Doctrine but speaking the Truth in Love must endeavour to grow up into Christ in all things In a word it is the Duty of this Brotherhood to stick close to the whole Councel of God and not to partake with other Mens Sins or Errors in Life or Religion which cannot be done where contrarieties in Doctrine and Practice about things necessary to the true State and Government of the Church of Christ are allowed in the same Fellowship or Community Love the Brotherhood This Fraternity are in a special manner to love one another 1. Because God himself hath loved them with a special kind of Love And if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 3. It is happy when the Love of Christians is founded upon this bottom viz. the Manifestation of God's Love to them and not upon any thing of human Excellency for this is to have Mens Persons in Admiration and not to admire this Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us 2. Because this is the sweetest Manifestation that we are the Children of God for in this is manifest the Children of God 1 John 3. 10. namely that they
the Children of Men. In a Word Faith apprehends or believes this God to be whatsoever his Word declares him to be which together with his works of Creation and Providence are the Intelligencers to Mortals his good Spirit also helping and illuminating all that heartily seek after him Howbeit this Faith is not of the same magnitude in all that have it but 't is of the same Nature To all that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the Righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 1. To fear God is indeed a Duty incumbent upon all Men and not upon Christians only And for the better performance of this great Duty it is good to know the Cause why Mankind of all other Creatures is bound to fear God I say Mankind only of all sublunary Creatures for from other Creatures God expects not this nor do they pay it to him not having capacity and so no necessity on them to do it But they are subjugated to the Fear of Man who is placed over them as Supream Psal 86. 7 8. Gen. 9. 2. Indeed I do not find that this Fear and Dread of Man was upon the Creatures below him till after the Earth was accursed It is true a Dominion was given Man over them in his innocent Estate Gen. 1. 28. But that he should have ruled them with Rigour as now I find not but do conceive that the terrour of Man to the brute Creatures and their Disobedience to him are Effects of the Curse and its certain the Curse was the Effect of Sin But in these things let us not be too curious Now whether in case Man had not sinned he should have been obliged to fear God as now or whether he should have properly feared God at all may be enquired here To which it may be answered That seeing God had endued Man with excellent Reason and Judgment and yet put him in a mutable State and gave him notice that his state was such when he gave him a Law with a Penalty upon the Breach of it In the Breach of which he should surely dye Gen. 2. 17. It follows that Man was even then bound to Fear and to stand in awe of his Majesty from the beginning before Sin was upon him So that Sin is not the Original Cause of the Fear of God but his Bounty towards Man and absolute Sovereignty over him are the Grounds of it And hence we may learn how just how necessary it is for us who are of the fall'n race of Adam not only for that we are under these Original Obligations and for that the Covenant which we are under as Christians tho a Covenant of Grace yet is truly conditional whatever some murmur to the contrary to fear the God of Heaven and to stand in awe of his Majesty Behold therefore the Goodness and Severity of God! on them that fell Severity but towards thee Goodness if thou continue in his Goodness otherwise thou also shall be cut off Rom. 11. 22. Heb. 4. 1. But it is furthermore our Duty for that we are more subject to err than Adam was for all grant he had Free-will and Sufficiency of Ability to stand had he used it But tho some of us do hold we have a liberty of Will yet we must all confess our Power to be very small without intervening Grace either to resist Temptations or to do acts of Righteousness Not that we are sufficient to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. There is a Distinction of Fear towards God much spoken of to wit a servile Fear and a filial Fear The first they would exclude from a Christian But if by servile Fear be intended no more than to fear God as a good Servant is to fear his Master I can see no reason to exclude it If I be a Master where is my Fear saith the Lord. Mal. 1. 16. It seems God's Servants must fear him But perhaps the meaning of the distinction is this By filial Fear is meant an holy Dread lest we do any thing that is evil or leave undone the thing that is good and by servile Fear is meant a Fear of Punishment only If this be it I shall say little to it believing whoever makes this distinction would have all Men and specially Christians to fear God so as to depart from all Evil and to do Good lest Judgment be the Portion of their Cup from the Lord. Fear God that is stand in awe of his Majesty worship and serve him and him only 1 Sam. 12. 14. Only fear the Lord and serve him with all your Heart Psal 45. 11. He is thy Lord and worship thou him Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4. 10. This is God's Right we must only pay it to him When Peter was put upon this Strait whether to please or fear Men when his Service to God was the matter in question his Speech was very frank and resolute Acts 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto Men more than unto God judg ye This then must ever become good Christians in matters of Religion to stick close to that which is right in the sight of God however it may be countermanded by Man The Condescensions of holy Paul were so wisely attempered as even then when he was made all things to all Men and paying his debt of Love to the Wise and Unwise so as to be without Law to them that were without Law and under the Law to them that were under the Law yet he was not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ he would not sin to please any nor do Evil that Good might come For the Fear of the Lord is clean the Beginning of Wisdom and that which must keep us company all our days else we lie open to the fiery Darts of Satan which will both hit and hurt where the Fear of the Lord is absent Therefore blessed is the Man that feareth always This is that Grace which held Joseph back from Uncleanness Nehemiah from Self-endedness in God's Service when others made it burthensom This did not I saith he because of the Fear of the Lord. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling saith the Apostle I trembled in my self that I might rest in the Day of Trouble saith the Prophet I exceedingly fear and quake said Moses I am so troubled I cannot speak said David And shall we not exceedingly fear and stand in awe of that Majesty which made these Pillars in the Church to tremble Beware of a stupid and careless Spirit for that will soon prove a revolting Spirit Jer. 5. 22 23. David makes that awful Fear of God an express Duty to all Psal 76. 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy presence when once thou art angry Without a godly Fear no Service to God is
mention not Now may it please the God of Heaven to put it into the Hearts of the Guides of the Church of England to consider these things 1. That none of these Ceremonies about which we differ from them are required of Christians in the Holy Scriptures And that therefore 2. To enforce them by Excommunication and Penal Laws upon the Consciences of Men is more than God requires of you or any Body else And surely if the making these things necessary to our Communion were but removed so that Things which are not delivered in the Word of God were left at liberty we should not stand at so great a distance from the Church of England as now we do For tho we are verily persuaded that these Things objected against by us are Errors and therefore prudently to be amended yet we believe the imposing of them is a thousand times more offensive in the sight of God and more grievous to the Souls of Men because as we conceive God's Authority is then usurped by Man and Mens Fear towards him is then taught by the Precepts of Men. And yet we know and indeed must confess that many Things as to the more convenient performance of Religious Services in a Church-way are left to the Prudence of the Church guided therein by the general Rules in the Word of God and some Things also which are not of the Essence of Christianity will seem doubtful to some and clear to others And therefore there will be a continual Necessity of brotherly Forbearance one towards another in some sinless Ceremonies as many Things may be so esteemed whilst not made the Boundaries of Communion and forced upon Christians against their Consciences For Example tho Sitting be the most safe Gesture at the Lord's Table because nearest to Christ's Example yet if any in Humility and of Devotion to God think it their Duty to receive kneeling this surely cannot justly offend any Christian And thus also bowing at the Name of Jesus being left at liberty when where and upon what occasion the Conscience of a Christian may be most pressed to do it need not offend any tho it is apparent such bowing is not the meaning of the Text Phil. 2. 10. And the same may be said of well-composed Prayers so that still such Forms be used as a matter of Christian Liberty and not imposed by Law as necessary And could Things be managed with such Moderation as certainly the State of the Inhabitants of this Land does much call for it in a friendly and brotherly Spirit 't is hoped our Animosities would abate and Charity would endear all that are upright towards God one towards another tho labouring under many Weaknesses or dark Circumstances But whilst one Party stands up with a Sword in their hand or with power to thrust Men into Goal and rifle their Estates unless they will all submit to their Will and Pleasure not only without but perhaps in some things against the Word of God the pretended Rule to all Protestants in Matters of Religion this lays a Necessity upon all that are of Noble and truly Christian Spirits to testify against such Cruelty and unmanly Proceedings and to assert the true Christian Doctrine and Liberty and Christ's Sovereign Authority only to make Laws for his Church as such altho for so doing they suffe the Loss of all Things which are dear to them in this World and therewithal to stand off from the Communion of such unreasonable Men as have not learned to do to others as they would have others to do to them under their differing Opinions when in a state of Subjection to those who differ from them Thus much briefly of the Reasons or Causes of our Separation We will now consider what Mr. N. Taylor brings to make good Poedobaptism And the rather because he says he has defended Infant-Baptism both by Scripture and Reason Let us hear how he doth this Mr. NATHANIEL TAYLOR' 's Fourteen Arguments for Infant-Baptism considered and answered BEfore we answer his Arguments we will take notice of some of his Concessions And 1. He saith Baptism of Water is not absolutely necessary to Salvation pag. 2. 2. He tells us St. Paul joins the Word of God with this Baptism in order to the purifying Christ's Church that acting on the Soul and this terminating on the Body And that St. Peter's Assertion is clear that it is not Water purifying the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God that saveth pag. 7. 3. He tells us also That the premising the Word DISCIPLE Matth. 28. 19. implies none to be capable of Baptism who are not Disciples of Christ and Members of the Church pag. 10. 4. And further That Christ would have his Ordinances performed by an external Administration wherein the subject might be in the nearest capacity of understanding pag. 81 82. 5. He grants That Childrens Baptism and Church-Membership are not mentioned in the New Testament pag. 51. From all which a Man may very fairly argue and conclude against Infant-Baptism thus If Infants are undoubtedly saved without Baptism and are Members of Christ's Church without Baptism and that the Word of God must act upon the Soul in true Baptism so as that the Subject of Baptism must have the answer of a good Conscience And if none be capable of Baptism till they be Disciples of Christ according to Matth. 28. 19. and ought to be in the nearest capacity of understanding what is done in the external administration of Baptism And if Infant-Church-Membership and Baptism be not mentioned in the New Testament then Infants ought not to be baptized But all this is true saith Mr. Taylor Therefore I conclude Infants ought not to be baptized And thus his Book I will not say as he may be soon blown away but it may seem to be soon answered And his learned Title very unsuitable For how shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is not mention'd in the new Testament can that be Orthodoxal Baptism which is not mentioned there Sure this is incredible But let us hear his Arguments by which he undertakes to vindicate Infant-Baptism both by Scripture and Reason Mr. Taylor 's Argument 1. If our Christian Privileges be as great as the Jews were then our Children are rightly baptized But our Christian Privileges are as great as the Jews were Therefore our Children are rightly Baptized ANSWER Because Mr. Taylor says he offers his Reasons for Infant-Baptism in order to a composure of Differences and I do believe he means as he says I shall therefore endeavour to answer them with all Love and Sincerity as becomes a Christian And I say 1. That upon a fair Distinction both Propositions may be denied For if the Question be of external Privileges only then whether we respect outward Advantages in the World or Rites and Ceremonies in the Church pertinent to Infants the Minor is to be denied for the Jews were under a sure Promise
the Fear of God c. Then I deny your Major and say Those who are only capable thus to be engaged with God in Covenant are not capable of Baptism But if you mean a personal and actual entring into Covenant with God then I deny your Minor and all the Experience of the World confutes you 5. You shall never be able to prove that Infants are capable of Fasting and 〈…〉 Duties tho you seem to affirm it and what 〈…〉 the Beasts and that Fast was pleasing to 〈…〉 arises to prove that either Infants or the 〈…〉 any Duty to God nor that they are therefore to be brought to the participation of Baptism nor any other Religious Ordinance without Order from God to do it Yet if a Man were disposed to Syllogize from hence after your manner he might as strongly plead for one Error as you do for another 6. The Capacity of Jewish Children for Circumcision or other Rites of the Law depended chiefly on the Will of God to order it so Prove that it is his Will to have Infants baptized and we will not mention their Incapacity If it be not his Will wherefore is it done Who has required it Mr. Taylor 's Argument 6. Those who are Members of Christ's Church ought to be baptized But Children are Members of Christ's Church Therefore Children ought to be baptized ANSWER If by the Church of Christ you mean all that since the Death of Christ shall be saved then I deny the Major For the Infants of the poor Indians may be saved yet in your Judgment they ought not to be baptized But if by the Church of Christ you mean only such as are in the actual Profession of the Gospel Then I deny the Minor and retort your Argument thus 1. Those who are Members of the Church ought to continue in the Apostles Doctrine and in Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers But c. Ergo c. The Major is proved Acts 2. 41. 1 Cor. 10. They continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers We being many are one Body and one Bread for we are all partakers of that one Bread These things were spoken of the whole Church which was in these Places engaged in the actual profession of the Gospel Now see how you can defend your self against my Minor and therein you will easily see the infirmity of your own 2. But to prove your Minor you say The Children of the Jews were with their Parents Church-Members under the Law and that Law is not yet repealed But if by their Church-membership you mean their Right to and their Parents Act in bringing them to Ceremonies in Religion the contrary is true The Covenant of Circumcision being repealed as it was an Obligation to the Children of Israel and never made with any Nation since nor any other Covenant extant where such things are imposed upon Infants 3. That the Children of converted Jews lost not their Privileges is not true if by Privileges you intend Ceremonies but if by Privileges you mean a being delivered from the Law of Ceremonies then I grant it And it is certainly a greater Privilege that Children are under a declared Right to the Kingdom of God by Christ and his gracious blessing a part of them as a Pledg for the whole than if he had ordained a Law to baptize them in order thereunto And it is also certain that the Jewish Church-state being dissolved upon the Death of Christ and the Gospel-Church confirmed in the Gift of Tongues c. No Person could rightly stand a Member of the Jewish Church which was the only Church that ever had command from God to bring their Infants to Rites of Religion 4. You still urge that the Gentiles had equal Privileges with the Jews And I grant they have greater Privileges but not in Rites and Ceremonies but rather in being accepted without them as touching their Infants and with a very few as touching themselves But you say further That the Children of Parents who did not believe were rejected therefore the Children of believing Parents or Gentiles are Church-Members And here I confess I know not how to reconcile you to your self where you say None are excluded from the Covenant of Grace but actual Vnbelievers pag. 26. Sure the Son shall not dye for the Sin of the Parents so as to go to Hell with them Shall not the Judg of all the Earth do Right 5. You say Children are either Members of the visible Church of Christ or else are visibly of Satan's Kingdom there is no Medium between these two Surely I did not think Mr. Taylor had been of this Opinion No Papist can say worse of poor Infants Here you condemn many thousands of Infants God give you a better Understanding Are Infants of Jews Turks and Indians all of the visible Kingdom of Satan No I will believe my Saviour who saith It is not the will of his Heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18. 14. And sure I am that none are truly of Satan's Kingdom but such as are his Subjects For he has no right over any by Creation and Purchase as God and Christ have Now it being clear that Infants are none of Satan's Subjects it must needs be very injurious to say they are visibly of his Kingdom But being Created by God and Redeemed by Christ and never offended in their own Persons it is rational to think they are in God's Favour as it appears the Infants of the Ninevites were Jonah 4. In his gracious Arms we shall therefore leave them and proceed Mr. Taylor 's Argument 7. Those who are Disciples of Christ may be baptized But Children are Disciples of Christ Therefore Children may be baptized ANSWER 1. The Minor is denied Infants are not Disciples of Christ neither does God and Christ own them for such as you affirm But you bring Acts 15. 1 2 10. to prove it and say That the Yoak which the Jews would have laid upon the new converted Gentiles was Circumcision which pertained to Children who were Circumcised the eighth day and yet it is laid too upon the Disciples Necks But Sir do you think this to be rational that because the Jews would have laid the Yoak of Circumcision on the Necks of the Disciples that therefore all were Disciples upon whom they would have laid that Yoak sure this is a very unlawful Consequence No better than this You would lay the Yoak of Crossing and Sprinkling upon Infants therefore all are Infants upon whom you would lay the Yoak of Crossing and Sprinkling Again they that were preserved in the Ark of Noah were Men and Women Therefore all that were preserved in the Ark of Noah were Men and Women You may easily see these Consequences are very untrue and verily so is yours For tho the false Apostles would have laid the Yoak of Circumcision upon the Necks of the Disciples yet all
be restrain'd from Seditious Practices as well as others and we do by as good Right think it unlawful for us to be so restrained We hope our Legislators did not intend at all to exalt their Authority against the Lord whose Power is above all But yet when these Laws come to be executed upon good Men by the Industry of mercenary Fellows meerly for worshipping God then are they turned into Snares to the ruin of the Innocent and dishonour of that Power which gave them being And all this falls out for want of better provision in the said Laws to convict Men of Sedition than only because they were observ'd to preach or pray 4. Wherefore being fully satisfied that our Assemblies are true Church-Assemblies and that upon the strictest enquiry we are able to make into the due Nature and Order of such Assemblies we conceive our selves indispensibly bound by the Word of God the Examples of the first and best Churches and the Tie of Conscience as regulated by a sincere Love of Religion to hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering or changing by reason of the Change of Times or Man's Laws Being also rationally persuaded that the more publick and free Men are to serve the Lord the less danger of Sedition Wherefore with innocent Hearts and pure Hands as to any Design of Sedition in the strength of Christ we will keep his Way and let the Lord do with us as seemeth him good SECT V. Of the Baptized Believers Call to Christianity and to the Work of the Ministry WHen our Saviour commanded his Apostles to teach all Nations and to preach the Gospel to every Creature We do not doubt but their performance of this his gracious Will may truly be said to be the calling of the Gentiles or Nations And that Men enjoy a great Mercy for which they ought to be very thankful to be born in a Nation to whom the Gospel has been preached and received by their Progenitors And that it is also a great Blessing to be born under the Government of Christian Princes and we believe we ought to love and honour our Nation and the Rulers of it upon this very account as well as for the Obligation of Nature and Laws viz. because they assert the Interest of Christ Jesus in general as well as we Nor is it our Business to destroy the State of Christianity received in any Nation nor at all to despise the Ministry that conscientiously upholds it but only to labour that Christianity may be delivered from the Errors that have encumbred it by reason of the change of Governments and Interests or Corruptions of the Ages past And in this Consideration as we look upon our Nation to be a Christian Nation so we count our selves much more happy in being Members of a Nation that owns the true God Christ Jesus to be the Saviour of the World the Scriptures to be holy and true and that Faith and Holiness is the way to true Blessedness than to have been of any other Nation whatsoever But yet for all this there is a great Truth in the Words of Tertullian i. e. We are not born but made Christians And therefore we do not think that our meer Birth of Christian Parents does qualify us or give us an actual Right to Christ's Ordinances but to this end we believe and know that every Person ought to have the Gospel preached or some way made known to them and that a work of real Grace or the new Birth at least by a solemn Profession must precede our Baptismal Covenant to this the Scriptures give full consent John 1. 12 13. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 23. And thus we and ours so many of them as the Lord our God does call by the preaching of the Gospel are actually incorporate with the Church of Christ Militant and engaged thenceforth in the high and holy Calling and actual Profession of the Christian Religion 2. But now Whether we have any lawful Call to the work of the Ministry is the business to be a little considered partly for that some of our late Persecutors were pleased to suggest the contrary and partly to put our selves upon the strictest Trial even in this case where we are supposed to be the most deficient The Questions in this case to be resolved are 1. Whether a succession of Ordination from Man to Man down from some of the Apostles be absolutely necessary to a due Call to the Ministry or 2. Whether the same Means that is of Authority sufficient to make Men Christians be not also sufficient to make Ministers In answer to these Questions we shall do little more than offer what we have formerly written upon this Subject And tho the Papists are the Men who stand most stifly for Succession as necessary yet of late we find our Friends of the Church of England looking that way as if they would justify their Ordination in a successive Line from Man to Man through the Papacy which thing is disclaimed by Dr. Luther with the greatest vehemency in these words Whoso loveth Christ ought to endure any thing rather than to be ordained by the Papists because in their Ordinations all things are carried with such wicked preposterousness that if they were not mad and blind they would perceive how they mock God to his Face being stricken with an universal blindness they do not so much as know the Word of God specially the Bishops who ordain Let me be counted a Fool a Knave a Lyer if there be any one of them ordain'd by them who dare say that at such time as he received Orders he was commanded to dispense the Mysteries of Christ or to teach the Gospel but they ordain Sacrificers of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass and to hear Confessions c. Thus far Luther And the Oath which they take at their Ordination as set down by Mr. Bullinger is very un-gospel-like the sum of it is in these Words That the Priest will be a true Subject to the Pope obey the Decrees of the Fathers and of the Church i. e. the Roman Church and that he will persecute Hereticks Beza censures all Ordination taken from the Papists Let us hear him speak What ordinary Vocation is that which you say the first Reformers had excepting some few of them is it not the Pall Shall we think then that the Popish Orders are valid in which there is not any preceding enquiry into manners No such Enquiry or Procedure as is inviolably to be made or observed by Divine Right in Elections and Ordinations Shall we think so highly of their Ordinations that as often as any false Bishops are converted to true Christianity immediately all the Filth Uncleanness and Impurity collated is washed away Nay but with what Face or Conscience will he be able to forsake Popery and not abjure his irregular Ordination or if he do abjure it how can he by virtue thereof claim Authority to
teach Thus these two Pillars of the Protestant Reformation are so far from deriving their Call to the Ministry through the Papacy as some late Protestants pretend to do that they do utterly reject any Ordination which comes from them Nor was Luther and Beza ordained after they came from the Papists Mr. Stub's Occas Quaer But Beza is said to defend his Call to the Ministry by Instances of those that were called extraordinarily as Isaiah Daniel Amos Zecharias c. These things premised we may assume that either of these ways as approved by our Reformers respectively could we go to defend our Call to the Ministry as well as they Being first many of us ordained by those who received Ordination from you and some may run with you to Bishop Cranmer who was ordained by the Papacy and then proceed till we come up to Clemens or Lucius and so to St. Peter And as for the pretence of Beza or Luther about their extraordinary Call it 's not impossible for us to give as fair a Demonstration of it as either of them specially if we take the Rules given by Mr. Beza to judg of such a Call by to be cogent viz. good Life sound Doctrine and the Election of the People But to be plain we do not very well like either of these ways Not the first it is so sordid as that the Papists themselves in deriving their Call through the Papacy are forced to take it from so many false pretended Popes or Diabolical Popes even Witches and Devils incarnate by their own confession that they make but a lamentable Succession of it in the end And especially if Stapleton may be regarded tho a Papist who tells us That it is not a bare and personal Succession but lawful Succession which is a note of a true Church and defineth that to be lawful Succession when not only the latter succeeds into the void rooms of those that went before them being lawfully called thereunto but also hold the Faith which their Predecessors did Now let this Rule be honestly stood by and we are sure the Papists shall never be able to prove a Succession of many points of their Faith and Doctrines from the Apostles whilst the World stands and consequently neither can the Protestants derive a lawful Succession from them We like not the second way for we will not compare with Isaiah Daniel Amos nor Zechariah in respect of their immediate Mission But this we say That our Call to the Ministry is no otherwise extraordinary than our Call to believe the Gospel is so or as it stands clear from all the idle Ceremonies used by Papists or others in their Ordinations or as it is ordered as near as we can according to the Word of God And is the sacred Word of Power to beget us to God and by the assistance of his Spirit to make us his Children or Christians and is it not of Power or Authority sufficient to enable us to worship God in his own Ordinances which were made for Christians and not Christians for them This seems justly ridiculous We make no doubt but that it 's easy with God and no extraordinary thing to raise a People to himself in a Nation where all have corrupted the way of Christianity or lost the State and Praise of a true Church meerly through his Blessing upon the reading and diligent searching of the Scriptures I speak of a Nation where the Scriptures are received as that is our case The Truth is all the ways of God's Worship are in the Word made ready for us and laid at our Doors and we do but take up gladly what others let lie as useless things that they may hug their own Devices But now to silence a Papist for ever which some will think to be a difficult undertaking do they not allow even by the Pen of the Learned Bellarmine chap. 7. that even an Heathen that is not baptized may administer Baptism in case of Necessity And this they esteem a valid Baptism And why then may not we when God hath opened our Eyes to see any other Truth as well as that enter upon the dutiful observance of it in the best way we can our Circumstances especially the case of Necessity being considered For is not Necessity as good a Warrant to take up the practice of or to restore one Truth as well as another Certainly one Ordinance is as sacred as another and where Churches are setled ought to be dispensed in the most honourable way and by the most fit Instruments even Christ's Ministers Wherefore till the Papists shall recal their opinion about Baptism and prove a Succession as necessary to Baptism as Ordination they can with no shew of reason insist upon the necessity of Ordination to be founded upon Succession But further It 's evident from the Scriptures Acts 13. that a Succession is not necessary to true Ordination for tho the Apostles were yet living it was not thought necessary that they should impose Hands upon Barnabas and Paul but this is done by gifted Men or the Prophets that were in the Church at Antioch The only question here to be resolved is Whether this laying on of Hands was for Ordination The Papists do hold it was some Protestants deny it but some Protestants do affirm it Mr. Churchman in his History of Episcopacy tells out of Chrysostom That tho Paul was an Apostle neither of Men nor by Men yet as for the Work to which he was separated ask the said Father saith he and he will tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was the Office of an Apostle and that he was ordained an Apostle here that he might preach the Gospel with greater Pewer And certainly that he had not the Apostleship before may be made manifest by that which followed after But tho some Protestants doubt whether this were Paul's Ordination tho the matter is clear of it self yet here is the Ordination of Barnabas without all question and then it is evident that there was an Interruption of Succession in the case of Ordination even in the Apostles Days and therefore by no means to be held to be necessary in our Days who are so far removed from the times of the Holy Apostles that in vain do Men think to find a clear and undoubted Succession of any one Ordinance from them Wherefore we may safely conclude that where the Truth of the Gospel is received with the Gifts of God's Spirit as that was the case at Antioch there is a sufficiency of Power on the Persons so gifted with the advice of the Church to send forth or appoint Men to the work of the Ministry altho 't is true this course is most warrantable in the case of necessity and in no wise to be done in contempt or wilful neglect of that way which is more ordinary and regular Howbeit to tye all Power of Ordination so strictly to the Persons of Men ordained by such as were ordained by
for Faith Neither do we pretend to judg Mens Hearts for tho God has ordered Faith to be a Pre-requisite to Baptism yet we are only to judg of the Profession of Faith not of the Sincerity of it And as it is true as you say that Infants cannot play the Hypocrite so it 's true they cannot play the Christian and therefore not fit for the Duties of Christians of which Baptism is one Mr. Taylor 's Argument 12. They who are capable of the Ends of Baptism may be baptized But Children are capable of the Ends of Baptism Therefore they may be baptized ANSWER 1. If by the Ends of Baptism you mean the Things which concern God's Mercy in the Redemption of Man only then the Major is denied but if by the Ends of Baptism you mean the Things required on Mans part then the Minor is not true for Mortification and Vivification are the Ends of Baptism on Man's part of which Infants are not capable for they cannot put off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh nor have they any need so to do neither can they rise to Newness of Life And tho I grant and have often said it that we ought to devote our Children to God in the best manner we can yet to go beyond the Word of the Lord under that pretence will neither profit us nor our Children 2. What you say here of Baptism being a Seal to Infants c. is answered before And surely the word Heathen so often used by you as it imports sometimes an Enemy to God yet being of it self of no ill signification Infants are not so to be accounted Heathens nor doth the word Christian as it imports a Follower of Christ belong to Infants So that this is only a Noise of Words to talk that our Infants are not distinguished from the Infants of Heathens tho I have shewed a difference between them Mr. Taylor 's Argument 13. Whom the Church of Christ ever received to Baptism may still be baptized But the Church of Christ hath ever received Children to Baptism Therefore they may be baptized ANSWER 1. The Minor Proposition is not true and therefore I do deny that the Church hath always received Infants to Baptism And indeed you do not so much as pretend any thing from the Scriptures to prove it but before do honestly confess That Infant-Baptism is not mentioned in the New Testament and therefore certainly it will be impossible to prove that the Church did always receive Infants to Baptism And it is also very observable that Eusebius who wrote the History of the Church for four hundred Years after Christ does not so much as mention Infant-Baptism at all 2. But how then does Mr. Taylor prove his Minor Why his chief Author to that purpose is Mr. Walker in his Book called A modest Plea for Infant-Baptism which Book in that part has been answered by Mr. De-Laune to which I refer the Reader The Sum of which Answer is to prove that all Mr. Walker's Testimonies from Antiquity for Infant-Baptism for the first 300 Years after Christ are either invalid or taken out of forged and spurious Books And it is more than sufficient to ballance Mr. Walker's and Mr. Taylor 's bold Assertion That the Catholick Church hath always received Infants to Baptism by the contrary Testimonies of Ludovicus Vives and Dr. Barlow the first expresly saying In old Time none was brought to Baptism but he was of sufficient Years to know what that mystical Water meant and to require his Baptism and that sundry times The other tells us There is neither Precept nor Practice in Scripture for Infant-Baptism nor any just Evidence for it for about 200 Years after Christ 2. You say That for many hundreds of Years the Question about Infant-Baptism was not moved But this is a great Mistake for Tertullian did question it as an unwarrantable Practice in the beginning of the third Century as is shewed by Mr. Tombes and others who have diligently enquired into the ancient Customs of the Church 3. The first Instance which you bring for the Practice of Infant-Baptism in our Nation is that in King Ina's time about the Year 692 but we can prove it was opposed by the Britain Bishops two hundred Years before this See Fabian's Chron. part 1. fol. 107. 4. You say The deferring of Baptism among the Ancients was not for their questioning Infant-Baptism But sure if they did think themselves too young to be baptized at twenty or thirty Years of Age they could with no reason think their Children old enough for Baptism at seven or eight days old Extremes have undone all they were too slow and you are as much too quick But the proper time for Baptism is when Men attain to the new Birth Baptism is therefore rightly call'd the Washing of Regeneration 5. You seem to hold That Infant-Baptism was lawfully practised by God's People before Christ and even from the Apostles Time since Christ But I wonder by what Law you give us none but Mr. Walker's Book which is very well answered by Mr. De-Laune in his Book entitled Truth defended And I am sure the best Antiquity says nothing for you Mr. Taylor 's Argument 14. That Doctrine which introduceth many Vnchristian Consequences is erroneous But the Doctrine of the Antipoedobaptists Introduceth many Vnchristian Consequences Therefore the Doctrine of the Antipoedobaptists is erroneous ANSWER 1. The Minor Proposition is not true for our Doctrine in the Case of Baptism is true and Truth does not introduce any erronious Consequences Now that our Doctrine is true appears thus Because it fully agrees with your Text Mat. 28. 19. even as it is expounded by your self in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Going to disciple all Nations instruct them in the Principles of my Religion and then being Disciples baptize them This you say and this we say the only difference is We do as we say but You say and do not You therefore must needs be in the Error in this case 2. But let us hear what you have against our Doctrine First you say It opposeth the whole Current of Scripture nullifies many Scripture-Promises and Privileges and destroys the Covenant of Grace as the premised Pages manifest But I hope the premised Answers do manifest the Charge which you bring against our Doctrine to be very unjust And seeing you are the Men and not we that have changed the Ordinance of Baptism you may justly fear the Censure of the Prophet Isa 24. 5. for breaking the everlasting Covenant See the Place and consider it seriously 3. You say Our Doctrine introduceth the World into Gentilism or Heathenism and makes Christ's Church always gathering and never gathered But how can you say this seeing we are for the teaching or discipling all Nations and every Person in the Nations as they are capable and God gives his Ministers opportunity and we take the same way to do this which the Apostles used according to our Ability i.
e. to preach the Gospel to every one that will hear us and to bring up our Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord And what tho the Church be thus always gathering does not Mat. 28. 19 20. warrant this Practice to the end of the World and if you do not thus gather your Children to Christ they will never be Christians by your Crossing and Sprinkling them 4. Your talk of excluding Infants from the Covenant is answered before and proved untrue what you add of our introducing of despair of the Salvation of Infants shews your Self-contradiction For now you seem to make Infant-Baptism so necessary to Salvation that if they be not baptized we must despair of their Salvation Than which what can be a more erronious Consequence of your Doctrine of Poedo-baptism 5. It is apparent that our Doctrine makes the Covenant established by Christ better than yours whatever you say here to the contrary not only because we assert the Grace of God in the Business of Salvation to extend to Infants more generally than you do But also for that it shews God has not imposed any Ceremonies upon them as he did upon the Jewish Male Infants of eight days old Whilst your Doctrine makes your Crossing and Sprinkling them of such importance as that if it be denied them despair of the Salvation of Infants is genuinely introduced pag. 74. As if God had tyed the Salvation of all the Infants in the World to a Ceremony Thus does your Doctrine make the Covenant established by Christ worse than the Law of Moses for under it the greater part of the Infants of the Jews were saved without being Circumcised to wit all the Females and all the Males under eight days old But you have no hope for Infants Male or Female tho but of a day old if it be not sealed with your pretended Baptism Lord whither will Men go when they forsake thy Word They will make Christ an Impostor if Infants be not capable of Baptism See Mr. Taylor 's Book pag. 72. n. 5. 6. You say Our Doctrine equals the Children of Christians with the Children of Turks c. But we have shewed the advantage to be on the part of the Children of Christians And what if God willing to magnify his Mercy and Goodness has provided a Saviour for the innocent Babes dying in Infancy throughout the World What need this trouble any Body must our Eye be Evil because his is thus Bountiful We know that he hath concluded all under Sin that he might have Mercy upon all And if God hath not Mercy on poor dying Infants so as to save them all by Christ pray shew what Mercy he hath upon them Sure it had been a Mercy they had never been born but not one Iota of Mercy to be born only to cry dye and go to Hell Can you think that such Doctrine befriends the Covenant of Grace I think not 7. To what you say or have said about the Form of Baptism you much mistake us if you think we do not baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost The Article of our Faith which you point to was not written as I conceive to teach any to dispense Baptism in different Forms of Words but to shew that the Name of Son is to be taken as he is our Lord and Saviour Yet let me tell you that I can shew it under the Hand of some now in your Ministry that says Matth. 28. 19. does not impower any to use that Form of Words in Baptism and shews also that the Learned are not agreed in that Matter However I am one with you as to the use of the Form there set down and no other Of the manner of using Baptismal Water 1. Mr. Taylor grants the Mode of Baptizing is laid down by our Saviour and expressed in the Word Baptizontes baptizing them Mat. 28. 19. Now this is very well and I am glad he has done this Holy Ordinance so much right as to acknowledg Christ to lay down in his Commission Mat. 28. 19. the Manner or Mode in which it ought to be performed But then I am sorry to see my good Friend so soon forget himself as in the very next Page to tell us that the Mode of Baptizing is an indifferent thing left to the Prudence of the Church whether to dip or sprinkle Neither of them being commanded nor either of them absolutely forbidden by the Precept of Baptizing What shall I say to this If Baptizontes be the Precept for Baptizing and yet commands nothing neither to dip nor to sprinkle nor absolutely forbids either sure then we keep no Command in doing either nor do we break any in omitting both Pity it is that Men to uphold their own Tradition should thus fight against both Scripture and Reason For if our Saviour by the Words baptizing them command nothing then its best to do nothing if he command both dipping and sprinkling then both must be done if he command but one of these then but one of them must be done Let him chuse which he will he must chuse but one But yet he tells us otherwise pag. 76. for saith he The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equally admits of both Significations as is granted by the best Criticks And quotes chiefly Mr. Walker's Doct. of Bapt. p. 60. to p. 64. For answer I say if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do equally signify dip and sprinkle then unless we will be unequal we must do both or else shew which of them may lawfully be omitted As for Mr. Walker's Book I have seen it and observed that he plays with the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till he makes their Signification altogether uncertain and sets the Learned together by the Ears about the meaning of these Greek Words And indeed according to Mr. Walker no Man can certainly know when he hits right upon the thing to be done in Obedience to this Precept Baptizing them As if our Lord should leave his Apostles and they leave us to guess at his meaning in a Passage wherein he commands nothing certainly And yet to go round again however we use Water in the Name c. we can hardly go besides the meaning of Christ For if we dip the Subject in the Element of Water we are right if we sprinkle it upon any part of the Body for you can assign no one part more than the other we are right still if we dip the Head only or only the Foot we are right if the Head or Breast or Hand only be sprinkled still we are right Now who can think that our Saviour should use an ambiguous Word which is to guide us in matter of Fact Do not Men that thus deal with the Word Baptize make him the Author of all our Contests in this Case And assuredly Mr. Walker has run many a one into a maze about the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I am sorry to see