Church now viz. if they be taught of God then are they disciples for that is the meaning of the word disciples Disciples are taught or learned of God His second place is Isay. 65.20 where it s said there shall be no more thenceforth an infant of daies c. in which place what ere the meaning is it matters not a rush as to his purpose so long as it s spoken of a time that is yet to come Now here is such a messe of mistakes as may well make a wise man amaz'd and and make him muse whether the pen-man of this proof of that Minor that infants are disciples and consequently to be baptized according to Mat. 28.19 were well awake or asleep when he set it down concerning it I le propound four things to be well examined of you all First whether he be not egregiously mistaken in the persons to whom those promises are made which if they be all infants of the faithful considered as in their minority then is there a mighty mist before my eyes for really by the best improvement I can make of my understanding I can possibly ken no such matter nor that it is any other then the Saints and faithful ones themselves even all of them and not any of their children after the flesh but as they prove faithfull and do become Saints in their own persons as well as their parents Secondly whether he be not grossely mistaken about the time wherein these promises are to be fulfilled in fuller evidence of both which consider first as to the first Scripture who ever they are that are there expressed by the term thy children they are all and every of them without exception partakers of the Lords teaching and of all the other priviledges there promised for it s said All thy children shall be taught of the Lord c. at that time therefore wherein this shall be fulfilled this promise shall be performed to every individual of those kind of persons to whom it s made not one excepted which shews that it is meant onely of the Saints for they are the Churches children and not their natural seed and of that time onely when the New Ierusalem which is not yet shall come down from God out of heaven for so shall it then be with all the faithful that shall inhabit that City of the Lord whose people are said also to be all righteous Is. 60.21 but this is not performed to all the children of the faithfull now neither are they all taught of God with that effectual teaching there promised as is evident in that many of them in time prove reprobates when wicked mens children prove elect Secondly It is expresly shewed in the 17 v. who are the persons whose portion and heritage these priviledges are for this saith he is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. As for the second place so far is it from speaking of infants in infancy that it rather shewes that there shall be no infant of daies i. e. that shall dy an infant nor old man that hath not filled his daies in that time but the very child shall dy an hundred years old i. e. he shall be counted as dying young or a child that lives but an hundred years so long lived shall they be in those daies yea as the daies of a tree shall be the daies of my people saith God and mine elect shall long enjoy the works of their hands And as to the time when these things shall be t is not now but in the reign of Christ when the New Ierusalem shall be built with Saphirs and all precious stones and when the Lord shall make the New Heavens and the New Earth which is not yet in being but is looked for of all the Saints at the comming of Christ and the redemption of Israel as Peter saith according to his promise which appears plainly by comparing Isa. 65. 17 66.22 with 2. Pet. 3.13 14. and also by the last text of the two which Mr. Cotton abuses viz. Isa. 65. v. 20 which saith this shall be from thenceforth i. e. from the time of Gods creating that new heavens and new earth Thirdly Whether he doth not most palpably depart from the matter he took first in hand to prove unto another thing which is no more to his purpose then if he had said bo to a goose yea he runs clear away from the Scripture he began upon and never returns to it more as if he were affraid to come near it scarce ere so much as facing about or looking behind him for what he ought to have cleared but surely he thought he could not and therefore was not minded to meddle with it was this viz. that in order to being the subjects of the baptism there injoined infants are disciples in such a sense as is there spoken of viz. made so by the Ministery of the word and teaching for saith Christ go teach all nations baptizing them but his is not to the same not ad idem but ad aliud quoddam a certain other thing which if he did prove as he doth not it could in no wise prove what he brings it in proof of viz. that infants of the faithful upon the account of some uncouth unheard of strange secret sort of teaching and learning which these infants have from God above any other may be truly said to be disciples and thereupon to be baptized And this though it be not spoken so broadly by any as by Mr. Cotton who makes it his business so far as to wrest and pervert certain Scriptures into the proof of it insomuch that some of his fellow fighters for infant-baptism are ashamed on 't and disclaim it witness Mr. Bayly p. 145. where speaking of infants being disciples I speak not saith he of that which divers maintain viz. the application of that in Esay to infants they shall be all taught of God yet is it more tacitly hinted to be the opinion of most of you whereupon you attribute both discipleship and baptism to infants as if that were the main thing meant in Mat. 28.19 where Christ means no such matter as the inward secret and unknown teachings of God but the teachings or making disciples to him by the Ministery of men Thus saies Mr. Cook in his Answer to the vanity of childish baptism p. 33. Infants of believing parents are made disciples of God and Christ. And Mr. Marshall in his reply to Mr. Tombes p. 216. though they be not capable of receiving instruction from men yet they are capable of Gods own teaching even in their infancy So Dr. Holmes p. 8. God can preach to the heart and so to children So Mr. Baxter page 23. If they can learn nothing of the parents yet Christ hath other waies of teaching then by men even by the immediate workings of his spirit So you Ashford Disputants p. 8. 18. infants have an hearing the spirit opens their ears quo magistro quam cito discitur
as if your selves had been very forward that I should give account or shew my Arguments and Reasons onely my selfe was against it and opposed it and that with importunity as if I had urg'd that at any hand I might not give account of what I did 't is such a cunning contradiction to your selves as I never saw penn'd by the hands of prudent men since I was born to this day Sirs if I should have said so much as this of my self that I ought to have shew'd my grounds upon which I denied Infants-sprinkling but was at that time importunate with you that I might not my own conscience which is Mille testes and a thousand witnesses besides would condemn me as no ordinary self-belyar for I profess before the Lord and those many people that then heard me many of which unless willingly cannot be ignorant hereof I was most forward that day to give out the grounds of the way I walk in but that your selves not the people were most froward against it but the people have believ'd you so long at a venture in other cases that though both you and they know the truth to be contrary to what you say yet you hope they will believe you so still but the Lord grant them to find out your forgery for the future and to be no more guld by your ghostly glosses Report Sixthly That there should be no tumults no interruption of the Disputants that no provoking terms whereby offence might be justly given or taken should be used that if any such were warning should be given and satisfaction made or the Disputation to break up and the blame to ly upon that side which did transgresse Reply You might as well have given Account who they were that did violate this agreement as of the Article it self but then you had brought no little blame upon your selves and thereupon very likely you forbore it for as when you propounded this Article little considering that your selves were most likely to grow regardless of it you made a Râ—d for your own tails so you had assuredly slashed your selves soundly therewith had you told all the truth indeed for though this as all the rest was your own by Proposall your Antagonists only by assent yet verily even you the Law-givers were the the men that did most grosly transgress it yea some of you seem'd to sit there for nothing else but to blur and blunder the proceedings by some impertinent interposals or other so that after questions askt me three or four times over by your selves and leave as often askt you by me to answer yet the anticipations of some or other of you either forbad me to begin or at least cut me off before the end This Article therefore being broken by you in the other parts of it must be kept in the last clause thereof at least viz. the blame of the breach ly upon you Report Seventhly That after the Disputation ended it might be lawful for any one of the Congregation leave first obtained of the Ministers to ask questions and to propound his arguments not being tyed to any Syllogistical forms and to receive satisfaction Reply 'T was the facultie of the Pharisees of old to affect the chief seats in the Synagogues and t is the fashion of you Masters in Israel now to take upon you to be the Chaiâ—-men still and to bear such sway in the publick places that the people may not meddle there to speak a word or urge an argument or ask a question or without leave from you Masters of the Synagogues so much as once to quack in youâ— presence but Sirs the best on 't is you have now in this year of Iubilee 1650. for so doth your book beare date given not only toleration but advice and invitation too to all people to Ask the Priest p. 27. and therefore though formerly they might not do it at all and even now they do it oft to little purpose yet I hope you will have them excused for do it they will by your leave now and then when they ask you questions in your Cathedralls without asking you any more leave so to do Report Next you tell us That it was also moved by the Ministers that two Moderators might be nominated and also Clerks appointed for the writing down both of the Arguments and Answers the Originalls to be left in the hands of the Moderators that so no mis-reports might be raised concerning them or if any were the truth might be made appear to any that should desire satisfaction by repairing to them which I utterly refusing the Ministers superseded from further urging of it Reply I did indeed refuse to chuse any Moderator my self save the whole Auditory as knowing how basely the truth hath been captivated and kept under for Heresy by the Clawes of the Clergy when subjected to their determination yet did I not deny to have any chosen for I left you the liberty to chuse whom you would who very goodly but how justly let all men judge made choise of one to determine as judge in his own cause who was the only opponent almost altogether if the True Account were not false which sets down no Arguments but his but however the prime Plantiff in the Disputation and as finely he fitted your fancies that are affected so much with falsity and foppery of both which there was great store in his Reâ—â—pitulation As for me could I easily have suspected there would have been such immoderation amongst you as was striking up so many of you together sometimes that neither I could be heard by any of you at all nor your selves very well by one another it had not been amiss to have admitted of Moderators to have kept you in some better order for â—lerks also for the setting down of things truly had I thought you would have taken such advantage for want thereof as to raise and that in print too so many mis-reports as your selves have done I had probably closed with you in that motion and though I refused to do it then as being better opinion'd of you then you have since deserved for yet it 's more than I am like to do again if e're I meet you in another Disputation for that slippery tricks sake you have serv'd me concerning this Ictus Piscator sapit But as to this there 's no remedy now save my Nâ— to your Yea and the memories of the people that heard us my Supreme appeal for moderation is to Christ the Supreme Moderator of Heaven and Earth before whom as I told you then I hoped I should speak nothing of which I should have cause to be ashamed so I tell you now I hope I shall pen nothing of which I maie be affraid to give account when he appears and we appear before his Tribunall the same Lord come quickly and judge between us even so Amen Report After these Propositions were agreed upon you say I moved to have liberty to make
the Ministers would not hinder the preaching of the word or call any time unseasonable for that the Ministers answered that they magnified preaching as much as any yet must needs tell them the Apostle makes it inferior to charity and that when charity was in danger to be violated by it it were but Christian prudence to omit it Reply Antichristian priestly-popely pollicy if ye will but neither Christian prudence nor Pastor-like pitty nor Peter-like piety nor Pauls charge to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.1.2 which was to preach the Word and be instant in season and out too to reprove rebuke exhort c. with all long suffering and doctrine Ob. But some there would have been griev'd at it in which case better to have omitted it in charity then hazzard hatreds by performance Aâ—sw Some there its like would not have indur'd it yet is that no plea whereupon to omit it for then we must preach no more Gospel to the world which sets two against three and three against two and occasions not causes by means of mens lusts opposing it more sword then peace at present Luke 12.51 52 53. Yea the time will come and now is when men yea Ministers will not indure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers and what heaps upon heaps of false teachers are there in all Christendom for the Clergy have made themselves many as the locusts many more then to every parish one tickling men up still with an omnia benè in a bad condition even when for their sakes Isa. 24. omnia penè penitus peritura sunt and will turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables of mens feigning but watch thou in all things indure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist fulfill thy ministry 2 Tim. 4.3 4 5. Report That the Congregation consisted of two sorts of men and women whose opinions were different that there was a danger of a breach between them that as they came together and had behav'd themselves quietly all the time so they might be permitted to depart that the mischieâ—s which follow Division are easier prevented then heal'd c. Reply Great indeed are the mischiefs that follow Divisions they are more easily prevented then heal'd but as sure as the Lord lives and his word hath any truth in 't the Divisions of these dayes the mischiefs of which and that 's the best on t ' will light most upon the tripple Tower of BBBabel even the Tripple CCCrown and Kingdome of the CCClergy out of whose clutches God is going to redeem his Captive Clergy the height of which Tower he will bring down to the Earth even to the dust these Divisions I say will neither be prevented nor healed notwithstanding all indeavours to that purpose till that be fully accomplisht which this Division of Languages truly tends to in the Councels of God viz. the utter shattering and disabling of these great Babel-builders so that their Ambitious projects shall come to a Perpetual end till then breach upon breach cannot be avoided while the Earth was as in old time of Priestly pomp it was of one language and of one speech all saying nemine contradicente as the Pope said all worshipping as the Priest-hood appointed all believing as the Church believed there was so much Charity to the Churches peace that all truth was choakt under the name of Schism for the sake on 't the builders by whom the corner-stone is still refused saying one to another go to let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach to heaven let us make us a name and nothing was restrained from them which they imagined to do by advantage of this their unity and uniformity of speech and Religion but now God is coming down to view the great Tower this Pompous Kingdom of Priests and finding it swell up to heaven above the stars of God over all on earth at least that 's called God he sayes go to let us go down and confound their language that they may not understand one anothers speechâ— whereupon as the great City is split in three parts so each of these will be subdivided more and more into Sectaries of all sorts so that men understand not now the language of the Pope and Priest-hood nor will Christs sheep hear the voice of those strangers by which Division of tongues if that Great City cease to reign and that montanous Babell come down and become a plain before Zerubabel as it must t is not so devillish as Divine a Division which all are not so sorry for as some whose Alas is lamented back again with Hallelujah yea let the day break more and more and the shadows flie away and my beloved be like a Roâ— or young hart hasting ore these mountains of Bâ—ther i. e. Division Cant. 2.17 And now as to the peoples being permited to depart I know none were held there against their wills besides your selves yea both you and they too that would might have gon in peace and those that would might have staid in peace had you not troubled all with your oppositions if such as had a mind to stay had been as peaceably permitted to abide as you who had such a mind to be out were peaceably permitted to depart for any hinderance you had from us all might have been full as well for ought I know as now it is Report Next you relate I not hearkning to the Reasons of the Ministers it was at last referred to the Minister of the place being there present and he desired to declare whether he would give way to my preaching which he refusing to do upon the reasons before said one of the Congregation began to utter some words tending to a Commotion viz. that he had nothing to do with them that they would do it without his leave and the like whereupon the Ministers conjured me whose interest they observed to be so great in the people by the bonds of Charity the candor and Sobriety of a Christian and ingenuity of a Scholar that I would dissolve the Congregation that they might part without professed hostility that there would great disgrace light upon their meeting besides dangers which they did foresee if I did not that if I persevered in my motion they did protest openly before the Congregation against it and did charge upon me whatsoever inconveniency should follow so being perswaded I went out of the Church with the Ministers and the Congregation followed Reply I saw not so much as a grain of reason in all you spake in prevention of so innocent and in it self inoffensive a purpose as that was to render a reason of my faith to a people that expected it from me and were as your selves were not then and there so willing to hear it whereupon I neither did nor durst decline the doing of it upon any such account as convicted that by right I ought not to have done it nevertheless I must confess when
I saw such conjuring such sensles scar-crows such reasonles referrings such rigid refusings such crooked constructions ready to be made by the Ministers of mens words as Commotions when very parishioners who pay Peter-pence both to the Presbyter and the place onely pleaded their Priviledge to be there without his leave such Emulous observations of the Ministers how great or little my interest was in the people such desires of me to dissolve the Congration rather then resolve them by an exercise about the truth of baptism by the bonds of Charity as if they were to bind us from other duty by the candor and sobriety of a Christian as if this lay chiefly in forbearing to publish the Gospel of Gods grace to the sons of men for fear of displeasing by the ingenuity of a Scholar which makes many a one forget his integrity as a Minister such a sense as profest hostility to them likely to be put upon it by the Ministers if I refused to go out with them or taried there to do service to God such fearful foresights of great disgrace likely to light upon their meeting and dangers of I know not what unless of the downfal of their way which the Ministers had more then all others if the Auditory were not dismist without a Sermon such hydeous apprehensions as they had and direful representations as they made to the people of Chymaera's non entities things that neither were nor were like to be and of they knew not what inconveniency would follow such chargings of all lastly upon my self if I offered to preach there to the people when I saw I say such horrible affrightments at it and such abominable deal of do made by Ministers against so harmless a motion as a Ministers preaching in one of their publick places to hundreds that were then ready to hear him who also would have spoken nothing but the truth or else have given them all or as many of them as would have staid free liberty to rectifie him if he had not I was so ashamed to see it that for very shame I was perswaded to express that love which I truly bear to their persons though I contest with their corruptions so farre as in a loving manner to walk out with them and rather then offend them further then needs must to perform that service to the truth without dores which with their leave might as well have been done within Report You relate that one of you then spake to me as followeth that I would seriously consider into what a dangerous Error I was fallen Reply Aliàs a Dangerous truth that will danger the undoing of you one way or other and that whether you imbrace it or no for if you do it will spoil you here and strip you stark naked of much of your earthly excellencies and enjoyments and expose you to such ridiculosity as to be owls and fooles among the rest of your Cloth that imbrace it not for though if you deny your selves follow Christ and suffer with him here you shall reign with him hereafter and yours shall be that Kingdom of heaven yet you will lose your Kingdom here on earth but if you imbrace it not specially when spoken to your consciences it will judge you at the last day and be your condemnation for ever Report And not onely so but that I was the cause of the fall of many others Reply And of the fall of many more may I be if it be the will of God if they fall no further then from the Scribes to the Scriptures but if they fall away from that truth we walk in after they have known and own'd it as t was foretold many should do and too many accordingly now do separating themselves from the true Congregations of Christ since their separation from the false sensuall having not the spirit that fall will be on their own score and not on mine Report That I would saddly remember what Saint Austen saith of Arrius that his pains are multiplyed in Hell as often as any one departs into his Heresie Reply A sadd thing indeed and seriously to be laid to heart by you and me as not onely Professors but Promotors also to our power of different waies whereof one only can be the truth for the danger will ly on their side that hold the Heresie and hold it up and not at all on the others Report That I would consider what arguments had been used and how unsatisfactory my Answers were Reply So I have done o're and o're again already since you urg'd them and upon occasion of your impression of them am concerned to consider them more closely yet then ever and having now well-nigh finisht this animadversion of your Account 't is the very thing I am to go upon by and by and what ere my answers were then it matters not if they were too short then for want of time and liberty from you to utter them I shall take liberty to speak the more home to your matter now Report That I would not resist the spirit of God Reply But I am to try the Spirits whether they be of God or no a thing which you are not yet too much guilty of unless it be of neglecting it or else I may resist him unawares if after-triall and experience of him I with stiff neck resist his strivings with me to own the truth he manifests to me and leads me to as I know when I was ready to do even when he began to enlighten me first in that part of Christs will he here holds out to your selves and as they did who stoned Stephen in malice when they could not resist with clearer light the spirit by which he spake to them it is hazzardable whether I shall have forgiveness or no in this world or that to come or you either if this as God forbid it should ever prove to be your case Report That I would remember that though in this unsettled and distracted Church I did not fear being called to any Account for my doctrines yet I must appear before the dreadful judgement seat of Christ who is the patron of Paedo-baptism praying God to give me a right understanding you took your leave and departed Reply Though your Church cannot call me to an Account at all if it be a Church of Christ indeed I being none of it the Church judging such only as are within her and not those without yet I shall be willing to give it to the utmost in the stricktest way wherein your Church could as a Church expect it of me or bring me to it if I were a member of it which way is not haling to prison hanging and burning the wonted way of your Churches dealing with falsly supposed Hereticks and should that be the way I should I trust in God submit to give Account in 't rather then deny the truth but it is demanding a reason of mens different faith and as they find it unsound admonishing
any Synods of you had reverence or Arch-Bishops grace or Popes holiness you would never find occasion to bewail your losses or repent of your change or reject the councel of God against your selves out of his mouth who is a serious Sollicitor both from God to you that you would be and to God for you that you may be in the acknowledgement oâ— his truth no less then happy for ever Pre. Where there was so great expectation c. Post. There was great expectation indeed though not greater then little satisfaction for first some were earnestly expected and one also evidently engaged to be there so that some durst have laid any money he would not fail them who what ere the matter was were not there The two Doctors A. B. were both Absent yet to my knowledge both Adsent and good reason too â—or they were then not onely as immediate neighbours to each other in respect of the vicinity of their houses as A. B. in the Cris-cross row but also lookt upon for ability as two foremen in that whole Classis of Clergy-men As for A whom for his Age I truly reverence and some other excellencies in respect of which many are inferior to him if his prudence forbad his presence he may the more easily be excused by how much the less he was ingaged but as for B. the very beginner of all that business ut supra though I both lov'd and honour'd his person more then he did that truth of Christ I pleaded against him yet I must needs say for him to beget this Infant-Disputation and then on its birth day father it per alios and not per se 't was too like them to whom in that and many more matters if he were not many more of that leaven are like who bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne on other mens shoulders and touch them not themselves with one of their fingers Secondly as some were expected to be there who were not so something was expected by the people from those that were there which yet could not be performed first and last too sith it might not be at first from the Respondent that since he was declaim'd against as an Heretick and Seducer that he should have given Account that being the professed end of his coming of the way he walkt in that 't was the way of truth but he could not because it was not permitted by the Priests who pretended to be most strict upon him for it neither afore nor at not after nor within nor without till he got far enough from the Ring-leaders peaceably publiquely perfectly and plainly to give it to them Secondly from the opponents that since they cried out error error heresie schism seduâ—ement they would prove for preach they would not neither by way of Argument and by Arguments that had weight in them that their Infant-baptism was the way of Christ but they could not neither for whereas strong Arguments were expected they brought none but such weak ones that they were fain to wish good people to let their charity cover the weakness of them Pre. Without better preparation c. Post. Indeed your preparation was bad enough in all reason and it will be expected that if ever you enter the lists again your preparation be far better then it was but yet as it fell out it was better then worse and by so much the better by how much it was less then ordinary for take this for truth Sirs that your preparation may easily be bigger but never better if your cause be the same preparation to any bad matter is ever if the bigger the better then the better the worse for vis est improba quae valet ad nocendum a power that hurts is best when least and a little of that which is good is better then a great deal of that which is nought First then make your cause good Secondly your cell Thirdly your conscience as far as it needs mending then all will be well enough ith'end and though men will fume and frown on you yet shall you be backt so well from heaven as to need no mans patronage here on earth nor yet so much time for preparation as you now lack who are ever to seek when summond to sudden service for the preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue are both from the Lord Prov. 16.1 on whom were you so intimately and immediately dependent as his disciples are bid to be Mat. 10.29 20. Mar. 13.1 Luke 12.11 you would not be so sollicious what to say before the proudest Princes as for want of that and somewhat else you commonly are before the plainest people nor when you stand up in his name shall you need to excuse your presumption if you stood before as many Kings as there were people to plead for truth but alas deest aliquid intus as one said who went about to make a dead man stand the Spirit of the father speaks not in you you stick to a certain stock of divinity which you have stored up in your studies and common-place books which when you are but 40. foot off from you are so far off from your harbor and harness that meer mechanick Scripturists may make you strike sail to them but you want that inward treasury and through instruction for the Kingdome of God Mat. 13.52 Luk. 6.45 by which the good Scribe is furnisht as occasion is to bring forth things new and old this is one thing which more then the hast of Disputations forbids you to be so throughly provided as you should be besides deest aliquid ad extra too for the truth is that small preparation you make is more against then for the truth as it is in Iesus which who ever implead though with never so much acurateness and acuteness of dispute whether it be you or we can be but homines obtuse acuti as a man famous in your Account said well of such i. e. Acute Block-heads at the best Pre. But that they feared the triumphings of the Adversary c. Post. As far as the Adversary is minded to triumph he hath much more occasion ministred by your undertakings then if you had never entered the lists at all for then it might have been thought that you could have said something in proof of Infant-baptism but would not but now 't is known you would have said something to that purpose but could not But Alas Sirs as Adverse to you and desirous to triumph over you as we are Accounted by you to be we had much rather have occasion of rejoicing and triumphing in your sincere submission thereto then in either your dastardly disposition or your weak opposition of the truth yet thanks be to God whether you own or decline or spurn against the truth he alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his love by us in every place for we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in
universals or to these individuals from indefinite declarations and verily take your Minor term little children which you so frequently Syllogize by indiscrimination not expressing what little children or else indefinitely and more restrictively for some only not naming which it s equally ridiculous to argue thus viz. The Scripture gives good report of little infants in general Therefore believers infants only have faith and the holy spirit and thereby right to baptism and not any other infants Or thus The Scripture speaks well of little infants indefinitely i. e. of some at least though not all and we know not which as having faith the spirit and right to baptism Therefore undoubtedly these little infants whom we baptize are well spoken of in that kind and must be baptized As t is to argue thus The Scripture declares that John Baptist had the holy spirit Eego all the infants of believing parents must be supposed to have it in infancy and may thereupon be baptized Yet these are but as it were the several streins which you dispute in which put all together into a bag and shuffle as much as you will that which comes out first wil be a sensless non sequitur do what you can But you offer concerning this that particular infant viz. a believers of whom I denied that if it were brought unto you together with a heathens the spirit could more appear to you to be in it than in the other you offer I say to make it appear that that infant should appear to have the holy spirit above the other for that was indeed the business I then put you to prove and this you do as well as those may be said to do who by mending make their mater worse than t was before whisest there is not a tittle to be found in your Argument which doth not as fully prove the holy spirit to be in all infants as in any at all on this wise it runs Disputation Da That which to doubt of is breach of Christian charity doth sufficiently appear ri But to doubt these little children have the holy Ghost is a breach of Christian charity i Ergo that these little children have the Holy Ghost doth sufficiently appear The Minor is proved thus To doubt that these little children are such as the Scripture in generall hath declared them to be and that they have right to the kingdome of heaven c. is a breach of Christian charity whose rule is Praesumere unumquenque bonum nisi constet de malo the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 13.3.5 it thinketh no evil charity believeth all things especially since it cannot appear that those have by any actuall sin bard themselves or deserved to be exempted from the general state of litle infants declared in Scripturâ—s Ergo To doubt that they have the Holy Ghost is a breach of Christian charity Disproof Besides the falsity of both the premises there 's no more at all concluded from them concerning any one infant then might if they were true indeed be as truly concluded from them concerning all First O the rottenness and infirmitie of the Major it is most manifestly fals for there are many things which to doubâ— of may be a breach of Christian charity which yet do not at present sufficiently appear To doubt that this or that particular infant will hereafter live holily and imbrace the Gospel may be a breach of Christian Charity whose rule is ever to hope the best till it sees the contrary and yet that this or that particular infant will live holily and imbrace the Gospel when he comes to age doth not yet so sufficiently appear but that as more plainly as things appear with you in infancie then at age by particular profession it may more sufficiently appear when they are grown up yea till then it appeareth not at all The Minor also is false for to doubt that this or that infant hath at present the holy spirit is no breach of Christian charity at all sith what hopes soever we may have of them as to the future yet at present there is no evidence that they have it nor yet any promise at all that it shall be given to them in infancy nor at years neither till they believe and obey the Gospel and as there is no promise of it to them in infancie so in meer infancy there is no such use of it to them as t is promised to be of unto believers neither doth it either quicken inlighten convince convert comfort or any other way officiate as a seal of redemption and remission of sins to such as have no sins as yet to be remitted Secondly if both these premises were as true as you suppose them yet would it follow no more from them nor from all you say toward the proof of either of them that believers infants have the holy spirit then it would that unbelâ—evers infants have it in the evincing of which I shall only transcribe your Syllogism and proof of the Minor and instead of your term these little children write little children of infidels and so leave you and all the world to judge whether your own Argument doth not as clearly conclude unbelievers infants to have the holy spirit as the infants of believers and so consequently that all have it if any at all as well as some That which to doubt of is a breach of Christian charity doth sufficiently appear But to doubt that little children of infidels have the holy Ghost is a breach of christian charity Ergo that little children of infidels have the holy Ghost doth sufficiently appear The Minor is thus proved To doubt that little children of infidels are such as che Scripture in generall hath declared them to be and that they have right to the kingdome of heaven c. is a breach of Christian Charity whose rule is presumere unumquemque bonum nisi constet de malo The Apostle saying in 1 Cor. 13.3.5 it thinketh no evil Charity believeth all things it hopeth all things especially since it cannot appear that the little children of infidels have by any actual sin bard themselves or deserved any more then others to be exempted from the General state of little children declared in Scripture Ergo to doubt that little children of infidels have the holy Ghost is a breach of Christian Charity In which though both propositions be flatly false yet I call heaven and earth to witness whether all that you bring in proof of the Minor do not prove it as much breach of Christian charity to doubt that any infants as t is to doubt that believers infants have the holy spirit one infant having no more deserved ill by actual sin then another Thus all that ever you have done hitherto is utterly undone for the Argument you began upon and the basis of your building is that believers infants for their baptism only you plead denying the baptism of other infants as well as we have the holy spirit this
the cause of their crucifyings of Christ who depart from it as for us we are crucifyed dead and buried with Christ by baptism Rom. 6. for we are baptized into his death and that but once because Christ dyed but once and yet once because Christ dyed once and that is more then any Rantized Priest in Christendome can say of himself for he is not so much as once baptized at all Review 3. It makes them count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing for if it be holy what need they repeat it if unholy how do they prophane it Re-review How far forth Anabaptism properly so called i. e the repetition of baptism without such warrantable ground as it was repeated upon Act. 19.5 doth saving the nonsense that is in that expression repeat the bloud of the Covenant and so count it an unholy thing I am not so much a friend to it as to gainsay but sure I am that A-no-baptism and such yours is doth count not only the bloud of the Covenant but also that holy ordinance of baptizing believers which is the token of it an unholy thing for if it be holy why do you neglect it if unholy in so saying oh how do you prophane it Review 4. It makes the Covenant of the Gospel worse then the legal this taking in all Children into the visible Church the Anabaptists excluding them making them no better than Turks and Pagans Re-review What again Review 5. It destroyes all the comforts that afflicted parents can have â—ver their deceased children the grounds of them being destroyed their right in the covenant and promises of Christ. Re-review What again Review 6. It unchristens the whole Church of God for many hundreds of years together and calls in question the truth of Christs promises of being present with his Church to the end and guiding it by his spirit into all truth Re-review What again what ore ore and ore again are you drawn so dry that you are fain to fill up to swell up your Review into the magnitude of a sheet with old ends and pieces and patches of things that were precedent or did these three Renegadoes fearing a storm run from their old ranks hither to secure themselves by crouding in amongst the rest of this rubbish stuff for every one of them have faced us once or twice a piece before page 6.7.12.13 neverthelesse sith I meet with them here again I le have a word or two with every of them now To the first I say thus if the legal covenant did take in all children into the visible Church as you say as indeed it did i. e. as well the children of unbelieving as of believing Jewes neither had the one of these a strawes more right to circumcision then the other then sith the Covenant of the Gospel is inlarged and communicated to both Jewes and gentiles between whom the partition wall is broken down and they both made one And sith now by the Priests own confession it stands in the same way to be administred among the Jewes and Gentiles as that legal Covenant did for a time among the Jewes only the Priest himself makes the covenant of the Gospel worse then the legal that taking in at least to the visible Church all children of that people to whom it extended i. e. the Jewes without any exception without any respect to the parents being godly or ungodly bâ—lievers or unbelievers the priests contrariwise under the Gospel Covenant which extends and belongs to the whole world i. e. both Jewes and Gentiles 2 Cor. 5.19 1 Iohn 2.2 and to all nations as well as one Mat. 28.18 Mark 16.15 Luke 24.47 excluding now the Major part yea almost all children by their doctrine viz. the children of unbelieving Gentiles of heathens Turks and Pagans and unbelieving Jewes too which for all their parents wickednesse and unbelief were wont to be received into the Church under the Law and this not onely from the visible Church neither for that were more tollerable of the two and can do them no hurt if it be all but also from the Kingdome of heaven and salvation it self in their cruel Charity before they have by actuall sinne deserved to be exempted And this I speak not as believing any infants in infancy to have right to entrance into the visible Church and fellowship thereof here on Earth though yet I believe all infants as well as some dying infants and before they have deserved exemption and damnation by actual rebellion to have according to the general declaration of Scripture right of entrance into the kingdome of heaven but that I may discover the unruliness of the Priest who wherein he judges others of streightning the Gospel condemnes himself who undertakes to make laws prescribe rules impose principles upon all men and yet breaks his own lawes varies from his own rules straggles from his own principles through blindness as much as any other whom he blames for it To the second thus if it be so indeed as you told us once before it is p. 7. and here tell us over again that we may know your mind in it that to deny baptism to infants before they dy doth ipso facto destroy all the comforts all the hopes that any parents can possibly have of the salvation of their infants that dy unbaptized and all the grounds of those hopes i. e. all those childrens right in the covenant and promises of Christ and consequently this necessarily followes doth subject them unavoidably unto eternal damnation Then first as I told you once or twice before so I tell you now again that 't is your selves and not we who are the men that say no baptism no salvation for say you there is no ground for parents to hope their children can be saved no though those parents be believers though those children believe also themselves and so both by birth and by their parents faith and their own faith too have right as you say the infants of Christians have in the Covenant and promises of Christ yet they must damn for all this if baptism be denyed them and if they dye without it their parents must mourne without hope of their Salvation This is your judgement of Charity concerning unbaptized infants even of never so believing parents having also the habit of faith in themselves for though parents believe and believe their children to have faith too and right to salvation yet deny them baptism and all the other notwithstanding there 's no hope of them the parents can upon no good ground be comforâ—ed concerning them but that they are damned T is you therefore that place such high and mighty necessity in the bare outward dispensation of the ordinance that are so for the ceremony that hold that the substance doth no good without it why else do you say that be there never so many grounds otherwise on which to hope infants salvation viz. their parents faith and their own faith and
image of the thing signified yea and that very thing of all the rest which are represented therein viz. a death burial and resurrection by being under water and brought out of it again though by all that sprinkle t is most heedlessely thought and therefore as senselessely taught that rantism i. e. aspersion sets forth those to the life as much as baptism i. e. immersion or overwhelming Among the rest that write of baptism with any allusion to those Scriptures we are yet in hand with what learned Tilenus saith is worth your animadversion I confesse the man though in his judgement he seem clear for our manner of baptizing by immersion submersion and emersion as that which was the onely primitive action and institution yet is so far benighted by the mist and black vail of implicit faith which hath covered all Christendom as to suppose that aspersion may now serve the turn and that for sundry reasons some of which are apparently false and never a one of them worth a straw which I le repeat and answer as I go for saith he Ritus in baptismo est triplex immersio in aquam mora sub aquâ et emersio ex aquâ quam vis autem immersio usitatior olim fuerit presertim in Judea c. The outward ceremony to be used in baptism is threefold dipping into the water abode under the water and rising out of the water but howbeit this immersion was the usual way in former times especially in Judea and other warmer Countries rather then aspersion where note that he grants and who does not but Mr. Cook Mr. Baxter and Mr. Blake that having once denied it do strenuously resist it that the primitive way in Iudea and those Regions was totall dipping yet saith he the circumstance pertaines not to the substance of baptism which is false for I have proved that to be no baptism that is but sprinkling Secondly and sith the analogy of the Sacrament may be held out no lesse in aspersion then immersion which is as false and fond a fantasm as the other for sprinkling hath no more likenesse in it to a death a burial and a resurrection which though Mr. Cook and Mr. Blake deny it yet Tilenus himself abundantly pleads as I shall shew and that ex instituto from these Scriptures Rom. 6. Col. 2. ought to be represented in baptism then it hath likenesse to immersion submersion and emersion and that 's not so much as is between an apple and a nut Thirdly and sith in legall purifications sufficiebant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprinklings did suffice which if they did it was be cause these sprinklings with blood of the sacrafices which were as well on the mercy seat as on the people in token of onenesse or atonement between God and them were instituted directly and solely to point out the spiritual sprinkling of Christs blood on the mercy seat in heaven and on us here on earth in token of atonement which is not the thing onely mainly originally or immediately signified neither so as that it onely is to be remembred and resembled in baptism but the truth of the death burial and resurrection of Christ as the root whence all the other flows and therefore that reason though true yet is nothing to the purpose Fourthly sith immersion quoth he may indanger the health specially of such tender infants as are wont to be baptized now a daies which shewes that of old such were not baptized and that Christ never instituted this ordinance for infants who cannot bear the dispensation of it to them as it should be by right without danger of death but must of necessity and in charity and in humane prudence taking upon it to correct the divine wisdome of Christ and modle his ordinances more to their own ease have another thing i. e. Rantism universally dispensed to them instead of it Fiftly sith both these rites viz. sprinkling and dipping are expressed by the name of baptism Mat. 3.26 Luke 11.38 Mark the 7.4 then which nothing is more contrary to truth for though t is true that dipping is stiled baptism in Mat. 3.16 the place he brings to prove that where note again that Christ himself was baptized by submersion yet that 's not true that Rantism is any where called by the name of baptism yea in the very places he uses to prove that viz. Luke 11. Mark 7. t is most evident that t was more then sprinkling yea and no lesse then a dipping that is there called baptism for t was washing of hands which if ever any body living saw any but slovens wash when foul by no more then sprinkling two or three drops of water on them they have seen more then ever I saw to my remembrance since ever I were born and christned For these forenamed reasons saith Tilenus we suppose the Church by the law of charity and necessity may use which of these rites she pleases By all which it appears that though speculatively he saw submersion to be the way by institution unlesse out of necessity and charity the Church forbid it yet practically he was as you are for aspersion and this makes the more against you in this matter in that a man that retained sprinkling as you do sith t is the fashion in these colder climates should yet be constrained to confesse so much institution as he does for that way of truth I mean submersion which we contend for for seriously take away the wretched reasons which flattered him in to speak favorably of sprinkling he was as to the true way of total dipping caetera orthodoxus as orthodox as we desire him to be I le bestow the paines of rehearsing what he writes so far as concerns our purpose in very elogan◠Latine p. 884.886.889.890 of his disputations in as plain English as I am able Baptism saith he is the first sacrament of the New Testament instituted by Christ in which with a most pat and exact Analogy between the sign and the thing signifyed those that are in Covenant are by the Minister washed in water the outward rite of baptism is three fold immersion into the water abiding under the water and resurrection out of the water the form of baptism to wit internal and essential is no other then that Analogicall proportion which the signes keep with the things signifyed thereby for as the properties of the water in washing away the defilements of the body do in a most suitable similitude set forth the efficacy of Christs blood in blotting out of sins so dipping into the water doth in a most lively similitude set forth the mortification of the old man and rising out of the water the vivification of the New although that Levitical rite of sprinkling of blood Exod. 24.8 did more grossely resemble the blood of Christ yet that was not so exact a similitude as is in the water of our baptism That same plunging into the water holds forth to us that horrible gulfe of
directly oppositly to Mr. Ba. who saies it is the church I disprove his opinion thus First If by the kingdomes of Christ be meant the Church then it must be thus read viz. the Kingdomes of this world are become Christs Church but what an absurdity must that be specially with Mr. Bax. above all men who so strenuously contends that by the word Kingdoms of this world is meant not in part only but the whole kingdom for to hold that by that phrase the Kingdomes of this world is meant all the kingdomes upon the earth taken wholly and not Synechdochically for a part of those kingdomes onely and that by the kingdom of Christ the Church onely is to make the sense thus viz. the whole world is become Christs Church therefore it cannot be so but thus and so all the circumstances of the text do evince for it is spoken of Christs raign over all the world in the latter daies after the seventh Trumpet hath sounded and not over all his Church onely and of Christs taking to himself ver 17. that great Monarchy power kingdome or greatnesse and glory of his reign which before he permitted to be in the hands of the Dragon beast and whore so that they reigned over the whole earth and the saints too in rigour and unrighteousnesse Rev. 13. Rev. 17. ult I say it must be thus viz. the Kingdomes of this world the Kingdomes under the whole heaven the Monarchy of the whole Earth is now come into Christs own hands or the Government over all is now actually on his shoulders Besides what will Mr. Bax. gain more by his sense of that Scripture towards the proof of his infant-membership then I for the membership of heathen infants then for the Church membership of the whole world if I were minded to plead for it if the Kingdomes of this world wholly taken none excluded do become the Church of Christ then all men as well as infants must be Church-members on that account Besides he speaks as de futuro what shall be under the seventh Trumpet therefore if it were to be taken as Mr. Bax. imagines that the Kingdomes of this world infants as well as men are now become Christs Church then it would evince that it was not so from the beginning of the Gospel Church for what effects are spoken of as falling out now newly under the seventh Trumoet are things that never were in being before Besides observe Mr. Baxter how he pleads to have Kingdomes taken in the largest sense in the former part of the verse and how angry he is if it be taken for lesser then all the whole kingdomes of the world but in the latter part where Kingdomes must needs be and is as largely to be taken for it is the Kingdomes of the world are become Christs Kingdomes i. e. dominion not Christs churches there he will needs lace it up into the narrowest acceptation that the word kingdom can possibly bear Oh therefore the grosse pieces of ignorance that are in that Argument of his for infants membership in the Church which he grounds from a Scripture that will as well prove all the world to be Gospel Church-members as believers infants if his very own false sense of it should be admitted but in truth proves not the one nor the other thus he argues viz. the Kingdoms of this world i. e. all and all in them shall become Christs kingdomes therefore infants of only believers not heathens are Church-members under the Gospel He that saies this followes any better then the Pope follows Peter in the holy chaire shall never be counted or voted mentis compos whilest I am compos voti Mr. Bax. therefore had better have found 40 shillings where he never looked for it then have looked for infant-membership in this scripture where he will never find it with his eyes open His three next Arguments viz. the ninth tenth and eleventh run all upon one strain and therefore as he need not have made more then one of them so I need not make more then one answer to them all yea I need make none at all having spoken to that point sufficiently before yet a hint of it here may do no hurt They stand all upon one bottome viz. the meliority of the times under the Gospel above the times of the Law of this new covenant above the old the summe of what he saies is this if believers infants may not now be members of the visible Church then both Jewes and Gentiles are in a worse condition now then before Christ and Christ is come to be a destroyer and not a Saviour and to do hurt to all the world the believing Jewes and the Church yea and the very Gentiles thereby in regard of the happinesse of their children are in a worse condition then of old but this is a vile doctrine saith he for Jesus is a Mediator of a better covenant established on better promises Heb. 8.6 where sin abounded grace much more abounded Rom. 5.14 15.20 and the love of Christ love hath height length depth breadth and passeth knowledge Ephes. 3. To which simple inconsequent conceits I answer by denying the consequence it followes not that the world is in worse estate under Christ then before because infants might be members of the Jewish church but not now of any visible church of the Gospel nay verily the world is in a far better condition then formerly by how much they are under more clear and plain promulgations more faâ—re and universal tenders of salvation then in the narrow or shadowy dispensation of the Law and also under greater love richer grace better and more glorious promises unlesse they fall short of them through their own unbelief then those which were made to the natural Israelites onely all whose glory was but a type of the other for the great favor love and promises of God to them as meerly Abraham Isaac and Iacobs natural seed unlesse they also believed and then they as now all the world might be heirs with Abraham of the grace and promises of the Gospel did make them heirs of that earthly Canaan onely but the Gospel grace makes all men heirs on termes of faith and obedience to Christ of the glory of the heavenly Canaan for ever the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men now appears and as for infants albeit no infants now be baptized into fellowship with the visible Church nor are priviledged as the Jewes infants once were with interest in the blessing of an outward earthly Canaan nor yet vouchsafed that meerly titular account of sanctifyed and peculiar people of God as in opposition to other infants as by birth accountatively sinners common and unclean which distinction of a birth holiness and uncleaness Mr. Baxter had he but half an eye in his head might clearly see Acts 10.28 is so taken out of the world and ended in Christ that now no man however born no not a Gentile may be called in
as the other for a bastard was not to be admitted into the congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation and its evident that that child was a bastard I conclude therefore contrary to that round Mr. Ba. runs about in like a horse in a mill making a necessary concatenation between being in visible right to Church-membership and in a visible state of salvation proving the one by the other concluding sometimes that infants of believers are children of the Gospel promise so visibly in a state of salvation therfore they must be baptized and in churcht or else they could not and others may not sometimes that infants of believers are in visible right to be admitted into the visible Church and therefore we may have sound ground to hope their salvation so dying as denying their right to membership we could not have and of other infants we cannot I conclude I say that there may be sound ground whereon to hope the salvation of some dying infants that dye without actual membership in the congregation or visible Church of Christ and without any right to it also in their infancy had they lived longer And if we may hope well of some infants that dy without membership and without right to it also I know not why we may not hope the like of all for all Mr. Baxs impropriating the unlimited and boundlesse grace of God and ingrossing all hope of the salvation of dying infants to the dying infants of none but faithful parents specially considering besides what grounds more of my own I shall add in proof of it by and by two more at least of Mr. Baxters own grounds whereon to hope the salvation of believers infants are grounds whereon to hope the salvation of other dying infants as well as them the Scriptures he refers to for them speaking if of infants at all then of the whole species of the whole kind of that Stature called infants and not of infants of one kind more then another For first whereas his 6th ground for the salvation of believers dying infants and of being without any fear of their damnation is this viz. because it is said Psal. 127.3.4.5 children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb his reward c. if that be spoken of infants at all as it seems rather to be spoken of children that are grown up that are the strength of their father and his family it is surely spoken of all infants as well as some and he that particularizes that indefinit term of children and the fruit of the womb where ever the Scriture speaks hopefully of such so as to understand it universally to expresse and sound forth no more then those individualls viz. the seed of believing parents and yet thus Mr. B i. muzzles up all such Scriptures and makes them sound no more then he would have them doth little lesse then force the word to his own fancy Secondly whereas his 13th ground is from Mat. 18.10 where he argues thus If little ones have their angels beholding the face of God in heaven then they shall be saved for that is a mercy peculiar to the people of God I argue that if little ones litterally taken i. e. if infants be there meant as he saies but never shewes they are saving per alios and not per se then surely all infants as well as some for he speaks not there of the little ones of believing parents in special but of what kind of little ones soever he speaks he speaks of that kind of little ones in general without exception whether it be of infants or of his disciples and if yet it must needs be understood of infants onely that they shall be saved it is understood universally of them and so much Mr. Ba. might have seen and would have said had he consulted the 14. verse but just below where it is thus said of all little ones that are lost and so of all as well as some viz. it is not the will of your heavenly father that one of these little ones shall perish And sith Mr. B. so suches it out below p. 104 105. c. from Mark 10.14.15 saying that of such is the kingdome of Heaven must needs be meant viz. by kingdome of Heaven salvation which I grant and by such as I le grant also at this time however sith thence I shall have another Argument ad hominem to give hope by of the salvation of all dying infants not such as are like infants but infants themselves and that not of those individuals onely that were then brought which whether they were children of believing parents or no too is more then Mr. B. ere can demonstrate there being many that came to Christ for healing of themselves or theirs as t is most evident that these did of whom not more then one of ten were as they should be for of 10 leapets clensed where were the nine I say not of those individuals onely but of the very species of infants yea how oft ore and ore and ore again does he inculcate this upon us in that place saying it was the species of infants the very species infants in specie and not those individuals whom Christ saies the kingdome of heaven i. e. salvation doth belong to I appeal to Mr. Bs. own conscience whether there be not out of his own mouth a strong Argument of hope if not of assurance from Christ himself that the whole species of infants so dying i. e. all infants and not some onely shall be saved for the â—pecies of infants expresses not some infants onely but all infants or infants quâ tales so that quatenus ipsum evermore including de omni whatever belongs to infants inspecie i. e. to the kind or to infants as such belongs to all infants quod convenit homini purely qua est homo convenit omni homini and so what ever belongs to any thing as t is such belongs also to all that is such But Mr. B. teaches us the truth in this that the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs by Revelation from Christ himself to infants not in individuo onely i. e. not to those infants onely that were then brought to Christ nor any other but to the kind to infants in specie i. e. all infants as infants therefore the kingdome of heaven and salvation belongs to them all and so did that kind of comming to Christs person while he was on earth with infants not for nor by baptism but for healing belong to all infants that needed it as well as some that were then on earth as comming to Christ with infants by prayer to him to help and heal them in whatever malady since his person is absent belongs to all infants in the world and not to believers infants onely and yet not baptism and a standing in fellowship in the visible Church for they indeed are not fit for fellowship Therefore though Mr. Ba. contracts the grace of God to
truth as t is in Jesus I hope he may do yet in due time if he do not shut his eyes against the Gospel because I find him saying and unsâ—ying again what he said before he had well studied it p. 113. and he is out in print for infant baptsm and against the true baptism for all his professions of â—o serious search after it before he had well studied it to the bottom if he do not recant his error I am confident some of the people will that have been deluded by him and out of love to the Lord Jesus that loved them as a Priest and washed them from sin in his own blood and as a Prophet and a King requires them so to do arise and be baptized as they ought washing away their sins calling on the name of the Lord. Thus my friends and you my Ashford Antagonists you have my mind amongst you in this matter If any one of you answer and I have satisfaction from him to the contrary he shall hear of my recantation if I have not he shall see it by my silence for I le never lose so much time as I have done by the bare writing of this from preaching to poor ignorant creatures the free love and rich grace of God in Christ to all that obey him in truth and as I see I must if I meddle more at the presse with this subject ANTI-RANTERISM CHRISTNDOM NEW CHRISTN'D OR Christs ordinances continuing till Christs second coming In a small system wherein are some few reasons rendred for the now raising of water baptism into its right way of administration as to the form and subject and for the remaining of both it and other ordinances in their primitive right till the return of Christ Iesus FOr as much as I have been several times sollicited by several persons both by word of mouth and otherwise to give out unto them the grounds ends and arguments in writing of my continuance in the practise of water baptism and other ordinances of Christ as laying on of hands prayer breaking of bread church fellowship c. according as the Churches of Christ in the primitive ages of the Gospel did and for that I find it an easelesse and well nigh an endlesse businesse to write the same things in private letters about one particular subject to every of those particular persons that may successively desire it I have therefore thought good being called to the presse by sundry challenges of the Priesthood and more specially by not only the publication of that abusive pamphlet concerning the Ashford-disputation for infant-baptism but also their professed expectation that I should give some answer or give the cause to inserâ— here this ensuing account of my own reasons for the right of our remaining in the use of ordinances till the return of Christ and animadversions of what little reason the Ranter hath to run from them and redeem himself from that bondage which he deems to be in the observation of them before the time appointed much more to run beyond the bounds of modesty and all good manners also as not all but many if not most of those do first or last who despise any of the ordâ—nances of the Lord Jesus and herein as I shall be plain using no other form method and order then what the Lord gives into me as I write so I must be brief the foregoing part of this volume having risen already unawares to a far greater magnitude then was meant to the whole when I first cast the bulk of it in my mind and there remaining also something yet to speak and I know not well how much to the Priests concerning themselves in way of return to the last piece of that pedobaptistical pamphlet which was puâ— forth by who knowes or rather by who knows not whom in order to the plainer disquisition of the truth in this question viz. whether the ordinances of Christ that were in use of old are of right to be practised still as there are four services then in use the necessary use of which is now denied viz. baptism in water laying on of hands breaking of bread and church-fellowship so I shall addresse my self to prove the practise of these four severally to stand even de jure till the second coming of Christ which is yet to come And because baptism in water though most strenuously denyed by many to be so much as lawfull to be either dispensed or submitted to and by many even of those that have submitted to it to be necessary or any other then a matter of indifferency is yet the first in order to be practised and that without or before which we are not once to meddle with the other I therfore propound it as the first in order to be proved and in order to the proof of at least the lawfulnesse thereof against such as say its sinful for this will be included in the other I shall by the help of God prove a necessity of it against such as judge it needlesse or superfluous and by several Scriptures shew it to be such a service the present performance of which is so far from being sinful that it is no lesse then sin and rebellion against Christ himself to leave it unperformed The Scripture which I shall most directly make use of to this purpose and lay as the very basis and foundation of this businesse and make as a certain cardinal Topick â—lace from whence to argue and whether to reduce all the rest which I shall more coâ—laterally handle is Mat. 28.18.16.20 All power is given c. in which place these things chiefly are observable as subservient to the proof of the point in hand First we find Christ pleading that absolute power which was given him by the father to be the Soveraign Lord and Supream Lawgiver to the whole world thorowout all nations and generations of it from thenceforth even to the end in these words viz. All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth i. e. I am he to whom this prerogative is granted to give out to all men what laws and rules they shall be guided and governd by what wayes they must walk in in order to that eternal salvation which as a Priest I have purchased them to by my own blood if ever they mean to attain it I am that Prophet which the Lord hath raised up unto all people now instead of Moses who was the faithful giver out of Gods will mind or Testament to Israel of old whose voice all must now hearken to in all things what ever I say unto them and whoever harkneth not to me shall be cut off from among the people behold God hath given me for a witnesse to the people a leader and commander unto the people Secondly After he had thus shewed his authority and commission from God to be the only Lawgiver whereby to summnon the sons of men to so much the stricter attention to
a number of ignorant Mass Priests Monks and Friats who blind guids as they were of the blinder people fell with them into the ditch of Superstition Heresie and Sensuallity and say I the English Antichrist i. e. the Arch-bishop of Canterbury a chip of the old block that was an Apprentice at Rome in old'n time till he set up for himself here and became indeed what the old Caiaphas Pope Urbane the second prophesied of him in a complement about 1099 little thinking then God wot that he would serve him such a trick as to set up his posts against his posts and take away his custome and trading here in England Papatus alterius Orbis this English Antichrist I say hath multiplyed many teachers and feeders that are far better â—ed then taught in matters of either God or man and as few Scholars as are among the true Churches if there were none the truth would stand without them and God delights in no mans legs but if there were need of that to the making ministers of the Gospel there is proportionably fewer among your churches considering how little Christs flocks is and how voluminous the fold of the WWWhore and how few truly are so that go under that name among the people with whom hand tam cultus quam cucullus facit monachum for though you talk of secular learning yet if that were so necessary to a Minister as the Ministry say it is it would not onely cut off Peter and Iohn from that denomination who were though better gifted yet lesse learned in that sense then the least of you but most of you CCClergy also among whom throughout your whole dominion of Christndome there 's few Country Curates are well studied Scholars indeed in Logick and other arts and sciences and as for the tongues and original languages of the Scriture I speak it to the shame of the Ministry who unminister themselves in saying it is so necessary there is scarce five of 20. know the originall in the old Testament and not twenty to 5 so well as you should do in the new and as for the onely true learning and original of all wisdom the fear of God growth in grace and the knowledge of Christ and misteries of his kingdom and the spirit that Christ promised to his people to teach them all things which it were better for you by all your learning that you had more of unlearned Peter himself may truly tearm the most of you such unlearned ones as wrest the Scripture to your own destruction Act. 4.13 2 Pet. 3.16 yea so ungifted are the most of you so much as to pray and then well may you be to preach and that is to be unlearned as to the ministers office that unlettered or at least unspirited Artificers may be the proper name of some Clergy men as well as of the teaching tradesmen Dr. Featly speaks of for these receive the holy spirit that gifts them to it but not many of the Clergy are gifted to pray extempore without book if I onely said this you would not believe me but sith your great Patron Dr. Featly to whom you send us is my Patron as to this you must believe it whether you will or no unlesse you would have us believe him whom you will not believe yovr selves who gives this good reason p. 95. why its necessary to have set formes for the Ministers of the church of England to pray by if they pray at all in publique for there is not one Minister saith he or Curate of an 100 specially in Country Villages or Parochial churches who hath any tolerable gift of conceived as they term them or extempore prayers which if so you have smal reason to cry out of others as illiterate yea verily your selves will appear to be as the Anabaptists are stil'd by you an illiterate and Sottish generation in things principally pertaining to Christ and to Ministers of Christ to be skil'd in for that indeed is to be truly learn'd or unlearn'd in quoquo genere viz. to be raw or ready either in that which men supremely pretend to excell in as the Divine doth to excell other men in the things of God or else in that which is most excellent in it self and most worthy ouâ— being learn'd in as the highest and most excellent objects that are knowable being Christ and the mysteries of his kingdome those consequently are the best Scholars in the world that are most deeply insighted thereinto though elsewise never so ignorant Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera noscis Si Christum noscis nihil est si caetera nescis Now count which of these two waies you will the greatest Clerks will appear to be the greatest Novices the greatest Doctors the greatest Dunces the greatest Schoolmen the least Schollars the prime of the Priesthood the prime Ignoramus's that the Christian earth doth carry for howbeit O yee PPPrists some of you for the most of you will never be mad with much learning even surfeit on inferiour literature viz. arts tongues c. and are taller then other men by the head in the reading of History Oratory pieces of pibald Poetry and such like yet as to the misterious plain Gospel wherein are hid and whence are handed out unto us the treasures of eternity in earthen vessels i. e. the homely base foolish weak wayes and dispensations which are of Christs chusing which it concerns Christs Ministers of all men to be more clear in then in any thing else they are low and therefore too high and wonderful for you high studied men to reach to they are far about out of your sight Yea I thank thee O father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hidest these things because seeing they will not see them from the wise and prudent and revealest them unto babes yea O Lord how great is the multitude of meer Humanists that feed onely upon the common Theory of that Theology they have framed to themselves and relish nothing but what is of man how are thy depths even thy downright deliveries of soul saving truth in plainess of speech by the mouths of stammerers stark duncery to them how will not a poor marred mocked misreputed Saviour and gospel in any wise down with them who did of old and who do still stand out most stiffly against thy gospel O Christ but the proud self conceited Pharisees Priests and Lawyers who while the people believe and justifie God being baptized with the true baptism do generally reject the councel of God against themselves being not baptized therewith where had thy message by the mouth of Paul lesse acceptance then at the university of Athens where hath the word now lesse then in the Academies Christian Academies seemingly reforming Academies where if thou didst not tell us that Christ crucified should be foolishnesse to the wise men after the flesh and disputers of this world who could believe that the Princes of Zoan should be such fools
such idiots as they are in the matters of thy Kingdom where doth thy truth meet with more difficult entrance more course entertainment more malitious accusatious more captious questions secret underminings open oppositions then among the CCChristian Ministry which therefore is not thine but Antichristian because it is both for thee and against thee yea who so blind as those that seem to themselves to be the onely Seers both for themselves and others ever seeking to thee for thy spirit yet ever resisting thy holy spirit speaking to them out of the mouths of babes as a very babler ever teaching yet never learning which be the first principles of thy doctrine ever serving thee yet ever thinking they do thee service when they affront thy servants O Lord let as many of them as do it ignorantly obtain thy mercy if it be thy will and let thy truth shine into their souls that they may be saved as for such as are more malevolently disposed if it may not be otherwise but that the main body of the CCClergy shall evermore be adversaries to thee and thy Clergy Amen sobeit And now have shewed the Reasons why God suffers Hereticks and hath suffered the Arch-heretick and Schismatick and mother of Abominations of all Christndom i. e. the CCClergy that have been Wolves rather then Pastors to Christs sheep the last of which reasons was this to provoke the true Pastors to diligence and watchfulnesse to prove them whether they be hirelings or not such as will flee when the wolf comes or lay down their lives for the sheep and having discovered whom I mean by Pastors viz. not the Priests but those of the truly gathered and constituted churches that have separated themselves from the Priest and his parish popish posture I proceed yet a little further For This last Reason administers the matter of this ensuing discourse concerning the wayes how Pastors of right constituted Churches such as those of the Baptists onely are should oppose or rather should have opposed the coming in of these wolves the CCClergy for the Pastors of old through their negligence did suffer them to come in and drive them out being entered What the Magistrates duty is in this case it presumes not to set down here partly because the Magistrates duty is discovered and discourst on above and partly because it presumes the Magistrate will be wise enough in this age to know what he is to do towards the freeing of himself from that infinit care and cumber that hath crusht him in former dayes by the CCClergies constant clacking to him to correct Hereticks Schismaticks and Sectaries and crying out to him to lend them his helping hand and the edge of his civil sword about Church-work yea and if God who did once put it into the hearts of the Kingdomes of the earth to fulfill his will and to agree and with one mind to give their power strength and Kingdom unto the beast and to serve the whore that rode them Rev. 17.13.17 and as ten horns to toss the Saints at her will will now put it into the minds of these ten horns even all the Kingdoms of Christndom to hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and strip her of all her tith and spiritual glory revenue dignity and burn her with fire and in their rage to ruin great BBBabilon the City that in three PPParts or PPProud PPPriesthoods hath reigned over them as I believe he will Rev. 16.19 17.16.18 throughout as I can neither much help or hinder it so I find no warrant to cry Alas Alas for it as the Kings and Merchants that come down with her shall do but rather Allelujah with all the people Rev. 18.9.11.16.19.1.2.3 c. There are two publique wayes for private are suffering fastings and prayers and teares c. matters wherewith the CCClergy for the most part of them never yet kild themselves nor approved themselves yet as the Ministers of Christ by as his true Ministers did of old which have been practised by Pastors in those primitive dayes viz. Disputing Preaching concerning both which this discourse intends onely a short survey leaving the proceedings in them to their judgements whom God hath made faithful Disputation say our Ashford Disputants hath ever been decried by most iudicious and grave men Tertullian is bitter say they against it Perdes in contentione vocem nihil consequeris nisi vilem de blasphematione landem and I say so too a man may very easily wrangle ad ravim dispute himself hoarse and lose his tongue in contention and get nothing but a base repute of blasphemation specially when as t was at Ashford and somewhere else within a mile of an oak the contention is so sharp that there 's not onely six tongues to one or two talking for it tuning altogether against the truth but six bells balling out also to bear it down with And another magni res est periculi veterem fidem quasi novellam otiosa disputatione discutere and so indeed it is a matter of great disadvantage idlely to dispute the old faith as if it were some new one whereupon that truth may receive detriment by us in nothing henceforward we do all men to wit that howbeit the CCClergy and their creatures claim antiquity to be on their sides still both in the point of baptism and other differences between them and the men call'd Anabaptists and delude their people into a blind misbelief that all that truth which now comes to light is to be taken for granted to be heresie before hand new faith new wayes a new Gospel and this they do more easily and effectually by how much t is true that the fog of their errors hath been so thick that men can find but little of that which now shines forth in the dayes of our more immediate forefathers though there were many righteous men no question then disiring to see and hear what we now do and could not howbeit I say they have prepostest people thus yet in order to the dispossessing of them of that praejudication by reason whereof the primitive truth which however God winktwhile it was a time of ignorance must now it comes to light again be received in the love therof that they may be saved and in the rejection of which they will be damned 2 Thes. 2. gets little entertainment into their hearts I here proclaim it again to all people upon earth as that truth which as I have shewed above God will shew the Clergy once to their shame that the baptizing or dipping believing men and women in that way wherein we do it is no new faith practise nor baptism but that one only true baptism which was instituted by Christ and used in the primitive times of the Gospel and that their sprinkling infants is a meer trifle a toy a new trick and tradition of the church in its beginning to degenerate into darknesse and superstition and also that t is
dislike of others so 2. Dislike of their own places is another cause of the Heresies of the Clergy the foot will be the hand or not of the body the hand will be the head or else will be no body at all the Servant regarding neither the Councell nor the command nor the Example of his Master who came not to minister to but to minister and gave in charge that there should be no dominion among his disdiples and bade them that meant to be greatest to be last and least would needs be above his Master and he that was sent greater then he that sent him and by this he entred exceedingly into error the Minister could not indure to be the foot to have the whole body of the Church stand above himself though sure if he were as a king is Major singulis yet he is Minor omnibus and must stoop to the vote of the congregation he could not bear it to be the hand onely to execute what the head directed in but he must be the â—ead to give laws and ordinances of his own Corah could not be content with his place but sought the Priests Office the CCClergy could not be contented with such Shepheardship as the Gospel had at first but they must needs be made Priests after that more pompous way of the law nor to be Priests onely in sensu diviso from all the Saints but they must seek the High Priests office too and have Arch-Patriachs Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops c. they could not brook it to be amonst the Saints as them that serve but they must be as they that sit at meat having all others to serve them and in no mean manner neither have some of their Holinesses been served when Kings and Emperours have stood bare before them bare foot at their dooâ—s as Henry the fourth Emperour and his wife and son did at Pope Adrians gate before they were admitted to the speech of him and not onely so but held their stirrups also and lay down to have their necks trod upon by him as Frederick Barbarossa did to Pope Gregory saying non tibi sed Petro and was answered again by the proud Prelate et mihi et Petro in a word have held it honour enough to kiss his feet In the state Absoloms ambition O that I were a Iudge was the cause of his rebellion and the same kind of aspiring mind after no lesse then all power both in heaven and earth Church and State too made the Clergy when time best served their ambitious turn to rebell so abominably against all civil power as not onely to exempt themselves fully from the jurisdiction of Temporal Princes but most wickedly to subjugate all civil power to such depency on them and their Lord God the Pope that when they have not been slaves to the Clergies Imperious will and carnal concernments he hath took upon him to act according to that power he claimes most blasphemously saying by me Kings raign to force them to surrender their crownes and sacrifice their lives too to his lust witnesse the case of King Iohn here in England and in scorn to kick off the crowns of Emperours with his feet and in testimony of their taking all civill power as well as spiritual to themselves Eugenius the second took on him within the Roman territory the authority of creating Earls Dukes â—nd Knights as the Exarchate had done before him Helin p. 182. also Innocent the third held a councel in Rome in which it was enacted that the Pope should have the correction of all Christian Princes and that no Emperour should be acknowledged till he had sworn obedience unto him Helin p. 184. upon the same ambitious account Pope Boniface the eight by a general bull exempted the Clergy from all taxes and subsidies to Temporal Princes whereupon Edward the first put the Clergy out of the protection of him and his laws by which couâ—se the Popes bull left roaring here in England He. G. p. 184. the same Boniface boasted one day in his pontifical attire with the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven in his hand that all spiritual power was committed to him and the next day in the Robes of an Emperour with a naked sword born before him that all civill power was committed to him also ecce duo gladii hic yea after the translation of the Eâ—pire from France to Germany the Popes began to make open protestation that the Pontifical dignity was rather to give laws to the Emperours then to receive any from them Helin G. p. 188. and as in the state ambition so in the Church the desire of a change from Membership to Mastership from Servantship to Lordship over the true Clergy is the true cause of the Clergies Heresie and Schism for being raised by earthly power and greatnesse they forgot the salvation of souls sanctity of life and the commandements of God propgation of Religion charity toward men and to raise armes to make warre against Christians to invent new devises for getting money to prophane sacred things for their own end to enrich their kindred and children was their onely study saith Helin out of Gâ—iciardine Geog. p. 188. 3. Gloriae secularis aucupium a desire to be somebody Iudas Thudas Simon Magus are Instances of it which Simon sin'd and erred so grossely out of his vain glorious desire to be lookt upon as some great one as to offer to buy the gift of the holy spirit for money of which sin and error of Simon no men under heaven are more guilty then the CCClergy for as they endeavour to to get gifts and endowments for the honour office of ministry in the Church by laying out money at Schooles and purchasing to themselves degrees as if the spirit must undoubtedly gift men for the Ministry that mean to bestow themselves that way when once they are train'd up to be Masters of Arts in the university so to say nothing how they pay for their ordination and actual admission into the function it self when so fitted though themselves call it Simony or the sin of Simon to buy spiritual livings these with them we see are the gifts of the holy spirit yet such is their unsatiable greedinesse after glory and greatnesse in the world that as hateful a sin as Simony seems to be among them few of their spiritual gifts shall be lost for lack of buying if a fee be lookt for yea how few are dispensâ—t fâ—eely and fairly from the spirit and not rathet from the flesh i. e. some base corrupt rotten fleshly respect and selfish end or other in the spiritual patrones how little or no spiritual preferment is there to bigger benefices Bishopricks or what ever ecclesiasticall dignity in any almost of the three Hierachies but it s either bruitishly bought for money or basely beg'd for some trencher service or bestow'd on men qua befriended more then qua befitted with Gospel spirits for Gospel service or in some sinister way of
be supreme and overcome so the lord let him for a time that he might manifest his own power the more in the overcomming him for ever in the end yea power was given him to make war by the beast that bears him even all nations of Christendom which he overcame first against the Saints and to overcome them also and so to be filled with his own inventions he gives out when any disputes against him that his desire is to be satisfyed by disputing and so perhaps he would but t is with riches more then rightousnesse with tith more then truth for in truth he seemes if he must meet with such as charge him with error in his doctrine of baptism tith forced maintenance forcing conscience as if he would renounce his opinions and practises in these points if any can prove them to be corrupt but seeks onely opportunities to spread his odd opinions of what schism and sacriledge and robbing of God it is if submission be not acted and tithes be not offered to him among the vulgar among whom his Ghostly pretences produce a kind of aweful affrightment and dread of doing any thing against what he saies being resolved before hand never to be convinced of the truth as t is in the word for that overturns him in all his preferment projects and plucks him up from all the profits of his present princely posture which is such a right eye to him that he hath not faith enough to believe that it can possibly be more profitable to him to part with though Christ himself till him tis then to preserve and perish with it His disciples are for the most part not such as the noble Beraeans that would take nothing upon trust from the very Apostles mouths but searched the Scripture dayly whether the things were so or no not onely men but honourable women too not a few but rather meet idle implicit forefather faitht men simple and weak women who try nothing but keep their Church and believe as their Church believes and as their good churchman saies led away with diverse lusts and pleasures leaning onely on their Priests understandings pinning all their Religion upon their sleeves adoring all that their Orthodox divines deliver at a venture ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as t is in the word whose honest ignorant devotions he hath won to himself by his cunning artifice of pretended piety voluntary humility seeming zeal to the truth long prayers or rather multitudes of short prayers and praises Pater Nosters Miserere Mei's Magnificats Te deums Gloria Patri's per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrums and such like devoutries and being once gained are so carried on with the streme of corrupt custome present fashion foolish affection that no reason in the world can reclaim them he deterreth lay people as much as may be from reading expounding or too much prying into the Scripture alledging unto them the perils they may incur by misinterpretations he hath laid his foundations so firmly in the dark consciences of men women by perswading them of his own infallibity Ecclesiastical Authority his Ius Divinum in the Government and guidance of the Church as here in Britain and even of his Temporal jurisdiction too as at Rome over both heaven and earth hell and purgatory of his power in the agony of mens souls to forgive sin that men and women are becharmed into beleif of him he hath woven himself so far into their credulity that all his sayings are received as oracles all his doings as divine all his traditions as truth it self all his Administrations as Apostolical all his doctrines as Orthodox all his Arguments though confessed by himself to be weak as unanswerable and all others Administrations Actions Answers Arguments though never so consentaneous to the true sense of Scripture valued at that price which he sets upon them as if the holy chaire of Papall determination Episcopal Convention Synodical constitution could not possibly be mistaken yea the Scripture it self is but a nose of wax with him of what shape soever the CCClergy casts it into of no more authority then Aesops Fables with the Papists if the Pope say the word so as to disdate digrade it or put any part of it out of commission of no other sense then the Bishops and Synod seem to say is the sense on 't with their good Protestants so altogether Oraculous is the Pope among his the Bishop among his the Presbyter among his and even all the three several CCClergies among their three several sorts of CCCreatures that their different ipse dixits are ipso facto divine directory and discharge enough too for these different doters on them insanire cum ratione to dote to and fro by Authority so as to do and undo and do and undo and do by In a word he is too bold to be born down not so much from such things as make the righteous witnesses to truth as bold as Lions before God and men viz. the goodnesse of his cause for that is stark naughâ— and rotten nor the clearnes of his call either to his Clerical function or any actions he goes about by vertue and in persuance thereof for t is clear enough that his orders emission commission as to the external etymology of them are more from the Pope then Christ and the true Church nor any good answer of a good conscience for either his conscience is so cloudy that he cannot or so cowardly that he dares not or so resolved that he will not see or else so clear that he is condemned of himself when truth shines plainly upon his face but rather from either his great interest in or directive authority over the civil power that hath long back as well as bellyed him as in England or his having it all in his own hands and dispose as at Rome where ecce duo gladii both swords are in the Clergyes clutches so that he can quickly correct those that contradict him he is too clamorous to be silenced calling out with such a heavy noise and divine ditty against the truth and condemning it with such an outcry of Schism Schism Sedition blasphemy Heresie Heresie before he hath half heard it and so soon as ever its opening its mouths to speak that all the parish pulpits in a whole Countrey and now and then their steeples ring out in such combustion to the tune of Great is Diana of the Ephesians Act. 19 28.34 that truth hath no way wherby to silence him but to be silent her self for when she begins to declare he with his Heresie Heresie soon stops men ears he is too arrogant to be convinced he hath controuled whole nations cut of the spirit of Princes bin terrible to the kings of the Earth and devinced invincible Emperors in his time therefore may well scorn to be convinced abominate detest disdain to be directed by Russet Rabbies Apron Levites Ministerian Mechanicks illiterate Artizans
himself and in no commission from Christ to make his Ministers could not secundum te O Presbyter make those true Ministers that made those that made them that made these that make you and so what ere you are as from him yet as from Christ you are no Ministry at all but in very deed the very same that I cal you viz. of the Beast and of the Dâ—agon as also the three fold CCChristendome of whom you say that they are Jewes i. e. Christians when they are not are no other then the Synogogue of Satan In all which so far am I from reviling that I speak the words of sobernesse and truth which whoever does may not unlikely be reviled as a reviler by you but is a faithfull reprover indeed for it is not simply vile terms spoken that make a reviler if spoken both seriously and in season but their non agreeablenesse to them they are spoken of for else undoubtedly not onely your selves who spake as vilely of the Pope as I of you but Iohn Baptist Peter Paul yea and Christ Iesus himself none of which reviled at all though upon occasion of their enmity against God they called men whom else they respected well enough too by the name of Satan evil and adulterous generation Generation of Vipers children of the devil enemies of all righteousnesse bruit beasts Foxes Doggs Swine c. must all be revilers with you too This take therefore from me and let it satisfy viz. that I le never fasten any terms upon you which by your works you first fasten not on your selves yet know that persisting as you have done under the notion of Christs Ministers in pride and perversenesse against his Gospel though I should never call you Deceivers Antichristian and the WWWhore of BBBabylon yet you l prove your selves to be so in the end Now therefore Oh HHHarlot hear and fear for I have heard from the Lord of Hosts a consumption determined upon thee throw out the whole earth thou hast being well mounted harnased and attired upon the back of thy beast made warr against the Lamb in his Saints thy Hereticks for fourty two moneths a time times and a half or 1260 years and power hath been given thee and the beast which thou spurrest to overcome them and over kindreds tongues and nations so that all that dwell upon earth have worshipped him and thee on him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yea thou hast opened thy mouth in blasphemies and caused thy beast under thee to blaspheme the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven yea thou hast spoken great words against the most High and worn out the Saints of the most high and thought to change times and lawes and they have been given into thy hand so that who was like to thee and thy beast who was able to encounter and make war with him but now behold thy proud times are ended and the Lamb will overcome thee for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful and thou that hast led into captivity shalt go into captivity and thou that hast killed with the sword must be killed by the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints And the very ten hornes themselves even all the kingdomes of Christendome into whose hearts it hath been put to give thee all their power and strength as well as the tith of all their glory and riches and carnall things upon thy pretence of ministring to them in spiritual all which thou hast swom upon been born up and fortifyed by as Babylon of old by the River Euphrates and with all which thou hast as with so many hornes of a savage beast tossed bruised gored the sides of Saints under the name of Sinners even these shall now turn upon thee and unhorse thee yea they shall hate thee O Whore and make thee desolate and naked and burn thy flesh with fire so that all thy lovers great and small and thy Merchants that have been rich by trading as in other things so especially in bodies and souls of men shall bewail and lament when they see the smoak of thy burning saying Alas Alas for thee whilest Gods people that are first come out of thee yea whole heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets who now suffâ—r under thee for telling thee the truth and shall be avenged of thee shall rejoice over thee at thy downfall You will hardly give audience O ye Priests to this word but some of you rather cry out against me as multitudes of your Churches good children did some few dayes since in Smithfield when by one of the City Marshals meerly for preaching the Gospel to thousands there assembled to hear it I was betrayed into their hands to be abused saying away with him away with him hang him t is pitty but he should be stoned and such like hue and cryes as were heard of old others of you Seers may be ready to call to me scoffingly out of your mount Sier watchman what of the night watchman what of the night but whether you will hear or whether you will forbear I tell you Sirs the morning cometh and also your dead night therefore if you will enquire enquire quickly return and come to the truth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you or if it may not be said as of old it was that many of the Priests were obedient unto the faith yet Oh that many of your people would know in their day the things that make for their peace before they be hid from their eyes and partake no more of your sins least they partake of your plagues but if IIIezebel and her lovers will lie in bed together and not repent when God gives them space to repent of their fornications then me thinks I hear a noise among them as of those that are in hellish tribulation yelling out from beneath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alas Alas whilst from above a voice of much people in heaven saying Hallelujah Hallelujah for now our Lord will raign And judge that Scarlet WWWhore who still doth fain Her self to be Christs Spouse and so maintain Her self a Qeen the world her slaves in chain Though like a Quean she doth the whole earth stain Wiâ—h Whoredomes and Saints blood whom she hath slain Three PPParts three CCCrowns three HHHeads of subtle brain A TTTripple TTTribe Rides Christndom t is plain And like Hells three mouth'd Monster stands to strain Souls that scape thence and bark them back again Yet when t is told this Minx this whore in grain Frowns Frets Hates Teares Fumes Threats Storms Fomes amain But IIIezebel wo to thy house refrain Thy pride thy lies thy wrath like that of Cain Thy filth thy self thy greediness of gain Else as thy mirth hath been shall be thy pain This