A MIRROUR FOR Anabaptists In three Rational DISCOURSES That may put the Blush upon them viz. 1. Paedobaptism Defended and Justified 2. Anabaptism plainly Confuted 3. Some valid and suasory Reasons to draw them from the Errour of their way to re-embrace the Truth which they have deserted and to return to the Church of God from which they have departed By THOMAS GERY B.D. and Rector of Barwell in Leicestershire Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth and sell it not London Printed for Nath. Webb at the Kings-head and W. Grantham at the Bear in St Pauls Church-yard near the little North-door 1660. A PREFACE HAving perused some of the late Elaborate and Learned Writings and Disputes of our Modern Orthodox Divines about Infant-Baptism in Justification thereof as also the voluminous tedious and sophistical Cavils and exceptions against the Writings and Assertions of the aforesaid Authors by one M. Tombes an Anti-paedo-baptist and a very able Scholar yet no Anabaptist as being no Separatist from the Church of England I find them all set forth dressed and adorned with so much Art and Eloquence as transcends the capacity of the Vulgar people so that some of them are like Painted Glasse-Windows that are beautified with Pictures of divers colours which while they please the sight do hinder the Light Now because the vulgar illiterate people do stand in need to have the truth of this Point of Faith about Infant-Baptism to be held forth and cleared up unto their apprehensions as who are mainly concerned therein I did apprehend that it would be both a charitable and an acceptable work to tender unto them some plain and short explication of this Point and justification of 〈◊〉 And therefore have here endeavoured to epitomize and abbreviate the more large discussions hereof before mentioned and to lay the truth open with such brevity perspicuity plainness as that it may be obvious to the eye of every rational and intelligent person that is not muffled with prejudice and may neither cost much mony to buy nor much labour to read If any shall deem this a frivolous and needless work after so many learned dissertions and discussions thereof my Apology and excuse is this That in my communication and conference with some of the Disciples and Followers of Anabaptists these ensuing Arguments have prevailed to give them a sight of their errours and to renounce them And therefore in hope that they may work upon some more of them also to this purpose through his help who worketh many times by weak means that his own power may shine forth with greater lustre I have been induced to make them thus publick If they prevail not to reduce any more Anabaptists from the errour of their way yet they may happily prevent their seducing of others I presume not herein to add any thing to the Learned disceptations and discourses before mentioned but only to abbreviate modifie and accommodate them to vulgar capacity and apprehensions If hereby I shall convince but one misbelieving person of their errour about this Point or confirm but one in the right belief of it I shall not repent me of my labour though hereby I expect to incur the displeasure and censure of many To the AUTHOR My Reverend and Worthy Brother in the Ministry of the Gospel I Have to my best ability perused this learned and laborious Piece of yours wherein you have set before the face of all gainsayers in a short and plain but pithy manner all that is or needs to be collected from other accurate Assertors of the contrary to what the Anabaptists of this age alledg for their opinions without reason and destitute of all proof down from the Apostles times and Primitive Churches Your eludication of that 19 Chap. of the Acts v. 1.2 3 4 5. is most convincing and your Arguments concerning precedence of Faith not necessary in Infants and the other both before and after that Section are irrefragable But Alas Sir we find when all is done to these men and other opposers of those manifest Truths held out and maintained by ancient and the most Learned of our Modern Fathers and defenders of that clear truth which you shew the world in this your Glass and wherein many holy Martyrs have lived and died yet etiamsi nihil habeant contra nobiscum tamen non sentiunt not because they do not sufficiently understand but by reason of a resolved on perversity in the will And God knows this is a common misery incident to men and this hath been and is a knot full of perplexities which is made up in that Conclusion Ultimus actus intellectûs est Voluntas which if it were absolutely true then we might to good purpose still labour in rectifying that Faculty of understanding and so the will must follow But we find and feel it otherwise for we all do many sins which even the Soul of our understanding our Conscience checks us for and which we know ought not to be done No wonder then if these men so abundantly convinced will yet persist in errour and the evident reason of their wilful stubbornness herein is the same which is discovered in all Schismaticks namely pride accompanied with Faction and Singularity Your great and lasting Comfort is to have so strenuously conflicted with these unreasonable and absurd Disputers and done enough and more than satisfies all impartial Readers of your Book In the only way remaining and which you resolve to take I shall cordially joyn with you in commending these arrogant and for the most part ignorant men to Gods Mercy and the Word and Power of his Grace Remaining Sir as you have obliged me Leicester May 20. 1659. Your Faithful Friend and Fellow Servant in Christ Jesu THO. PESTELL A Mirrour for Anabaptists The first Point that I am to begin with is the Arguments justifying Paedobaptism THE first Ground and Argument for Paedo-baptism Arg. 1 that I shall lay down is the general Commandment that our Saviour Christ gave to his Apostles Mat. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost All the exception against this is that Teaching being first enjoyned makes Infants uncapable of Baptism because they are uncapable of Teaching To this it is answered that the teaching there enjoyned was the publication and preaching of the Gospel to all Nations in the first place before the Sacrament of Baptism was to be administred unto them which is most apparent from St. Mark his expression of the same Commission and Precept Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature That which St. Matthew phraseth teach or Disciple St. Mark expounds to be the preaching of the Gospel And this was necessary to be done in the first place and accordingly was done before ever any Nation received Baptism So that when the Gospel is preached to any Nation and that Nation doth receive and entertain it then is that Nation
doth not alwaie confer the same ex opere operato as the Papists erroneously affirm yet alwaies it doth so when God is pleased to vouchsafe the concurrence and cooperation of his holy Spirit with it which also of necessity is required to all other means of Grace to make them effectual as well as to Baptism as namely both to the Word preached and to Prayer or they avail not This then being proved that baptism is a means of Grace by Gods appointment it necessarily follows that it appertains to Infants as who are receptible of Grace as well as those that are of ripe years and therefore baptism which is a means of grace ought not to be withheld from them Al that is or can be answerd to invalidate the force of this argument is this That though Infants are in themselves capable of baptism as being a means of Grace yet the Scripture puts a bar to them because they want Faith which is required before baptism To this it is answered that the precedence of Faith is required only of such as are capable of Faith and not of Infants which are not in a capacity of it which I thus demonstrate If Faith and so consequently Remission of sin and Regeneration were alwaies and of all necessarily required before baptism then baptism could never be a means and instrumental cause to bring forth faith and regeneration For if Faith and regeneration must go before it then it cannot be the instrumental cause of Faith and regeneration for the effect cannot go before the cause But that it is somtimes and to some a means of regeneration remission of sin Faith and other Grace is sufficiently proved by the Texts before quoâ—ed Therefore the precedence of faith is not necessarily required of all to be baptized I apprehend the force of this Argument and the last before this to be such as will stall any Anabaptist whatsoever to enevate or invalidate To these Arg. 7 I might add a Seventh Argument very valid and convincing which is the Title and Interest which the Infants of Christians have to the Covenant of Grace For if the Covenant of Grace it self belong to Infants which hath been formerly proved from Mat. 18.3 Mark 10.14 and is justifiable by many other Texts of Scripture then the seal thereof also belongs to them But because this Argument is so largely and fully pressed already by divers learned men I will omit all further prosecution of it and conclude this first point thus It s an old adage and a consessed truth that force united becomes more forcible Lay now all these Arguments and considerations together the least whereof will sway with any but such as are forestalled with prejudice and paedobaptism will stand as a truth infringible and a Fort impregnable and insuperable The Second Point Having now sufficiently proved the lawfulness and necessary use of Paedo-baptism I come in the next place to confute what is repugnant to it which is Anabaptism or dipping such as have been baptized in their Infancy And my first Argument I frame thus THat opinion or Doctrine in Religion which is new Arg. 1 is not true this is denyed of none But such is Anabaptism or the rebaptization of such as have been baptized in their infancy Therefore it 's not true I prove the Assumption thus because it s not to be found in Scripture neither by precept not example nor by good consequence to be deducted from it but was broached about 300 or 400 years after the Aostles by one Donatus a Presbyter about Carthage in Affrica as is testified by several Authors amongst whom St. Augustine is a principal who writ a Book in confutation of him I have heard that some Anabaptists in answer hereunto have alledged Acts 19.2 3 4 5 verses as a president and example for re-baptization But I shall clear that Text from warranting it which I do demonstrate these two waies 1. Because the Evangelist doth not say of those there mentioned that they were rebaptized but baptized he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith not which when they heard they were rebaptized which had been the more proper speech if they had been truly baptized before but he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. which when they heard they were baptized which intimates they were not rightly baptized till then and therefore that was no reiteration of their baptism but their first baptism 2. It s apparent from the Context that they were not rightly baptized before that is baptized in a right form and therefore this was no rebaptization but a first baptism For the right form is to be baptized in the name or into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost or in the name of the Lord Jesus which is the same in substance with the former though in fewer words Now that they were not baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is most apparent in that they said in the second verse that they had not so much as heard whether there were a Holy Ghost which they must needs have heard if they had been baptized in his name Neither were they baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus before for in that it s said they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus then it undeniably implies that they were not baptized in his name till then and so consequently not truly and rightly baptized till then And so I hope I have cleared this Text from warranting the Anabaptists rebaptization or dipping those that have been formerly baptized in their Infancy The Professors of Anabaptism at their first appearing in the Christian Church Arg. 2 and boasting themselves to be the only true Church which was done by Donatus and his Disciples as was declared in the former argument were condemned by the Church then as Hereticks and cut off as unsound members and were so suppressed by it that for the space of 1000 years or thereabouts there never appeared any face of them again in any Christian Nation This is a truth so clear out of all Histories that make mention of them that I presume there is none of them that have the face to go about to outface it But this namely a cessation to be can never befal the true Church of Christ witness many Texts of Scripture as Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot be removed but remaineth for ever Mat. 16.18 Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And Esay 27.3 Lest any assail it I keep it saith the Lord. with many such like which justifie that the true Church of God cannot fail and cease to be Whereas therefore there appeared no face of Anabaptistical Professors for so long a time it proclaims them to be no true Church of Christ and so their anabaptistical Profession not to be truth This argument
of our Saviour Christ working by them And for the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies Mr. Fox in his History of them recordeth many speeches uttered by them which were manifest evidences of Gods divine Graces and Comforts in an extraordinary measure and manner conferred and breathed upon them And therefore to censure both these and all other Christian Professors in the world besides themselves to be without God in the world sets a shameful brand of Pharisaical pride and uncharitableness upon them And is enough to make both the ears of all that hear it to tingle and their hearts to boil with indignation against them and divers wise and godly persons wonder that they are not more strictly dealt withal and restrained this and some others of their gross hallucinations and errours and presumptuous and irregular extravagancies and Practises considered A second Reason that I shall offer to their consideration is this Reas 2 Their presumptuous confidence in their own Opinions and Judiciousness preferring the same before the wisdom and judgment of millions of eminently Learned and Godly Christians and many of them Martyrs who lived before them and that in all ages even next to the Apostles as hath been formerly declared This is contrary to the prescript Rules Directions and Sanctions of the holy Scripture as in Prov. 3.7 Be not wise in thine own eyes And Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Esay 5.21 Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Luke 9.23 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Which self-denial in one point of it consists in the denial of a mans own reason and wisdom Rom. 12.6 Be not wise in your own conceit It s not to be questioned but that the Christians of the Primitive Church and the Learned holy Fathers that succeeded them who were main and strenuous Props and Pillars of the true Christian Faith in defence thereof against the Heresies of those times as also the modern learned and illustrious Divines the late Reformers of Religion Luther Zuinglius Melancthon Peter Martyr Calvin Junius Beza Zanchy Chemnitius with many such of other Nations and those Renowned Pious and Learned Divines of our own Nation that lived but a few years since as Cranmer a Bishop and a Martyr Jewel Whittaker Reighnolds Andrews Perkins Bishop Usher Bishop Hall Hooker with thousands more who were Divines of singular and transcendent piety and Learning It 's not to be questioned I say but that these men did seriously and searchingly and throughly sift and examine this Point of Infant-Baptism yet concluded for it and owned it to the last period of their lives without any scruple at all And is it likely that a few Illiterate Persons I speak it comparatively namely in respect of those so profoundly Learned before-named should espy out such an errour to be crept into Gods Church as they were never able to discover Oh be humbled now in your selves all ye self-conceited and perverse Anabaptists and lay your hands upon your mouths and deny your selves if ye will be Christs Disciples as ye would be accounted And take unto you these or the like words and say as the truth is Alas we are weak men and far inferiour to those renowned Worthies and glorious Martyrs now mentioned both in Learning Perspicacity Judgment True Zeal and Piety and therefore we do acquiesce and submit to the Judgment and Sentence of those Learned Judicious and illustrious holy Ones of God so far excelling us in all divine Graces and Vertues And the rather to bend you hereunto remember how St. Peter hath set this Presumption and self-conceitedness as a black Brand upon the Hereticks of these last times in 2 Pet. 2.10 Where he speaks thus of them That they are presumptuous and stand in their own conceit and fear not to speak evil of them that are in Authority And therefore it stands you in hand to beware that you wear not this Reproachful Livery A Third Reason may be this Reas 3 Because they give great offence to many Godly Christians by separating themselves from the Congregations of the Reformed Churches which is repugnant to the Doctrine of the holy Scritpures as is evident by these Texts 1 Cor. 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God And Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which we have learned and avoid them Herein they proclaim themselves to be such vain ostentators as God complains of Esay 65.5 Who said stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier than thou and yet they were a smoak in Gods Nose and a fire that burned all the day as in the next words God himself pronounceth against them Hereby also they declare themselves to be such Mockers as St. Jude foretold should appear in these last times in the 18 and 19 v. of his Epistle in that they thus separate themselves from other godly Christians for these be they saith he that separate themselves If they shall say that it is an offence taken and not given It s answered that its the unanimous sentence and judgment of all Learned and Orthodox Divines both ancient and modern and amply justifiable by Scripture that neither corruption in manners in a particular Church nor errours in matters of Ceremony Circumstance or in the manner of Church-Government are a sufficient ground or warrant for any particular persons to desert it and make separation from it but it must be some errour in the Fundamentals of Religion that will justifie a separation from any particular Church Now the Church of England is not culpable or chargeable in the least measure of errour in any one particular Tenet that strikes at the Foundation of Christian Belief as I doubt not but they will ingeniously confess And therefore their separation from the Church of England is an offence given by them and not an offence taken by us who profess our selves Members of the said Church I wonder that the example of our blessed Saviour is no more minded and regarded by them who never refused to joyn himself to the Congregations of the People of the Jews though they were guilty of more foul errours and gross abuses by many degrees than the Church of England is And it s very apparent from St. Pauls Epistles to the Corinthians and Galatians that neither errours which are not fundamental nor corruption in Manners will warrant a separation from any Church seeing he acknowledgeth and owneth both these as the Churches of God albeit he taxeth them both both for palpable errours and foul misdemeanors as is evident in the said Epistles and such as were more gross and dangerous errours that any the Church of England holds Reas 4 A Fourth Reason shall be this Because their Sect hath hatched several Broods of