matters of the law and Tithes offerings and things that came by Moses and now are not at all but who hath robbed him in matters of grace and truth and ordinances and things that came by Christ one tittle of whose Testament shall not be contradicted by man nor angel under pain of cursing you talk of golden cups and vessels in which the whore fills out her abominations and filthinesse of her fornication to the whole earth but who hath taken away the key of the Kingdom of heaven i. e. from the people and Church in whom the power lies fundamentally and primarily for t is but derivatively from the church under God secondarily executively and ministerially in the Officers not onely Papa but PP too see Rutherfords Presbytery wherein he wrests the power of the Keyes from the people who hath taken away the key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men as neither willing to go in themselves by the right way and baptism nor to suffer them that would who but ye O Priests have been in these things more sacrilegi church-robbers then sacerdotes or givers of holy things yea what evil of this kind YYYou have wrought in the sanctuaries of God how you have laid them wast throughout the whole earth how you have defiled the pure waters thereof and did so Claudere rivos shut down the floodgates that the people could have none of these to drink and caused all discourses and all places to overflow with muddy and brackish waters if I should hold my peace the stones out of the wall even those living stones out of the true Temple that are living monuments of Gods mercy at this day in that they are alive from the dead even the dead night of your errors will proclaim to the everlasting infamy of that generation that have been the neerer the church the further from God Thou makest thy boast of God O PPPriesthood and wouldst seem to approve of the things that are most excellent and art confident thou thy self art a guide of the blind and a light of them that sit in darknsse an instructer of the foolisâ— a teacher of babes but indeed thou art a blind guid a dark lantorn a foolish instructer and hast need thy self to be taught by those babes which live upon the sincere milk of the word which be the first principles of the oracles of God thou hast a form of knowledge and of truth as it was in the Law that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long since abolished according to which thou Enthusiasts to thy self a Iudai al Pontificall Politicall Pollitical Religion of thy own but thou art grossely ignorant of the truth of the Gospel and that form of doctrine that Rome obeyed from the heart of old before it came to be a mother of harloâ—â—y and of such a crew of corrupt children as have since then come from her to the corrupting ing of the earth thou teachest another but thou teachest not thy self thou preachest a man should not steal but thou stealest thou saiest a man should not commit adulâ—tery but all the Kings and their people in the christian earth have committed adultery with thee thou seemest to abhorre it yet thou more then any committest sacriledge yea thou o PPPriesthood art that holy harlot that holy thief that hast fingred the most holy things yea even the holy Scripture it self which is the store-house and under Christ the treasury of truth and hid it from the world under unknown tongues and a heap of unsound sences which thou hast put upon it therefore thou art inexcusable O woman when thou judgest the now churches of sacriledge for wherein thou judgest them thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things which thou saiest they do but they do not and therefore is he now killing thy children with death and we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them that do such things Yea wo unto you O ye blind guids ye strein at a gnat and make it sacriledge and church robbing to take Fonts and railes and pipes and pictures and altars c. out of your stone Temples and keep a do about cleansing and hallowing and having these outside decencyes and orders and offerings but swallow a camel and demolish the true temple of God and the vessels of the sactuary i. e. the ordinances thereof which is holy indeed which Temple the Saints are that are built together a spiritual house unto him and your selves are full of ravening extortion and excesse you are as graves that appear not and the men that walk over you are not aware of you nor how they are rid over by you nor how very well to be rid of you wherefore the wisdome of God even Christ Iesus now sends you prophets and Apostles and wisemen and Scribes to warn you yet these you kill and crucifie and scourge and persecute as your enemies because they tell you the truth that the blood of all the Prophets that have prophesied in Sack cloth and tormented you and your forefathers and your people that dwell on earth for 42 moneths may come on this generation and so your house be left unto you desolate for ever And fourthly there needs no more to prove you to be what you say of us that we are viz. a lying and blasphemous sect then all these forenamed falsities which are asserted of the Anabaptists when of right they belong more properly to your selves Yea great need indeed and good reason that you should be the Plantiffs in this businesse of loaâ—ing with disgraces belying and blaspheming who have bin your selves nex and immediately under Satan Supreme false accusers of the brethren to the world and the powers Courts and consistories thereof civil and ecclesiastical for Hereticks Schismaticks Sectaries seditious deceivers hypocrites blasphemeâ—s enemies to Caesar trouble Townes and what not with which kind of nicknames you the false kingdome of the Priests have overwhelmed the true royall Priesthood as with a flood the burden of whose scandals blasphemies tales and disgraces wherewith you have loaded the saints per mille ducentos sexaginta annos 1260. years exceeds any id genus that the saints have loaded you with in number weight and measure per millies mille ducentas sexaginta Lias 1000000260 l. You have cloathed the pretious sons and daughters of Sion as the persecuting Emperors did of old with the skins of wild beasts and so cast them to the dogs to be devoured i. e. with the names of Monsters and so exposed them to the hatred of the world with the which kind of sport not onely Dr. Featley and Mr. Edwards while they lived made themselves merry and their friends too by bestowing Legends a piece towards the support of their severall false wayes as one great Benefactor did a Legend of lies on the Papistrey to the maintaining of that which they call the golden Legend but others also bely the nicknamed Anabaptists
onely excluding all other infants from it in doctrine though not all in practise which are no less then an hundred to one whereby not a moity onely but all save a small moity of infants in the world yea in the very Christian world in which the most by far are unbelievers are cut off at once from not the Church on earth onely but all share in the Kingdom of heaven also which of all these I say viz we he or you are most cruel and desperate and do most justly deserve the censure which you Priests put upon us p. 15. of your pamphlet of damning infants dying contrary to evident testimony of Scriptures and of damning innumerable innocents such as infants of infidels are whose right to the Kingdome of heaven our Saviour declared I propound it to be considered by your selves and all other men at leasure at present seeing this Argument of yours makes also more against then for you whose plea is for some infants against other if your Minor in it viz. that denial of baptism to infants destroyes all hope of their salvation were true as it is not and speaks for a necessity of baptizing all infants and not a few onely I 'le Syllogize it back upon you in much what your own terms and so pass hence to the other That opinion which destroyes all hopes of the salvation of many dying infants to one in the world yea in the very Christian world too is a most desperate ungodly uncharitable opinion But the opinion of you Priests who deny all hopes of salvation to those to whom baptism is deni'd and yet deny it doctrinally your selves to all unbelievers infants which are many to one in the Christian world and dispute for its dispensation to believers infants onely is such as destroyes all hope of the salvation of many dying infants to one as well in the Christian world as elsewhere Ergo the opinion of you Priests is a most cruel desperate ungodly uncharitable opinion Another fine fancie whereby you would fain juggle men into a belief that believers infants and these onely are to be baptized runs thus else say you the Gospel Covenant is worse then that under the law forasmuch as then litle infants were circumcised Now Sirs when I come to meddle with this Argument ore again I shall shew you plainly the imbecillity of it to prove the baptism of any infants at all and the melâ—ority of the Gospel-Covenant above that of the law though infants be not now baptized as Circumcised then at present I am to shew how if it would prove any thing it would prove the right of baptism to unbelievers infants to whom you deny it as well as to believers infants whose baptism onely you seem to plead by it I say suppositively that this is to make the Gospel-Covenant worse then that of the law to deny baptism to infants now sith they then admitted infants to Circumcision then the denial of it to believers infants which is your own opinion makes it worse then it was under the law as well as the denial of it to infants of believers for under the law the infants of unbelievers which were many to one believer among the Iews Is. 53.1 were both de jure and de facto circumcised as well as those of the believing Iews and so by your own rule ought the one to be baptized now as well as the other Again by the denial of baptism to the infants of unbelievers not onely a moity but the most of Christendome as in which are by far more unbelievers infants then others are cut off at once from baptism and membership I conclude therefore thus If that opinion which denies baptism to little children makes the Gospel-covenant worse then that under the law then the opinion of those Priests who deny baptism to all unbelievers infants whereby not a moity onely but most of the Christian world in which the most are unbelievers are cut off from being members of the Church makes the Gospel-Covenant worse then the law But though not veraciter yet secundum te O Presbiter that opinion which denies baptism to little children whereby a moity of the Christian world is so cut off makes the Gospel-Covenant worse then that under the law Ergo thy opinion which denieth baptism to all unbelievers infants whereby more then a moity of infants is so cut off makes it worse under the Gospel then under the law Another curious conceit whereby you undertake to clear the right of baptizing the infants of believing parents above others is the being and plain yea more plain appearing of the holy spirit to be in these children then in others or then in men whom we baptize that make profession which plain and sufficient appearance so you stile it p. 5 of the spirits being in these children is made say you many waies First by these infants faith Secondly by these infants holiness Thirdly by those Eulogies that are given to these children in Scriptures not inferiour to those of the best Saints Fourthly by that Scripture in special 2 Cor. 13. know you not that the Spirit that Christ you should have said is in you except ye be reprobates lastly and mainly by these childrens non-appearing not to have the spirit by these childrens not appearing to be evil by these infants not appearing by any actuall sin to have barr'd themselves or deserved to be exempted from the general state of little infants declared in Scripture by all which on pain and guilt of the breach of Christian charity whose rule is praesumere unumquenque bonum nisi constet de malo we are bound to believe that these infants of believing parents not of others have evidently enough the holy spirit Now Sirs the Lord help you to your eye-sight if it be his wlll for I le be bold to say these Seers are as blind as a beetle what ever they seem to themselves to see who by any thing at all that is here brought do discern the holy spirit to be in any infants but this which is to the present purpose may be more safely asserted that all this proves it not one jot more to be in the infants of believers then it proves it to be in unbelievers infants to whom you deny baptism as well as we in plea pretence and prate at least but not altogether in practise for verily these have as much promise of the spirit as the other those parents Acts 2. being yet unbelievers while Peter spake to them saying the promise is to you and your children yea these have as much capacity for the spirit as much manifestation of the spirit as much capacity to believe as much holyness as much Eulogie in Scripture for Christ commends not the infants of some parents above the infants of others but indefinitly the whole age of infancy alike as little appearance yet of being reprobates and so consequently as much appearance that Christ is in them as in the other
are here and there upon thee and thou knowst it not Report And this opposition of Anabaptism hath been since done say you accordingly Reply And 't were enough to make a man think though I say it not that 't was done even immediately considering what a Tom-boyes trick was serv'd us so soon after whilst we were preaching besides the steeple upon a Tombstone which that it grieve you not know Christ preacht in a ship on the shore on a mountain in the Synagogues in houses even any where where people were willing to stay and hear and so may his Ministers too for ought I know for while you were scratching and clawing one another at your Inr we teaching and convincing each other in the Outer Court for there was no room for Christ in the Inner Temple we were curst most bitterly with bell though neither with book nor candle yea there a rose who knows not whence for sure 't was either from you and your party or you in your party or you without your party or at least your party without you such a hot dispute of bim-bom-bell which put us to such a non-plus that least we should perdere in contentione vocem we were fain to give over and be gone and were utterly Routed in the skirmish tell we could well Raylly together in another place So here 's the upshot of the business of that Disputation of which somewhat more might yet be written had my business been to give Account and not rather to take Account of your Account on 't but this is written that people may believe your true Account to be a true Counterfeit and believing it may know the better how to trust you another time One word more yet to the Disputers and Scribes OF THE ASHFORD DISPUTATION OR AN EPILOGETICAL POSTSCRIPT ON THEIR APOLOGETICAL PREFACE Pre. THere was never any Intent this Disputation following should have appeared in publick c. Post. Like enough so Sirs for the first appearance or deliverie of it self in publique by word of mouth was with so little credit to your cause that it might very easily be as ashamed to shew its face in print as the Scribes that penn'd it seem'd to be to shew their names And doubtless so it would have been but that it came disguis'd And yet even this false face whereby you have made it shew fairer by farr on one side I mean your own then at first it did is so black so blind so full of blurres and blemishes that it cannot chuse when it comes to review it self the second time but color red and blush at its own blindnesses if it be not Brazen Pre. But that like Jonas's Gourd it should have died as suddenly as it grew c. Post. Like Ionas's Gourd indeed for Ionas-like O that you were as like him in his best as you are too like him in the basest of his behavior you run away from God O ye Priests and refuse to preach the preaching that he bids you whereupon a mighty tempest is upon you and upon the waters whereon you ride i. e. the tongues nations multitudes and peoples so that they are troubled for your sakes and upon the Earth it self which is as it were the Ship in the bowells of which you have imbarqued your selves ever since your fall from heaven thither in the loins of your Father Abaddon Revel 9.1 So that it reels to and fro like a Drunkard is moved exceedingly like to be split in pieces clean dissolved utterly devoured with a curse for your sinns principally O yee Priests who have trangressed the Laws of Christ the only Lord and Law-giver changed his Ordinances broken the everlasting covenant neither will the sea of the whole world cease to roar about you and be outragious till the lot fall upon you as it did on Ionas to be cast forth though the Ship-Masters row never so hard to have you spared nor till the Tempestuous waves on which you seek still to swim aloft have over-whelm'd you so on every side that you be fain to cry Alas out of the belly of hell But Alas though the ship rock and is ready to suffer ship-wrack yet as if they had made a Covenant with death and with hell were at at an agreement So rockt asleep is Ionas so sluggish are our Renegado Prophets that they yet discern not the mystery of the things that are upon them but are stark sensless of the stirs that are about them and of the storms which themselves are most concern'd in And what the Gourd was to Ionas in his heat even such is this Disputation also to your cause of Infant-baptism viz. as short as sleight a shelter a shadow for there 's no substance in 't under which you have rejoyced a while and receiv'd some thin refreshment and defence against the heat of that truth with which you were a while tormented But God hath prepared a silly worm to smite the Gourd so that though it blossom like a Rose and flourisheth as a chief flower among your followers for a time yet it will die even as suddenly as it grew so that leaving you to your Evensong to the Tune of or like the Gourd that Jonas had men will begin to sing mattens ere-long saying Their Rose withers Their Blossom blasteth Their Flower fades The morning hasteth Their mourning hasteth Their Sun Sets Their shadow flies Their Gourd consumes The Darling dyes Their sprinkling dyes Pre. The truth is the disgraces that the Adversaries in private have loaded it withall have rak't it out of those ashes c. Post. For your Respondent whom you mainly mean here witness these words of yours to me viz. Sir These short Collections of the Ashford disputation had slept long enough if your own private letters had not awakned them by a too much sleighting your opponents and their Arguments not without a just occasion from a friend of yours presented in a letter called a spade a spade and represented your Doo back again in no worse wise then it deserved Asserting that your pleading of Infant-sprinkling from that non-entity of Infant-believing was shamefull and childish pedling and that the miserable rawness and rudeness of some then and there ingag'd in Syllogisticall dispute did â—avor as little of the Scholar as that of the Christian all which and what more is there related was no other then the Truth when I pen'd it and I find nothing to the contrary yet in your Account Howbeit 't was so disgracefull and loadsome that you Disputers immediately became Scribes and posted out a piece of Print on a sleeveles errand i. e. the Recovery of your Retrograde Repute being afraid not more â—hen hurt that if this man of war do not what is not to be done maintain your Infant-sprinkling which premi haud suprimi potest the more you tread the more you spread your credit may grow so crazy upon 't as to die indeed as indeed it doth and that daily for as
Abrahams spiritual seed but also to unbelivers and to the whole world and this more plainly too and without a vail holding forth salvatorem exhibitum a saviour that hath already offered himself a ransom and salvation by him in common to all Iews and Gentiles bond and free even every creature that puts it not away from him when â—endered to him Mark 16.15.16 1 Iohn 2.2 so that the Gospel is as good now to the full to all men in its administration as it was of old and in many respects far better though no infants at all be baptized and so I have done with this argument and come to the next Disputation That opinion which destroyeth the comfort that the holy ghost administreth over the losse of our children by death is a desperate and ungodly opinion But such is the opinion of the Anabaptists concerning little children Ergo it is desperate and ungodly The minor proved It destroyes the hope that parents can have of the salvation of their children for it makes them in no better condition then Turks and Pagans and so our Respondent himself professed and when the Apostle saith 1 Thess. 4.13 I would not have you sorrow as those without hope the grieved parents might reply what hope can we have of our child who is in no better condition then the children of infidels what comfort can we have from the Covenant made with and the promises to our children c therefore why should we not sorrow as those without hope Our Respondent replyed to this that for ought he knew the children of Turks and Pagans might be all saved and one replyed Perhaps he thought the devils might also which was the end of the argument there being no other answer given nor to be expected Disproof As I replied then so I reply still that for ought I know the children of Turks and Pagans dying in infancy may be all saved yet will it not follow so much as probably that therefore in reallity or in my opinion either the Devils may be saved also which rude return is recorded by your selves to be then given and stands for ever before the world as the end of this your argument and of your Disputation also there being to this assertion of mine viz. for ought I know the children or dying infants of Turks and Pagans may be all saved no other answer given by you in the Dispute nor yet since in your Account nor yet ever to be expected But Sirs as great an Extasie as you seem to be in about this position yet I assure you if I had not learn'd it before yet I have learn't it since from your very selves who so strange at it to be a thing not so strange as true viz. that the dying infants of Turks and Pagans may be all saved and that the dying infants in your Christendom are in no better condition then the dying infants of Turks and Pagans for so I said and not as you here misrelate it then Turks and Pagans themselves for if the dying infants of infidels are in no worse condition then your dying infants then surely yours are in no better condition then they and that they are in no worse condition then yours nothing need hinder you more then me for ought I know from a belief thereof unlesse you will refuse to believe your selves who preach no lesse both to me and all men no further off hence then in the next page and the next save one above for do you not say there that unlesse we will violate Christian charity whose rule is praesumere c. to presume every one to be in a good condition till he appears to be in an evil we must believe and hope all things of the little children of believers since it cannot appear in infancy that they have barred themselves c. and if so why not of the infants of Turks Pagans and infidels specially to speak in your own dialect since it cannot appear that these have any more than the other by any actual sin barred themselves or deserved to be exempted from the general state of little children declared in the Scriptures which is this viz. That of such is the Kingdome of heaven You see then how you teach us this precious piece of truth your selves p. 4.5 therefore I hope you will learn it your selves viz. that we are to hope well of such infants as have not by actual sin barred themselves from Salvation and allow us to teach it too in time though hitherto you seem to be so far from giving way to us to teach the same that when we speak well of infants that have not by actual sin deserved exemption and hope well of their salvation so dying you so wretchedly forget it to be the doctrine your selves deliver that with detestation you protest against it as abominable as if there were as little hope to be had of the salvation of such dying infants as are not born in Christendome as of the salvation of the very devils but your first doctrine shall stand of the two for truth with me from which though you often contradict it your selves I shal not be frighted by your bigg words but still hope as well of one dying infant as another Secondly Risum teneatis amici it is enough I think to set him on smiling who is never so deep in his dumps to see what a most pat and pertinent place of Scripture you have here dragged in to the proof of infant baptism viz. 1 Thes. 4.13 from whence as the wheel barrow goes rumble to rumble so it followes that infants are to be baptised you might as well have said you may find it in the fifteenth of go look it as send us to a text of so little tendency as this is of to your present purpose for what if we are not to mourn over the death of Saints and Godly friends that sleep in Jesus as those that can have no hope of such friends as they see to dy ungâ—dly which is indeed the direct drift of the place will it therefore follow that all those infants that dy without baptism are universally and unavoidably damned yet no less then this is here told by your selves to be your tenet whilst you say our denial of baptism unto them destroies all hope of their salvation But Sirs is it so in earnest in your opinion that no baptism no hope of salvation Then thirdly I have a treble charge to draw up against you 1. of unchristian cruelty 2. Of point blank popery 3. of clear contrariety both to your selves and to those very authors you refer us to to read and learn by and also to the very professed doctrine of the church of England whereof you profeâ—s to be the Ministers First I must cry out oh the Vnchristian cruelty that is hatched in your hearts and here expressed not onely to these thousands of infants even of Christians that happen to dy unbaptized at least to whom baptism
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
that nor so great a mercy but that the mercy of God may be as great to them without it nor so great as that they are capable of any more benefit by it from the Church or from their parents then they are capable of if they have it not they may be prayed for by the Church and by their parents full as much and be brought up by them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord not onely as well but much better when they are capable of being disciples and instructed though in infancy neither counted disciples nor baptized as if they were supposed to be disciples before they are taught It is therefore because they are not capable to be discipled in their nonage and the true reason why they are not capable is that which Mr. T. alledged and alas that it should not satisfy Mr. Bax. viz. because they cannot learn what is taught them Mr. Bax. knowing that fetches a compasse about another way whereby to prove them capable to be disciples viz. their being servants of Christ and subjects of Christs Kingdome and thirdly their belonging to Christ but what a pittiful piece of proof what a messe of miserable mistake is this as if to belong to Christ to be Christs subject Gods servant and Christ disciple were convertible and alltogether one and the same wheras howbeit it cannot be denyed but that every disciple of Christ belongs to Christ and is his Subject and Gods servant yet that every one who may be said to belong to Christ to be Gods servant and his Subject is Christs disciple cannot be asserâ—ed without more absurdity then Mr. Bax. is willing to take notice of in himself for Mr. T. gives him an Item of it plain enough for any reasonable man to consider of but he is deaf to it through a mind forestalld against the truth He tells us that infants are capable to be Gods servants Levit. 25.41.42 and therefore consequently Christs disciples and consequently to be baptized for disciples and Gods servants signifie the same thing denote the same persons and that there is the same capacity requisite to both p. 18.19 yea if there be a difference saith he there is more required to a servant then to a disciple but what wretched evidence is here when as there 's nothing more clear and palpably evident then this that more is required to make a disciple then a servant yea verily the consequence holds sound from Christs disciple to Gods servant but from Gods servant to Christs disciple which is his way of arguing a very novice may see it rotten and invalid there is enough in all the creatures the earth and heavens which as books wherein we may read it though not as men that make any verball narration of it declare the glory of God Ps. 19.1 to denominate them Gods servants Psa. 119.91 Nebucad-Nezar had enough to denominate him Gods servant Ier 43.10 as Mr. T. truly tells him but not enough to denominate him Christs disciple Yea I appeal to Mr. Ba. own conscience whether at that time when Christ exercised his ministry among the Iews the whole Nation of the Iews as well as those he mentions out of Levit. 25.41 and in the self same sense with those were not Iure Redemptionis by right of his Redemption of them from Egypt the servants of God had relatively a peculiar people to himself yet how few of them were Christs disciples viz. those onely that attended to his law in which respect though he stile all Israel his servants yet he distinguishes those few onely from the rest that harkned not to his law by the denomination of his disciples Isaiah 8.16 And whereas he saies of infants may they not be called Gods servants from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to them p. 20. I answer who doubts of that but may they thereupon be called disciples and be baptized if so then from the meer interest of dominion that God hath to all men all men may be called Gods servants as well as they and so consequently be baptized as Christs disciples He tells us further p. 21. that infants are capable of being subjects of Christs kingdome taking kingdome not in the larger sense as it contains all the world nor in the strictest as it containeth onely his elect but in a middle sense as it conteins the visible Church therefore consequently capable of being Christs disciples and of baptizing and to prove the antecedent viz. that they are subjects of Christs kindome i. e. members of the visible Church he uses this medium they are capable of being subjects in any kingdome on earth and therefore why not of Christs kingdome saith he i. e. of the visible Church of Christ Now if this be a good consequence they are capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth and therefore to be subjects of Christs Kingdom i. e. his Church then the infants of heathens as well as these being capable to be subjects in any Kingdom on earth are consequently as capable to be subjects of Christs Kingdom and Church and consequently to be Christs disciples and in their infancy to be baptized but Mr. Baxter himself will say non sequitur unto this He tells us further that Christ would have some infants i. e. believers infants for those he meanes to be received as disciples therefore some infants i. e. such are his disciples To prove the antecedent he jumbles together a number of places out of Mat. Mark and Luke viz. Mat. 18.5 the 10.42 Mark 9.41 Luke 9.47.48 in one of which places because Christ saies of a child who so shall receive this child in my name receiveth me by comparing this place with the rest where Christ saies to his disciples and of them also not of infants whoso shall give to you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ or as Matthew hath it in the name of a disciple he shall not loose his reward he gathers that some i. e. believers infants are disciples and to be received to baptism as such for saith he in Christs name and as Christs disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one in Christs language To which I answer First by denying that in Christs name and as a disciple and as belonging to Christ are all one for in Christs name is a Term of larger extent and latitude then the rest so that we may be said to do good in Christs name to some persons whom yet we cannot do good to as belonging to him in that neer relation of his disciples in the name of Christ besides severall other significations which the phrase hath is as much sometimes as for Christs sake who requires it and to do good to others in the name of Christ is to do good to them for Christs sake and then we may be said to do good for his sake not onely when we do good to them that are disciples of Christ upon that account of their belonging to
inchurched and gave his oracles to besides Israel of whom it is said God dealt â—n that particular as he did not with any other Nations suffering all others to walk after their own waies Act. 14.16 nor can there be now any universall visible Church but what is made up of the particular visible Churches so that a person must first be a member of some particular Congregation before he can be of that universal the Membership I say of infants that belonged to that Church onely which was to be National and tipical of that true holy nation i. e. all the saints where ever scattered is now repealed nor can any of that Mr. Ba. syllogizes to us evince the contrary He tells us that if it be repealed then either in justice or mercy to infants but it is in neither saith he p. 38. Ergo. he falls a proving the Minor but with his leave I shall make bold to deny the Major it was neither better nor worse as to the whole speâ—ies of infants it was severity to unbelieving Jewes goodnesse to believing Gentiles but t was not done with any such special respect to infants in their nonage as that if it had stood the whole species of infants through the world would have been much the better for such a meer titular thing as membership in the Church unlesse that membership would ipso facto have more intitled them to heaven nor now it s taken away are sucking infants ere the worse for saying the great dignity that you deem to ly in the bare title of being a member of the visible Church whether they dy before your admâ—ssion of them or just after if in infancy their salvation is for that neither more nor lesse and if they live to years as they are then are no longer infants and no neerer heaven for their being baptized when they were infants unlesse they repent and believe the Gospell so repenting and believing it they are as capable then of heaven though they were not as if they had been baptized and in bare church-membership from the womb this therefore is petty reasoning indeed as Mr. T. calls it see Mr. Ba. 40. His second third fourth fifth six Arguments are all out of Rom. 11. which place as I have declared my sense of it before so I testifie again is so clear against the standing of infants as members in the family of Abraham or Church of God now under the Gospel that he is as blind as a beetle that sees any thing in it tending to the proof of it for it seems plainly that the natural branches or seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob themselves that stood the children of the Church before without faith upon the meer account of being their naturall branches cannor stand children of the Church now unlesse they be also spiritual branches as Abraham Isaac and Iacob were yea if being the fleshly seed of a believer could ingraft persons into the Gospel Church as it did of old into the Jewish Church without faith then the Jewes to this day being asmuch believing Abrahams natural seed as ever might by that birth stand Members as truly as any Gâ—ntile believers seed but they cannot yea the same persons that were members of that Church without filth were not admitted to passe from that Church to membership in this for want of faith but when very forraigners that had no relation to nor descent from Abraham became his children in the Gosspel sense and members of the Gospel Church by personal faith the very naturall seed of Abraham was cut off through unbelief so that the standing before was by a fleshly birth of Abraham or some believing proselited Gentile but the standing now in the Church is not by a birth natural of any parent no not of Abraham himself unlesse â—here be faith in the persons themselves as Mr. Baxter believes not there is in any infants for to the confutation of the Ashford Pamphlet which pleads infant-faith Mr. Baxter p. 98. Makes the very essence of faith to lie in assenting to it that Christ is King and Saviour and consenting that he be so to us and whether infants do thus both assent and consent let Mr. Ba. be judge of it if he please Because of unbelief the natural seed were broken off thence Mr. Bax. argues that infants stand still in the Church but thence I argue they cannot stand because those that stand now stand by faith ver 20. i e. personal not parental thou standest saith Paul by faith i. e thy faith not thy Fathers for then we may as well say the just shall live by his fathers faith not by fleshly descent though of Abraham Isaac and Iacob themselves as of old they did and infants cannot stand by faith unlesse they had it and therefore not at all Mr. Baxter argues it was the Jewes own Olive tree or Church they were cut off from for unbelief Therefore infants stand in it still But thence I argue that our infants cannot stand therein for if god spared not the Naturall Branches of Abraham but broke them off their own root their own father Abraham and his family so as to be counted no longer his children their own olive tree the church so as to abide no longer in it because they believed not the terms of standing church-members being now no fleshly descent but faith then much lesse will he admit any Gentiles that are not naturall branches of Abraham to be grafted into the good olive tree without faith and therefore no infants that believe not Mr Ba. tells us that some branches only were broken off therfore not infants It is true all were not broken off and why because some believed and so abode in the family others and those the most believe not when they should others and those all infants nor believed nor yet could and therefore could not abide nor have a visible being a visible membership a visible standing in that visible church the termes of standing in which is only and alone by faith Mr. Bax. argues that Israel shall again be grafted into their own olive tree and saved even the children with the parents and therefore infant-membership in the Gospel church is not repealed I answer it is true that if they abide not still in unbelief they shall be grafted into their own olive tree the visible Church and family of Abraham that is so many as shall believe onely this infants do not but whether they believe or believe not when the Redeemer i. e. Christ Jesus shall come all Israel shall be saved and be owned and made the most glorious people upon earth and enter into a flourishing state indeed but not in this way of baptism and membership Mr. Baxter speaks of who I perceive is not a little ignorant of this mystery as yet how long blindnesse shall happen unto Israel and in what manner their calling shall be of which I also have at this time as little list as leasure to inform him Mr.
we may see how these men wil needs have that signification that best serves their turnes whether proper or improper when the proper most fits them then the improper cannot be meant there when the proper makes against them the improper is pleaded for as none more usual then that thus the word houshold must include infants when baptism is spoken of but when the passover is spoken of then infants are excluded because else we shall argue from thence to their eating the supper as they from circumcision unto their baptism but this by the way that it may be noted how the men will have things their own way by hook or by crook not that I deny the word kingdomes to be taken properly for all the whole kingdome here yea I grant it but let us see what of that why even this if the whole kingdom be the Lords then infants must unavoidably be members of Christs Church and if we ask how comes this about he will tell you two wayes First as infants are all of the Kingdomes of this world taken for the whole kingdom Secondly as by the word kingdom of Christ is meant Christs church Now let us spell and put all together and it is thus much First by Kingdomes of this world is here meant the whole Kingdome of this world or Kingdome taken universally not for some part of it onely Secondly by Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ is here meant Christs church onely Thirdly infants are a part of the Kingdomes of this world and so consequently of Christs church for the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ i. e. Christs church oh brave and plain Scripture proof for infant church-membership and baptism Let us examine what is true and what is false in this First as above I grant that here the Kingdomes of this world signifie the whole Kingdome as he pleads it but that here the Kingdome of the Lord and his Christ signifies Christs church I utterly deny it and am amazed that a reasonable man should affirm it and so consequently I deny that it appears from this place that infants are now members of Christs church But he brings reason for it such as t is and that shall be a little examined First if they say saith he that the Kindome of Christ is not here meant Christs church they speak against the constant phrase of Scripture which calls Christs Kingdome his Church et conversim Christ is King and saviour of the same society what is Christs Kingdom but his church To which I answer Christs Kingdome is the whole world as well as his church And Secondly that he is King and Saviour of all men in some sense as well as of that same society And Thirdly that it is not against the constant phrase of Scripture to say by Christs Kingdome here is not meant his church for though it is true by his Kingdome is sometimes exprest his church et retro by his church is meant his Kingdome in a special and restrictive sense yet not constantly there being many places where the word Kingdome of Christ is taken in a larger sense as signifying not the church but the whole world O bad 21 the Kingdome i. e. Monarchy of the whole earth shall be the Lords i. e. Christs so Dan. 7. the Kingdome i. e. Dominion Monarchy and greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven is given to the son of man and the Saints yea his Kingdom is over all he shall rule the Nations govern and judge the whole world in righteousnesse Oh saith Mr. Ba. the Kingdome of Christ is more large and more speciall but here it cannot be meant of his kingdom in the larger sense nor as he ruleth common societies and things for so saith he the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs and it could not be said that they are now become so To which I answer First that in granting what he here does that Christs kingdome is taken sometimes in a larger sense then for the church he contradicts himself above where he saies it is the constant phrase of Scripture to call Christs Kingdome his church and what is Christs kingdome but his church Secondly whereas he saies the Kingdomes of this world were ever the Lords and his Christs in the larger sense as taken for his Government and Rule I grant de jure Christ hath been Lord of the whole earth a long time but de facto he is not King so as actually to reign over the whole earth as ere long he shall do i. e. at his appearing 2 Tim. 4.1 to this very day but in that indeed i. e. when he comes he shall be King Monarch over all the earth and rule with a rod of iron over the Nations and judge the world in righteousnesse together with his Saints who hath been judged in unrighteousnesse by the Nations and Rulers hitherto Zach. 14. Dan. 7. Act. 17. P 2. Rev. 2. then he shall be in point of execution as before by commission and really and actually as now intentionally King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. but till then as yet a little while and his Kingdome comes to his hand and the Kingdomes of the world do thus become his for the work of recovery of his right is now very hot in fieri and will not be long before it be in facto esse till then he hath been an underling and other Lords besides him have had dominion over him in his and also over the whole earth which is his and over the Kingdomes of this world which de jure are his but specially that servus servorum dominus dominorum the Pope and CCClergy that are the whore that hath reigned in three divisions over the earth between whom and Christ the great justle now is in all christendome whether he or they that by permission have had it so long from Christ who onely hath the commission for it shall be King of Kings and Lord of Lords hitherto Christ hath reigned in the world as Charles the second hath reigned in England and no otherwise i. e. hath reigned in the hearts of a few of his friends and followers But I perceive the Gospel or good news of the Kingdome of Christ coming which is to be preached more had more before the end is yet a riddle to Mr. Ba. and though I hope it will be if seeing he will see yet t is not yet given him to know the mystery and manner of Christs Kindome Thirdly whereas he saies that the Kingdom taken in the larger sense i. e. for the world cannot be meant here but the church onely by this phrase the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ I strongly assert that of all places in Scripture the word Kingdomes of Christ cannot here be construed for the church that the church cannot be meant in that phrase but the Kingdomes in the largest sense i. e. the whole world and
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
Ex nihilo nihil fit in an ordinary way but such is the extraordinary eagerness of Mr. Ba. to have the game go his way by either fair play or foul that he is wise to extract something out of any thing and any thing out of just nothing to his purpose this that God is not more prone to severity then mercy may serve and that soundly to make against those that say God is willing to save but a few and did peremptorily determine to damn personally an 100 men to one before they were born and that without reference to their soreseen rejection of his grace but how it seems to make a jot against such as suppose the salvation of all dying infants denying onely infants meer membership in meer gospell fellowship I must professe my self too shallow to conceive yea I am astonisht saving that the word tells me the seers must be blinded for teaching Gods fear after mens precepts that the the ministers should buzze such a businesse abroad in print viz. that if infants be not now Church-members then God is more prone to severity then to mercy and then back it so baldly too as Mr. Ba. does it is evident thus saith he God hath cut off multitudes of wicked mens infants both from the Church and from life for the sins of their progenitors viz. Dathan and Abirams Achans Amalecks the Midianites Daniels accusers the Hittites Amorites Canaanites Perrezites and Jebusites therefore if he should not admit of some infants of faithful men so much as to the visible Church then he should be more prone to severity then to mercy I cannot but inwardly blush at Mr. Bas. blindnesse as if God had no way whereby to vindicate the honour of his mercy and clear himself from the censure of more severe then merciful but one that is by giving commission to us which yet he no where gives us in any part of his will and Testament to baptize and inchurch some infants as if he had no way to recover to his credit again to his most merciful name of the Lord mercifull gracious and slow to anger since his cutting off so many infants togeâ—her with their wicked parents by meer temporal death and to make amends as it were for all the slaughters that he made of innocent infants with their rebellious fathers in the daies of the law unlesse in liew thereof he grant some infants of faithful men to be members of his visible Churches and in visible fellowship with them in the daies and ages of the Gospel Who sees not the weaknesse the wretchednesse of this consequence yet so it is with Mr. Ba. that God is more prone to severity then mercy if he now admit no infants into the visible Church under the Gospel except saith he it be proved that God giveth them some greater mercy out of the Church To which exception of his I say thus First it need not be proved and yet his consequence will prove false for if the meer admitting of some faithful mens infants into the visible Church will so make up the matter as to salve God from censure of pronesse to severity rather then mercy and magnifie his mercy so as to make it appear to be that he delights in more then judgement notwithstanding his severity in slaying so many infants with the parents then God magnfied his mercy in that kind of way sufficiently to make amends for that severity in the very time of the law it self forasmuch as then he did admit for 2000 years together not onely some infants of faithfull men but in all that time innumerable infants of unfaithful and wicked men for such were the Jewes for the most part in their several generations and yet such infants your selves would not now have admitted to stand in the vrsible and national Church of the Jewes And so there is no need of any admittance of infants now in order to such an end as satisfaction for his severity to some infants of old into visible fellowship with Gospel Churches Secondly to satisfie him further it may easily be proved that God giveth infants if they die in their infancy unbaptized and not inchurched for if they live to years they may be baptized all and inchurched too if they believe a greater mercy then that of meer church-membership here on earth for they having never committed any actuall sins whereby to deserve exemption charity teaches us to believe and hope thus much saies the Ashford Pamphlet of all such that of such is the kindom of heaven One thing more I cannot but take notice of in this passage not in way of contradiction to Mr. Ba. but in way of discovery how contradictory unto him some of his brethren are who mannage the same cause with him that they may either close more hand somely together or else excuse us if we believe none of them till they be agreed more among themselves for whereas Mr. Baxter layes it down as the manner of old that when the parents sinned and broke Gods covenant so as to deserve to be discovenanted thereupon the children that had right to stand by the Quondam membership of their parents were wont to be discovenanted dischurched and sometimes destroyed with them I find the fornamed Dr. Channell of another mind for when in a second publique discourse with him at Petworth on Ianuary 5.1651 I asserted his practise to be contradictory to his own judgement forasmuch as his judgement was that believers infants onely were in covenant with God and in right to Church-membership and baptism and yet his practise to baptize all or most of the infants in his parish not one of many of whose parents he judged to be believers as appeaed by his refusing communion with them for many years together in the supper He gave answer to this purpose viz. that the parent i. e. believing or else the child hath no right secundum te O Presbyter may sin himself out of covenant again out of all communion in the Church and be damned and yet the child stand still in right to baptism and membership which he had by the faith of those parents which as it thwarts the wonted way of discovenanting dischurching of children with the parents so it contradicts himself more another way though he evade his first contradiction by it to say that believing parents for such onely say your selves give right to their infants to be baptized may sinne themselves out of covenant and be damned for though as I then told him he preached it in saying thus yet I am perswaded he holds no falling from grace More things I take notice that that Dr. and Mr. Bax. knock heads in but I spare to do more then advise them to accord better with each other but specially each of them with himself or else as implicitly as men have believed them heretofore they will try them ere long and scarce trust them any longer His 20 Plain Scripture-lesse proof for infant churchmembership and baptism
may read as it were in text letters your own abstract from that of mine when you please and signing the Titles of the CCClergy whether true or surreptitious with three letters in the front as C. C. C. PPP c. most commonly when I speak of â—hem in the lump to denote the three PPParts into which that great City B B Babylon which they make stands divided I proceed as followeth That Heresies must be the Apostle hath said yet it makes no more for a tolleration of them in the true Church I mean though others mean in the civil state than that of our Saviour of offences saying foreseeing no question how by means of the Clergies crying out Heresie Heresie Schism against the way of truth being once turned aside to Heresie themselves the world would be offended at his little ones for walking in it They must come but wo to the man by whom they come the Apostle reckons Heresies among the works of the flesh Idolatry Witchcraft c. Gal. 5.20 which alone is argument sufficient against the Patronage and Invitation of them unless withal license in the true Church should be given to all other carnal sins why should the Church of God upon Earth make much of those against whom the Kingdome of Heaven shall be shut her pale is not so strong to keep them out from breaking in upon her like wild bores and wolves to spoil and wast her but her good will should not be so great to them as to wellcome them in to her fellowship till they repent from their dead works of superstition bloody tenet of persecution for cause of conscience worshipping God after mens traditions blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven trampling the holy City Heresie Schism from the primitive truth c. Neverthelesse howbeit to tolerate and harbour Hereticks in communion with them whilest they oppose the true way of Christ would be an error and an evill too intollerable in a true Church of Christ yet I hold that opinion of the C C Clergy not onely intollerably Heretical in it self but intollerably hurtful also to themselves that Hereticks may not be tolerated in a civil state for if Fines Prisons Banishments Racks Wâ—ips Tortures headings hangings burnings and such like punishments with the civil sword were the due of every Heretick and Schismatick in the faith as the C C Clergy have for ages and Generations born the world in hand that they are to the causing of all these their national Church censures to be inflicted on the Saints when they have once blindly sentence them to be Schismaticks to the civil power if this I say were the due of every Heretick or Schismatick and every true Heretick and Schismatick had his due too good Lord how have the C C Clergy condemned themselves out of their own mouthes to devastation when the civil powers shall find them to be the Arch-Hereticks in the world if taking them at their word they shall do with them as they say they ought to do in this case concerning others but God forbid that with what judgement they judge they should be judged and with what measure they meet it should be measured to them again at our suggestion if their own Cheek-by-jole carriage to the Stern-men of the State do not pull it unavoidably upon themselves yea verily though as far as those that oppose themselves against the truth of Christ they may well challenge the name of Schismaticall Hereticks and though Amen might justly be said by the Magistrate in this point to the opinion of Gangraena and his Gang and might Amen be said to his wise wishes as concerning us who teach and practise baptism in its primitive fashion we could expect to be suffered in the Common-wealth no more then High-way Murderers yet dare we not desire their exâ—irpation out of any of their native rights in the several states wherein they are nor such uncivill suppression of them meerly for their erroneous Tenets as they have sollicited the higher powers to concerning us we have not so learned Christ nor would they if they had heard him and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus for howere it comes to passe that the C C Clergy whose own the worst would he if that were true and execution done accordingly are so besotted as to believe that Hereticks and Schismaticks from the faith men of false waies worships religions though elsewise never fo peaceable and innocent must not onely be dischurched but discommunicated also from the patronage of the civil power and cut off from the priviledges of other Subjects yet neither Christ nor any of his Apostles as from him gave any order for such rigid rejection indeed the Apostle Paul wills in his Epistle to Titus cap. 3. who was a Church officer that a Heretick after a second and third admonition be rejected i. e. from the Church and Gal. 5.12 wishes that they were cut off from the Church that did trouble the Church and Rev. 2.20.21 the Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering that woman Iezebel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and seduce his servants to fornication i. e. false worships c. but it will noâ— follow therefore that such may not have license to live civilly in civil states for the weapons of the Churches warfare wherewith she is to fight against Heresies and which she is ever to have in readinesse to revenge all disobedience to Christ by are noâ— carnall 2 Cer. 10.4 5 6. not such as are used by the officers of States but onely spirituall as admonition reproof and in case of obstinacy putting out from among them delivering up to Satan and not delivering up to the secular power as the Popish Priesthood used to do when any of their creatures specially of their Clerico-creatures turned Hereticks i. e. departed from their Heresies to the truth saying pray take him into your power and be merciful to him meaning hang or burn him for a Heretick The Church I say is neither to use the carnal weapons of the State nor yet to stirr up the State so to use them on her and truths behalf as to imprison fine hang burn or banish false worshippers unbelievers misbelievers or Hereticks further then they are withall as by meer unbelief they are not offenders against the civil State I find the Lord Christ foretelling by himself and his Apostles that for the most part the more is the pitty the Rulers Kings Governours and Princes of the world would be such enemies against his Gospel that his Disciples should be â—ald before them as evill doers for his names sake Matth. 10.18 that not many mighty and noble men would own his truth 1 Cor. 1.26 that rich men would oppresse the Church and draw them before their Judgement seats and blaspheme that worthy name wherby the poor in this world which commonly are the richest in faith are called Ia. 2.6 that the Kings
as well as they do in the tenth part of it already will take cognizance ere long that it can be no great ease to truly tender consciences who with the CCClergy are ever stiled Sectaries and Schismaticks to lie under the lash of these Lords over Gods heritage and in tender consideration thereof and compassion to those righteous souls who are vexed with their vanities proclaim such a Iubilee that the true spouse of Christ whom they made a keeper of their vineyard shall have leave to keep her own vine yard go forth from her Apprenticeship to these spiritual Task-masters that their consciences shall be no more yoaked nor captivated to their crude and carnal conceptions and the wings of the CCClergy so clipt that they shall not soare so high as they have done over the faith of all people yea in the name of the blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ Iesus I warn all the civil Powers Princes and Potentates of the world that have been bewitched by the sorceries of that WWWhore who corrupts the earth with her fornications that they give up their power and strength no more to be improved to the forcing of the inhabiters of the earth to drink of the golden cup and wine of her fornications but that they improve it rather henceforth to the freeing all men from from her conscience crushing principle of persecution by the civil sword that submit not to her Sinodical constitutions and if they refuse to obey the will of the Lord in this thing and permit not all people to live peaceably in their several forms of worship they behaving themselves civilly and in all subjection to them in civil matters in their several States I testifie unto them that then the hand of the Lord will be so heavy upon them and their PPPriests and people that he will plague them as certainly as he did Egypt Pharoah and his Magicians till they let his Israel go forth and serve him as he required Yea O ye Powers if ye shall yet persevere to Tyranize over truth and trample upon tender consciences and force all men to that one faith which the men or rather the woman Rev. 17. the CCClergy in their counsels make the standard through you several States the Lord Christ will tread you and your people in his wrath and trample you in his fury and stain all his raiment with your blood and strengthen your own Subjects against you and your PPPriesthood IIIezebel that stirs you up whose lovers you are with invincible courage and irresistable wrath against you to suppresse your miserable misgovernment and cast her into a bed and you that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except you repent of your deeds yea he will endlessly imbroile you in wars one against another about your false faiths and Anti-christian Christianities and bring plagues upon you the sword famine death and destruction that he may repay unto you the things that have been done unto his chosen and will hold his tongue no longer as touching the wickedness of that kind which hath been profanely committed but as innocent and righteous blood crieth unto him and the souls of the just complain continually so the Lord will surely avenge them and receive unto him all the righteous blood from among them behold his people hath been led as a flock to the slaughter but he will not suffer them now to dwell any longer in the land of Egypt i. e. under the Lordly tyranny of the PPPriesthood who is that threefold great City BBBabilon which is also spiritually called Sodom for her Spiritual whoredoms and Egypt Rev. 11.8 the land of Israels captivity in the streets within the territories of which the carcases of Christs witnessesly dead where also our Lord was crucified But he will bring them out with a mighty hand and a streched out arm and will smite EEEgypt with plagues as before and will destroy all the land thereof EEEgypt shall mourn and the foundation of it be smitten with the plague and punishment that God shall bring upon it like as they do yet this day unto his chosen so will he also do and recompence unto their bosom and he will make the Princes of the earth to know that t is Christs right alone to rule over the consciences of the children of men and that no meer man may sit as a judge there and thou O PPPriest shall know that Christ alone is King in his Church and in the conscience and the true Ministers but meer Ministers or servants unto both and not Masters over either and that the civill state is the element and the Orbe which the Magistrate onely is to move in under him and that only meerly in matters civill and that thy self who art a creature not of Gods but of thy own creating and hast usurp'd a supreme jurisdiction at least a jurisdiction over all these hast nothing but naught to do in any of them at all and as thou art no plant of the heavenly fathers planting so shalt assuredly be plucked up by the very roots from all thy pretences priviledges provinces parishes and other profits and places in which thy earthly father the Pope hath planted thee yea thou shalt be weakned as a poor woman with stripes and as one chastised with wounds so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee would I with jealousie have so preceeded against thee saith the Lord if thou hadst not alway slain my chosen exalting the stroak of thine hands and saying over their dead when thou wast drunken set forth the beauty of thy countenance the reward of thy whordome shall be in thy bosom therefore shalt thou receive recompence like as thou hast done unto my chosen saith the Lord spoiling and destroying them that fear the Lord wasting and taking away their goods tearing them with thy teeth for Tith and casting them out of their houses even so shall God do unto thee and shall deliver thee unto mischief thou shalt be cast down by them as stubble and they shall be to thee a fire look what thou hast they shall spoil it and marre the beauty of thy face and the glory of both thou O poor Princely PPPriesthood and of all those PPPriestly Princes that adhere to thee shall be dried up as a flower when the heat shall arise that is sent over thee Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed ye that are judges of the earth see that you serve the Lord with fear in your own persons according to his own will and way revealed in his word and know that howbeit you are the Gods of the earth to judge all men that are under you whether in the Church or of the world in earthly cases and matters of meer secular concernment that you are not the Gods of heaven that is the Church so far as to meddle at all as earthly judges to correct in those meer heavenly
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