give not the Believers And Christ of old too gave the Keyes and the power of them one part whereof is this setting apart of persons to the administring of holy Ordinances to Peter and the Apostles as bearing the persons of the Pastors and Guides of the Church Mat. 16.19 and not as representing the Church of Believers for then these also must have power to binde and loose in earth and heaven by Censures John 20.23 as well as the Apostles and Pastors and so women and children may come in for it as Believers I could never see yet that the Ministery of the separation had any separation to the Ministery just and right according to the good old way onely a kinde of popular Democratical designation they have but no authoritative or official Ordination which is Aristocratical But why do you not speak out to the full Was he your brother set apart of the Church i.e. your selves the Brethren to administer the Ordinances of Christ and was he not also authorized to give Orders or do you mean these also orders by them Ordinances how else will you be given to preaching or be a gifted Preacher ere long if not already Nay when your Church and the Brethren did set him apart to the Ministery did not your Church and Brethren give him Orders and Ordination to the purpose that so he might give back again to your Church and any of the Brethren Orders and Ordination and so make yours a very orderly Church indeed in running round in a ring until you be turn-sick and giddy-headed But enought of this having spoken largely of it in the Instruction of the Scribe § 3. Set apart of the Church but how I ask You say by fasting and prayer and this was all it seems And why not also by Laying on of Hands according to the good old way laid open and plain in the Text before cited Acts 13.3 and tracked or traced by St. Paul 1 Tim. 4.14 and 2 Tim. 1.6 Thus of old they the holy Spirit and the Apostles did set apart Brethren to the administring of the Ordinances and this of old namely the Laying on of Hands also was a note of conferring ministerial power and authority as a means also of procuring spiritual gifts and abilities Now the things which god hath joyned together in the constitution and sending out of a Minister in holy Ordinances let no man put asunder or set apart Fasting Prayer and Laying on of hands none do or will but such as have a spirit of Division and Separation an humor of Novelty and Innovation and therefore I do not wonder at it in you Besides you had no hands to impose in such a business they are too short to reach up and to lay upon the head of a Brother as to Commission or Ordain him or set him apart as from God for the sacred administration of Baptism you mouths shut up by fasting and your hearts enlarged by prayer may do well as to commend and present him to God for his blessing and confirmation of his graces when such are rightly and duly set apart § 4. You have done now with your set apart Brother but there is another matter yet to be done according to the old way for they also in the 13. Acts 4. sent away Paul and Barnabas And so Rom. 10.15 How shall or can they preach or baptize except they be sent True St. Paul saith Christ sent me not to baptize 1 Cor. 1.17 chiefly and primarily but to preach yet he baptized as well as preached and intimateth that Christ sent him to do both as being conjunct parts of the Ministery Mat. 28.19 20. though distinct offices in themselves and the one preeminent to the other at leastwise in St. Paul But now you were not in a capacity as to this sending out of a Brother to administer this or other publique holy Ordinances as he would not take this honor to himself to be an Ambassadour of Chriâ—â— so you and your Brethren could not give it unto him and send him forth for that you must be sent your selves before you can send others to go forth into the nations Teaching and Baptizing So Christ himself John 20.21 As my Father sent me so send I you In a word was or is your Brothers separation to administer Baptism and other Ordinances ordinary or extraordinary If extraordinary then your Church did nothing here for that is neither of man nor by man you did not then set apart If ordinary then your Church had nothing here to do as which it self was never set apart or sent out from Christ and his Authority to such purpose This being not done as yet to you or him you may think what you will of your Creature and admire your Feature your Brother set apart Dipper is still in the estate and condition as your selves and as before he was for any thing you have done a Brother but no Minister a Separate no Set apart a Dipper but no Baptizer a Lay Teacher but no lawful Preacher And I will tell you what Austin saith of such and I will tell it you in Latine because you understand it Si Laicus Baptismum dederit null â cogente necessitate alieni muncris est usurpatio lib. 2. contra Parmen cap. 13. This I desire you to English to your Brother And because perhaps you were enjoyned before your dipping to renounce your Latine also as a profane thing or else since your dipping you may have drowned much of your Latine or drained it from you I will give you another saying of Tertullian in English in his book of Baptism To give Baptism is in truth the Bishops right after him it belongeth to Priests and Deacons but not to them without Authority from him received for so the honor of the Church which being kept preserveth peace were it not in this respect the Laity might do the same all sorts might give even as all sorts receive But because emultation is the mother of Schisms Let it content thee which art of the order of Lay men to do it in necessity when the state of time or place or person thereunto compelleth for them is their boldness priviledged that help when the circumstance of other mens dangers craveth it Both these learned and pious Fathers yield even to a Lay man such a one as your Brother or your self to baptize in a case or state of necessity and one of them enlargeth it To time place or persons I shall but guess at the particular meanings of them if I miss let who can and will rectifie me I will thank him for you I know cannot if you would 1. The case of necessity in state of Time is when the Christian party unbaptized is in present danger of death and no lawful Minister at hand or to be suddenly procured 2. The case of necessity in state of Place is when Pagans are converted and a Church there to be planted and no ordained Minister amongst the Converters
plainly and directly evinced Infants Faith and Salvation by it which is all one Doth not David say and testifie Psal 8.2 out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained or founded strength or perfected praise and doth he not Psal 148.12 call upon and exhort old men and children to praise the name of the Lord the which you cannot expound of spiritual children onely as sometimes it may and somewhere for Mat. 21.15 16. they are real and bodily children that cried Hosanna to the Son of David and fulfilled Davids Speech now if these had no Grace Knowledge or Faith in Christ how could they so glorifie and praise Christ and rejoyce and even Triumph in Christ I ask again are any Infants in Christ or ingrafted into Christ or the Children of God if so as you cannot deny it for we are all one in Christ Jesus whether bond or free male or semale old or young Father or Children And God the Father hath given to Christ Infants and Children as well as Parents and Fathers and to those that Christ hath received his Father he gives eternal life But now they are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus and if they be Christ then are they Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Galat. 3.26 28 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 and he that is none of his Christ Baptizeth not But Christ Baptizeth with the inward Baptism also unto Remision of Sins many Infants these are some of his as who hath taken them into Covenant to be the God of them and them to be the Children of God And surely if Christ should not impart unto some Infants Knowledge and Faith according to their measure Competent to Salvation but only to the Adule and grown persons he might seem to be an Acceptor both of Ages and personages which he is not Deut. 10.17 Rom. 2.11 See John 6.35 and 37. He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall not thirst immediately Christ addeth whatsoever the Father giveth me shall come unto me or beleeve in me I ask you now and Quaere you hath not the Father in his everlasting Counsel and Bounty given to Christ all his Elect Infants and appointed them to be Christs when Psal 2.8 the Lord said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession if so why then they also Infants being somewhat of that whatsoever given unto Christ shall come and do come continually unto him or beleeve in him whatsoever you say or write to the Contrary that they neither shall or do believe See Galat. 3.22 The Scripture hath shut up all things under sin that the promise by Faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those that believe you hear the disease of sin in Adam is spread over all things that is all men and whatsoever is of and in man even Infants therefore the Remedy of Faith in Christ must be spread over them too that this may be as generall and large as that so Infants who are saved must and do believe in Christ See 17. John 3. This is life everlasting to know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Here is a General and universal Rule given by Christ himself the Author of Salvation without any inkling or tinkling of exception for everlasting life to be atteined namely by knowing and believing for that is also included in it as is specified and more enlarged in the 1 John 5.10 11 12 He that hath the Son hath life this life is in the Son and he that believeth hath this witness in himself c. Now I Quaere you again Have any of the Elect Infants the Son of God have they eternall life you cannot deny it and therefore you cannot deny them some spark of Knowledge and Faith See 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by Faith and not by sight and 1 Cor. 13.12 now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face whence it appeareth there is but one way of joyning us all to Christ and of our enjoying of Christ which is Sight of him in Heaven or Faith in him upon earth to which Sight our Faith now is answerable being of the same nature and quality onely differing in the measure for Faith is nothing else but a sight of him John 12.44 and 4. Now I Quaere you again do not you think but the same way which serveth for all the rest of Gods Elect doth serve for Children also to joyn them to Christ and that there is but one life begun here which is perfected in heaven according to that He that believeth in me hath eternal life John 6.47 Then also must Infants have some light of the mind to see and behold Christ now here as in a looking glase so hereafter face to face See Rom. 4 6. To all Abrahams seed the promise is firm by Faith and his Title is the Father of the Faithfull the Scripture maketh him the Father of us all and all the Children of the promise i.e. The whole number of Gods Elect for of that Primary cause of our Salvation Gods holy Election Saint Paul there disputeth Rom. 9 8. which is observable against the Anabaptists who impute the Salvation of Infants solely to Gods Election which is acknowledged of us to be the Primary cause whereas in that very place he mentioneth a secondary cause of their Salvation that they are the Children of the promise and so reckoned in Abrahams seed because of that Interest they have in that blessed Seed in whom Abraham and all his posterity are partakers of the holy inheritance Now I Quaere you again here do you or dare you exclude Infants from being Abrahams Seed you must then also bar them from having interest and part in Christ if not why do you or dare you to deny them Faith seeing that in the same manner as Abraham obtained the Blessing which was by Faith so must all Nations of the world Jews Gentiles and every particular person all and as many as lay under the curse before even Infants therefore obtain the Blessing by Faith according as it is Gal. 3.8.13 14. What should I run on thus your self will prove as much for me anon and agaiost your self for in your confutation or rather consideration following upon Acts 2.39 there you say That nothing but Faith answereth the promise and I shall tell you that Faith answereth it as the condition If then there be no other way or means for Infants to come by Righteousness or Salvation but by Faith or believing the condition of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel as works and doing was of the Covenant of Nature and the Law you must either grant some Infants to believe and have Faith or else
him as the Pharisees did upon our Saviour and have said thou bearest witness of thy self for thy self thy witness is not true they would have given a check or denyal to such a Custom accused it of Novelty or but of Yesterday and so have turned off easily that Argument which of all other lay most heavily upon them the Ancient Churches Custom and Practice in Baptizing Infants But they never did that as who could not deny this And so that other exception against Augustine as if he should utter and urge this in Heat and Passion against Pelagius his Adversary in point of Baptizing of Infants and speak more of the Custom and Practice of the Church than was true falleth of it self For they differed not in that point of Infant-Baptism no nor in the matter of the Custom of the Church herein For so Augustine affirmeth both in his first Book of the Merit and Remission of Sin The Peloagians themselves do grant that little Children are to be Baptized as who cannot come in or stand up against the Authority of the Vniversal Church delivered without doubt or Traditioned by our Lord and his Apostles And again in the eleventh Book against Caelestius and Pelagius He affirms and cites that Caelestius in a Book of his written at Rome acknowledged that Infants in a Book of his wirtten at of sin according to the Rule of the universul Church and according to the sense and meaning of the Gospel and Therefore Pelagius not daring to deny though otherwise impudent enough the General Practice of the Ancient Church in Baptizing Infants as who then and that way might have slipt his neck out of the Collaror Yoke Augustine held him to was feign to shist off that Fathers Argument as well as he could but very poorly and pittifully That the Church Baptized indeed Infants but not for the washing away of original fin which he denyed in Infants but for the better bringing them to the Kingdome of Heaven which Christ said was of such as theirs And truly this makes a great Addition to the Truth of this The Custom and Practice of the Universal Ancient Church in Baptizing lnsants that Pelagius so great a Schollar and Travellour who had seen the Customas and Practices the manners and fasthions of the Affricane and Asiatiqne yea and Europaean Churches being also himself a Brittish born should not as indeed he could not make any denyal or take any exception thereto as who by his own eyes and experience saw found it to be most true and uniform and so I may say our Baptism of Infants is a true Baptism and the Ancient Churches Practice hereof is a true Practice even our enemies themselves being Judges as Deut. 32.31 〈◊〉 why then was not Augustine himself Baptized in his In … y who was such as strong Advocate for the Baptism of Infants the Reason is plain and makes nothing against our Infant Baptism or the General Practice of the Church for neither his Father nor Mother were Christians or Believers when himself was born and they continued so untill a little before their death Augustine himself was not converted from his Manichean Haeresies and other vices untill the 31. year of his age who two years continuing a Catechumen and in the mean time writing somethings to give proof and testimony of the truth of his conversion or of his conversion to the Truth was Baptized himself and his Son Adeodate together like as Ahraham was circumcised with Ismeal his Son on the self-same day These things may be seen in His Confessions I shall need to adde no more for the shewing Infant-Baptism to have been the Custom and Practice of all the former Ancient Churches Augustines Testimony of the same is to me instead of all and as Goliahs Sword to David there is none like that Give it me 1 Sam 21.9 I have taken it and I give it thee not as a single Testimony of one Father for it but as a Quadruple witness of the Universal Church and its Custom and Practice for the point of Paedobaptism being four times expresly deliveced though by one and the same Father Saint Austin Yet I may for more perspicuity sake follow up this General Testimony by one Father unto its Particulars I mean the Covattestations of other particular Fathers in their several ages You have heard what Augustine hath said and written as for that Century For the year 390. 384. and those years wherein he lived Hierom In his Epistle ad Laetam having told her that the good and the evill of little once are imtured much to their Parents he addeth in the middle of that Epistle unless perhaps you think the Sons of Christians is they receive not Baptism They onely are guilty of sin and that the wickedness also thereof is not to be referred or to redound to the Parents who would not give it especially at or in such a time wherein they could not contradict who were to receive it In his Book against the Pelagians towards the end he is for Infant-Baptism and confirms it by allerdging the Authority of Cyprian and his Colleagues In the same third Book against Pelag it is thus Crito i.e. Pelagian saith grant me thus much at lest that they are without sin who cannot sin speaking of Infants To whom Atticus i.e. Hieronimus Answereth I will Grant it if they have been Baptized in Christ and again They are without any Sin through the Grace of God which they have received in Baptism Chrysostom Arch-Bishop of Constantinople For the year 382. in his Homil. to the Neophytes is for the Baptism of Children and in his 40. Homil upon Genes calls Baptism our Circumcision His being not Baptized untill he was 21. years of age doth not prejudice here as whose Father and Mother were not Christians at his birth and who himself was brought up under Libanius an enemy to and a scoffer at Religion but after he was instructed in the Divinity knowledge by Miletus a Bishop and Baptized of him In his Homil ad Neoph having spoken of the Honours and Benefits of Baptism he saith a little from the beginning For this cause we Baptize the little Infants that they may not be defiled with sin that to them may be added Sanctity Righteousness Adoption Inheritance Fraternity of Christ That they may be all his Members and the Habitation of the Spirit In his 40. Homil upon Genes having spoken of Circumcision appointed to the Children of the Jewes and the pain of the Incision he addeth but our Circumcision or the grace of our Baptism brings the medicine without without such dolour and Innumerable benefits with it It hath indeed no definite time set down for it as that hath but it is lawful to receive both in the first and in the middle and in the last age this not made with hands Circumcision in which there is susteined no great pain but the weight of sins are put off and Remission of them is
good to give unto them a full and proportionable answer what pains and time soever it should cost me But that which you propound in your second sheet to me is nothing but certain Considerations of your own against baptism of Infants and about some Texts of Scripture the very froth and barmings of your own head the which if I should let alone unreplied to as once I was resolved would of themselves sink disperse and fall to nothing But lost you should swell and be puffed up in any conceipt of these your considerations as the Bladder is with its own winde I will as briefly as I can with my short breath by reason of my old age blow away your froth and let out your winde that so the hollowness and shallowness of them may appear to the Reader The Title you set over your first Consideration is this More particularly about the Doctrine of Babtism Baptism consider these Arguments proved by clear and plain Scripture Sir this is a false Title to your Tractate for if you would have done here more particularly it should have been and you should have said about the Doctrine of Infant-Baptism for if you bring not Arguments not onely about Baptism as you say but against Infant baptism and these proved by clear and plain Scripture I shall not consider them neither have you considered well of our difference 1. You bid me Consider that the Doctrine of Infants Babtism overthrows the nature of the Covenant of grace and the whoe whole Gospel of Christ why so because the Covenant of grace and Gospel of Christ stands upon the account of faith actual in there one heir own persons as uppears in John 3.36 and John 5.24 But Infants Babtism stand upon the account of the faith in there their Parents or Surtie Sureties although they have none for themselves and so makes faith void and unnesesery unnecessary to the perticipation participation of the Covenant Rom. 4.13 Gal. 3.17 8. But what do I did I not say I would not transcribe your words of your second sheet but I see I must do it for there is so much false-written English in them that I must of necessity do it lest if inscribed to my Answer that may be thought mine But to the matter Baptism of Infants of Believers doth not overthrow but establish the Covenant and Gospel of Grace because it sealeth and executeth it Neither doth the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel stand upon the account of actual Faith in all mens own persons but onely such as being grown in years are converted from Paganism these must make profession of faith before they can come into the Covenant and be sealed But actual faith is not a Condition required as to the Covenant or Seal in Infants Your Text therefore of John 3.36 is not to the purpose as which onely sets everlasting life upon to use your phrase the account of actual faith which I grant and so doth the next Text John 5.24 as appears for that he begins with and speaks of such as do hear the Word of God and beleeve in Christ which is not appliable to Infants but grown men And as to your Inference The baptism of Infants stands upon the account of their being in Covenant together with their Parents and not upon the account of the Faith in their Parents or Sureties but only so far as the Faith of the Parents serves to shew them a seed of the faithful and the Faith of the Sureties undertakes for their education in and profession of Faith afterwards How strangely also do you pervert that Text Romans 4.13 For it is there said the promise was made to Abraham that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the Righteousnesse of Faith Which he had yet being uncircumcised to whom God upon this account of this faith made the Promise both to himself and his Seed you would have the faith there spoken of to be the faith of the Seed or Infant as holding it necessary to the participation of the Covenant and so falsifie both Covenant and Text which both together with your last Gal. 3.17 do quite overthrow your first overthrowing Consideration for Argumentation here is none More of this you shall have hereafter Your second Consideration because it hath a Narration yea a repetition of what you set down in your first Page about the nature of the state so you speak whereas rather you should say the state of the Nature of Christs true visible Church under the Gospel to the shewing of which you here onely describe Christs true invisible Church and therefore cite the Texts you did before and add some more that speak onely of invisible Members such as you call Saints made so by the immortal Seed new Creatures by the benefit of Regeneration I shall therefore say nothing to that here but refer you and especially the Reader to what I have largely before discoursed about the state and nature for I will correct my self too of the Church both visible and invisible for though you may perhaps have no such care of me I must and will be carefull that I dead not the Reader by any tedious and vain repetitions and Tautologies Yet this I say in anser to it That Infant-Baptism in the Church is so far from overthrowing as you argue the nature and state of Christs true visible Church that it is rather much confirmed and established increased and enlarged thereby because thereby more are admitted in present members visible and are engaged to be for the future visible professors and confessors of Christ yea and the invisible Church also is not overthrown but upheld and augmented by our Baptism of Infants as whereby many Infants are not onely dedicated and consecrated unto Christ but are also by Baptism as a Seal and Means as I have shewed regenerated and so fitted and prepared the better for Heaven and happiness And whereas you add That Infants Baptism is grounded upon the Relation they have to the Church by generation onely or by the meer pro ession of faith and repentance in the Parents and Sureties I see you are corrupted in your Principles and grounds of Divinity Once more I tell you I pray learn it now for I will teach you it no more for the Readers sake that Infants Baptism is grounded and foundationed upon the Covenant of God made with the believing Parents for himself and Infants and that which you call Generation doth but raise up the ground and foundation-Covenant to bring it into some act of visibility in relation to the Church for the Seal thereof And so also Infants have not their relation unto the Church by generation rather by this they have relation to the world nor by the meer faith and repentance of the Parents and Sureties but by the Covenant and the Seal thereof in both which Infants are interessed together with their Parents have they their relation
Gentiles that are in Covenant with God and enjoy the Ordinances of his grace and mercy do also by vertue of Gods Promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seed convey to their issue and posterity a state and privilege and so rather it is the joynt Covenant made by God with both together the Parent and his issue and posterity to be reputed of a holy and clean society and Congregation before God from the other Pagan and heathenish world and so the child or children born of such Parents in Covenant to be truly holy like as the Parent because of the Covenant Not that insants have any real personal qualitative holiness in them which is and must be in all true believers whither Parents or children to make them acceptable to God as to justification and Salvation whom I confess though born within the Church and of believing Parents to be born in sin naturally and be unclean children of wrath by nature as well as others the children of Pagans without the Church But I say they have a federal and parental so it may be called by a savory mouth and relative or imputative holiness put upon them by the Covenant of God and brought forth or executed on them by or at their birth of believing Parents which is sufficient and enough to make them passe in the eyes of God and in the face of the visible Church for clean and holy or if not their professions of the faith of Christ for you will not deny them to be professors of Christ and members of the Church in part and in kinde at leastwise by the mouth of their Sureties presenting them and speaking for them this will bear them out to be holy likewise And what if I should tell you in your ear that Christian infants in Covenant with God are holy too by an inward holiness also are not all inward sanctifying graces effects of Gods Covenant and who knoweth when God as where he effects them you perhaps would stop that ear cry out Then grace which onely maketh holy cometh successively and is derived by nature and Parents shall be the authors and conveighers of grace and holiness to their children No such matter Sir For the children are primitively holy with the Parents by the Covenant as co-partners and confederates with them therein I will be thy God and the God of thy seed not derivatively holy from the Parents as solely or first partners and prefederates without these Christian Parents and children are both joynt confederates I say and do both draw and derive together their holiness as other privileges from the Covenant and Tenour of grace therein and not successively from one another children from Parents derivatively as you fondly fansie to your self and erroniously imagine The which truth may also serve much to clear off those cloudy difficulties so much pressed by the Anabaptistical party from the Jesuitical side about infants being Baptized sanctified saved by the faith of their Parents as they use to blate and bâ—â—e abroad You like enough before you will believe any holiness in them would have them shew some such thing either in words before they can speak and whilest they are infants that is nonfants or indeed before they have any idoneity of instruments and ability to act Have patience a while and you may hear them speak the words and see them do some acts of holiness What! are you so sensual all for sense and so altogether lead by sense that nothing but a sensative or sensible manifestation of holiness in children will be believed by you I had thought you had walked by faith and not by sight you believe a holiness in other things in Faith in the Word in the Sacraments in the Church of God and in all things which the holy Scriptures the oracles of holiness have pronounced holy though you have not a visible and sensible demonstration of holiness in them you walk by faith there and not by fight and why cannot you believe a holiness in children of Christian Parents in Covernant with God though they shew forth no sensible effects of such holiness seeing also the same holy Scripture doth call them holy and not unclean and so supplying their defect of speech and action giveth you what you ask even a sensible manifestation of their holiness and speaks them holy unto your ears not declares them holy to your eyes so you may now walk by sight and hear say not by faith and hope limping and halting therein for except you shall see in their hands and tongues the prints of holiness in works and words and perhaps thrust your fingers into their fides to feel the holiness of their hearts too in affections and thoughts you will not believe What and if our Saviour Christ should now as once take one of our little children in Covenant with him and set it before you and say whosoever humbleth himself as a little child the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven would it not be strange for you to tell him you see no such yet you hear of such humility lowliness meakness mildness innocency in children and is it not a like to tell him you see no such holiness here when you hear of it from the mouth of Christ his and this Apostle Paul here saying They are holy But that I have said it before and already I would say that even children shew themselves more bumble lowly meek mild and innocent and so more holy than a great many of your grown Professors and grand Pretenders unto holiness and all those graces let their holiness and other graces rest but a while as seed hidden up in their hearts or wrapped up in Gods Covenant with them and see if afterwards they do not shew it and their holiness break not forth as the light at noon day that was within the cloud or as the seed in harvest that was within the clod and in the mean time shew me thy faith by thy works and thy holiness by thy words and learn to speak better of childrens holiness and to do better with children for their holiness even so well as to let them be Baptized But besides this in hand there are two eminent Texts that hold out infants of Christians their holiness by Covenant the one is Rom. 11.16 If the first fruit be holy the lump also is holy and if the root be holy so are the branches I know the stream of our Divine Advocates for Infant-Baptism run altogether and out of this Text upon a derivative holiness from the Parents or Ancestors to their children which notwithstanding they call and make a federal holiness I am not willing in my old and infirm daies to strive or swim against a stream onely I will be bold to venture and wade so far as to hint again and mention unto those akilful steersmen now especially that the waters of strife about Infant-Baptism are risen high
dipping you plead it for the good old way and reject my appeaching it for a new business Now there and then when Baptism was performed by immersion or dipping yet I make some difference 'twixt the words as I shall shew they stript their bodies of all their clothes and went into the water stark naked and were baptized naked even as Adam and Eve created naked were in Paradise as naked as ever they themselves were born into the world as Christ was crucified on the cross and as the bodies shall go to heaven or hell for by these patterns the Ancients expressed the maner of it and if you see any vail or such like about or over the bodies of any of these at the time of baptizing it is the Painters fancy it was not theirs the Ancients fashion I know you look for a proof of this old way this naked truth which I shall give you to the proof and reproof of your new business of clothed or cloaked novelty Cyril of Hier. Catech. Mystag 11. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When ye went into the water you put off your garments as a token of the old man put off c. and so being naked you were like Christ who being naked spoiled the powers and principalities and it was a wonderful thing ye were naked and were not ashamed as Adam And so other Ancients of the Greek Church do testifie the same whom I forbear to cite onely I adde Chrysostom Homil. 6. upon Col. 2. because he addeth the mysticall of this putting off the garment at baptism to be the putting off the old man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Elias Cretensis upon the 4. Oration of Nazianzen because he makes an addition of certain officers and helpers appointed to undress them and take off the garments of those that were to be immerged or baptized to dress them and to put them on again afterwards Ad sacerdotem quidem is adducitur qui spirituali regeneratione donandus est ipse autem pedes ejus adhibita ministrorum eorum qui ad hoc constituti sunt operâ calceis nudat corpus universum detegit And for the ancient Latine Church Ambrose testifieth the Custom and urgeth from it against the covetous persons saying Thy mother brought thee forth naked when thou camest into the world the Church thy mother too received thee naked when thou camest to the Laver and wouldst thou go clothed and rich to Heaven I will transcribe the very words of Ambrose in his own eloquent language Ideò nudi in saeculo nascimur nudi etiam accedimus ad lavachrum ut nudi qucque expediti ad coeli januam properemus quam autem incongruum absurdum est ut quem nudum mater genuit nudum suscipit Ecclesia dives intrare velit in coelum c. And because I may have occasion anon and again to make use of it I will also set down Anselmus his witness and words upon the third Chapter of Matthew where twice he saith it amongst the reasons he giveth of Christ being baptized this was one and another this That none should disdain to be baptized of his inferiour as he was of John That none should be ashamed to be naked or denudated in the sight of men as he was before John and the rest of the company there baptized Plures causae quare Christus ad baptismum accessit primò ut exemplo nos invitaret nequis fortè in conspectu hominum denudâ—â—i erubescerit c. It seems by this testimony of Anselm that Christ himself as all those baptized of John were baptized naked If you think all this to make nothing against your new business because they speak of mens dipping and yours was of womens dipping I shall therefore because I see you minde not that of St. Paul that in Christ Jesus now there is neither male nor female no discrimination of sexes as to the Gospel ordinances shew you the same old way in use for women also so Chrysostom in his Epistle to Pope Innocent relateth that women also were baptized and immerged naked for there he relateth unto that Pope how when Theophilus a Bishop of Alexandria had raised a tumult for the ejecting of himself out of the Church this amongst other things fell out That the women who were there in the Church and had stript themselves naked as prepared for Baptism upon the noise and for fear of this sudden and cruel commotion ran away naked out of the Church and through fear had no time and leisure to provide for the shamefastness and modesty of that sex by putting on their clothes again I adde somewhat to the words but nothing to the sense of Chrysostom And he also relateth that there were women appointed of purpose by the Church not to shift off the better clothes in a chamber and put on worser to be dipt in as your course is to accompany them to the water and there to take off their clothes and so also for the more decency and that nothing of immodesty might appear or be occasioned the women were baptized naked by themselves apart from men as the men apart by themselves naked To which also Epiphanius attesteth Haeres 79. and Augustine 22. Book of the city of God 8. Chap. for Augustine there speaks de parte foeminarum ad Baptisterium a certain part and place about the Fonts or where the women stood apart from the men ready to be baptized like as Epiphanius doth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. an order of Deaconesses appointed for the safeguarding of the womens modesty and shamefastness to undress them at Baptism And Cyril also in the place aforesaid The which Custom held on until Beruards time who was made a Monk in the year 1110. in whose dayes that old way was put by because of some scandall and offences were given or taken through haughtiness and wickedness on the one or other side which the innocency and honesty of the former Ages kept off and prevented By this time Sir I hope you see that your dipping of women in their clothes is a new business in the Church and hath no print or footsteps to be seen in the old way or amongst the ancient Writers and Fathers of the former Churches Yea this your clothes-dipping also is so new a thing that not much above fourteen or fifteen years ago your predecessours and primer Anabiptists the Virgins of Sion and the precious Sons of the same the Proselytes of those dayes did in the Evening resort and run together and went naked into the Rivers their Jordan and were there dipped and plunged in their naked bodies without clothes on them by their John-Dippers or Dipper Johns I cannot deny but that Infants also as well as grown persons were according to the old way undressed or taken out of their clothes and were baptized and dipt naked and presently clothed again and so carried to the
Ministery your new Dipping and Re-baptizing with arenouncing of your old If you or any of you shall question farther why the Grace of God by my Ministery did not pluck you out before and sooner divers years ago before this last fatal one out of your wicked wayes c. it is answered Because there was the Grace of God in it which is free to work as I said and as where and by whom so when it pleaseth for Paul plants onely and Apollos onely watereth but God giveth the increase some increase I have shewed you God gave but the full increase which is the Harvest doth not presently come up after sowing For so is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how saith St. Mark For the Earth bringeth forth the fruit of her self first the blade then the ear after that the full corn in the ear Mark 4.26 27 28. Conversion in some cometh as lightning from Heaven and is done suddenly in a moment at once so to Saul and Zacheus but to others as the seed before mentioned it comes up slowly and by degrees in time as to Nicodemus and the Prodigal and this is your case Now it is not the last stroak with the Axe that must baer the name of cutting down the great Oak from the stump and root but all the blows from the first to the last nor is it the sowing of the last handful of seed must go away with the title of bringing forth the whole rop Hosea 6.5 Mat. 3.10 God hath been hewing you these many years by the Axe of my Ministery which hath been sharpened at times in reproofs and admonitions to you both in the matter fitted for you and in my thoughts fixed upon you in the publick and so laid to the Roots of the Trees to your evil wayes saying Bring forth fruits worthy or meet for Repentance else you must be hewen down and cast into the fire So for the same purpose God and his Grace by my Ministery hath been seeding you with the good and principal Wheat the pure and precious Word of God for these many years and now shall the men of yesterday your new Seeds-men and Heads-men your last Teachers and Dippers who have wrought but one hour be made equal to me Mat. 20.12 yea be preferred before me who have born the burthen and heat of the day if God will have it so let it be so It is lawful for him to do whatsoever he will with his own and mineeye shall not be evi because God is good Herein also is and will be that saying true One soweth another reapeth John 4.37 38. They in the mean time reap that they bestowed no labour upon I laboured with you and they entered into my labours and have gotten you out of my hands though to no good praise and commendation for themselves and it may so fail out they may finde no great Crop or purchase of you and neither may repay their craft more then their charge especially it you will do as you ought Return and own the first Grace of God appearing to you and plucking you out from your wicked wayes to the knowledge of the Truth But fourthly Is this all Sir that you new Teachers and Converters have done for you and is this all the Grace that hath appeared to you for to pluck you out of your wicked wayes to the knowledge of the Truth Nay they have not done all this for they have not brought you to the knowledge of the Truth but of their Errors they have pulled you from knowledge to ignorance and from the truth to falsities and lyes as the Scripture phraseth such and I will tell you presently the particulars but suppose it a while they have pluckt you to the knowledge of the Truth that 's enough to prove you a true Convert by them for Judas was pulled up so far as to the knowledge of the Truth yet proved an Apostate at last for all that and was an Hypocrite in the mean time if you be not plucked up farther yet namely to the love of the Truth God may send you as in present he doth strong delusions that you shall believe a lye and be damned 2 Thess 2.11 12. Yea and yet farther to the obedience and practice of the Truth else you may miss to be blessed in the end for If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them John 13.17 Many shall say unto me saith Christ in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name yea and in thy Name cast out devils to whom he will profess even to such Professors I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquities Mat. 7.22 23. Oh but you are also plucked out of your wicked wayes too Oh but Grace of God hath appeared in that also But neither is that sufficint to shew your Conversion by them for Ahab humbled himself and went softly and abstained selling himself unto sin a while at the rebukes of Elias 1 King 21.29 and Herod reformed somewhat and did many things at the preaching of John and heard him gladly Mark 6.20 and Esau mourned for his loss and sale of his birth-right and sought the blessing again and that carefully with tears Heb. 12.17 If you ask what more would I require what lacketh yet I answer to you as our Saviour Christ did to the young-man Mat. 19.20 for neither are you too old if you be not too cold to learn saying much as you do All these things do I now keep though not from my youth up the Grace of God hath now in my elder years appeared plucking me from my wicked wayes One thing is lacking and if you wilt be a perfect Convert find the way to change your minde as the Author to the Hebrews addeth and not onely to alter your course and turn to the Lord with all your heart and so order that your soul and spirit may be washed from evil lusts and not onely the body and cloathes dipt from wicked works But you add The day will discover and God will judge between us and you whether you own the Truth to which and whom therefore I leave you § I proceed to a sit thing which is this That whatsoever good thing is wrought in you seriously and unfeignedly I concongratulate it whatsoever it be and would be instrumental unto the growth and increase thereof in the way of the Word of Truth let the Grace of God that hath appeared to you have the glory of it not unto them not unto them your new Land Teachers and new Pond Dippers but unto the name and Grace of God give the glory of whatsoever Conversion is wrought in you If you do not then with David I will say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory for thy Mercy and Truths sake Psal 115.1 They have pluckt you onely from the
by the Beard and mouth and slew him for all his roaring quirks and howling quaeries and so have delivered you if you will be delivered from the spirit of bondage and love not your chain and fetters of their Errors more then the Freedom and Liberty of Truth for if the Truth or the Son of God who is the Truth have made or shall make you free then you are free indeed Now then and lastly Sir shew your self a true Israelite come and hear the Truth and know your friends the soul-truth which is the sole-truth and your soul-friends which are your sole-friends and come away from those Task-masters that lay heavy burthens upon your bodies and dip them under water over head and ears for their own gain more then yours and for their advantage to an evil cause Forego your bondage and darkness of Aegypt which goeth under the name of New-light and Liberty forget your garlick Onions and Flesh-pots which they call The Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit run from their hot furnaces and rash fires which they tearm Zeal keep away from their Ponds cold waters which they call Dipping Baptizing depart from the Tents of those that practice Rebellion under pretence of Religion Holines shake off your fellowship with their unfruitful works and words and as you have heard unprofitable Preachings and Teachings presumed upon under the Title of a gifted Brother-hood and Fraternity leave the Citizens or Farmers field and the Husks there and arise and go to your Fathers house the Church of God where is bread enough and to spare for the servants and much more for the Sons Get loose from those Bushes and Brambles where you are are entangled before you lose all the wool off your back and be fleeced by them Come now then and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimsom they shall be as wool If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land but if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esay 1.18 19 20. Yea come and return as to the Lord so to your Pastor Here 's the right hand of fellowship and true Brotherhood I offer unto you to set you free and to help you out and to defend you against them yea and now that I have been long going after you as a lost sheep and one of my hundred fold and have found your at last I will lay you on my shoulders to bring you home again and wil undergo any labour and pains for your Reversion Reduction bearing also with your former defects or defaults with patience and meekness as the Apostle bids we should bear one anothers burthens Gal. 6.2 yea and I shall call together our friends and neighbours to a publick rejoycing and thanksgiving bearing also the Burthen of the Song or Psalm my self and saying Rejoyce with me for I have found my sheep which was lost yea and the blessed Angels above will be of the Quire and there will be joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth as your self yea and Christ Jesus the Great shepheard of all the sheep and of all souls will embrace your returning delight in you Who his own self bare your sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 For you was as a sheep going astray but if you shall return unto this Shepherd and Bishop of your soul When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away whereby you will be glorified in heaven and in the mean time he will put a Crown of Righteousness upon your head that falleth not off whereby you shall be both justified and sanctified also Nay your self will thus become a Crown of rejoycing to us all my self especially For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming Yea you are our glory and joy 1 Thes 2.19 Therefore my brother dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown Phil. 4.1 return unto the Lord the Lords Church and Flock the Lords Ministery and Pasturage the Lords Covenant with Parents and their Children the Lords Baptism and Sheep-mark and so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work of righteousness and word of truth working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13.20 21. If yet notwithstanding all this friendly invitation and fair warning you will not hear and hearken to come in but will go still astray My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eyes shall run down with tears because the Lords flock and your self for one amongst them is carried away captive Jer. 13.17 Wherefore I take you to record this day in which you have read over what I have written to you that I am pure from the blood of you all you and all for what I say unto you I say unto all for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Acts 20.26 27. in these particulars that he hath out of his Word revealed unto me And so I have delivered my soul as to you and them by foretelling and forewarning you of the truth as a Watchman set over you Ezek. 33.9 if you will not deliver your soul by obeying the truth and submit thereunto when it is held out to you by him who hath the rule or guide and oversight of you and watcheth for your soul and must give account and would do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 Then you will die in your iniquity and obstinacy your blood will be required at your own hands and will lie upon your own head who can help it unless God forbid it the which also God forbid I pray God Yea once more also I call heaven and earth to record this day against you Deut. 30.19 or for you that I have set before you life and death Blessing and Cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live and that thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that his Covenant that he made to be thy God and the God of thy seed and that thou mayest obey his voyce and that command for the baptizing of the Parent and his Seed That thou mayest cleave unto him and not forsake your God in Covenant with you sealed in your Infancy by renouncing your Baptism then and now running after other unprofitable Dippings for he is thy life and the length of thy dayes that thou mayest dwell here on earth a while and also be in Heaven for ever And now to him that is of power to establish you according to the Gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ and the Revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandement of the Everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith To God onely wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever Amen Rom. 16 25 26 27. To which onely wise God and his Providence committing my self and what I have written here as likewise to the same onely good God and his blessing commending you and what you shall read here even to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up who are fallen from that of Baptism and to establish all that stand therein I take my leave and give you farewel resting your affectionate and inseparate Pastor and Friend Jeffry Watts FINIS ERRATA EPistle to the Reader page 2. l. 8. read Printer p. 11. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 19. l. 16. r. word p. 24. l. 27. r. even p. 25. l 13. r. Hypocriticab p. 27. l. 18. r own p 32. Margin blot out too p. 43. l. 6. r. of p. 44 l. 13. blot out that p. 45 l. 4. r. châ— p. 56. l. 17. r. then p. 63 l. 18. r rusticity p 65. l. 14. r. intentional p. 79. l. 7. blot out save p. 82. l. 12. bâ—ot out and not observe the 13. year seeing Christ was baptized at 30. years old p 94. l. last r. your p. 99. l. 16. r. account p. 101. l. 26. for our r. the p. 102 l. 2. r. off-spring p. 104. l. 12. r. useful p. 105. l. 37. r. ordinary p. 122. l. 38. r. Presbyter p 123. l. 8 blot out to l. 13. r. Profession p. 128. l. 33. r. must not p. 155 l. 30. blot out And do hope that by reason c. l. 39. r. we bless p. 169. l. 8. r moderate p. 171. l. 12. r. injuring p. 185 l. 13. add gather l. 34 add it p. 198. l. 2. r. that p. 226. l. 18. blot out to our most agreeable p 240. l 38 for as râ—a p. 250. l. 3. blot out so p. 252. Running title for honour r. beware p. 256. l. 31. r. devising p. 273. l. 28. r. brethren p. 274 l. 31. r. comb p. 276. l. 37. r. so p. 278. l. 2. r. have made p. 290. l. 1. add you Of Baptism Page 24 line 31 read with p 56 running Title r not practical p 61 l 3 r or p 72 l 33 r your p 73 l 24 for Chap r Verse p 74 l 3 blot out and p 87 l 30 add iâ— p 100 l 28 blot out in p 103 l 21 r they p 117 l 19 r alwayes p 131 l 16 r she l 17 blot out of p 140 l 16 r Apostle p 142 l 38 r the p. 145 l 35 r procreating p 151 l 37 r these p. 157 l 11 r friend p 163 l 35 for can r you p 164 l 7 add was p 198 l 32 r Apostles l 34 for yet are r were l 35 for to r doe The Dipper Sprinkled Page 13 line 6 read fruit p 19 l 39 r naughtiness p 27 l 26 r sicca p 28 l 18 add as p 30 l 2 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 37 l 8 blot out die p 48 l 14 r. four p 81 l 18 r potissimum