is to shew that members of visible Churches haue onely right unto the publicke ordinances administred therein As for others they are not to be judged that is in those publicke things the Church hath no relation to them nor may I say in this respect haue communion with them And hence I reason thus If the infants in questiō are without then may they not be admitted unto Church communion and so consequently not to baptisme But they are without Therefore c. The proposition is manifest by this Scripture 1. Corint 5.12 The assumption is evident and needeth no proofe After this hee tels us of 3 sorts of persons which may be said to be without 1. Members of a visible Church wanting true faith 2. Infidells and Heathens 3. Those that for the present live not under the Discipline and Gouvernment of some particular Church and yet make profession of the same Religion with the true visible Churches c. This later practise some imperfect communion with them and therefore in some sence may be said to be of such Churches Answ 1. Howsoever the Lord knoweth who are his yet cannot Mr. Paget nor any man else judge men to be without true faith and so no members of the invisible Church specially they standing members of some particular Congregation and therefore his talke here is altogether fruitles and nothing concerneth the place 1. Cor. 5.12 which hee pretendeth to answer 2. The difference which hee puts betweene men without is without warrant of Scripture Paul as Paraeus * Comment on 1. Cor. c. 5. v. 12. p. 272. well observes on this place divides all men into two ranckes the first and greater without the later and lesser within And howsoever th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for personall gifts and graces are not alike notwithstanding as they stand in relation to a visible Church-state they differ not But are all alike excluded from actuall communion in the publicke ordinances thereof As wee see in a desert or willdernes diversitie of trees some good some bad some are thornes and brambles others are vines and fig-trees nevertheles in respect of a Vineard or Orchard they are quite out of the same a like 3. For his imperfect communion it is a perfect invention of his owne head for the word of God teacheth no such thing Againe where hee sayth they are members of the Church in some sence and not in another this likewise is another of his fictions And observe here how hee pleads for the prophaine multitude just as doe the Papists for their Pope in one respect hee is a man in another respect hee is more then a man Iew. Defen Apol. 6. part c. 20. Divis 3. p. 784. One way hee may erre another way hee cannot erre But not minding to spend much time about the thing for the naming of it is a sufficient resutation this I say a man must either be a member of a particular Church formally otherwise hee cannot be reputed a visible member of it in any sence or respect at all If hee can proove the contrary by the word of God it lyeth him now upon it to doe it In the meane time let the discreet Reader judge whither hee be not guilty of venting new conceits and opinions of his owne And whither by these his new conceits and opinions hee doe not gratifie the Valentinians Marcionites and Gnostikes Who as Irenaeus a Advers Haer. 8.3 c. 7. l. 1. c. 1 reporteth did seeke to bring into the Church mens devises And whither hee doe not gratify the Trent-Councell b Conc. Trid. Sess 4. dec 1 Fathers and the Papists yea moreover the Cabala or Talmud c 4. Esd 14.26.48 of the Rabbins and the Montanists d Tertul. de praeser adve Haer. c. 52. For the sinne for which these chiefly are condemned is because they haue broched many lies and beastly vanities as if all things concerning faith and manners were not contained in the Scriptures Thus wee haue examined Mr. Pagets Answers to the allegations of Scriptures brought by Mr. Davenport Now least hee should complaine against me for some partialitie I thinke it not amisse to write a few words touching that Scripture which hee mentioneth in pag. 44. namely Mat. 3. If hee cannot find a better ground then this to lay his unlimited Baptisme upon surely then the same will never proove to be lawfull For 1. the persons there specifyed through Iohns doctrine powerfully caried home to their consciences had their hearts deeply wounded ‡ Paraeus Comment in Mat. c. 3. v. 6. p. 29. with the sence of sinne and thereupon made open confession thereof 2. That which they did was done freely * Aret. in Mat. 3. pag. 119. and voluntarily 3. The same was accompanied with a desire * Muscul in Mat. 3. p. 24. and purpose of amendment of life 4. They were members of a visible Church 5. The Baptiser was no ordinary Minister Now then how can Mr. Paget hence proove that men not humbled by the word preached not manifesting any sorrow for sinne not shewing any desire of reformation of life not members of any particular Congregation may neverthelesse haue their infants lawfully baptised by a Pastour or Teacher they saying Yea or nodding with the head to some questions imposed upon them or having others to doe it in their behalfe I doe not thinke it strange that hee could not prevaile as hee sayth with Mr. Davenport by such conference in the point for in truth as this allegation so is the rest there of his talke a rope of sand as an overblowne bladder that will burst of it self and vent the wind thereof without pricking And thus much for this Section SECTION V. WHereas Mr. Paget hath so often called upon me by name to proove the Protestation published against him to wit that hee hath bene many wayes injurious to our Congregation My purpose is by the Lords assistance in this and the following Sections to set downe the same And because all our troubles haue proceeded as it were from two causes viz. the Baptisme of Non-members and the denying of the Churches power I shall therefore speake of these two things the more fully And first of the Baptisme Now the reasons which I haue against it are these ARGVMENT I. To breake that sacred order which God hath set in his visible Church for all his Saints to keepe and walke by is a great sinne But to baptize infants whose Parents are not members of any particular Congregation is to breake that order c. Therefore it is a great sinne to doe it The proposition is evident by these Scriptures 1. Cor. 14.33 ult 1. Cor. 5.13 Num. 23.9.10.11.21 and 24.5.6 1. King 14.1.17 Son 6.4 The assumption is as cleare For let it be observed that unto all Church-actions as there is Faith so order also necessarily required And hence is the difference onely betweene Christian-communion and Church-communion to practise Christian-communion there needeth
other then a meere begging of the question hee bringeth in the Classes and Synods for his proofe whereas hee should first have prooved that the power which they assume over many Churches is lawfull Before I come to lay downe my particular answers to it I shall entreat him in his next Booke to resolve me these few Questions 1. VVhither the Assembly mentioned in Act. 15. were a Synod or Classis 2. How it can be manifested from that place that both are divine institutions as here is affirmed 3. How hee can naturally from thence rayse this doctrine viz. excommunications and elections of Ministers are actions belonging unto Classes and Synods 4. VVhither it be Iure Divino that Ecclesiasticall Officers of many Churches are necessarily bound to determine by joint authority the cases of many particular Congregations or whither it be a thing arbitrary and left unto every mans liberty 5. Whither all such cases and controversies as are decided by many Ministers combined into Classes and Synods must so stand as that particular Congregations may not if they thinke fit reject the same and practise otherwise then hath bene there determined by joint authority I haue the more hope that Mr. Paget will give a direct answer to these questions Pag. 39. Seeing a good conscience hee sayth suffers not a man to be neutrall nor to suspend his judgement when it is desireously desired but forceth him to beare witnesse unto the truth c. To the point now I doe deny that this place Act. 15. prooveth any such thing for which it is alledged For 1. here was no combination of many Ministers of divers Churches but onely a few messengers sent from Antiochia unto the Congregation at Ierusalem about a controversy there specifyed Hence it is affirmed by many learned men * D. Bridg. pag. 1224. that as this was an assembly of one onely particular Church so it binds * D. Whita De conc Q 2 p. 6. and p. 67. onely but in a speciall or particular meeting 2. As Mr. Cartwright ‡ Refut Rhemist on the place saith Paul and Barnabas went not up to Ierusalem to submit their judgement to the judgement of the Apostles for that had diminished the authoritie of their doctrine then which there was no greater in the Word they being both infallablie directed by the Holy Ghost Onely they went up to conferre with them and for countenance of the truth in respect of men and for the stopping of the mouthes of such deceivers as pretended they were sent * Vers 24. by the Apostles In a word that no suspition might remaine in the minds of the people as if Paul in doctrine differed from the rest 3. If Ierusalem lay north-ward 200 miles from Antioch as I read * Itiner Novi Testo fol. 96. it did Surely then hee hath small reason to bring this Scripture as the ground and foundation of the Classicall Assembly yea and to tell us ‡ Pag. 88. that it is a remarkable place of Scripture to warrant the exercise of that power which wee deny And a little after This one allegation is sufficient to evince the falshood of their assertion But before you make such hasty conclusions haue a little patience to heare us to speake for our selves I pray how can you proove that the officers of these two Churches being two hundred miles asunder were combined and mett ordinarily together as the Classes doe to determine the cases of many Churches Or how doe you proove that there was any Officer at all of Antioch in Ierusalem at this time Briefly or how doe you proove that the Brethren sent from Antioch exercised authority in the Church at Ierusalem yet all this you must make good otherwise you are guilty of abusing and perverting the Scripture in affirming that the power which the Classis exerciseth was practised at Antioch and Ierusalem and by Apostolicall direction This you have spoken but it is untrue Notwithstanding had you rested in Stev Ofw. testimony your fault had bene small in comparison what it is now through your great presumtion to take God for your witnes Ier. 23.31 in a thing which hee never spake Behold saith the Lord I am against the Prophets that use their tongues and say Hee saith it 4. It is certaine Vers 12.22 De Conc. Q 8. c. 3. Qu. 3. c. 3. p. 96.97 that at Ierusalem not onely the Apostles and Elders mett together but as Luke expresseth it the Church also being interested in the thing And therefore gave sentence with the rest to the decree then made Observe what D. Whitaker replyes unto Bellarmine denying the multitude to be called It was alwayes sayth hee the practise of the Apostles in common cases to call the whole Church together and no doubt but they did so here Now there was no need to have it mentioned seeing it had bene their constant custome formerlie so to doe Mr. Parker ‡ Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 12. pag. 108.126.334 affirmes the same So the Authours of the Cent. * Cent. 1. l. 2 c. 9. p. 547.548 And it seemes in Cyprians ‡ Lib. 4. Epist. 16. time the Church was not deprived of her right herein howsoever the Papists * Bellarm. de Conc Ecc. l. 1. c. 16. pag. 39. in those dayes teach otherwise and Mr. Paget and others doe otherwise practise 5. Howsoever the Church at Antioch sent some Brethren with Paul and Barnabas unto the Church at Ierusalem notwithstanding and let it be well observed they did not this as being a dependent body and standing under another Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves For as Mr. Parker * Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 20. p. 301. 314. excellently prooves it the Church at Antioch at this time had absolute power in for her self to haue ended the controversy and might haue done it I say in respect of authority without acquainting therewith any other Congregation at all To the same purpose another sayth * D. Whita Conc. Qu. 1. c. 1. The Church of Antioch sent not to Ierusalem as being bound in duety thereto But in regard it was the chief place of Religion therefore they made choose freelie of that Congregation as knowing them to be best able to resolve the controversie True it is the Hierarchie * D. Whit. g. T. C. 3. deny this of whose opinion Mr. Paget must either be or els the Classes as they now rule must fall to the ground for any relief that this Scripture Act. 15. will yeeld unto them 6. When the Hierarchie alledge Act. 15. to proove their Diocesan and Provinciall Synods lawfull marke how they are answered by the Reformists The particular acts of the Apostles in cases alike Park Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 20. p. 315. 316. must alike be observed If this reason be effectuall as indeed it is against them then it is no lesse effectuall against the Classes Now I haue in part
coyne twise or trise told over hee conceiteth that a Minister can not doe a thing in another Congregation but it must follow necessarily to be an act of his Ministerie 1. Cor. 14.24 Now hee should doe better to proove well once the point then to begge it so continually Besides to convince erroneous persons in the Church this is not alwayes a Ministeriall duety as hee unadvisedly affirmeth For men out of office may doe this as the word of God testifyeth and the learned teach * Beza annot in 1. Co. 14. Pet. Mart. in 1. Cor. 14 29.31 Paraeus in 1. Cor. 14.29 D. Ames de conse l. 4. c. 25. p. 215 Zwinglad Valent. compar Antibol avert Kinser Iac. Acont Strat. Sat. Sudek cont Turr. Soph. p. 67.68 Calv. Inst 4 1.12 Harm Syno Belg. pag. 21.22 Mr. Bates pag. 134. Defen Disc ag Bridg. 〈◊〉 129. Erast. True it is Mr. Paget hath bene a deadly enimy alwayes to it Notwithstanding never was hee able besides gibes reproaches to bring any thing to proove the unlawfullnes of it 3. The Churches of God at first had no Officers notwithstanding hee will not say but the Learned and able Brethren among them might convince erronious persons if there were just occasion for it Againe suppose a Church whose Pastours are taken away cannot get the assistance of a neighbour Minister to convince erronious persons then it seemes after his kind of disputing they must either all hold their peace what abilities soever they haue or if any one speake hee performeth a Ministeriall duetie or otherwise his talke here is quite besides the matter or just nothing which of these hee will owne for one hee must I leave it to his owne chose Lastly for these Scriptures Tit. 1.9.10.11 1. Timot. 5.20 they doe not proove any such thing for which hee brings them I grant indeed to refute erronious persons is sometimes a Ministeriall duetie and so is prayer reading the Scriptures expounding them c. Notwithstanding it will not follow when a Pastour doth these things in another Congregation that hee performes a Ministeriall duety or that Brethren out of office may not doe them also Yet this hee must proove otherwise his talke is like a tedious Musician ever turning never playing The 8 and last answer hee divides into 5 heads or branches Touching the 1 2 3 and 5 of them I except against in that they say nothing in the controversie betweene us and therefore they must stand aside In the 4 hee writes that members of the Catholike or Vniversall Church may have their infants baptised though they be not joyned to any particular visible Church To this I answer that hee neither speakes skillfully nor conscionably For 1. by the Catholike Church our Protestant Divines * Piscator Aphorism loc 19. p. 102. Perk. Expos Iude. p. 484. Vrsin Cat. part 2. pag. 347. Pet. Mart. Loc. Com. Class 2 p. 435. Polan Syntag l. 7. c. 4. p. 520. Alsted The. Polem part 4. p. 329. understand the company of Gods elect and chosen and hence name it ‡ D. Whita cont 4. Qu. 1. p. 78. Park Eccl. Polit. l. 3. p. 210. D. Reinol praef 6. Conclus p. 667. invisible spirituall misticall Yea some * Beza in Praef. Nov. Test printed 1561. D. Humphr in the life of Iewel D. Sutclif Chaleng l. 1. doe dislike the terme it self and call it a vaine and fruitles word And well they may for the Scripture hath it not neither is the author of it knowne but supposed * Sanford de Descend Dom. Nost ad in fer lib. 4. p. 28. and 30. to be a Papist But to the matter in hand If no infants out of particular visible Churches ought to be baptised but them whose Parents are knowne to be members of the Catholike Church then it will certainly follow that no infants whose Parents are not members of any visible Church may be baptised because the others are knowne to God onely Observe here how hee confutes himself and brings one argument forth against his owne case And indeed it is just with God that those which contradict the truth should contradict themselves most grosly too 2. Unconscionably to affirme a thing of such waight and consequence without shewing any word of God for confirmation of it doth hee thinke that wee owe him such obedience as to beleeve things because hee saith them If hee doe hee is greatly mistaken for to speake in another mans words Wee are not bound to Mr. Pagets writings wee esteeme them not as Canonicall but wee examen them by the Canonicall and what in them agreeth with the authoritie of Divine Scripture wee receive with his prayse What accordeth not therewith wee refuse with his leave Besides hee knowes well enought that mens sayings are of no force and value in matters of Religion without warrant from the Scriptures So say the Prophets a Deut. 13.1.2.3 Ezech. 13.2 Mich. 7.13 Ier. 23.31 Ezech. 14.9 so sayth Christ b Mat. 15.9 Iob. 5.39 his Apostles c 1. Cor. 3.21 Gal. 1.8 Iam. 2.1 Rom. 16.17.18 and thus write the Learned Tertullian d In Apol. Ignatius e Epist ad Hier. Hierome f In Psal 86 Basil g Serm. ad Adol Ambrose h L. 3. de incar Dom. Augustine i Epist 198. ad Fortun. Chrisostome k In Gal. c. 1. Aquinas l Lib. 9. art ult Calvin m Instit l. 1. c. 10. sect 8. Melancton n Loc. Theo. p. 627.628 Bucanus o Lec Com. p. 532. B. Iewel p Repl. art 1. Div. 29. Defen Apol. p. 604. Chassauio q Loc. Com. p. 98. Vrsinus r In Iesai c. 14. p. 450. and others In his writing against us hee is alwayes calling for testimony Where is their warrant where is their authoritie c. notwithstanding who more forward then himself to send things out into the world without proofe Before I end this point there are a few questions which I thinke very needfull to propound unto him Touching his Catholike or Vniversall Church 1. By what Scriptures the name and nature of it is warranted 2. VVhither all Parents with their infants Iewes Turkes and Pagans excepted be members thereof or not 3. VVhat are the notes of it 4. VVhither wee are to judge all the members of this large Church to be true beleevers 5. If this universall Church be visible then I would know of him why there ought not to be proportionable to it a universall Ministery and gouvernment I suppose hee will be willing to give a direct answer unto these things because hee professeth to have a great desire to informe his opposite Brethren in the truth Pref. The next Scripture is Coloss 4.17 And say to Archippus take heed to the Ministerie which thou hast received of the Lord that thou full fill it To this hee sayth nothing but referreth the Reader to the answer made to the former allegation onely hee
be feared I say againe those that offend this way may justly feare Gods punishment because hee doth not manifest more displeasure against any sinne then the prophanation of his ordinances nor threatneth to inflict soorer punishments upon any then offenders herein a Levit. 10.2.4 Chron. 13.10 And this is the judgment of sundry of our best Divines viz. Iunius b Anal. expl Levit. c. 10 p. 27. Brentius c Comment in Am. c. 4. v. 4.6 Piscator d Observ 3. in Levit. 10. Paraeus e In Am. 2.12 Cartwright f Catech. pag. 102. and others SECTION VI. HOwsoever I could be well contended in these our differences to deale with Mr. Paget by the Scriptures alone as the booke of all truth knowing as Augustine * De Doct. Christ l. 2. c. 9. sayth that all things concerning faith and manners are contained in them Notwithstanding in regard hee * Pag. 15. vainely boasteth to be caried away with the streame of the Learned who concurre in judgement with him c. I haue thought good to make inquirie about the opinions of men in this matter betwixt us as being loth hee should oppresse the truth and make all men afraid of it by making them beleeve that is desolate and forsaken of all freinds Beginning therefore with our writers I judge it meet and convenient to alleadge in the foremost place the mature sentence of Maister Cartwright In his Reply to D. Whitgift * Pag. 172. l. 1. hee writes thus I doe see that Maister Doctor doth make of the Holy Sacrament of Baptisme which is an entry into the house of God and whereby the familie of God must onely ‡ Note that enter a common passage whereby hee will have cleane and uncleane Holy and prophane as well those that are without the Covenant as those that are within to passe by and so maketh the Church no Houshold but an Inne to receive whosoever commeth * Iust so doth Mr. Paget I will answer therefore all most in as many words as the questions be asked If one of the Parents be neither drunkard nor adulterer the child is holie by vertue of the Covenant for one of the Parents sake If they be both and yet not obstinate in their sinne whereby the Church hath not proceeded to excommunication themselves yet being of the Church * Note their child cannot nor ought not to be refused Againe a few lines after speaking of Papists and other ungodly men Hee affirmeth absolutely that their children ought not to be baptised In the next place wee will consider the Authour of a certaine Booke Pag. 111.112 entituled The Covenant betweene God and man hee there maintaineth this point which wee here professe Baptisme sayth hee is to be administred to them onely that are in the Covenant and that the Reader might understand whom hee meanes to be in the Covenant Hee addeth immediatelie They are such as professe the faith joyne themselves together in a fellowship craue to have their names enrouled and registred in the Church and so partake of the manifould graces of God which are distributed therein To these wee will adde Maister Viret * Ground Reli. p. 230. a rare light of the Gospell and partner with Mr. Farell in planting the Church at Geneva before Calvin came there None sayth hee are to be baptised but the children of the faithfull and beleevers all except these are to be instructed in the doctrine before they be admitted thereunto Piscator likewise is as plaine as can be They onely sayth hee are to be baptised which belong to the Church On Mat. ch 28. Obse in v. 19. For as in old time they circumcised the children of the Iewes because they belonged to the Church and covenant so now c. Mr. Fenner a Doct. of the Sacra sayth the very same so Paraeus b In Mat. 3.5 Erastus c De excom p. 18.24 Melancton d Loc. Com. pag. 383. Keckerman e System Theol. l. 3. p. 453. speaking of the lawfullnes of the baptising of infants gives this as the reason of it viz. because they are members of the Church The like saying wee find in a Booke named a generall confession of Christian Churches Because God receiveth into his Church the children with the fathers Wee say by the authoritie of Christ infants begotten of faithfull Parents ought to be baptized Also Beza * In 1. Cor. 7.14 sayth Such as doe permit all children to be baptized doe a thing unheard off in the primitive Church Neither may Tertullians testimony be omitted speaking as Iunius interprets him of such children as were strangers from the Covenant of God Let them come when they are growne to yeares Let them come when they have learned and are taught wherefore they come Let them then be made Christians when they can know Christ Moreover this is the unanimous confession of all the Reformed Churches to wit that Baptisme appertaineth to such infants as are in the Church and borne of beleevers And for this reason they say they administer unto them the seale of the Covenant viz. because with their Parents they are received into the Church Thus write the Churches of Saxonie a Harm Conf. Art 18. Bohemia b Chapt. 12. France c Art 35. Scotland d Harm Conf. p. 24. Helvetia e Art 20.21 and Belgcik f Art 34. Object 1. But this thing hath been in these Countries a long time practised and therefore it is not meet that so ancient a custome should be laid downe Answ 1. When the truth is knowne sayth Augustine ‡ L. 2. Ep. ad Gaudent let custome give place unto it For * Ambr. l. 4. Virg. wee must not allwayes imitate whatsoever our Elders have allowed but try by the Scriptures whither the things are good which they allowed And thus doe these Churches * A generall Confess of Christ. Church in their writings professe to the world that they judge it of small force in controversie of Religion to be urged with the bare sentenoes of Fathers or with the Decrees of Councills much lesse with received custome or with continuance of time For wee admit they say no other judge in matter of faith then God himself pronounced in his Word 2. By this custome they give the Anabaptists great advantage and nihilate the best argument which our Divines use against them for the lawfullnes of baptising of infants And that this is so let it be observed that the Reason which they in this point doe stick most too is this namely that children of Christians by the same warrant * Calv. in Mat. 18. v. 10. Gerhard Harm Euang c. 12. pag. 352. Cent. 1. l. 2. c. 4. p. 355. D. Willet on Rom. 6. p. 303. Cartwr Christ Rel. c. 37. p. 223. are now to be baptized that the infants under the Law were circumcised Now I haue prooved before