the book of Gods judgements on Sabbath-breakers he is jealous lest it be from no good will to the doctrine of the morality of the Christian Sabbath as being against the scope of the book though the occasion shew it was onely to prove the uncertainty of relations that men may not rest on them as proofes of a truth But I perceive as Mr. B. is very prone to have hard thoughts of me so both he and Mr. M. seek advantage to create prejudice against me about this point of the Lords day which makes me more full in my clearing my self in this thing and in other things not so much regarding my own personal esteeme as desirous to prevent that indirect way of wounding the truth through my sides I would have no man adhere to my tenet because it 's mine nor would I have any to reject it because it is mine I know too much evil by my self yet not in the things in which I am accused at least not in that degree in which Mr. B. accuseth me Mr. Bs. telling me in print this manner of crimes not proved but imagined is no whit justified by the rules and examples he brings his ranking me with seducers I defy and know that I shall better be able to prove it against him then he against me SECT XVI The ground of my opposing infant-baptism is confirmed by Mr. B. himself PAge 205. He tells me all the Ministers and schollers that he can meete with that heard my disputes did think I had silly grounds to build my confidence in and though I boast much of my answers by writing he thinks my writings have little to be boasted of Answ. I have some experience of Ministers and Schollers and I sind few fit to judge of controversies and of those few not many willing to search impartially into a point that 's against the streame and likely to expose them to hard measure some that talk much study little nor is it a new thing to find some that wrangle in dispute for such a sense of a Scripture as when they are out of the heat of dispute they themselves expound otherwise The Ministers and Schollers at the dispute such as they were weigh but little with them that know them best My writings are not boasted of by me yet men equal to Mr. B. or any auditors of the dispute have said more of them then I am willing to speak of My imployment in this argument seemes to me to be part of my work God hath allotted me though I am known not to be idle in other work What Mr. B. calls fallacies passing from me will be proved verities My arguments from Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15 16. are to be found in my Exercit. sect 15. Examen part 4. sect 1. to which Mr. Ms. replies are insufficient as I shall shew in my Review In the worship of God it was wont to be accounted a certain rule that Gods worship should be observed according to his appointment and no otherwise And so Protestant Divines argue from 1 Cor. 11. 28. selfe-examiners are appointed to eate Ergo no infants or younglings though young ones ate the Passeover Yea Mr. B himself page 221. If Christ never sent any but Ministers to baptize then no others may do it If there be no example of any but Ministers that have baptized though parenrs did circumcise then no others may do it For the Apostles established the Church according to Gods mind and the Scripture is a sufficient rule page 222. if there be no command or example in Scripture of any but Ministers administring the Lords Supper then no others may do it Page 342. If we have no warrant by word or example in all the New Testament since the solemne institution of baptisme Mat. 28. to admit any member into the Church without baptisme but both percept and example of admitting them by it then we must not admit any without it ordinarily I take his own medium mutatis mutandis and thence inferre If we have no warrant by word or example in all the New Testament since the solemne institution of baptisme Mat. 28. to admit any member into the Church by baptisme but believers by profession but both precept and constant example of admitting them by it then we must not admit any without it ordinarily I use his own words and texts But the Antecedent is evident John 4. 1. Acts 2. 38 41. and 8. 12 13 16 36 38. and 9. 18. and 10. 47 48. and 16. 15 33. and 18. 8. and 19. 3 4 5. Rom. 6. 3. c. the Consequent is undoubted to those that take the word for their rule If Mr. B. will stand to his own argument he must make good my arguing from Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15 16. unlesse he have some such strange shift as Mr. Cotton puts in the mouth of Silvanus who personates himself in his book intitled The grounds and ends of baptisme in the Preface page 3. where he intimates that the urging against childrens baptism this main principle of purity and reformation to wit that no duty of Gods worship nor any ordinance of religion is to be administred in the Church but such as hath just warrant from the word of God is from Satan but from God when it is urged against the Prelatists and Papists so Mr. B. thinks his medium good against Socinians but not though it be the same for the Anabaptists He addes All your confident words shew me not the least ground for your conclusion no more then thus Scripture requireth faith to justification therefore none but believers are justified which is false yet like yours if I know what you would thence deduce Answ. He now I hope knowes what and how I deduce or rather how Mr. B. deduceth my conclusion from Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15 16. not onely in my words but also his own though I had often long before deduced my argument in the places before quoted and elsewhere in my writings of the validity of which deduction I am the more confident because it is in Mr Bs. own words justly brought by me against himself If the Scripture requireth saith of all to justification then it is not false that none but believers are justified Yet infants may be justified by habitual faith or actual by operation in an extraordinary way But the Scripture requires profession of faith afore any be baptized ordinarily As for what may be done extraordinarily elsewhere I have expressed my self and have vindicated my self from the wrong inferences made thence Postscript sect 15. and elsewhere Page 206. The People of Kederminster did not heare from my mouth in the dispute Jam. 1. How little Anabaptists could say in the hardest point of baptisme for I used no such wordes nor any thing I said or omitted to say can infer it and when they have read my answer me thinks they should believe I could say more then I did say then and see the reason why no
of more credit concerning the Antiquity of Infant-baptism then Augustines who as I shew Apology sect 6. and elsewhere did often inconsiderately call that an Apostolical tradition which was commonly observed in his dayes within the compass of his acquaintance Cyprians speech if it be rightly brought by Mr. B. will prove all still-born Infants to be lost being not of the visible Church Catholick That which Mr. B. page 266. saith fully satisfies him part of it is false the rest so frivolous that I can impute his satisfaction to no other cause then his inconsiderateness The very same or like plea will serve for communion of young children in which yet Mr. B. is not satisfied But to me it is very good satisfaction that baptizing of Infants is but an innovation neither agreeing with the institution of Christ nor the Apostles practise nor known till it began to be conceived necessary to give grace and to save from perishing yet then disswaded and not practised but in case of iminent danger of death nor maintained on any other ground till Zuinglius his dayes What the Churches of Anabaptists so called have done in London that Mr. B. should so much lament till I know what it is I take to be a Calumny That Anabaptists have been in danger by the instigations of Preachers and writers it is a marvel to me that Mr. B. should not understand who can hardly be ignorant whence the ordinance against blasphemies and heresies came That any of my Antagonists are turned out of house and home is unknown to me surely not for non-conformity to rebaptizing most certain that if any such thing hath been done it was never by my procurement nor I think any of the Churches of Anabaptists That which Mr. B. page 267. saies that the same men that subscribe the Anabapiists confession have many of them written other kind of doctrine elsewhere I doubt whether it be true I find him onely naming Paul Hobson page 147. and citing some passages of his of which that which is most liable to exception Mr. B. himself gives us this excuse in his Saints evelasting rest part 2. chap. 1. sect 2. page 169. not understanding that they affirm and deny the same thing in several expressions so that however his expressions be dangerous yet it is probable he held not the Socinian opinion which he contradicted in the subscription to the confession but onely discovered his weakness And yet Mr. B. I think is not ignorant that so holy learned a man as M. Pemble near the beginning of his Vindicae gratiae hath a like conceit of Gods never hating the elect but being reconciled from eternity taking reconciliation for an immanent act in God which as I imagine Mr. B. would excuse in Mr. Pemble so might he with a like charity excuse the other in Paul Hobson What he cites out of Cyprian I wish Mr. B. had Englished it and that both Anabaptists and their opposites would learn it Page 268. he saith if my book of scandals were read men may perhaps receive a preservative from my own hand from the danger of my opinion to which I say I wish my book of Scandals were more read nor do I fear that my doctrine will be the lesse embraced for reading it if my interpretation of my own words justified even by Mr. B. be received as I shew before Page 269. he tells us the Levellers were Anabaptists but I cannot yet learn of any of them he names except Den that was so though I deny not but there might be sundry of them such likely of the Free-willers disclaimed by the seven Churches in London and that they were but few in comparrison of the rest by the Newes-books I gather the Levelling businesse was carried on by such as were in no gathered Church but lived above ordinances As for Mr. Bs. dark criminations I can give no answer to them unlesse I could plow with his heifer and find out his riddle But my hope is those great instruments of God to break the enemies of those that are termed Sectaries though Mr. Bs. words seem to forebode and misdeem evil of them will and do prove better then he discribes them though I imagine they be not Anabaptists Nor do I like Mr. Bs. obscure satyrical criminations they having some shew of a malevolent mind Whatever Mr. B. may conceive of the danger of the Anabaptists way in other things I am sure if they would keep themselves onely to this to be baptized upon profession of faith they should be in a safe way even in the way of Christ. SECT XXII The speech that no one Countrey is gathered into Christs visible Church contains no malignancy to Christ but is a manifest truth MOst of that which is in Mr. Bs. answer to the last section of my Antidote hath either been replied to before or in some other part of my writings or will fall into the main of the dispute wherein I doubt not but I shall fully vindicate my argument against the visible Church-membership of Infants from the different cause of the Jewish and Christian Church though the thing be so manifest to wit that the Christian Church was otherwise gathered then the Jewish that I see nothing but meer wrangling in the questions Mr. B. propounds And to his words page 279 280. Sir if you were my Father I would tell you that when you say Christ makes no one City Countrey Tribe his Disciples you speak most malignantly and wickedly against the Kingdome and dignity of my Lord Jesus I answer I meet so often with Mr. Bs. high charges upon palpable mistakes and weak proofs that I fear his misguided zeal or natural distemper hath brought him to an habit of ill-speaking My words were not as Mr. B. sets them down but thus no one Countrey or City or Tribe together were gathered by the Apostles or other Preachers into the Christian visible Church but so many of all as the Lord vouchsafed to call by his word and spirit which hath neither wickedness nor malignancy against the Kingdome and dignity of the Lord Jesus but a manifest truth expressely taught in the Holy Scripture as congruous to the glory of God and the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. 28 29. Not many wise men c. Ergo not the whole Nation Revel 5. 9. out of every Nation Ergo not the whole Nation as he did the Jewes in the Wilderness The relations in the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles plainly prove it true that by John Baptist Christ the 12. and 70. Disciples was no entire Nation City Countrey or Tribe gathered into the visible Church-christian but parts of them and those fewer then the adversaries who in every place were so numerous when the Christians are counted at some few thousands as that even at Jerusalem and elsewhere they prevailed to disperse Christians by persecution Nor do Mr. Bs. questions prove that into the Christian visible Church any one whole Countrey City or
Tribe young or old men and women are gathered by the Apostles and other Preachers as Moses did gather together the Jewish Nation Exod. 19. Deut. 29. But saith Mr. B. 1. Hath he noi commanded to Disciple Nations I answer yes to make Disciples of all Nations by Preaching the Gospel to every Creature as it is Marke 16. 15. but no where by civil authority to gather a whole City Countrey or Tribe and to draw them into a National or City Covenant together old and young but to offer Christ and to baptize so many as are willing to embrace him 2. Saith Mr. B. Hath not the Father promised to give the Heathen or Nations for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psal. 2. and that Nations shall serve him Answ. He hath and it is fulfilled but not in Mr. Bs. sense as if one whole Nation City Countrey or Tribe were gathered together in the manner Moses brought into Covenant all the Jewish Nation but as the Apostle speaks by ministring the Gospel Rom. 15. 16. the Gentiles that is believers among them are an offering to God glorifie God ver 9. praise him trust in him ver 11 12. so as it was foretold in Abraham all Nations should be blessed which is expounded Gal. 3. 7 8 9. Rom. 4. 17 18. believers of all other Nations as well as Jews 3. And that the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ Ans. I reade those words Rev. 11. 15. but I find the time of fulfilling to be when the seventh Angel hath founded which some say is not till the world to come So Mr. Seager of the world to come part 1. sect 8. And this is not improbable from ver 18. and Revel 10. 6 7. The New Annot faith thus Antichrist is weakened and Christ hath begun to take the Kingdome out of his hand and shall have a visible Church like an Empire in all the known world and that to the end but that it is not yet 4. And do you not see it fulfilled before your eyes Are not Bewdley Kederminster c. and England till of late as fully Christs Disciple and so Church-members as the Jews were in Covenant with God and so Church-members Answ. If by it be meant the prophecies Psal. 2. 8. and 72. 11. I see them fulfilled though not in Mr. Bs. sense but the prophecie Revel 11. 15. I see not yet fulfilled I see at Bewdley Kederminster in England people who generally are called Christians but I do not see that all old and young are Disciples or Church-members or ought to be so accounted or that they were ever brought into such a Covenant as the Jews or-ought to be accounted Church-members by vertue of such a Covenant There is not a word in my writings to that effect Mr. B. chargeth me that I would not have Princes and Masters do what Abraham and Moses did in bringing the people of Israel into ' Covenant with God but I say that should they do so yet the Infants are not thereby to be accounted visible Church-members in a Christian Church The commission to gather the Christian Church was not given to the Emperour but Apostles The Apostles it is true were sent to proselyte them that were no Chuch-members and yet they were sent to proselyte or in the phrase of Scripture to Disciple the visible Church-members of the Jewish Church as well as the Gentiles What I said I still say that the different Church-call of the Jewish and Christian Churches is enough to shew a different Church-state and consequently the argument is not good from the Jewish Infants visible Church-membership to ours If Mr. Bs. judgement be not so commandable as to assent to what I say it is so much the lesse commendable The speech of Mr. Herle and the jest out of Matthiolus are misapplied When he saith why may we not write plainly against one anothers judgement by a loving consent He may know that it was my desire it should have been so that it was not so was from himself He that believes he hath shewed love in this his writing is very credulous For the rest if Mr. B. will have the patience and indifferency of judgement which is meet he may see an answer to his allegations about Gods mercy to Infants and the repeal of their visible Church-memship If he remain in his opinion which I much fear knowing him sowell as I do and I in mine we must leave our writings to others to judge especially to that day which shall declare every mans work being revealed in fire In the mean time sleighting his vain curse which is page 217. my prayer for him as my self is that we may do nothing against the truth but for the truth FINIS Cyprian and the other Collegues which in the Council were present to the number of 66. to brother Fidus greeting MOst dear brother we have read thy letters in which thou hast signified concerning one Victor a Presbyter that Therapius our Collegue in a time not ripe and with overmuch haste hath granted him peace before he had done full penance and satisfied the Lord God against whom he had offended Which thing hath enough moved us that he hath departed from the authority of our Decree that before the allowed and full time of fatisfaction and without the asking and privity of the common sort no infirmity urging nor necessity compelling peace should be granted to him But upon counsel weighed long with us it was enough to chide Therapius our Collegue in that he rashly did this and to have instructed him that for hereafter he do no such thing Yet we have not thought that the peace however once granted by a Priest of God should be taken away and for this cause we have permitted Victor to use the Communication granted to him But for what belongeth to the cause of Infants whom thou hast said should not be baptized within the second or third day in which they were born and that the law of antient Circumcision is to be considered so as that thou shouldest not think him that is born should be baptized and hallowed within the 8. day it seemed farre otherwise to all in our Council For unto this which thou thoughtest should be done none of us have agreed but all have rather judged that the mercy and grace of God is to be denied to none that are born of mankind For when the Lord in his Gospel saith The son of man came not to destroy mens souls but to save them as much as in us lies if it may be no soul is to be lost For what is wanting to him who is once formed in the wombe by the hand of God For to us and in our eyes they which are born do seem to receive growth according to the course of secular dayes but what ever things are made by God are perfected by the Majesty and work of God the Maker Lastly
separating all infants of believers barely for their parents faith to be visible members of the Christian Church is Mr. Bs. dream as I shall shew with Gods assistance in examing his second argument SECT XI About Mr. Bs. 4. texts urged impertinently to prove infants visible Church-membership PAge 183. he saies it is a palpable untruth which I say he four texts in his Epistle Levit. 25. 41 42. Deut. 29. 11 12. Act. 15. 10. 1 Cor. 7. 14. with Rom. 11. 19. were all he concluded any thing from meaning in the dispute at Bewdley and saies the hearers know it and is to be seen before But to my best remembrance with search into the notes I took after and the notes which were communicated to me it is no untruth Mat. 28. 19. I think he alluded to but I remember not it was urged or any other text besides the forenamed as a medium from which to conclude any proposition to be proved Then he saies I have been fully answered before but yet addes concerning Levit. 25. 41 42. 1. The Jewes infants were infants and the dispute between us was of the species Answ. 1. Though Mr. B. and before him Mr. Cobbet usually call the sort or ranke of men that are infants the species yet other Logicians usually call man the lowest species or kind and say age and sex make not another kinde 2. But allowing Mr. B. and Mr. Cobbet their language I say the dispute is not about the species or kind to wit infants as infants but infants of believers who are particular persons and the question as it was rightly stated between me and Mr. M. was Whether the infants of believers were to be baptized with Christs baptisme by a lawfull Minister according to ordinary rule without extraordinary revelation or direction And if Paedobaptists will maintain their practise they should make good this proposition That all the infant-children of professed or inchurched believers are to be baptized with Christs baptisme by the law full Minister according to ordinary rule Though Mr. Baillee and Mr. B. for some advantage set down this as their proposition to be proved That some infants are to be baptized M. B. saies he had proved our priviledges greater then the Jewes and that I deny it not and that this to wit to be Gods servants was not peculiar to them Whereas I had proved the contrary from ver 55. and the whole chapter is about lawes peculiar to the Jews and ver 38 39 40. going before shew plainly that this law was peculiar to the Jewes that they and their children should return from servitude under which they were for poverty at the year of Jubilee and ver 45 46. plainly restraines it to the children of Israel allowing them to take the children of strangers so journing among them and therefore proselytes as an inheritance And therefore in whatever sense it is meant that they are Gods servants it is meant onely of Hebrews as Exod. 21. 2. is expressed I do not conceive nor any interpreters that I meete with do expound this of a proselyte but onely of an Hebrew borne If Cornelius had children they had not been Gods servants in the sense there meant which is clearly this that they were his servants in this respect only in that place in that they were to be disposed of not as men would but as he onely would who had right to them by his purchase in bringing them out of Egypt and therefore none can get soveraigne Dominion over them no not by their voluntary selling themselves to prejudice his as Deodat annot in Levit. 25. 42. Whence I infer that it is a most grosse abuse of this Scripture in Mr. B. to urge it to prove that the infants of Gentile believers now are servants to God related to him as a peculiar people separated to himself from the world which is spoken meerly in respect of the Hebrew children and their corporal servitude which was to be at Gods disposing by reason of his redemption of them out of Egypt When he tells me of my accustomednesse to mistakes it is more true of himself as I have often shewed yea though the words were written before him And in this very thing he calls my mistake that he argued thus Whosoever is called Gods servant may be baptized whereas he might have seene if he had taken any care to set down my words rightly that my words were as his own notary took them and he hath printed them If this be a good argument Infants are called servants of God therefore they are disciples and must be baptized which was his argument either in words or substance As for the conclusion and argument as he sets it down page 182. I think it was not urged in the dispute and I have proved that Levit. 25. 42. is meant onely of Hebrew children not of Gentiles nor in the sense Mr. B. would prove that they are relatively separate to God from the world in the sense as God 's servants is equipollent to a disciple of Christ. Page 184 he calls my answers to his allegation of Deut. 19. 11 12 vain senselesse reavils and then breaks out into words of pitty to people that take their opinions on my word To which is I say that my answers are not vaine senselesse cavil will appear in my reply to Mr. B. about that text And as he pitties them that take their opinion on my word so I pitty them that take their opinion on his word or any meer mans word contrary to Christs priviledge Mat. 23. 1. Page 184. in my words adoption is printed for doctrine Page 185. he repeates his frivolous charge of our accusing our children as no disciples of Christ and therefore no Christians and therefore no ground to believe or hope they are saved thus calumniating me when I have often said they may be both Disciples and Christians invisibly and so have salvation and we have great reason to hope they are in Gods election by reason of the general indefinite promises of the Scripture and Gods usual dealing with his people though there is no certainty either from Mr. Bs. grounds or mine sith Mr. B. will not say that every visible Church-member is saved All the difference between us is about their visible Church-membership whether the denying that takes away ground of hope of their salvatien Mr. B. saith it doth because there 's no hope of that persons salvation that doth not seeme to be of the invisible Church but he that is not of the visible Church doth not seeme to be of the invisible Ergo But the Minor is not true as he takes the word seem and by Gods assistance I doubt not to shew when I examine ch 27. of part 1. his mistake concerning the terme visible as if it were as much as to appear such in the judgement of probability though not descernad by sense by which defini-nition the opposite termes visible and invisible may be confounded and the terme visible
the Church and yet be holy men Mr. B. saith in his Epist. Dedic to the Saints everlasting rest direct 5. That independency which gives the people to governe by vote is the same thing with separation which comes from pride and ignorance and directly leades to the dissolution of all Churches Then they that hold it hold their fancy and rend the Church by it and so by Mr. Bs. rule none of them were of holy lives If Mr. B. censure so Mr. Atnsworth Mr. Robinson stiled by Rivet Explic. Dec. Exod. 20. praec 4. vir pius a godly man c. he will vent a more arrogant speech then any he chargeth me with Mr. Bs. opinions about faith and justification are by some counted fancies if he should by them make a breach in the Church yet I durst not deny his life to be holy He calls it my reproach that I think it may be safely said that there are proportionably as many unholy Paedobaptists as of the opposites to refute which he referres us to that said before where I shall in its place examine it and shew that he hath done much wrong to Antipoedo baptists in two things 1. In charging them with the evils of sundry who were never of their society 2. In charging the evils of some few Apostates upon all the Churches though they expressely rejected the persons and declared even publiquely in print against their wicked principles and practises yea have been the first and almost the onely men who have so declared though many more then ever were of their Churches have fallen into the wicked Ranting wayes besides Copp and some others termed Anabaptists He tells me Lay aside the common people and compare each party that are carried to it in judgement and in conscience and experience will confute me and then bids me shew who came to the height of Cop or those in Germany To which I say Who are carried to one side or other in judgement and conscience it 's impossible to determine and therefore such an estimation as Mr. B. propoundes is not feasible it 's known many have been wicked on both sides Copps and his followers madnesse is disclaimed by the Churches in London under baptisme in their Heart-bleedings for professors abominations and therefore by Austins rule should not be charged on the Churches Whether Hacket or any other were as wicked who knowes but God The evil carriages of the men have risen from their opinion of high enjoyments of God in the spirit when they left ordinances as was observed in the Levellers not while they kept to baptisme and Church-communion Mr. Weld observed in his Story of the Antinomians page 40. that conceit of special revelations was the original of Mrs. Hutchinsons miscarriage and the like is conceived of the Anabaptists in Germany and the like tragedy was neare acting in New England as there Mr. B. I still judge does ill to aggravate so farre the actions of those in Germany and some in England as if no miscarriages of others were comparable I am sure it is no rule to judge a doctrine false by this that the professors miscarry but only to make men wary and fearful If it be he must judge the same doctrine false by reason of some mens miscarriages and true because of others godly living Page 200. he excepts against my Logick for saying it is not idem per idem to know a false Prophet by his false doctrine For what is a false Prophet but one that preacheth false doctrine I answer A false Prophet is one that is not sent by God as a false Apostle 2 Cor. 11. 13. is one that is not an Apostle of Christ and it is no trifling repetition of the same but the sure note that Christ gives to say a false Prophet is known by his false doctrine Ball Trial of grounds for separation chap. 13. page 312. If we look into the Scriptures of the old and New Testament we shall never find the Prophets called true or false in respect of their outward calling but in respect of their doctrine When Mr. B. interprets likely by ordinarily or for the most part or usually as our ordinary sense of that phrase I think he mistakes in the meaning and use of the word and that probably doth better answer to it then usually However sith he dare not say that constantly all false doctrines end in wicked lives Christs direction as he makes it to know false Prophets by their wicked lives which ordinarily though not constantly they end in however they begin otherwise is a very blind one for his people of Kederminster to make use of sith they cannot by it discerne an Antinomian or Anabaptist to be a false Prophet to beware of them till they have observed the end of a whole party proving wicked which perhaps will not be till they are dead that are tempted by them SECT XII Mr. Bs. insinuations of the wickednesse of Anabaptists is Calumniatory and vainly alleadged to condemne their doctrine of Antipaedobaptisme Anabaptists and with them myself are vindicated from charges of schisme neglect of the Lords day c. PAge 201. To deterre his hearers from Anabaptistry Mr. B. had said Where hath there been known a society of Anabaptists since the world first knew that proved not wicked A direct answer to this question thus propounded can hardly be made nor is it necessary It can hardly be made it being a question that depends partly upon much reading of histories in former times both about the doctrine and manners of men comparatively obscure and contemned Whereas Historians speak little but of eminent societies and occurrences that make a remarkable change in the affaires of their time and of things done in those ages in which Historians are but few and not of the best note when greatest darknesse was on the Church and hardest censures of the best partly upon an exact intelligence of the affaires of the present Churches of so called Anabaptists in many Countreys who have been so depressed by the opposite party as that it is somewhat hard to learne where they be All the intelligence I can get of them is by bookes for the most part of them that are their adversaries Besides it is very difficult to passe a censure upon a society which is not a consistent but a flowing body some members coming in some cast out some dying same sound some rotten some removing dwellings subject to change of Ministers opinions c. whether in the end they have proved wicked or not it being usual that some in such societies do prove wicked and others prove well And what man is there that wants not either age to see the beginninig and end of such a society or opportunity to know the state of all or most of such a society or judiciousnesse to conclude whe her they proved wicked or not it being certain that men may fall foully and yet die in Christ and there being no fixed rule for us
page 273. and said it was of dangerous consequence And indeed I think it so still For I think it will follow that except a Magistrate can shew his commission from Christ that he is an usurper and then none is bound to him but to suppresse him then no infidel is a lawfull Magistrate who denies Christ and it will be questionable whether this will not extend to a non-churchmember or an excommunicate person then a Magistrates doing of right to an infidel against a believer or to one believer against another as putting him to death is an act for Christ as Mediator and if because all power is given to him in heaven and in earth therefore magistracy so as that all power must be derived from Christ as Mediator then a Fathers power over his child but sure that is in a Father by nature nor do I think it any part of the curse then ruling Presbyters should do the acts of civil Magistrates as having plain title to rule under Christ. Nor do I think Mr. B. hath answered these arguments or the rest but that however he proves Magistracy to be from Christs appointment and to be subordinate to his laws and accountable to him and ought to act for him yet not that the commission of every lawful Magistrate is from him as Mediator I think it will follow if Mr. Bs. position be true that supposing Christ had not been Mediator there had been no lawfull Magistrate and that Dominium fundatur in gratia which was heretofore denied And sith Christ is heir of all things and believers onely are Christs and all theirs 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. it would be considered whether by parity of reason the Saints might not intitle themselves to all power and all mens estates which was charged on Anabaptists at Munster But I find I digresse and therefore stop till more liberty draw me to a fuller handling of it SECT XX. Many learned men with the Oxford Convocation of former and later times take Infant-baptisme onely for an unwritten tradition MR. B. proceeds to answer my Antidote termes it a Corrective for a circumforaneous Antidote but the Antidote will appear to be good if taken notwithstanding his disgraceful term of Corrective without vertue Page 299. He prints two passages of Dr. Whitakers for the late Oxford Convocation to reade and referres to the like in Davenant But whatever Doctor Whitaker thought yet that the Antients did take Baptism of Infants to have been an Apostolical tradition unwritten seemes to me from that which is said in my Examen part I. sect 5. not avoided by Mr. Ms Defence In the Council of Basil in the oration of the Cardinal of Ragusi it is asserted Item nusquam legitur in canone Scripturae S. quod parvulus recenter baptizatus qui nec corde credit ad justitiam nec ore confitetur ad falutem inter fideles crudentes computetur Et nihilominus Ecclesia it a determinavit et statuit c. And in principip hujus Sacramenti baptizabantur solum illi qui per se sciebant fidem interroganti respondere To which purpose Walafridus Strabo many hundred years before and Vives about that time whose words are alleged in my Exercitation the title page and sect 17. Erasmus resp Archiep. Hispal ad artic object 61. Sunt et alia innumera quae prisci non ausi sunt definire sed suspensae pronunciatione venerabantur quod genus est an parvuliessent baptizandi And commonly the learnedst Papists do instance in Infant-baptism as an unwritten tradition in force and whereas it is objected that Bellarm. and others do bring Scripture for it Becan manual lib. 1. c. 2. sect 24. answers aliqua possunt probariex Scriptura quando constat de vero legitimo Scripture sensu So he saith it is concerning Infan-baptism which is proved from John 3. 5. but that the sense whereby to prove it is onely manifest by tradition Which is confirmed in the Canon law and Schoolmen an Infants-baptism was not reckoned perfect till the Bishop laid on hands which act was called Confirmation to wit of the imperfect Baptism in infancy Molinaeus in his Vates l. 2. c. 7. cites the canon dist 5. de consecratione as determining that without the Sacrament of Confirmation no man is a full Christian. Can. omnes et Can. ut jejuni Thomas 3. parte summae q. 72. art 9. dicit hoc sacramentum esse perfectionâ—m Baptismi innuens Baptismum esse imperfectum nisi accesserit Confirmatio Lumb l. 4. sent dist 7. A. omnes fideles per manus impositionem Episcoporum post Baptismum accipere debent in Confirmatione Spiritum sanctum ut pleni Christiani inveniantur Bellarm. tom 3. de sacr confirm c. 12. confirmatio est complementum perfectio baptismi Lib. 2. de effec Sacram. c. 8. est Confirmatio quaedam perfectio consummatio Baptismi Jewel Defence of the Apolog. page 218. allegeth it as Caistans tenet that an Infant for that he wanteth instruction in faith therefore hath not perfect Baptism Consonant hereto is the conceit of the common people that they have not their full Christen dome all they be Bishopped But that it may appear even learned Protestants speak near the same I will cite some of their speeches Among which I will forbear to recite the speeches of the Lord Brook and Mr. Daniel Rogers alleged by me in my Exercit. sect 18. and cleered in my Apology from Mr. Rogers his latter glosse nor the opinion of Mr. Bedford who judged with the Romanists that the Scripture gives us proof onely of the reasonableness of Infant-baptisme as I gather by Mr. Bs. I answer to him page 305. Dr. Field of the Church fourth book chap. 20. The fourth kind of inadition is the continued practise of such things as are neither contained in the Scripture expressely nor the examples of such practise expressely there delivered though the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of such practise be there contained and the benefit or good that followeth it Of this sort is the Baptism of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely delivered in Scripture that the Apostles did baptize Infants nor any expresse precept there found that they should so do Yet is not this so received by bare and naked tradition but that we find the Scripture to deliver unto us the grounds of it Doctor Prideaux fasci Controv. Theol. loc 4. sect 3. q. 2. Paedobaptism rests on no other Divine right then Episcopacy Doctor Jeremy Taylor in his Liberty of prophesying sect 18. num 34. after he had ventilated the point on both sides saies there is much more truth then evidence on our sides meaning Paedobaptists To all which I will adde the words of Theophilus Philakyriaco Loucardiensis that is Mr. Young as I am informed an eminent man in the late Assembly and Mr. Marshals friend that holp him in the first part of his Defence in his Dies Dominica lib. 1. c. 10.