that every man might marry so many wives as he pleased OO Also the Law of Divorce was brought back giving leave to a man upon his meer will without any fault alledged and without the cognizance of any Judge to put away his wife PP yea to kill any of his wives whether publickly as himself did in the open Market place QQ or privately as their next King did in a wood of Freezland RR This also was a Law of that Kingdom Robberies also that beside the falling upon all the goods of all the wicked world as a most lawfull spoyl there behoved to be a liberty to make use of all that belonged to any of the Saints That all things among them behoved to be common SS yet so that the King and his Courtiers might lawfully live in plenty while all the other Saints in that their new Jerusalem were starving with excessive penury TT It is visible whither Satan intends to lead proud hypocrites Their hypocrisie ended in the open practice of crimes extremely contrary to their professions these men who in their own eyes were so holy Saints as they behoved in the tendernesse of their conscience to separate from the best reformed Churches these men who talked of nothing but mortification of the flesh who counted it unlawfull to defend their life by the sword or to exercise the meanest Magistracy or to have any propriety in the smallest portion of goods or to know their own wives after they were conceived VV in a short time they came to preach and practice as very lawfull and warrantable to make themselves absolute Kings and Monarchs of the whole earth to live and die in as many adulteries and incests as they pleased in as great plenty of wealth as by any secret theft or open robbery they were able to catch Their abominable unclearnesse It could hardly be imagined that the Devil himself had been able to lead any reasonable creatures into so grievous errors did we not know to how much grosser these same horrible hypocrites who upon the profession of their own holiness refused cōmunion with all other men had been led away by that evill spirit divers of them not being content with the adulteries of Polygamy have loosed the bonds of all matrimony yea of all naturall relations XX telling us as in the former Chapter was remarked that among the Saints there ought to be no difference of husband and wife Father and daughter brother and sister that such differences were only for imperfect worldlings So soon as a woman turned Anabaptist they made her company with her own husband unlawfull but with all men of her own Religion lawfull upon divers wicked grounds XX 2 Farther that the shame which nature has imprinted in the heart of the most barbarous Pagans to cover their nakednesse must be cast away YY and thereafter that all kinde of incestuous commixtions are not only lawfull but also that they are the very acts of holinesse and mortification ZZ These be the profound mysteries which the Anabaptists have brought into the world this is the fruit of their quatriduall fastings of their extatick prayers of their heavenly raptures and revelations They deny both old and new Testament These might have seemed the very quintessence of all imaginable absurdities if the enemy of all truth had not given us in the same miserable hypocrites a further experiment of his skill in seducing they tell us therefore yet of rarer novelties of new more excellent lights which they have brought out of heaven AAA Having cast away first the old Testament as removed by the Gospel and then the Gospel it self as a shadow put away by the greater light of their new Prophets BBB these impediments of holy Scripture being fully removed the new perfect Doctrine which they bring us is first that there is not any created spirit They deny angels and devils and souls that Angels and Devils are not substances but meer qualities CCC that the spirits of men are but terrestriall vapour like the life of beasts perishing with the body DDD They deny heaven and hell eternall life Secondly that there is no such thing as heaven or hell as life or death eternall EEE that all the resurrection and glory to be expected are in this life FFF Thirdly They cast away all the ordinances of God that the greatest happinesse possible is to cast away and give over all such services as the Scripture prescribes to put away Baptisme the Lords Supper and Preaching of the word GGG to follow the directions of the new great Prophet David George Fourthly that this David George was the only spirituall Christ David George to them was spirituall Christ much more excellent then Christ crucified that Jesus and his Apostles and all their Doctrine were but carnall HHH that David George was to judge the world III that the irremissible transgression was only a wrong against him that whoever would maintain Jesus Christ to be equall with him or the Gospel of the Apostles to be like unto his Doctrine did sin against the holy Ghost and was certainly damned KKK The absurdities of the worst Hereticks of old the calumnies invented by Pagans against the ancient Christians were nothing so horrible though all had been true as these Doctrines and practises whereof the unquestionable testimonies of grave Writers make many of the old Anabaptists most certainly guilty But that which herein I most admire is Many people were ready to seal with their bloud all these abominations that ever poore people could be brought to beleeve so firmly the former absurdities as to suffer most willingly all extremities and exceeding chearfully to offer their very life for the worst of them LLL so long as their Master David did require such seals and testimonies to his Doctrine Thereafter indeed he changed that principle of suffering for the truth and permitted his followers not only to dissemble their own Religion but also to joyn without any scruple in any profession in any religious exercise of any people among whom they lived for he taught them that God was content with the heart alone and gave liberty for all men to imploy their body and the whole outward man in the service of the falsest Religion rather then he should suffer the smallest inconvenience The monster David George did live and die in plenty and peace The other object of my admiration is the infinite patience of God who suffered the Father of such monsters to lead his life in ease and security to go on in peace and plenty with a great shew both of Religion and vertue and the good opinion of his neighbours to his old age and dying day MMM Such snares does the Lord in his wisdome rain down on the wicked world that they who never loved the truth may be intangled irrecoverably in the bonds of error The best of the Anabaptists have very grosse errours I grant many of the
and their great Patrons in their debates for liberty except errours against the light of nature albeit none which never so evidently crosse the holy Scriptures HHH but M. Williams an Anabaptist long before Blackwood makes it a bloudy Tenet III and others of them proclaim it an unjust persecution to deny a full liberty not only to Turks Jews and most of hereticks but to idolatrous Papists and any others that can be named KKK They will not only have all these free from any considerable punishments but also from the least discountenance LLL or resentment of their wickednesse and left the grossest blasphemies might have been conceived capable of any civill censure behold they name Atheism it self and exempt it expresly from the hazard of all pain or shame MMM They presse a liberty for preaching and propagating openly all errors imaginable This liberty they extend not only to errours lockt up in the breast but also when they are openly by word and writ professed yea solemnly preached for they tell us that the necessary and just liberty of conscience is violate and a persecution is brought in if a Jesuit or a Turk or a Jew or a blasphemous Atheist be hindred to go to the most solemne places where the greatest multitudes of weak and easily seduced spirits do converse and there to proclaim what ever in conscience they think convenient for the propagation of that errour which they conceive to be truth NNN Yet they grant that error is a soule murder and a greater crime then the destruction of a King of a Parliament of a whole Nation For all this the same men do fully and freely grant unto us that errour is a greater wickednesse then any man can easily conceive That a false Teacher by seducing of one soul doth more reall hurt then if he should murther a King blow up a Parliament destroy the lives of a whole Nation yea of the whole world OOO Yet do they plead for so great a liberty to all errours as possibly can be for they spoyl the Magistrate of all power in any thing which concerns Religion that he may not with a look of his eye discourage much lesse with his hand restrain the most horrible blasphemer the most ravenous wolf to destroy the souls of all his Subjects PPP This immoderate love of licentiousnesse They hate the Covenant of a liberty to destroy their own souls by what ever errour they please to imbrace puts them upon a high degree of hatred and indignation against the solemne league and Covenant against the Scotish Nation whence it came as two great impediments to their quiet enjoying of that self-destroying and God-provoking liberty which so passionately they lust after though for fear and other base respects many of them have swallowed down the Covenant in such equivocall senses as are evidently contrary both to the expresse words and known intentions of the States which enjoyn it yet since the time their strength and hopes are encreased these of them who pretend to ingenuity and courage do not only with bitternesse reject it but it is now become the object of their publick invectives as the most unhappy plague that did ever come into England which they presse the State to recall as an act much to be repented of PPP 2 The Scots they were wont to account as Demi-gods They are injurious to the Scots embracing them as their very Saviours upon earth so long as the Episcopall party kept them in any fear that terrour now being past and the Scots beginning to urge though with all meeknesse and curtesie some performance of Covenants and Treaties they cry out upon them with all bitternesse and spleen they censure the Parliament for ever calling them in they load them with injurious calumnies for their very first contests in Scotland with the malignant and Episcopall party there the defensive arms of their Parliament and Nation they defame as an insurrection against the King of a few malecontents for the obtaining of their private ambitious designes neither do they make any better construction of the present Armes of the English Parliament PPP 3 The great sufferings of the Scots at home from the Irish Rebels and their own apostate brethren they proclaim to be the just deservings of their labours in England PPP 4 which they are pleased to vilifie and disgrace with the basest and most false slanders which the father of lies and malice is able to invent PPP 5 wherein they rest not till they have made the Scots open enemies and Traytors to England proclaiming a great deal of desire to have the next expedition of their glorious and invincible Army to kill destroy and subjugate those base Traytors PPP 6 that so they may be altogether free for their other much higher designs were it as in Sober-Sadnesse it was professed in a very solemne audience to go to the wals of Constantinople for the pulling of the grand Seignior out of his Seraglio to this height of dangerous fancy has their lust of Liberty already arisen All punishing of errour with them is persecution It is not a toleration a forbearance a dispensation which is sought for all this imports some power in the Magistrate about the object in the which the forbearance and toleration is craved but a just liberty to think speak and do in all matters of Religion whatever conscience howsoever informed dictates to be expedient the least restraint of so plenary a liberty they count the sin and injury of persecution The reasons whereby the Independents themselves in their very last papers do plead for this liberty to my ear sounds but harshly they tell us that those things which are cried out upon for errors are in matters obscure and disputable instancing expresly in the Trinity the union of Christs two natures the fruits of Christs death the power of free-will the state of the soul after death QQQ and lest any error should stand without the compasse of their liberty they tell us farther that no error is in any justice punishable because now there is not on earth any Apostle or Prophet or infallible Judge who can determine any question without possibility of erring RRR It may be scrupled whether meer conscience does enforce the Anabaptists and others to scrue up the point of their conscience-liberty to so high a pin They presse liberty of conscience much out of policy whether in their inmost sense they can maintain so catholick a liberty to all persons in matters of Religion or if haply some piece of policy may not induce them to strike so much upon this string at the present when they have but small hopes of attaining a liberty for themselves without the assistance of many others from whom they differ in many particulars of Religion It may be justly doubted if once they were come to be possessed of their own desires whether then they would be so carefull as now they professe for the freedom of
as well as their Parents The manifold windings and turnings of the adversary from this place does but wrap them the further in the net The next place I cite is the first of the Cor. 7 14. How infants are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 For the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the Husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy Here the children of Christians are affirmed to be holy that is separated and dedicated to the service of God as those who are in Covenant with him to whom he is a God and whom he takes for his people for the Church in the Old Testament both young and old were accounted a holy and separate people Deut. 14.1 2. Ye are the children of the Lord your God thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himselfe above all the Nations that are upon the earth Isaiah 63.18 The people of thy holinesse have possessed it but a little while This priviledge continues to the Church in the New Testament to the worlds end 1 Pet. 2.9 But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God The Anabaptists for to loose the knot of this argument endeavour with much paine to cast a mist of confusion upon the whole text but to make clear and short work with them we reason thus The holinesse spoken of by the Apostle Paul here is one of three either the holinesse of justification and inherent sanctification flowing from the application of the bloud of Christ and inhabitation of the holy Ghost or else a civill holinesse of legitimation flowing from the lawfulnesse of a just matrimony or else a foederall holinesse whereby the whole church of God young and old by vertue of his covenant with them are separate and dedicated unto him no other senses use to be ascribed to the word holy in this place by any disputant the first two are inconsistent with the text the third therefore must be received The first cannot be approved by any who is sound in the doctrine of justification and sanctification for who ever will make all the children of every beleeving parent to have the holinesse of a reall justification and sanctification must either recall this tenet or in the end cannot but join with the Papists and Arminians in their great article of totall and finall apostasie from the most saving grace As for the second sense we deny that ever in Scripture children are called holy because begotten in lawfull marriage for so the children of the greatest Idolaters and worst of the Pagans who have no relation at all to God but as sinfull creatures dedicated to Idols that is of creatures very unholy and at best meerly naturall and civill must be accounted holy according to Scripture 2. The Apostle speaking of an holinesse which belongs to the Corinthians children from this that one of their parents is a beleever Legitimation cannot be such an holinesse for the faith of one or both parents contributes nothing to that the children of two unbeleevers are as lawfull as the children of two beleevers and so as holy in such a sense But the holinesse whereof the Apostle is there speaking is such whereof the children of parents who are both unbeleevers are not capable for it belongs to the children by vertue of the faith of one of the parents So this civill holinesse of legitimation if there were any such could not agree to the Apostles words in hand The first two senses being removed from the words onely the third does remain a foederall holinesse whereby the children are joined with God in covenant and dedicated to the service of God by vertue of that covenant as well as their parents Such an holinesse is a good reason of that which goes before and a solid ground of solution of the Corinthians scruple which the Apostle is loosing they had propounded to the Apostle their doubt If a beleeving husband might lawfully cohabit with his unbeleeving wife the Apostles answer is affirmative and the reason of the answer is because what ever the unbeleeving parties may be in themselves yet their cohabitation is sanctified to beleevers and of this sanctification the holinesse of their children is brought for an evidence since the Lord counted their children holy and in covenant with him the beleevers might rest assured that their abode with their companions though unbeleeving was acceptable unto God The Apostle here is speaking of husbands and wives not of men and whores though some other Scriptures should prove the bastards of beleevers to be holy yet this Scripture speaks nothing either of them or of their holinesse or of any thing else belonging to them only to settle the conscience of beleeving husbands and wives concerning their lawfull abode and sanctified cohabitation with their unbeleeving companions the foederal holines of their children is brought in for a proof To have said that children was lawful was no more then that their marriage was lawful which was not the question but to say that the children of their lawfull marriage were holy did infer not onely the lawfulnesse of the marriage but the sanctified use of the marriage and that now their cohabitation was without sin and acceptable to God My second argument I take from infants Circumcision The second argument is from the Circumcision of Infants which thus I frame Circumcision was administred to infants under the Law Ergo Baptisme ought to be administred to infants under the Gospel Nothing here is doubtfull but the consequence which thus I prove Baptisme under the Gospel succeeds to Circumcision under the Law Ergo if Circumcision was ministred to infants under the Law Baptisme ought to be ministred to infants under the Gospel Both the consequence and the antecedent of this argument are denyed When for the proof of the consequence we bring in the common rule of reasoning from analogy and proportion It is safe to resume from Scripturall consequences yea proportions these of the adversaries who prove to be so great disputers as to challenge the chief Ministers of the City to publick debates doe deny to us all such rules of disputation and which is much worse avow their mis-regard of what ever consequence we are able to fetch from any Scripture by the rules of the rightest reason leading us directly to that base and brutall fancy of the Jesuite Veron who for a time did please himself to admit from Protestants in all controversies no consequences at all but onely expresse formall and syllabick texts Though the Jesuits themselves did cry down and crush this irrationall inhumane conceit of their colleague yet the Anabaptists among many more exploded and sopited errors shew their boldnesse to renue this also but in this madnes their learned friend M. Tombs deserts
concerning a publick Disputation is but a needlesse vanity this was the cry for a long time of the old Anabaptists but when they had gotten their belly full of publick disputations what the issue was Munster and Zurick can bear witnesse The Disputants here themselves relate that it was no ways the fault of the City Ministers that they got not so many and so publick disputations as they wished but it appears that their gain by such disputations could not have been very great if their Arguments were not much stronger then any which in this Declaration they make publick The fourth makes it an heresie to make any use of any thing in the old Testament to clear any thing in the New Their fourth Argument is this Infant Baptisme denies Christ to be come in the flesh because it takes from him what the holy Ghost ascribes to him considered come in the flesh it destroyes his Propheticall and Priestly office for it brings light from Moses and the old Testament to clear Christs Doctrine of Baptism and so makes Moses a greater Light then Christ also it layes the duty of infant Baptism upon the Subjects of Christ without his warrant and so puts him from his Kingdome Answer The upshot and strength of this reason is no more then what was brought before that infants Baptism wants the warrant of Christ 2. We see by the form of this reason to how high a pinne those men do stretch our errour as they count it of paedobaptism it must be no lesse a crime then the deniall of Christs Offices and of his very Incarnation The people must hold us for very grosse Hereticks and such from whom a separation is absolutely necessary 3. The phrase which here is oft repeated Christ considered come in the flesh is very obscure or else a meer non-sense why considered come in the flesh rather then come in the flesh But the chief matter ground of the argument as here it is proponed is a new and dangerous crotchet which the most of the Anabaptists as I think will never own must it be a deniall of Christs Offices and Incarnation must it be a setting up of Moses and the Prophets as greater lights above Christ and the Apostles when any thing is brought out of the old Testament to clear some passages of the New When for the clearing of sundry things both in the Old and New Testament we bring passages from Pagan Jewish or Christian Writers either old or New do we hereby set up these humane Authors as greater lights above Scripture if the Disputants would admit of any consequences they might see what does stand at the back of such wild assertions but what ever be their minde of consequences yet some of their followers from this their position make two unhappy though very necessary deductions First the casting away of all humane Writs at least the making of their service towards the clearing of Scripture altogether unlawfull they make the use of all humane Arts and Sciences for this end abominable Secondly the laying aside of the whole old Testament as that which may not be applied for to clear any thing that is in the New notwithstanding Christ and his Apostles are very frequent not only in clearing but in proving the body of their Doctrine from the Law and the Prophets yet I hope that none of them for this practice shall be counted by the Disputants deniers of Christs Incarnation or any of his Offices Their fifth argument is this The fift argument making the actions done by or to Christ the full rule of our practice is a wild phansie That which is no part of righteousnesse may not be observed But the Baptism of infants is no part of righteousnesse because it was neither practised upon Christs Person nor by him upon any other person he was neither baptized in his infancy nor did baptize any infants Answer This reason is as strange as any of the former both the major and minor are faulty the major because in common speech and ordinary Scripture language righteousnesse is contradistinguished to holinesse so all acts of holinesse according to this argument behoved to be unlawfull being no parts of righteousnesse The minor also and its proof must both be denied Let the word righteousnesse be taken in as large a sense as they please for all duties either to God or man for all acts either of piety justice or charity yet to say that there is no act of righteousnesse which cannot be proved to have been done either by Christ or upon Christ is a very wild fancy For instance what will they say for the Baptism of women and the Baptism of old men will they deny those to be parts of that righteousnesse whereof they speak or will they affirm that these things were practiced either upon the person of Christ or by the person of Christ Christ did fulfill all righteousnesse when he payed tribute and did all those acts of justice which belonged to him though hee never medled with any duties belonging to others but were impertinent to him as nothing belonging to him or whereof his person was not capable The first argument concluding the unlawfulnesse of infant Baptism from the want of Scripturall example was absurd but this argument which restricts Scripturall example to the person of Christ onely to things done by him or upon him is much more absurd The sixâ—h arâ—ument will have none bapâ—iâ—â—d but who bâ—li ve and are elect Thâ—ir sixth argument is this Only they are to be baptized who are Abrahams seed either according to the flesh or according to promiâ—e But the infants of Gentiles are not of Abrahams seed either according to the flesh or according to promise because only the Jews are Abrahams seed according to the flesh and only believers are his seed according to promise Ans Upon this argument they triumph and cry out of a deadly wound given thereby to infant Baptism I will be loth to upbraid any man with presumptuous ignorance yet I cannot but marvell what the Disputants can mean to prejudice their friends in every one of their arguments a great deal more then their adversaries This their deadly reason is dead and rotten in all its parts the major according to their own principles is clearly false for if none may lawfully be baptized but the seed of Abraham according to the flesh or his seed according to promise and the one be only Jews and the other be only beleevers what will they say to Simon Magus and thousands whom themselves do baptize who are not Jews and so not the seed of Abraham according to the flesh nor believers and elect persons and so not the seed according to the promise nor the children of the heavenly Jerusalem The minor likewise is false in both its parts First some infants of believing Gentiles may well be counted the seed of Abraham and Israel according to the flesh such as are members of the
the subject to those things much contrary to the credulity and bold assertion of the late Anabaptists Our second Argument The 2. Arg. the thing signified by Baptisme is oftner expressed in Scripture by sprinkling then dipping That action whereby Scripture does frequently represent the main thing signified by baptisme is lawfull and sufficient to be used in baptisme But Scripture frequently represents the main thing signified in baptisme by sprinkling or pouring out of water Ergo. The major is grounded on the nature of Sacramentall rites they are signs fitly proportioned to the spirituall blessings they signifie and seal when we finde in the signe not onely a clear representation and similitude of the thing signified but the holy Ghost in Scripture making use of that representation and relation it is to us a ground of the lawfull use of that sign This is the adversaries owne argument in their great reason for dipping that it does fitly represent our buriall with Christ and is used in Scripture as they alledge for the expressing of that representation As for the minor that pouring and sprinkling frequently in Scripture represents the main thing â—â—gnified and sealed in baptisme our participation of the benefits of Christ his blood and Spirit In Scripture sprinkling is made a sign of the application of Christs blood to the soul many Scriptures doe evidence as first Heb. 10.22 Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Here both the sign and the thing signified of baptisme are set down together the outward washing with water is made to signifie the sprinkling of the heart from an evill conscience That washing by outward sprinkling represents the inward sprinkling of the heart by the blood of Christ as fitly as washing by outward dipping or immersion can doe appears by 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Pet. 1 2. Through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ here the application of Christs blood unto the soul is expressed in the similitude of sprinkling And so fit is this representation that the holy Ghost styles the blood of Christ whereby we are washed and saved the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Heb. 12.24 The other great blessing sealed up in baptisme is our communion in the Spirit of Jesus Also of Châ—ists Spiriâ— this blessing also the Spirit delights to expresse by the act of pouring or sprinkling of water Act. 2.16 17. Acts 2.16 17. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last days saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh Isay 44.3 Is 44.3 For I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Also Is 52.15 So shall I sprinkle many Nations And Ezek. 36.25 Ezek. 36 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean a new heart will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you As the application of the blood and Spirit of Christ to the soul of the baptized is expressed so often in the tearm of sprinkling so under the Law Sprinking under the Law a figure of the thing signified in Baptisme the action of sprinkling sometimes of blood alone sometimes of water alone sometimes of both together were used for the prefiguring of that blood and water which in the days of the Gospel by the Word and Sacrament were more abundantly to be communicate Exod. 12.7.13 Ex. 12.7.13 And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side postes and on the upper door-poste of the houses wherein they shall eat it And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are and where I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the Land of Egypt Leviticus 16.14 Lev. 16.14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullocks and spriâ—kle it with his finger upon the Mercy-seat East-ward and before the Mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times here blood alone is sprinkled Numb 19.18 Num. 16.18 And a clean person shall take hyssope and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and upon all the persons that were there and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day here water alone for purification is sprinkled at least water without blood for this water of purification had no mixture except of the ashes of the burnt Heifer Lev. 14.5 6 7. Lev. 14.5 6 7. And the Priests shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessell of running water as for the living bird he shall take it and the Cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssope and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water and he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean In this place blood and water together are sprinkled upon the leper at least with the sprinkling of the blood the presence of water is injoined The chief end of applying water to any body whether by dipping of it in the water or sprinkling the water upon it is to purge it from soile Sprinkling serves as much for purging as dipping can do that the use of water in baptisme is to remove and wash away albeit not the defilement of the body yet the guilt of sin from the soul we read in the 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Pet. 3 21. The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God and Acts 22.16 Acts 22.16 Rise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. This being the onely end why water in baptisme is used that way of using of it must be lawfull which is fit for that end now common experiences teaches that pouring and sprinkling is as meet for purifying as dipping can be a vessell often dipped if not rubbed may keep all its soile and sprinkling or pouring out of water is nothing lesse but oftentimes more effectuall for purging A third Argument If dipping be necessary and sprinkling unsufficient then in all Scripturall approved baptismes dipping was used and not sprinkling But no such thing does appear in Scripture Whether in any Sacramentall baptisme mentioned in Scripture dipping over head and ears was ever practised we shall consider in our answer to the objections but that in divers Sacramentall baptismes approved in Scripture no
their Coventicle house and there before many people said that Brother Kiffen and Patience anoynting her she suddenly recovered SS Vide supra O. TT Gangren first Part p. 27. That all singing of Psalmes as Davids or any other holy songs of Scripture is unlawfull and not to be joyned with that the singing which Christians should use is that of hymnes and spirituall songs framed by themselves composed by their own gifts and that upon speciall occasions as deliverances c. sung in the Congregation by one of the assembly all the rest being silent VV Gangren first Part p. 23. This Den preacheth much against tythes he hath put down all singing of Psalmes in his Church XX The compassionate Samaritane p. 31 33. And hereby is maintained the necessity and excellency of Learning and the Languages and so of Vniversities and a supposall that the Arts likewise are necessary to a Divine As Diana was so is learning the crafts-mens living and the peoples Goddesse the people may if they please dote upon that which hath been their destruction they ought to account better of them that having no by-ends or respects have studied the Scriptures for their own and others information and do impart the same to the people out of a desire of their good for nothing as the Anabaptists doe to their Congregations See also Bloudy Tenet p. 173. YY Vide Disswasive p. 48. Browns life and manners of all true Christians p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority Hath not every lawfull Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not only shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it but these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. pag. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do and it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church the Lords kingdome is not by force neither durst Moses or any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church government but after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline discipline that is for a civill forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and enquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward provision and outward justice they are to look but to compell Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiasticall government by Laws and penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church ZZ Disswasive p. 49. EEEEE FFFFF Also the modell of Church and civill power composed by M. Cotton in the bloudy Tenet p. 156. The Magistrate hath power to forbid all idolatrous and corrupt assemblies who offer to put themselves under their patronage and shall attempt to joyn themselves into a Church estate and if they shall not hearken to force them therefrom by the power of the sword Ib. 101. Tolerating many Religions in a State in severall Churches beside the provoking of God may in time not only corrupt leaven divide and so destroy the peace of the Churches but also dissolve the Continuity of the State especially ours whose wals are made of the stones of the Churches He hath also power to compell all men within his grant to hear the Word ZZ 2 Tombs Apology p. 13. Being acquainted with a Law made in New England and proceedings against those that denied baptizing of Infants I yeelded to the sending of my examen thither and therewith I sent this short Epistle Reverend Brethren understanding that there is some disquiet in your Churches about paedobaptism c. AAA Apologetick narration p. 19. To the Magistrates power we give as much and as we think more then the principles of the Presbyteriall government will suffer them to yeeld BBB Burrows Irenicon at length CCC Apologeticall narration p. 9. We judge that excommunication should be put in execution for no other kinde of sinnes then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practises of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if an opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himself and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the Churches and no other sins to be the subject of that most dreadfull sentence DDD John Goodwins Theomachia p. 37. Concerning other civill means for the suppression and restraint of these spirituall evils errours heresies c. as imprisonment banishment interdictions finings c. both reason and experience concurre in this demonstration that such fetters as these put upon the feet of errours and heresies to secure and keep them under still have proved wings whereby they raise themselves the higher in the thoughts and mindes of men and gain an opportunity of farther propagation Ibid. To hold that the persons so elected the Members of the House of Commons chosen by men unworthy and strangers to the power of godliness have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws and Statutes in matters of Religion and to order under mulcts and penalties how men shall worship and serve God as it is a means to awaken the eye of jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive unto the undermining not only of their power but of their honour peace and safety also then any thing that is found in the way so ill entreated so is it the setling upon the electors of such persons I mean upon the promiscuous multitude of the Land a greater power then ever Jesus Christ himself had at least then ever he exercised EEE Anabaptists Confession Edition second Article 48. in the margin Concerning the worship of God there is but one Lawgiver Jesus Christ who hath given Laws and rules sufficient in his word for his worship and for any to make more were to charge Christ for want of wisdome or faithfulnesse or both in not making Laws enough or not good enough for his house Surely it is our wisdome duty and priviledge to observe Christs Laws only FFF Ibid. It is our duty to do and we believe it is our expresse duty especially in matters of Religion to be fully perswaded in our mindes of the lawfulnesse of what we do for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as we cannot do
it all into fancies FFFFF Some of them make the world eternall others all creatures to perish They make God personally to subsist in every creature they make him the life of all the living and his essence the proper form of all things GGGGG Some of them make the world eternall going on in a continuall generation and succession of things as now we see them HHHHH others make all to be destroyed Some deny all resurrection others makes the bests rise to glory heaven and earth and what ever is therein for ever to perish and nothing of any creature to remain but that portion of the Divine essence which was in them and gave them their beeing IIIII Some of them that admit of a resurrection after this life make it generall of all creatures that ever have been even of beasts birds and fishes to a new life of glory KKKKK They teach abominable obscenities I reade not that their Doctrine is yet so extremely obscene as that of David George yet here also they are come prety near him for two of their Teachers M. Gorting and Mistresse Attaway with their Disciples have declared themselves for the dissolution of all unequall Marriages and such are all those with persons of a different mind from themselves LLLLL That which we have heard of their practising of incest is now publickly avowed in print they do not with David George lay aside all naturall relations in matter of marriage they will not passe the consideration of Father and Mother Brother and Sister but which is worse they will have these relations to be grounds of a Matrimoniall conjunction as if these marriages were most laudable which are betwixt persons nearest in bloud Brother and Sister Father and Daughter Mother and Sonne Uncle and Neece this spirit of abominable villany doth now walk in publick among us MMMMM whereunto if you will adde M. Miltons doctrine of dismissing wives so oft as men please MMMMM 2 you shall make it lawfull for every man once a month to marry if they were thirty of his nearest kinswomen a wickednesse which David George himself did never think of They follow David George in his greatest absurdities But that which was David George his chief wickednesse in debasing the administrations of God and advancing himself above all that is called God making the dispensation of the Law the Kingdome of the Father the preaching of the Gospel the carnall Kingdome of the Son but his own Ministery to be above both the Ministery of the holy Ghost in a new world of love whereof himself was the great Prophet farre more excellent then all before him this madnesse is also in the midst of us Attaway made it the subject of divers of her Sermons that the Kingdom of the holy Ghost and of love more excellent then that of Christs was now at the doors NNNNN That Jerusalem was quickly to be builded and from thence extraordinary Prophets to be sent for the preaching of the eternall Gospel OOOOO And now much sooner then we expected before one stone is laid in Jerusalem behold the great Prophet is come and has printed his Divine light The Divine light of their new great Prophet proclaiming himself the anointed of the Lord for this great service of preaching the eternall Gospel PPPPP assuring that all who opposeth him are not onely apostates Arians Antichrists The fall of Adam the clearest Scriptures are but allegories but also very incarnate Devils QQQQQ The rare mysteries which this great Prophet brings to the world from heaven are these Doctrines That the eating of the forbidden tree the burning of the world with fire and such other Scriptures are but meer allegories RRRRR That the humane nature of Christ is a Person The whole Trinity suffered in the person of Christs humanity That there is no union of the second Person of the Godhead therewith but that all the three Persons in the time of the Passion did come down and subsist in his humane Person That all the three Persons did truly suffer in the humane Person of Christ and that by the Passion of the Godhead of all the three Persons alike the world was redeemed SSSSS That the Passion of the Trinity in the humane Person of Christ was nothing but the conflict of the two Divine Attributes Mercy and Justice the one with the other TTTTT That the former days of the Gospel were Christs private Kingdome and the world of Esaus curse wherein Christ did sit as a Judge to torment and condemne the reprobate VVVVV But now since he the great Prophet The great light which this Prophet brings from heaven is that all the Devils and all the reprobates shall be saved by his Gospel the Lords annoynted began to Preach the new and the last world is come the world of Jacobs blessing the time of the Spirits Ministery of Christs publick Kingdome wherein the eternall Gospel is preached XXXXX That the summe of this Gospel is the salvation of all without exception even of the Devils and of those who were damned by Christ in the world of Esaus curse YYYYY That saving faith is nothing but the belief of this universall salvation ZZZZZ That whoever beleeves it not shall be damned that is they shall undergoe for some time hels torment though at last with the Devils they be delivered therefrom That by this faith any three or four persons may become so strong sons of God as to save not onely themselves but a world of misbelievers AAAAAA Randals grosse Familisme It were long to enumerate all the abominations that are among many of these who goe under the name of Anabaptists it will be hard to name any of the conceits of their Fathers in Germany which is not here entertained by some one or other I am sure the incomparably worst of the Sects over Sea was that of the Georgians and among us the Familists are their naturall brood what they have learned from Henry Nicholas and he from David George we may see it yet more distinctly in two late Writs The discovery of Familisme The description and confutation of Familisme We reade in the first that a great many who have been counted zealous and gracious are now of that Sect BBBBBB That a great man a Peer of the Land and divers Doctors of Divinity are of that number CCCCCC That M. Randall for some years has preached peaceably at the Spittle to as great a multitude of people as follows any Sectary about the City That the learned Author of the Discovery did hear him preach the following positions who wrote them down with a refutation and before many witnesses sent them to him to be answered No resurrection no heaven no hell after this life To wit first that all the resurrection and glory which Scripture promises is past already and no other comming of Christ to judgement or life eternall is to be expected then what presently in this earth the Saints
do enjoy nor any more hell and condemnation to be feared then what in this life before death is endured DDDDDD The Saints in this life become as perfect as God Secondly that all the Saints in this world are fully perfect that they become omniscient as God that they are Godded Deified and become God EEEEEE Thirdly that the most clear Historick passages of Scripture in matters of the greatest moment are but meer allegories untrue in any proper literall sense FFFFFF The clearest Scriptures are false in a literall sense This writ Randall received but was never pleased to return one word of answer yet to this day he goes on to preach these and the rest of the Familists errours And to shew his boldnesse he hath lately printed two very dangerous Books and set his Preface before each of them composed as he professes long agoe by Popish Priests the one by a Dutch Frier and the other by an English Capuchine both of them pretending to the highest degree of holy very high and hardly intelligible contemplations the fittest morsell that could have been prepared for the giddy multitude who is most ready to be catched with any new sublime and subtill notions were they never so full of deadly poyson whereof M. Benjamin Bourn has found in these two Treatises no small store to wit first That in all things Angels Devils Men Women That God is formally the life and subsistence of all creatures there is but one spirit and life which absolutely and essentially is God That there is no more but one Spirit in the world That the life and beeing of God is every thing and every thing is the life and beeing of God GGGGGG Secondly that Jesus Christ had not a particular soul and body that was created in the womb of the Virgin That Christ had not a particular soul nor a particular body but the flesh and bloud of the whole world HHHHHH Thirdly every creature in all its actions is acted and ruled by the Spirit of God IIIIII Creature in their very sins are acted onely by the Spirit of God upon this ground God is made the Author and onely Actor of all sins and hence some deny that there is any sin at all affirming that the Devils never sinned nor can sin KKKKKK others tell us that none are cast in hell for sin but for Gods meer pleasure LLLLLL Fourthly that the spirits which we call good and evill angels There is no such spirits as angels devils or soules are nothing but the good and evill motions of the minde of man MMMMMM Fifthly Nothing remains for ever but God that nothing is everlasting but the life and essence of God which now is in all creatures that no created thing whatsoever does continue for ever NNNNNN Sixtly that the Scriptures are a confused allegory a meer shadow Scripture is but a false shadow and no ground of faith a false History and ought not to be the foundation of any mans faith more then other Books or then the Apocrypha OOOOOO Seventhly they deny the comming dying resurrection ascension intercession and returne of our Lord Jesus Christ They deny both the first second coming of Christ they avow that there shall be no resurrection and last judgement for the world PPPPPP Eighthly they make all ordinances to be but meat for babes They cast away all ordinances and that men ought to live above them without the use thereof QQQQQQ Ninthly they teach that the highest degree of perfection both of grace and glory is attained in this life RRRRRR These and many more such blasphemous and horrible Heresies are entertained as fine The certaine truth of these imputations excellent rare profound mysterious truths by these Anabaptists who are admitted to the highest classe of the Family of Love if we may trust M. Bourn who professeth his certain knowledge thereof not onely from their Books but from their preachings conferences disputations at which often he was present SSSSSS By all the former discourse I conceive it is apparent that as evill and wicked a Devill does rage in the way of Anabaptism this day in England as of old in Germany or in any other Heresie of any time in any place which I wish were well considered as a ground of fear and trembling by many a simple soul who is carried down headlong towards these errours proceeding from one degree to another without any certainty where their unconstant motions may have any period I observe but one thing more wherein the English Anabaptists seem much worse then the Dutch The English Anabaptists are generally more erroneous then the Dutch however the Dutch have been much divided and exceedingly erroneous yet every Sect among them have had some zeal for that which they apprehended to be truth and some care to save their company from all which they esteemed errour and this without respect of persons who ever of their number did fall into any thing which they conceived hereticall had he been their Father brother or dearest companion they did cast him out of their Society and reputed him thereafter as a person excommunicate Amongst the English Sectaries there is no zeal at all against any errour The carriage of the Mennonists towards the Georgians and of the Georgians towards them and of every one of their Sects towards their dissenting Brethren is known But among the English Sectaries there appears no zeal at all for any thing they call truth a man now among them may run through the whole circle of errours from Independency to Antipaedobaptism from hence to Arminianism from this to Antinomianism thereafter to the Seekers thence to the Antitrinitarians the Antiscripturists the Familists the Atheists or whither he will and no Church censure at all be executed against him nor any of his fellows abstain from his company as an excommunicate Heretick but if he make a profession of piety notwithstanding of all his opinions he shall be entertained as a Saint and the generality of the Sectaries shall be very unwilling to have him in the least measure troubled by any censure either of Church or State TTTTTT I do not so much wonder at this more then ordinary want of zeal against any errour in Sectaries whom God has strucken with this among other spirituall plagues for their apostasie from his truth whereof themselves sometime have made a fair profession but it is oft to me a matter both of marvell and grief to behold the very sons of truth who in their hearts are opposite to every errour to be so languid and faint now for so long a time in promoting any reall course for the restraint of that deluge of all manner of hereticall and blasphemous errours which with their eyes they see overflowing the Land much more then any place of Christendome in any by-gone time I doubt not but divers make it a good part of their work both with God and man to have
Treatises that very justly those grave Divines did passe them by with contempt how vain and unworthy all that they bring is any intelligent person may easily consider Their first argument is this Onely such as John and the Apostles ministred Baptism to ought to be baptized But John and the Apostles administred Baptism only to beleevers and not to their infants Ergo onely beleevers and not their infants are to be baptized Answ Both major and minor are denied the major because it makes examples of Scripture the full rule of Baptism contrary not only to truth but to the Anabaptists own principles and the Disputants own arguments following who are content to make up the Scripturall rule of Baptism not only of examples but also of commands and of other Scripturall warrants no man ever in any ordinance of God did tie alone to Scripturall examples that is but a partiall rule either of faith or practice The minor likewise is denied for the Apostles baptizing of whole house-holds is an example of baptizing of all within the house young and old male and female without the exception of infants The second Argument The second makes one and the same man to differ from himselfe essentially Infant Baptism differeth essentially from the Baptism taught by Christ and his Apostles The essentiall difference is put in the subject and form of Baptism We baptize infants Christ taught these to be baptized who do actually beleeve and repent We baptize by sprinkling Christ taught to baptize by dipping Answer The bringing in in a dispute before simple people the School term of essentiall difference serves more to clogge and darken then to clear the understanding of the hearers however we deny both the parts of the proof Sprinkling and Dipping are two forms of Baptism differing not essentially but accidentally circumstantially or modally so to speak and till of very late the Anabaptists themselves did not speak otherwise but because now our adversaries are come to make sprinkling alone a sufficient ground of nullifying our Baptism we shall consider that whole matter in a Chapter by it self For the other part of the proof the essential difference of the subjects we deny it upon two grounds first let the difference betwixt infants and their beleeving Parents be as great as it may yet it is nothing to us who affirm that these very places which expresse the Baptism of beleevers do not inferre the exclusion of infants but as we proved from the same and other places do clearly inferre their Baptism Secondly these new Disputants do not well to force upon us a new Logick especially when in their very next argument they banish out of this dispute all the Logick men have hitherto been acquaint with whether naturall or artificiall Do infants and their Parents differ essentially is the difference betwixt any men how repugnant soever in qualities and other accidents any more then numericall who did ever dream that an infant unbaptized did differ from himself when thereafter he did beleeve and was baptized essentially I hope our Disputants intend not to multiply the same individuall person to more differing essentially one from the other or rather one from it self this were more then ever came in the minde of the Poet when he doubled the persons of Amphitruo and Sosia or of the Papists when they multiply the same body in divers places The third ties God in the revelation of his will to precepts and examples alone The third Argument is this That religious worship for which there is no command nor example in Scripture is unlawfull But the Baptism of infants is a religious worship c. Ergo. Ans This is the same in effect with their two former arguments but that the first takes onely one part thereof examples recorded in Scripture and the second clogges it with the needlesse term of essentiall difference In this third shape it is prosecuted with a great deal of high language as if their adversaries could not have answered it while as indeed it is nothing but the old cavill of all the Anabaptists which has been answered so often as any have ever had to do with any of that generation and what here is brought to relieve it is so absurd that few of the Anabaptists themselves will own it But to the argument it self Both its propositions are false the major for this reason The Lords revealed will in his word is a sufficient warrant for our practise now the Lord reveals his will not only by commands and examples but also by promises threatnings instructions and other such ways of speaking In this the former argument came nearer the truth for it spoke of the doctrine of Baptism but did not limit that doctrine to commands and examples alone Again the minor is false for all these Scripturall commands and examples of Baptism which warrantably are applied to the Baptism of infants are so many commands and examples written in Scripture for infant Baptism and of those in our arguments for the affirmative we brought many Apply this your great and Achillean reason to another subject and its vanity will quickly appear That religious worship for the which there is no command nor example in Scripture is unlawfull But womens participation of the Lords Supper the Baptism of Kings of Merchants of M. Cox or any person in his Congregation is such For where have they either a command or example for the baptizing of any of these particulars if they exclude as here they do all kinde of consequences and deductions from Scriptures The question is not It everts the principles of all reasoning and turns men into stones If that which by necessary consequence is deduced from Scripture be Scripture that is but a needlesse Logomachy but if it be a reall truth which we ought to beleeve and according to which we may lawfully practise However some old Anabaptists over Sea did decline so farre as they might consequences from Scripture yet of our late Anabaptists in England I have heard of none before those Disputants that have ever called true Scripturall consequences into question and if these men should stand to this plea they would quickly involve themselves into worse errours then yet they have thought of No Scripture can be made use of or applied for instruction reproof comfort or any other service to any singular person but by consequence and according to the rule of reason Dictum de omni nullo destroy the principle of reasoning you turn anon men into beasts into timber and stone The foolish Jesuite Veron who was the chief authour of this extravagancy was quickly cried downe in this madnesse by his own companions The consequences that here are multiplied about Episcopacy the Service-book the Ceremonies c. are for no purpose for the world knows that no good consequence from any Scripture could ever be brought for any such corruptions And for that which here as also in the Preface is so much desired
ears in Baptisme Matth. 3.13.16 Then commeth Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto Iohn to be baptized of him and Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water Iohn 3.23 And Iohn also was baptizing in Enon because there was much water there Act. 8.38 39. And he commanded the Chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him and when they were come up out of the water c. Ans First suppose that in all these places dipping had been used it follows not that it was so universally we have proved that divers Scripturall baptismes were by sprinkling and not by dipping Secondly although dipping had been universall in the Primitive times yet thâ—s practise would not inferre any necessity of its continuance unlesse two things were made good first that practice and example alone is a sufficient ground for the institution of a Sacramentall rite again that every circumstance of a Sacrament generally practised in Scripturall times must be of an unchangeable and unvariable nature and so necessary that without sin it may not in any case be altered Thirdly none of the places alledged doe look towards the dipping of a naked person over head and ears which is the main question Fourthly there is no word expresly in any of the places of dipping and if they will admit us to dispute by consequences see if from any of those places there be a necessary inference of any dipping the multitude of waters in the third of John John 3.23 infers not the plunging of all who were baptized in them but onely the conveniency of baptizing a multitude rather in a place of many waters then in a desert void of water such as many places in Canaan were In the days of the Patriarchs the finding of a fountain in these bounds was a rare and singular benefit however we deny that the conveniency of much water for the baptizing of a multitude of people does import a necessity of dipping any who are baptized therein The other place of Act. 8.38 39. imports Philip and the Eunuchs going down from the coach towards the water and their ascending again into the coach from the lower place where the water was but doth either this descending or ascending infer Philips stripping of the Eunuch and dipping him over head and ears in that water The third place is not so important for it speaks nothing of Christs going down into the water and what it says of his comming up may well be expounded of the low situation of the river beneath the field where John did preach readily they have stood on the brink or within the river when they were sprinkled and had the water of the river poured upon them but that in the midst of that multitude Christ did discover himself and that John so oft as he baptized any did cause to strip both himself and them and went so naked with them into the river taking them in his arms and plunging them therein is a matter of so great unlikelihood that without Scripture or greater reason then yet appears it may not be admitted The third objection Immersion is necessarily to be practised because it signifies our buriall with Christ The third objection That Baptisme is a sign of the buriall of Christ has no reference at all to Immersion according to Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore wee are buried with him by Baptisme unto death also Col. 2.12 Buried with him in Baptisme wherein also you are risen with him Ans First it is a presumption in any man to put a divine institution upon any rite which in its own nature is onely indifferent But it is a presumption in the highest degree to affixe a signification to any such rite we grant Baptisme for its signification has the death of Christ and all the fruits thereof also that it seals to us our fellowship not onely in Christs death but in his buriall his resurrection his ascension his sitting at the right hand of God but what divers Scriptures and particularly the places in hand do ascribe to Baptisme we have no warrant to apply it unto immersion Secondly if men would goe to make analogicall significations according to their own pleasure we might say that sprinkling did put water upon the head and so the whole person under the water and by this were a sign of buriall as well as immersion It makes nothing against this that by sprinkling a little quantity of water is applyed onely to the head and much water by dipping is applyed to the whole body for in Sacraments the quantity of the element the shortnesse of the outward action is not attended The tasting of a little bread and a little wine does signifie to us our full communion with the whole body and the whole blood of Christ as well as the largest banquet of wine and all delicates could do The cutting off a very little from one part of the body only did signifie the Circumcision and cutting off of the whole body of corruption as wel as if much skin much flesh had been cutted off from every member even so the sprinkling of a little water may signifie and seal up unto us our participation in Christs life death buriall resurrection and every thing else of his wherein we have interest as well as a totall immersion in the whole Ocean for so long a time as Jonah lay under the billows of the great deep Thirdly this argument draws us to two great inconveniences The danger of dipping First a necessity as we would not abolish a Sacramentall and significant rite to keep every baptized person so long a time wholly under the water as may sensibly expresse Christs buriall under the ground now to be put for so long a time wholly under the water by the hand of a weak Minister though never so carefull to preserve cannot but bring an evident hazard of life or health to many Secondly consider if it bring not in the institution of a new Sacrament whereof none that yet I have heard of have spoken the Sacrament of emersion The new Sacrament of Emersion at least the addition of this as a new large half unto the old Sacrament of Baptisme or Immersion this their new rite of emersion does signifie and seal up to us as they say our resurrection with Christ this can be no part of baptisme or immersion nor rationally be comprehended under it though always it were conjoyned and did follow at its back for emersion and immersion are contraries and one contrary is not a part nor cannot goe under the name of the other except you will make bitter sweet and darknesse light Unto those Arguments of the Disputants the Treatiser adds nothing considerable in all his long Discourse except some testimonies partly from Protestant but most from Popish
New Testament p. 34 They deny angels and devils and souls They deny heaven and hell and eternall life They cast away all the Ordinances of God p. 35 David George to them was spirituall Christ much more excellent then Christ crucified Many people were ready to seal with their bloud all these abominations The monster David George did live and die in plenty and peace The best of the Anabaptists have very grosse errors The Mennonists deny originall sinne p. 36 In the points of election redemption grace free-will perseverance justification perfection they are grosser then the Arminians or Iesuites They are yet more absurd They deny the omnipresence of God They deny the Trinity And the truth of Christs humanity p. 37 They refuse all consequences from Scripture They refuse reasoning from the Old Testament The covenant with Abraham they make carnall They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace CAP. III. The modern tenets of the Anabaptists in England THe spirit of Anabaptisme clearly devillish p. 47 The fair profession of many English Anabaptists not to bee trusted What errours may be charged upon all what onely upon some of them p. 48 The confession of the seven Churches is a very imperfect and ambiguous declaration of their judgement Let no errour be charged upon any man which he truly disclaims A brief sum of all the Anabaptists errors Every Anabaptist is at least a rigid Separatist p. 49 Though the Independents offer to collude with the Anabaptists yet they separate from the Independents no lesse then from the Brownists as antichristian p. 50 They avow all their members to be holy and elect and some of them are for their perfection p. 51 After they have separate from all other Churches they run next away from their own selves They charge one another with Antichristianisme They are Independents They put all Church power in the hand of the people They give the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments to any of their gifted members out of all office p. 52 Even unto women They must not preach in a Steeple-house p. 53 All Tithes and all set Stipends are unlawfull their Preachers must work with theit own hands and may not goe in blacke cloathes They celebrate the Lords Supper in any common Innes after another feast All the new light of the Independents and Brownists is borrowed from the Anabaptists The anointing of the sick with oyle the rejecting of the Lords Prayer of all set Psalms of Vniversities and humane learning are the Anabaptists inventions The Independent Apologists are for liberty to most of the Sects 54 And some of their prime friends are for a generall liberty to all 55 The Anabaptists deny all power to Magistrates in any thing which concerns Religion Turkisme Popery Atheisme the greatest blasphemies they would not have punished with so much as a discountenance They presse a liberty for preaching and propagating openly all errours imaginable Yet they grant that errour is a soul-murder and a greater crime then the destruction of a King of a Parliament of a whole Nation p. 56 They hate the Covenant They are injurious to the Scots p. 57 All punishing of errour with them is persecution They presse liberty of conscience much out of policy p. 58 The granting of all this liberty will not assure the Magistrates of the Sectaries civill obedience p. 59 The tenets and practise of the Sectaries destroy Magistracy They professe their design to overturn from the ground the government of our State as now it stands Kings and Lords are no more tolerable Neither is the House of Lords any longer to be endured p. 60 The poorest begger in the land has a share of the Soveraignty above the King and Parliament All former Laws and Acts of Parliament must be abolished p. 61 The will of the multitude must stand for the Soveraign Law hereafter p. 62 The three fundamentall Laws of our new Vtopian Republick p. 63 According to reason and experience the present distemper of the Sectaries is posting on fast to a Dictatorship and absolute Tyranny in the hand of one The State in danger by the Sectaries principles p. 64 The greatest purchase which the overturners of States usually make is a late repentance p. 65 CAP. IV. Their Antipaedobaptisme Arminianisme Arrianisme Familisme and other wicked errours ALL Anabaptists are for Antipaedobaptisme They avow the nullity of our Baptisme p. 89 They presse on us a re-baptization They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace and make Circumcision a seal onely of carnall promises Many of them deny originall sin and assert all the articles of Arminius p. 90 They separate from all who renounce not Paedobaptisme Yet they admit into their Churches many much worse then these from whom they separate p. 91 Sprinkling to them nullifies Baptisme M. Tombes new way He is a rigid Antipaedobaptist yet not against sprinkling He spoils all infants of all interest in the covenant of grace p. 92 He is a friend to the worst Anabaptists and injurious to all who oppose them He makes Baptisme a rite needlesse either to young or old He admits of a frequent re-baptization He admits unbaptized persons to the Lords Table He is a grosse Erastian The most of the Anabaptists are Arminians p. 93 The second Edition of their confession is not so free of Arminianism as the first The chief Churches of the Anabaptists are grosse Arminians p. 94 Many of them are Antinomians laying aside all care of morall duties Making all grief for sin unlawfull p. 95 Denying Christs satisfaction and reconciliation of God to men The best of them are inclineable to Libertinisme The Antinomian controversies are not as the prime Independents doe make them onely about words and methods of preaching p. 96 Many of the Anabaptists are become Seekers denying all Churches all Officers all Ordinances Many of the Anabaptists are become Antitrinitarians p. 97 Richardson one of their prime leaders a blasphemer of the Trinity p. 98 Divers of them are abominable bl sphemers of Christs Person Others of them are become perfect Atheists They evert and reject the whole Scripture p. 99 Many of them are turned Familists denying the immortality of the soul Denying Heaven and Hell Angels and Devils Some of them make the world eternall others all creatures to perish p. 100 Some deny all resurrection others make the beasts rise to glory They teach abominable obscenities They follow David George in his greatest absurdities The divine light of their new Prophet The fall of Adam and the clearest Scriptures are but allegories The whole Divinity suffered in the Person of Christs humanity p. 101 The great light which this Prophet brings from heaven is that all the Devils and all the Reprobates shall be saved by his Gospel Randall his grosse Familisme p. 102 No resurrection no heaven no hell after this life The Saints in this life become as perfect as God The clearest Scriptures are false in a literall sense That God is