Answer is ready 1. It appeareth clearly these persons the Text speaketh of were baptised persons Acts 10.47 48. 2. The Communion Peter had with them was after their Baptisme for presently upon the testimony of their faith by Gods giving them the gift of the holy Ghost Peter commanded them to be baptised in the Name of the Lord which was the manner of Peter and the rest in the course of their ministry Now if Mr. Goodwin could prove Peter broke bread with them between the time of their faith and Baptisme which is the matter Mr. Goodwin would prove lawfull by it then it were something to favour his cause but not home to the point neither because an occasional act with some few persons will not justifie the constant proceedings of a Church But why doth Mr. Goodwin think that this instance will prove mixt communion lawful Because Peter in his justification when questioned for eating with Cornelius insisted onely upon Cornelius his having the holy Ghost not his Baptisme To which I answer 1. The Scriptures silence doth not prove that he did not mention his Baptisme and insist on it too because the Scriptures doth not contain all the Apostles sayings Acts 2.40 With many other words did he testifie and exhort saying So John the Baptist Luke 3.18 with many other words 2. There was no necessity upon Peter for the justification of his eating with Cornelius to mention his Baptisme by name though he could not have communion with him without it because in those dayes a beleiving person and a baptised person was presumed the same Paul proveth they all beleived because they were baptised Gal. 3.27 And that 1. Because by the Commission of Christ all Beleivers were presently to be baptised Math. 28.19 And 2. Because none but such was the regular subjects of it Acts. 8.37 And 3. Because it was the constant practise of the Servants of God to call the Beleivers to Baptisme without delay Acts 22.16 So that the Apostles and Brethren understood him sufficiently as to their Baptisme by telling them of their having the holy Ghost as a testimony of their faith If they did not take that for granted it must be either because they doubted his understanding of the Commission of Christ or else his faithfulness in executing it or else their will to be baptised but there was no cause to doubt either nor Peters understanding the Commission or faithfulness in executing it because they had experience before of Peter in the case of the three thousand Acts 2.41 who the same day that they gladly received the word were baptised not their willingness Acts 10.33 because Cornelius was so ready to obey God in every thing that he had but a few fellows so that the mentioning of his Baptisme would have been like a kind of an impertinency 3. There was no necessity upon him to mention their Baptisme by name in his justification of eating with them though he could not have communion with them without it Because it is common both in Scripture language and common converse with men to include all appurtenances in the mention onely of some cheif part see for this John 5.44 Galat. 3.23 Galat. 3.2 Roman 10.8 Mat. 21.25 Acts 10.37 Johns Baptisme put for his whole Ministry Luke 7.30 Calvin calleth Baptisme an appâ—rtenance of faith p. 207. of his Commentary of the Acts. And no doubt this language was well enough known and understoood by the Apostles and Elders so that having mentioned the holy Ghosts coming on them as a testimony of their faith what need had he to draw it out in words at length that they were baptised and thus thou seest good Reader how Mr. Goodwin indulgeth every light appearance from the Scripture being passionately desirous to make that strait which God hath made crooked Your twenty one Consideration for substance this THat Pastors and Teachers were given by Christ that all Saints one or other should be perfected by them and the whole body of Christ edified then certainly they have all right to Church-fellowship inasmuch as they have their callings onely by and resident in Churches neither are they in any probable way of perfecting them but onely when and whilst they are incorporated with them in their Churches respectively Eph. 4.8 11 12. To which I answer 1. It s true that Pastors and Teachers were given by Christ that all Saints should be perfected by them but it is as evident the Saints this Text speaketh of for whom they were given in speciall to serve as Officers in the Church and who had power to give them their call they were such Saints as were of the visible body of Christ who as they had other characteristical marks of the members of that body namely to have one God one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith so one BAPTISME consult the 4. and 5. verses of this 4. of Ephesians which Text Mr. Goodwin groundeth his Argument upon and you will find it so and although other persons that were discipled by the word taught but yet had not put on Christ visibly by baptisme into his Name The gifts of Pastors and Teachers were given for the perfecting of them too yet but secondarily not primarily those gifts primarily respect the body of Christ so marked as before is noted 't is plain in the 12. verse For the edifying of the BODY of Christ That unbaptised persons were not then reputed of the visible body of Christ I have proved at large already and although they might be Saints before Baptisme in the sight of God yet in the account of the Church none passe for Saints till then because their faith it self in Christ which maketh Saints could not be clear to the Church till then and that because Baptisme being one of the beginning doctrines of Christ Heb. 6.2 Acts 2.38 Mar. 16 16. and preached by the Apostles as a duty with repentance and faith and that in order to remission of sins and salvation in some sense or other should any man have stuck at it and refused Baptisme what ground would the Church have had to look upon the faith of such as sound nay had they not all the reason in the world to doubt the soundness of it because the character of a true lively saith would be found wanting namely universal obedience and they rejecters of the counsel of God Nothing in reason could appear as a ground to refuse it but the danger of the crosse following it I conclude then that though the truth of their faith made them Saints before God yet without publick profession of their faith by Baptisme they were not owned for Saints by the Church or any such persons whose faith was of the right kind let their professions otherwise be that they would be This is clearly the doctrine of the 3. Galat. 27. Ye are all the children of God by faith FOR mark as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ he proveth their
TRUTH prevailing against the fiercest Opposition OR An Answer to Mr. Iohn Goodwins Water-dipping no firm footing for Church Communion Wherein the invalidity of his twenty three Considerations against withdrawing from those Societies that want Baptisme by the bodies burial in water is manifested and the separation from such Societies justified by the Word of God Together with the discovery of his great mistakes in the exposition of eight cheif Scriptures wherewith he fighteth to overthrow Mr. Allens Answer to his forty Queries about Church Communion By THOMAS LAMBE Merchant once belonging to the Congregation whereof Mr. JOHN GOODWIN is Pastor now a Servant to the Church of CHRIST meeting in Loathbury It was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the Faith which was ONCE delivered to the Saints Jude the third As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord SO walk ye in him rooted and built up in him Col. 2.8 Beware 〈◊〉 any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men and NOT AFTER CHRIST Col. 2.8 I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after my own heart which shall fulfil ALL my will Acts 13.22 Hebron therefore became the Inheritance of Caleb because he WHOLLY followed the Lord God of Israel Josh 14.14 London Printed by G. Dawson and are to be sold by Francis Smith at his Shop in Flying-horse-Court in Fleet-street near Chancery-lane end 1655. TO THE READER GOOD READER GOD knoweth with what regret of spirit I publish this answer to Mr. Goodwins Book called Water-dipping no firm footing for Church Communion as pure conscience at first separated me from that Society of whom he is Pastor so now compelleth me to make answer to that Book written for our reproof not onely to defend the truth therein opposed but also to vindicate my self with some others from the heavy charge therein given to the whole world against us of Faith and Trust betrayers Promise breakers sacrilegious Church breakers c. 2. To make the world Judges whether we are as Mr. Goodwin representeth us persons of a misused and â—â—stempered fancy of stupified judgements to whose understanding common sense is a mystery inaccessible with abundance more to the same purpose 3. To let the world see that our Baptism hath not metamorphosed us from Lambs to Wolves Tygers or Serpents which strange insinuations uttered in his hast we hope confute themselves in the eyes of all rational unprejudiced men that know us but since books for the most part live longer than men I thought it my duty to make our Vindication as publick as Mr. Goodwins Aspersion except he had prevented us and truly not for our own name sake but for Christs sake whose cause we plead and least the blessed truth of the New Testament sealed in Christs heart bloud should suffer by our total silence Had not the truth been dearer to me than any man I had rather chose to loose my right hand than set it to a book that frowneth on him whose credit alwayes was and still is right dear and pretious in my sight so unhappy a thing it is for good men to be yoked with error in the things of Christ that it maketh the most intimate friends by opposition look like bitter adversaries for the truth sake Thus did Paul in respect of Peter 2 Cal. 11. when before the whole Church of Antioch he withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed he who spotteth the beautiful face of truth though ignorantly must expect a stain in his own credit and be content to suffer so much as to make the truth whole And he that contendeth FOR the truth must be like to Levi Deut. 33.9 Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowlegde his brethren nor knew his own children that he might observe Gods Word and keep his Covenant To acknowledge the good received from Instruments agreeth both to grace and nature but to baulk pleading the truth because thereof argueth a distemper in the affections The same person deserving at the same time both thanks and reproofs to return the one is a point of gratitude to administer the other in love and in the majesty of Gods Word a point of faithfulness And if in this contest thou findest any passages on my part savouring of too much sharpness though in answer to Mr. Goodwins highest provocations look upon me as disowning them and mind onely the reason of the place Christs counsel is not to resist evil Math. 5 39. But whoso shall smite me on the right cheek to turn the other to him But besides it becometh me to bear much evill from that hand by which I have received so much good And so I commend thee to the serious consideration of the ensuing discourse praying with all my soul the Father of lights to vouchsafe thee the spirit of discerning that what therein is of God may be obvious to thy understanding and readily embraced by thy will and what is not of God if yet there be any thing may utterly perish from thy soul this is the prayer of Thy faithful Friend to serve thee to my power THO LAMBE To my Worthy Friends and Brethren of like pretious faith walking with Mr. Iohn Goodwin in the right Faith though not in the right order of the GOSPEL Holy and Beloved I Have been long your debtor it is fit I should now pay you your own with interest which here I present you by answering the substance of Mr. Goodwins Water-dipping no firm footing for Church Communion which if you will in the fear of God and without prejudice consider I make little question but the riddle of my departure from you whose Society I prized not a little will be unfolded That strange action of our Saviours so contrary to his natural genius mentioned John 2.15 mightily affected the Disciples and made them to cast about to find a ground for it perhaps it may be so with some of you in respect of me because of my suddain breaking off from your Society wherein you know I took much delight I can say more than in Corn Wine and Oil and where I had no want but a surplusage of respects above what I was able to merit at your hand In a word where my content was so great that it made departing from you more grievous to me than death it self would have been And how contrary it is to my Spirit to make trouble or cause breaches I need not tell you I take it for granted that it is upon all your hearts how much I abhorre it So that I conclude it cannot lightly but be a matter of some wonder to you that I should thus break off from you as well as Christs strange action in the Temple was to the Disciples Now whilst they were casting about to find a ground for this astonishing action of our Saviour and searching in the right
him above that which is meet to let you see that Mr. Goodwin is but a man and subject to like mistakes that others are and therefore his present superabounding confidence though it rise to that height as to think all others little better than mad that is not of his opinion is no demonstration that he is in the truth t is so far from that that if a man may judge what is like now to be by what hath been now is the time that Anabaptisme should arise life up it self and be exalted in Mr. Goodwins judgement because heretofore in other cases not long after such high expressions of confidence he gave up the bucklers and the truth took possession of his heart which it never could get before I cannot therefore be out of all hope that Mr. Goodwin may one day fall down at the foot of that truth which he now trampleth on without mercy And though our Arguments seem weak and frothy to him for the present and the fruit of a distempered fancy it doth not follow that they are so but this onely that Mr. Goodwin is fully perswaded in his own mind which he is wont to be as well when he is out of the truth as well as in it The scope hereof is threefold 1 To shew that though you are not now of our mind it doth not follow you never will be 2. To prevent rash and hasty judging 3. To admonish you against having not onely Mr. Goodwins but any mans person in admiration The snare of admiring men is great both to the admirers and admired To the admirers 1. It maketh them swallow what the admired say without due chewing and so their faith will stand more in the wisdom and judgement of such men who they deifie than in the power of God 2. It issueth an under esteem of and scornful slighting of others 1 Cor. 1.12 compared with 1 Cor 4.6 who yet are worthy instruments in the Lords work this was the case of many in the Church of Corinth To the admired the snare is great upon them also even to puffe them up and make them swell against their brethren and so also to procure the displeasure of God against them Acts 12.22 Oh what care therefore doth Paul take to keep both the World and the Church from undue attributions to him Acts 14.11 upon his cure of the Creeple The people lift up their voices saying The GODS are come down in the likeness of men and much ado they had to keep the people from sacrificing to them which made the Apostles Barnabas and Paul rend their clothes run in among the people crying out and saying Sirs why do ye thâ—se things we are men of like passions with you much after this manner is it with persons that God useth in converting and edefying soules Gal. 4.15 especially when also found able in the warrs of Christ for truth so that if such men do not run in upon the people and disown all undue reverence they will have much ado to keep within the bounds of those respects due to Instruments They will be more apt to say what such a man saith than what Christ saith or Paul or Peter or James or John saith nay in a manner to beleive what such a man beleiveth in every thing Now indeed we read of eminent persons great benefactors and that withall have served in warrs to conquest the people have made them judges in civils But this is too much to give to any mortal man in spirituals There the Command is express Math. 23.9 10. Call no man Master or Father not in the besotted Quakers sense by denying such titles to men but Christs sense which is by accepting men for lords over our faith which Paul disowneth as to himself in respect of the Churches in the 2 Corinth 1.24 Nor for that we have DOMINION over YOVR FAITH and that which Paul took such great to prevent in the Churches 1 Corinth 2.5 That their faith should not stand in his wisdom though he doth own being their Father 1 Cer. 4.15 in a sense and Master too 2 Thes 3.12 14. in subordination to Christ But I fear I shall be too tedious in my Epistle my heart being greatly enlarged towards you I have much ado to stop the progress of my pen but least my Epistle prove to o bulky I shall here break off though abruptly assuring you that it s not the want of love to you but the conscience of duty to Christ who loved me and gave himself for me that separateth between you and me As for your hard thoughts and speeches concerning my departure as on the one hand I am provided against the dint of them by the conscience of my own perfect innocency and integrity in that matter and who is he that can make my glorying void On the other hand my prayer is they may never work to disaffect me to you but to the doubling of my requests to God to enlighten your judgements in the truth and so make way for our meeting again never to part more Yours unfeignedly in the right way of the Gospel to serve you faithfully according to my measure in the things of Jesus Christ THO LAMBE ERRATA PAge 14. line 12. leave out the word not p. 33. line 10. readâ— my for which p. 33. line 20. read or for besides p. 39. l. 2. before p. 135. adde yet p. 39. line 7. for Psalme read Isaiah p. 40 line 30. and 32. for duly read duty p. 41. line 31. leave out the words hard to find p. 50. line 21. for imploy read imply p. 64. line 18. beginning of the line add the word But. p. 113. line 11. read Ordinance for Ordinances p. 113. line 24. read institution for instituting An Answer to Mr. Iohn Goodwins Considerations against forsaking the embodied Societies of Beleivers Notwithstanding the want of true Baptisme His first Consideration for substance this THat the Morall Law hath a superintendency over the Law of Institutions so that whilst the positive Law of Christ cannot be practised without breaking the Morrall Law In such case the Law of Institutions must give place which he proveth by many Scriptures This Doctrine is true but ill applied as to us in our case because our separating is no breach of any part of the Morral Law Mr. Goodwin indeed supposeth it is and that by so doing we are guilty of promise breaking covenant breaking c. To which I answer That we â—â—â—â—ised to walk together with Mr. Goodwin and that Society in the worship of God according to the light given we deny not But that our withdrawing from that Society is any sinful breach of promise or Covenant that we utterly deny yea so farre from any such thing that it is indeed and in truth the performance of a most solemn Vow and Covenant which Mr. Goodwin At the time of the Nations cutring into the solemn League and Covenant with my self and divers of the Church entred
than your separating from the Parish Churches is not our ground the very self same which yours then was And what can you say to Mr. Baxster who chargeth you with Schisme for with-drawing from the Nationall Church P. 193. Of his Scripture proof which we cannot answer you with He calleth you Church-Renter as you do us and an undone person amongst others upon that account that are as pillars of Salt in his eye And is it not strange that Mr. Goodwin should be so busie with the word Schisme schismatick and schismatical as to use them eight times in 30. lines against his freinds for doing that which himself hath given them an example in upon the same ground But 3. and lastly As the fatall Apostasie from the pure Ordinances of Christ and the example of the Primitive Churches in worship was graduall so hath the recovery of primitive purity been now a little and then a little as it hath pleased God to communicate light to his upright ones that he hath used in the reformation but it hath been won as it were by inches and still been made costly to the Names at least of the Instruments they all bear this burthen which now Mr. Goodwin chargeth us with of schisme The Pope crieth Schisme and Heresie after the Church of England for renouncing communion with the Church of Rome The Pishops cry Schisme after some of the Pres byterians The Presbyterians cry Schisme after Mr. Goodwin and all Separatists from the National Church which withdrawings have been so many steps towards primitive purity Now Mr. Goodwin crieth Schisme pretty liberally too after us who have gone a few steps farther in the same path which as yet his heart serveth him not to proceed in that we may reach the things we have heard from the beginning Which Rule Calvin confesseth the Church took liberty to depart from 1 John 2.24 That we may stand compleat in ALL the will of God Colos 4.12 And walk in ALL the Ordinances and Commandments of God blameless as Zachary and Elizabeth did Luke 1.6 And keep the Ordinances as they were delivered to the Churches of old by the Apostles from Christ which was matter of praise to the Church of Corinth as long as they so kept them 1 Cor. 11.2 Which that we may doe we find the same cause to renounce the National Baptisme which Mr. Goodwin hath done to renounce the National Church which is the very basis and foundation of it and that without which it is not easie to conceive how it could come to passe at first or how it should stand long Well Sir it s not long ere your work and ours will be tried you have judged early but our comfort is that this is but mans day Christ is not farre off whose cause we plead 1 Cor. 4.3 and then not he that commendeth himself is approved but he whom God commendeth then shall every man have praise of God Come Lord Jesus come quickly 1 Cor 4.5 Your ninth Consideration is THat it is but a carnal Ceremony and so acknowledged by Mr. Lawrence now Lord President whom you stile one of the gravest Authors of the Antipaedâ— baptisticall faith But Sir though Mr Lawrence hath stiled Baptisme a carnal Ceremony I pray Sir where hath the holy Spirit called any of the Ordinances of the New Testament carnal Ordinances 'T is true the Ordinances of Moses are called carnal Ordinances by the holy Spirit Hebr 9.10 which lasted untill the time of reformation saith the Text or Christs time wherein the Church hath new Ordinances given by Christ himself whereof Baptisme is one and given by Christ as a Reformer of what was carnal therefore to call Christs Ordinances carnal I humbly conceive agreeth not to the form of wholsome words and the rather because beginning with the Gospel as the Galatians did who beleived it and put on Christ in Baptisme they are said to begin in the Spirit Galat. 3.3 unto which the carnal Ordinances of the Law are opposed under the word flesh Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh But 2. When Mr. Lawrence calleth it a carnal Ceremony it is onely in regard of the outward act which respecteth the flesh or outward man abstract from the spiritual design of Christ in it but otherwise in his judgement as well as ours an Ordinance very spiritual and full of the wisdome and Spirit of God for proof of this I referre the Reader to his book of Baptisme but especially to his Discourse from p. 101. to 113. 3. And lastly That the want of it rendreth beleivers unfit for any spiritual communion I am farre from thinking so but that it rendreth them unfit for that full communion which a Church of Christ in the right order of the Gospel enjoyeth that I do beleive and have given a full account of it already in answer to your third Consideration And as for making work for a second Crucifixion of Christ I suppose Sir that which made it at first is most like to doe it the second time and that was sin and disobedience not righteousness and full walking with Christ according to the rules received of him Your tenth Consideration for substance this IGnorance in some things concerning the mystery of Christ found either in a Church or particular persons hindreth not their lawful communion in a Church way for then there would be none fit because the best know but in part therefore not to be looked for that they should be practised in full If by the word Church be meant an orderly joyn'd Church made of fit matter according to the Command of Christ 't is most true that you say that Ignorance in many things will not render their communion unlawfull and your reason good and sound But this will not prove that baptised Disciples may lawfully sit down in Church bodies with unbaptised because such conjunctions are disoderly as I have proved at large and consequently sinful and so not to be indulged but corrected and set strait according to the Rule But why doth Mr. Goodwin tell us so often of judging our brethren unclean for communion Is it we that judge you Col. 2.6 or is it not rather the Rule of the Lord Jesus All Christians are commanded to walk after Christ and that in matter of Ordinances as well as faith and if so doing judge you it is not we that judge you but Christ T is true in a sense we judge you Heb. 11.7 as Noah by obedience judged the old world but it is our grief that there is occasion for it But have we judged you any otherwise than you have judged the godly Presbyterians of Coleman-street if we be sinners herein you cannot be righteous except the same action may be grace and holiness in one man which is sin and unworthiness in another and that too when done under much the like circumstances Therefore thou art inexcusable oh man who ever