The Character of the Beast, Debate 2 · Richard Clifton 21
Mr. Rich. Clifton.
The third reaſon.
Bicauſe as the falſe Church is rejected & the true erected, the falſe miniſtery forſaken, & the true received: ſo falſe worship (& by conſequence baptiſme) muſt be renounced, & the true baptiſme aſſumed.
Anſwere.
Firſt. I graunt, that we ought to Seperate from al falſe or apoſtate Chur. Apo. 18.4 & to adjoyne our ſelves to a true Chu. reformed according to the paterne of the Apoſtles, 2. alſo every falſe miniſtery is to be forſaken, Mat. 7.15.2 Io. 10. gal. 1.8. & the true miniſters of God to be received, Ier. 3.14.15. So did the faithful in Iſrael forſake the falſe Preiſts ſet vp by Ieroboā, & returned to the Preiſts of the L to Ieruſalē, 2. Chro. 30.11.3. it is our duty likewiſe to renounce al falſe wor. 2. Cor. 6.14-17 Eſa. 30.22. & to worship the L, as he taught vsus in his word: & thus far do I approve of this reaſon, but the conſequence I muſt deny, viz: that bicauſe falſe worship is to be renounced, therfor baptiſme alſo. For 1. we are to conſider in that baptiſme receaved in apoſtate Churches two things, firſt, that which is of God therin. 2. that which is of man, that which is of God, is the ſubſtance of baptiſme, as before is obſerved, viz: the ſame matter & forme that the L. inſtituted, & likewyſe the ſame end which is the profeſſion of the faith of Chriſt, & this is not falſe worship, & ſo conſequently not to be renounced.
Againe, that which in the adminiſtration of baptiſme is deviſed by man, are thoſe vnwarrantable ceremonies of croſſing, breathing, annoynting, &c. theſe are to bee renounced as vaine worship, Mat. 15.4. Now the ordinances of God are to be purged from the pollutions of men, & not with their pollutions to be renounced, for if polution might warrant men to caſt away with it, that which is ordeyned of God, then might not the holy veſſels polluted in Babylon have bene brought againe to Ieruſa: nor yet the Tēple it ſelfe, that was ſo greatly profaned in the dayes of the Idolatrous Kings have any more bene vſed as a place of worsh. to the L. Secondly, I answer that we have receaved a true baptiſme in the apoſtate Chu. as the people of God did circumciſion amongſt the ten trybes: & therfor we may no more renounce it, & aſſume a new, then they that returned to Ieruſ. 2. Chro. 30.11. might renounce theire c…rcumciſion, & be recircumciſed,
It is objected of ſome, that this compariſon houlds not, for Iſrael was a true Chu. & therfor their circumciſion was true: but Apoſtate Churches have nothing true, neither are the members therof capable either of the covenant or ſeale in that ſtanding, & it is not true baptiſme to ſuch.
This objection in part I have answered before, & now answer further, 1. that the Iſraelites in their Apoſtacy were not a true Church, but falſe: ſeing they Seperated from Ieruſ. the true & only Chu. in the world, & erected a new Church & comuniō amongſt thēſelves, joyning together in a falſe wor. & vnderunder a falſe miniſtery, 1. King. 12.30-33.20. & 18.19—…1. & ſo became an harlot, Hoſ. 2.2. Secondly in the apoſtate Chur. ther be ſome things true in the ſubſtance as the word & baptiſme, though corupted in the adminiſtration therof by falſe miniſters, & humane deviſes. Thirdly the members of an apoſtate Chu. are to be conſidered two wayes, 1. as they ſtand members of ſuch a Chur. Secondly, as they are the ſeed & poſterity of their forfathers which receaved the covenant for themſelves & for their ſeed: & though in regard of the former eſtate, they have nether right to baptiſme or the covenāt (for the holy things of God belongs not properly to falſe Chu. nor to the members therof conſidered in that eſtate) yet even to ſuch members conſidered apart from ſuch ſtanding & as they are the ſeed of their forfathers, ſo are they capable of the covenant & Sacra. & the ſame is avayleable to them vppon their repentance: For in apoſtate Churches God hath his people which are beloved for their Fathers ſakes, Rom. 11.28. & this apeareth in that he ſaith, come out of her my people, Apo. 18.4. & to ſuch it cannot be denyed, but that to them belongs the covenant, yea whyles they are in Spirituall Babylon, as it did to the Iewes that were in Babylon of Chaldea: bondage hinders not Cods grace.
But ſome may reply, that they whoſe Fathers were Idolaters & vnbeleevers cold have no right to the covenant to be baptized through the Faith of their Fathers. I answer, the right that children have to Gods covenant depends not only vponupon their immediate parents, but title therto deſcends vntounto them, from their aunceſtors Exo. 20. if wee reſpect herein Gods mercy, even as mens inheritance doe from their former Fathers: neither do the members of an Apoſtate Church caſt of al profeſſion of faith, for ſuch beleve the Scriptures, & in Ch. &c. though with al they profeſſe divers errors, & worship the true God in a falſe manner.
If queſtion be made how it can be proved that the members of an Apoſtate Chu. had forfathers that beleved. I answere, it cannot be denyed, ſeing that an Apoſtate Church ariſeth not out of a company of infidels (for then could it not be called Apoſtate ſeing that to apoſtate muſt be in regard of the truth) but is the ruines of a true Church, & therfor it muſt needs follow that their forfathers were belevers, & had receaved the covenant.
And thus have I breifly answered theſe two Anabaptiſtical poſitions with theire reaſons, as the Lor. hath inabled me for the preſent, wishing this labour might have bene taken in hand by ſuch as could better performe it. & further I do intreate, that the truth (which I contend for), may not, through my weake defence, beare any reproche, but that which is falt worthy, let it returne vponupon my head. & do alſo earneſtly pray that he that hath thus written, & both he & they that ſo practiſe, may ſeriouſly conſider of that which is done, & glorify God by their repentance. March. 14. 1608.
Rich. Clifton.