Defense of the Baptism of Children, Title page – Dedication
¶ A moſte ſure and ſtrong defence of the baptiſme of children, againſt ye peſtiferous ſecte of the Anabaptyſtes, ſet furthe by that famouſe Clerke, Henry Bullynger: & nowe tranſlated out of Laten into Englyſh by Ihon Veron Senonoys.
Geneſis. xvij. chap.
I wyl be thy god, and the god of thy ſede after thee.
Thou ſhalt reade the contentes of thys boke, in the ii. pagyne after this.
¶The contentes of thys boke.
i That rebaptizatyon or baptizing agayne is not of god, & that there is but one baptyſme.
ii That ye baptiſme of childrē is of god
iii That the baptyſme of children hath continued in ye church of Chriſt euer ſens the tymes of the Apoſtles.
To the reader.
I hauehave, good chriſtian reader, alredy proued and ſet furth theſe artycles that folow, agaynſt theſe erroneous dyuels the Anabaptiſtes.
i The ſpiryt, which repugneth againſt the ſpiryt, which ſpeketh in the holy ſcriptures, is not of ye father of truth but of the deuyl, the father of liyng.
ii Of the ſimplicyte and lernyng, that ought to be in godly preachers.
iii Of the vocatyon and callynge vntounto the miniſtery & offyce of preachinge againſt them that thruſt them ſelues vntounto it, beyng not called.
iiii Of the vnitie of the church, agaynſte the ſectes of heretikes.
v That Chriſt dyd not ſuffer onelyonly for originall ſynne.
vi That a ſynner is receyued to grace as often as he repenteth, and that no man is without ſynne.
vii That ſaluation & ryghteouſnes depēdeth not of our works, but of faith
viii That the ſoules, which are departed from the bodye, doo not ſlepe but lyue in Chriſt.
ix That a chriſtian may execute the offyce of a magyſtrate.
x That a chriſtiā magiſtrate is not onelyonly profytable, but alſo moſt neceſſary to a chriſtian commune weale.
xi That we ought to be obedient vntounto magiſtrates.
xii That it is not lawful to reſiſt the magiſtrates. which thinges if thou doſt reade dilygently, I truſt thou ſhalte be well enarmed againſt this peſtiferous ſecte. Beware of them, for they are worſe then all other herytyques hauehave bene, yea, they are renewers of all olde hereſyes. So fare ye well.
And praye to god that all erroneous ſectes beyng vanquyſſhed, his glory may floryſh for euer and euer. Amē.
¶ To ye right worſhipfull Maſter Thomas Fletwod, Comptroller of the Kinges Maieſties Minte, in Southwarke, Ihon Heron wyſſheth peace of conſcyence, and encreaſe of dyuyne knowledge and vnderſtandynge frō god the father, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IT is not for naughte,Ignoraūce is ye mother of al errours ryght worſhipfull Syr, yt of al men, ignoraunce hath bene compted the mother of all errours. Whiche thynge too be moſt true, we do nowe at this preſence, plainely perceyue and ſe. By godly learning, the erroneous ſecte of the papiſtes is in a maner proflygated and ouerthrowen, ſo that the chief maynteyners of it are cleane aſhamed of theyr olde occupatyon, I meane,What godly learning doth. of theyr Idolatry and ſuperſtition. But godly learning was neuer ſoo diligente, in purgynge the fielde of the goſpell from the rubbiſſhes of Antichriſtes kyngdome,What ſtubburne ignoraūce doth. as ſtubburne ignoraunce is now buſy in ſowynge it ouer, wyth cockle and darnill, wyth tares, and moſt peſtiferous poyſon, whych they do ſo ouer laye wyth ſuger and honye, that is to ſay, wyth paynted and coloured hypocriſie, blandiloquence and flatterye, yt a man at the fyrſt ſyght, would embrace thys errour and hereſy, for a moſt wholſome doctryne, and vnfayned relygyon. But if he, puttynge on the ſpectacles of goddes worde, wyll loke more narowly vponupon it, he ſhall eſpye ſuche a blyndnes and ignoraunce in theyr procedynges & doctryne, that by good ryght, he myght meruayle, that the very infantes do not now, in thys floriſſhyng tyme of the goſpell, perceyue and ſmell oute thys deuylyſſhe hereſie. For who would not ſaye that thys commeth of deuilyſſhe ignoraunce (onles he be blynder then ye blindnes it ſelfe, that they ſo ſhamefully deny the baptiſme of yong infantes and chyldren?What is to denye ye baptiſme of infants Is not thys too put oure chyldren, from that euerlaſtyng couenaunte which our lorde god dyd make wyth Abraham, and in hym, with all vsus that beleue? I wyll (ſayth the lorde) be thy god and the god of thy ſede after the.Gene. xvii chapi. Whyche promyſe Abraham beleued, and therfore when he came home, he did both circumciſe hym ſelfe, & al the male chyldren that were in his houſe. For whye? Cyrcumciſion was the ſeale of the people of god, whych by the commaundement of god was miniſtred vntounto all them yt were comprehended in the Lordes couenaunt In ſtede wherof baptiſme hath bene inſtituted in the newe Teſtamente. as the Apoſtle ſayncte Paule. Colloſſ .ij. Chapter, Doth playnly teſtifie.Circumciſion inſted of baptiſm Syth therfore that chyldren were circumcyſed in ye old Teſtament, and long after inſtructed in ye knowledge of the lawe: it foloweth, & that by good conſequence, ye baptyſme oughte to be myniſtred vntounto our yonge infantes, whom we are bound afterwardes to bryng vp in ye fayth, and true doctryne. This argumente al the rablement of ye Anabaptiſtes, is not able to diſſolue Suffer not therfore, O good chriſtyans, ſuffer not your ſelues too be ſeduced by theſe ſmatteryng Anabaptiſtes, whyche vnderſtande not the letter of the ſcriptures, wherin (I meane, in the bare letter) they do truſte moſte. And no maruayle thereof: For they are moſte ſhamefullye ignoraunce in all thoſe thynges, yt ſerue for to expounde and vnderſtand the letter. They knowe not the phraſes of the ſcriptures.The Anabaptiſtes are ignoraunce in thoſe thinges that ſerue for to expoūd and vnderunder ſtand ye letter. The chyef cauſes of ye Anabaptiſtes blyndnes and erroure. Nouatus aucthor of rebaptization. How many wayes this word baptiſm is taken in ye new Teſtamente. They do not obſerue & mark how many wayes one thing is taken in the ſcriptures and worde of God. Whiche truely to ye chyef cauſe of theyr blindnes and errour. For yf they had marked howe many wayes in the ſcryptures of the newe Teſtamente, thys worde baptyſme is taken, they had neuer renewed the olde condempned hereſye of Nouatus, touchyng thys folyſh Anabaptiſme that is to ſaye, rebaptyzaty on or baptyzyng agayn. For baptyſme is not alwaies taken for that outwarde ſygne & ſeale of the people of God, whyche is an outward waſſhyng of water, done and mynyſtred in the name of the father, of the ſonne, and of the holy ghoſt, wherby we are initiated into a true fayth, and innocencye of lyfe: whych kynd of baptiſme Ihon and the Apoſtles did mynyſter, & nowe in the churche of Chriſte, is by thē adminiſtred, yt be appoynted therto: but often tymes it is taken for the doctryne as Mathewe .xxi. Chapter, and Actes, ye xix. Whych place the Anabaptiſtes do allege to mayntayne their erroure in thys point. Otherwhiles this word baptiſme ſignyfieth death or matyrdome, as Mathew .xx. Chapter. Where Chriſt anſwereth to the ſonnes of Zebede, after thys maner: Can ye drinke the cuppe yt I ſhal drinke? and be baptized with ye baptiſme that I ſhall be baptyzed wyth? there the blynde may ſe, that he did meane his paſſion that he ſhould ſuffer. It betokeneth alſo the inward illumynatyon of the holy ſpirite of God, wherby the heartes of the faythfull are illumynated & drawen, as Actes .i. Chapter. Ye ſhal be baptyzed wyth the holy ghoſt after theſe few dayes. Nowe as they are deceyued in thys thyng by ignoraunce and lacke of knowledge, ſo are they in all the other poyntes. But now that the ignoraunt & ſymple myght hauehave an wholſom Antidotus and conterpoyſon agaynſt this peſtilent erroure, eſpecially in thys point of rebaptyzatyon, and baptyſme of chyldren: I hauehave here tranſlated thre moſt fruyctfull Dialogues vponupon thys matter, out of Laten into Englyſſhe: whyche, yf they be dylygentlye peruſed, maye enarme and fence the reader, agaynſte all the obiectyons that can be made and inuented by theſe phantaſtycall and madde braynes. And becauſe that your worſhypfull maſterſhyp hath bene alwayes earneſt in ye defence of the truth, bearyng a ſinguler affectyon and mynd, towardes all them that are ſtudyous to ſet furth the glorye of god, which godly affection and mynd ye hauehave many times (as I hauehave bene by credible perſons enfourmed) declared in your communycatyon, towardes me: I could do no leſſe of duty, but to dedicate thys lytle laboure of myne vntounto you, in token of gratitude and thankefulneſſe, ſyth that none otherwyſe, I am able to deſerue or recompence that beneuolente hearte of yours, towardes mee. God of his mercy, vouchſafe with his holy ſpirit ſo to rule and guyde your maſterſhip with ye worſhipfull gentlewoman youre wyfe, yt whatſoeuer yee ſhal do, or thinke in al your affayres, maye be to ye glory of god, & ſaluatiō of of your ſoule. Amē.