More Proofs of Infants Church Membership and Right to Baptism, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Occaſion of this Writing.
§. 1. AS I was by great and long importunity unwillingly engaged at firſt to meddle publickly in the Controverſie of Infant Baptiſm with Mr. Tombes, ſo I then reſolved to meddle no more with it, unleſs I found that neceſſity made it an apparent duty.
§. 2. Accordingly when Mr. Tombes had printed the laſt private papers which paſt between him and me, without my conſent, I never anſwered his reply to this day; not ſtriving to have the laſt word, and ſuppoſing that the ſtudious impartial Reader, would find no need of a rejoynder: For to me his Reply ſeemed ſo empty and next nothing, that I thought it unneceſſary to ſay any more.
§. 3. But it is now grown the cuſtom among Papiſts and Sectaries and almoſt all the wranglers that trouble the world, to ſcribble ſomewhat ſenſe or nonſenſe againſt that truth which they have not wit, or will, or humility enough to learn, and then ſay to thoſe that would make them wiſer, you are anſwered; and it goeth for a victory to any foolery, if they can but ſay, ſuch a one that hath written againſt you is unanſwered: As if we dealt on ſuch terms with the world in writing, as that he that ſpeaketh laſt, (that is, that liveth longeſt) muſt be ſuppoſed to be in the right. Or as if we knew not when we write againſt the groſſeſt hereſie or error, that as many words may be ſaid or written for it as againſt it!
§. 4. And O what pity is it that with the vulgar ſort of well-meaning people, number goeth for weight, and he ſeemeth to be in the right to them, who is neareſt them and hath beſt opportunity to talk to them a few ſmooth deceitful words for his opinion, and to belie and vilifie thoſe that are againſt him! Not but that there are great fundamental Truths which manifeſt themſelves, which I hope theſe honeſt ſouls would not be drawn from by an Angel from Heaven: But verily no true Charity can be ſo blind as to deny it, that in lower controverted points, the knowledge of the vulgar Religious people is ſo low, that he that is lower than an Angel, or than a well-ſtudied Divine, or than a man of ſober ſolid reaſon, may deceive them (having firſt been himſelf deceived) if he can but ſpeak zealouſly, and reproach others impudently, by the ſpirit deſcribed and exorciſed in Jam. 3. at large.
§. 5. And I crave thy pity, Reader, to my ſelf and ſuch as I, that our Time and Employment is ſo much at the will and mercy of ſuch a ſort of wrangling men. That if I have it in my deſire to do Gods Church ſervice upon ſome greater and more needful ſubject, yet it is in the power of the Devil to ſtir up the corruption of honeſt well-meaning Chriſtians, to put a neceſſity on me to do ſome poor inconſiderable works, and leave undone the greater and more excellent.
§. 6. For circumſtances may make it a mans duty to do that as preſently neceſſary, which within a few years will be of no ſignification, but die with the intereſts and quarrels of the age.
§. 7. It hath pleaſed the Lord, who did let looſe the Serpent upon Adam in Paradiſe, to exerciſe his Church in almoſt all ages with temptations from two ſorts that ſeem much contrary, but are nearer in diſpoſition and principles than they well underſtand themſelves, I mean Church-Tyrants and Church-Dividers; And though I (and moſt others of my quality) have ſuffered incomparably more by the former, yet it is not a little that I have ſuffered by the later: And eſpecially that by their ſlanderous and clamorous unquiet importunity, they will not give me leave to live by them in peace, nor to go on in better work while I meddle not with them. I could not obtain that leave from Mr. Tombs; And now Mr. D. hath been pleaſed to open the mouths of ſo many of his partakers againſt me, as maketh wiſe men tell me that to be ſilent will be to be ſcandalouſly guilty of their ſin. And do we live upon theſe terms, that any Railer can call us off from our better ſervices when ever He and Satan pleaſe?
§. 8. But my purpoſe is to meddle with them but this once: And if after this theſe crying Children will bawl and wrangle and foul the houſe, and think that I am made for no better work than either to rock the Cradle or to make them clean, I will let them cry and take their courſe, and will no more believe that their humours are the maſters of my time.
§. 9. By three or four arguments (of his making) it hath pleaſed one Major Danvers a Souldier to call me to this task. 1. By heaping up a Catalogue of Accuſations againſt my Doctrine in my Chriſtian Directory. 2. By reproaching me for not anſwering Mr. Tombes. 3. By proclaiming me to the world a ſlanderer who owe the Anabaptiſts ſatisfaction, for ſaying that many of them were Baptized naked. 4. By perverſe citations of my later Writings as if they had been ſerviceable to his cauſe. 5. By his injury to poor ſouls and the Churches peace, by his ignorant though confident oppoſition to the truth, and writing a Volume of he knoweth not what.
§. 10. And to add to my invitation, it is become of late a common ſaying among the Anabaptiſts, that I am turned to their opinion or very near it, but have not humility to retract my former error, and openly acknowledge what I hold.
§. 11. The occaſion of this is, 1. Becauſe I have ſo many years forborn to anſwer Mr. Tombes his laſt. 2. Becauſe I ſeek peace with them, and ſpeak for it upon all occaſions, and ſeek to abate other mens over-great oppoſition to them. 3. Becauſe upon all occaſions I preſs the conſideration and improvement of our Baptiſm, taking it for the ſumm and Character of our Chriſtianity, and the true deſcription of Converſion, and the eſſential mark of Grace, and the qualification of Catholick Church-members, and the bond of all our Chriſtian duty: As if none but Anabaptiſts could think thus?
§. 12. When I firſt read Major Danvers Book, I thought ſuch a Fardle could not be ſo regarded as to need an Anſwer; But when his Bookſeller came to know of me what I had againſt it, as from him; and when I heard how many thouſands of them were Printed, I rather choſe to imitate him that had compaſſion on a headleſs multitude, than him that ſaid, ſi populus vult decipi, decipiatur. And they that will not let me reſt, muſt bear ſome of the fruits of my diſquietment.