More Proofs of Infants Church Membership and Right to Baptism, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. A General View of Mr. Danvers book.
§. 1. MR. Danvers book is entitled a Treatiſe of Baptiſm, in which he giveth us the Hiſtory of Infant and Adult Baptiſm out of Antiquity, as making it appear that Infant Baptiſm was not practiſed for 300 years (in his ſecond edit. it is [near 300.) And in his Append. ed. 2. [I cannot find that it was practiſed upon any till the fourth Century:] And he giveth us a Catalogue of witneſſes againſt it. By which thoſe that hold their Religion on the belief of ſuch mens words, will conclude that all this is true, and that Infant Baptiſm is a Novelty, and thoſe that are againſt it do go the old and Catholick way.
§. 2. Having peruſed his teſtimonies on both ſides, I am humbled and aſhamed for the dulneſs of my heart, that doth not with floods of compaſſionate tears lament the pittiful condition of the ſeduced, that muſt be thus deceived in the dark; and of the Churches of Chriſt that muſt be thus aſſaulted, and ſhaken, and diſtracted, by ſuch inhumane horrid means: The book being compoſed, in that part of hiſtory which the ſtreſs of the cauſe lyeth on, of ſuch UNTRUTHS in fact and hiſtory, as I profeſs it one of my greateſt difficulties to know how to call them. Should I ſay, that they are ſo notorious and ſhameleſs, as that (I ſay not only a Papiſt,) but any ſober Turk or Pagan ſhould bluſh to have been guilty but of ſome page or line… of them, and much more a man of any tenderneſs of conſcience, the Readers would think that the language were harſh, were it never ſo true, and ſome would ſay, Let us have ſoft words and hard arguments]. And ſhould I not tell the Reader the truth of the caſe, I might help to betray him into too much fearleſneſs of his bait and ſnare, and I doubt I may be guilty of untruth by concealing the quality of his untruths: And it is not matter of Argument, but fact that I am ſpeaking of.
§. 3. But it pleaſeth that God whoſe counſels are unſearchable, as to permit five parts of the Earth to remain yet ſtrangers unto Chriſt, ſo to permit his Church to be ſo tryed and diſtracted between Church Tyranny, and dividing ſeparations, Sects and parties, as that in many ages it hath not been eaſie to know which of them was the more pernicious.
§. 4. And it muſt grieve every conſcionable and diſcerning lover of Truth and Peace, to obſerve how theſe two Church-diſturbing parties, do by their extremities of oppoſition, increaſe as well as exaſperate each other: As the Ithacian Prelates did by the Priſcillianiſts, and the Priſcillianiſts by them. The Pride, covetouſneſs, dead formality, and cruel violence of Clergie Tyrants maketh the poor Sectaries think that they muſt go ſo far from them, till they have loſt themſelves and know not where they are; and as Mr. Danvers muſters up a catalogue of my ſayings in his mode and dreſs, which ſeem ugly to the poor man that thinks he ſeeth Antichriſtianity in ſuch Goſpel and natural truths which he underſtandeth not, (Like that melancholy perſon, who thinks ſhe ſeeth Spiders upon every one that comes near her, and they muſt bruſh them off before ſhe can converſe with them, though ſhe be caetera ſana); ſo thoſe on the other extream think them ſo fanatick, and almoſt mad, that they are apt to ſuſpect every word almoſt that they ſay, of madneſs, and ſometimes thereby injure the truths of the Goſpel, and ſoberer people, that partake not of their guilt, and ſo ſay of ſuch as agree with them but in aliquo tertio, They are all alike.
§. 5. This was the main cauſe which made St Martin ſeparate from his neighbour Biſhops, and deny communion with them to the death: Becauſe their perſecution of the Priſcillianiſts had ſo animated the looſer ſort againſt ſtrict Religious people, that they had brought men under the ſuſpicion of Priſcillianiſm,, if they did but faſt, and pray, and read and talk of the Scripture. It's eaſie to ſee of late who they are that have done the like.
§. 6. When this ſort of men ſee the weakneſs of the Sectaries, and the bold-faced falſhood which ſuch as Mr. Danvers obtrude on the world, and hear them furiouſly revile what they underſtand not, it maketh them think that they are fitter for Bedlam than for humane ſocietie: And their conſciences juſtifie them for all the cruelties that they uſe againſt either them, or more innocent perſons, whom in their ignorance and uncharitableneſs they number with them.
§. 7. And on the like account when they read and hear their erroneous Doctrines, and hear their incongruous words in prayer, they think they can never be too ſtrict in ſhackling them and all others in preſcribed forms: And nothing quieteth their Conſciences in all this ſo much, as the undeniable errors, and follies and miſcarriages of thoſe that thus provoke them.
§. 8. But in this the Church in Auguſtines days did not think that way the wiſeſt cure: when he ſaith [Afferat, ut fieri ſolet, aliquam precem in qua loquatur contra regulam fidei (multi quippe irruunt in preces non ſolum ab imperitis loquacibus, ſed etiam ab haereticis compoſitas, & per ignorantiae ſimplicitatem non eas valentes diſcernere, utuntur iis, arbitrantes quod bonae ſint:) Nec tamen quod in eis perverſum eſt evacuat illa quae ibi recta ſunt; ſed ab eis potius evacuatur] Aug. de bapt. cont. Donat. (as I remember about lib. 5. c. 11.) O truly charitable and peaceable Doctrine! And he that will ſeparate from other for every difference (or real error) in Doctrine or Prayers, ſhall have enow to ſeparate from him.
§. 9. I know nothing that ſo much multiplieth Sectaries as the notorious miſcarriages of Church-Tyrants that oppoſe them: And I know nothing, next carnal intereſt it ſelf, that ſo much multiplieth and confirmeth Papiſts and Church-Tyrants, as the madneſs of the Sectaries· The wildeneſs, but eſpecially the diverſity of their opinions, hath done more to increaſe the number of Papiſts among us than any thing that ever the Papiſts themſelves could otherwiſe ſay for their cauſe: For people ſee ſo many giddy with turning round, and ſee ſo many Sects among us, that they are confounded, and know not which to be of; but they muſt lay hold of ſomewhat that is more ſtable, or be wheel-ſick.
§. 10. O what a confirmation is it to a Papiſt to find ſuch a one as Mr. Danvers calling Gods Truths and Ordinances Antichriſtian! Yea, our very Baptiſmal Covenant and dedication to Chriſt is Antichriſtian, and the chief Fathers and Martyrs of the Church are Antichriſtian! (no wonder if I be ſo.) And I doubt almoſt all the Church of Chriſt for 900 years, at leaſt in this mans reckoning. And what will the Papiſts deſire more? With what ſcorn will they deride ſuch men? Wo be to him by whom offence cometh. The chief Quakers are charged by Mr. Faldo and others (even ſome of their own name) of denying the perſon and office of Chriſt himſelf: It is worth the enquiring whether they reject him not as Antichriſt, and call not Chriſtianity by the name of Antichriſtianity?