Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Section 6
Whether it be our Duty to seek Peace with the Anabaptists?
Because I conceive it no very difficult matter to resolve this Question,Feb. 28. 1655/6. I shall the more briefly dispatch it. Only two Terms do need some Explication:
1. What we mean by Anabaptists? We do not here use the word with an intention of Reproach; for that doth less besee … a Disputation of Peace; but we are fain to make use of it, as that Name by which that sort of Men are already commonly known, and distinguished from all others; as not knowing otherwise how to speak intelligibly of them, without using Descriptions and Circumlocutions instead of well-known Names or Titles, which would be contrary to the Common Rules of Discourse.
The Persons called by that Name in General, are all that are for the Baptizing of those who were baptized in Infancy, as supposing it null or unlawful. Of these there are more Subdivisions than I will undertake to enumerate: As to our present purpose it may suffice us to take distinct notice of these four sorts of them; 1. Those that only deny Infant Baptism, and are for the Necessity of Re-baptizing. 2. Those that upon this account do also gather Separated Churches, withdrawing from the Churches whereof they were Members, and receiving none into Communion but the Re-baptized. 3. Those that with the two former do hold many dangerous Errours, either Pelagian or Antinomian, or any other, which yet do not so overthrow the Foundation, but that the Persons holding them may be saved. 4. Those that had such Errours as are inconsistent with a true Belief of the Fundamentals, and consequently with Salvation. And among the three former sorts, we must distinguish between those that are peaceable, temperate, and willing of Communion with us, and that endeavour not the ruine of the Church in their practice: and those that are unpeaceable, and refuse our Communion, and set themselves to root out the Ministry, or to destroy the Faith or Church of Christ.
2. The word Peace signifieth several things, according to the several sorts of Men that we are related to, with whom we must seek it; 1. There is a Peace of bosom Friendship; and this we owe not to many of the Saints themselves: For of bosom Friends we must have but few. 2. There is a Peace of Actual Communion in the Worship of God, as Members of the same particular Church: Thus we owe not to every Christian; though sincere in the main. 3. There is a Peace which is among the Members of all particular Political Churches in the World, as related to each other, and obliged to hold Communion as far as is necessary for the Common Good. 4. There is a Peace which is common to all professed Christians, Members of the Universal Church, though perhaps of no particular Political Church. 5. There is a Peace to be kept with sober Heathens or Infidels. 6. And there is a Peace to be kept with Enemies, both of us and the Gospel, as far as we can.
I shall give you my Thoughts about the present Question, in these following Propositions: Premising that 1. It is not the Peace of bosom Friendship that the Question intendeth; and Ergo, we need not stand on that. 2. Nor is it the Peace that is due to Enemies, or that is due to Infidels and those without; but it is the other sorts due to the several sorts of Christians.
Prop. 1. We may not have that Peace which is proper to Christians, much less that which is proper to Christians in Church-Order, with any that deny the Essentials of Christianity.
Prop. 2. As for those Anabaptists that in zeal for their Opinion do endeavour the Extirpation of the Ministry, or of those of them that are against their Opinions, or any other way do attempt that which would tend to the ruine or great damage of the Church, we may not have that Peace and Communion with them as with in…ffensive Brethren, but must admonish them as scandalous and gross Sinners, and avoid them, if after due admonition they desist not, and repent not.
Prop. 3. Those that deny the Divine Institution, or present Existence of Ministry, or Worship and Ordinances, or governed Churches, are uncapable of being Members of any true Political Church, and Ergo, we cannot have such Church-Communion with them; and because their Doctrine is of heinous Consequence, as tending to the destruction of all ChurchOrder, Worship and Communion, we must reject them, if they shall teach it after due Admonition.
Prop. 4. As for them that think it unlawful to have Communion with us, unless we will renounce our Infant Baptism, and be rebaptized, we cannot have Communion with them, in that Case, though we would; because they refuse it with us.
Prop. 5. We cannot lawfully disown the Truth of God, nor own their Errours for Communion with them; nor may we yield for any such Ends to be rebaptized.
Prop. 6. We may not lawfully be Members of a Church of Anabaptists, separated on that Account from others, (nor of any other unlawfully separated Church,) nor ordinarily Communicate with them in their way of Separation, though we might be admitted to it without any other disowning the Truth or owning their Mistakes. Except it were in a case of Necessity, (as if such a Church were removed among Infidels or gross Hereticks) where we could have no better Communion in worshipping God.
Prop. 7. If any one that Erreth but in the bare Point of Infant Baptism, or other Errours that subvert not the Christian Faith, shall yet take it to be his duty to propagate those Errours, it will be the duty of every Orthodox Minister, when he hath a Call and findeth it Necessary, to defend the Truth of such Errours, and to endeavour the establishing of the Minds of the People, and not to let them go on without Controll or Contradiction, lest he be guilty of betraying the Truth and Peace of the Church, and the Souls of the People who are usually sorely endangered hereby: The like must be done by Private Christians privately, or according to their Places and Capacities.
So much for the Negative: The Affirmatives follow.
Prop. 1. The Common Love which is due to all Men, and the Common Peace which must be endeavoured with all, must be held or endeavoured as to them that deny the Essentials of Christianity. But, as is before said, this is not it that the Question doth intend.
Prop. 2. It is our Duty to do the best we can to reclaim any Erroneous or Ungodly Person from his Errour or Impiety, that so they may be capable of that further Love and Peace and Communion with us, which in their present state they are uncapable of.
Prop. 3. Those that believe not some Points that are necessary to the Constitution or Communion of Political Churches, if yet they believe in Christ, and worship God so far as they know his Will, and live uprightly, may be true Christians, and so to be esteemed, even when they make themselves, uncapable of being Members of any Political Church.
Prop. 4. Some Anabaptists and others that make themselves uncapable of being Members of the same particular Churches with us, or of local Communion in God's Worship, may yet be acknowledged to be Christian Societies, or truly particular Political Churches, though in tantum corrupt, and sinfully separated. I mean this of all those that differ not from us in any Article of our Creed or Fundamental of Christian Religion, nor yet in any Fundamental of Church Policy: As e. g. those that only re-baptize and deny Infant Baptism, or also hold some of the less dangerous Points of … or P…lagianism; but withal hold all the Fundamentals necessary to Salvation, and Church Policy or Communion.
Prop. 5. If any Person disclaim his Infant Baptism, and be Re-baptized, and then having so satisfied his Conscience, shall continue his Communion with the Church where he was a Member, and not separate from them and shall profess his willingness to embrace the Truth at soon as he can discern the Evidence of …, and shall live … and inoffensively under the Oversight of the Church-Guides, … may not Exclude such a one from … Communion, but must continue him a Member of that particular Church, and live with him in that love and peace as is due to such.
Prop. 6. If such an one should also mistake it to be his Duty, publickly to enter his Dissent to the Doctrine of Infant Baptism, and so to acquiesce, and live quietly under the oversight of the Ministry, and in the Communion of that Church, he ought not to be rejected.
Prop. 7. It is our Duty to invite those called Anabaptists now among us, to loving familiar Conferences; of purpose 1. To narrow our Differences as far as is possible, by a true stating of them, that they seem not greater than they are: 2. And to endeavour, if possible yet to come nearer, by rectifying of Mistakes: 3. And to consult how to improve the Principles that we are all agreed in, to the Common Good, and to manage our remaining Differences in the most peaceable manner, and to the least disturbance or hurt of the Church.
Here come in two more Questions to be resolved: 1. How should such an Attempt be managed? 2. What hope is there of Success?
For the first, I shall briefly give in my Thoughts in some Directions.
Direct. 1. Let the Attempt be made with none that deny the Principles of Christianity or Church-Communion; but with those only that Err; and have such Errours as are tolerable.
2. Let only the most Sober and Judicious be the Agents in this Attempt, who do manifest some esteem for the Honour of God and the Common Good, and a willingness to prefer these before any private Interests of their own or any others.
3. Let prudent hands draw up all those Points wherein we are agreed (leaving the Difference no wider than it is), and let these be all subscribed to by each Party.
4. Let all these Points wherein we are agreed be published in our several Congregations, that the People may not, by our disagreement in other things, be staggered in these, nor make that their pretence for any ungodly Principles or Practices; but may be the more ashamed of them, when they see they are condemned by us all.
5. Let us next agree to make these Common Truths the common and ordinary Matter of our Preaching, and endeavour with our first and greatest diligence to promote them, and to perswade all our hearers to do the like.
6. Let each Party openly disown all those that reject the great and common Truths, though they may agree with us in those Particulars wherein we oppose each other. And if they be intolerable Errours which they Err in, let us renounce their Communion.
7. Let us next draw up the State of our Difference as clearly, and in as narrow room as is possible.
8. Let us agree upon some necessary Rules for the most harmless managing of these Differences; that the Common Truths and the Souls of Men may be as little hazarded by them as may be, and the known and necessary Duties of Christian Love and Communion, as little hindered.
E. g. The moderate Anabaptists that take not their Opinions to be a sufficient ground for Separation from our Churches, may agree on such Terms as these following.
1. Let there be no withdrawing from the Ministry and Church of that Place upon the meer ground of Baptism. If the Minister be an Anabaptist, let not us withdraw from him on that ground, and if he be a Paedobaptist, let not them withdraw from us.
2. If the Pastor be for or against Infant Baptism, and think he have a Call to deliver his Judgment, let not the private Member think he is still bound to contradict him, or withdraw; but having once publickly entered his diffent to that Doctrine, and protested that his Presence and Patience doth not signifie an Owning of it (if his Conscience urge him to go so far), let him afterward acquiesce and walk respectfully, lovingly and obediently to the Pastors in all lawful things.
3. Those that are so moderate as to take Infants for Church Members, though not to be Baptized, let them openly make profession of it.
4. Those that do not take them for Members, if yet they have any more hope of them than of Heathen Children, or think it a Duty in any sort to dedicate them to God, let them bring them to the Congregation, and there in general prosess their hopes and the grounds of them, and either dedicate them to God, or profess their willingness to do it to the utmost of their Interest and Capacity, and desire God to accept them and bless them.
5. Let those that are for Infant Baptism profess that a Personal Faith and Repentance is of Necessity to the Salvation of all that live to years of Discretion, and Baptism without it will not serve the turn.
6. Let all that are Baptized in Infancy, publickly own and renew that Covenant when they come to years of Discretion, before they are admitted to the Lord's Supper.
Thus far in Consistency with the Principles of the Moderate, we may yield to each other, and so hold Communion in the same Congregations: and the practice of this doth belong most to the People.
But for those that joyn Separation to Anabaptism, yet if they be any thing moderate (though they go much further from us than the rest) we may agree on these following Terms with them, to manage our Differences to the least wrong to the Church and Common Truths.
R. 1. Let us promise to go no further from each others Communion, than after serious Consideration, our Consciences shall tell us it is our Duty to do.
2. Let us declare that though one part be confident that Infant Baptism is a Duty, and the other that it is a Sin, yet we judge that they that Err here, while they sincerely desire to know the Truth, may be saved, notwithstanding that Errour. (What it will prove to the Children, if the Parent accept not the Covenant for them, and devote them not to God, will be a hard dispute) which I shall not now presume to meddle in).
3. Let it be declared that we take each other for Christians, and Churches of Christ.
4. Let it be declared that we take the rightly called Ministry of each Church for true Ministers.
5. If any of each others Flock shall reproach or disown their Ministers and the Churches they are of, meerly because of their Judgment about Infant Baptism, let the contrary part, having opportunity, reprove them sharply, and help to humble them, and bring them to the Confession of their Sin, and to Reformation; that so proud, unruly, ungodly People may not take shelter under either Party by the means of any factiousness or partiality of ours.
6. Let us never intrude into each others Charge without the Pastors Consent.
7. Let us agree that we will not preach for or against Infant Baptism, when our Consciences tell us that the Peoples ignorance of greater Truths, or their Ungodliness doth require us to deal with them on more weighty Points.
8. Let us preach as seldom for or against Infant Baptism, as Conscience will permit; and particularly let that which herein we account the Truth, have but its due proportion of our Time, compared with the multitude and greatness of other Truths.
9. Let these Points also have but an answerable proportion of our Zeal, that we make not People believe that they are greater Matters than they are.
10. Let us not endeavour to reproach one another when we think we are bound to speak for our Opinions; that we make not each other uncapable of doing the People good.
2. As to the second Question, What hope of Success? I shall not presume to determine it: Let every Man conjecture as he seeth Cause; for my own part, I am not quite out of hope, of some measure of Success with some few particular Persons; but my hopes are very low as to the generality.
Object. 1. It is not our Duty to attempt a Work where there is no hope of Success.
Answ. The Case is not so desperate as to excuse us from the Duty: A possibility with the least probability may serve to oblige us.
Object. 2. What! shall we consent to the Exclusion of Infants from their Churches?
Answ. No; but consent to improve the common Truths, and perform our Duties even to such as differ from us in this.
Object. 3. There is not one of an hundred of them that will consent to these Terms.
Answ. If they will not, who can help it? when we have tried them, we have done our Duty, and left them without Excuse.
Object. 4. Shall we confess a Schismatical Church for a true Church?
Answ. Every Schism nulleth not the Church or Ministry that is guilty of it: else most of the Churches in the World were nulled: If they reject the Essentials of a Church they are none.
Object. 5. Baptism is Essential to a Church: The Apostle, Heb. 6. 1. putteth it among the Principles.
Answ. 1. It is only the thing signified by Baptism that is Essential. 2. The Apostle calls it a Principle, because it is one of the first things taught; but not because it is Essential to a Church. 3. The Anabaptists have Baptism in their Churches, though not of Infants.
Object. 6. To make a League with Schsmaticks, is to be guilty of their Schism.
Answ. True, If by that League you own, approve, or consent to their Schism: But not by agreeing with them to perform Common Duties.
Object. 7. They are undermining the Church and Ministry, and shall we seek peace with such?
Answ. 1. Those that we speak of are not such. 2. If they were, yet it is our Duty to hinder them, by agreeing to moderate Ways, and Common Duties.
Object. 8. They are guilty of their Infants Damnation, as much as in them lyeth, by not believing their part in the Covenant, nor dedicating them to God.
Answ. They virtually consent for their Infants, in that they would actually do it, if they knew the Promise.
Object. 9. They are under God's visible Displeasure. Ergo, &c.
Answ. So far as God disowneth them, we must do so, but no further.
Object. 10. We shall be reproached as complying with them.
Answ. Slanderous Tongues cannot excuse us from plain Duties.
Object. 11. Those whom we should Excommunicate we may not have Communion with: But the Anabaptists should be Excommunicated, Ergo, &c.
Answ. I deny the Minor taken of such Anabaptists as we have now in question.
Object. 12. It is a scandalous Sin unrepented of.
Answ. 1. So is many a greater Errour, which Men must not be Excommunicated for. 2. It is virtually repented of; seeing if they knew the Evil of it, they would repent.
Object. 13. You would have a looser Discipline than the Prelates or Papists: for they would not Communicate with Anabaptists.
Answ. 1. I only avoid dividing rigour and cruelty. 2. They have Multitudes in their Communion that know not what Baptism is, nor to what use, nor who Christ is, whether God or Man? nor many other Fundamentals Ergo, Their Discipline is far looser than I desire; but too partial also.
The Anabaptists object; We are bound to propagate the Truth, and if you will have Communion with us, you must be baptized.
Answ. 1. You are bound to propagate first the greatest Truths, that Salvation lyeth on, and to do nothing that may hinder this, by promoting your own Opinions.
2. If you reject Communion with all but Anabaptists, you reject all the Church through most Ages of the World. And no Church no Christ: and no Christ no Christians, nor any Salvation.
3. Blame us not, if we be not easily brought to your Opinion, if we had but these Reasons.
1. You confess (no thanks to you) that Infants were once Church-Members by God's appointment: and have never yet proved that he cast them out again. And we must have good proof of that before we can be satisfied with your way.
2. We cannot be hasty to believe an Evil; and we know that it is a sad Penal Evil for Infants to be put out of the Church: And Ergo we will have proof of it, before we believe it.
3. It must be no easie matter with us to believe, that the Head and Shepherd of the Church hath de facto had a Church of a false Constitution, as to the very Materials, and Enterance, from the beginning to this day, except a few within this twenty years that troubled it in a Corner of the World; and that now in the end of the World, we must expect a right Constitution, as if Christ had slept, or regarded not his Church, or been the Head of a Body which he disowned: We cannot hastily believe such things. I say again, No Church, no Christ; for No Body, no Head: And if no Christ then, there is no Christ now. Take heed therefore how you un…Church, or difown the whole Church of Christ in the very frame, for so many Ages.