The Estate of Children of Church Members and their Right to Baptism, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
THe Treatiſe hath but one lie more to ſhake out of its Budget, and it's a merry one (if I may ſo call it) if the Reader ſpare a little more patience hee ſhall heare it. It is concerning Dyoniſius in his Eccleſiaſticâ rarchiâ, they would ſay Hierarchia, who they ſay confirmeth their 8th. Propoſition thus. It is ridiculous (or as the Author for explication ſake addeth to bee eſteemed as a jeſt) that the bath of regeneration ſhould bee communicated to young children, which neither can underſtand nor can heare to learne the myſteries of God. I doe not here diſpute whether this were Dyoniſius the Areopagite under whoſe name the booke goeth, it is moſt likely it was ſome other Grecian Dionyſius, whether Dionyſius Alexandrinus (Origens ſcholler, as ſome probably thinke) or ſome later Dionyſius in the fourth or fifth Century, (as Dr. Ʋſher thinketh in his catalogue of Eccleſiaſtick writers) yet a Greek Author hee was and ancient: As for his words recited, they are moſt vilely wreſted. And that which the Author of that Church Hierarchy in the 7th. Chapter ad finem brings in as an objection of another reaſoning according to corrupt nature, the Authors of this Treatiſe bring in as his mind; his words are theſe: But that children not yet able to underſtand divine Myſteries ſhould bee made pertakers of divine generation, &c. it ſeemeth as thou ſayeſt to the profane, to be worthy of blaſphemous laughter, and ſo on: hee doth not ſay it deſerveth laughter, but ſeemeth ſo to doe: And that not to the godly, but to the profane. And this hee ſaid not as his owne, but as anothers objection (as thou ſayſt.) And if the Authors ever had ſeene that booke and but read on; the Author of the Booke would preſently have cleared himſelfe from their errour: For a little after hee addeth. But yet of this matter, ſcil. Paedobaptiſme juſt before propounded, wee alſo ſay that thoſe our Divines and Holy Prefectors brought to us from divine and ancient Tradition. For they ſay that which indeed is, that Infants according to the Law or Word of God are brought to the ſacred habit (ſcil. to put on Chriſt in Baptiſme) to bee purged from all errour and uncleane life, &c. Who ſeeth not by this and by all the former falſehoods and lies which the Authors of this Treatiſe have vented, that they are ſome Mountebank deceivers, and probably ſome Jeſuited cheaters which would ſend this pack of knavery abroad to deceive the ſimple and unlearned Reader? And it may bee ſeeke to make the ſad breach wider betwixt the profeſſors in England by ſtrengthning the hand of the weaker partie, the Anabaptiſts; ſo that what the authors or tranſlators of a booke of ſome unknowne Author or Authors ſay of their Preface, ſcil. A myſtery diſcovered, they meane of the man of ſinne; but they have made it good rather to bee a myſtery of the body of ſinne, and a myſtery of iniquitie diſcovered in themſelves, and breaking out from them to open view, which before lay hid. And let the Treatiſe hereafter Ironically onelyonly be called, The plaine and well grounded Treatiſe concerning Baptiſme.