Of Regeneration and Baptism, Postscript
POST-SCRIPT. In one word more, good Chriſtian.
WHat thou haſt here beheld in open light, was at firſt as 'twere opened in darkneſs, what is now preached on the houſe top, having been delivered, ſcarce publiſhed in the whiſpers of a very privat Countrey Congregation. Partiall eſtimation (ſuch as friendly always uſes to be) made the thoughts ſeem not unworthy thinking over again; Thence their review; Thence this bulk: and it is left to thy diſcretion to ſever what was firſt ſpoken frō what was likelieſt to have been ſince written. It was held convenient thus to cōmumunicate All; if for no other reaſon, Becauſe(1)1 Cor. 5.10. the day is coming when we muſt all appear before the judgment ſeat of Chriſt, to render account of what we have done in our bodies, and as well what we have(2)Inter preſſuras atque anguſtias praeſentis temporis & noſtrae officia ſervitutis, cogimur dilectiſſimi non tacere, quùm potiùs expediat flere, magis quàm aliquid dicere. Veruntamen nequid minus lucri Arcae Domini accedens, dicatur nobis, Serve nequam & piger, tu erogares pecuniam meam:, & ego veniens cum vſuris exigerem eam. Peto charitatem veſtram, ut quae ipſe paterfamiliâs per nos vobis miniſtravit, libenter accipere dignemini. Auguſtin. Concio ad Catechumen. contra Judaeos, cap. 1. tom. 6. pa. 23. not done, as what we have (for our omiſſions are not without fault.) And as to this, the ſeaſon added ſpeciall opportunity, all being now under reviſe, both for Agenda & Credenda, for Doctrine and Diſcipline; ſeeming to call in thoſe words of the Maſters of the Aſſemblies, after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, Acts 13.15. Ye men and brethren, as many of you as have any word of exhortation for the people, ſay on.
If any thing here ſhall run the(3)Nullam enim exiſtimo Scripturam adeò …oeliciter procedere cui …ul…us omnino contradicat C…emen. Alexand Strom. 1. It is a common frailty of our Nature, which may be watched, but cannot be remedied, bewailed not helped: poſſibility of Erring, a miſery from which his Holineſs is not exempted when he ſits in his Apoſtolick Chair. Beſides, as of bodies, ſo there may be differing complexions of judgement: One mans meat is another mans poyſon; and one mans thanks anothers averſation; yet of the thing yet the ſame. Pro captu lectoris, &c. It hath been ſo, and will: Doe our REASONS differ! face of all other (for nothing could yet be found to have pleaſed every body) thy courteſie, or rather thy Chriſtianity is beſpoken and intreated.
1. Cavill not at words: the laſt refuge they will yet make to, that are reſolved to continue Cavillers. It was matter was heeded, not(4)Sanè quiſquis legis, nihil reprehendas, niſi cum totum perlegeris, atque ita fo…è minus repr…hendes. Eloquium noli quaerere. Multum enim de rebus laboravi…us, &c. Unde hactenus ac prope nulla fuit nobis cura verborum, Auguſtin. lib. de Mendacio, cap. 1. tom. 4. pag. 3. Them: ſo that pleaſe, the reſt may be ſpared. Or thou mayſt even herein be ſatisfied; for, ſo the ſubſtance be kept, 'tis left to thee to alter the dreſs of outward expreſſions to thine own judgement or fancy; or if thou wilt, think the thing already done.
2. Take me not in pieces; but either the whole, or a whole part: And that after thou ſhalt have peruſed and conſidered the whole. Partition belongs to choyce: That, in taking ſome, leaves the reſt: and therewith an interpretative conceſſion, that what was left was judged hard, and ſcarce malleable, therefore in prudence let alone. The world will judge ſ…: deal therefore intirely; and, heed all along the ſcope: for that alſo I heeded.
3. Contract not thy brow too ſeverely, that I make uſe of(1)Non me latent ea etiam quae ab aliquibus imperitè omnia metuentibus jactantur, qui dicunt oportere in iis verſari quae ſunt maximè neceſſaria, & quae fidem continent: externa autem & quae ſunt ſuper vacanea tranſilire, quae nos fruſtra continent ac detinent in iis quae nihil ad finem conferunt. Alii autem Philoſophiam etiam cum maximo malo & ad perniciem hominum veniſſe in vitam exiſtimant, ut quae profecta ſit a maligno aliquo inventore. Ego autem quod vitium quidem habeat malam naturam, ne que alicujus unquam boni cauſa eſſe poſſit, in his Totis Oſtendam, libris, qui foreign dicuntur, tacitè ſignificans, aliqua ratione divinae opus providentiae eſſe Philoſophiam. Clement. Alexand. Strom. lib. 1. p. 278. ſome parts of remote, obſcure, prophane, diſdained pieces of knowledge, thou (ſo much a Scripturiſt) judgeſt altogether unprofitable. I was long ſince taught by Dr (2)In his publiſhed Sermons on Pſalm 110. v. 4. p. 480. Neque verebuntur commenta…i noſtri, uti iis quae ſunt pulcherrima ex Philoſophia & iis quae praecedunt diſciplinis. Non enim ſolum propter Hebraeos & eos qui ſunt ſub lege, par eſt fieri Judaeum, ſed etiam propter Graecos Graecum, ut omnes lucrifaciamus, Clem. Alexand. Strom. 1. p. 277Reynolds, whom I believed, That there is no part of Learning in the whole Circle thereof, which is not helpful, and may not contribute to the understanding of holy Scriptures, and ſome part or other of a Divines imployment. I particularize his general into Jews and Gentiles, Councels and Fathers, Schoolmen and Hiſtorians, Decretals and Imperials, and hope one day to be better acquainted with the Alcoran and the Sybils, the Talmud and the Sanhedrim. For how elſe ſhould we underſtand out ſundry things of the Bible (our Religion) depending on theſe? or how make toward the requiſite perfection of that Scribe in the Goſpel, throughly furniſhed to the Kingdom of God; who is like an Houſe-holder well ſtored, who contents not himſelf with neighbour proviſion, ſome ſingle Commentary, or broken patched ſyſteme, but hath ready by him for all ſupplies, and as the occaſions of the Family call for it, both New and Old: With an evil eye theſe Mouldy remnants are looked upon by many, who could peradventure readily enough wiſh the whole heaps of them thrown away at once, and all of Jewry or Samaria dealt with, as thoſe Magick books were, upon converſion to ſound knowledge, Acts 19.19. I am perhaps too far on the contrary part; as, wiſhing our Libraries may be the ſafeſt part of our Land, ſo that theſe jewels may be treaſured up in the ſafeſt Archives of our Libraries, hoping for more light yet to ſhine out of the eaſt by them, and if ever the Bible be made plain and legible to the vulgar, or Learned, thoſe Divine Oracles unſealed to ſure and certain ſenſe, and the Book of our Redemption it ſelf redeemed from that cloud of darkneſs, and miſt of obſcurity, the deluſion of falſe Gloſſes, corrupting emendations, intereſt of States, and Tyranny of times, and manifold ſuch impoſitions have cumbred it withal, that from the riſing Sun alone we muſt expect the ſoveraign healing beams to proceed, whoſe freſh and morning influence hath POWER to produce that diſperſion; being not without temptation to ſome kinde of Idolatry, in worſhipping with a face ſettled toward the Eaſt, and thence really expecting another(1)Homines enim Hebraei, agregia eruditione, ſagaci que ingenio, cum ſacri codicis ſenſa patrio Sermone evoluta nobis darent, multa faeliciter repererunt, quae aliorum nunquam aſſecuta eſſet induſtria. Pet. Cunaei lib. 3. de repub. Hebraeorum. cap. 5. p. 422. Star (as full of Corporeity (ſoon it may be) as was the laſt) to guide all thoſe ſhall be accounted amongſt us Worthy, Watchful and Wiſe, to the yet unknown things of Jeſus the Son of a Virgin, born in Bethlehem. For that was the Land where the affairs of our Religion were done, whence elſe ſhould we expect an illuſtration and elucidation of them? That was the ſcaene of wonderful things, to raiſe expectation of a wonderful knowledge: There was Power ſhewn likely to breed an amazing Light: Nor may the full ſenſe of Iſa. 2.3. The Law from Zion, and the Word from Jeruſalem, be ſo wholly already drawn out, but that our Merchants may bring us ſome rich Remainders (God bleſs our Merchants of Knowledge) and their neglected, deſpiſed, moth-eaten Rolls and Records help us to ſee our own light, or to make a right uſe of it, and inrich us thereby beyond Caeſar and Craeſus and Craſſus.
4. (Here I would be accounted earneſt) Chriſtian, if thou be, deal with me as thou art and wouldeſt, remembring thy Saviours Rule, and mine, Both our Maſters Meekneſs, not only as his Quality, but our Qualification, and our Duty in his Example, Learn of me, Matth. 11.29. for I am ſo: we never read, His voyce was heard in the ſtreets, Matth. 12.19. We no where hear him loud in venemous and and boiſterous reproaches: we finde him not at any time raging for truth, paſſionately. Religious, truly Seditious, bitterly Zealous: but if the weightineſs of the occaſion had need to draw from him powerful reproof,(1)Luke 4.32 They were amazed at his teaching, for his word was with power. Mat. 7.29. he taught as having Authority, not as the Scribes, Mark 1 22. Percellebantur ſuper doctrina ejus. The ſobereſt moderation may be moſt effectual in power. his Word was with power, but his Severity with ſome Lenity, his ſtrongeſt Phyſick miniſtred in an inoffenſive doſe, and nothing dropped from him ever, but what beſpake declared, and left aſſured a moſt ſoft and gentle Genius. Oh! this is that for which Chriſtendom hath cauſe to mourn and lie down in ſackcloath and aſhes, that Truth comes often a woing, apparelled like a Hag or a Fury, the Orators of Heaven mix wilde-fire with their zeal, perſwaſives labour their end rather with teeth to bite, then arguments to convince; The tongue that ſhould lick whole miſtakes in an erring Brother, miniſters venome to wrankle, rather then ſalve to heal up, Vinegar is not ſharp enough, but Aqua fortis muſt be taken in, and that ink is blackeſt is fitteſt, not to write the cauſe, or convince the Arguments, but beſmear the reputation of a tractable recoverable adverſary (As David obſerved in his time, and complained:(2)Pſal. 64.3. And I lie even among the children of men, that are ſet on fire: whoſe teeth are ſpears and arrows, and their tongue a ſharp ſword, Pſal. 57.5. They ſhoot out their arrows, even bitter words, in ſpeaking with their mouth,(3)Pſal. 59.7. Swords are in their lips, for who doth hear? nay, their poyſons have reached to my very ſoul) This, this is that, but for the permiſſion whereof, Chriſtendom hath much to anſwer, by men of ſober and Goſpel Spirits not to be remembred, without tears of blood, and which, God grant it turn not the grave and prudent advice of an admoniſhing Apoſtle, into the misfortune of a Prophetick curſe (ſo calculated and compoſed as 'twere of purpoſe for the Religion, Meridian, Clime and Age under which we live.)(4)Gal. 5.15. If ye will needs go on to bite and tear one another, take heed ye be not devoured one of another.
As it hath been ſeen oft enough before. Where malice hath fretted it ſelf quite away on both ſides, two obſtinate Champions have left neither alive; both have ceaſed to be, becauſe one would have had victory. May it never be ſo with us, where CHRISTS name is reverenced, and at top of all (as the prize of all our concertations) that ſtrife ſhould ruine what it fights to preſerve, and that word and Goſpel which is now the rule of Princes,(5)Pſa. 103.…6. The Place that hath known it, ſhall know it no more.
5. Think not thou haſt to deal with an untractable adverſary, but one would be glad to turn the ear to reproof, as being not yet paſt the Learners form (foreign, that is the utmoſt) a very Seeker (of Truth and Verity) which Tertullian ſo much commended and purſued: and that loves that of the Pſalm, Let the righteous ſmite, Pſal. 141.5, 6.it ſhall be a favour, but let not the precious balms of flatterers break mine head, I will yet pray ſeven times more againſt all ſuch wickedneſs. There was peradventure too much of the Stoick even in Socrates himſelf, of whom St. Auguſtine ſomewhere, Hoc tantùm ſcio, quòd nihil ſcio: he preſumed no farther knowledge then onelyonly of his ignorance: But as much as following times have too little, where preſumption of knowledge attained already, bars forwardeſt reſolutions of ſeeking any more; Prejudice and Pride will admit no increaſe of former riches, the active inquiries of the ſoul are ſtopped, and our wings clipped, that would ſoar to any new diſcoveries: Therefore we know not, becauſe we think we do: ſitting ſtill in little more then a dull and contented ignorance, ſcorning to learn what we think we have already attained. I thank God, I know many things I do not know: I thank God, I ſee, many have cauſe to doubt of what they think they know: I thank God, I have aſſurance, that what I think ſure, yet I may have more abundant confirmation of: And what I nor know, nor opine, I am willing to learn. I pray my darkneſs may be enlightned, my ignorance inſtructed, my errors reformed, my true perſwaſions ſtrengthened: but above all, that Truth may conquer and be glorious: As Chriſt is TRUTH, John 14.6. To whom be due praiſe for ever.
His te volebam. Now judge, and be charitable. My laſt thoughts may not unfitly come out in the concluding words of whoſoever was the not over-confident Author of the ſecond Hiſtory of the Maccabees; And here ſhall be an end, if well I have ſaid, foreign, and hit the mark, 'twas that I aimed at: if otherwiſe, that I could: And ſo (with offer of mine) wiſhing and hoping to meet a return of the courteous imbraces of thy love, I bid thee Chriſtian, heartily.
FAREWEL. March 29. 1647.
Immortali DEO Immortales gratias.
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Elderfield, Of Regeneration and Baptism (1653)