The Dippers Dipped, Article 3
A Censure of a Book printed Anno 1644. Intituled, The confession of faith of those Churches which are commonly (though falsely) called ANABAPTISTS.
PLiny writeth,Nat. Hist. l. 32. cap. 10. that if the black humour of the Cuttell-fish be mingled with oyl in a Lampe, the visages of all in the room, though never so faire and beautifull,Lucerna si sepiae atrament… incendatur astantium vultus alioqui formosos hor…ibiles, & Aethiopicos videri facit. will seem ugly, and of the hieu of Blackamores: so the Proctors for our Anabaptists would beare us in hand, that all who of late have preached, and written against that Sect, through the black humor of malice, tanquā Sepiae atram…nto, make it appear much more deformed, and odious then it is: for if we give credit to this confession and the preface thereof, those who among us are branded with that title, are neither Hereticks, nor Scismaticks, but tender hearted Christians:Ingerunt primum verba veritatis ut virus falsitatis introeat. upon whom through false suggestions, the hand of Authority fell heavy whilest the Hierarchie stood; for they neither teach free will, nor falling away from grace, with the Arminians, nor deny originall sinne with the Pelagians, nor disclaime Magistracie with the Jesuits, nor maintaine pluralitie of wives with the Polygamists, nor communitie of goods with the Apostolici, nor going naked with the Adamites; much lesse averre the mortalitie of the soul with Epicures; and Psychopannychists; and to this purpose they have published this confession of their Faith, subscribed by fifteen persons in the name of seven Churches in London.
Of which I may truely say as Saint Hilarie doth of that of the Arrians, they offer to the unlearned their faire cup full of venome, annointing the brim with the honey of sweet and holy words, they thrust in store of true positions, that together with them they may juggle in the venome of their falshood: they cover a little ratsbane in a great quantity of sugar that it may not be discerned. For among the fifty three Articles of their confession, there are not above six but may passe with a faire construction: and in those six none of the foulest and most odious positions wherewith that Sect is aspersed are expressed. What then? are all that have imployed their tongue and pen against them heretofore no better then calumniators and false accusers of their brethren? nothing lesse; for besides the testimonies of Melancthon, Bullinger, Sleiden, Gastius, Pontanus, Guidebres, & others who lived among them, by the harmonie of all the Protestant Churches confessions it appears that the masters of our Anabaptists & Ring-leaders of that sect in Switzerland, Suevia, Franconia, Munster, Saxonie, and the Low Countries, held such erroneous tenets as are above mentioned; and if their Scholars in England have learned no such doctrines from them, it is because they are punies in their School, and have not taken any Lesson in the upper forms; they have but sipt of the cup I spake before of, the divell holds them but by the heel only as Thetis did Achilles when she dipt him in the sea.
We read in Diodorus Siculus of certain creatures about the shores of Nilus not fully formed, and in a Stone-cutters shop we see here the head of a man, there all the upper parts carved, in a third place the perfect statue: so it seems to me that these Anabaptists are but in fieri (as the Schooles speak) not in facto esse; like the fish and Serpents in the mud of Nilus, not fully shaped: like a statue in the Stone-cutters shop, not finished: they are Anabaptists but in part, not in whole. Be it so, for I desire to make them rather better, then worse then they are. I will therefore lay nothing to them but that they owne, nor bring any other evidence against them, then this their confession. In which I except,
First, against those words in the thirty one Article, Whatsoever the Saints any of them doe possesse or enjoy of God in this life, is by Faith. This passage savours ranke of that errour or heresie (call it which you please) imputed to Armacanus, who is said to have taught that the right of all possessions and goods or temporall blessings is founded in grace, not in nature; and that we hold them by no legall tenure, but Evangelicall promises: and true it is that none but the faithfull hold in capite, nor have any but true beleevers, a comfortable and sanctified use of the creatures, and a spirituall title to them; but yet it cannot be denied that they may have, and many have actually a legall title to them, and civill interest in them even before they are in Christ, or adopted into his family by actuall Faith: for if it were otherwise, Esau should have had no right to mount Seir, nor Nebuchadnezzar to Tyre, which yet the text saith God bestowed upon them: nay if this position may take place, no childe shall have any right to his fathers inheritance, nor Prince newly borne to his Crowne: which is not only an absurd, but a very dangerous and seditious assertion. None of the foure great Monarchs of the world represented in Daniels vision, for ought can be proved, were true beleevers, though some of them did some outward acts of pietie, and afforded some reall courtesies to the people of God: yet of these Kingdomes the Prophet speaking, saith,Dan. 4. 25. 32. that the most High ruleth in them, and giveth them to whomsoever he will, and Saint Augstine is bold to say, that the same God who set the Crowne upon Constantine the Christians head, gave the Empire of the world to Iulian the Apostata: Nay Christ himselfe paid tribute to Caesar, and acknowledged that he had a right to the tribute money,Mat. 22. 21. saying, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars: Yet that Caesar he spake of was Tiberius, an enemy to all godlinesse, and a kind of monster among men.
Secondly, I except against those words in the 38. Article that the due maintenance of the officers aforesaid should be the free, and voluntary communication of the Church, and not by constraint to be compelled from the people by aforced Law.
These words may carry a double sense: if their meaning be that all Religious Christians ought freely to contribute to the maintenance of the ministery, & should not need any law to inforce them: we embrace their good affection to the Church, and Churchmen; but if their meaning be, that the maintenance ought to depend upon the voluntary contribution of their parishioners, and that in case the flock should deny their Shepherds either part of their milke or fleece, that the Pastours should have no assistance of Law to recover them: this their opinion is most impious and sacrilegious, and directly repugnant to the Law of God, which assigneth tithes for the maintenance of the Priests; and that Law of God in the old Testament is not abrogated in the new, but rather confirmed, at least in the equitie thereof; for Christ speaking of tithing mint and cummin, saith,Luke. 11. 42. those things ye ought to do, and not leave these things undone: and the Apostle proveth that the ministers of the Gospel ought to live of the Gospel,1 Cor. 9. 9 10. For it is written in the Law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne: doth God take care of oxen? or saith he, is it altogether for our sakes? no doubt this is written, that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and he that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope. both by the Law of God, and by the Law of nature, vers. 7. Who goeth a warfare on his own charge? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? and vers. 13. Doe ye not know that those that minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple, and they that wait at the Altar, be partakers with the Altar? even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. He saith not God permitteth or alloweth of it, but ordaineth and commandeth it. And lest these two strings should not be strong enough, to keepe the bow still bent, he addeth a third, to wit, an Apostolical injunction,*Gal. 6. 6. let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things. Moreover when we read that Abraham and Iacob gave tithes, I demand by what Law, whether by the Law of nature, or the Leviticall or Evangelicall? not by vertue of the Leviticall, for that Law was not then enacted, and by that Law Levi was to receive, not pay tithes. Yet Levi himselfe in Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedech: if they paid it by the Law of nature, that bindeth all men: if by the Evangelicall Law, it bindeth all Christians to pay their tithes towards the maintenance of Melchisedechs Priesthood which endureth for ever. And Saint Austine fearfully upon this ground threatneth all those who refuse willingly to pay their tithes, that God would reduce them to a tithe, and blast all the nine parts of their estate.Serm. de temp.
Thirdly,Mat. 28. 18. 19. I except against the thirty ninth Article, viz. that baptisme is an ordinance of the new Testament,Mark 16. 16. given by Christ to be dispensed only upon persons professing Faith,Acts 2. 37. 38. et. 8. 36. 37. 38. et. 18. 8. or that are disciples, or taught, who upon a profession of Faith ought to be baptized. Here they lispe not, but speak out plaine their Anabaptisticall doctrine: whereby they exclude all the children of the faithfull from the sacrament of entrance into the Church, and the only outward meanes of their salvation in that state: but the best of their proofes fall short, the word only which only can prove this their assertion is not found in any of the texts alledged in the margent, nor can the sense of it be collected from thence. For though it is most true and evident in the letter of those texts, that all Nations that are to be converted, and all men in them of yeers of discretion, that have been taught the principles of Religion, ought to make profession of their Faith before they are baptized, as all that came to mens estate among the Jews or proselytes, ought both to know, and to give their assent to the covenant, before they received the seal thereof, to wit, circumcision: yet no such thing was or could be required of children, who notwithstanding were circumcised the eight day: so by the judgement of all the Christian Churches in the world, the children of beleevers, who are comprised in the letter of the covenant, may receive the seal thereof, to wit, baptisme, though they cannot make profession of their Faith by themselves, for the present, but others make it for them, and in their stead: the affirmative is true, that all that make profession of their Faith, and testifie their unfained repentance are to be baptized: but the negative is most false, that none are to be baptized who have not before made such profession of their Faith, when by reason of their infancie they are not capable to be taught. But this hereticall assertion is at large resu'ed by manifold Arguments drawne from Scripture, Fathers and reason, and all their cavils and evasions exploded, Article 2. to which I refer the Reader.
Fourthly, I except against the fortieth Article, viz. The way and manner of dispensing of this Ordinance, the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body under water; it being a signe, must answer the things signified, which are these, 1. The washing of the whole soul in the blood of Christ: 2. That interest the Saints have in the death, buriall, and resurrection of Christ: 3. Together with a confirmation of our Faith, that as certainly as the body is buried under water, and riseth again, so certainly shall the bodies of the Saints be raised by the power of Christ in the day of the resurrection to reigne with Christ. This Article is wholly sowred with the new leaven of Anabaptisme, I say the new leaven, for it cannot be proved that any of the ancient Anabaptists maintained any such position, there being three wayes of baptizing, either by dipping, or washing, or sprinkling, to which the Scripture alludeth in sundry places: the Sacrament is rightly administred by any of the three, and whatsoever is here alleadged for dipping, we approve of so far as it excludeth not the other two. Dipping may be, and hath been used in some places, trina immersio, a threefold dipping; but there is no necessity of it: it is not essentiall to Baptisme, neither doe the Texts in the margent conclude any such thing. It is true, Iohn baptized Christ in Iordan, and Philip baptized the Eunuch in the river: but the Text saith not that either the Eunuch, or Christ himselfe, or any baptized by Iohn, or his Disciples, or any of Christs Disciples, were dipped, plunged, or dowsed over head and eares, as this Article implyeth, and our Anabaptists now practise.
Againe, the bare example of Christ and his Apostles without a precept doth not bind the Church, and precept there is none for dipping; it is certaine Christ and his Apostles celebrated the Communion after Supper, and in unleavened bread; and with such a gesture as was then in use among the Jewes: yet because there is no precept in the Gospell for these things, no Christian Church at this day precisely observeth those circumstances, and therefore dato & non concesso, that Christ and Saint Iohn or their Disciples, used dipping in Baptisme; it will not follow that we ought to baptize in the like and no other manner. Besides it ought to be noted, that in the beginning, Christians had no Churches, nor Fonts in them; and there being many hundreds, nay thousands, often to be baptized together: there was a kind of necessity that this Sacrament should be administred in rivers, or such places where were store of waters, as there were in Enon neare Salem, where John baptized. John 3. 22.But now the Church hath better provided, there being Christian Oratories every where, and Fonts in them most convenient for this purpose; whereunto I shall need to adde here no more, having fully handled this point both foreign, and foreign, in the discussion of the first Article.
Fiftly, I except against the 41. Article, viz. The persons designed by Christ to dispence this ordinance, the Scripture hold forth to be a preaching Disciple, it being no where tyed to a particular Church, Officer, or Person. If the eye be darknesse, how great is that darknesse? if there be confusion in order it selfe, how great must the confusion needs be? if all be Pastours, where are their flocks? if all be teachers, where are their Scolars? a preaching Disciple sounds as harshly as a Scholar Master, or a Lecturing hearer; it is true, we grant that all who have received gifts from God, ought to make use of them for the benefit of others, and if any abound in knowledge, hee ought to communicate to them that lack, and freely give, lumen de lumine, Clouds when they are full powre downe, and the spowts runne, and the eaves shed, and the presses overflow, and the Aromaticall trees sweat out their precious and soveraigne oyles, and every learned Scribe in the Kingdom of God,Matth. 13. 52. brings out of his rich treasury new things and old. Notwithstanding this necessary duty of imploying our talent, whatsoever it be to our Masters best advantage, none may take upon him the cure of soules without Commission; nor divide the word, and dispence the Sacraments without ordination, and imposition of hands: none may preach except he be sent, none may assume the honour of the Priesthood, except hee bee called as was Aaron: none may open and shut the Kingdome of heaven, except they have received the keyes from Christ; neither a calling without gifts, nor gifts without a calling, makes a man of God: if any have a calling without gifts, their Ministery is without fruit; if any gifts without a calling, their Ministery is without power; the former have foreign but not foreign, the latter foreign, but not foreign: not every one that hath a strong voice, is a lawfull cryer in a Court, but he that is appointed: neither is every one that can write a good hand, a publick Notary, but he that is sworne: neither may every Mariner that is skilful in Navigation, take upon him the office of a Pilot, but he that is chosen. But this error of the Anabaptists, whereby they overthrow all order in the Church, and confound shepheards and flocks, Masters and Scholars, Clergy and Laity, I have professedly impugned, and at large refelled, Article 4. Whither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction.
Sixtly, I except against the 45. Article. That such to whom God hath given gifts, being tryed in the Church, may and ought by the appointment of the congregation to prophecie.
When Muncer a seditious Anabaptist first set abroach their doctrine at Mulchus, and took upon him to reforme many things in Church and State;*Sleid. Com. l. 5. Luthe…us Mulhusium Literas dat graviter mon…t ne recipiat Muncerum hominem seditiosum, recte facturum Senatum si roget ex ipso quis docendi munus ipsi commiserit, quis evocarit; & si Deum nominet authorem tum jubeat hanc suam vocationem aliquo evidenti signo comprobare; quod si representare non possit, ut tum repudi…tur; hoc enim esse Deo proprium alque familiare, quoties formulam consuetam & rationem ordinariam velit immutare, ut tum voluntatem suam aliquo signo declaret. Luther advised the Senate to demand of him what calling he had to doe such things he did, and if he should avouch God for the Author of his calling, then they should require of him to prove that his calling from God by some eminent signe; for that whensoever it pleaseth God to change the ordinary course, and to call any man to any office extraordinarily; he declares that his good will and pleasure by some evident signe. If the calling of the Anabaptisticall teachers bee be ordinary, let them demonstrate it by Scripture; if extraordinary, let them prove it by miracle. For the prophecy they spake of, let them distinctly declare what kind of Prophecying they mean, and whom they esteem Prophets: for prophecying is taken in a double sense in holy Scripture; sometimes according to the propriety of the Greek derivation, for the prediction of things future: sometimes in a larger sense, for revealing the mysteries of God, & expounding his Oracles either cōcerning things past, present, or to come; and this two manner of wayes, either with study and upon premeditation, with the help of Arts and Tongues, and by consulting the best Commentaries both ancient and latter, or without any study or premeditation, by immediate revelation or inspiration. Prophecy in the first sense is an extraordinary calling; in the last an extraordinary gift; in the middle acception an ordinary Ministeriall duty. And if that custome which Arch-Bishop Grindall would have introduced into the Church in the dayes of Q. Elizabeth, and is in use at Geneva, and among some other reformed Churches, were put in practise in England, and a certaine number of learned and able Pastours met at some set times, and having before notice of the Texts to be handled, should every one in their order deliver their severall interpretations, observations, and applications thereof, (which they call Prophecying) we should exceedingly approve of it; and questionles, thereby the Ministe…s would very much improve their talents of knowledge. But for rudē and illiterate Mechanicks, without calling, without knowledge of Arts, or Tongues, upon a Scripture read in the Congregation to give their suddain judgements, and interpretations thereof, as is the manner of the Anabaptists: we hold it an intolerable presumption in them, and unsufferable abus… in the Church. For those extraordinary revelations they pretend unto, together with the miraculous gift of Tongues and healing, for many hundred yeares agoe: have failed in the Church. If they could now doe as the Primitive Corinthians could, not onelyonly pray by the spirit, but sing by the spirit: if upon the first proposall of an obscure and intricate passage of the old Prophets, or Apocalypse; they can give upon the suddaine a cleare and rationall interpretation, and deliver this in what Language soever; if they can discover the secrets of the hearts of unbeleivers in such sort, that they falling down on their face,… Cor. 24. 25. shall worship God, and report that God is in your Assemblies of a truth; then let the examples of the Primitive Christians in the Apostles dayes, serve them for Precedents in this kind; but of those irradiations of the Spirit, together with the glisning of the fiery tongues, have not been seen in any Christian Church these many ages; if they come as short of the prime converts to the Christian Religion in extraordinary gifts, as in time: if they are so far from speaking with strange tongues, that they cannot speak correctly and coherently in one: if they are so wide of the sense of the place they expound, that their Paraphrases are often without sense: if they utter old broken notes taken from none of the best Sermons, for new revelations: if they furbish up ancient heresies that have layne long in the dark, for Christian Armour of Light: if in their interpretations they not only contradict the Scriptures but themselves: and in stead of a musicall consent we hear nothing but vain janglings: if their prophecyings for the time past have bin no better, and none can prophecie or promise better of them for the time to come, though they pretend never so much to the spirit, and boast of visions and Revelations, though some of them have a glib tongue, and thereby slide into the approbation of the vulgar sort: though in their contemplations they sore up so high, that they lose themselves and their hearers: though they draw their thin…e wier to a great length: though notwithstanding they are often gravelled and interfeere: yet they outrun the hour-glasse, and tire all their auditours before themselves are out of breath; they shall give us leave to esteeme them no Prophets, but Enthusiasts: no inspired men, but distracted: no seers, but dreamers: no expositours, but impostours: no commentaters, but commenters, nay rather commentiters: no workmen, but botchers: no carbuncles, but gloeworms: no fixed Stars, but wanderers: no lights, but ignes fatuos: exhalations incensed in the night, which lead fools out of their way, sometimes into thickets, sometimes into ditches, and quagmires, and many of them into rivers over head and eares.Ferunt rana… lam pade supra lacum in quo tumultuantur appensa, illius fulgore repercussas conticescere. Hermannus Leomelius in his apologie for the Regulars against the usurped authoritie of the Bishop of Chalcedon reporteth that when the frogs make a hideous noise in any lake or ditch, about the house, if a candle or bright burning lamp be set upon the banke, they become suddainly silent and are presently husht: the frogs which about the lakes and ditches neare the City, and suburbs, have made such a hideous noise in the darke, that they have much disquieted Christs spouse, and interrupted her sweet repose, are the late fry of Anabaptists.Aristoph. foreign But now sith I have set up a light upon the bankes, and clearly discovered both them, and their errours: I hope we shall see no more of their Froggalliards, nor hear of their harsh croaking and coaxation either in the Pulpit or the Presse.
End of the text · Daniel Featley, The Dippers Dipped (1645)