The Baptist Against the Papist, Title page – Author to the reader
THE BAPTIST AGAINST THE PAPIST: OR, The SCRIPTURE and ROME in Contention about the SUPREAM SEAT of JUDGMENT, in CONTROVERSIES of RELIGION. Together with Ten Arguments or Reaſons, diſcovering the preſent Papal Church of Rome, to be no true Church of Chriſt. WHEREIN It is alſo evinced, That the preſent Aſſemblies of Baptized Believers, are the true Church of Jeſus Chriſt.
By THO. GRANTHAM, a Priſoner for Truths ſake.
Luke 16. 29, 31.
They have Moſes and the Prophets, let them hear them.—If they hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded though one ſhould riſe from the dead.
Ezek. 20. 18, 19.
But I ſaid unto their children—Walk ye not in the Statutes of your fathers, &c.—I am the Lord your God, walk in my Statutes, and keep my Judgments, and do them—
Joh. 12. 48.
The Word that I have ſpoken, the ſame ſhall judge you in the laſt day.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1663.
THE AUTHOR TO THE READER.
Courteous Reader,
NOt becauſe I envy thoſe of the Papal Church, or deſire them any evil; Not that I deſire they ſhould be expoſed to a ſuffering condition for matters of Religion, or that they ſhould be denied any liberty in that reſpect which I deſire my ſelf, nor for any other prejudice (God knoweth) do I publiſh this ſmall Treatiſe: But becauſe I judge my ſelf concerned at this time to give my Teſtimony for the Truth, againſt ſome Papal Tenents; for divers cauſes: As firſt,
I am at this time under reſtraint, and though nothing hath been laid to my charge, yet it is rumour'd by ſome that I am a Papiſt; yea, in this place of my Confinement, have I been told to my face by ſome of the Proteſtant Clergie, that I am a Roman Jeſuite. And indeed this is an ordinary aſperſion which hath been caſt upon thoſe in general to whom I am related upon a religious account, viz. That we are all Papiſts, or will turn Papiſts, &c. and this, not ſo much to our perſonal prejudice, as to the diſhonour of that antient way of Truth by us profeſſed. Secondly,
A more particular occaſion of the publication of this Treatiſe, proceeded from the Papiſts themſelves, in ſending Seven Queries to the Baptized Congregations in this County (commonly called Anabaptiſts) To which, through the importunity of ſome Friends, I formed a brief Anſwer; little thinking, I confeſs, that ſo much contention would have riſen thereupon, as ſince I have met with. And I likewiſe confeſs, that the undertaking is ſuch, as that it requireth a more fit Inſtrument than my ſelf to manage it.
Nevertheleſs, I hope I may ſay, that hitherto what hath come to paſs in this conteſt, hath fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Truth; for which cauſe I have thought fit to offer it to the peruſal of others, ſo much of it I mean, as I conceive is at preſent needful; and that is the ſubſtance of what hath paſſed about the means whereby we muſt decide or reſolve Controverſies in Religion.
It now wants but few months of a year, ſince I ſent my final Anſwer, containing a Review of all that had been ſaid in way of Anſwer to the Queries before, in which I produced the Teſtimony of divers Antient Dictors, as concurring with what I had therein ſpoken, and, as being directly oppoſite to my Antagoniſt.
But I have heard of late, that he is gone out of this Nation, ſo that I expect no more Reply from him. And though for divers Reaſons hereafter ſhewed, I have not publiſhed the whole Diſcourſe (which, if need be, may in due time be brought to light) yet I have thought it meet here to ſet down all the Seven Queries, that ſo if any Chriſtian, of ſuitable endowments, for the Vindication of Truth, againſt the oppoſition that lyeth in the ſaid Queries, ſhall think fit to lay forth his Talent in that Service, he may take hold of this occaſion wherein to do it, (for the Queries were not directed to any particular perſon) however, I ſhall joyn to each Query, one Antiquery, which may ſerve at this preſent to blunt the edge of them, as they carry an oppoſition to the Truth.
| The QUERIES. | The ANTI-QUERIES. |
| Query 1. | Antiq. 1. |
| VVHether we are to reſolve all Differences in point of Religion, only out of the written Word of God? | VVHat Differences in point of Religion can you reſolve without the written Word of God? and whether the written Word of God be a perfect Rule for matters of Religion? |
| Query 2. | Antiq. 2. |
| How know you preciſely what is the true Word of God? | Whether ſome Book muſt not of neceſſity ſpeak for it ſelf? and whether the Scripture doth not beſt deſerve this priviledge? And whether it be not a bold preſumption to ſay, there are no holy Books but them which we or you have received for ſuch, ſith thoſe which we have, tell us, there are other holy Writings, which never yet came to our hands, nor to yours? |
| Query 3. | Antiq. 3. |
| How know you that your Copies and Tranſlations of the Bible are the true Word of God? ſince the Original Writings are not come to your hands. | What Copies and Tranſlations of the Bible have you that are more true than ours? and where are the Original Manuſcripts of the Prophets and Apoſtles? |
| Qu. 4. | Antiq. 4. |
| Where we differ about the ſenſe of the Word, by whom muſt we be tryed? the dead Letter cannot explain it ſelf. | When we differ about the true Church, and about the meaning of Authors, by whom muſt we be tryed? They cannot ſpeak for themſelves more than the Scripture: and whether the Scriptures, compared together, do not explain themſelves? alſo, whether it be not an opprobrious and ignominious ſpeech for you to call the Scripture a dead Letter? and whether the true lovers of the Scripture ever vouchſafed it ſuch ill, and indeed improper language? |
| Qu. 5. | Antiq. 5. |
| What clear Text have you out of Scripture for the proceſſion of the holy Ghoſt from the Father & the Son? or, for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? or prohibiting Poligamy, or Infant-Baptiſm? And, whether there be not as clear Texts to prove unwritten Tradition, Purgatory, and the real Preſence? | Whether the Baptiſm of the true Church be not one? and whether that one be not expreſly found in the Scripture? And whether the Scripture doth not prohibit all beſide that one? And whether the Papiſts have not confeſſed in many of their Books, that Infant-Baptiſm is not found in, nor grounded upon the Scripture? and then, whether it be not clear, that all the Texts which ſpeak of Baptiſm, do not prohibit Infant-Baptiſm? Alſo, whether Joh. 15. 26. and 14. 26. and 16. 7. be not clear Texts that the holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son? Alſo, whether 1 Cor. 7. 1, 2, 3. do not as much prohibit one man for having two Wives, and one woman for having two Husbands? and whether it do not clearly prohibit the latter? Alſo, whether there be any that hold the firſt day under the notion of a Sabbath among the Baptized Churches? and yet whether there be not clear Texts for the religious obſervation of it? Act. 20. 7. Alſo, whether it he not abſurd for you to ask for clear Texts to prove unwritten things? Alſo, whether Rurgatory, and the Real Preſence, as you hold them, is not plainly deſtructive to ſome Articles of the Chriſtian Faith? |
| Qu. 6. | Antiq. 6. |
| VVhether Univerſality both for time and place, be not an evident mark of the true Church? | What Church can you name that hath that mark? And whether the Woman that John ſaw, was not Rome? And whether her Cup was not univerſally received, ſo that all Nations were drunk thereby? |
| Qu. 7. | Antiq. 7. |
| Whether you have really this mark, that is, whether you can fetch out of all Ages and Nations, Profeſſors of your Religion; in particular, you are deſired to name but one or two in the firſt ſix hundred years after Chriſt of your Profeſſion; for example, ſuch as held the ſole-ſufficiency of Scripture for deciding Controverſies, and denied the lawfulneſs and uſefulneſs of Infant-Baptiſm? | Whether any man can ſhew this mark, as it is here call'd for, without the help of humane Hiſtory? and whether humane Hiſtory be a rule or ground for divine Faith? And whether humane Hiſtories (eſpecially thoſe of the firſt three hundred) after Chriſt, were not moſt, if not all, burnt, which concerned the Church? and whether thoſe that remain are not contradictory one to another? Alſo, whether Infant-Baptiſm was ſo much as heard of in the firſt hundred? and then, how could any be named that denied the uſefulneſs thereof? Alſo, whether a Church, whoſe gathering, conſtitution and government is anſwerable to the Scripture, be not the true Church of Christ? And whether the Churches of the Baptiſts do not therein exceed all other whatſoever? |
Thus, Reader, I have given thee ſome account of the cauſes why I publiſh this Treatiſe; I deſire thee to peruſe it diligently. If in any thing the Truth be diſhonoured, through any Error maintained by me, (of which yet I do ſolemnly profeſs I am not conſcious to my ſelf) then do not forbear to blame me in a chriſtian ſort: only, if thou perceiveſt me deficient in point of Language and Method, I deſire thee to bear with that; for I am one that gets my bread by the labour of my hands, and never ſaluted the Schools to gain the knowledge of their Arts.
From the Common-Goal in the Caſtle of Lincoln, the 10th of the 11 month, (commonly called January) 1662. Farewel.