The Loyal Baptist, Part 2 · Section 2
SECT. II. A brief Account of the Reaſons why the Baptized Believers cannot conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England.
REſerving all due Honour to the Church of England, ſo far as ſhe holds the Truth in the Thirty Nine Articles, and as ſhe is a good Fortreſs againſt much Popiſh Superſtition and Idolatry; we ſhall humbly make our Objections in three Particulars,
1. Concerning Infant-Baptiſm.
2. Concerning her Diſcipline.
3. Concerning her Impoſing of Ceremonies.
From all which we think we may ſafely argue thus:
It is lawful, juſt, and needful, to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from ſuch a Church, as does believe, hold, and maintain ſuch Things, as are evidently and actually deſtructive of that Chriſtian Liberty, wherewith Chriſt hath made his Churches free; and of that ſacred Baptiſm, and holy Diſcipline, which Chriſt ordained to continue in all Churches to the end of the World.
But the Church of England does believe, hold, and maintain ſuch Things, as are evidently and actually deſtructive of that Chriſtian Liberty, wherewith Chriſt hath made his Churches free, and of that ſacred Baptiſm, and holy Diſcipline, which Chriſt ordained to continue in all Churches, to the end of the World.
Ergo, It is lawful, juſt, and needful to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from the Church of England in her preſent Parochial Conſtitution.
Suppoſing the Major is not to be denied by any Chriſtian, we ſhall endeavour to make good the Minor.
To begin with Sacred Baptiſm. It is evident from the Scripture, and partly from the Confeſſion of the Church of England, that the Things prerequiſite to Baptiſm, on the part of every one who is to be joined with the Church Militant, or to be baptized, are theſe: 1. They ought to have the Goſpel preached, or ſome way made known to them. 2. To believe the Goſpel. 3. To repent of Sin. And, 4. Willingly to put on Chriſt in Baptiſm. Or to expreſs it in ſhort: They are, firſt, to be dead with Chriſt; and then, ſecondly, to be buried with Chriſt by Baptiſm.
Now that the Church of England does hold ſuch Things as are evidently and actually deſtructive of this Baptiſm, may in our Judgment be thus proved:
1. She believes, holds, and does teach others to hold, That all, or the very moſt of her Church-Members are regenerate, without hearing the Word of God, without Faith, without Repentance, or any Knowledg of God; and ſo believes what neither we, nor any Body elſe can underſtand to be true, and errs in Faith.
2. Yet ſhe does not believe that her Members are regenerate at all, till ſhe croſs or ſprinkle them with Water; neither does ſhe know (becauſe ſhe has no ground to believe) that Infants are thereby made anew, ſo as to become the Children of God, and Heirs of Heaven; and believing this without poſſibility (ordinarily) to know it to be true, ſhe errs in Faith.
3. She believes, and maintains, that thoſe ought to be baptized, whom ſhe knows do not, cannot believe, nor repent, nor in any meaſure know God, nor any Duty of Religion; and herein ſhe errs (as we conceive) concerning the Faith.
4. She believes and maintains, that Sponſors do believe and repent for Infants, or that Infants do perform Faith and Repentance by their Sponſors; and believing theſe things, and teaching her Youth to believe them, without any ground from the Word of God, ſhe believes amiſs, or errs in Faith.
5. She holds, that Perſons may lawfully be baptized when they are aſleep, and does actually pretend to baptize Infants when they are aſleep, which we think verily muſt needs be a very great Error both in Faith and Practice.
6. She believes, holds, and maintains, that Croſſing or Sprinkling is a lawful way of Baptizing, when indeed it is no Baptizing at all. Inſomuch as thoſe that uſe that Mode, dare not ſpeak as they act, ſaying, I ſprinkle thee in the Name, &c. their Conſcience bearing them witneſs, that the ſacred Act of baptizing in the Name, &c. cannot be expreſſed by the word, Sprinkling: They therefore believing what they know is not true in this matter, muſt needs err in Faith, as well as in their Practice. And this Error has in a manner deſtroyed the way of Baptizing uſed by John Baptiſt, Chriſt and his Apoſtles.
7. Thus tho we grant, that the Church of England is no leſs zealous for the Doctrine of Baptiſm than our ſelves, yet it is apparent to us, that ſhe hath accidentally loſt this holy Ordinance, both in reſpect of the Subject and Manner of it, and in the due Uſe and End of it, which was not appointed (nor fitted) to receive new-boru Infants into the Church Militant. And by this unwarrantable Change ſhe has defaced the State, and loſt the Praiſe of a true Church, 1 Cor. 11. 2. becauſe ſhe has not kept this Ordinance, as it was delivered by Chriſt and his Apoſtles; but hath rather ſuppreſſed it, and much oppreſſed thoſe that labour to reſtore it to its due Uſe and Practice in all Churches, which is a great Aggravation of all theſe her Errors in Faith and Practice, concerning Sacred Baptiſm.