A Religious Contest, Title page 1 – To the reader 1
A RELIGIOUS CONTEST. OR, A brief account of a diſputation holden at Blyton in the County of Lincoln. Between Mr. William Fort Miniſter of the Perochial Congregation at Blyton on the one part, And Thomas Grantham, Servant to the Baptiſed Churches on the other part. Whereunto is added Brief Animadverſions upon Dr. Stilling-fleet his Digreſſions about Infant Baptiſm: IN His Book Intituled, A rational account of the Proteſtant Religion, &c. In both which are ſhewed That the generality of the Nations now profeſſing Chriſtianity, are as yet unbaptiſed into Chriſt.
1. Becauſe Their Sprinkling and Croſſing the Fore-head is not the right way of baptiſing.
2. Becauſe Infants ought not to be Baptiſed.
Acts 2. 38. Repent and be Baptiſed every one of you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt for the Remiſſion of Sins, and ye ſhall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt.
Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is Baptiſed shall be ſaved.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1674.
The Epiſtle Dedicatory,
To Mr. VVilliam Fort and the reſt of the Brethren and Aſſiſtants at the Diſpute holden by his appointment at Blyton the 18 day of September, 1673.
Reverend Sirs
I Do ſeriouſly account it a part of my infelicity to ſee the diſtractions and diviſions among us touching the Worſhip of Almighty God, and his holy Child Jeſus, whom I truſt we do all love and fear, and therefore it is the greater pitty that we who differ not about the Godhead, ſhould at all differ about the things which pertain to his bleſſed Service. May it therefore pleaſe God to move upon all our hearts to conſider (laying aſide all carnal intereſt) where the cauſes on either ſide are given. And ſith, perhaps we are more quick ſighted about each others miſtakes then our own, give me leave without offence, to ſhew briefly what I conceive is really amiſs on your part, and I ſhall as willingly conſider what may fairly be objected concerning us againſt that confideration.
Firſt then, when I look upon your reformation from Papall errors, I cannot but heartily congratulate the piety and zeal of your Martyrs, &c. Specially in their being inſtrumental to bring that ſacred inſtitute of the Lords Table from under manifold corruptions wherewith it had been incumbred in the darkneſs of Popery: But yet withall I muſt needs condole their ſhortneſs in not looking with like diligence to the Priſtine Inſtitution of ſacred Baptiſm, by which overſight we which ſurvive them, are the more expoſed to our preſent diſtractions, and I think I may ſay in this, as David in another caſe, becauſe they did it not at the firſt therefore the Lord made a breach upon us.
Secondly, when I conſider the articles of the Church of England, I think it very ſtrange that we who agree ſo firmly in them all ſave three or four, and differ but in ſome points touching them neither, ſhould not conſider of ſome expedient to remove what obſtructs our intire agreement.
May it therefore pleaſe your Biſhops, with their Brethren, to admit of a friendly conference with our Biſhops and Paſtors, to try if by any means away may be found to bring us to brotherly concord, for whatſoever hath happened in the heat of diſputation, or fallen from the Pens of paſſionate Writers on eitherſide, yet be pleaſed to know, we are no haters of the pious Proteſtant, but ſincere lovers of them and the truths by them maintain'd, as indeed we ought to be of all who love Chriſt, though differing from us in many things. And though it is true we hold a ſeparation from you in our Congregations, yet we do this of neceſſity, becauſe none among your Leaders will treat with us about the removal of thoſe things which do offend.
I confeſs, to reform what is amiſs on your part touching ſacred Baptiſm is a difficult undertaking, yet not more difficult then it was to reform what was amiſs in the other Sacrament, whether we conſider their errors, who for ſome hundreds of years, gave it to Infants, or theirs who by their tranſubſtantiation changed the very nature of the Sacrament▪
But if no endeavouts of this kind muſt be admitted, then am I out of hopes ever to ſee Chriſtian concord among us, for thoſe coercive ways (which ſome incline to) will but aggravate the breach (which is too great already) & render your cauſe the more ſuſpitious, and conſequently more confirm us in our perſwaſion againſt your way. Now the Lord himſelf direct us all to the way of truth and peace in all things;
So prays; yours to love and ſerve you in Chriſt as far as permitted. T. G.
THE Epiſtle to the Reader, Shewing the occaſion of this Diſputation.
Courteous Reader.
DIſputation is not more hurtful when needleſs, then profitable when neceſſity calls for it. And hereupon our Lord Chriſt himſelf was frequent in diſputes about his Doctrine. This way went the Apoſtles to try the matter in Queſtion about Circumciſion, Acts 15. And Paul defended Chriſtianity by diſputing dayly in the School of one Tyrannus Acts 19.
The occaſion of the diſpute at Blyton▪ September 18. 1673. was on this wiſe. A ſmall remnant of baptized Chriſtians meeting in that Town, it pleaſed Mr. Fort Miniſter of the Perochial Congregation there, to come to their Meetings, and to hinder their proceedings, ſo that they could not edifie one another, as their manner was. And this he did many times, and told them he was reſolved they ſhould not meet in that Town. And when the Baptiſts endeavoured to maintain their principles, he ſlighted them, ſaying they were fooliſh Men not fit to diſcourſe of religion becauſe they underſtood not the rules of Logick, &c. But he bad them find him a Man that had Brains, and underſtood the Languages, and knew Logick and he would diſpute with him. They told him they had few that underſtood theſe things. But he not ceaſing to diſturb them they conſented to his motion, and a day was appointed, and becauſe the Baptiſts had not a convenient place, Mr. Fort provided a large room, and ſent for them to come thither, where himſelf with two other Miniſters and divers of the Neighbourhood were met togeth…r.
For the account of the diſpute it ſelf, take this information that much of it is here reported according to what Memory could ſerve in upon recogitation, but yet be aſſured of this that for ſubſtance it is not altered by this account, the arguments varying very little, or not at all from the very terms wherein they were expreſſed in the Diſpute, and Mr. Fort's anſwers, rendred rather more advantagious, then in their firſt delivery.
If it ſeem ſtrange that a Perſon of ſuch Learning and Gravity, ſhould anſwer and argue with no more advantage to his cauſe, the Reader may take notice that God hath ſaid, He will confound the Wiſdom of the Wiſe, and bring to nought the underſtanding of the Prudent And when he doth this, then where is the Scribe, where is the Diſputer of this World.
Now whereas in this Diſpute I have uſed th… method which the Learned do more affect, then other ways of Diſputing, I deſire the Reader to take notice, that I do not in any thing that I have ſaid pretend at all to the Parts of a Scholar, being a Perſon of no education that way, howbeit, having obtained mercy of the Lord, to know ſomewhat of his bleſſed Will, according to his word, I am therefore willing to appear in the defence of his Truth when called thereunto.
Finally, my hearts deſire and prayer to God, is, that though our preſent differences in Religion, be matter of infelicity, yet ſith we all agree, that Chriſtianity is the only true Religion in the world, that we therefore may …ndeavour to maintain the great engag…ment of Charity, and M…deration, and then we may expect that the God of Truth and Peace, will pitty us under our miſtakes, and alſo lead us into the enjoyment of that gracious promiſe, Jer. 32. 39. Even to give us one Heart, and one Way. So be it.
Tho. Grantham.