Truth Prevailing Against the Fiercest Opposition, Part 12
Your thirteenth Conſideration for ſubſtance this: BAptiſme is at ſome ſeaſons offenſive, burthenſome and grievous to the fleſh, and that for Men and Women, eſpecially being weak and tender of conſtitution, to ſubmit to it in winter and cold ſeaſons, is as expreſſe a tempting of God, as paſsing through the fire would be.
To which I anſwer. 1. Experience hath proved this to be the vaineſt inſinuation of all the reſt, there being not one perſon, that I ever yet knew ſince we came into this way, young or old, though baptiſed in the depth of winter, that ever ſuffered any thing in their health, to the value of the leaſt hair of their head; yea, ſome that have been aged and weak in body have profeſſed, that ſince the time of their obedience to Chriſt in this Ordinance of his, they have not found thoſe weakneſſes that formerly they were troubled with, no queſtion (but in caſe of ſickneſs) God will have mercy and not ſacrifice, and God will accept the wills of ſuch for their deed: but will that excuſe thoſe that are in health? or doth Mr. Goodwin think, that ſcores of perſons, I might ſay hundreds of aged and weak perſons, that have been baptiſed without dammage, might have paſs'd through the fire with as little hurt, or if indeed Mr. Goodwin hath reaſon to judge the danger to be ſo great?
Then 2. Is it not a notable Argument, to perſwade Mr. Goodwin to caſt in his lot with theſe men, becauſe theſe God knoweth above all the Profeſſors of Religion in the world beſides, becauſe though miracles are ceaſed, and dead as to others, yet it ſeemeth are alive to them, and they daily find the manifeſtation of Gods out-ſtretched arm for their preſervation, that as God took care of the Jewes, when they went up to worſhip at Jeruſalem, that it ſhould not enter into the heart of their enemy to invade their Land, ſo doth he order the element of water, that the worſhippers of Chriſt, by being born of it, ſhall have no loſſe, their bodily health ſhall not be invaded by it.
But 3. It is very true, that the ſpiritual deſign of Chriſt in Baptiſme, being partly to repreſent Chriſts death for …s, and to oblige us to the death of all ſin, it hath pleaſed him, and that in great wiſdome, to order the buriall of the body in the element of water, that the bitter ſufferings of the Lord Jeſus for ſinners may be remembred, by the help of that ſenſible ſign, wherein Nature hath a gentle taft of ſome ſuffering, though not at all to its inconvenience. And whereas you ſay, that Baptiſme was ordained for Diſciples of the firſt peep out of the ſhell, and greateſt weakneſs in the faith, and from thence argue, that ſurely Chriſt intended it not to be ſo offenſive to the fleſh and the rather, becauſe the other Sacrament, which yet is ordained for the ſtrong, is of a more welcome import.
To this I anſwer. 1. 'Tis true, Baptiſme was ordained for young Diſciples, but that this is any Argument, why it ſhould not be greivous to the fleſh, I underſtand not, I am ſure it is not ſcriptural; Chriſt ſaith to thoſe that are young Diſciples, Luke 9.23. and he ſaid to them ALL, If any man will be my Diſciple, let him deny himſelf, take up his croſſe daily and follow me: and to thoſe that were looking towards Chriſtianiy, Chriſt putteth the worſt to them, and therefore would have them ſit down and caſt up the coſt.
In the 8. of Math. 20. To the Scribe that ſaid, Maſter, I will follow thee whitherſoever thou goeſt, Jeſus ſaith to him, the foxes have holes, the birds of the air have neſts, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
But 2. Why you ſhould ſay the other Ordinance is provided for the ſtrong, as if it were ſo appropriately to them, and excluſive of the weak, (or otherwiſe where lieth any ſtrength in the Argument) this is not onelyonly unſcripturall, but anti-ſcriptural, Acts 2. They all both weak and ſtrong, all that gladly received the word and were baptiſed, continued in the Apoſtles doctrine, and fellowſhip, and breaking bread, and prayer, and indeed more for the weak ſake than the ſtrong, who had leſs need; and ſo I appeal to the conſcience of the judicious Reader, what weight there is in all this Argument againſt us, and whether theſe be not carnal complaints againſt the hardneſs of Chriſts yoak, and the fruit of ſuch workings of heart as was found in Peter, Math. 16.22.