Truth Prevailing Against the Fiercest Opposition, Part 13 – Part 14
Your fourteenth Conſideration for ſubſtance this: THat for perſons to miſtake in the matter of Baptiſme, ſo as to judge they have no need to be baptiſed after beleiving, becauſe they judge themſelves ſufficiently baptiſed in infancy, is a miſtake of a veniall nature (becauſe almoſt all the judicious, learned and grave, all the zealous, faithful and beſt conſcienced Chriſtians and Servants of God, throughout the world, Fathers, Martyrs, Reformers and others, for ſixteen Generations together, even from the dayes of the Apostles, until now) have been ſo mistaken.
To which I anſwer. 1. The Apoſtles did foreſee in their time, that there would be an apoſtaſie from the primitive practiſe in the worſhip of God, as well as the primitive faith for doctrine; the myſtery of iniquity beginning to work very early, which was the reaſon of thoſe items, to hold faſt the Ordinances, 2 Theſ. 2▪14. and Col. 2▪6. and to beware of Philoſophers, that would carry them from the ſimplicity of the Goſpel.
Accordingly it did fall out, many departures there were even in the Apoſtles dayes, 1 John 2.19. and more foretold, amongſt which, this of Infant-ſprinkling is one, wherein there hath been a palpable deviation from the rule, which yet notwithſtanding many worthy men ſuffered, ſuppoſing the Church to have power to make alterations in matter of Ordinances:Com. upon Acts 8. Calvin himſelf acknowledgeth, that the liberty of ſprinkling (whereas the antient cuſtome was dipping) the Church took to her ſelf: And Mr. Bedford, as Mr. Baxſter reporteth, p. 301. of plain Scripture proof, flieth to tradition for proof of Infant-Baptiſme; One Doctor Eck, againſt the new Church Orders in the upper Marqueſdome and Territories of Noremburge, writeth, That the Ordinances, concerning the Baptiſme of Children, is without Scripture, and is found to be onelyonly a cuſtome of the Church, with a cloud of other witneſſes, yea, even Luther himſelf the great Reformer, in his book of Anabaptiſme, acknowledgeth, That it cannot be proved by ſacred Scripture, that Childrens Baptiſme was inſtituted by Chriſt, or begun by the firſt Chriſtians after the Apoſtles, for many yeares ſince it came to be in uſe in the Church, ſaith he, and was eſtabliſhed by Pope Innocentius: And yet for all that he allowed of it, ſo that though he was a godly man, and a great Reformer, yet allowed of alterations in worſhip upon that ground, which Mr. Baxſter abhorreth to doe: now Mr. Baxſter thinketh he hath plain Scripture proof for Infants baptiſme, or he would not own the practiſe, becauſe he looketh upon the Scriptures as a perfect rule (as well he may) and all deviations from them in worſhip in ordinary caſes, but ſo many complaints againſt the perfection of Scripture.
2. If the judgements of the learned and godly be of ſo much conſideration, as that it may juſtly ſtop proceeding in the work of Reformation, why did it not curbe you from that frightfull tearing your ſelf off from the Nationall Church, which had been in reputation with the godly many hundred yeares, and that in the face of the Sun, and that when ſuch things were comparatively rare, to the ſcandal and great offence of your brethren of the Miniſtry, wherein, as I remember, you were pretty early, in leading the way of ſeparation from the womb that bear you, and the paps that gave you ſuck; or doe you think one of fourty of thoſe antiently godly and holy men, would have liked it, and yet for conſcience ſake you did it notwithſtanding.
3. This Argument becommeth not you of all men living, becauſe it is no new thing with you to leave the road, nay at this day, and in this book that I am now anſwering, you plead ſtifly for ſome things, which rendereth you more alone than we, in the point of denying Infant-baptiſme, namely, in denying, though not in plain words at length, yet in effect, that Baptiſme is the Ordinance of entrance into the viſible Church of Chriſt, and that a Church may be of as found a conſtitution without it as with it, and ordained upon the termes of the free-will Offering under the Law,Water dipping, p. 48.61. wherein I beleive you have no fellow, except ſome Seekers, and ſome few perſons leaning that way; others that have gone before have ſtumbled at the ſame ſtone, and fell, and never riſe more, which ought to be like pillars of ſalt in the eye of all good men, to take heed of ſlighting and undervaluing any of the Ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt, leaſt becauſe they receive not the truth in the love of it. I ſay, in the love of it, God deliver them up to a reprobate mind, and ſend them ſtrong deluſions, that they may beleive a lie.
But I hope better things of you, though I thus ſpeak, and 'tis my earneſt prayer to God for you, upon the bended knee of my ſoul, to ſhew you the evill of theſe arguings, that you may repent in duſt and aſhes before you goe hence, and be no more ſeen.
Your fifteenth Conſideration followeth. THat Baptiſme how duly ſoever administred, is no Church-maker, and that it doth not commend us to God or Men more than other Ordinances.
To which I anſwer: Mr. Goodwin hath put his Conſiderations into many parts, ſo that they go for twenty three, as if he had abundance of reaſon on his ſide in this matter, wherein he argueth againſt us, whereas many of them run into one, and for ſubſtance are the ſame, ſo that a particular anſwer to every one muſt needs cauſe abundance of repetition, and going over and over the ſame thing. That Baptiſme of it ſelf is a Church-maker, I am as farre from thinking ſo as you are; no, men muſt repent from dead works and beleive towards God, or elſe no fit matter for the Church, though baptiſed, but that there can be any orderly joyn'd Church without Baptiſme, though men doe repent and beleive, is that I argue againſt, and have given a large account in my Anſwer to your third Conſideration and twelfth; and as for the other part of it, that it doth not commend us to God nor men more than other duties, in my Anſwer to your eleventh Conſideration, you have a full anſwer to this plea alſo.