Truth Prevailing Against the Fiercest Opposition, Part 2
His ſecond Conſideration for ſubſtance this: THat ſuppoſing our way to be the ſole Baptiſme Ordinance of Chriſt, the Churches which are not actually baptiſed with our very Baptiſme, are yet according to the eſtimate of God, baptized our way with our very Baptiſme, and ought ſo to be eſtemed by us, becauſe they have a willing mind ſo to be.
To which I anſwer. Firſt, it is a great and clear miſtake, that the Churches, which are not actually baptiſed with our Baptiſm, are yet notwithſtanding eſteemed to have been ſo baptiſed by God, upon the accompt of a willing mind ſo to be.
Doth the righteous God of heaven and earth judge contrary to the truth? doth he judge men to have actually done that which they never did? 'Tis one thing for God to deal gratiouſly by men, as if they had been obedient, becauſe of a willing mind, another thing for him to judge them actual obeyers of that command which they never did obey, becauſe thereof. Though God accept the will (in ſome caſes) for the deed, where doth he judge the will to be the deed.
In the 2 Corinth. 8.12. It is indeed thus written, as Mr. Goodwin alleadgeth: If there be firſt a willing mind, a man is accepted according to that he hath, and not according to that he hath not: But what then? Doth Gods accepting a man according to that he hath, prove him judging a man to have actually done that which he never did? which yet is the concluſion Mr. Goodwin maketh to follow theſe premiſes.
For his other inſtance, Math. 5.12. where he ſaith, VVho ſo looketh upon a woman to luſt after her, hath committed adultery. Chriſt ſaith, it is onelyonly in his heart, that is deſire. Yet becauſe there wanteth nothing but opportunities for actual adultery, the demerit of that ſin may be imputed to him, but the ſin of actual adultery in a formal proper ſenſe is not imputed to him.
In the Phil. 2 11. he ſaith, God worketh in you both to will and to do, therefore to will is one thing, and to do is another, and are they two things in themſelves, and doth God eſteem them to be but one.
But ſecondly, Though it ſhould be granted, that a through deſire to obey a Command, which yet is not obeyed (for want of conviction that it is a duty) will render men judged obeyers of that command by God, yet will not any ſuch deſire to obey, when yet obedience is not performed, juſtifie MEN in any ſuch judgement; becauſe Chriſt hath no where given to the Church any ſuch rule to judge by. Beſides, except men could try the reines and the heart, as well as God, and know who willeth ſincerely and who not, as God doth, it is unreaſonable to conceive that mens willing things ſhould be any rule for mens judgement, though it ſhould be conceived a rule for Gods judgement. And further, the heart of man being deceitful above all things, it is not ſo eaſie as it may be ſome think, to know themſelves, whether they will ſincerely or no: the obedience of ſuch commands, which they cannot but ſee, taketh them off the chair of publick eſteem, and ſetteth them upon the dunghil of diſgrace and ſcorn, and whether obedience to Goſpel-baptiſm doth not ſo, let the world judge, by your cruel mocking them that ſubmit to it, and bitter inſinuations againſt them: To which we ſhall ſpeak fully in the due place.
But thirdly and laſtly, if we ought to judge you to be actually baptiſed our way, becauſe you have a willing mind ſo to be, though indeed and in truth you are not. Why then, ſurely by the ſame rule you ought to judge us ſtill walking with you, every one in his place, though indeed and in truth we are ſeparated from you, becauſe we alſo have a willing mind, upon Chriſtian termes, to walk with you. And have you not as much reaſon to judge us ſincere in our profeſſion of willingneſs, as we have to judge you ſo. I am certain you have much more reaſon ſo to judge, becauſe your ſubmiſſion to baptiſm in Chriſts way, and Pauls way, which is our way, would be a pure piece of ſelf denial to you,As Peter and John was by the High Prieſt and Elders, Act. 4.13. Ignorant and unlearned men. And John 7.49. and that in many reſpects, you would be numbred amongſt thoſe poor brethren of the dip, which want releif; that petty handful of leſs knowing and leſs conſiderate men, as you call them, thoſe ignorant Creatures, the generallity of whom know not what the word foreign ſignifieth, that for ought they know (upon their own account) it may ſignifie, to ride, or to run, or to build, as well as to dip, which are your ſcornful expreſſions concerning them. Every man can find a will to ſeek the face of the Ruler,Pro. 29.26. but who findeth will to ſeek the face of the poor.
But for us to have continued ſtill in fellowſhip with you in that way, was, and would be again (if we returned to it) matter both of honour and eaſe in compariſon, whereas now with Chriſt and the holy Apoſtles, we are ſooles for Chriſts ſake, then we ſhould be wiſe in Chriſt, now weak, 1 Cor. 4.10.then ſtrong, now deſpiſed, then honourable.
So that we have more cauſe by farre to doubt your wills of COMING DOWN to us, though you ſhould ſay never ſo much, how much you willed it, then you have to doubt our wills of GOING Up to you, if we did but whiſper it. And yet you have declared us no Members of your Body, and pour contempt upon us, for Church breakers, and Church deſerters, and truſt betrayers, and what ever you think may bring our perſons and Chriſts holy way, which we profeſs, into diſ-repute, becauſe we have ſeparated from you, though we have often affirmed, what trouble and ſorrow it was to us, to withdraw from you, and our own conſcience is as a thouſand witneſſes, how careful we were to make it as little offenſive to you, as we could deviſe how to do, our obligation to you, as an inſtrument of much ſpiritual good to our ſoul, being alwayes before our face.
How untrue therefore have you been to your own principles, in thus dealing with us?Rom. 14.12 Happy is the man that condemneth not himſelf in the thing which he alloweth.