A Forerunner to a Large Review of the Dispute Concerning Infant Baptism, Treatise · Section 14
SECT. XIV. That Mr. B. doth not rightly expound Christs rule, Mat. 7. 15, 16. nor is the unholinesse of men a note to know false doctrine by.
PAge 199. He would vindicate his interpretation of Mat. 7. 15. from my exception, and saith Christ tells them how to discerne whole parties of false Prophets, and not how to descerne every particular man that is such. But this is onelyonly his saying, and the contrary is proved by these reasons, 1. Those false Prophets Christ saies we shall know by their fruits, whom he bids us beware of: but they are not onelyonly whole parties of them, but also every man that is such, Ergo. The Major is plaine by the term [them] which referres to the false Prophets ver. 15. the Minor I think Mr. B. will not deny. 2. They are known by their fruits, which did come to them in sheepes clothing, but inwardly were ravening wolves; for [them] ver. 16. relates to such. But these are particular men as such, and not onelyonly whole parties; otherwise Christ should not bid beware of one false Prophet, nor censure such a one as a wolfe, but onelyonly whole parties of them: which had been very imprudently done so to expose his disciples to be a prey to single wolves, and onelyonly warne them to take heed of a company of them together. Then he askes me, But what real Horeticks can Mr. T. name that had holy lives? It is hard to answer his question, because of the difficulty to determine who is a real Heretique, some onelyonly making him an heretique that holds an error against the foundation, others any error against the doctrine of Christ, some make it necessary that it be held with pertinacy, some with a party, some against self-conviction. Mr. Bs. speeches shew he is not fully resolved. Nor is it easie to determine who erres, nor what degree of holinesse is necessary to a holy life, or how it may be known. But I told Mr. B. in my Antidote Pelagins, A…minius and some others have been reputed Heretiques, and to have been of holy, and so have many zealous Papists and others. But however (saith Mr. B.) the best have made nothing to sacrifice the unity and peace of the Church to their fancy, and rent it in pieces to strengthen their party: whence Mr. B. seems to infer they had not holy lives, but were wicked. I answer, if any man of purpose do so, I cannot think him to live holily; I know the wisdome from above is peaceable, Jam. 3. 17. Yet holy men thinking their fancy to be Gods truth, may out of zeal to their opinion rend the Church, and yet be holy men. Mr. B. saith in his Epist. Dedic. to the Saints everlasting rest direct. 5. That independency which gives the people to governe by vote, is the same thing with separation, which comes from pride and ignorance, and directly leades to the dissolution of all Churches. Then they that hold it hold their fancy, and rend the Church by it, and so by Mr. Bs. rule none of them were of holy lives. If Mr. B. censure so Mr. Atnsworth, Mr. Robinson stiled by Rivet. Explic. Dec. Exod. 20. praec. 4. vir pius, a godly man, &c. he will vent a more arrogant speech, then any he chargeth me with. Mr. Bs. opinions about faith and justification are by some counted fancies; if he should by them make a breach in the Church; yet I durst not deny his life to be holy. He calls it my reproach, that I think it may be safely said, that there are proportionably as many unholy Paedobaptists as of the opposites: to refute which he referres us to that said before, where I shall in its place examine it, and shew that he hath done much wrong to Antipoedo baptists in two things, 1. In charging them with the evils of sundry who were never of their society. 2. In charging the evils of some few Apostates upon all the Churches, though they expressely rejected the persons, and declared even publiquely in print against their wicked principles and practises, yea have been the first and almost the onelyonly men who have so declared, though many more then ever were of their Churches have fallen into the wicked Ranting wayes besides Copp, and some others termed Anabaptists. He tells me, Lay aside the common people, and compare each party that are carried to it in judgement and in conscience, and experience will confute me, and then bids me shew who came to the height of Cop, or those in Germany. To which I say, Who are carried to one side or other in judgement and conscience, it's impossible to determine, and therefore such an estimation as Mr. B. propoundes is not feasible: it's known many have been wicked on both sides: Copps and his followers madnesse is disclaimed by the Churches in London under baptisme in their Heart-bleedings for professors abominations, and therefore by Austins rule should not be charged on the Churches. Whether Hacket or any other were as wicked, who knowes but God? The evil carriages of the men have risen from their opinion of high enjoyments of God in the spirit, when they left ordinances, as was observed in the Levellers, not while they kept to baptisme and Church-communion. Mr. Weld observed in his Story of the Antinomians page 40. that conceit of special revelations was the original of Mrs. Hutchinsons miscarriage, and the like is conceived of the Anabaptists in Germany, and the like tragedy was neare acting in New England as there. Mr. B. I still judge does ill to aggravate so farre the actions of those in Germany and some in England, as if no miscarriages of others were comparable. I am sure it is no rule to judge a doctrine false by this, that the professors miscarry, but only to make men wary and fearful. If it be, he must judge the same doctrine false by reason of some mens miscarriages, and true because of others godly living. Page 200. he excepts against my Logick, for saying it is not idem per idem to know a false Prophet by his false doctrine. For what is a false Prophet but one that preacheth false doctrine? I answer, A false Prophet is one that is not sent by God, as a false Apostle, 2 Cor. 11. 13. is one that is not an Apostle of Christ, and it is no trifling repetition of the same, but the sure note that Christ gives, to say a false Prophet is known by his false doctrine. Ball Trial of grounds for separation chap. 13. page 312. If we look into the Scriptures of the old and New Testament, we shall never find the Prophets called true or false in respect of their outward calling, but in respect of their doctrine. When Mr. B. interprets [likely] by [ordinarily, or for the most part, or usually] as our ordinary sense of that phrase, I think he mistakes in the meaning and use of the word, and that [probably] doth better answer to it then [usually.] However, sith he dare not say that constantly all false doctrines end in wicked lives, Christs direction as he makes it [to know false Prophets by their wicked lives, which ordinarily though not constantly they end in however they begin otherwise] is a very blind one for his people of Kederminster to make use of, sith they cannot by it discerne an Antinomian or Anabaptist to be a false Prophet to beware of them, till they have observed the end of a whole party proving wicked, which perhaps will not be till they are dead that are tempted by them.