A Forerunner to a Large Review of the Dispute Concerning Infant Baptism, Treatise · Section 16
SECT. XVI. The ground of my opposing infant-baptism is confirmed by Mr. B. himself.
PAge 205. He tells me all the Ministers and schollers that he can meete with, that heard my disputes, did think I had silly grounds to build my confidence in: and though I boast much of my answers by writing, he thinks my writings have little to be boasted of. Answ. I have some experience of Ministers and Schollers, and I sind few fit to judge of controversies, and of those few not many willing to search impartially into a point that's against the streame, and likely to expose them to hard measure: some that talk much study little, nor is it a new thing to find some that wrangle in dispute for such a sense of a Scripture as when they are out of the heat of dispute they themselves expound otherwise. The Ministers and Schollers at the dispute, such as they were, weigh but little with them that know them best. My writings are not boasted of by me, yet men equal to Mr. B. or any auditors of the dispute have said more of them then I am willing to speak of. My imployment in this argument seemes to me to be part of my work God hath allotted me, though I am known not to be idle in other work. What Mr. B. calls fallacies passing from me, will be proved verities. My arguments from Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15, 16. are to be found in my Exercit. sect. 15. Examen part. 4. sect. 1. to which Mr. Ms. replies are insufficient as I shall shew in my Review. In the worship of God it was wont to be accounted a certain rule, that Gods worship should be observed according to his appointment and no otherwise. And so Protestant Divines argue from 1 Cor. 11. 28. selfe-examiners are appointed to eate, Ergo no infants or younglings, though young ones ate the Passeover. Yea Mr. B, himself page 221. If Christ never sent any but Ministers to baptize then no others may do it. If there be no example of any but Ministers that have baptized (though parenrs did circumcise) then no others may do it: (For the Apostles established the Church according to Gods mind; and the Scripture is a sufficient rule) page 222. if there be no command or example in Scripture of any but Ministers administring the Lords Supper then no others may do it. Page 342. If we have no warrant by word or example in all the New Testament (since the solemne institution of baptisme, Mat. 28.) to admit any member into the Church without baptisme, but both percept and example of admitting them by it: then we must not admit any without it (ordinarily) I take his own medium mutatis mutandis, and thence inferre, If we have no warrant by word or example in all the New Testament (since the solemne institution of baptisme Mat. 28.) to admit any member into the Church by baptisme but believers by profession, but both precept and constant example of admitting them by it, then we must not admit any without it (ordinarily) I use his own words and texts. But the Antecedent is evident, John 4. 1. Acts 2. 38, 41. and 8. 12, 13, 16, 36, 38. and 9. 18. and 10. 47, 48. and 16. 15, 33. and 18. 8. and 19. 3, 4, 5. Rom. 6. 3. &c. the Consequent is undoubted to those that take the word for their rule. If Mr. B. will stand to his own argument he must make good my arguing from. Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15, 16. unlesse he have some such strange shift as Mr. Cotton puts in the mouth of Silvanus (who personates himself) in his book intitled, The grounds and ends of baptisme in the Preface page 3. where he intimates that the urging against childrens baptism this main principle of purity and reformation, to wit [that no duty of Gods worship nor any ordinance of religion is to be administred in the Church but such as hath just warrant from the word of God] is from Satan, but from God when it is urged against the Prelatists and Papists: so Mr. B. thinks his medium good against Socinians, but not (though it be the same) for the Anabaptists. He addes, All your confident words shew me not the least ground for your conclusion no more then thus: Scripture requireth faith to justification, therefore none but believers are justified: which is false, yet like yours, if I know what you would thence deduce. Answ. He now I hope knowes what and how I deduce, or rather how Mr. B. deduceth my conclusion from Mat. 28. 19. Marke 16. 15, 16. not onelyonly in my words, but also his own (though I had often long before deduced my argument in the places before quoted, and elsewhere in my writings) of the validity of which deduction I am the more confident, because it is in Mr, Bs. own words justly brought by me against himself. If the Scripture requireth saith of all to justification, then it is not false that none but believers are justified. Yet infants may be justified by habitual faith or actual by operation in an extraordinary way: But the Scripture requires profession of faith afore any be baptized ordinarily. As for what may be done extraordinarily elsewhere I have expressed my self, and have vindicated my self from the wrong inferences made thence Postscript sect. 15. and elsewhere. Page 206. The People of Kederminster did not heare from my mouth in the dispute Jam. 1. How little Anabaptists could say in the hardest point of baptisme: for I used no such wordes, nor any thing I said or omitted to say can infer it: and when they have read my answer me thinks they should believe I could say more then I did say then, and see the reason why no more was said then. It is a meere Calumny that he saith, I chose out the weakest arguments or urged some that were strong in a way of my own, and then triumphed and answered as weakely in my Sermons. To my best understanding I chose out the best arguments I found in Mr. M. Mr. G. Dr. H. M. Drew, Mr. Blake, Mr. Cobbet, and some others, and that for the most partin their own words, which that I might not mistake I read in the pulpit, & therefore what ever my answers were, I am sure it is an untruth that I chose out the weakest arguments, and urged some that were strong in a way of my own. When I threatned Mr. B. with the danger he went in or opposing me, unlesse it were from God for opposing truth I know not, and therefore take this supposed threatning of mine to be either his, or his tale-tellers fiction.