A Forerunner to a Large Review of the Dispute Concerning Infant Baptism, Treatise · Section 2
SECT. II. That the title of Mr. Baxters book is a mock-title.
MR. Bs. Book is intituled Plain Scripture-proof of Infants churchmembership and baptism: which is true only foreign: to the contrary, and might have been moretruly intituled, no plain Scriptureproof for infants baptism. Let any man but view his texts which are these: Mat. 28. 19. Acts 15. 10. Levit. 25. 41, 42. Luke 9. 47, 48. with Mat. 18. 5. Mark. 9. 41. Rom. 11. 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26. Mat. 23. 37, 38, 39. Revel. 11. 15. Heb. 8. 6. & 7. 22. Deut. 29. 10, 11, 12. Rom. 4. 11. Exod. 20. 6. Josh. 7. 25, 26. Deut. 13. 12, 13, 14. Exod. 20. 5. Num. 31. 17. Dan. 6. 24. Deut. 20. 16, 17. Deut. 28 4, 18, 32, 41. Mal. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Mark 9. 36, 37. & 10. 13, 14, 15, 16. being not prepossessed with his Chymical extractions, but using his own wit or ancient Commentators, yea or modern except about three or four of these texts, and I should as soon expect he should conclude a new world in the moon as Infant-baptisme from them. The very first and only text which speaks a word of baptism is so plain against infant-baptisme, that Paedobaptists in their Commentaries and disputes think it enough if they can avoid the force, of it against them. Yea is not Mr. Bs. own confession contradictory to the title of his book? page 3. posit. 1. He tells us of some things plainly determined in Scripture, others have no such determination. And saith, Such is the case of infant-baptisme. And page 301. If the very baptisme of infants it self be so darke in the Scripture, that the controversie is thereby become so hard as we finde it, &c. And if it be so dark in Scripture, and found so hard by him, me thinks that he might not be thought to delude people; he should have altered the title, and forborne to talke as he doth in his book of bringing plain Scripture-proof to them that call for them. If I might be allowed to passe my censure on him as he doth on me, I would not stick to say, that laying aside his Rhetorick, his exclamations, interrogations, admirations, expostulations, misapprehensions of my actions and answers, invectives against Anabaptists, and two or three quirkes of wit, there's as little matter to his purpose that hath the likenesse of solidity in his book as I have met within a book so specially set forth, and so much cried up, and that he doth onelyonly magno caenatu nugas agere, endeavour much to trifle much; and that he had done better with the Oxford Convocatior, Mr. Bedford (as he cites him page 301.) with many others to have rested on tradition unwritten, then to bring such impertinent texts as he hath done for infant-baptisme. But I must remember I am an Antagonist. He saith he was constrained thereunto unavoidably by my importunity. Answer, Ti's true I was importunate to have his arguments in writing: but never that he should print them, much lesse print my answers taken onelyonly from my mouth either relying on anothers pen or his own memory. Doctor Rainolds dealt not so with Hart the Jesuit: nor will I think an ingenuous scholler conceive his dealing candid, who knowes the difference of answering in verbal conference, and writing where the argument is before the respondent. If I were so importunate he might have conceived it was for my satisfaction, which he denies to have been manifested to him page 281. or if it were onelyonly for my neighbours there had been some love in it if we had had them without printing them, specially with such asperity and foule descirptions of me as he makes. But now he hath printed let's look upon them.