Further Discovery of the Quakers, Reply · Position 16
Poſition 16. They cry downe Baptiſme with Water, and the Lords Supper, as being but types and ſhadowes ceaſing upon the appearance of Chriſt within them.
Excep. 1 Though the generall charge lie, and our many proofes which he doth not deny, make it cleare that they cry downe all Baptiſme with Water; yet Nayler in his anſwer ſhuffles from that charge, and falls to except againſt Infant Bap…iſme.
Reply. Reader we ſhould willingly cleare up that Ordinance of Chriſt to thee, but it hath bin ſo fully cleared in the learned writings of Mr. Marſhall, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Blak…, Mr. Si…enham, &c. … are loath to fill up our Booke with the diſcuſſing and clearing … that point (it being already growne up to a bulke beyond … thoughts) and ſhall referre thee for ſatisfaction in th…ſe … diſcourſes. But let the Reader obſerve, that this is but a … evaſion of Nayler, for our proofes doe evidently ſatisfie … they cry downe all manner of Baptiſme with Water, no… … the Baptizing of Infants, but of all, and its further app… by their practice.
Excep. 2 But at laſt he ſpeaks his mind, and reaſons againſt all … tiſme, and quotes that of Paul, 1 Cor. 4.14. Paul knew wha… he ſpake when he thanked God he had Baptized no more; for Chriſt (ſaith he) ſent me not to Baptize, but to Preach.
Reply 1 1 Cor. 1 14 opened.By theſe expreſſions, Nayler ſeems to make Paul looke upon his Baptizing others as a ſinne, and ſo to thanke God that he Baptized no more. How is this to heape ſinne upon Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, who Baptized three thouſand at one time. Acts 2.41. Ieruſalem and all Iudea went forth to John to be Baptized of him, and yet Ieſus himſelfe made and Baptized more Diſciples then Iohn. See Iohn 4.1. though Ieſus himſelfe Baptized none but his Diſciples, what is this but to make …ul condemne the practice of thoſe ſaints, and oppoſe the c… mand of the Lord Ieſus, Goe and Baptize, Mat. 28.19.
2. But to give thee the full meaning of Pauls expreſſion then ſhalt finde, 1 Cor. 1.12. he is charging them for factions, Ou… ſaid, I am of Paul, another I am of Apollo, &c. and argues thus, Were you Baptized in the name of Paul? and thence takes occaſion to bleſſe God, for not having Baptized many, leſt any ſhould from thence have growne into a Faction; as himſelfe gives the reaſon, ver. 15. leſt any ſhould ſay, I have Baptized in my owne name, and from thence have made a Faction; ſo that he bleſſeth God that ſith the Corinthians were growne of ſuch Factions and dividing ſpirits that providence had ſo ordered it, that they had by his Baptizing ſo few of them, ſo little advantage to cry him, or his name up in oppoſition to Apollos, Chriſt, or Ceph…. Yet by the hiſtory of the Acts of the Apoſtles, thou mayſt obſerve, that when ever any were converted by Paul, they were Baptized, Acts 16.15. ver. 33. Acts 18.8. many of the Corinthians hearing, beleeved, and were Baptized. Acts 22.16. &c. But if Nayler from that expreſſion, Chriſt ſent me not to Baptize, but to Preach, will argue againſt Baptiſme, he will fully make voyd the expreſſe commands of Chriſt for Baptizing, and charge ſinne upon the Apoſtles practice; ſo that in ſtead of crying downe expounding Scriptures we leave him to ſtudy what that expreſſion meaneth.
Excep. For the outward ſignes of the Supper, doe this in remembrance of me till I come; but when he was come, then the Bread which they did breake was the Body of Chriſt.
Reply 1 We cannot but be amazed at his groſſe perverting Scripture: but we have ſhowne the falſe meaning of that expreſſion (till he come) in the Perfect Phariſee, pag. 29.The Lords Supper an Ordinance to the end of the vvorld. That thoſe Corinthians to whom Paul wrote, and commands to uſe that Ordinance, Doe this in remembrance of me, till the comming of Chriſt, &c. were thoſe in whom he was ſpiritually come before, 1 Cor. 1.2. Yet notwithſtanding that ſpirituall comming, they were commanded to eate of the Bread, and drinks of the Cup, to ſhew forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26. till he come; that is not till his ſpirituall comming in the worke of grace (that was paſt before) but his comming in glory.
2. The life of ſaints here is a life of Faith, Heb. 10.38. the juſt ſhall live by his Faith. Now for the nouriſhing and ſtrengthning of Faith, he hath left the Seales of Bread and Wine, as the holders forth of his Body and Blood for Faith to act it ſelfe upon; and therefore before Faith be ſwallowed up in viſion theſe are appointed as ſtanding Ordinances by the Lord Ieſus for the eſtabliſhing of it.
The reſt of his anſwer is made up of ſuch rayling in ſtead of reaſoning, and ſuch inconſiſtent expreſſions, that we ſhall onelyonly leave him to the Lord, to deale with his conſcience for the guilt of them.