Infant Baptism Asserted and Vindicated, Dedication
Mr. BAXTER'S EPISTLE.
Chriſtian Reader,
THough thou art entertained with theſe Contoverſies, which are unpleaſing to many good and peaceable men, it muſt be conſidered, 1. How far they are Neceſſary; 2. And who makes them ſo. This kind of work is more coſtly and bitter to peaceable Authors that are forced to it, than it is to the Readers. And it's pity that the Miniſters of Chriſt ſhould, for 1500 years be taken up ſo much with a work that is ſo unpleaſant to almoſt all. It is unpleaſant to the Adverſary, to have his Ignorance, Errors, Falſhoods and Injuries to the Truth and Church, made known to his diſgrace; and to have that proved an odious Error which he taketh to be a Beam from Heaven, and of a Divine Off-ſpring, and perhaps neceſſary to Salvation, or at leaſt ſome excellent thing which the Church cannot ſpare. It is unpleaſant to the ſober pious Writer, to think that he muſt thus diſpleaſe and exaſperate his Brother, and all that are of the way which he oppugneth: and that thereby he muſt provoke ſo many to eſteem and defame him as an enemy to the Truth. And it is not pleaſant to think, what hard ſtudy and labour it muſt coſt us to procure this bitter fruit, when by Ignorance, Sloth or treacherous Silence, we could have kept our peace, and ſuch mens Love. And it is unpleaſant to the beſt of Readers, to find mens Minds thus manifeſting their diſſenſions, and to think of the Exaſperations and wrath that will enſue, and to ſee ſuch Wars kept up among thoſe who ſhould be notified to the World by an Eminency of Love: But it will be pleaſant to thoſe Hypocrites, whoſe Religion conſiſteth in Opinions, Parties and Diſputes, if they be of his mind whoſe Works they read; and it will be bitterſweet to thoſe wiſe and pious men that find it Neceſſary.
For Neceſſary it may be, and too oft is: It's hard keeping our own or the Churches Peace, unleſs both Parties will conſent: As much as in us lieth, and if it be poſſible, we muſt live peaceably with all men: But when it is not poſſible, we muſt lament the want of what we are not able to obtain. For all Chriſt's Miniſters to ſtand by and ſee well-meaning ignorant people, called as in God's name, to ſin againſt him, and flattered or frightned from Truth, Duty and Privileges, and to let ſuch work go on to the danger of Souls, and diſtracting of Chriſt's Churches without contradiction, will hardly conſiſt with our Miniſterial Fidelity.
Therefore as unneceſſary Wars, are the greatest complicate ſins in the World, and yet neceſſary Wars are the means of Peace; ſo it is in theſe Theological Wars: And as the valiant Defenders of their Country in neceſſary Wars, have right to the praiſes given them by all; ſo thoſe that neceſſarily defend God's Truth and his Churches Rights, deſerve acceptance. Among whom I judge the Reverend Author of this Treatiſe to be worthy of the Churches thanks, on ſeveral accounts. It is no contemptible Privilege which he vindicateth. The Intereſt of all Chriſtians Children in the World, in the Covenant and Viſible Church of Chriſt, is a matter of greater moment, than moſt that acknowledge it do duly lay to heart, much more than the unthankful Rejecters of it underſtand. The Title given to the Pelagians was Ingrati, the Unthankful, becauſe they diſputed againſt God's Grace, which they themſelves did need as well as others: Such Cicero thought thoſe Philoſophers that diſputed againſt the Immortality of Mans Soul: And Mr. Tombes was long ago angry with me, for giving that Title to them that ſo vehemently diſpute all Infants out of the viſible Church and Covenant. But let the Evidence of the Cauſe well conſidered inform us, and it will be too ſure, that Publick Repentance would far better beſeem ſuch Writers as Mr. Danvers, than ſtiff perſisting in this unthankful Error.
I have written ſomewhat my ſelf, upon Mr. Danvers vehement inſtigation, once more on this Subject, partly in anſwer to Mr. Tombes and partly to himſelf. But let not the notice of that hinder you from reading this Treatiſe: For I have dealt with Mr. Danvers only on the account of his pretended Witneſſes for a thouſand years after Chriſt, and his quarrels with my ſelf; having neither leiſure, nor will, nor patience (all things conſidered) to meddle with his Arguments (or the rest of his Hiſtory) while I know how ſufficiently they ſtand confuted in my own and many other mens Writings long ago.) But this Reverend Author hath dealt with him more particularly, and anſwered his Arguments ſatisfactorily, and ſearch'd into thoſe and all the reſt of his pretended Antiquities, and not only done that which I have paſſed by, but the ſame alſo, in a full Confutation.
And it is ſo ſad a Caſe, that after all our dreadful Warnings, we ſhould ſtill be haunted with this unquiet Spirit which hath been exorciſed or laid ſo oft; and that under all our other Trials, we ſhould have the addition of theſe vexatious dividing Wranglings, to turn mens hearts against each other, that we owe the more thanks to ſuch as the Author, for bringing ſo much water to quench theſe flames: eſpecially in a time when ſo many diſaffected Perſons are ready, to impute to Presbyterians, Independents or any ſuch other, that they deſire to defame, the Errors of all about them, whom they do not confute; yea too oft alſo thoſe that they do confute; while ſome others betray the Cauſe by ſilence, or ſilly unſatisfactory Arguings. Pardon (or chuſe) a man that offendeth all Sects by plain dealing, for telling the World, That if the Anabaptiſts had been no better confuted, than the Papiſts and the Silencers have confuted them, I verily think that ſo great a part of the conſcientious (though injudicious) Vulgar would have followed them, as would have made work and trouble for us all. Farewell.
At the door of Eternity, Rich. Baxter. June 24. 1674.