Exceptions Against some Passages Relating to Infant Baptism, Section 4
Sect. 4.
IN reference to our Pastour (we think the word is very p…oper) some things have been said in vindication of him. Not for his own sake, his reputation, or name sake, we mean, which is fallen indeed into the mouths of Dogs, and under the feet of swine (if any such there be in your Church) and it makes not much, say we, and so thinks he, being the case ever of his betters, the best and most upright, that ever were in the world. Moreover the Pearle lieth there, and it is good being now, and ever where the Pearle is: and therefore we could not press on for his rescue, had we strength that way for his own sake, how deserving soever he might be, but for the peoples sake, over whom God hath placed him, we stand charged to rescue His name what we can, from out of the mouths of Dogs, and from under the feet of Swine, minding our selves, and reminding you of Aug. good saying, (a)Nobis fratres sufficit conscientia nostra, sed propter vos etiam fama pollêre debet.for our selves Brethren, our Consciences sufficeth, but for you our name also had need be pretious and honourable, for we would have our words savour sweetly with you, then must our name as well as our words, be sweet and pretions to you.
Of our selves we have spoken also, so you compelled us, charging us, we thought, with little less then Heresie, under the suspition or charge whereof, no man should sit still and be In suspicione Haeresios nolo quempiam esse patientem.patient. You can suffer fools gladly, seeing you your selves are wise. But for that heavy charge, that we engross, and so forth; The Lord judge between you and us: and if we have given any the least offence to any Godly man, that cannot walk with us, the Lord shew it us: and if any offence be taken, as certainly it is, you and he may consider, it is but taken; which ye cannot answer before your God, being taken up upon report or suspition onelyonly, without any tryal, or making the least search into the ma…ter. For your selfe Sir, we know your way, and we see your walk, as to Gospel administrations, full up with Mr. H. as cross to the way of Christ, and foot-steps of his flock, in our apprehension, as the broad way is to the narrow. And so being, as the Scripture doth judge of it, a meer offence to the Lord Christ, and his people, you may consider what love, and brotherly respects you have, or can shew to him, or them that must decline M. Hs. his way, as they will an huge Serpent in their Path. Other matters you point at, wholly mistaking, we think; and then mis-judging or perve… ting the scope or d…ift thereof, for want of you know what, wherein men of Mr. Hs. his way and judg…ment, for the most part, are wholly wanting. Charity hath a large mantle, as we have heard, and can make a fair gloss upon a foule Text. We are sure, as clear a Comment, as can be upon a dark Text. It deals as tenderly with a mans meaning, as with a mans eye. In the second place, and so to mention your Exceptions in due order.
We be-beast a man, say you, you should adde what is added, if he turn his back upon the word of his grace, as he more then seemed to do; you may add this also, a be…st he is, if it was never manifested to him, that he was a beast, and so he never Eccles. 3. 18.be-beasted himself, as the b…st men have done, having so much of the beast in them; surely every man in his sinful state is a beast, and did he know himselfe, would call himselfe a beast; when David for one sinful act calls himselfe a Behemoth, a Psal. 73. 22,grea… b…ast before the Lor…; but take it at the worst, the manner of men so to do, and so be it granted, we be-beast a man, say you.
So may we do, we think, and by as good warrant, as you be-Saint him, …nd his fellow Brethr…n in the same iniquity with him, because he was baptized in the Churc…, and eo nomine, and s… forth: Bu… it is not Christian-like so to do, say you, or to that purpose, if we und…rstand you.
Ye…, …ay we, John the Baptist was a good Christian sure, yet doth he be-beast a generat…on of men, who did pass for as good men in common account, as most of the Clerk in most of the Parish…s over this Nation. Matth. 3. 7. And Peter spake much after the same ra…e to Sim…n Mag…s, after he had made himselfe manifest, Acts 8. 23. Ye remember as well what was …aid to Elymas the So…cerer, Acts. 13. 10. When Tares app…ar Tares, you may c…ll them Tares; But while they look like Wheat, as in some places they did, as you have read, and so may they look now in …pp…ance like Christians; and for a time; then all that time of their non-appearance, to be what they are, close Hypocrites; you and we must beware of rash judgem…nt. But if the shew of our countenance doth Isa. 3. 9.witness against us, and we declare our sin like Sodom, then charity it selfe will allow you (if your heare will give you leave, and your tenderness of your C…urch, where all are holy) to be beast us, if you please, or if your genius finde some regreat at that beast-like word; you may call us sinners before the Lord, or Sodomite, and worse, b…cause we live in a land of visions. Smooth words are as prophesying deceits, thes… please us now, but undoe us for ever; Therefore let not this move with you, to deal in terms more gently or smoothly with us, because we were born and baptized in your Church (which we have acknowledged a great priviledge) Wherein this Nation highly transcends all the Nations in the world, where the Gospel is preached, when we consider our Church-priviledges and visible Prerogatives) Notwithstanding the rather do you be-beast us as much, and as often as you please, the holy Scripture will be your warrant, if we, declaring our selvs to be beasts, while we declaring; as aforesaid our sins like Sodom. For to adde this which one of us have read, Men are worse then Beasts, when they do worse; their preheminence of constitution is lost in the baseness of their actions, and they pu… themselves by so much inferior to beasts, by how Phil. 3. 2.much they were placed above them. But to be-beast men doth not argue us humble, say you. Nor will it argue us proud, say we, Paul was no proud person, and yet did he be-beast a great company, c…lling them Dogs in one place, and Titus. 1. 11.bids Titus remember, wh…t one of the…r own Prophets said of the Cretans calling them evil beasts. We know how you argue from that place, let it pass; being not to our purpose here.
But truely, for ought we can learn to the contrary, the worst of that company, who are called Dogs, might be as good (all things considered) as the Cle…k you wot of; for possible it is, though we hope so it is not, he may be, as too many of that calling ar… in too many Parishes, over your National Church, the veriest Varlets there, considering their Clerk-ships, and yet as frequ…ntly at the Lords Table, as their Masters are, the Ministers here, and the second man, that is served, after the Minister hath served himselfe. We will adde this, if it please y…u, the Lord Christ did little less, then be-beast, at least he did not be-Saint those against whom he denounced so many wo…s; nor was he uncharitable sure in so doing. To proceed.
In the third place, We are loth to call some men Ministers, say you. Indeed we are loth to call them such whom the Lord accounts not such, not finding them faithful, as is required Ministers of the Gospel and Stewards in his house should be. And such we think you would not call M…nisters, neither were it not for the honour you give to your Church, your Church-men, and Church-way where all and every one is holy that walk in it, not one unclean or Lyon there. Haply you may have a respect to your own honour also, for if he or they prove b…d, you will not be approved very good; for remember you may, that you and we were called upon, when time was, to do as was our duty, lest we be partakers of oth…r si…s, giving our hands for them, the manner of some whom the Lord will not take by the hand, and so making our selves as one of them, and as guilty before the L…rd, by justifying the wicked, as by condemning the just, For even they both are an Abomination to the Lord, Prov. 17. 15. And,
4. In the fourth place you tell us, That you will decline Mr. H. and his way, when we have made good our charge of Blasph…my against him; To that purpose if we can reach you.
It seems then, you will separate from none, no not at the Lords Table, but Blasphemers in your sense; and then m…y you j…in your self with Ranters and Quakers, for neither of both, as we conceive, will be found guilty of that kind of Blasphemy, which was punished with death, and which you seem to point at.
But Sir, more of your charity might have been desireable here. Surely we shall make it appear to the world, however it appears to you, we charge him not with blasph my in your sense, though we acknowledge the same or such like word might pass from us, nor see we cause yet to recall it, as thus, The way of Truth hath been evil spoken of by him, which 2 Pet. 2. 2.you may safely render we think Blasphemed, for so, as we have heard the Greek doth, and so may we, though that word sounds more high and harsh. Blasphemy is of as large an extent, and general acceptation in the Scripture, as your Disciples and Saints are. And you might have dealt as charitably in your interpretation of the one, as you do in the other. There is Blasphemy in a large sense, and blasphemy in a strict sense; So you say of your Saints; (we neither say it, nor acknowledge it, you do) but had you said as much of the other, (for which you have ground enough in the Scripture) you had said nothing as to that charge against us in your friends behalf. Would we could be as much aff…cted, hearing the name of our God, and his Truths contradicted and blasphemed, as we are hearing the name of our friend spoken evil of. This would argue us more then almost altogether Christians.
Yet take your saying, whereto we only say this to vindicate our questioned, we think, and wronged charity towards the Man of your perswasion. That we wish him as well as you do; and tender his well-fare here and hereafter, as much and more then you can, while you walk in the same way with him, in point of Free Admission to all Church Administraon…. Nor can we take, as we judge, a readie… way to shew it, but to convince you bo…h, as we can, of the iniquity of your way, wherein you walk together as friends. Why Si…, …here is many woful Rebukes, the Godly Ministers have denounced against those they wish dearly well unto. These are not as learned Bez… saith, Imprecations, but pred…ctions of what 2 Pet. 2 11. Illud vae and B…z…'s Greek note upon the place.will be if they hold on in their way, And so to adde this, they are deprecations rather, or earnest intreaties, T…at they would withdraw their foot out of their own way of sin and death. So much to that charge. And
5. In the fifth place for Mr. Nut: whom we call, say you, the great Disputer in the Country.
Possibly we said so, and let it go, for we say what we know, and as many as we know intus & in cute, say the same thing of him also.
But you say we speak so of him, because we know him not. Yet we know him, and ther…fore we speak so of him.
But if we know him indeed, we would speak of him (as others do) What do others say of him, but what we say too? That he is a good man we hope, and full of the holy Ghost and of Faith? And yet of these things he may be put in remembrance, and charged before the Lord, and we beleeve so may you too; That ye strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the Hearers. There are Disputers of the World; we must see to it, we be not in that number whom God hath made foolish and will destroy. Most assured we are, That if ye could take Blessed Tindals good counsel, in his good Letter to his good Brother, ye would leave off your disputings, which Paul would number amongst those foolish questions and strivings we are bid to avoid, and apply your selves to main and necessary Truths putting it to the Question, and resolving it from the Word and Spirit there (for you will not take a single witness) Am I a member of that body whereof Christ is the Head, and the Saviour? Is my heart sprinkled from an evil conscience? Is my body washed with pure water? There is the Baptism indeed; yet do we account, as highly of the other, The Infants priviledge as you do, if you do no more, then you ought, and have warrant from the Lord to do, as a seal to Gods promise, that sin shall dye. And for them that oppose Infant Baptism, rising up in their might against it, some of whom fear God above many, though yet one among us hath read so much of them, and their doings, beyond the Seas, and here at home, together with their Jehn-l…ke march, or driving on their way, that we can hardly contain, but let 2 King. 5. 10.flye against them; see what spirits we have I but the Lord rebuke them, lest we prove our selves as furious as they, for that is th… Epithite we hear, was and is still given unto them, wherever ye read of the fore-men and leaders of them. But soft words and hard arguments are more becomming, and likely may do more go…d, if earnest prayers go a…ong with th…m, w…ich do as well in arguing as in realling. So it may appear, …e seek nor o…selves at all, but to gain an erring brother, foreign, speaking the truth in love. And that we Eph. 4. 15.prize a soule, as we do the truth, that the one may be saved, and the other have the victory; which doubtless shall be: stay but a while, and we shall see it, and the fight will be glorious. In the mean time we should remember, The Lord of the whole earth commands us silence, till he shew us his warrant to speak; and having that, speak we may, and spare not, and be not slack or slow in the business. For we conceive, as our betters do; the Apostle doth not speak positively; Let every man be slow to speak; flowness or heaviness, not being a vertue, nor any mans commendation: But he speaks comparatively, Be swift to hear, and slow to speak; that is, he ye more nimble with your ears then with your tongue; Jam. 1. 19.Be rather willi…g to receive instruction, then forward to give it; rather attend the mind of others, then open your own. But when you open it, open not your folly with it; which we cannot but do, if we open or make shew of the least wrath, which is but as the outward flashings in the face, that show the distempers to be much within. We would be more large, that we might be more plain, and clear our selves to you, and your good Neighbour in this matter. But this only we can take time and think necessary to adde.
If your said Neighbour be such a man, as you account him to be, and we hope he is, he will take all well, and amend what is amiss, meditating upon necessary things, as they use to do, who give themselves wholly to them, that their profiting may appear to all. But these are the Questions he will put to others, having through the supply of the Spirit, and witness thereof, resolved them in his own soule first. In the last place.
6. You make some mention of your worthy Brother Mr. F. as we apprehend i…, so we shall speak to it, we have upon a just account, as we conceive, put in our Exceptions against some passages in his book for Infant Baptism towards the latter end. And if we can spell your meaning, and answer to us, …s to that particular, he intends a second Edition; We wish him and his labours prosperity in the Name of the Lord; And truely so much we honour him, and so heartily, that we desire that Book as well as his other, might have been commended in whole, and every part, as he to his friend without an Exception; which we think will not be by him or them, that shall approve themselves unbiassed Readers, giving so much and no more to Infant Baptisme, then what they who have the mind of Christ give unto it. We are more then jealous your brother leanes some thing too much to one extream, because others leane so much to the other, magnifying Baptism so much, because others do so much vili…ie it; so hard a thing it is, yea impossible to flesh and blood to follow after Christ, just behinde Him, with an eye fixed upon that guide Math. 10. 38. Lege Bez.that leads into all Truth in the directions of his word, leaning neither to the right hand nor to the left. This only more we would now say to that particular: Let i… please him to look over the bottome of pag. 80, together with 81, 82, 83. And then take the good counsel himselfe, he so piously gives to his Readers; Read those passages again; and pray them over, so perhaps he will see cause to correct some lines there, and blot our some other, where multae non poterunt, una litura potest, where many blots in some page will not serve the turn, one will.
Reminding one passage more in your Paper, we thought fit to say this to it, that indeed, laus a la…d to, as the man is, such is his strength, and such is his praise, and so being seasonably remembred of it, we may forbear.
For the close of this our Answer to your paper, we would say six things and so end.