Apostolical Baptism, Postscript – Errata
A Postscript, to prevent mistakes.
WHat I have writ concerning Infants Baptisme, I acknowledge to be so farre true, that J am undoubtedly perswaded, That Infants Baptisme is not of God; in confirmation whereof, J shall (the Lord assisting, and if I be called thereto) leave the dearest comforts I have i… this life. And for liberty of conscience to the different wayes of Brethren, whether Independent or Antipaedobaptist, I am undoubtedly perswaded: But whether there be liberty to be granted to men of no conscience? Or to loose lived persons? That pretend conscience, when visibly it is onelyonly passion, humor, fancy, or cloaked iniquity, I leave it to inquiry.
The scope of this Treatise, as of the former, is partly to show the corruptio…s of Infants Baptisme, and partly to show, that no man can be compeld to Christian worship, or to a profession of the Christian Faith, nor punished (so farre as I can see yet) in case of unbelief or misbelief. Let the Reader also further enquire, whether the Magistrate have power to punish grosse idolatry, and blasphemy against God, Christ, the Scriptures, and holinesse, and seducements of persons by corrupt doctrines in fundamentall points, when there is no violation of the publike peace; These being reall do…ts to me, I will determine nothing on any side. Yet seeing there is nothing that I know of in the New Testament for the same, my conscience for the present incli…es me rather to think, That conservation of peace, equity, sobriety, &c. is the adaequate object of the Magistrates power: Yet (knowing there are many instances in the Old Testament, of Magistrates that have used a coercive power herein, and knowing how hard it is for a Christian spirit who loves his God to hear him blasphemed, or to see any man, much more a dear friend, seduced in d…ctrins that being fundamentally erronious will damn their souls) I have some fear of the contrary. This I have added to avoid all retractations, and that I may not be urged by my conscience, to print any recantation, in case I should be mistaken in so weighty a matter.
To conclude, Experience teaching us that every prevailing party, being prone, through pride, suspition, or conscience, or some such grounds, to crush those of a different judgement, for fear they should become the greater number, and so should crush them, will hereupon endeavour to bring all manner of tenents different from what themselves hold, under one of these three heads; either Blasphemy, Idolatry, or Seducement; and so (if Grace prevent not) will be apt to tyrannize over all persons different from them in judgement: so that nothing shall be preached, printed, or published, but if it be different from what the prevailing party holds, it shall be branded with the infamous name of Seducement; and nothing different shall be practised, either in worship or discipline, but it shall be stigmatized with the brand of Idolatry; and nothing shall be spoken or written, against the present wayes of worship or government, but it shall be defamed with the horrid name of Blasphemy: Jt standeth Magistrates in hand, that if in these three cases they shall be found to have any coercive power (which yet doth not cleerly appear to me) that they so bound these three cases, and all other of the like kinde, that they become not snares and traps to the godly, who shall differ injudgement from the present Governours; lest hereby there be a stop against new truths, when God shall reveal them; and godly persons as farre removed from Blasphemy and Idolatry as their present Judges be taken in these pits, as late experience can tell us in the High Commission Court, which at first was erected to curb the Papists, but in a short time became the bloudy scourge of Protestants.
FINIS.
Errata.
THere are many oversights in the Treatise, the Author living in the Country, only gentle Reader, the Author desires thee to blot out; Quer…, pag. 3. Whether every persons be not freely born to the choise of what religion, &c. And once, whereas the Author calles, The signes of the Covenant no seales, he desires thee upon second thoughts, further to inquire hereof. The other faults being many, and more then once interrupting the sence, the Author desires thee to construe them charitably.
Vale.
End of the text · Christopher Blackwood, Apostolical Baptism (1645)