The Doctrine and Practice of Paedobaptism, Title page – Dedication
THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE OF PAEDOBAPTISME, Aſſerted and Vindicated. By a large and full improovement of ſome principall Arguments for it, and a briefe Reſolution of ſuch materiall Objections as are made againſt it.
Whereunto is annexed a briefe and plaine Enarration, both Doctrinall and Practicall, upon Mark 10. v. 13. 14. 15. 16. As it was ſome time ſince Preached in the Church of Great Yarmouth: Now publiſhed for an Antidote againſt thoſe yet ſpreading Errours of the times, Anabaptiſme and Catabaptiſme.
By JOH. BRINSLEY.
Tanto magis proinfantibus loqui debemus, quanto minus ipſi pro ſe loqui poſſunt.
Auguſt. ad Hil. Ep. 89.
London, Printed for Charles Greene, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Ivie Lane at the ſigne of the Gun. 1645.
I Have peruſed this Vindication of The Doctrine and Practiſe of Paedobaptiſme, in which the Reverend Authour hath alſo handled ſome things not uſ…ally treated on by any, in our Language, which he ſubmits to the judgement of the learned and judicious; And I commend to be Imprinted.
Ja. Cranford. May 22. 1645.
To all the true Lovers of Truth and Peace in the Church of England, Specially thoſe in the Towne of Great Yarmouth.
TO You have I dedicated this part of my labours, to whom I have devoted all. What ſad and dangerous diſtempers have invaded the Eccleſiaſticall body of this Kingdome in this ſpring-time of Reformation, I ſhall not need to tell you; there being ſcarce any part of it but feels of them, and labours under them. Heereupon it hath beene, and is my higheſt ambition, to ſhew my ſelfe (what one of Col. 4. 14. Lucas de Medico corporum factus jam erat Medicus animarum. Hieron. in ep. ad Phil.the Pen-men of ſacred Writ is ſaid to have been, and what every Miniſter of the Goſpel, (at this time ſpecially) ought to be) both an Evangeliſt, and a Phyſician. To this end I have already adventured abroad ſome Counſels and Preſcripts, The healing of Iſraels breaches An. 1642 Church-Reformation. An. Church-Remedy. An. 1644,which being proper for the place where Providence hath laid out my Practice, may alſo (if rightly applied) proove not unuſefull to others. And to the ſame end it is that I have now ſent this Tractate after them; wherein you have a Topicall Remedy for that ſpreading Gangrene of Anabaptiſm, which, unleſſe timely prevented, may prove fa…all to the whole body both of this Church and State. This evill beginning to ſhew it ſelfe as in ſome other parts adjacent, ſo) in this place, which God hath in part committed to my Cure, I was induced ſometime ſince to encounter with it in the Pulpit. My endeavours heerein (I bleſſe God) I found not altogether unſucceſſefull. And heereupon I am now the rather incouraged to preſent them to a more publick view. Wherein, if any ſhall conceive my ſervice M. Marſhals Sermon. M. Cooke. D…. Featly &c. Gen. 38. 30. 31needleſſe, in regard of the divers learned Treatiſes of this kinde already publiſhed, I ſhall only deſire them to believe, that (as, however thoſe Pharezzes were firſt brought foorth, yet this Zarah put foorth the hand before moſt of them, the Pulpit being for moſt part delivered of the one, before the Preſſe was of the other ſ… they ſhall meet with ſomwhat heere, which they may yet call New. Amongst other paſſages I ſhall humbly take leave to Apologize for one, which poſsibly may riſe in the ſtomack of ſome, viz. the Holding forth of Confirmation (as it is called) in the primitive ſimplicity of it, for an Apoſtolicall Ordinance. This (I confeſſe) I cooke the firſt hint of from learned and judicious M. Calvin, as he himſelfe, though he would aNon inficior, in co nonnihil hallucinari Hieronymum, quod Apoſtolicam eſſe obſervationem dicit, viz. Confi…mationem. Calv inſtit. l. 4 c. 19. S. 4.not from St. bHieron contra Lucif.Ierome, yet after upon ſecond thoughts, did from S… cHeb. 6. 2. Hic unus locus abundè teſtatur hujus Ceremoniae (ſc. Impoſitionis manuum in Confirmatione) originem fluxiſſe ab Apoſtolis. Cat. Com. in ep. ad Heb. ca. 6. v. 2.Paul. And finding it a point ſo uſefull, not only in the preſent controverſie o… Paedobaptiſme, but alſo for the healing of ſome of the chiefe differences of the times, viz▪ about mixt.Communion, and Church▪Covenant, I could not but hold forth that little light concerning it, which I have received from ſome others, ſuch as were in their times magna Eccleſiae lumina, dRev. 1. 16. 20.ſtars of the firſt magnitude, eJoh. 5. 35.burning and ſhining Lampes. If any ſhall not heereby ſee what others have done, and my ſelfe imagine to doe, I ſhall only crave of them, firſt to take off that filme of prejudice which poſsibly the groſſe corruption of this ſuppoſed Ordinance in the former practiſe of it, both in the Church of Rome, and amongst our ſelves, may have drawen over their eyes, and then I ſhall freely leave them to beleeve and report what they ſee. For my ſelfe, let the World know, all that heerein I deſire and aime at, to be onelyonly this, That If there be any thing Apoſtolicall in this Ordinance, it may be revived and received: otherwiſe if meerely Prudentiall, (as an explicit… Church-Covenant (ſo far forth as diſtinct from the Covenant of Grace) is ſuppoſed to be) then how farre to bee imbraced or rejected, I leave it to thoſe who have Authority and Ability, to judge: With the ſubmiſsive tender of which humble motion, I ſhall fit downe, and reſt
Yours in the ſervice of Chriſt, Ioh. Brinſley. Yarmouth June 26. Anno 1645.