Reply to the Frivolous and Impertinent Answer of RB, Title page – To the reader
A REPLY TO THE Frivolous and impertinent ANSVVER of R. B. to the diſcourſe of P. B.
IN Which diſcourſe is ſhewed, that the Baptiſme in the defection of Antichriſt, is the Ordinance of God, notwithſtanding the Corruptions that attend the ſame, and that the Baptiſme of Infants is lawfull, born which are vindicated from the exceptions of R. B. and further cleared by the ſame AUTHOUR.
There is alſo a REPLY, in way of Anſwer to ſome Exceptions of E. B. againſt the ſame.
1 IOHN 4. 1.
Beleeve not every ſpirit, but trie the ſpirits whether they bee of GOD.
1 THESS. 5. 21.
Trie all things and keep that which is good.
LONDON, Printed in the yeare 1643.
TO THE READER.
IT commeth to paſſe often times, that words well ſpoken are by ſome ill taken, and matters clearely and plainely declared, are exceedingly wreſted and perverted, and the good intent of perſon wholy ſubverted. It fared ſo of old with Moſes, with David, with Jeremiah, yea with our Lord himſelfe, and with all his holy Apoſtles in ſpeciall: it ſo fared with holy Paul, the great Teacher of the Gentiles, there were ſome that perverted his ſayings to their owne deſtruction; the holy Martyrs Pet. 2. 3. 16.and Confeſſors of the Truth, have had alſo experience of it in all Ages: all which conſidered I may not thinke it ſtrange, or count it a new thing, that it ſo fareth with mee, being one of the meaneſt of the ſervants of Ieſus Chriſt, and the rather for that I did looke for it, knowing I had to doe with perſons of froward and perverſe ſpirits, I indeavoured to make things plaine, ſo as I am checked for Tautologie by my oppoſite, I did indeavour with all Ingenuity to ſet forth the true meaning, and right grounds of my oppoſites judgement and practices, and then did make oppoſall by inferences and other poſitive arguments; I prayed them to meaſure ſuch meaſure to me in way of their anſwer; but contrarily they have fained Imaginary things, and fathered them on me with more lying falſhoods: and alſo ſo perverted the ſence and playne intent of my diſcourſe, as were it not for the taking off the falſhoods they have fathered on mee, and clearing of my diſcourſe, and the matter therein ſet forth, I ſhould count it needleſſe to ſpend time and paines in making reply to ſuch a lame and meane anſwer, I ſhould have l…ft it to the judgement of the ſtudious Reader, whether he hath taken of the charge, and vindicated their judgement and practice from the errours and abſurdities by me obj…cted. Now courteous Reader, thou mayſt take notice, that ſince the publiſhing of that ſhort diſcourſe touching Baptiſme: ſome in their Pamphlets have taken occaſion to carpe and ſnarle at ſome particulars therein. But now on R. R. pretending great ſtrength in himſelfe, and weakneſſe in the diſcourſe, would ſeeme to make a full anſwer, and overthrow all, and which is more, foyle the Authour with his owne Weapons, and with one word of his mouth to blaſt the whole diſcourſe. But ſure if he be well minded, he will be found a vaine boaſter, and one that either not underſtood what he undertooke to anſwer: like to him that Solomon Prov. 18. 13.ſpeaketh of, that anſwereth a matter before he heare it, or otherwiſe he hath dealt malitiouſly, and unlike the ſervant of Ieſus Chriſt, perverting the words, the ſcope and plaine meaning of his oppoſite, rather then confuting of him; toward the end of his Epiſtle he telleth his Reader, that not regarding to follow his oppoſite to and fro, a fine ſhift to put off, or paſſe by that he could with no ſhew or Colour anſwer) he ſaith he will reduce the whole diſcourſe to three heads, the ſecond whereof hee ſaith is the Baptiſme of the Church of Rome, ſure it is a wonderfull thing, that he ſhould reduce a pare of my diſcourſe to ſuch a head (he dreamed certainly, for there is not one word, nor ſyllable of it in all my diſcourſe, let him looke againe, and take ſpectacle to help his eyes, and he ſhall not find it, I treated in my diſcourſe of the Baptiſme of Chriſt, under the defection of Antichriſt continuing Gods Ordinance, as Circumciſion continued Gods Ordinance under the defection of the ten Tribes; he hath a matter in his Imagination, and that hee putteth in the ſtead thereof; and it muſt be admitted to be the ſame, or elſe R. B. will thinke hee hath great wrong done him, though it be never ſo contrary; if one had reaſoned to maintaine the Circumciſion of the Apoſtate Tribes to have been the Ordinance of God, and ſome in oppoſition ſhould have intreated of the Circumciſion of the two Claves at Dan, and Bethell, and ſhould be confident it is the ſame: Salomons ſaying would have bin made good, in ſuch a one as it is alſo in R. B. bray a foole in a morter, and his fooliſhneſſe will not leave him. I told him Prov. 17. 22.and made it plaine, ſo as he nor any other is able to gayneſay it, that corruption maketh not a nullity, which ſure he would have gayneſayed if he could, yet becauſe of the corruption, Baptiſme there muſt needs be an Idole, and his calling of it the Baptiſme of the Church of Rome will make it ſo, and none ſhall help it for to tell him, otherwiſe he will ſay as Nicodemus did, how can it be as if hee or thoſe of his opinion had infallible knowledge, and were able to comprehend all truth whatſoever, and what they doe not imbrace muſt needs bee an errour, and thoſe high ſinners that ſpeake or hold contrary, if R. B. did but minde his often changes he would not bee ſo high minded and confident, but would rather feare, hee was as confident of his firſt Baptiſme, certainly of his ſecond he was ſo, nothing might be ſpoken againſt them, but it was a great ſinne, and they high ſinners againſt the truth; yet he was miſtaken in his Iudgement in both, and they were Idolls in his account, and hee rejected them, and now this his third it is the onelyonly truth, which none may ſpeake againſt, but he is a high ſinner, It were good for all men to beware of ſuch men according to Salomons Counſell: My Son fear God &c. and meddle not with thoſe that are Prov. 24. 21.given to change; a man that had a minde to come to R. B. in his third Baptiſme, before a yeare or two spent in the ſerious waighing of the matter, would find happily that R. B. had left his third Baptiſme, and taken up afhurth, for by that time he could eſpie ſuch faultes in his former Baptiſme, and alſo in my diſcourſe, as to overthrow it by it ſelfe will, it is likely finde ſomething in his third Baptiſme, to make him reject that alſo. If hee bee true to his owne principle, he will finde ſome errour or corruption in it as in the former, that will inforce him ſo to doe, I may tell him, and he and all other ſhall finde it ſo, that upon his ground nor tender conſcience ſhall ever be able to ſatisfie it ſelfe in a ſtayed condition, and if by a lye R. B. ſhall goe about to ſatisfie any (as he pretendeth that was the cauſe that moved him to anſwer my diſcourſe,) it will never doe it, ſuch are not much beholding to him, for neither they nor the truth needeth any mans lie, but I will forbeare to trouble thee further Courteous Reader.
Thine in the ſervice of Love, R. B.