The Virtue and Value of Baptism, Title page 1 – Dedication
THE VERTUE AND VALUE OF BAPTISM: In which the
Dignity and Duty of Baptiſm.
The due Right of Infants to Baptiſm.
And their right above that of grown perſons by Baptiſm.
The degrading and deſtructive Principles and Practices of Baptiſm.
ARE Catechetically propounded, plainly Preached, and now Publiſhed as an Antidote to the Baptiſm-Deſpiſing-Dictates of John Simpſon.
By Zachariah Crofton, Miniſter at Botolph Aldgate, London.
Imprimatur,
Edm. Calamy.
London, Printed by D.M. for J. Nuthal living next door to the Dolphin in the Minories, 1658.
To the Right Worſhipful Richard Garforde, AND Robert Burdet, Eſquires. And the reſt of his Beloved Pariſhioners, late Aſſertors of his innocency, and Proteſtors againſt his groundleſs and furious Perſecutions.
Right Worſhipful and wel-beloved,
TO you of all men this Treatiſe oweth its Dedication, and from you muſt needs demand its Patronage: for that in order to your good in the Inſtruction and eſtabliſhment of you in the order of the Goſpel, and Ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt: it hath been preached once and again, and is now Printed: you cannot be inſenſible how you baptized Members of the Catholick Church were diſperſed, as Sheep without any Shepherd; nay by the Congregational Anabaptiſtical principles and practiſes, and in order to their Schiſmatical Church-gathering deſign, you were by Rude, Ruſt, Fooliſh-Wiſe, and Baptiſm-blaſpheming Simpſon, paganized and proclaimed Dogs, aliens and ſtrangers to the Common-wealth of Iſrael: when the zealous importunity of ſome among you, meeting in me with a real pity of your Pagan poſture, did engage me to take of you, as a Church of Jeſus Chriſt, the care and charge. I was conſtrained to lay again the Foundations theſe wicked men had razed, and to inform you in the firſt rudiments of Religion, and firſt ordinances of worſhip, that you might underſtand the dignity and duty of your Baptiſm, in which I finde ſuch dulneſs in common capacity, that the things you heard you muſt hear again, and indeed Read before many will receive them. I being come among you, and (by Gods bleſſing on my Miniſtry) having reduced you into ſome order, convinced ſome perſons of their Rebaptized vanity, and Parents of the ſinfull neglect of their Infants intereſt in the Covenant: have met with violent oppoſition, and malitious interruptions in the work of God: conſtraining me to preach unto you the Goſpel of Truth through much contentation; wherein yet through grace I have waxed bold. You are manifeſt Witneſſes that the Anabaptiſts will Baptize with fire and fury, ſuch as they cannot Baptize with water in the way of their folly: By what clamours have they clouded my name (repreſenting me uncivil, whilſt for fear of the Law they durſt not render me prophane) how they have by falſe ſurmizes prejudiced preſent powers, by falſe accuſations, palpable perjury, extrajudicial Proceſs, partial and prejudiced Judges (of their own picking) and implacable fury darkned my credit, weakned my Miniſtery, diſturbed my peace, and endeavoured … ſtop my mouth, you and all the Churches of God cannot but know. The guilt and odium whereof you have taken from your ſelves by your ſeaſonable Atteſtation to my Innocencie, and ſerious proteſt againſt their groundleſs cruelty, wherein I bleſs God I can rejoyce, It is the cauſe that makes the Martyr, and what is the cauſe of all that calamity they have to me created; Let the fretting of their ſpirits, when your Pulpit ſounded the Sacrament of Baſtiſm is to be adminiſtred; your Reverend attendance on that Ordinance is deſired: their railing ſpeeches on all occaſions uttered againſt Infant Baptiſm, their invective Letters to me written, (which I keep as Monuments of their folly and malice) their often ſtrugling to ſet up Oats, Knowls, Lamb, Simpſon, to blaſpheme Gods Ordinances; and at laſt violent and unjuſt intruſion of John Simpſon into the Baptiſmal Seaſon of the Sabbath, to the excluding of that Ordinance, and vilifying the ſame in the ſight of the People, and that not only in its ſubjects, but in it ſelf, openly teaching baptiſm is no ground of Communion with the Church viſible; witneſs to all the world, if I ſuffer as an evil doer; Whoſe Ox or Aſs have I taken? what Law have I violated? whom did I injure in word or deed? How often have I ſought for competent impartial Judges, that might convict me? and propoſed ways of Accommodation: admitted them, when ſought by my enemies, whoſe Return hath been we will have no peace, no agreement, no arbitration: nay, my enemies being Judges, the ground of their quarrel and enmity, is my endeavours to return you into order; and their cry is, He will not let Simpſon preach. So that becauſe I will not ſuffer that woman Jezabel to teach and ſeduce the Lords people, I muſt be loaded with calumny, and followed with vexation: Well be it ſo, I will bleſs God for ſupporting, and wait on him for ſaving mercy; and pray that you may be more confident in the truths confirmed by my Sufferings, wherein you alſo have bo…n your ſhare. I cannot but obſerve how Heretical Malice hath trampled on your dignities and gravities by Military inſolency, and vulgar rudeneſs, yet hath God hitherto given you hearts, to adhere to me and the truths by me witneſſed. Whilſt you have owned my Miniſtry; under ſo great a Fight of affliction, I cannot but hope you will do it ſtill, and be more confirmed in the vertue and value of your received Baptiſm, both which are here plainly and practically propounded to your view. Many eminent men have moſt fully debated the Controverſie, and defended your Infants Right to Baptiſm, but of their Labours, I obſerve the vulgar make little uſe; for Practical conviction of ſin, I find to be the beſt confutation of error, and have therefore attempted it in the enſuing Treatiſe for its ſtile and method, ſuited to vulgar capacity; receive it as a token of my true affection to your Souls, and Gods holy Ordinances, read it as the direction of your duty, learn by it to prize Baptiſm, as the high Priviledge of you and yours, and in doing and ſuffering, ſhew forth the vertue and value of the Covenant of God on your fleſh, living as Baptized into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, to which end you may be aſſured as of the endeavours, ſo the earneſt prayers of,
Your greatly reproached and perſecuted, but yet really innocent, and reſolvedly zealous Paſtor, Zach. Crofton.