Vindication of Baptizing Believers Infants, Title page – Errata
A VINDICATION OF BAPTIZING BELEEVERS INFANTS.
IN SOME ANIMADVERSIONS Upon Mr. TOMBES His EXERCITATIONS About Infant Baptiſme; As alſo upon his EXAMEN, As touching the Antiquities and Authors by him alledged or contradicted that concern the ſame.
Humbly ſubmitted to the judgement of all Candid Chriſtians,
By NATHANAEL HOMES.
And Jeſus called a little child, and ſet him in the midſt of them, and ſaid, Except men be converted, and become as little children, yee ſhall not enter into the kingdome of heaven, whoſoever therefore ſhall humble himſelf as this little child, the ſame is greateſt in the kingdome of heaven. And whoſo ſhall receive one ſuch little child in my name, receiveth me. But whoſo ſhall offend one of theſe little ones, which beleeve in me, it were better for him that a milſtone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the ſea,
Matth. 18.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Publiſhed according to Order.
London printed by M. Simmons, and are to be ſold by Benjamin Allen at the ſigne of the Crown in Popes-head Alley. 1646.
TO THE READER.
DEdications of Books are to me a ſcruple. The truth of God is leſſe mine, then a day, or a place, to dedicate to creatures, and more able to defend it ſelfe then any thing on earth. And Delarations in Epiſtles are in my opinion ſo curious a thing rightly to manage, as that there is more hazard of their miſcarrying, then hope of doing good. Yet ſeeing importunity will not be ſatisfied without an Epiſtle, therefore thus:
Hearing of Mr. Tombes his book againſt Infants-Baptiſme, comming forth with ſuch a mighty ſhout of acclamation, though of ſome fitter to admire then to judge; this made me in haſte to ſee it, if it might prove convincing upon my ſpirit. But finding upon a conſcientions weighing, that it was not of ſtrength to bereave the faithfull ſonnes of Abraham of their right, and hope to give the little ones of their tender bowels to the pledge of God, the firſt ſeal, annexed to the promiſe, I am the God of thee & thy ſeed, Acts 2. Gen. 17.The promiſe is to you and your children; But like a violent motion to be forced at firſt, and languid towards the end, I further conſidered it. And having upon occaſion of the queſtion among my brethren, then in order to be diſcuſſed, found that I could fairly anſwer Mr. T. his arguments with abundant ſatisfaction to my ſelfe and ſome others; but all that doubted could not at firſt hearing, feel the weight of every paſſage; I was partly occaſioned hereby to give them my thoughts in print. And the rather that I might heare the judgements of the Saints, whether I had thought aright of the queſtion? And if not, by friendly conference to cleare up to me the mind of God in it. Mean while I could not but lament the untimely birth of Mr T. his Exercitation, and his unneceſſary falling in travell with it, after at leaſt ſix able brethren, and about ſo many dayes, by nervous diſput ation, had given him ſo much cauſe to doubt of his Tenet, or at leaſt, a while to ſuſpend it.
For the queſtion about Infants-baptiſme is yet rather a controverſie of privat perſons, then of Churches; theſe being moſt prudentially carefull now rather about the right form of a particular Church; to which the adminiſtration of the firſt ſeale doth nothing contribute, at leaſt in the firſt inſtant of its generation.Matth. 3. Acts 8. Acts 10. Acts 16. For many were baptized in the New Teſtament, whoſe baptiſme neither found them in, nor formed them into any particular New-teſtament Church. The Scripture is either contrary to, or utterly ſilent concerning it.Joſh. 5.4, &c. Even as the Iſraelites, while they were fourty years in the wilderneſſe, without the adminiſtration of Circumciſion (all the circumciſed ſaving a very few being dead) are called a Church, Acts 7.38. So that the ſuppoſed want of the due adminiſtration of the firſt Signe, doth not unchurch a Church, or prejudice the proper forme thereof. But the inſatisfactory calling of the Anabaptiſts-Adminiſtrators of their pretended better baptiſme, upon a former worſeconceited-baptiſme; being either not extraordinarily called; or not having the firſt Seale themſelves; or being Sebaptiſts, that is, ſelf-baptizers; or baptiſed with the old ſort of Infant-baptiſme: (in either of which they are moſt unlike to John THE BAPTIST) hath juſtly cauſed many to hold off from them, and many to fall away from them. And many that are with them, to be at a loſſe where to reſt. One Congregation at firſt adding to their Infani-baptiſme, the adult baptiſme of ſprinkling: then not reſting therein, endeavoured to adde to that, a dipping, even to the breaking to peeces of their Congregation. Since that, the Miniſter firſt dipped himſelfe. Not contented therewith, was after baptized by one, that had onelyonly his Infant-baptiſme. Thus doth Gods juſtice leave us to find nothing in an or dinance, when we put too much upon an ordinance; and from too much, to fall to nothing, but a crying out, All Ordinances, Miniſteries, &c. are all polluted. So that as before they could not tel where to end, ſo now not where to begin to reform, and ſo out of that pretence turn As they were, in order, Nothing. Contrary to that unanſwerable place, Epheſ. 4. That Chriſt aſcending, left a Miniſtery, or Miniſteries;Epheſ. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. all or ſome; by ſucceſsion, or new election, or extraordinary miſsion; ſtill a conſtant ſupply of a Miniſtery; for the work of the Miniſtery, the perfecting of the Saints, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt, till we all come in the unity of the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt.
I was thus forward, to put forth before others of my abler brethren, not out of ſelf-confidence (the Lord knowes,) but, beſide mine owne private intereſt in my doubting friends, partly from advantage of time in knowing ſome of Mr. T. his arguments, and partly from the aſſault of them that gave me the firſt Alarme, I ſent forth this ſcattered forlorn hope, ſcarce well rallied and arraied to my mind, through haſte, to ſet the moveable popularity at a ſtand (if it might be;) keep the paſſe, and maintain the fight, till better help ſhould come in. This (though leſſe then I hoped, by reaſon of preſſures of mine own buſineſſe, and ſlowneſſe of Preſſes) I have attained. And ſo I expect thoſe worihy brethren, that have perhaps more time, and more parts, and reading, I am confident, then my ſelfe, to carry on the main Battalio, and to maintain their ground with thoſe Brigades, wherein they are by name engaged. For it would have been diſorder, if not preſumption, and prejudice to the cauſe for me to have anticipated them.
In that I have done, as I was hopeleſſe to pleaſe all, ſo unwilling juſtly to diſpleaſe any, ſaving in the very opinio in queſtion. And therefore let no ingenuous reader take offence, either at the word Anabaptiſt (uſed onelyonly as the known term of diſtinction;) or at the much quotation of Fathers, and Antiquities in an hiſtoricall way, being neceſſarily drawn thereunto by Mr. T. or at any quickneſſe of expreſſion, it being, if I know my ſelfe, rather the complexion of my ſtile, then any intention of ſharpneſſe. The Lord, I truſt, hath now made me better to know and to make known a Goſpel ſpirit, eſpecially in print and preaching.
If any notwithſtanding that have read Mr. T. will not patiently read over thoſe on the other part, they cannot be excuſed of partiall injuſtice, and of unfaithfulneſſe to themſelves, and to the truth, in that they will not heare with both eares. Qui parte alterâ inauditâ aliquid ſtatuerit licet aequum ſtatuerit, haud aequus eſt. It's the law of England, he that without hearing either party paſſeth ſentence, though he determine a juſt thing, yet he is not a juſt Judge. The Lord ſettle thee and me in the truth of the Lord Jeſus, is the earneſt prayer of thy faithfull friend in the Lord,
NATHANAEL HOMES.
ERRATA.
CAndid Reader, ſince the ſheets came to my hands, as wrought off the Preſſe, caſting mine eye here and there, I eſpied theſe faults, page 104. CHAP. I. for CHAP. XII. Pag 110. foreign for foreign. P. 142. l. 31. Of Infants not in danger of death, for of Infants in danger of death. P. 150. l. 23. Sin, merit, for ſins merit. P. 217. l. 9. deſigne for deſire. P. 202. l. penult. take for takes, line 28. thus to be blotted out; which makes me feare there may be more of the like nature, but (if ſo) have not time to find them out, and ſo am forced to leave it to thy charity as a Chriſtian to correct, or candidly interpret the faults of human frailty, that can doe nothing perfectly.