Of Baptism, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. In which the proper ceremony of Baptiſme is vindicated by the force of the word, Scripture practiſe, the ſuffrage of learned men, and the uſe of ancient times.
IN the proceeding diſcours wee have taken it for graunted, that the antient and uſuall forme of Baptiſme, hath bene by dipping or plonging the whole body under the water, according to which notion we have found what great proportion the ceremony hath to the ſubſtance, and the ſigne to the thing ſignified: But becauſe the poſſeſſion which the Churches have had of a long time of ſprinkling, is become a ſtrong argument in the thoughts of many for that ceremony, it will be neceſſary to ſpeake ſomething more particularly to this point, and to ſhow that as the ceremony of dipping, ſutes with the ends and uſe of Baptiſme, ſo it agrees perfectly with the force of the word, the Scripture practiſe, and the uſe of antient times.
Firſt therefore the word foreign ſignifies properly mergo, ſeu immergo, that is, to drowne, or ſinke in the water, to dip, to overwhelme, to plunge, ſo mergere aliquem ſub aequore, or in undis, to drowne them; ſo Chamier ſayes that immerſion expreſſes the force foreign: it ſignifies alſo tingo, to dye, or coulour, quod fit immergendo: which is done by dipping into the coulour, overwhelming and drowning in it. So Walleus, a learned Profeſſour of theſe partes, ſayes that the antient Latines expreſſed the word foreign per tinctionem & inundationem; inundatio is an overflowing. This therefore is the proper and naturall force of the word, wee will ſee in the next place what aſpect the Scripture beares in ſeverall paſſages to the acceptance of the word in this ſence.
Firſt in the ſtory of Chriſts baptiſme, the greateſt and fayreſt example of the kind, as ye read it Mat. 3.13. Then cometh Ieſus from Galilee to Iordan unto Iohn to be baptized of him; yee ſee he went to Iohn, who baptized in the river Iordan, a place proper for immerſion & dipping, where at laſt hee was baptized, that is, dipt or plundged in the vvater, for ſo ye have it verſ. 16. He vvent up ſtraightvvay out of the vvater: that is, as the word is tranſlated generally, hee aſcended out of the vvater. Novv if any one, ſaith Maldonat, aſke vvhy the Euangeliſts uſe the vvord rather of aſcending, then goeing out, they ſeeme to be ignorant that the earth is higher then the rivers; ſo as Chriſt aſcended or went up out of the water, in the which he had bene dipt or drown'd. Lucas Brugenſis, upon the place, ſayes this, Chriſt aſcended upon the land, for he had diſcended into the river (after the manner of others that vvere baptized) as deepe as his thighes, or his navell, for the reſt of his body (ſayes he) vvas dipt by Iohn, not ſprinkled onelyonly vvith vvater. Others have thought that it was the cuſtome of Iohn to hold the people up to the neck in water, till they confeſt their ſinnes.
The learned Cajetan upon the place, ſayes, Chriſt aſcended out of the vvater, therefore Chriſt vvas baptized by Iohn, not by ſprinkling, nor by povvring vvater upon him, but by immerſion, that is, by dipping or plunging in the vvater. Beſides the evidence of the thing, many more teſtimonies might be brought to this purpoſe, of men that for the preſent content themſelves with ſprinkling for their infant baptiſme, but theſe ſhall ſuffice.
The next place we ſhall conſider, ſhall be that of Iohn 3.23. And Iohn vvas baptizing in Aenon neere to Salim, becauſe there vvas much vvater there. The reaſon why he pitcht upon this place is given, becauſe there vvas much vvater there, which was not ever found in that country, & much water was needfull to his Baptiſme. Piſcator upon the place ſayes, foreign, ſignifies many rivers, as foreign in the ſingular number ſignified the river Iordan, this, ſayes he, is mentioned to ſignifie the Ceremony of Baptiſme vvhichwhich Iohn uſed; immergens ſcil. totum corpus hominis in fluvio ſtantis; dipping, or plundging the vvhole body of the man ſtanding in the river, vvhence, ſaith he, Chriſt baptized of Iohn in Iordan, is ſaid to aſcend out of the vvater, Mat. 3. the ſame manner Philip obſerved Acts 8.38. And in his obſervations upō the place, ſayes, that the antient manner of Baptiſme vvas, that the vvhole body vvas plundged into the vvater, & thence dravvn out againe; the one ſignifying the mortification of the old man, and the other the vivification of the nevv, as Rom. 6.3.4. thus Piſcator. Cornelius a Lapide, upon the place, From hence (ſaith he) you may gather that Iohn ſo baptized, as hee vvaſht not onelyonly the head in vvater, for a little vvater vvould have ſerved for that, but the vvhole body. Many Authors might be quoted for this purpoſe, but the place ſpeaks ſo clearly for it ſelf, that I ſhall adde to what I have ſaid already onelyonly the judgement of Calvin upon theſe words: From this place, ſaith he, you may gather that Iohn & Chriſt adminiſtred baptiſme by plundging the vvhole body into the vvater, although he adds alſo his opinion; Yee need not be much carefull, ſaith he, of the outvvard Ceremony, ſo it agree vvith the ſpirituall truth, and the ordinance and rule of our Lord; and ſo ſay I alſo.
You ſee what light this place affoords to the clearing of the primitive practiſe for dipping or plundging in baptiſme.
The third place we will examine ſhall be that of Acts 8.36.37. &c. where you have the ſtory of the baptizing of the Eunuch by Philip; As they vvent on their vvay, they came unto a certain vvater, & the Eunuch ſaid, See here is vvater, foreign, that is, as Piſcator interprets it, fluvium, vel amnem, vel ſtagnum ſome river, or a poole, or ponde; after this diſcovery of a fit place for Baptiſme, the Eunuch deſires it, and Philip having taken an account of his faith, which was to give him his qualificatiō for that ordinance, it is ſaid in the 38. verſe, that they vvent both dovvne into the vvater. So Beza tranſlates it, Deſcenderunt ambo in aquam, they deſcended both into the vvater: So the French, Deſcendirent enl'eau, as Deodat. and the baptiſme being done, verſ. 39. they came up out of the vvater, in the which they had bene before. So Beza, Quum autem aſcendiſſent ex aqua, vvhen they had aſcended out of the vvater; the French, Quand ils furent remontez hors de l'eau; vvhen they vvere remounted or aſcended out of the vvater; all which expreſſe not a going to the water onelyonly, as ſome would have it, but a going downe into the water for Baptiſme, and a coming out of it againe. Lorinus upon the words, quotes Carthuſianus, ſaying, Eunuchus magnam familiam habuit, nec tamencoram illis ſe nudare ac lavari erubuit, dum coram Deo de proprijs verecundabatur peccatis: The Eunuch had a great family, and yet hee bluſht not before them to make himſelf naked, and to be vvaſht, vvhilſt he vvas aſhamed of his ſinnes before God. By which, ſaith Lorinus, they are confounded, that reverence and feare the preſence of men more then God: And adds alſo, That this diſcent, going dovvne, ſignified by all meanes immerſion, that is, plundging, or dipping, and it is probable, that by vvhat meanes it moſt conveniently could, & vvas moſt expreſly vvaſhing, the Eunuch vvas baptized.
There will not need to be ſaid more to this place, I ſhall onelyonly conclude it with the words of Calvin, as I did the other, which I am inforced to give you in his french, becauſe his latine edition is not by me. Nous voyons icy qu'elle faconles anciens avoyent d'adminiſtrer le Bapteſme; car ils plongeoyent tout le corps dedans l'eau: L'uſage eſt maintenant que le Miniſtre jette quelques gouttes d'eau ſeulement ſur le corps, ou ſur le teſte: VVe ſee here, ſayes Calvin upon the place, vvhat faſhion the antients had to adminiſter Baptiſme, for they plundged the vvhole body in the vvater; the uſe is novv, ſayes he, that the Miniſter caſts a fevv dropps of vvater onelyonly upon the body, or upon the head. Whereby you ſee both what his opinion was for the practiſe of the moſt antient and primitive times in generall, & how cleare hee was that the Baptiſme adminiſtred here to the Eunuch, was by dipping, or plundging.
The fourth and laſt place I ſhall conſider to this purpoſe ſhall be that of the 6. Rom. and the beginning, where the Apoſtle elegantly alludes to the ceremony of Baptiſme in our death, and reſurrection with Chriſt, but having handled this before largely, and by it ſelf, I ſhall onelyonly give you the ſence of expoſiters about it for our preſent end.
The learned Cajetan upon the 4. verſe (vvee are buried vvith him by baptiſme into death) ſaith; By our burying he declares our death, from the Ceremony of Baptiſme, quia, ſcil. qui baptizatur ſub aqua ponitur; becauſe he vvho is baptized is put under the vvater, and by this carryes a ſimilitude of him that is buried, vvho is put under the earth: Novv becauſe none are buryed, but dead men, from this very thing that vve are buryed in Baptiſme, vve are aſsimulated to Chriſt buried, or vvhen he vvas buried. Thus Cajetan.
Eſtius upon the place, having ſaid out of Auſten, that vvhat ever vvas done in the croſſe of Chriſt in his burying and reſurrection, &c. vvas ſo done, that to thoſe vvords and actions, the life of a Chriſtian ſhould be conformed; Ads, the like miſtery the Apoſtle puts in the Ceremony of Baptiſme, for the immerſion (that is dipping) of Chriſt, repreſents to us burying, and ſo alſo death; for the ſepulcher is the Symbole of death, and the emerſion (or riſing out againe) vvhichwhich follovves that dipping, hath the ſimilitude of the reſurrection; therefore in Baptiſme vvee are conformed, not onelyonly to the death of Chriſt, but alſo to his ſepulcher and reſurrection. Where you ſee hee clearly places the ceremony of Baptiſme, both of Chriſts, and ours, in immerſion, or putting under the water, & emerſion or riſing up againe, exactly conformable to what is to be ſignified to us by it, namely our dying and riſing againe with Chriſt. So Cornelius Alapid. upon the place ℣ 4. foreign, in mortem, id eſt, in ſimilitudinem mortis Chriſti baptizati ſumus; qui enim baptizantur & aquis immerguntur Chriſtum mortuum, & ſepultum repreſentant allegoricè, &c. Into his death, that is, vvee are baptized into the ſimilitude of the death of Chriſt; for they vvho are put under the vvater, repreſent Chriſt dead & buried allegorically.
I ſhall add but one or two quotations more in a thing ſo evident, Deodati in his annotations upon the place verſ. 4. hath theſe words, Ce qu'au Bapteſme nous ſommes plongez dedans l'eau (ſelon l'ancienne ceremonie) nous eſt un ſigne ſacré qu'il faut que le peché ſoit eſtouffe en nous par l'Eſprit de Dieu, comme c'eſt un ſeau du lavement de nos ames devant Dieu. That in Baptiſme vvee are plundged into the vvater (according to the antient ceremony) it is a holy ſigne to us, that ſinne ſhould be ſtiffled in us by the Spirit of God, as it is a ſeale of the vvaſhing of our ſoules before God.
I ſhall conclud with the judgement of Piſcator upon the place verſ. 4. Sepulti igitur ſumus, videtur (inquit) reſpicere ad veterem ritum, quum toto corpore in aquam mergebantur, atque it a quaſi ſepeliebantur, ac mox rurſus extrahebantur, tanquam è ſepulchro. The Apoſtle (ſayes he) ſeemes here to have reſpect to the antient ceremony, vvhen as the vvhole body vvas dipt into the vvater, and vvas by and by againe dravvne out, as out of a grave. So Piſcator.
Having thus farre carried on this notion for dipping, or plundging in the ceremony of Baptiſme, which wee have found to have its riſe from the naturall & proper force of the word, & to have accorded fully with Scripture practiſe and example, which is the coppy to which we muſt conforme, I ſhall conſider a little to diſcharge my ſelf more abundantly to this point, what hath bene the practiſe of the times wee commonly call primitive, that is, thoſe after the times of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and what the judgement of the Fathers and antient writers have bene to this purpoſe.
And firſt the Apoſtolicall conſtitutions, which are of great antiquity, being attributed to Clement the 4. from Peter in the order of Biſhops, according to the Roman account, they injoyne the office of Diaconniſſes, or ſhee-Deacons, to be to aſſiſt for the unclothing of women at Baptiſme; the words are foreign. To miniſter to the Preſbyters vvhilſt the vvomen vvere baptized, for comelines ſake. Conſt. Apoſt. lib. 8. cap. 32. this I find quoted by Chamier lib. de Baptiſt. cap. 2. p. 240. who brings it to proove, that from the beginning, as hee ſayes, it vvas the cuſtome to dip the vvhole body, vvhichwhich expreſſes (ſayes he) the force of the vvord foreign, vvhence it vvas (ſayes he) that Iohn baptized in a river, and hee affirmes that it is uncertain, vvhen or vvhy the change began, to baptize by ſprinkling, ſaving that he addes that it vvould ſeeme that 3000 could hardly be baptized in one day, by ſo fevv Apoſtles, if they vvere all dipt, or that the Iaylor had not perhaps a veſſell at hand, big enough for dipping the vvhole body. But firſt you ſee that his opinion is cleare, that Baptiſme in the beginning was by dipping or plundging the whole body, to proove which hee brings the force of the word, the example of Iohn, and after the Apoſtolicall conſtitutions: onelyonly he knowes not how ſo well to accommodate theſe two inſtances, but that ſprinkling alſo might be uſed: I ſhall take therefore this occaſion, to anſwer once for all to theſe conſiderations. Firſt that when wee have a clearnes of Scripture practiſe, agreable as is confeſt to the force of the word of inſtitution, and expreſſing it, which alſo accords, as wee have already ſhowne aboundantly, with the uſe and end of the ordinance, which is the ſcope and intent of it, and apparently conformable to the moſt evident antient practiſe, it were a boldneſſe (to ſay no more) to leave or deſert that practiſe, which upon the former grounds, wee know to be ſafe and warrantable, for another, which we have little reaſon to beleeve was uſed, but becauſe wee ſee not how in ſome inſtanced particular circumſtances it could be well otherwayes; And as it is ever dangerous, to depart from knowne & approoved Scripture practiſe in the matter of ordinances, upon our owne ſurmiſes, ſo it can be no where of worſe conſequence then in ſuch ordinances (of which Baptiſme & the Lords Supper are) the being, and good of which lyes much in the right adminiſtration of a ceremony.
It would be ſafe to follow the cleare & aſſured way, and for the other, unleſſe they implyed a ſimple impoſſibility, (which the practiſes inſtanced in will by no meanes be found to doe) not to be much troubled about them.
But truly I am jealous that thoſe who find ſprinkling moſt commodious for infants, and are not willing to depart from the notions of infant Baptiſme, trouble themſelves more with the objectiōs mentioned, then they would find cauſe to doe, if they did not find it needfull to raiſe objections from theſe places for the patroniſing of baptizing by ſprinkling, which as was ſaid before is ſo proper for their infant Baptiſme: For the thing it ſelf, to inſtance, firſt in that of the Iaylor, how eaſily may it be conceaved, that in thoſe eaſterne and hotter countryes (this being at Philippy in Macedonia, Acts 16.12. where bathing was of great and continuall uſe) this keeper of the priſon might be provided with ſome veſſell fit for bathing and waſhing the whole body, which might ſerve for the uſe of Baptiſme, as the Chriſtiās afterwards, when they came to injoy fixt places of meetings for worſhip, had their veſſells affixt to their temples, which veſſell they called foreign, Bucan. p. 666. being of a great continent fild with water for the uſe of Baptiſme, which the Latine calls piſcina, or lavacrum, a veſſell proper to bath in, or font, from whence the cuſtome of our little diminitive fonts in Churches hath come, ſince ſprinkling (more proper for children as Chamier affirmes) hath bene the ceremony uſed in Baptiſme, with excluſion to dipping or plundging the whole body: I ſay it is eaſy to ſuppoſe that the Iaylor might be thus provided for his Baptiſme, and ſafe to ſuppoſe this or any other way that doth not imply a contradiction, then to thinke that the Apoſtles altered the uſuall ceremony for Baptizing uſed to Chriſt and by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, as (appeares evidently & clearely) and which ſo much accordes with the intent & ſcope of the ordinance in that which the Ceremony ſignifyes and exhibits to us, namely our being buried with Chriſt, and riſing againe, as wee ſhow'd already.
As for the other objection, that it would ſeeme difficult for three thouſands to be baptized in one day by ſo few Apoſtles, if dipping the whole body, not ſprinkling were the ceremony uſed; I anſwer it will not appeare much leſſe difficult if ſprinkling were the ceremony, and it is the objection that Bellarmine & the Papiſts bring againſt our Divines, to proove that in certain caſes the Laycks may baptize; This Chamier anſwers by Salmeron the Ieſuite, one of their owne, tract. 15. in Acta, who ſayes it is no way impoſſible, and brings for proofe one Franciſcus Xavier, who baptized in one day amongſt the Indians 15000, now if one man could baptize fifteene thouſand, twelve Apoſtles could baptize three thouſand, beſides if they want Miniſters, and will not admit of the aſſiſtance of Brethren out of office (whoſe miniſtry to ſome will not ſeeme ſo improper for aſſiſtance in certain caſes of publike affaires by publike authority) wee can furniſh them with more helpe, namely the ſeaventy Diſciples, whom our Divines will by no meanes admit at that time to be Laycks, ſince Chriſt had called them before to the miniſtry of the Goſpell, and had conſtituted them as publike workemen in his harveſt, and had ſent them with a publike and particular commiſſion, ſaying, Thoſe that heare you, heare me, Luke 10. ſo that according to this account, the number of regular & lawfull Baptizers, will be 82, namely 12 Apoſtles & 70 Diſciples. Thus farre wee are helpt by our Proteſtant Divines in their oppoſitiō againſt Lay-Baptiſme. Now if you diſtribute the baptizing of 3000 to the worke of 82 perſons, there will fall under 40 to the ſhare of every one, as might be eaſily reckoned, ſo as the baptizing of that number either way, by dipping or ſprinkling, might be accompliſhed in one day, though the Baptizers were not indued with the dexterity of Franciſcus Xavier, and why not as well by dipping or ſprinkling (for all that can be ſaid to the contrary, by the number of thoſe, who were baptized) ſince wee ſuppoſe thoſe that were baptized, to offer themſelves willingly to come into the water, and preſent themſelves ready, and the ceremony of dipping requiring very little time more by him that adminiſters it, then that of ſprinkling, and which by ſo many hands might eaſily be diſpatcht.
It was neceſſary to ſpeake ſomething to this, ſince it is all which I have met with (and that all you ſee how little it is) which might give the ſhew of a reaſon from Scripture practiſe, for baptizing by ſprinkling, and that onelyonly too by way of objection, which you ſee accommodated.
Thus you have a cleare proofe brought by Chamier, for the antient manner of Baptizing, by dipping, from the Apoſtolicall conſtitutions, which that alſo conſidered as an objection, why at any time it might ſeeme to be varyed, and you ſee, that as the objection to the generall rule was but conjecturall, ſo the ſolution is very eaſy, and the other practiſe, to wit, by dipping, moſt cleare and evident.
In the ſecond place, VValleus de Baptiz. p. 84. (a reverent Author, whom we have formerly mentioned) ſhewing that the antients Baptized by an immerſion of the whole body, ſayes, That antiently the dayes of Baptiſme (for they uſed ſome ſolemne dayes, as vvee ſhevv in another peece of this tract) had their name, from the ceremony, therefore it vvas called Dominica in albis, the Dominicall or the Lords day in vvhites, becauſe being unclothed for their Baptiſme, vvhichwhich vvas as before by dipping or plundging, they put on vvhite or linnen garments, vvith vvhichwhich they vvent into the Baptiſterion, a veſſell as we have formerly ſaid, fitted for that ceremony of immerſion: and therefore the Papiſts at this day, who retaine every thing of antient ceremony, though they corrupt the uſe of it, give a white garment to the baptized child in one part of their ceremony, which Bellarmine ſayes they are to vveare a Sabbato ſancto uſque ad Dominicam in albis, from the holy Sabaoth, to the Dominicall in vvhites, Tom. 3. p. 83. That is that Dominicall, which VValleus mentions, when thoſe who were baptized for comelines ſake, clothed themſelves with white linnen garments, whence the ſame Author ſaies, That thoſe vvho vvere to be baptized, vvere called Candidati Chriſtianiſmi, Candidates of Chriſtianity, with alluſiō to the clothing in white, with which they were accommodated for Baptiſme by immerſion.
In the third place I find the opinion of Bonaventure, quoted by a late and learned writer, vvho though hee allovves ſprinkling, yet more commends immerſion, or dipping, either of the vvhole body, vvhen there is vvater enough, or if there be but a little vvater, of the head and breſt, or of the head alone, or of the face onelyonly, becauſe there are all the ſences, and there doth eſpecially flouriſh the operation of the ſoule, and vvee take the image or picture of a man eſpecially from his face; which ſeverall reaſons he gives to that purpoſe, ſo as if you will ſprinkle, ye muſt fall upon a new queſtion, which may for ought I know be much diſputed, and that is, what part is to be ſprinkled; or if you will ſprinkle the whole man, which cannot be done exactly, to be ſure not eaſily, it were better to follow the ceremony of immerſion; but by what reaſon, aſperſion, or ſprinkling, came into uſe in the world, inſtead of immerſion, or dipping, ye ſhall find faſtned upon two conſiderations; of charity to ſicke and weake perſons, and charity to tender children, although as the ſame Author affirmes, merſion was more uſuall even for children, to the dayes of Gregory (who was Biſhop of Rome Anno 590) and Iſiodor. For Gregory giving an account of the threefold dipping, hath theſe words, Ʋt dum tertiò infans ab aquis educitur, reſurrectio triduani temporis exprimatur; vvhilſt the child is dravvne out of the vvater three times, the reſurrection after three dayes buriall may be ſignified. Epiſt. Greg. lib. 1. Epiſt. 41. An account of this charity for ſicke perſons, ye have expreſt in an epiſtle of Cyprian to Magnus lib. 1. Epiſt. 6. In the times of Cyprian there was a queſtion mooved concerning Baptiſme, by aſperſion or perfuſion, that is, powering water, to wit, hovv they vvere baptized, vvho in reſpect of infirmity, or ſicknes could not be dipt, vvhether ſuch ſprinkling vvere to be accounted for true baptiſme; by which demaund you may perceave, that in Cyprians time, immerſion or dipping was ſo much the uſuall and received forme for Baptiſme, as it was made a great queſtion, whether they were rightly baptized, who deſired Baptiſme, and yet by reaſon of infirmity, could not receive it, but by ſprinkling or aſperſion: Cyprian anſwers modeſtly and ſayes, Hee vvould not have his opinion be a prejudice to any other mans either opinion or practiſe, but his charity extends rather to thinke, that in ſuch caſes, Baptiſme may be received by ſprinkling; it were to long to quote his expreſſions wherein he is large.
But to conclude all, you ſee by a current of authority from Scripture eſpecially, and after by Authors antient and moderne, that dipping, or immerſion hath bene the old way of Baptizing, even for children in the dayes of Gregory, a reaſon of the alteration I have in part ſhewed you, from the quotation out of Cyprian. A more particular account Iacobus Pamelius ſhall give you, as you may read in his annotations upon the 76 Epiſt. of Cyprian, his words are theſe pa. 215. Quum propter aegritudinem immergi ſive intingi (quod propriè Baptizari eſt) aegri non poſſent, aqua ſalutari perfundebantur, ſive aſpergebantur; eademratione ab Eccleſia occidentali primum obſervari caepiſſe conſuetudinem adſpertionis, qua nunc utimur, exiſtimo, ob teneritudinem nempè infantium, quum jam rariſsimus eſſet adultorum baptiſmus: VVhen in reſpect of vveakeneſſe thoſe vvho vvere ſicke, could not be dipt, or plundged (vvhichwhich is properly to be baptized) they had vvater povvred upon them, or vvere ſprinkled vvith it; from the ſame reaſon I ſuppoſe the cuſtome of ſprinkling, vvhichwhich vve novv uſe, to have bene firſt obſerved by the vveſterne church, to vvit, for the tenderneſſe of infants, vvhen as novv the baptiſme of thoſe of age vvas very rare; then he goes one, Olim certè tum in occidentali, tum in orientali Eccleſia immergi ſolere veteres ſuis ſcriptis manifeſtum faciunt, & Romae id adhuc uſitatum aetate Gregorij manifeſtum ſit ex ipſius Sacramentorum libro: idque apud Anglos etiamnum obſervari ad marginem adnotavit Eraſmus. Certainly, that of old time, in the eaſterne and vveſterne church, they vvere uſed to dipp, the antient make manifeſt by their vvritings; and that it vvas uſed at Rome, in the time of Gregory, is manifeſt, from his booke of the Sacraments, and that it vvas yet uſed amongſt the Engliſh, Eraſmus hath noted in the margent. So Pamel.
I have bene large in this ſubject, but I hope it will be of uſe to us, both for the aſſuring of our practiſe in this particular, & the anſwering of ſuch, whoſe peremptory perſuaſion the other way (for ſome there are ſo perſuaded) give themſelves, and their friends trouble.
I ſhall take a knit from this, to obſerve (with which I ſhall conclude) what a tyrant cuſtome is, that dares ſtand up & contradict a thing ſo evident in it ſelf, ſo agreable to the reaſon of the ordinance, to the cleare phraſe and expreſſion of Scripture, to the practiſe of antient times, in ſo much that in Cyprians time, it was a queſtion mooved in the Church, whether thoſe that in reſpect of infirmity, could not receive baptiſme, the antient and uſuall way, and yet earneſtly deſired it, might be rightly baptized, by ſprinkling; vvhether ſuch (as Cyprians vvords are to Magnus) might be accounted lavvfull Chriſtians, that is, whether their Baptiſme ſo adminiſtred, were right, or a nullity; I ſay, you ſee here the tyranny & boldneſſe of cuſtome, that having ſhaped (as it is apt to doe) our mindes to one way, dares now pretend for that alone, with the excluſion of others, and would perſuade us, that nothing ſhould be, but what wee have ſeene to be, and counts every thing error, that hath not fallen under our ſence or experience: In things civill and indifferent, I can be content that cuſtome ſhall be my guide, & ſhall take that for good coyne, that the world ſtampes, but in matter of ordinances, and things ſacred, the rule of which lies in inſtitution, and not in our liberty, or choiſe, and the bleſſing of which lyes in conforming to the rule, and inſtitution: I beſeech you let us be wairy to judge with righteous judgement, and not by that appearance, which the cuſtomes of this world, upon their worldly and carnall, though ſeeming wiſe conſiderations, hold forth to us.