A Plea for the Use of Gospel Ordinances, Title page – Dedication
A PLEA for the Vſe of Goſpell Ordinances: Againſt the Practice And Opinions of certain men of theſe times. Unto which is added By way of an illuſtrious Inſtance; A Vindication of the Ordinance of BAPTISME: AGAINST Mr. Dels Booke, ENTITULED The Doctrine of Baptiſmes. Wherein it's proved That the Ordinance of Baptiſm is of Goſpel Inſtitution, and by Divine appointment, to continue of uſe in the Church, to the end of the World.
By HEN: LAURENCE Eſq
Beware leaſt any man ſpoyle you through Philoſophy, and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the Rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt. Col. 2.8.
London, printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman, at the Crown in Popeſ-head Alley. 1652.
TO My moſt Deare, and moſt Honoured Mother, the LADY LAWRENCE:
Moſt Honoured Mother,
WEE heare much of late of certain civil Hereticks, they call the LEVELLERS; Men, who by pretending Salus Populi, and the common good, would render their owne ſhare in the World, better then it is: And finding (as their Lots are caſt) community more advantageous to them, then propriety, would take away all thoſe troubleſome bounds, and metes, which Laws or Cuſtomes have eſtabliſhed upon particular rights, that all things might be reduced to their Primitive (as they pretend) and Originall Community.
I deſigne not the proceſſe of theſe Men at this time, how great ſoever their crime may be, and great enough certainly it will be judged, if this Charge be true: But the Charge that this Diſcourſe intends, is againſt another, and more audacious kind of Levellers, ſpirituall Levellers, men that would levell God; and as it was the vanity and ambition of Adam, to make himſelfe like God, ſo it is the preſumption, and pride of theſe men, to make God like them. We have formerly had to doe with ſome, who would bring the Juſtice of God, to the modell and ſcantling of their juſtice, which hath been the occaſion of that great controverſie with the Pelagians, and their followers the Arminians. And now we are importun'd by a Generation of men, who would ſubject the wiſedome of God to the modell and ſcantling of their wiſedome, would give lawes to God, for the government and Oeconomy of his owne houſe, and judge all at an undue and under rate, that lye not levell with their either reaſon, or fancy. And becauſe (ſelfe-love making up in us all defects) men are uſually reaſonably well ſatisfied with their own wiſdomes, howſoever others are; and that as the Scripture ſayes, Vaine Man would be wiſe, though Man bee as a wild Aſſes Colt; Hence it is, that men who have not learned ſufficiently, that the fooliſhneſſe of God is wiſer then men, and therfore if any man would be wiſe he muſt become a foole that he may be wiſe; men that have not been taught this of God, are vying ſtil with God for wiſedome, and are extreamely ſcandalized at his method of ſaving men by the fooliſh, and baſe, and weake, and deſpiſed meanes of Preaching, with all other Ordinances and Inſtitutions.
Our Saviour and Maſter taught us better by his owne example, when conſidering of the reaſon why God had hid the great things of the Goſpell, from the wiſe and learned men of the World, and revealed them to Babes: He reſolved it eaſily into the good pleaſure of God; Even ſo Father, for ſo it pleaſed thee. But theſe will rather diſpute it out with God and Men, then they will ſuffer ſuch a blemiſh to their wiſedome, as the ayde and aſſiſtance that theſe fooliſh, and weake, and baſe deſpiſed things, (as the Scripture cals them) brings with them. And yet becauſe it is hard to make an open Warre againſt God, and apparent and evident truths, held forth in his Word, they imploy all the pittance of wiſedome they have, to this great worke of Levelling, either in wholly taking away the uſe of the Scriptures, to themſelves and others of their elevation, or by ſo mincing and altering them by their liberty of allegorizing (Which you muſt beleeve although it be nonſence to be the Myſtery of the Hiſtory, as they call it) as they make them ſpeake what they judge in wiſedome they ſhould, ſince of themſelves and naturally they are farre from ſpeaking what they would.
But I ſhall trouble you no farther (moſt Honoured Mother) with prefacing, having given you a ſhort account who they are, and what it is that this diſcourſe pretends againſt, as the title tels you what it pretends to.
I am not (I thanke God) ſo vaine as to imagine that this Eſſay ſhould convert this kind of men, eſpecially ſuch as are higheſt flowne, and who having beene accuſtomed to defie reaſon and Scripture, doe not uſe to bee ſatisfied when they are anſwered. But I am not without hopes (through the grace of God) but that it may be of uſe to ſome, truly godly (for theſe temptations are fitted to perſons and places of light) who have not known the depths of Sathan, nor are yet effectually inſnared by theſe ſtratagems and wiles of the Devill. And I am aſſured, it will be accepted by you (my Deare Mother) to whom I preſent it, not only upon that juſt account that you commanded it (and the commands of Parents to their Children are of the higheſt Prerogative:) But becauſe it will be ſatisfaction to you to ſee the Aſſerting and Vindicating of thoſe things indeavored, which have ſo much of truth, and God in them; and in a time, when the profeſſion and practice of them is expos'd not onelyonly to the inſultings of men openly and profeſſedly prophane, but which is leſſe ſufferable, and more abominable, to the ſcorne and contempt of ſuch as would be eſteemed Saints of the higheſt elevation. But Wiſedome is juſtified of her Children, whoſe condition is very eaſily ſupportable with this aſſurance, That as Chriſt was in the World, ſo are they in the World; and if Their life be hid with Chriſt in God, when Chriſt who is their life, ſhall appeare, they ſhall appeare with him in glory: I am,
Moſt Honoured Mother, Your moſt obedient Sonne, and Moſt Humble Servant, Henry Lawrence.