An Antidote Against the Venom Regarding Richard Baxter, Section 8
SECT. 8 Of Gods speaking by judgements from Heaven againſt Anabaptiſts.
MAſter Baxter goes on thus: I cannot digreſſe to fortify you againſt theſe Sects: you have ſeene God ſpeak againſt them by judgements from Heaven; what were the two monſters in new England but miracles?
Anſ. He is pleaſed to ſtile, Antinomians, Socinians, Arminians, Separatiſts, Independents, Anabaptiſts, (falſly ſo called) Sects. Thoſe whom he calls Independents, diſclaim the Title, and deny themſelves to be a Sect, and ſo doe Antipaedobaptiſts. Let reaſon be heard; why ſhould men be any more called a Sect, for denying that it is of Divine appointment, that a Synod of many Churches ſhould have power to excommunicate,Mr Baxter himſelf in this his Book of the Saints everlaſting reſt, Part. 2. ch. 6. Sect. 1. p. 2…2 expreſſeth Chriſts charge to his Apoſtles thus go, Preach and make me Diſciple of all Nations. then others called Presbyterians for holding it? why ſhould Antipaedobaptiſts be called a Sect for denying that Infants are appointed by Chriſt to be Baptized rather then Paedobaptiſts for affirming it? If for their Tenet they are called a Sect, ſurely they that ſo plainly turne aſide from the expreſſe inſtitution, Mat. 28. 19, 20. Mark. 16. 5. 16. which almoſt all Expoſitors, and not a few Paedobaptiſts even in their writings for Paedobaptiſme do acknowledge to appoint onelyonly the Baptizing of Diſciples made by Preaching, and from the manifeſt Practiſe of the Apoſtles, are more worthy the Name of a Sect, or Sectaries; if for non-Communion wi…h others of a contrary judgement I wiſh each man would lay his hand on his heart, and examine whether he hath not been the maker of the breach: For my own part I am aſſured, I can better aquit my ſelfe from it then the chief of my Antagoniſts. Surely Mr. Baxter in this his Invective, chiefly in his raſh and haſty reckoning me among Hereticks, even then when I made earneſt ſuite to him to have his Arguments in writing that I might examine them (which I cannot any way obtaine as yet) hath more manifeſtly ſhewed himſelf reſolved to break with Me, and to renounce Me as one unfit for communion with him, then any action I ever did ſhewed the like diſpoſition in Me towards him, Mr. Baxter ſayth I cannot digreſſe to fortifie you against theſe Sects. I confeſſe a Diſcourſe againſt thoſe Sects, as he calls them, had been a Digreſſion from the ſubject of his Treatiſe, but not from the matter of his Epiſtle, and the fifth Direction he gives to his Neighbours of Kederminſter. But why can he not digreſſe? I can gheſſe no other reaſon but his haſte: willing he was in his Epiſtle before that Book which was likely to ſell, to blaſt my reputation by Name, and other diſſenters from him without naming them; whether to eaſe his ſtomack or to what other end he knowes beſt, though he little conſidered what he wrote. He goes on: you have ſeen God ſpeake againſt them by judgements from Heaven; what were the two monſters in New England, but miracles? I Anſwer, what judgements from heaven by wch God ſpak againſt the Sects he mentions, they had ſeen, I could never yet learn of his Neighbours, though I have lived very near them, have often converſed with them, and had them my auditors till (I imagin) M. Baxters oppoſition to Me took them off. Nor doe I think if Mr. Baxter were put to name the judgements by which God ſpake from Heaven againſt the Sects he names, would he mention any other then the two Monſters in New England, which I am confident neither Mr. Baxter, nor any of his Neighbours of Kederminſter ſaw. Theſe two Monſters are mentioned in the Margin of his book Pag. 232. to be the moſt hideous monſtrous births of Miſtris Hutchinſon, and Miſtris Dier. In Mr. Welds ſtory of the Antinomians; I finde mention in the Preface of thirty monſtrous births or thereabouts brought forth by Miſtris Hutchinſon at once; ſome of them bigger, ſome of them leſſer, ſome of one ſhape ſome of another, few of any perfect ſhape, none at all of them (ſo far as he could learne) of humane ſhape. And of Miſtris Dyer that ſhe brought forth her birth of a woeman child, a Fiſh, a beaſt, and a foule, all woven together in one, and without an head, which he deſcribes pag. 44. of his Story. The truth of the Relation I queſtion not: but that they were Miracles as Mr. Baxter takes the word [Miracle] in his ſecond part, Ch. 4. Sect. 1. &c. in which he diſtinguiſheth between Wonders and Miracles, I think cannot be made good. If we finde not the like ſtory in every point, yet we reade of many monſtrous births, as that of the Earle of Hollands daughter and many other: yet neither Divines, nor Philoſophers, nor Phyſicians that I know do reckon them among Miracles. Nor do I think it a very ſafe way to take ſuch Accidents as Arguments for, or againſt any Tenet. Camden in his Britannia deſcribing Wiltſhire, makes mention of a Synod in Calne, whereat upon the falling of the roome, and preſervation of Dunſtan it was judged, that God had determined for Monkery. Many more ſuch ſtrange accidents doe both Heathen, and Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories mention for confirmation of ſuperſtition and errors, which Mr. Baxter himſelf takes notice of Pag. 240. by which People have been lead to errors. And therefore I think Mr. Baxter doth ill to direct his Neigbhours of Kederminſter, to ſuch accidents to fortifie them againſt Sects. And I have ever judged it a very unſafe, and I thinke an evill courſe that many Preachers have taken to affright their People with relations of accidents, befalling Men whom they judge erroneous, thereby to deter them from ſo much as examining their Tenet; as being contrary to Pauls admonition of trying all things, 1 Theſſ. 5. 21. and directing to another way of diſcerning between truth and error, then the holy Scripture contrary to John 5. 39. Mark. 12. 24. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Deut. 13. 1, 2. and Iſai. 8. 20. &c. which is derogatory to the Scriptures uſe, and directing them by judgements from heaven to judge of Doctrines, of which many Relations are not true, as I am ſure for one inſtance in the relations of Gods Judgement upon Sabbath breakers, to which Mr. Baxter referrs Pag. 230. concerning Mr. Powle of Lemſter in my time of being there, and not far off from the place when it happened, in the relation of which there are ſundry miſtakes and untruths, nor did the circumſtances ſhew the accident to be Gods Voyce, to that end the compiler of that Book applies it. But if the relations of the accidents be true, yet it is uncertaine whether the Devill do not ſpeak by them, untill it appear firſt that the Tenet they are applied to confirme be of God, which may be known by the Scriptures without relying on ſuch accidents. And it is well known that Papiſts uſe them as well as the Orthodox, and make them a note of their Church and Doctrine, which is rejected by Proteſtants. But were it granted a ſafe way to judge of Doctrines by ſuch judgements of God; yet in all the ſtory of Mr. Weld forementioned, I finde not a word of Miſtris Hutchinſon, or Miſtris Dyer, or any other of theſe whoſe errors are taken to be condemned by thoſe accidents, as holding Antipaedobaptiſme. I finde Miſtris Dyer and her Husband to have been taken for Familiſts, Pag. 44. Miſtris Hutchinſon to have held 29 errors, Pag. 60. but none of them againſt Infant baptiſme. Mr. Baxter himſelf in the Margin of his book Pag. 232. bids aske them in New England, whether they were not convincing providences againſt their Antinomian Antiſcripturall hereſies. Why then doth Mr. Baxter tell his Neigbours of theſe judgements ſpeaking againſt the Sects he mentions indefinitely, when it was but againſt one of them in his own conſtruction, and place his ſpeech where it might be, and is commonly taken, and was alledged upon Mr. Baxters credit in Pulpit, in the Pariſh in which I taught, as ſpoken againſt Antipaedobaptiſts, but that it is moſt likely Mr. Baxter in that paſſage chiefly intended to make Me in particular, and other oppoſers of Infant-baptiſme odious, and the truth we hold, though he did thereby miſleade Men, for which the Lord forgive Him. Yet I will adde thus much, that I finde among the 82 errors condemned in New England, in that ſtory the 21 to be this. To be juſtified by Faith is to be juſtified by Workes: which how near it is to Mr. Baxters Doctrine in his Aphoriſms of juſtification, Theſ. 20. 70. 72, 73, 74, 75, 76. in this Treatiſe Pag. 11. Doubtleſſe the Goſpel takes Faith for our obedience to all Goſpell Precepts, which he teacheth in his Aphoriſmes, Theſ. 76. and expounds James 2. 24. of juſtification before God by works in a proper ſenſe, and thoſe were giving food, or cloathing to a brother, Verſ. 16. offering Iſaac on the Altar, which is rather a work of the Law then the Goſpell, Ver. 21. Rahabs receiving the Meſſengers and ſending them out another way.