The Sum of Diverse Sermons, Title page – Dedication
THE SVMME Of diverſe SERMONS Preached in Dublin, Before the L. Deputie Fleetwood, and the Commiſſioners of Parliament for the Affairs of IRELAND.
Wherein the doctrine of Infant-baptiſm is aſſerted, and the main Objections of Mr Tombs, Mr Fiſher, Mr Blackwood, and others, Anſwered.
¶ By SAMUEL WINTER, D. D. Provoſt of Trinitie Colledge near DUBLIN.
Neh. 9 8. Thou foundeſt his heart faithful before thee, and enteredſt into Covenant with him, to give his ſeed the land of Canaan.
Pſal. 25.14. His ſecret is with them that fear him, to make them know the Covenant.
Iſa. 65. They are the ſeed of the bleſſed of the Lord and their offſpring with them.
Ez 16.60. Nevertheleſs I will remember my Covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will eſtabliſh unto thee an everlaſting Covenant.
Act. 1.14. —Cum Ʋxoribus & liberis.
Tanto magis pro infantibus loqui debemus, quanio minus ipſi pro ſe loqui poſsunt Auguſtin.
Quod univerſa tenet Eccleſia, nec concilijs inſtitutum, ſed ſemper retentum; id non niſi authoritate apoſtolicâ traditum rectiſſimè creditur. Idem.
DƲBLIN, Printed by William Bladen, Anno Dom. 1656.
EX ſanctificato alteto …exu ſanctos procreari ait, ex ſeminis praerogativa. Tert. in 1 Cor. 7.
Gal. 3.28. Neither male nor Female.) In Judaiſmo magnum erat privilegium virilis ſexus, is ſolus foederis ſignum corpore gerens. Grot. At &c.
Major difficultas in componendis diſſidiis animorum, quàm in componenda controverſia. Zan.
Quoniam non noviliteraturam, introibo in potentias Domini▪ Vulgata ve…ſio, Pſal. 71.14.
foreign. Chryſ. in Heb. 6.6.
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Act. 16.15. Baptizata eſt ipſa, & filii domus ejus. She was baptized, and the children of her houſe.
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Verſ. 33. Et eâdem horâ baptizatus eſt ipſe, & filii domus ejus omnes. And the ſame hour he was baptized, and all the children of his houſe.
To their Excellencies, CHARLS FLEETWOOD, Lord Deputie of Ireland; AND THE Lord HENRY CROMWEL, Commander in chief of the Forces in Ireland.
My Lords,
IT was a ſaying of Luther, Let me hear ill as a malefactor, &c. Modo impii ſilentii non arguar, ſo that I be not accuſed of ſinful ſilence.
The doctrine of Antipaedobaptiſm was preached in many places in IRELAND, and I again and again challenged to diſpute this point; therefore I reſolved to give place to none ſuch, no not for an hour, (it being urged as a thing ſo neceſſary to ſalvation by many) that the truth of the Goſpel might continue with us, as Paul ſpeaks of Circumciſion, Gal. 2. but did publickly disown that way and practice, which though watered by the foot of man, as Aegypt: yet was never watered by the dew of heaven, as Canaan) & accordingly I found (bleſſed be his glorious grace who delighteth to breath in ſuch poor worms as I am) more of Gods preſence in the publick diſpenſing of that Ordinance of infant baptiſm, (aſſuring me by his ſpirit that he would own it and bleſs it to the babes) than ever I did in all my days, theſe eight and twenty years ſince I entered into the Miniſtry; to which I was called from my childhood, and aſſured I ſhould win many ſouls. This I ſpeak in humility of ſpirit, (as knowing my ſelf to be the chief of ſinners) not to magnifie my ſelf, but to magnifie mine Office, as Paul doth in the firſt and ſecond Chapters to the Galatians. Paul knew that if thoſe teachers could enervate his authoritie, and make his calling void, his doctrine would be ſlighted and made of none effect; therefore he labors to prove by many Arguments that he was called from heaven to the Miniſtry; eſpecially by the good ſucceſs the Lord gave, I was (ſaith he) ſent to the Gentiles, as Peter to the Jews: for he that w…ought effectually by Peter to the circumciſion, was mighty in me towards the Gentiles. Gal. 2.7.8.
In theſe lines I look at Chriſt as ſtanding by, and overlooking what I am doing, who well knows with how many prayers and tears I have looked upon the ſeveral texts mentioned in this Treatiſe; (for I often think, what would Chriſt ſay to ſuch a text if he were to preach on ſuch a ſubject? or will Chriſt own this or that truth another day?) begging of the father of lights, from whom every good giving and perfect gift doth come, that he would lead me into all truth; and not ſuffer me to build upon his foundation, wood, hay, and ſtubble, leaſt the day ſhould diſcover it, and I ſuffer loſs either of my labor or crown (making it leſs maſſie and weighty, not having ſo many pearls in it) another day. And I am aſſured that thoſe prayers ſhall not prove abortive: for the prayers of the ſaints dyed in the bloud of Chriſt are of eternal efficacie; there being a neceſſity and tie lying upon Jehova that they ſhould be fulfilled in due time, Acts 1.16. However if Chriſt take pleaſure in me, here I am: if not, let him do with me what ſeemeth good in his ſight.
I have not affected enamel'd phraſes, and words of mans wiſdom, (which perhaps are expected from one in my capacity) but with as much plainneſs as I could, I have held forth the truth as it is in Jeſus. The riches of Greece did not conſiſt in words, ſaid Demoſthenes of old. Therefore I had rather ſay Oſsum than Os, with Auſtin, leaſt I ſhould not be underſtood. Cibus ſimplex est optimus, the plaineſt meats nouriſh moſt. We ſay of a diamond, Quicquid abſconditur perditur; for truth is like to Adam, never ſo glorious as when it's naked. Therefore, ſaith the Apoſtle, we uſe plainneſs of ſpeech. 2 Cor. 3.12.
If any be offended, I ſay, Praeſtat ut ſcandalum admittatur quam ut veritas amittatur. And with Seneca, Mallem boni viri famam perdere, quam conſcientiam. For we are ſet for the defence of the Goſpel, and the appertenances thereof, (Phil. 1.17.) and therefore may not with hold our teſtimonie from the preſent truth, (i.) the truth of this age, (though never ſo much oppoſed) what ever the event may be.
I have without gall or bitterneſs to any, as I hope, managed this controverſie, truthing it in love, foreign, Eph. 4 (for truth needs not paſſion) deſirous to weep and bleed over ſuch ſouls who are contrary minded, (over whom Chriſt hath bled) as Paul ſpeaks Phil. 3.18. If at any time God will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth; that they may recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the devil, who are taken captive alive at his will.
However though many will not own this disgraced truth, I am aſſured that Chriſt will own it another day, and then truth will be truth: in the mean time put it in the open field and let it work out it ſelf, which doubtleſs it will; for all truth is from the ſpirit, which onelyonly is able to make way for it in the hearts of the ſons of men, and to batter down thoſe ſtrong holds, even thoſe royal forts of the imagination and will, that ſtand out in oppoſition to the truths of Ieſus.
My deareſt Lords! I ow no leſs than my ſelf to you, for that tender love you have ever expreſſed to me; therefore having nothing elſe to give, worthy of your acceptance, I give my ſelf to you. Many have given more, but none ever left leſs to himſelf: and as a token of mine endeared affections to your Honors, I humbly preſent this plain diſcourſe to your Honors patronage, being the firſt fruits of my labours; and leave it in the hand of the ſpirit to bring it h…me to the ſouls of all into whoſe hands it may come, aſſuring my ſelf, I have a friend within them, the ſpirit I mean, (if they be Chriſts) that will eccho to, and cloſe with the ſpirit that is without. But if I prevale not with thoſe that are otherwiſe minded, (as I have little hope, ſeeing God doth not uſually recall ſuch, but ſuffers them to go on in the error of their way) my earneſt prayer to God ſhall be, Father forgive them for they know not what they ſay, and they do they know not what.
My Lords, Your Honors humble Servant, Samuel Winter.