Rejoinder to Mr Wills on Infant Baptism, Title page – Preface
A REJOYNDER to Mr. WILLS his Vindiciae: Wherein The Antiquity for Believers, and Novelty of Infant Baptiſm is further confirmed.
As alſo, His groundleſs Appeal diſtinctly anſwer'd, and the Forgeries and Miſtakes boaſted of, ſtill found to be his own.
With an Appeal to his Conſcience about the ſame.
That the words of Tertulian and Nazianzen ſhew it was long before all were agreed of the time or Neceſſity of Baptizing Infants before the uſe of Reaſon, in caſe they were like to live to Maturity.
—It was thought leſs needful to give it [viz. Infants Baptiſm,] a particular expreſs mention in the Records and Hiſtory of the Church [viz. In thoſe times] Mr. Baxter in his More Proofs, p. 279.
By H. Danvers.
Matth. 5.11. And ſhall ſay all manner of evil againſt you falſly for my names ſake.
Job 16.10. They have gaped upon me with their mouths, and have ſmote me upon the cheek reproachfully.
Pſal. 119.42. I ſhall have wherewithal to anſwer him that reproacheth me, for I truſt in thy word.
Printed for Francis Smith, at the Elephant and Caſtle, near the Royal-Exchange, 1675.
The PREFACE.
BEfore I had finiſhed with Mr. Baxter, I was firſt aſſaulted by a new adverſary, one Mr. Whitſton, and again by my old Antagoniſt Mr. Wills, not ſuffering me ſcarce to take breath, and three to one you know is odds. But hearing, that Mr. H. a meer ſtranger to me, had undertaken Mr. Whitſton, I have obtained ſo much leaſure, to conſider what our 3d. Triumvir hath further to ſay to me. And whom I find upon a ſerious peruſal inſtead of giving that due ſatisfaction, my ſober Reply, (and all good men) might expect from him, for his manifold detected errors in Antiquity, abuſe of Authors, ſcurrility and indignity to my perſon (a meer ſtranger to him) injurious reproaches to the whole party of Baptiſts, (as well in this as other Nations; not only loading the profeſſors thereof with his ſlanders, but the profeſſion it ſelf, as leading to Blaſphemy and Immorality) is pleaſed notwithſtanding to come forth in this wrathful, ſelf-juſtifying, and revengeful Spirit, abounding ſtill in his repeated and renewed errors and reproaches; as though an impenitent ſtanding by error was the beſt way to defend truth, and to recriminate others, the faireſt way to clear himſelf, juſtifying that Malefactor, who fell foul upon his Proſecutor, Judge, Jury, and Witneſſes, as the beſt way to ſave himſelf: And with the Chaced Fox, raiſeth a Duſt to make his eſcape. Dealing juſt with me; as the Heathens did with the Chriſtians of old, putting them into Bears Skins, and then ſet the Dogs upon them; or as the Papiſts have done with worthy Mr. Fox, for detecting their errors and cruelties, have decry'd him as ſuch a Forger, that none ought to converſe with him. But Mr. Wills will find himſelf under a diſappointment, truth is not ſo to be baffled, nor innocency foil'd, he will yet meet with a Vindication of both, in his farther juſt detection and reproof.
Theſe few Pages therefore do firſt truly diſcover to you, notwithſtanding the great noiſe and clamour of miſtakes, that the queſtion diſcourſed betwixt us is certainly loſt, and given up by him, and that the Antiquity ſo much boaſted of is wholly for Believers, not Infants Baptiſm. With a ſerious and particular Anſwer to his groundleſs frivolous Appeal; diſcovering withall, that he is truly guilty of thoſe crimes, and many more, that he would ſo injuriouſly father upon me, though what he diſcovers to have been my errors, I fully own, which are few, and very inconſiderable, miſtaking 2 or 3 names one for an… ther, viz. Aquinas for Albertus, Sericius for Hincmarus, not hitting a Popes Name, and not taking Walden to ſo good advantage as I ought for myſelf; that of Lanfrank mentioned before, and w…ich are all, of any weight, that I know of, none. of them hurting us in the leaſt, and and are ſo frivolous, that an ingenious man would ſcorn to have mentioned, much leſs to have made ſuch a duſt about.
But in the mean time I muſt acknowledge, it is very ſad the World ſhould be troubled with ſuch ſtuff, as though ſuch accuſations, recriminations, and diſcovery of nakedneſs, was for their edification, which I can truly ſay is very grieving to me, and were not the truth of God likely to ſuffer by my ſilence, I ſhould rather have born his reproaches and ſlanders, than have made any return to him. And therefore what I have done on my part to prevent ſuch miſchiefs and inconveniencies, I think will be neceſſary to give you ſome particular account of, having before only given you a hint thereof, viz. how much I have endeavoured with Mr. Wills to rectifie miſtakes, and miſ-underſtandings in a more Private, Friendly, Chriſtian way, that we might ſave the world this unneceſsary trouble.
Know therefore, that my firſt Treatiſe of Baptiſm, having ſlept about 12 Months without any publick notice, and being ready to come forth with a 2d. Edition, I improved my utmoſt intereſt with all ſorts, to procure what Objections did rationally lye againſt it, that if I had committed any miſtakes, I might rectifie them, having been conſtrained to take ſeveral things upon Truſt, for want of opportunity to examine them by their Originals: And therefore did Apologize in my Preface for Candor, that if by the multitude of Quotations through ſo ancient a Track, they might find any particular miſtake, miſ-quotation, or miſ-applicatoon, they would not ſo dwell or inſiſt upon it, as to reject the truth of all the reſt, that are full, and clear, and without exception, the way that Carpers and Sophiſters take, and the Method that Papiſts have all along taken in Reply to our Proteſtant Writers, though did aſſure, (and ſo I can ſay with a good Conſcience) that I have not willingly given any ſuch occaſion, and truly at laſt, after all the malicious ſcrutiny, clamour and noiſe that has been made, it is matter of Admiration, that no more has been brought forth: Mr. Wills having diſcovered but thoſe few before mentioned: Mr. Baxter but one that had any ſignificancy: And Mr. Whitſton not one.
Therefore hearing, That Mr. B. had ſomething to ſay againſt it, I ventured, as I have told you, to ſend to him; and underſtanding, that Mr. Wills had ſpent ſome time in the Oxford Library, to trace my Authorities, and found me tardy in many, I ſent Two or Three Meſſages to him, to admit of ſome Converſe about it, but in vain; then upon the coming forth of the 2d. Impreſſion, I ſent Mr. Wills one of them, with this following Letter.
SIR,
I Underſtand you have ſome Exceptions againſt my Treatiſe of Baptiſm, eſpecially the Hiſtorical Part, and particularly about the Waldenſes, and that you intend ſpeedily to print the ſame. I having, Sir, printed a 2d. Impreſſion, and therein made ſome alterations, and very conſiderable additions, eſpecially as to the Waldenſes, have taken upon me the confidence to ſend you one; and which if it may tend to your ſatisfaction, may ſave the world, your ſelf, and me, the further trouble of Anſwers and Rejoynders, if not, if you will pleaſe to Communicate where your principal Objection lies, either to that, or any thing elſe, and admit of the Exchange of a Letter or Two about it; it may not be unſerviceable to the Truth, with this aſſurance, that if it may appear, that I have done any manifeſt injury to truth, I ſhall be ready to give the moſt publick ſatisfaction it may call for; it having been my earneſt and importunate deſire, ever ſince the Expoſure of the firſt, to procure any rational Objection againſt any thing I had ſaid, and which ſhould have been as wellcome to me as an Approbation, (becauſe it is only truth in ſincerity I deſign to propagate) but do aſſure you, have not as yet met with the leaſt Objection from any one that I had not before obviated. And indeed as to the Hiſtorical Part, though it is not offered for proof, but illuſtration only, would be too great folly to render any willful miſtake, which every Scholar in his Library confutes; Which with the render of Chriſtian Reſpects, is recommended to your Conſideration, by
Your unknown Friend and Servant, H. D. March 22. 1673.
To which Letter upon the 10th of May 1674. Mr. Wills returns me anſwer, that had not my Letter come too late, it would have been incivility not to have complied with me; but that part of his Book was in the Preſs before mine came to his hand, and therefore deſired my excuſe, and not to reckon him a willing diſturber of the world, having never before invaded the Preſs.
As though my Meſſages ſent to him (by a neighbour of the Devizes, and an acquaintance of his after, that came by him to Briſtoll Fair, and ſeveral ſpeakings to his Book-ſeller to write to him to that end, who ſtill told me he ſtaid the Preſs for my ſecond Impreſſion, having been ready for it ſome months) had no ſignification, if my Letter had not in time reach'd him, to prevent that diſturbance, or at leaſt to have obtained ſome Civil return from him.
Well, the Book comes forth, and how ſtufft with prejudice, perſonal Reflections, egregious Miſtakes, bitter Invectives not only againſt my ſelf, and whole Party, but the Principle it ſelf, you are beſt able to judge; which I endeavoured ſome time after, notwithſtanding all thoſe high provocations given, modeſtly to detect in a ſober Reply.
Though by the way this piece of Civility and Ingenuity muſt not be forgotten, that the week before my Reply was publiſhed, they thought meet to put Mr. Wills Title into the Gazette, to proclaim me a Forger all the Nation over, knowing that though I might follow him in the Preſs, yet there I was not capable to attend him for my Vindication.
Some months after mine came forth, I heard Mr. Wills was come to Town with a Rejoynder: whereupon I ſent ſome Friends to him to prevail for a Conference with him, which could not be obtained. Then I wrote to ſome of his Friends to acquaint him, that if he would meet with two or three Chriſtian Friends of a ſide, and communicate to me his Exceptions, I ſhould aſſure him, that if I had done him or the Truth any injury, I would make the moſt publick ſatisfaction that they ſhould judge requiſite; which could not prevail with him. Afterwards I hearing that he had been with my Book-ſeller, to read ſome writing of mine reſpecting the Controverſie, which was ſhewed him, and ſuppoſing that might be ſome obligation to him to be reciprocal, did ſend my Book-ſeller to his to obtain the like freedom, to peruſe his Papers in his Book-ſellers hand, but could obtain no permiſſion thereto.
And yet after the rejection of all theſe modeſt endeavours of my part, which beſpoke me far from being obſtinate or tenacious in any thing that I had writ, he has the Confidence with this clap of Thunder he has come forth with, to tell the world in his Ep. to his Vindiciae, That he muſt acquaint me that I having treated him with ſo much rudeneſs in what is paſt, that he had little heart to have any more to do with me, unleſs he ſee better cauſe, and gives me ſecurity of his Silence for the future, to any of my Contradictions, there being no gaping againſt an oven, and ſilence is accounted the beſt anſwer to ſuch as ſuper-add contumacy to their miſtakes.
But where has that Contumacy appeared in me? It is true he deals with me in his appeal as a contumacious perſon, but how ſuch proceedings are to be reconciled to Reaſon, Rule, or Religion, I muſt confeſs my ſelf at a great loſs.
Had he dealt with me herein as the Quakers dealt with Mr. Hicks, which he makes his pattern, he had been much more excuſable, who (I preſume he'l find) admitted of private conference, and had Letters exchanged betwixt them; and till they ſuppoſed Mr. Hicks was contumacious, and tenacious, did not proceed in that their Appeal.
I do not know that it is the practice in Weſtminſter-hall, for a Plaintiff to procure publication for Tryal before he gives his Declaration, has his Anſwer, Reply, Rejoynder, &c. and ſurely Mr. Wills ſhould have had ſo much patience to have attended what I had ſaid to his Vindiciae, before he had thundred out his Appeal: It may be my Anſwer to the former, might have prevented the latter. Will nothing ſatisfie him but my utmoſt ſhame and reproach? Yet would he perſwade the world, That he loves me as a Brother though erring, and had much rather convince then ſhame me, adviſing me to leave toſſing the Ball of contention, &c.
But is this dealing with me like a Brother he deſigns to convince and reduce from errour? Is this to inſtruct with meekneſs? to uſe any Goſpel-way to reform and inform, he knows the Soveraign Rule Mat. 18. is not publickly to tell the Church, till all other private ways are ineffectual.
I muſt confeſs theſe are ways and ſtrains that I have not been acquainted withall, either amongſt men or Chriſtians, which only ſerve as to my own particular to lead me to Chriſts rule, which I deſire more to attend in the caſe, To pray for him that thus deſpitefully uſes and perſecutes me, and to rejoyce that I am counted worthy to ſuffer ſhame, and to have all manner of evil ſpoken againſt me falſly for his Names ſake.
Withall ſatisfying my ſelf that Mr. Wills takes the ready way by theſe methods to promote the cauſe he oppoſes, for few that ever I heard of, that manage a good cauſe, are left to ſuch foul miſcarriages.
H. D.