[Page 10] With respect to [...] which We Affir­med. They Denyed [...] [...]o that you already see the first thing lying before me for Proof, was the following Position, Viz.

1 P. That it is the Will of GOD that some Infants be Baptized. By some Infants here, was said to be intended the Infants of Vi­sible Believers: And for proof of this, Two Arguments only were offe [...]d, the former of which you have in the following Syllo­gisms, Viz.

1. Argument. If there be a Divine Command for Baptizing some Infants, viz. The Infants of Visible Believers, then its the Will of GOD they should be Baptized.

But there is a Divine Command for Baptizing Some Infants, viz The Infants of Visible Be­lievers:

Therefore its the Will of GOD they should be Baptized.

The Consequence of the first Proposition you see admits not of Denial. If there be a Divine Command for Baptizing the Infants of Visible Believers, and Divine Commands are Evidences or Expressions of the Divine Will in any case, then it necessarily follows its the Will of GOD they should be Bapti­zed. Accordingly the Minor or Second Proposition was what Mr Wightman denied, which you see was this, Viz. That there is [Page 11]a Divine Command for Baptizing some Infants, Viz. The Infants of Visible Belie­vers.

And for proof of this I offer'd,

2. Arg. If there be a Divine Command for Baptizing Disciples of CHRIST, then there is a Divine Command for Baptizing the Infants of Visible Believers.

But there is a Divine Command for Baptizing Disciples of CHRIST:

Therefore there is a Divine Command for Baptizing the Infants of Visible Believers.

For proof of the Minor or Second Propo­sition, Viz.

That there is a Divine Command for Bap­tizing Disciples of Christ, I alledged Mat. 28. 19. Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations, Bap­tizing them, &c. Or as it is in the Original, Go ye therefore & Disciple all Nations, or make them Disciples, &c. This Mr. Wightman owned to be a full proof of that Proposition, and ac­cordingly denied it not; but the Conse­quence of th [...] Major or First Proposition was what he here denied; saying that tho' there be a Divine Command for Baptizing Disciples of CHRIST, it doth not thence follow there is such a Command for Bapti­zing the Infants of Visible Believers. For proof thereof the Consequence I said,

[Page 12] 3. Arg That it availed or was good in case the Infants of Visible Believers are Disciples of CHRIST.

But the Infants of Visible Believers are Dis­ciples of CHRIST.

For proof of which I said,

That if by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures they are called Disciples, then they are so:

And that they are so called or [...]iled in the Scriptures, I Instanced in those words of Peter in the Council at Jerusalem, Acts 15.10. Now therefore why Tempt ye GOD to put a Yoke upon the Ne [...]k of the Disciples, which neither our Father [...] nor we were able to bear? Where by the word [Disciples] I said is intended, in part at least, the Infants of Visible Believers, as is manifest from the Yoke there spoken of, as what those false Teachers endeavoured to impose which was the Observation of Circumcision after the manner of Moses, together with the whole Law: This Mr. Wightman denyed, and said it intended only Adult Persons, or such Gentiles as being of Years of Discreti­on had came over to Christianity, saying that such only of the Gentiles were Cir­cumcised, to prove it quoted Joh. 7.22 — And ye on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a Man. To which Mr. Adams replyed, that by the word (Man) in the Text is intended a [Page 13]Man or Male Child, & that CHRIST in those words has reference to the custom of the Jews in observing the Law of Circumcision, which was to Circumcise a Child on the Sabbath, when that happened as it often did, to be the eighth day from the Child's Birth which gave rise to that saying among them, Circumcisio pefli [...] Sabbatum.

Reader, Thou see [...] [...]he Debate now was about the meaning of this word [Disciples] Acts 15.10.— whether it intend only such Gentile Believers as were Adult, or of Years, or their Seed together with them; and that the whole matter in Controversy was determined by the Resolution of this. Mr Wightman own'd there was a Divine Command for Baptizing Disciples of Christ; and consequently that if the Seed of Visi­ble Believers are Disciples, its the will of GOD they should be Baptized: But this he denied and said that Acts 15 10. did not prove they are Disciples, but by that word intended only Adult Gentile Believers. I affirmed the contrary and said it included their Seed also with them. Here Mr Mo­derator Hitchcock perceiving matters were like to bear hard on Mr Wightman, came in to his Assistance in this Exigence, & round­ly asserted with him that the word (Disciples) in the Text could intend no more than [Page 14]such Adult Gentiles as had embrac'd Christi­anity, and to prove it read the preceding Context; in doing which he particularly and with much Emphasis observed to us the Terms [Brethren, Ye, and Them,] in ver. 15 confidently asserting that as those Terms all signified or intended the same Persons, viz. Adult Gentile Believers, so they were the only Persons called [Disciples] ver. 10 To which I replyed it was true that the Bre­thren spoken of ver. 1. were the only Persons to whom those Judaizing Teachers then taught that Doctrine, and would have per­swaded of the necessity of observing Circum­cision and other works of the Law in order to Life, but that they were not the only Persons on whom they would have imposed that Yoke was evident from the same ver. with ver. 5. whom they tell us that the taught and would have perswaded them of the necessity of observing Circumcision after the Manner or according to the Law of Mo­ses, and of keeping the whole Law, in order to Salvation. And to set this matter in a clearer light told him the case was this, viz. That as in that day there were both of Jews and Gentiles who by the Preaching of the Gospel were brought over to an Embrace­ment of Christianity, So of the former, viz. The Jews, there were many who still retained [Page 15] [...] Zeal for Circumcision according to the [...]aws or Manner of Moses and for the whole Law, and thought them necessary to be ob­served by Christians together with Faith in order to Salvation Acts 21 When Paul had related to James and the Elders at Jeru­salem the things GOD had wrought by his Ministry among the Gentiles, tis said ver. 20 That wh [...]n they h [...]d it they Glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest Brother how many Thousand Jews there are which believe, and they are all Zealous of the Law, i. e. of Moses. They did not so fully as they should understand that CHRIST was the Substance of all those Shadows, & consequently that by his Coming and Death he had put an end to them, and therefore they retained a Zeal for them still. Some of this sort of Judaizing Christians were those spoken of ver. 15. who came down from Judea to Antioch and taught the Gen­tile Converts or Proselytes there, the necessi­ty of observing Circumcision after the manner of Moses, and of the whole Law, and thus they did in other Churches too. Now what was the Circumcision of Proselytes or Gentile Converts that was after the Manner or ac­cording to the Law of Moses? Was it not that they themselves and all their Males, Old or Young, should be Circumcised instantly before they eat the Passover, and that their [Page 16]Children afterward should be so [...]o when Eight Days Old? See Exod, 12 [...] 48, 49 Nu [...] [...] 14. — This was the Circumcision they [...]ught these Brethren or Gentile Conventa the necessity of, and his together with the observation of the whole Law [...] was the Yoko they endeavoured to impose, from whence tis manifest those Brethren themselves [...] not the only Persons on whom they would have imposed this Y ke and consequently not the only Persons intended by Disciples, ver. 10. but their Children also, whither of Adult Years or but New Born. And for further proof of this Added.

4. All those on whose N [...]s those Judaizing Teachers would have lay'd this Yoke were Disci­ples.

But some, you the most of those on whos [...] Mecks they would have laid this Yoke were the Children of the Brethren spoken of ver. 1.

Therefore those Brethren themselves were not the only Persons intended by Disciples ver. 10. but their Children also.

The former Proposition is evident in-as-much as the Apostle makes no distinction of the Persons on whose Necks those Teachers would have laid the Yoke, calls them all Disci­ples without distinction: And that the Chil­dren of the Brethren spoken of ver 1. were the most of those on whose Necks they would [Page 17]the Law of Moses. To this, I remember not that any Reply was made, either by the Moderator or Mr. Wightman, tho' urged to it.

Whereupon having been interrupted in delivering the Argument; and thereby the Evidence of it being obscured, I summ'd it up in a few words to th [...] effect, viz That Mat. 28.19 is a plain command for Bapti­zing Disciples, and therefore a plain discove­ry of the Divine Will that the Infants of Visible Believers should be Bap [...]ized, in case they are Disciples: Which whether they are or not, the Word of GOD must Deter­mine. If that Honour them with that Name or Title, calls them Disciples, the [...] doubtless they are so, and that it does so stile or call them, I alledged for an Instance, Acts 15 10. where by Disciples the Apostle must intend all those on whose Necks the fa [...]se Teachers spoken of in the C [...]text, would I have Imposed the Yoke of Circum­cision and keeping the Law of M [...]es; the main part of which its mannest were the Children of the Brethren or Gentile Con­verts there sp [...]ken of From whence this Conclusion must necessarily fo [...]w, viz. That its the Will of GOD that the [...]h [...]dren of Visible Believers should be Baptized: To this I annex'd a short Discourse on the [Page 18]Term [Disciples] shewing that the Scriptures apply or use it in a greater Lati­tude than our Adversaties in this matter of Infant Baptism ordinarily understand it, that as its a Relative term, and signifies one taken into the Church or school of CHRIST, and is there either actually under instruction and discipline, or else there in order to it, so the Scripture uses it in such an extensive sense, as including both, and does not limit it to Persons already In [...]ructed or Taught, various lastances of which were given. And here ends what was said on the first Argu­ment. The second follows,

2. A. Its the Will of GOD, that all those that belong to the Church, should be by Baptism re­ceived to a more Visible Membership in it.

But some Infants, viz. The [...] of Vi­sible Believer, belong to the Church.

Therefore its His shall that by Baptism they should be received to a more Visible Membership in it. Here Mr Wightman say'd me the Labour of groving the Major or First Proposition, by readly owning of it, it being what as he suppos'd his own Pra [...]tion was agreable to: However since there may be some who may deny or doubt of it, I'll here insert what I had in readiness to offer for proof of it, had he put me upon it. [...] the Church here I intend the [...] Visible Church; by [Page 19]belonging to it, I intend a real tho' more ob­s [...]re Membership in it. As a Souldier is in a sense a King before the Solemnity of Crowning, taking the Oath, &c. so are Per­sons really, tho' more obscurely, Members of the V [...]sible Church before Baptism, o­therwise they are not to be Baptized. By being received to a more Visible Membership in that Visible Body, I intend the perfor­mance of some Act or Acts whereby Persons have fixt on them some Mark or Badge common to the rest of the Visible Members of that Body, and are thereby Vested with a more Visible Membership with or among them than they had before; as a Souldier by receiving the Livery of this or the other Regiment becomes a more Visible member of it. Now this I say is Baptism, and that its the Will of GOD that all those who be­long to the Church should in this way be received to such Visible Membership in it, is evident because we have neither Pre [...]ept nor Example for any other way of Admis­s [...] [...] since CHRIST Ordained Baptism. I Presume none will pre end Precept for any other way; [...] as for example 'tis equally certain we have [...]ore. All hose we rend o [...] A [...]mitted to this more V [...]sible Member­ship were Admitt [...] in this way, viz. By [Page 20]Baptism, Thus the three Thousand, Act. 2. The San a [...]tans, Simon Magus and the Eunuch, Acts 8. Saul or Paul, Acts 9, Cor­nelius and his houshold, Act, 10 [...]ydia, the Jaylour and their housholds, Acts, 16 The Corinthians ch. 18. and those spoken of ch. 19 and finally the houshold of Stephanas, 1 Cor. 1.16. All these came to this more V [...]sible Membership by this way or means, Nor have we, that I know of, any Example or Instance of any other way or mode of admission to it. All that which with any shew of reason can be objected against this Propo­sition is this, viz. That altho' it be the Will of GOD, that all those that belong to the Church, should be admitted to this more vi­sible Membership in it, and that by Baptism, yet it no where appears it should be done presently, or as soon as they thus belong to this Body; but on the other hand, that as Baptism is our listing, engaging Sign, its F [...]is Will it should be delayed t [...]ll Persons are ab [...] to understand what they do in it: And if any thus object, I Answer,

(1) We are for this as much without the Warrant of any Precept or Example, as in the but new mentioned case, Let such as pretend such delay is the Will of GOD, pro­dace a Precept for it, and I have done: and as for Example, all the Examples we have [Page 21]in Scripture of Persons Admission to this more visi [...]le Membership, arest [...] [...]gainst it; as is evident in the Instances but now men­tioned. In all which we find the Persons there sp [...]ken of, no sooner Became such as belonged to the visible Church, than their Admission to a more visible Membership in it was Solemnized by Baptism As for the Three Thousand, Acts 2. no sooner did they become Heirs of the Prem [...]se than they were Baptized, it was the same day, not delayed so much as till the Morrow The Eunuch was Baptized in his Journey, without delay one Day or Hour after he became a Disci­ple or Member of this Body, Acts 8. So was Saul as soon as he rose from his Blind­ness, upon the words of [...]nanias, Acts 9. So was Cornelius and his Friends, Acts 10. And so likewise Lydia and her Houshold without delay, and the Jaylour and his the same Hour of the Night, Acts [...]6 and so of the rest. If it be said thes [...] are all instances of the Admission of Persons of Adult or Dis­creet Years, and so rather Arguments for [...]he delay of this Admission till that time,

Answer this is more than any one can [...]rove, nor have we any reason to believe it, [...]hat the Housholds of Lydia, the Jaylour, Stephanas were all made up of Persons of Adult Discreet Years only, we have no rea­son [Page 22]to believe, but the contrary. But more of this by and by.

(2) The Command for Baptizing Disci­ples without delay is express, Mat. 18 19, 20 Go Disciple all Nations, Baptizing them But all those that thus belong to the Church are Disciples, they are of the S [...]o [...] of CHRIST and therefore Disciples This is what I had to offer for proof of the first Pro­position, had I been put upon it, but Mr. Wightman owning of it spared me, as I said the pains.

The Minor or Second Proposition was what he denyed, viz. That some Infants, viz. The Infants of visible Believers, belong to the visible Church, and are to be received to a visible Membership in it. And for proof of this I added,

2. If by the Merciful gift and appointment of GOD, not yet Repealed, some Infants, viz. The Infants of visible Believers did once be [...]ong to the visible Membership in it, then they still in like manner belong to it, and as such are to be thus Admitted.

But by the Merciful gift and appointment of GOD not yet Repealed, some Infants, viz. The Infants of visible Believers did once belong go the visible Church, and as such were admitted to this visible Membership i [...] it,

[Page 23] Therefore they still belong to it; and as such are to be thus admitted to this visible Member­ship in it.

You see the Minor or Second Proposition only admits of my debate or doubt, & accor­dingly was what Mr. Wightman here denied;

Saving, The Merciful Gift or Grant of GOD whereby some Infants of Old were of the Visible Church, was now Re­pealed; and that we are now under another Dispensation, under which the Promise or Grant of Church-Membership was not to the believing Parent & his Seed, as under the for­mer or legal Dispensation it did; & by Con­sequence a dispensation under which the Child can claim nothing by virtue of any Right or Priviledge of its Parents: And for proof alledg'd those words of John the Baptist to the Pharisees and Sadducees, that came to his Baptism, Mat. 3.9. Think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our Father; for I say unto you that GOD is able of these Stones to raise up Children unto Abra­ham. I must confess I'm somewhat asham'd to relate what Reply I made to this, & yet I find since its the same that some others, & they Great and Good Men too, have made before me 'Twas this, viz. That neither under the former nor present Dispensation of the Covenant, this Gift or Grant of GOD [Page 24]did so settle the Right of Priviledge of Church. Membership on the Children of vi­sible Believers as that they could not by any means afterward divest themselves of it; they might afterward notwithstanding by their Sin cut themselves off, and that these Pharisees and Sadducees had done so, for which reason it was that John calls them a Generation of Vipers, and tells them 'twas but vain for them to pr [...]end to any thing on the Score of their Descent from Abra­ham. This in short was my Reply to this, which every intelligent Reader sees is not only Absurd, but what is worse Untrue, since as bad as those Pharisees & Sadducees were, yet they had not then divested them­selves of their Church-Membership, but were of the visible Church or People of GOD, However it pass'd with my Antago­nists well enough, and for ought I know was received for good Divinity. But tho' it did so, yet I'll now be so just to Mr. Wight­man and his Brethren, as to give a better Reply, and that shall be in the words of Learned and Pious Mr. Pool on the Text, which when they read I make no doubt they'll see its not to the Business. And think not to say within your selves, me have Abraham to our Father, &c. On which his words are these, viz. ‘All Hypocrites bear [Page 25]up themselves with something upon which they promise good to themselves and a freedom from the Judgments of GOD. The Jews rested much upon their descent from Abraham, as appears also from Joh. 8.39. By which means they Entituled themselves to the Covenant, Gen. 17. Ex­tended to his Seed as well as to himself; as also to the name of the Church, Abra­hams Posterity by Isaac, being all the vi­sible Church which GOD had upon the Earth at that time.’ Thus he. To which he adds, ‘It is the great Work of Mini­sters to drive Hypocrites from their vain Confidences, this John doth here; as if he should say, I know what you trust to, you think with your selves that because you are the only Church of GOD upon the Earth, Judgment shall not come upon you, GOD would then have no Seed of Abra­ham to shew Mercy to and to keep his Covenant with; but mistake not, GOD of Stones if he please can raise up Abra­ham a Seed to keep Covenant wi [...]h.’ Thus Mr. Pool, And this dou [...]ss is a good Gloss upon the Text, [...]nd i [...] so, what is here to prove the Repeal [...]f the Ancient Gift or Grant of Church-Membership to the Children of visible Believers? Yea is it not a good proof of the Contrary? [Page 26]Here also he bro't in the Allegorical Dis­course of the Apostle Gal. 4. concerning Sarah and Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael, signi­fying the two Covenants of the Law and Gospel, or rather the same Covenant under its former and present Administrations. To which it was thought enough to say, that though it was an evidence we liv'd un­der a Dispensation different from what the Jews of old did, yet there was nothing in that Discourse of the Apostle in which the most Sagacious eye could discern any design he had to intimate any difference between that Dispensation of the Covenant and the present, as to the matter of Infants-Church-Membership. To the same end finally he alledg'd Gal. 3.7. Know ye not therefore that they which are of Faith, the same are the Chil­dren of Abraham. And ver. 9. if I mistake not, So then they which be of Faith are Blessed with Faithful Abraham To which Texts I answered to this effect, saying, That altho' they assure us that none are Blessed with Faithful Abraham, i. e. Justified and Saved as he was, but such as trace the steps of his Faith, yet have nothing in them holding forth a repeal of the Gift of Church-Mem­bership to Children. Tho' they are a good Evidence that the Internal and Saving Bles­sings of the Covenant are dispensed only to [Page 27]the Faithful, yet in no wise that the Cove­nant considered in its External or Visible Administration and Blessings, of which, Vi­sible Church-Membership is one, belongs on­ly to them. There is an External as well as an Internal Covenant, a Visible as well as an Invisible Church, and tho' all Visible Be­lievers and their Seed are not Israel and the Children of Abraham in the sense of the Apostle here, yet they are Israel and the Children of Abraham in another sense, viz. As being Heirs of Inheriting the same Ex­ternal Covenant and Blessings that he did, for unto them all does the same Promise and Covenant belong, I'll be thy GOD and the GOD of thy Seed, Gal. 3.16 As it was of old under the Legal Administration of Abraham's Covenant, so its now under the present Administration of it, As then it was a Truth, that those only were Blessed wi [...]h Faithful Abraham, speaking with reference to the Internal and Saving Blessings of it, that trode in the steps of his Faith, & yet as the same time speaking of the Covenant in the External and Visible Administration & Blessings of it, it was true still what the A­postle tells us of Israel in general Rom. 9 4. That to them belonged the Adop [...]ion, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of GOD, & the Promises. [Page 28]So tis now, tho' they only are Blessed with the Internal and Saving Blessings of the Co­venant, as Abraham was, that Imitate his Faith, ve [...]th: Ex [...]ernal Covenant and Bles­sings of it, of which as I said, Visible Church-Membership is one, [...]e the Inheri [...]ance of all his Visibly Spiritual Seed, of which the Infants of V [...]sible Believers are a main part. To this I rem [...]mber not that any Answer was given. Whereupon I proceeded to prove that this Merciful Gift of G [...]ant of Church-Membersh [...]p of old, made to the Children of visible Believers is not Repealed, but st [...]ll remains good to them, and that therefore they are to be received by Baptism to this more visible Membership. And here with Mr Bax [...]er in the l [...]ke case, I took my proof from Rom [...]I—In which Chapter through­out almost, the Apostle treats of the rej [...]ction of the Jews from their Visible Covenant or Church State, because of their unbelief dis­covered in their rejecting Christ & the Gos­pel Many of the J [...]wish Nation did believe, entertain Christ and his Gospel [...]cts. 2 41. and 21.20. &c. But the main Body of them did not, and these at length for their Unbelief and Rejection of CHRIST were Rejected from being GOD's Visible Cove­nant People, or wh [...]ch is the same, broken off from their Visible Church Scate. This [Page 29]is the m [...]in Argument of the Chapter, [...] in handling of it, as he shews, h [...]s their rejection was not final or with a design never to re­cover them again to their former visible Church State, but that a time would come when they should again be recovered and re­poss [...]ssed of it. ver. 25, 26. So also he shews it was not Total, or a rejection of all of them, but that some of them still retained their former Covenant Church State, ver. 1—5 And that you may the better un­derstand what follows and see the evidence of it, remember that the Apostle by the term [Root] ordinarily intends Abraham, by the [Olive Tree] he intends the V [...]sible Church, by the [Root or Sap of the Root and by the Fatness of the Olive Tree] he intends all the Promises and Priviledges, the Graces, Ordinances, Spiritual Blessings and Benefits which belong to Abraham and his Seed or the visible Church of GOD. Vid. Pool on ver. 17

The first Argument for Proof of the continuance of the Church-Membership, of the Infants of Visible Believers, in these Gospel Times, was taken from Ver. 17. Those words of it, And if some of the Branches be broken off, &c i. e. from the Olive or Church.

From whence I Argued thus, Viz.

[Page 30] If it was some only that were broken off from the Church, then [...]o the rest that remained still in it, the Merciful Gift or Grant of Church-Mem­bership to them and their Children was not Re­plealed

But it was some only that were broken off from the Church.

Therefore on the rest that remained still in i [...] and their Children this grant was not repealed, but remained good.

That some only were broken off, or that this Rejection was not Total or of the whole Jewish Nation, I but now observed was one thing the evidencing which was one design of the Apostle in this Chapter. He begins with an evidence of this taken from himself, ver I. I say then, [...]ath GOD cast away his People, i e. All his People? No, GOD forbid, for [...] my self am an Israelite, of the Seed of Abraham, of the Tribe of Benjamin: And I am not cast a­way or broken off; and then goes on to give further evidence of the same Truth, ver. 5. where he has these words, Even so then at this present time also there is a Remnant accor­ding to the Election of Grace. Now I say if some only were b [...]ken off, then to the rest that remained not broken off, the Gift or Grant of Church-Membership to them and their Children was not Repealed, and that because this breaking off and Revoking [Page 31]or Repealing the Grant of Church-Mem­bership, are things inseparable, the former being the effect of the latter. And that some only were broken off, is the very letter of the Text. The only thing that can be said here is that the [Some] here spo­ken of as broken off, we [...]e all the Infants of visible Believers with others: And if any be so Absurd as to say this, I answer with Mr. Baxter, that as the whole Chapter will Con­fute them, so let them further consider thus as Infants come in with their Parents, so they are not cast out or broken off while their Parents continue in, not even until they are grown up and cast out themselves by their Personal Sins. Who can imagine that GOD should cast out or break off the Infants that came in with their Parents, while such Pa­rents remain in the same Church? To this Argument no answer was given tho', urg'd to it.

I prov'd the same.

2. From ver 20. those words of it. Well be­cause of Ʋnbelief they were broken off, &c. From whence I argued thus, viz.

If none of the Jews were broken off but for Ʋnbelief, then believing Jews and their Seed were not broken off, and Consequently this Gift or Grant of Church-Membership to them and their Seed was not Repealed,

[Page 32] But none of the Jews were broken off but for Ʋnhelief.

Therefore believing Jews and their Seed were not broken off; and Consequently this Gift or Grant of Church. Membership to them and their Seed was not Repealed.

The Antecedent of the first Proposition, and the Minor or Second Proposition are plain in the Text; and as for the Consequence its Undeniable: For who will say that GOD broke [...]ff or Rejected all the Infants of Believing Jews for the Sin or Unbelief of other Men? He that will not Punish the Children for the Fathers Sins, Ezek. 18 will much less Pu [...]ish them for the Sins of other Men. Here again I urged an Answer but none was given.

3 I prov'd it from ver 17, 19, 24 those Clauses of them, And if some of the Branches be broken off, and thou being a wild. Olive Tree wert Gra [...]ted in among them, and with them partakest of the Root and Fatness of the Olive Tree, &c The Branches we [...]e broken off, that I might be Grafted in, &c. If th [...]u wert cut out of the Olive Tree which is wild by Nature, and wert Grafted contrary to Nature into a good O­live Tree, &c. From whence I argued thus, Viz.

If the Gentiles are Grafted into the same Church from which the Jews were broken off, then [Page 33]our Infants have right of Membership, as their had; and Consequently the Gift or Grant of Church Membership to the Infants of Visible Be­lievers is not Repealed.

But the Gentiles are Grafted into the same Olive or Church which the Jews were broken off from.

Therefore our Infants have the same right of Church-Membership that theirs had; and Con­sequently the Gift or Grant of Church-Member­ship to the infants of Visible Believers is not Re­pealed.

If their Church admitted Infant-Mem­bers and our Church be the same, then ours admits Infant Members also. This Argument proves not only that this Mer­ciful Gift on Grant of Church-Membership is not Repealed t [...] the Seed of Believing Jews, but also [...]hat its extended to the Seed of Belie [...]ing Gentiles, Hereto I Subjoyned the following Arguments, Viz.

1. That Doctrine which necessarily infers all Infants to be Members of the Visible Kingdom of Satan, is certainly FALSE DOCTRINE.

But that Doctrine that denies any Infants to be Members of the Visible Church, doth infer or imply that they are all Members of the Vi­sible Kingdom of Satan.

Therefore us certainly Ealse Doctrine.

[Page 34] This is a natural & necessary Inference from that [...]o [...]rine, because these T [...]o, [...]iz. the Visible Chu [...]ch or Kingd [...]m of Christ, and the Visible Kingdom of Sa [...]an divide the World; And all those th [...]t are not of the one, belong to the other.

2. That Doctrins that takes away all well-grounded h [...]pes of the Pardon and Salvation of any dying in their Infancy, is certain [...]y False Doctrine.

But that Doctrine that denies any Infants to be Members of the Visible Church, takes away all well grounded H [...]pe of the Pardon and Salvation of any dying in their Infancy

Therefore it is certainl [...] False Doctrine.

To which last Argument no answer could be obtained of them, tho' repeatedly u [...]ed to it Whereupon, as before, or the benefit of the by-slanders, [...]sum [...]d up [...]he Argument in a few words to this effect, viz Tis evi­dent from the many Scripture examples be­fore mentioned of the Baptism of the Three Thousand, [...]cts II. The Samar [...]ans, Act [...] VIII, [...]al, [...]ornelius, Lydia, the Jaylor, &c. As also [...]m the Con [...]and that all Disci­p [...]es be in [...]ant [...]y Baptized: that it is the V [...] or God that a [...] tho [...]e tha [...] belong to the Church, [...]e rece [...]ved b [...] Baptisin to a more vi [...]ble Membership in it; and by Con­sequence, that it some Infants, viz. The In­fants [Page 35]of Visible Believers, do so belong to the Church they are to be so Received. Now that they so belong to the Visible Church or Kingdom of Christ, is evident and was thus proved, viz If by the merci­ful Gift or Grant of God they were once Members of it and that Grant be not Re­pealed, then they are so sti [...] and that its not Repea [...]ed was made evident beyond all possibili [...]y of denial, from Rom. 11.17, 19, 20 24▪ Here ended what I offered as Op­ponent on the first po [...]nt: And whoever has [...]ead Mr. Baxter, his plain Scripture proof of m [...]n Church-Membership and Baptism, will see [...]'ve been much beholding to him for it: which I here mention, not only on the Consideration of its being a Justice to him, but as what I hope ma [...] recommend and ob­tain a better Acceptance for it with those into whose hands it ma [...] come.

Reader, I before observed to thee, that among the Preliminaries of this Deba [...]e a­greed up [...]n [...]his was one, viz. That when on our [...]de what we saw cause was offered on t [...]e Affi [...]ma [...]ive part o [...] ea [...]h Question, Mr [...]ightman should then take [...]he part of an O [...]onem and [...]ffer [...]hat he [...]aw cause on the Negative, [...]hic [...] a [...]cordingl [...] in this place h [...]id b [...]t offer [...]d not wh [...]t ex [...]e [...]ed, and indeed [...]ight have been. I remember [Page 36]not any thing more than that Old, Thread­bare, Senseless Plea or Objection, taken from such Scriptures as require Faith, Re­pentance &c in order to B [...]ptism, and seem to limit it to Persons so quali [...]ied and th [...]t we have no example or Instance o [...] any other than such that we [...]e Baptized. I have forgotten whether here he gave us a ta [...] of his Logick by offering what he said Sylo­g [...]stically, however if he did not, you will find him doing so by and by when we come to the Second Article, where I promi [...]e you also a tast of [...]t.

And to this Pl [...]a [...]or Objection of his, ta­king for my Text Gal. 2.13, 14 Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law &c. That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, &c. I Replyed, that the Bles­sing of Abraham wa [...] th [...]ough Chri [...] come on us Gentiles; which I less [...]n what it is we ha [...]ed cla [...]ed in those word, of he, oft High to Abraham. Gen 17.7. And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in them Generation, for an E­verlasting Covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee. The Covenant and Bles­sing of old almost peculiar to Abraham and his natural [...]eed by Is [...]ac, is now by Christ who has broken down the Partition wall between Jew and Gentile, become our [Page 37]Blessing and Covenant also. To prove this the Apostle particularly insists in the fol­lowing Verses. Where (1) He proves it a Minori, by an Argument from the less to the greater, ver. 15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; tho' it be but a man's Cove­nant, yet if it be Confirmed, no man Disanalleth or Addeth thereto. q. d. Covenants among men being once Confirmed or Ratified, they are Unalterable; and no man presumes to Disanul or Add to them: Much more must it be thus with this Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed, which the Most High not only at the first exhibition or making of it, declar'd to be an Everlasting Covenant, but has since ratifi'd or confirm'd, not only by his Oath, Hebrews VI. 17, 18. by frequent Repetitions of it, by such solemn Rites as Covenants used to be confirmed by, by the Seal of Circumcision, finally by the Death of Christ. Further, the Unalter­ableness, and consequently the Perpetuity of the Covenant, He proves (2) From the Promises of it, which he tells us were made not only to Abraham but also to his Seed whether of Jews or Gentiles in a [...] Genera­tions, ver. 16. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made. He saith not, And to Seeds, as of many; but as of One, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. i. e. Christ Mystical, [Page 38]or the Church in any A [...]e or Day even to the End of Time. Thus he proves the Per­petuity, or Unalterableness of Abraham's Covenant or Blessing; and consequently, that its now our Covenant and Blessing also. But because notwithstanding these things, some might object and say, That as GOD himself could Reverse or Disanul this Co­venant, so he has actually done so by exhi­biting or making another Covenant with Abraham's Seed since; He adds further, and says, That the Promise or Covenant made to or with Abraham, neither was nor could be Disanulled by the Exhibition of the Law at Sinai, ver. 17. And this I say, that the Covenant that was before confirmed of GOD in Christ, i.e. To Abraham and his Seed of Jews or Gentiles in all Generations, the Law, which was Four Hundred and Thirty Years after, cannot Disanul, that it should render the Pro­mise (or Covenant) of none effect. Which words of the Apostle alone, I may observe by the way, were there nothing else, evi­dently prove the Covenant of Abraham to be the Gospel or our Covenant, for how else was is confirmed in or by Christ? Did he by his Death confirm or ratifie any other Covenant or Testament than that of the Gospel? Thus he proves the Perpetuity of Abraham's Covenant or Blessing, and [Page 39]that by Consequence that its now our Co­venant or Blessing, which is the thing he had aff [...]r [...]ed, ver. 13, 14. According to which Doctrine, I added, Its very observa­ble that when CHRIST and his Apostles Preach'd the Gospel, we find they Preach'd the Promise or Covenant to and with Abra­ham, not only as to the matter of it, but also as to the form or manner of Administra­tion, i. e. Not only making offer or promise of the same Blessings, the s [...]me Pardon, Justification and Life to Believers that of old were promised to Abraham, but also ex­tending the promise of them to their Seed also together with them. For evidence and illustration of which, I gave several instan­ces. As,

(1) The words of Christ to Zaccheus on the occasion of his declaring his Faith and Repentance Luk 19 9. Jesus said unto him, This day is Salvation come to this House, for as­much as he also is the Son of Abraham. Its need­less to determine here what I know Authors are not agreed in, viz. Whether this Zaccheus was a Jew and so called a Son of Abraham, as Abraham was the Father of the Jewish Na­tion, or a Gentile, and so called a Son of Abraham as he was the Father of the Faith­ful, viz. Of all those who believed or should believe in Christ; be the one or the other [Page 40]the Truth, this is certain that CHRIST Preach'd Salvation to his House, i.e. His Family, be they older or younger, on his profession of his Faith & Repentance; and thereby declaring him one of the Chil­dren or Spiritual Seed of Abraham Here­upon I say he Preach'd Salvation to his Fa­mily; letting them know they were visibly saved thereby. This Day is Salvation come to this House, for as much, &c. i. e. They are now become the visible Heirs of it, and of all means leading to it. Before I pass to my second instance, for further illustration here I'll insert a few lines from Mr. Sidenham on this Text, which I did not then mention. "What, says he, can be drawn from this place more proper than these Conclusions, Viz.

1. ‘That as soon as ever he (Zaccheus) was Converted and Believed, Christ ap­plies the Promise to his House; if there were not something more in it, he would have only said, Salvation is come to thee.’

2. ‘Its clear that he opens the Covenant made with Abraham, not only to himself, but his House, and argues from his being a Son of Abraham, that therefore the Co­venant is not only made with him, but with his House, i. e. His Seed. It were enough for to call him the Son of Abra­him, and to say Salvation is come to him­self, [Page 41]but to mention his House together with himself, and to give this as a reason, viz. Because he is the Son of Abraham, is as much as to say, The Priviledges of the Covenant are the same to you and your House as they were to Isaac and Jacob, forasmuch as he also is a Son of Abraham as they were. He adds, 'Now for Christ to speak in this Dialect, and to tell them of their housholds, and of favour to them in the beginning of the Gospel, and yet at the same time to exclude their Infants from all outward signs of the Promise, which they ever had in the darkest days of Grace, is a strange Policy, unsuitable to the Simplicity of Jesus Christ.’ Thus he, Pag. 106, 107. I went on and instanc'd

(2) In the case of the Three Thousand added to the Church, Acts 2. when on their discovery of Divine impressions made by the Word on their Hearts, ver. 37. Peter ex­horts to Repent and be Baptized; and to excite them to it, assures them that the Co­venant or Promise belong'd not only to them, but their Children also, and not only to them, but to such of the Gentiles also as GOD should call, them and their Children, ver. 39.— For the Promise is unto you, and to your Children, and to all that are afar off, [...] as many as the Lord our God shall call. W [...] [Page 42]I shewed the Absurdity of such as would have us understand the Promise there spo­ken of, as a Promise only of the Extraordinary & Temporary gifts of the Spirit; and would limit it only to the called. And for dis­covery how wide such an Understanding of it must be from Truth, I shall rather choose to Transcribe some Passages here from Mr. Sidenham, than what I then [...]ff [...]red. Chap. V of his Book, Entituled, A Christian, Sober and Plain Exercitation on the Head of Infant Baptism, he thus begins, This Text (says he) ‘viz. Acts 2.39 I first hold forth, as sit to hold forth, the New Testament Ap­plication of the Covenant of Grace, and its continuation to Believers and their Seed, as to Abraham and his in the Old Testament. It is the first Argument used after Christ's Ascention to provoke the Jews to Repent and submit to Gospel Or­dinances, and the first open Promulgation of the Covenant, both [...]o Jew and Gentile, with the prime Priviledges of it, in which is contained the Gospel Covenant made with Believers and their Seed.’

1. ‘Here is HE EPANGELIA, i.e.) the Promise, which can be no other than the Promise of Remission of Sins, and so of Salvation: suitable to that in Gen. 17 7. and repeated at large in Jer. 31.34 For it [Page 43]must either be a Promise of Temporal things or Spiritual: of Temporal things it cannot be, for there is no absolute Pro­mise of these things in the New Testament, but as included in or following upon Spi­ritual Mercies, as Mat 6 33. Neither is there a Syllable in this Chapter pressing Men to look after Temporal enjoyments, or engaging them to embrace the Gospel by any outward Emoluments.’

‘ Obj. The great and only interpretation of this Promise by those that differ is that it hath Reference to ver. 16 and is meant of the Promise of the Holy Ghost prophe­si [...]d of by Joel, chap. 2.28. which was to be poured forth in the latter days, and now Visibly and Eminently begun to be fulfi [...]ed at the Day of Pentecost.’

‘To which the answer will be clear and fair, though that be Granted, and not at all Weaken but Strengthen the former sense.’ For,

‘1. That Promise is a Spiritual Promise and more large and comprehensive of Spi­ritual Mercies, than any other; the Pro­mise of the Spirit is as much as to promise all at once, Graces, Gifts, yea Heaven it self; for all are but the fruits of this Pro­mise, Christ in the Old Testament, a [...] the Spirit in the [...]ow, contain all the [Page 44]Promises in an Eminency. When Jesus Christ was to leave the World, and speak all his Heart at once, and leave his last Blessing, that should be better than his Bodily presence among them, he expresses all in this, THAT H [...] WOULD SEND HIS SPIRIT, Joh. 14.16, 26. chap. 15.26. & 16.7. And of this large Promise, as well according to Christ's Promise before his Ascention, as Joels Prophesy; the A­postles and Believers received the first fruits in the Solemn day of Christ's Tri­umph: So that to say its the Promise of the Spirit, is as much as to say its the Pro­mise of all Spiritual things. For this read in Gal. 3 4 the Apostle speaking of the fruits of Christ's Death, saith, It was that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith. The same Phrase that is in this ver. 38 and in the Promise of the Spirit which is to be received by Faith, is included Justification, Sanctification, yea all Graces, and its here joyned with the Blessing of Abraham.’

‘2. If they take the Promise of the Spi­rit in a limited, restrictive sense, for the Ex [...]rnal Gifts, as most do, for the Gifts of Tongu [...]s and Miracles and Prophecy, [Page 45]they both clip the Promise, and make the Argument and Comfort from it Invalid and of no Efficacy.’

‘(1) Its a mi [...]h [...]y wrong to the Famous Promise of the Spirit, to Circumscribe it to these accidental Gifts, which were espe­cially necessary, and almost only for that Season; when its a Promise that reacheth all the latter days, and is still accomplish­ing, tho' all these extraordinary Gifts are ceased.’

‘(2) This straitned sense is expu [...]ged by the manner of the Expression of that Pro­phecy, both in Joel and in the Acts, I will pour out my Spirit on all Flesh; and on your Servants & Handmaidens will I pour out my Spirit: Which shews the Univer­sality & Variety of the Subjects & Blessings in this Promise, that it sha [...] be so large and full a Mercy; as if there were to be no limitation of its measure.’

‘(3) If it were meant meerly of these gifts, why then there is no more benefit of that Promise after the Apostles days, but that Christ was out of Date, and did Expire with that Age: Whereas it is a Promise made for all the time of the New Testament; which is expressed by the lat­ter days, and the last days, up and down the Scripture. A Paralel Promise to this [Page 46]you have in Isa 44 3. I will pour Water on him that is Thirsty, and Floods on the dry Ground, I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed, and my Blessing on thy Off [...]pring. Now the Pro­mise of the Spirit is always appropriated to the New Testament days.’ And

2. ‘This cannot be the meaning of this Phrase, if we consider to whom the Apostle speaks, to Persons Pricked in their Hearts, wounded for their Sins in Crucifying Christ,’ crying out ver 37. Men & Brethren, ‘what shall we do to be Saved? Now what Comfort could this be to tell them they should have Extraordinary gifts? Their Hearts were Bleeding under Sin, their Eve was on Salvation, they s [...]w no Hopes of it; nor knew the way to obtain it: The Apostle bids them R [...]pent & be Baptized; they might have said, What shall we be the better? Why (saith the Apostle) You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the Promise is unto you. What Promise? Of Gifts, of [...]on [...]ues and Miracles; what is this to our Souls? How will this Save us? might they well Object. It would be a poor Comfort to a wounded Soul, for to tell him of a promise of G [...]ts, not of Spi­ritual Grace; and the Holy Ghost is a bet­ter Physician than to apply such a Raw Improper Plaister to a Wounded Heart, [Page 47]which would hardly heal the Skin. This Promise is bro't in as a Cordial to keep them from Fainting, & to give them Spirits to believe and lay hold on Jesus Christ. And truly no other Promise but that of free Grace in order to Salvation, can be imagined to give them Comfort in that Condition.’ Th [...] he, from Page 35 to 39. To which further to shew the Absurdity of the fore-mentioned Opinion, and that the Promise here spoken of, is no Promise of Ex­traordinary, Temporary Gifts, but of Saving Good things, I'll only add this one Passage further out of him, viz. ‘Its undeniable by the Principles of those that differ, its a Promise made not only to these Jews, but its universally to the Gentiles & to all the called of GOD: But all that are called have not received such gifts of the Holy Ghost, which then were given; but every one that is effectually called doth receive the Promise of Remission of Sins & the free Favour of GOD, and therefore this Pro­mise must be taken mainly in that sense.’

From this Instance, I passed to that of Peter his going to Cornelius, a Gentile, to whom when he came he Preached the Covenant or Promise, with a G [...]acious Entail upon his House or Family, Acts 11 14 Who shall tell thee Words whereby thou and [Page 48]all thy House shall be Saved. To which I ad­ded the Instance of the Jaylour, whom the Apostle exhorts to believe, with the Promise that thereby, not only he but his whole House should be Saved, chap. 16.31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be Saved and thy House. Just as GOD of old Pro­pounded or Preach'd the Covenant or Pro­mise to Abraham. Gen. 17.1, 2, 7. Walk before me, and be thou Perfect; and I will be a GOD to thee and to thy Seed, or Houshold. Did the Apostle intend here to Suggest that the Jaylours Faith should Eternally Save his House, or that they should be in that sense Sav'd meerly on his Believing? No surely, all he could intend by it, was, that on his Believing they should be visibly Sav'd, or bro't into a visible State of Salvation, or of Right and Heirship to it, and consequently have right to all the Visible means of it. And thus much at least he must intend: So that granting it to be true what some would have, viz. That there were none in his House or Family, but Adult Persons, yet this Pri­viledge he assures the Jaylour they should all have by his Faith; and if his Adult Children or Servants had so, who can give a reason why his Infant Children also should not have the like Priviledge by their Father's Faith, provided he had then any such? [Page 49]Was there not as much Efficacy in his Faith this way, toward the one as toward the o­ther? And to Conclude, In all these in­stances I've now mentioned, whence was it; or who can give a reason why the Gospel or Promise was thus Preach'd by Christ and his Apostles with such an Entail on the Housholds, Families or Children of those to whom they Preach'd it, as we have seen? Who can, I say, give a reason for this, if it be not true what I'm now in the Proof and Il­lustration of, viz. That Abraham's Covenant is our Covenant in these Days of the Gospel, and Dispensed or Administred in this Res­pect to us now, as of Old it was to him, and his Seed? This as I'm sure it well agrees with the Doctrine of the Apostle, when he tells us in the forecited Gal. 3 13. That the Blessing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles through Christ; So if it be not the reason why the Gospel was thus Preach'd or Dis­pensed, for my part I know not what was.

Having laid this Foundation, I came to the more immediate Answer of Mr. Wight­man's Objection or Argument; taken as was said from such Scriptures as require Faith and Repentance in order to Baptism, and that we have no Example or Instance in the Word of GOD of any Baptized, but such as were so qualified: To which I replied to [Page 50]this effect, That as for such Scriptures as he had a reference to, and which, to many Persons, seem'd to require Faith, Repentance, &c. as universally necessary in order to Bap­tism, I could not but look upon such a Con­struction of them as very wrong, and great Aboses of such Scriptures When it is said, He that Believes and is Baptized shall be Saved, &c they themselves would say, It were a manifest abuse of the Text for any to say, It limited Salvation only to such as actually Believed and were Baptized, and implied that no other than they should be Saved; and yet this Conclusion may as fairly be ga­thered from the Text, as that those only that actually believe should be Baptized. The one is as much in the Text as the other. And for this reason with some others, I told him that when we find Faith, Repentance, &c. required in some we read of Baptized, as necessary in order to their Baptism, as, viz in the Three Thousand Acts 2. the Eunuch, the Jaylour, &c. All that Consistently with reason we could think was implied or taught us by such instances was this, viz. That of those that were Adult or grown to Years of Discretion, they only should be Baptized in whom there is a visible Faith and Repen­tance: And this I told him we all Believed, and is what our daily Practice confirms: But [Page 51]it being as I have shewed above, viz. That Abrahams Covenant is our Covenant in these days of the Gospel, and Dispensed or Ad­ministred with a Gracious E [...]tail upon the Seed or Children of visible Believers, as of Old it was on his Seed; and further, it be­ing certain that the reason why such as Be­lieved and Repented of old were Baptized, was because the [...] Faith & Repentance made them the Vi [...]ble Heirs of the Promise or Covenant; we cou [...]d not but think ourselves oblig'd, in order to a regular Administration of Baptism, not only to enquire and resolve ourselves who were visible Believers, but also who they were whom this Gracious En­tail of the Covenant did reach or extend is self to; being from thence assured the formal ground or reason of the Administration of the Ordinance, is no less to be found in such than in those who in a Judgment or Charity do actually Believe, Repent, &c.

Hereto I added, That were I or any other Person or Persons Sent into any part of the Heathen World, to gather Churches there, Visible Faith and Repentance being things necessary in all Adult Persons in order to their being Members of the visible Church, and Baptism being the Door of Admission into it, what Doctrine could we Preach to men, but this of the Apostles, viz. Believe [Page 52]and be Baptized, Repent and be Baptized? We could Preach no other. But then when any Persons did so Believe and Repent and were Baptized, and thereby became Members of the Visible Church, the Question is, Whe­ther Salvation does not thereupon come to their Houses or Families, as of old it did when Parents Believed and were Baptized; or in other words, whether they do not here­by bring in their Children with them, and convey a Membership to them also; making them thereby visibly Heirs of the Promise & Salvation together with themselves? This I say, is a Question needful to be Resolved by and Persons thus Employed; and so by You & Us, in order to our knowing what is Duty in the Administration of Baptism. This Question I know you resolve in the Negative, and say; That the Persons so Believing and Re­penting, do not thereby bring Salvation to their Houses, or in other words do not bring their Seed or Children into a state of Visible Salvation; but who, I pray, must we believe, You or CHRIST and his Apostles? Do you or They Preach True Doctrine here? If Persons so Believing and Repenting do not thus bring in their Children with them, as you say, then most certainly CHRIST miss'd it when he told Za [...]cheus on his Faith and Repentance. that Salvation that very day came [Page 53]to his House; and the Apostle Peter, when he told those Penitents, Act II. That the Pro­mise was to them & their Children, &c. And Paul, Gal. III. when he told the Galatians, That the Blessing of Abraham is come on the Gen­tiles. If what you say be true, these Texts should be Ras'd out of the Bible, for they are certainly False. Unless some good Reason can be given why the Faith & Repentance of Believers in that day should bring Salva­tion to their Houses, and not in the present; this for my own part I'm not able to do.

But now if on the other hand, it be true, that CHRIST and his Apostles are in the right in what they tell us in those Texts, the unavoidable Consequence of it will be, that the Infants of Visible Believers are to be Baptized.

Now to apply this to the Case in hand, this was the very Case with the Apostles & Evangelists, those first Ministers of Chri­stianity; when they were sent out to Preach the Gospel and gather Churches, the whole World, excepting a few that were brought in by the Ministry of John the Baptist and CHRIST, were either Jews or Gentiles, and both of them Unbelievers, and therefore E­nemies to CHRIST and his Gospel, out of these they were sent to gather Churches; and it being so, as I said before, Visible Faith [Page 54]& [...]epentance being the requisites of Church. membership in all Adult Persons, and baptism being the ordained Door of Admission into the Church, what other Doctrine could they Preach than this, viz. If thou Believest thou mayest be Baptized, Repent and be Baptized, &c. But from hence to Infer that they Baptized no other, & that none are to be Baptized but such as do so Repent & Believe, is a way of Arguing which I'm sure no man that enjoys the blessing of a Sound Mind will justify: And I think enough has been said to show the Monstrousness of it. And whereas you say, we have no Example or Instance of their Baptizing any other than Adult Believers; I grant its true we have it not in Express Terms said they Baptized any Infants, Yet we have That that to us, and we think to any not blinded by Error & Prejudice, is Equi­valent; when we are told that they Baptized Housholds or Families, viz. Lydia and her Houshold, the Jaylor & his Houshold, S [...]ep [...]a [...]as and his Houshold. Every Rational man will say, its strange if in those Three Families, there were no Children; Yea I think the Ex­pressions or Phrases made use of, are Equiva­lent to a down-right Assertion, that there were; in as much as the Terms [ House and Houshould,] in all Languages, & particularly in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, are [Page 55]used to signify the Children of the House. See Gen. 30.30, & 45.18, 19 Numb 3.15. Psal. 115, 12.13, &c. Now it being thus, that the Apostle when speaking of Baptism, should borrow an Expression or Phrase used in all Languages & particularly in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, to signify the Children of the House, we can't but look upon it E­quivalent to a down-right Assertion, that there were Children in those Houses; and for any one to say that notwithstanding this, he would have us think there were no Chil­dren in them, is a thing so extravagantly wild that I think no Rational man in his Wits can be capable of it. The Substance of this I then offer'd in answer to Mr Wight­man's Objection or Argument; nor wa [...] any Answer, that I remember made to it; save only that Mr. Wightman said, That the Term House or Houshold, did not always signify the Children of the House, and to prove it Instanced in Judges 16. ults To which I tho't it not needful to Return any thing; and so Discourse ended on the First Question. The Second was,

[Page 56] The intelligent Reader sees this Question was incautiously stated, the word [Sprinkling] used in it not being so expressive of what we conceived to be the right Mode of Baptism, as the phrases of Pouring on, or Washing with Water. This was observed to them before Entrance was made on the Discussion of the Question; and we let them know that by it we intended Baptizing by the Application of Water to the Face of the Subject, by Pouring it on or Washing with it. Which being pre­mised, the Position before me to prove, was this, Viz.

2. P. That Baptism by pouring on or washing with Water, is Lawful and Sufficient for the Ends of the In [...]titution. And for Proof of this, I told Mr. Wightman & the Assembly, That I would first mention some things on which, as grounds or reasons we held ourselves Justiciable in Administring Baptism in this mode or manner, and which, as we suppos'd, being laid together, would prove the Law­fulness of is; which having done, I would sum them up together as a Medium in the Argument I should offer for that end. They were th [...]se that follow, viz.

1. That the word Baptizo in the Greek, si [...]ifi [...] Promiscuously either Dipping into, or Washing with Water, by the Application of it to the Subject. Se [...]e [...]elius renders it by the [Page 57]Latin words Mergo & Lavo, i. e. to Dip or Wash; and its rendered in other Authors by the Latin words Madefacto, Lavo, Abluo, i. e. to Wet or Wash. Thus Budeus, Scapula, Paser and Grotius. And Criticks on the Greek Tongue tell us, that all Writers, both Hea­then and Christian, thus Promiscuously use it. Leigh in his Critica Sacra tells us, That tho' the word be derived from Bapto, Tingo, i. e. to Dip, or Plunge into Water, and signifieth primarily such a kind of Washing as is used in Bucks where Linen is Plung'd or Dipt; yet its taken more largely for any kind of Washing, Rinsing, or Cleansing, even where there is no Dipping at all. Vid. Critica Sacra on this Word, where also he gives many in­stances of it from Scripture. And this ( viz. the Scripture use of this Word) is what at present deserves our more particular consi­deration and enquiry. As to which, though I have not had time so to look into this matter as that I may be Positive in it; yet believe that upon a search it will be found, that its no where so applied or used as ne­cessarily to signify Plunging or Dipping. I do not remember any Text where it necessarily so signifies; but this I find, viz. That the Scripture when it would express such a kind of washing or cleansing things as may be performed by pouring on or the Application of [Page 58]Water to them, it then uses the word Bap­tizo, but when it would express a Plunging things under Water, it then uses other Words. I'll give here some instances, Mark 7.4. Its used for washing Hands and Cups, Pots, Brazen Vessels and Tables. Where none can say it necessarily signifies washing or cleansing by immersing or dipping those things in Water, since they may as well be cleansed by pouring on, or applying Water to them. Of the Pharisees its there said, That when they came from the Market, except they Wash they Eat not: In the Greek, Ean me Baptizontai, i. e. Except they are Baptized, but there rendred Except they Wash because none can rationally understand the Baptizing there spoken of as signifying an Immersion or Dipping of their whole Bodies. And ma­ny other things there be which they have received to hold, as Baptismous Poterion, i. e. according to the Greek the Baptisms of Caps, but there rendered the Washing of Cups, which may as well be done by the Application of Water to them, as by Plunging them into it. So Luke 11 28. Its said of the Pharisee with whom Christ at a certain time Dined, that he Marvelled at him, Oti ou proton ebap­tisthe pro tou Aristou, i. e. That he was not Bap­tized before Dinner; but there rendered that he had not first Washed before Dinner: [Page 59]Because none can rationally understand by it any more to be intended than the Wash­ing his Hands, which every one will say might as well have been done by pouring Water on them, as by dipping them into it. So Heb. 9.10. All the Ceremonial Washings or Sprinklings are in the Greek called Bap­tisms, (Diaphorois Baptismois) the words in the Original are rendred by Beza, diverses Ablutionibus, i e Diverse Washings, as in our Translation) many of which, says Pool in loc. were for the Priests, in their Services, and for others in performing theirs by them; some by Sprinkling with Blood, Exod. 29.20, 21. with Water. Numb. 8 7. and 19.9, to 19. some by washing at the Brazen Laver, as the Priests, Exod. 29.4. and 30.17, to 22. so the Sprinkling of Healed Lepers, Lev 14.4, to 9 and the Purification of the Unclean. All which Ceremonies were performed by Sprinkling or Pouring on of Blood or Water, and not by an immersion of the Body into it, and are therefore evidences that the word ( Baptisma, Baptism) is so far from being necessarily understood to intend Dipping or Plunging, that in this place at least, its ne­cessarily understood to intend no more than Sprinkling or Pouring on of Blood or Water.

But now on the other hand, when the Scripture would express a Submersion or co­vering [Page 60]of the whole Body under Water, it uses other words; hereby intimating that this is something different from Baptism. The words it makes use of on this Occasion are Katapontizesthai, D [...]n [...]i & Duesthai. See Exod. 15 4, 5. Where when it speaks of Pharaoh and his Host, their being Overwhel­med in the Red Sea, it uses not the Original word for Baptizing, but the former of the words but now mentioned, and expresses it thus, Katepontisen en Eruthra Thalasse, i. e. They were Drowned or Overwhelmed in the Red Sea And Katedusan eis buthon hosi Lithos, i. e. They Descended or Sank to the Bot­tom as a Stone. Whereas speaking of the Israelites who at the same time had only the Dewings of the Cloud, and Sprinklings of the Water of the Sea on them, uses the word for Baptizing, expressing it thus, Baptizanto en te Nephele, kai en te Thalasse, i. e As its rendred in our Bibles, They were Baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea. This I mentioned as the first Ground or Reason on which we held ourselves Justifiable in Administring Baptism by Sprinkling or Pouring on of Wa­ter: But before I had quite finish'd this particular, Mr. Moderator Hitchcock, contra­ry to all Order and Laws of Disputation, broke in upon me, and having bro't with him Mr. Sympson, his Lexicon Anglo Graeco [Page 61]Latinum Novi Testamenti, and turning to pag 17. where on the word Baptizo you have the following words, mostly from Leigh above mentioned, viz. ‘To Baptize, Baptizo, Mat. 3.11. & 28.19. Mark 1 4, 8. The word tho' it be derived from Bapto to Dip or Plunge into the Water, and fignifies primarily such a kind of Washing as is used in Bucks where Linnen is Plung'd or Dipp'd, yet its taken more largely for any kind of Washing, Rinsing, or Cleansing, even where there is no Dipping at all: As Mat. 3.11. & 20 28. Mark 7.4. & 10.38. Luke 3.16. Acts 1.5. & 11.16. 1 Cor. 10.2. Its put generally for Washing, Luk. 11.38 Heb. 9 10. Mark 7.4. And Bap­tizing imports no more than Ablution or Washing, as the Baptizing of Beds & Tables.’ Neither Mr. Adams, nor my self, nor I sup­pose any other Person present had any Su­spicion of his Unfairness or Dishonesty in reading Mr. Sympson, or that he had not [...]ead to us all he had said on the word Baptizo, ac­cordingly did not desire of him a sight of the Book; but since that Mr Adams having the Book in his Library, has look'd into it and found out the Dishonesty of the Man, that he read not to us the whole his Author had said on the word Baptizo; but only so much of it as was proper to perswade us and [Page 62]others, that he was against me, or at least not so full with me in the account I had gi­ven of the import and use of the Word, as we should have seen he was, had he read to us all he had said. He read as far as that Clause, viz. Yet its taken more largely for any kind of Washing, and stop'd there; whereas had he read all, every one would have seen Mr. Sympson was fully with me in what I had said. I mention not this through any Per­sonal Prejudice against Mr. Hitchcock; I ne­ver, that I know of, saw his face before, but because I think I owe this Justice to my Rea­der, that he may see how little these inspi­red Teachers, as they would be accounted, so frequent in many parts of the Land are to be depended on for light and guidance in our way, what little regard they have to Truth, and how unwilling they are it should appear in cases where it will Reprove them, & Convince others of their Errors: I make no doubt but the rest of his Brethren present knew of the Cheat as well as he.

At the same time he read to us from The Portsmouth Dispute, (as Mr. Adams informs me, the Title of the Book was) the Opinions of the Assembly of Divines, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Pool, and Mr. Baxter, in doing which also he represented them as of Opinion that dip­ping or plunging was the Primitive way of [Page 63]Baptizing. To which he added, that if this was not the Primitive way, whence was it that the Eunuch was Oblig'd to come forth of his Chariot and go down with Philip into the Water in order to his being Baptized? What, said he, had not so great an Officer of Queen Candace as he was, any Dish or o­ther Vessel in his Chariot in which a little Water, enough for Sprinkling him, might have been fetch'd? this is very unlikely. He did not acquaint us with the particular Books of the fore-mentioned Authors from whence that Author had made those Collecti­ons, nor have I to this day ever seen that Book; so that whether I have them by me, or if I have, whether that Author was Faithful in making his Collections from them, or Mr. Hitchcock read them as Honestly to us as he did Mr. Sympson, I can't say.

However as I then wondered to hear those two Venerable Names, viz POOL and BAXTER among them, especially the last, considering what he says of Baptizing by Dipping, in his Plain Scripture Proof of In­fant-Church-Membership and Baptism, so since Mr. Hitchcock's Dishonesty respecting Mr. Sympson is detected, as I am strongly Suspi­cious of some such unfair-dealing as to all the Persons above-named, either by that Author in making his Collections from them, [Page 64]or in Mr. Hitchcock in reading those Collecti­ons to us: So I find that as for Mr. Pool, and Mr. Baxter, they were greatly Abused or Misrepresented in this matter. You will be convinc'd of this when I have cited to you some Passages from them. As for Mr. Pool, I find it was his Opinion that Dipping in Baptism was sometimes used in the Eastern, Warmer parts of the World; in his Notes on Mat 3.5, 6. He has these words, viz. ‘ A great part of those, i. e. of the dwel­lers in Jerusalem, &c. who went out to hear John, were Baptized, i. e. Dipped in Jordan.’ But then as he adds in the same place, ‘ That it will not from hence follow that Dipping is Essential to Baptism, So in his Notes on Joh. 3.23.’ he as fully expresses it to be his Opinion that this was not the constant way or manner of Baptizing in the Primitive times, but that sometimes they Baptized then by applying or pouring on of Water. For there we have these words, viz. ‘ If some think it probable from this Text, that sometimes the Apostles did Baptize by Dipping, yet it is at least as Probable that they did not, or not constantly, from what we read of the Apostles Baptizing in Houses, Acts 9.17, 18 & 10.47, 48. & 16.33.’ From whence tis evident that as to Mr. Pool, had that Author or Mr. Hitchcock from him, given [Page 65]this account of his Opinion in this matter, viz. That in the Primitive times, when Time, Place and other Circumstances concurr'd, Baptism was performed by Dipping, but at other times when those Circumstances did not invite to it, 'twas performed by pouring on of Water. And that however it was then administred, yet Dipping is not essential to it. This had been an Honest Representation of him in this matter; but for them, or either of them to take from him only what I but now cited from his Notes on Mat. 3.5, 6. with other like Passages, perhaps elsewhere in o­thers of his Writings, at the same time pas­sing by others, and hereupon represent him as of Opinion, not only that Dipping was the way of Baptizing only in use in the Pri­mitive times, but as needful to be observed now in order to the due Administration of it, and hereby to bring him in as Patronizing an Error which never entred into his Heart, as Mr. Hitchcock then did; This I say is such an abuse of him, as can in no wise be justified, and which I think no Man of Faith and Probity would have been Guilty of: But this is one of the usual Refuges of Error, and what we may oft see it has recourse to. In like manner that Mr. Baxter was no less Abused either by Mr. Hitchcock or his Author, you'll be put beyond all doubt when I have [Page 66]cited from him some Passages which you may find with much more of the same Strain or Tenor, in his Plain Scripture Proof of In­fants-Church-Members [...]ip and Baptism: Par­ticularly from pag. 134 to 138, where he is Arguing against Baptizing by Dipping. Pag. 134. He begins with these words, ‘My Sixth Argument shall be against the usual manner of their Baptizing as it is by Dip­ping over Head in a River or other Cold Water; and his first Argument against it is this, viz.’

‘ That which is a plain breach of the Sixth Command, Thou shalt not Kill, is no Ordinance of GOD, but a most Heinous Sin.’

‘ But the Ordinary Practice of Baptizing by Dipping over Head in Cold Water as necessary, is a plain Breach of the Sixth Commandment.’

‘ Therefore its no Ordinance of GOD, but an Heinous Sin.’

‘And as Mr. Cradack in his Book of Gos­pel Liberty, shews, The Magistrates ought to restrain it; to Save the Lives of their Subjects. That this is flat Murder and no better, being ordinarily and generally used, is undeniable to any understanding man; for that which directly tendeth to overthrow Mens Lives, being wilfully used is plain Mu [...]der; but the ordinary o [...] gene­ral dipping of People over Head in the cold [Page 67]Water, doth tend directly to the Over­throw of their Health and Lives; and therefore it is Murder. To which his Antagonist Mr. Tombs having said, there is no necessity of its being in Cold Water; Mr. Ba [...]ter replies, pag. 135 His warm Bath would be also dangerous to very many Persons: And where should this Bath be prepared? If in Private, it will scarce be a Solemn engaging Act. If the Meet­ing place of the Church, Then’

‘(1) it will take no small room, & require no small stir to have a Bathing place, and Water wherein to Dip People over Head.’

‘(2) And if they do not run home quickly before they are well engaged, the hot B [...]h wil [...] be turned to a cold one to them, and make them Repent this B [...]dge of Repen­tance, e [...]cept they will have all things rea­dy, [...] be p [...] to Bed also in the Church before the People.’ And a little after, Others, says [...], say, That Dipping was the custom in the Scripture times: To which I reply,

His Second Argument against if follows.

[Page 69] ‘My Seventh Argument is also against another Wickedness in their manner of Baptizing, which is their Dipping Persons Naked, as is very usual with many of them, or next to Naked, as is usual with the Mo­destest that I have heard of; against which I argue thus,’

‘ If it be a Breach of the Seventh Command­ment (Thou shalt not Commit Adultery) ordi­narily to Baptize the Naked, then it is intole­rable Wickedness, and not GOD's Ordinance.’

‘ But it is a Breach of the Seventh Command­ment ordinarily to Baptize Naked.’

‘ Therefore it is intolerable Wickedness, and not GOD's Ordinance.’ He goes on,

‘All the Question is of the Minor, which is evident thus, the Seventh Command­ment forbids all incitements to Unclean­ness, and all immodest Actions, but to Baptize Women Naked is an immodest Action & an Incitement to Uncleanness; therefore it is there Forbidden:’ Which Argument also is followed with Answers to Mr. Tombs his Objections, together with di­verse other considerations against this man­ner of Baptizing. Thus Mr. Baxter. And who now can think he had any Favour for this way of Baptizing, or that he tho't it the Primitive way of Baptism? as Mr Hitch­cock from that Author endeavoured to per­swade [Page 70]the Assembly? Certainly if he did he must then think that either the Primitive Christians in Baptizing complied not with the Institution, and so are not to be follow­ed, or if they did, that then GOD Instituted a way of Baptism which is nothing less than a Violation of the Sixth and Seventh Com­mandments. But enough of this. To these Authorities cited by Mr. Hitchcock, as is a­bove Related, it was tho't enough to say, that tho' the Persons named were, many of them at least, Great as well as Good Men, yet being Men and therefore Fallible, their O­pinions could be no proof in the case. On which having again liberty, I pass'd on to the Second Consideration I offer'd as a fur­ther ground or reason of our Baptizing by Sprinkling or Washing with Water.

Which was,

2. That none of the Scriptures alledg'd by our Adversaries in this point, to prove that Dipping was the Primitive way of Baptizing do necessa­rily conclude or prove it. How-much-so-ever they may seem to look that way, yet they are so far from expres [...]y ass [...]rting any such thing, that they don't in [...]er it by any neces­sary Consequence. And to make this evi­dent I took the following view of the seve­ral Texts insisted upon by them for this end.

[Page 71] The first of these we have in the History of the Baptism of CHRIST, Mat. 3. where we have these words, ver. 16 And [...]esus when he was Baptized, went up straight way out of the Water. In the Greek, Aneb [...]e Apo [...]ou Hu­datos, which I observed might as well, yea better, be rendred, He went up from the Water. The Preposition Apo, as our Gram­mars tell us, signifying more properly from than out of; and as Mr. Siden [...]am observes i [...]s most suitable to Translate it so, because Rivers for the most part lie Low and in Val­leys, in going or coming to which we are therefore properly said to descend or go down to them, and in going or coming from which, to ascend or come up from them.

The Second we have in the Story of the Eunuchs Baptism by Philip, Acts 8 where are th [...]se words, ver. 38, 39. And he, i. e. the Eunuch, Commanded the Chariot to stand still, and they went down bath into the Water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he Baptized him. And when they were come up out of the Water, &c. On which I observed several things. As,

• 1. That the Phrase in the Original is, Eis to Hudor, i. e. To the Water, intimating the Text may as well be rendred, They went down both to the Water, as into the Water. But,
• 2. Allowing the Preposition Eis when joyned with an Accusative case, as here it [Page 72]is, more properly signifies into, than to, yet it can never from hence be proved that he, the Eunuch, was Baptized by Dipping his whole Body in Water, since it might truly be said of them, that they both went down into the Water, if they went no further into it than to wet the Soles of their Fee [...]; nor is it possible from this place necessarily to infer any more than this, supposing the Translation they would have be true. Espe­cially when its considered,
• 3. That the Text plainly distinguishes those two Acts, viz. Their going down into the Water, and Philips Baptizing him. The words ver 38 are, And they went down both into the Water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he Baptized him. Manifestly making them two distinct things, and so indeed they were, else we might as truly say of Philip that he was Baptized as the Eunuch; for its said of them both that they went down into the Wa­ter. So that all that can necessarily be ga­thered from this Text, even as here Tran­slated, is, that when they had some little way entred the Water, Philip toók of i [...] and Baptized him. And whereas it may be ob­ [...]ected that in ver. 39. where its said that when they were come up out of the Water, &c. in the Greek its not Apo, as in the Story of Christ [...] Baptism, but Ek tou Hudatos, thereby [Page 73]assuring us that they came up not nicerly from, but out of the Water; I observed that neither will this prove what they would, or make it evident that either of them went further into it than to wet their Shoes, since if they did so, and no more, it might truly be said of them, That they came up out of the Water.

But the Text our Adversaries most Glory in as what they would bear us in hand is be­yond exception in the case, is Joh. 3.23. where its said of John the Baptist, That he was Baptizing in Enon near to Salim because there was much Water there. To which I then more generally said, that neither did this Text necessarily. Conclude the point, it being so far from being said in it that John Baptized by Dipping, that his doing so could not be deduc'd from it, by such Con­sequence as may be allowed for proof in any case. As will appear if the Argument of the Text, be dispos'd into Syllogistical form: In which case it will stand thus, Viz.

If John Baptized in Enon near Salim because there was much Water there, then he Baptized by Dipping.

But John Baptized in Enon near Salim be­cause there was much Water there.

Therefore he Baptized by Dipping.

[Page 74] But how Enormous is the Consequence here? How far from being necessary and conclusive? Does it necessarily follow he Baptized by Dipping, because the aboun­ding of Water in this Place beyond what it did perhaps in most others, was a reason of his making choice of it to attend that Duty in? Especially considering that in that Country, many places of it at least, a Man may go many Miles without coming at a drop of Water, unless such as is procured by Art and Labour: And with all considering that there were Multitudes that came to be Baptized of him

When we argue and say, That we Read in Scripture of diverse Housholds Baptized, therefore Infants were Baptized; you will not allow it for good proof, telling us the Consequence is not conclusive and necessary, and that because its possible that in all those Housholds there might be no Children. And I grant what you say is right, and that the Consequence here is but Probably and not Necessarily true: But yet I Appeal to any Unprejudiced Person whether there be not far greater Degrees of probability in it, than in this Consequence, viz. That John Dipped those he Baptized, because the abounding of Water in Enon, beyond what it did, at least, i [...] places Adjacent to it, was one reason of [Page 75]his Baptizing there? This is what I then off [...]red on this Text, and is I think enough to [...]hew its insufficiency to Conclude what our Adversaries would from it; more I will add by and by when we have heard Mr. Wight [...]an's Arguments.

There are two Texts more which I forga [...] then to speak to, and which as they are in­sisted on by our Adversaries in this point; so in my Opinion bid fairer to establish this their Doctrine than any of the fore men­tioned; they are Rom. 6 4. and Col 2.12. In one of which we are said to be Buried with Christ [By] in the other [In] Baptism As to which Texts I now say, that were it certain those words (Buried with him by or in Baptism) are to be taken strictly in their Grammatical sense, as holding forth what was in that day done in Baptism, they would be a full proof that Dipping in the Primitive times was at least sometimes used in Baptizing. In-as-much as a Person, so speaking, can not be said to be Analogically, Symbolically or Sacramentally B [...]ried with Christ in Baptism, that is not Dipped or Im­mersed in it. And thus the English Annota­tions in their Notes on these Tex [...]s seem to un­derstand them, when they tell us that in them there is an Allusion to the Primitive Mode of Baptizing, which was by Dipping, &c. [Page 76]But yet I think there is a great deal of rea­son to doubt of this, and to take those words in a Metaphorical sense, as holding forth only the Communion Believers have, in or by Baptism, with Christ in his Death, the Fruits and Effects of it, &c. and that for this reason we are in Baptism not only said to be Buried with him, but Buried with him into Death; which seems to be expounded by the Apostle Gal. 3 ult. In other places when he telis us we are by Baptism Baptized into Christ and into his Death, &c. And in this sense I find Pious and Learned Mr. Pool un­derstood these words, whose Gloss on them you have in the following words, We are Bu­ried with him by Baptism, &c. i. e. says he, ‘We have Communion with him, (i. e by Baptism) in his Burial also, which Repre­sents a further degree of the Destruction of Sin; by putting it as it were out of our sight.’ And then adds, ‘Some think the Apostle alludes here to the manner of Baptizing in those Warm, Eastern Coun­tries, which was to Plunge or Dip the Party Baptized under Water: Others think with greater reason, that this Phrase is used to signify that Union and Commu­nion, Believers have with Christ in his Death and Burial, which is signified by Pouring Water on a Person, like Earth or [Page 77]Dust on a Dead Body, and not as by Dip­ping him under Water.’

Now if this be right; and for my own part I see no necessity of the other sense, then nothing certain relating to the Primi­tive Mode of Baptism can be concluded from these Texts neither, which, unless there be others, that I know not of, is sufficient to make good what is now before me for proof, which is this, viz. That none of the Scriptures alledged by our Adversaries in this point, to prove that Dipping was the Primitive way of Baptizing, do necessarily conclude or prove it. The Third Consi­deration was,

3. There are sundry Scriptures which when considered render it difficult, if not impossible to think that Dipping was, at least always, the Primitive way of Baptizing. For evidence of which I instanc'd,

(1) In Mat. 3.5, 6. Where we read, Then wen out to him, (i.e to John the Baptist) Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, And were Baptized of him in Jordan, Confessing their Sins. On which I said to this effect, viz. That tho' it can't be supposed that every Individual of the several places there mention'd went out to the Baptist and were Baptized of him in Jordan, yet as the expression implies it, [Page 78]so undoubtedly there was a very great Mul­titude, and that of both Sexes, who did so. Now as for such as suppose he Dipp'd all he Baptized, I would ask them, How could this Vast Multitude receive the Ordinance in that way? Either they were Dipp'd Naked or with their Cloaths on! No man [...] presume will say the former, or that they were Dipp'd Naked. Well, if not, but with their Gar­ments on I further ask, What Garments were they? Were they such as they came from home attir'd with, or such as they bro't with them, and had prepar'd for that end or purpose? The last of these looks to me most Gredible, and yet this Supposition is not without such dif­ficulties as are not easily remov'd, inasmuch as it implies an Ability in them all to pro­vide such Garments, and that on a sudden too; which is not very easy to suppose, and not only so, but also that when they were come to the place of their Baptism, where John was, they had places of Retirement, (each Sex and Person apart by himself) for the Decent change of their Garments, and preparation of themselves for the De­cent Administration of the Ordinance: Which how it could be where there was such a Multitude thronging together; is not easy to conceive.

I instanc'd,

[Page 79] (2) In Acts 2.41. The Three Thousand Converted by Peter's Sermon, all which as they were Baptized, so if it was by Dipping, seems a case attended with more difficulty than that already mentioned, and that be­cause we can't suppose they came with Gar­ments prepar'd on purpose for the Reception of the Ordinance in, since in the course of the Story we have good assurance they had no thought of being Baptized when they came together, on the occasion mentioned toward the beginning of the Chapter, no, nor until they were exhorted to it by the Apostle, ver. 38. So that its Morally certain if they were Dipp'd, they were either Na­ked, or array'd with the same Garments with which they came, either of which, I think must seem very unlikely to any Man. And to this, one thing further, which is a difficulty in my way of Believing they were Dipped or Plunged, I'll now add; and it is this, viz. 'Tis manifest from ver. 4.1. That they were all Baptized in one Day: Yea, and it was in that part of it too which succeeded the SERMON, which could not be much more than the last Half of it, since its evi­dent from ver. 15. that the Sermon began not till Nine in the Morning. Now it be­ing so, to me its difficult to conceive how so great a Number could be Baptized in so [Page 80]short a time, provided they were Dipp'd or Plung'd, even tho' we suppose all the A­postles to have concurred or assisted in it. For let us suppose they entred upon their work at Eleven of the Clock, (which I think, all things considered, is as soon as can be supposed) there were then not more than Eight Hours before Sun-setting. The Days its true were now pretty near at their greatest length; this Day of Pente [...]ost on which this Sermon and Baptism were, (be­ing Fifty one Days after the Crucifixion of CHRIST,) which according to the best accounts being on the Third of April, or (according to the Jewish account) on the Fifteenth of Abib or Nisan, must be the Twen­ty fourth or Twenty fifth of May following, at which time every one knows, the Days in our Nothern Climates are near their longest. Yet since in no part of Judea the Days when longest exceed Fourteen Hours and a Quar­ter, and Jerusalem the place where this Bap­tism was, being the Southern parts of it, we cannot suppose there was more than the Space of time mentioned, before Sun-set­ting, 'Tis difficult I say, for me to con­ceive how so great a Number could be Bap­tized by Twelve Men in so short a Time, if they were Plunged: And that for Two Reasons;

[Page 81] [1] Because its reasonable enough to think a considerable part of this short time must be spent in Enquiries after, or in taking know­ledge or account of the Faith and Repentance of those they Baptized. 'Tis certain that all that were present at this time and heard this SERMON, were not Baptized, but only such of them as gladly received the Word. This is plain in the Text. Now who these were, was some way or other known to the Apostles before they Baptized them; and probably it was by some Declaration made on their part, in answer to Enquiry made by the Apostles. I grant the Apostles were capa­ble of knowing this by that Power of dis­cerning Spirits they were endued with; yet since in other Instances of their Baptizing, we find not they made any use of this Power for this end, but discovery was made of the requisite qualifications of those they Bapti­zed by something said or done by them, its reasonable to think it was so at this time too. And if so, be it never so concise or short, yet it must of necessity take up a con­siderable part of this short time.

[2] Because there is no reason to think the needful Requisites of Administring Baptism in this way, were ready prepared before hand. But on the other hand there is reason to think they were not; since, as I hinted before, [Page 82]none of those that were Baptized had any tho't of being so when they came to the A­postles, no nor until they were exhorted to it by Peter in the close of his Sermon. Now if they were not ready prepared, then a con­siderable part of this remaining part of the Eight Hours must of necessity be spent in this also; so much that I can't but think a­ny Unprejudic'd Person will say, its hard to conceive how so much could still remain, as in which, it was possible for them to Plunge Three Thousand Men. The only thing that can be said here, i [...], that the Apostles were now at or near some Pool, Pools, Pond, or River where there was a sufficiency of Water, and to which they might have free access, and therefore no need of spending time either in going far to some such con­veniency, or in procuring a number of large Vessels, and filling them with Water, (and that more than once,) for Dipping this Multitude.

But to this I answer,

• (1) That though it be true there were diverse Pools in the City, yet that the A­postles and this Multitude were now met at or nuar to any one, or more of them, or if they were, that they had free Access to them on this occasion are things which I Conjecture will want proof for some time, and which [Page 83]I think no Rational man, will say, are very probable, (especially the last of them.)
• (2) The contrary to this is what is pro­bably true, and what a view of the Chapter and consideration of all Circumstances, leads us to think in the case, unless the house in or at which the Apostles and the Multitude met had one or more of those Pools in it or Adjacent to it; and this too I Conjecture will want proof for some time. Certain it is that as the Place where the Apostles As­sembled on this Day of Pentecost, & where those extraordinary Gifts were bestowed on them, was an House, ver. 1, 2 And that the Multitude that heard the Sermon came thi­ther to them; so is it equally certain that in the whole Chapter we have no hint of any remove from thence till the whole affair was over. For which reason, what seems most probably to be Truth in this matter is this, viz. That from some Loft or Window of the House the Apostle Peter Preach'd to this Multitude, and that those of them that gladly received the Word, were Baptized upon the Spot, before they removed from thence. This is what the whole Story leads us to think in this matter; and by Conse­quence that considerable time must be spent in procuring a Vessel or Vessels sufficient to receive many Bodies at once, & so to employ [Page 84]all the Apostles in Baptizing; and in filling them with Water, and that more than once or twice before all were Baptized. A cousi­derable part of this short remainder of time, I say, must be spent in those things, in case they were Dipp'd, unless, as I said, this House had the conveniency of such a Body of Water in or Adjacent to it, (to use which they had Liberty,) as was sufficient for the purpose As to which if our Adversaries in this point will take the liberty to Con­jecture it had, I cant but hope they will give us liberty on the other hand to Con­jecture it had not, since I'm well assured they themselves can't but be sensible we shall do it on far the more probable grounds.

In a Word, I can't but think our Adver­saries must now see themselves in danger of being pressed with this Dilemma on this occa­sion viz. That if this Multitude were all P [...]ung'd or Dipp'd, then either they had the Convenience [...] some Pool or Pools sufficient for the business before them, in or Adjacent [...]o the House where they were met, or they had not. If [...]t be said they had, then it must be supposed too, they had liberty of a free access to them, to Dipp this Multitude in them, and so to defile them and render them un [...]i [...] for other use, at least for some time; and this I think every one must say, is very [Page 85]unlikely, considering they were now in a City, and that very Populous too, where probably their Pools and Wells contained all the Water they had for Daily use; and con­sidering withall, that the Apostles and this Multitude in what they now did can't be considered as having the Countenance and Approbation of the Body of the People. If on the other hand, it be said, they had not such Convenience, then besides what time was spent in taking Account or Know­ledge of the Faith and Repentance of those they Baptized, which must be considerable, besides this, I say, the procurement of some large Vessel or Vessels sufficient for Plun­ging diverse Bodies at once, and the filling them with Water, (and that diverse times) must necessarily take up so much more time, and cause such further delay to their work, that it seems to me Night must needs overtake them before they could get thro' it; and how then will what we are told ver. 41. remain true, viz That the same Day there were added unto them about Three Thou­sand Souls? But I return to my Narrative,

In the next place the Instances of Paul and the J [...]ylour were considered, the former of which was Baptized in the House of Judas, Acts 9.17, 18. The latter probably in an outer Apartment of the Prison, and at Mid­night [Page 86]night, chap. 16.33. compared with the pre­ceding and following Context. I know its possible there might be in those Houses, either some Artificial Pools or Vessers of that Capacity as to allow of their being Dipp'd in them, but yet as we have nothing in those Stories suggesting any such thing, so when all Circumstances are considered, it can, I think, appear no otherwise than very unlikely that there were. And for my own part, I can't but think, that when we reason and say, Paul was Baptized in the House of Judas, and the Jaylour in an outer Apartment of the Prison, and at Midnight, therefore they were not Dipp'd or Plung'd, in Baptism, but Sprinkled or Washed, When I say we thus Infer or Argue, the Conse­quence to me seems far more Conclusive, (all Circumstances considered) than when our Adversaries say John Baptized in Jordan and in Enon, therefore he Dipp'd or Plung'd those he Baptized. This was the Third thing mentioned as a ground of our Practice in Baptizing. To which Ladded.

4. That Baptism is a Visible Sign & Seal of an Invisible Grace, the Essence of which can't lie in or depend on the quantity of Water used in it, unless it were Determi­ned by some Positive Law, and so made ne­cessary to render the Ordinance Significa­tive [Page 87]of the Grace held forth in it. It is a Sign and Seal, and all it coes is by war of Sign and Seal. And that GOD has not by any positive Law determined the quantity of Water hat shall be used in it, I presume all wid a [...] and it not, its certain its Essence con [...]de [...]ed as a Sign or Seal can have no dependance on that. And to use Mr. Baxters words, ‘ Christ told Peter that the Washing of his Feet was enough to cleanse all. A little may Si [...]ni [...]y (and I may add Seal) as well as much, as a Clod of farth does in giving Possession of much Lands, & a Corn of Pepper signifies our Ho [...]age for much.’

5. GOD has not by any positive Law determined the Mode of Baptizing, whe­ther it shall be by Dipping, Sprinkling or Washing. That Ministers shall Baptize meet Subjects is matter of positive Deter­mination but how, or in what manner is not This Proposition alone, it true, is e­nough to prove what is now before m [...]tor proof, viz. That Baptism by Pouring on of Wa [...]r is Lawful. Finally I added,

6. That it appears to us unreasonable to think that Christ should appoint any Ordi­nance which Persons can't universaly and at a [...]ti [...]es attend on, not only without such Inconveniences as would render it an [Page 88]Intollerable Burden, but also without ma­nifest Peril to the Health both of Soul and Body: But thus he has done, if Dipping only be Baptizing. For evidence of which what I offered was of the Tenor of what is before cited from Mr. Baxter p.

These are the Propositions I offered as accounting for the Reasons why we Bap­tized by the Application of Water to the Subject, and held it lawful for us to do so; and having done so, Summ'd them up into the following Arguments, viz. Seeing it is as we have heard, that the Word of GOD our only guide in all Administrations hath left the Administration of this Ordinance of Baptism under such a Latitude; in particu­lar, since the word [Baptizo] signifies as well to wash by Sprinkling or pouring on of Water, as by Dipping into it; since none of the Scriptures alledged to prove that Dip­ping was the Primitive way of Baptizing, do necessarily Infer or Prove it; since there are other Scriptures which when consi­dered and weighed with all attending cir­cumstances, look quite another way, render it difficult and next to impossible to think that Dipping was, at least always, the Pri­mitive way of Baptizing; since Baptism is a Visible Sign and Seal of an Invisible Grace, the Essence of which don't depend on the [Page 89]quantity of Water used in it; since GOD by any positive Law has not determined the mode of Baptizing.

And Finally, Since its unreasonable to think that CHRIST should Ordain an Or­dinance which can't universally and at all times be attended by Persons, without such Incoveniences and Perils as above; these things being so, it must needs be lawful to Baptize by applying or pouring Water on the Subject of it, and we are Justifiable in so Administring of it. But the Antecedent is true: Therefore so also is the Consequence. This is what I offered in proof of the Second Article; nor do I remember any thing ma­terial said in answer to it, more than I have already accounted for. And now again it came to Mr. Wightman's turn to act the part of an Opponent, and offer on the Negative part of the Question, which accordingly he did, and in doing of it, let us know he was not such [...] Stranger to Syllogisms as before was pretended.

When I had determined to gratify the desire of some Friends by drawing up this Narrative, I was unwilling to depend on my Memory in accounting for what Mr. Wight­man offered in this place, least in doing of it I might do him wrong by an unfair Repre­sentation of it, and therefore Wrote to him [Page 90]by one of his Brethren to send me his Ar­guments; in answer to which I received by the same hand the following Letter, where you have them, but corrected or amended, as he supposes, together with others now a [...]ed by him, for further Confirmation of the matter before him. He begins thus, Viz.

‘1 Arg. If all Judea and Jerusalem under Divine conduct were Bap [...]ized of a Mi­nister in a River or much Water, Con­fessing their Sins,’

‘Then all Persons that are under Divine conduct, ought to be Baptized in a River or much Water, Confessing their Sins.’

‘But; &c Mat. 3.5.’

‘2 Arg. If the ever Blessed JESUS was Baptized in a River or much Water, & came up out of the Water after His Baptism’

‘Then all followers of the LAMB ought to be Baptized in a River or much Water, and come up out of the Water after their Baptism.’

But, &c Mark 1.9.

‘Except you think we must not follow CHRIST's example as far as we are able: But now you tell of CHRIST's example and follow it in the other Sacrame [...] of the Lords Supper, and why not the S [...]a­ment of Baptism?’

[Page 91] ‘3 Arg. If the best of Saints in the Pri­mitive Platform did go to much Water & down into the Water in order to Baptism, then it is a Rule for us.’

‘But the Antecedent is true.’

‘Therefore so also is the Consequence. Mat 3.5. Joh. 3 23. Acts 8.38’

‘4 Arg. If the best of Saints in the Pri­mitive Platform never went into a Private House, or Meeting House to have a little Water Sprinkled or Poured on them in order to Baptism, then that is not the way for us.’

‘But the Scriptures doth not shew that they ever did so;’

‘Therefore that is not the way for us.’

‘5 Arg. If Sprinkling or Pouring doth not answer to some of the chief things re­presented in Baptism, as a Death, Burial and a Resurrection, Rom. 6.4.5. Col, 2 12 then Sprinkling or Pouring is not the right way of Baptizing.’

‘But Sprinkling or Pouring doth not an­swer to some of the chief things represen­ted in Baptism, as a Death, Burial and a Resurrection.’

‘Therefore Sprinkling or Pouring is not the right way of Baptizing:’

‘For what Likeness, Proportion or Ana­logy is there between Sprinkling or Pouring [Page 92]and a Death or a Resurrection? Can any Man living imagine but in the right way of Baptizing we go into an Element of Death, and therein is Death represented, and being Buried in the Element of Death (as Water is,) a Burial is represented, & rising out of the Element of Death, a Re­surrection is plainly represented: But it is not so in the Act of Sprinkling: But as to our Practice we have plain Scripture;’ For,

‘1. We take an account of the Persons Faith to be Baptized, with a Confession of their Sins, according to those Scriptures, Acts 8.37. Mat. 3.6.’

‘2. We go down into the Water, Acts. 8.38. Mat. 3.6. then we Bury them in Baptism, according to Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12: then we come up out of the Water after the Example of our Blessed Saviour, Mark 1.10. Had you but such plain Scripture for your Practice, we should soon come o­ver to you; but if you have it pray shew it us, and put the matter out of Debate, & when we can see it we will submit. But it may be some will say the Apostle doth not speak of the manner of Baptizing in Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12. in answer to which take this Argument.’

‘6 Arg. If the Assembly of Divines in their Annotations upon Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12. [Page 93]thus say, In this Paraphrase the Apostle seemeth to allude to the Ancient manner of Baptism, which was to Dipp the Par­ties Baptized, and as it were to Bury them under the Water for a while, and then to draw them out of it, and to lift them up to represent the Burial of our Old Man, and our Resurrection to Newness of Life. And in so saying they speak true, then the manner of Baptizing is there intended in Rom 6.4 Col. 2.12. which in short is this, the Assembly saith, the Apostle alludeth to the manner of Baptism, and say true in so saying, and therefore Vindicate my foregoing Argument.’

‘7 Arg. If the Spirit of GOD doth ne­ver use the Word Rantizo or Rantisma, ( Rantismos it should be) in the Original, or Sprinkling in the Translation where the Ordinance of Baptism is mentioned,’

‘Then Sprinkling is not the right way of Baptizing.’

‘Now I can shew in the Dutch Tran­slation that the word ( Dipp or Gedoopt) is expressed where the Ordinance of Bap­tism is mentioned; and if I remember right you granted Baptis or Baptizo signi­sieth Dipping or Washing, and we can produce a Cloud of Testimonies that saith the same, and that Dipping and Washing [Page 94]are the same, see 2 Kings 5.10. [...] 14. The Prophet bids Naaman the Syrian to Wash Seven times in Jordan, and he went and Dipp'd Seven times; and the Spirit of GOD has left it on Record that what he did was according to the saying of the Man of GOD; so that Dipping & Wash­ing is the same in Substance.’

These are his Arguments, and for a Close he adds,

‘And thus Sir, I thought sit to give you a few Arguments on the manner of Bap­tizing, and I think fit to reserve my other Arguments on the other Two Heads, un­til I see yours in Print; and if they are really Conclusive of Truth in my Judg­ment, I will submit, for I love to be on the strongest side, and I account Truth the Strongest. I should have chosen to try the matter out by plain Texts of Scrip­ture, but since you go in this Method, I have followed you; and I know of no fallacy in them, to be sure they are ho­nestly designed. If they are not so exactly formed according to rule, yet if the Con­clusions be fairly drawn from the Premises, I hope you will bear with the rest, and sometimes my mispelling, if you put the Dispute in Print. I think you ought to have Mr. Hitchcock's Arguments, perhaps [Page 95]they are better than mine, with all the Scriptures that was then brought, & our words their due weight. The first Four Arguments was delivered at the Dispute, only now a little alter'd in the Two first; the other added now. If you say some of these Arguments are not Negative but Affirmative, I answer, If the Affirmative be on our part, it necessarily implies the Negative on your parts, in my Judgment.’

‘This from him that is willing to serve you in the Truth, Valentine Wightman.’

This I think is his Letter Verbatim with­out mistake of a word. He says the first Four of the Arguments above were offered by him at the Dispute, I remember but Two, and they not as here written, as he himself intimates; however since its possible I may be mistaken, I'll not insist on that. What I would say here, is, That as I am I hope sin­cerely desirous, and should heartily rejoice if Mr. Wightman, or any others of his Way or Denomination might receive any benefit by what is now written, so its my resolution as far as may be to avoid every thing tending to Prejudice or Hinder it; for which reason, though it were easy for me to make both my self and others Merry with some remarks [Page 96]on the Arguments above, yet I will not do it lest I should offend those, whom I should rejoice to Gain. For this reason I say, (as also because I think there is not any thing in them with an Answer to which the fore­going Discourse does not furnish the Reader) I'll wave any thing of that Nature, and in­stead of it annex some further thoughts on this matter, by which Mr. Wightman and his Brethren may see there is more reason to doubt of Dipping, its being the Primitive way of Baptizing, than perhaps now they do, & at the same time be convinc'd that what­ever it was, yet that the Position laid down by us in this matter (as we suppose prov'd) at the Debate, is an Undoubted Truth, and we therefore Justifiable in Baptizing by the Application of Water to the Subject.

And for this end I'll endeavour to make good these Two Propositions. Viz.

• 1. That a good account may be given why John the Baptist Baptized in Jordan and Enon, and Philip made use of the Water of a Fountain, Brook or River in Baptizing the Eunuch, altho' they did not Dipp or Plunge those they Baptized.
• 2. That supposing the utmost that can be desired by any in this case, viz. That John the Baptist, the Apostles, Philip, and the other E­vangelists [Page 97]did Immerse or Dipp those they Bap­tized, or that Dipping was really the Primitive Mode of Baptizing, yet this will not prove that others are oblig'd to Baptize in the same manner also, & by Consequence that our way of Baptizing by Sprinkling or Pouring on of Water, is Sinful; yea that it will be so far from it, that notwith­standing, it may be Sinful in others to Immerse or Dipp those they Baptize.

If these Two Propositions can be made e­vident, I think, that as our Adversaries in this matter will have reason to abate of their Confidence respecting the Primitive way of Baptizing, viz That it was by Dipping or Plunging; and to be more sparing in their Invectives against us, for not complying with it; so at the same time to see how Inexcusa­ble they are in making this one Ground or Reason of their separating from us. I'll therefore make an Essay here, and say,

1. That a good account may be given why John the Baptist Baptized in Jordan and Enon, and Philip made use of the Water of a Fountain, Brook or River in Baptizing the Eunuch, altho' they did not Dipp or Plunge those they Baptized.

This Opinion of our Adversaries, viz. That Dipping was the Primitive way of Baptizing, takes rise as I conceive principally from the History we have of the Places of the Baptisms [Page 98]of those Two Primitive Ministers; of the former his Baptizing in Jordan and Enon, the latter his making use of the Water of a Fountain, Brook or River in Baptizing the Eunuch. Not so much from the Phrase (of going down into & coming up out of the Water) made use of in those Histories, which have been before taken notice of, and their in­sufficiency to prove what they would from them shewed; this Opinion of theirs I say, does not so much take Rise from these, as from the consideration of the Places ( Jordan and Enon) where they Baptized, there be­ing much Water there. And this they think is a good evidence of the Truth of it, in-as-much as if it be supposed the Baptist and Philip did not Dipp those they Baptized, no man, they say, can excogitate or assign any good reason why they Baptized in such places, rather than others where there was not such plenty of Water: To which, I say, that if other reasons can be given of this, such as will well account for, or justify their doing so, though it be supposed they did not Dip those they Baptized there, the Inevita­ble Consequence of this will be, that this Opinion or theirs stands upon a very Feeble Basis, such as will scarcely bear them out in their Confidence in it. Now this is what I would here give some evidence of, and this [Page 99]I will do from several Propositions of Un­questionable Truth or Certainty, and which, altho', some of them at least, may at first view, seem remote from my present business, yet will appear otherwise when I come to apply or make my designed use of them.

Then let it be Considered,

1 P. The Land of Canaan in which the Baptist and Philip Baptized, was and is a Dry and Thirsty Land, not Watered with Springs or Rivers as many other Countries are. That it is so now, the accounts of those whose Curiosity has led them to Travel into it, assure us; and that in Ages past it was in this respect, as it is now, Revelation assures us also. Indeed its called, Deut. 8 7 — A Land of Brooks, of Water, of Fountains, and Depths that Spring out of Valleys and Hills; and so it was and still is, Comparatively speaking, or compared with some other Lands, in which sense those words are to be under­stood; and yet it was and is a Dry & Thirsty Land still, compared with many others. Nor was the extraordinary Produce of it in Old time whereby it Subsisted, such vast numbers of Inhabitants so much the effect of the na­tural Fertility of its Soyl, as the peculiar Bles­sing attending of it, the Eyes of the Lord being upon it from one end of the year to the other, Deut. 11.10, But more of this under, 4 P.

[Page 100] 2 P. The words [Much Water] Joh: 2.23. in the Original are Polla Hudata, i. e. Many Waters; according to which the Verse ought to run thus, viz. And John also was Baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there were many Waters there; alluding no doubt to the many Springs that were in it, which are intimated in the name Enon, which sig­nifies the Place of Springs.

3 P. We are not to consider John the Baptist as having the Countenance or Appro­bation of the leading, governing part of the Nation of the Jews in his Ministry, i. e. in his Preaching and Baptizing, no nor of the main Body of the People, unless it was a [...] his first setting out therein. Its true, at his first appearance in that work, he had a ge­neral esteem with the People. He came in the Spirit and Power, i. e. with a Warmth and Zeal like that of Elias, was one who in his conduct discovered a great Mortification to and Contempt of the World, the Manners and Fashions of it; which things occasioned in multitudes an extraordinary Veneration of him; insomuch that they held him for a Prophet; some Extraordinary Person com­missioned and Sent from GOD, and accord­ingly shewed a great Regard to his Preach­ing & Submitted to his Baptism. But as is usual in such cases, this raised Esteem of the [Page 101]Multitude was not of long continuance, but so soon declined that (tho' the whole time of his Ministry was very short; scarce ex­ceeding a Year and half,) we find him not toward the close of it, attended or followed with such Multitudes, as in his beginning. And to this our Saviour no doubt has re­ference, when in his Discourse with the Jews, speaking of John, he says of him, Joh 5.35. He was a Burning and a Shining Light, and ye were willing for a Season to rejoice in his Light, Q. D. How shining a Light soever he was, & how well soever deserving of their esteem and affection, yet their regard to him con­tinued not long; you for a short time made discovery of a great regard to him, and came with great Zeal to hear him, hoping that he was (if not the MESSI AS, yet at least) Elias, or that Prophet in him revived again: but when you saw that John did only bear Record to CHRIST, you soon grew cold in your Affections to him, and fell of from him. And with reference to the same, no doubt it was, that he told them of their A­busive Speeches concerning him, Mat. 11.18 And finally, to the same thing refer those words of John to his Disciples, on the occa­sion of their relating to him the growing Reputation and Interest of CHRIST among the People, when he had entred on his [Page 102]Ministry, Joh. 3.30 He must increase, but I must decrease. He must increase in Honour, Dignity & Reputation in the world; He is the Rising Sun, To give you notice of which I was but as the Morning Star; He must shine every Day more and more, but as for my self, tho' I was once venerable in your eyes, as he now is, yet my Glory is now in the Wane, and I must every day grow less and less. Not that there were none that re­tained an Honour for him even to the last; the History we have of him assures us of the contrary, viz That there were many who did so; but the number was small compared with what it was in his beginning or first entrance on his Ministry. But as for the leading, governing part of the People, there was no time of his Ministry in which he had their countenance or favour, as is variously evident. In the Sanhedrim that grand Coun­cil of the Nation, as well as in their lesser Councils, there were many of the Pharisees, who every one knows were a Set of Men most Zealous for and Tenacious of the Jewish Rites, and would allow nothing to be added in Divine Worship to what they had received concerning it, either from the Law of GOD, or the Tradition of the Elders. Their eves were therefore open to Spie out and take seasonable care of every thing tending to [Page 103]Introduce Innovations in Religion, and in­as-much as they could not but see this to be the Tendency of John's Preaching and Bap­tism, it could not be but that they were no sooner appriz'd of it, than they look'd up­on him with a Jealous eye. According to this we find that forthwith upon this they sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to Bethabara, where he was in the exercise of his Ministry, to enquire of him, who he was, and by what Authority he Preach'd and Baptiz'd? See Joh. 1.19, to 25. Hereby letting us know that they had no Favour for him, that they look'd upon him as a Dan­gerous Person, one who if he were suffered to proceed, as he had begun, it might be of ill Consequence. And for further Confir­mation of this Proposition, there are Two things Obvious in the History we have of the Baptist, which I would here take notice of, Viz.

(1) His Wilderness Life. The Story we have of him assures us not only that the more Private part of his Life, which continu'd till he was about Thirty Years of Age, was spent in the Wilderness, i. e. in places Re­mote and but thinly Inhabited; but also that his Publick Life, or that part of his Time which succeeded his Entrance upon his Of­fice was so too. I remember not that in that [Page 104]part of his History that relates to us this part of his Life, we find him any where but at Jordan, Bethabara and Enon and Parts Ad­jacent; all of them Places remote and not so stor'd with Inhabitants as many other parts of the Land. According to which he is said, Mat. 3 1. To come Preaching in the Wilderness of Judea; and is stiled by the Prophet Isa. Chap 40.3 The Voice of one crying in the Wil­derness, &c. Otherwise it was with CHRIST, who shunn'd no places of greatest Resort; oft Preach'd in the Temple & Synagogues of the Jews, &c. And whereas Chemnitius thinks the Baptist chose thus to fulfil his Ministry in the Wilderness, rather than in the Temple and other places of Resort, to make an illustrious difference between him­self and his LORD; of whom it was Pro­phesied, Mal. 3.1. The Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his holy temple. I must say, that to me it seems far more reasonable to think, it was for the Reason hinted above, viz. because he knew how he was esteemed or look'd upon by the Leading, Governing part of the Nation, as well as the main Body of the People (at least in the close of his Ministry) that they look'd upon him with an evil Eye, as a dangerous Person, one who it suffered to proceed, might bring on Changes they desired not; to prevent which there was [Page 105]danger lest they should Apprehend and Con­fine him, if not inflict greater Evils on him.

(2) It gives us no account of such Num­bers resorting to him in the latter part of the time of his Ministry, as in the beginning of it. This will be evident to every one that considers the Order of things related by the Evangelists as done by him in the course of his Ministry. With relation to which I say, That as in the Story we have of him, we never find him any where, during that time but at Jordan & Places adjacent, viz. Bethabara & Enon, (which were near to it; the one on the East, the other on the West­side of it) So what it accounts for as done by him, it relates as done in one or other of those Places; And further, That he that attentively Reads it, will se that he dischar­ged his Ministry in those places in this order, viz. first at Jordan, then at Bethabara, and last at Enon. I need not enlarge here to E­vidence this, it being what every one that attentively Reads that part of the Sacred History will see. Now we have in it no ac­count of such Multitudes resorting to him when at Bethabara & Enon as when at Jordan. With respect to this last, the Story says, Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, and were Bap­tized of him, &c. i. e. great Numbers of all [Page 106]sorts went out. But with respect to his Baptizing at Bethabara, it only informs us of the Conference he had with the Priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem by the Sanhedrim to Enquire of him who he was, & by what Authority he Baptized; Adding for a close, These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jor­dan, where John was Baptizing; without a word accounting for the Number that resorted to him there. In like manner, with respect to his Bap [...]izing in Enon, it only tells us there were some that came and were Baptized of him. Now, tho' its not to be doubted, there were many who came to and were Baptized of him in those Places, since its manifest he was in great Esteem with many, even to the time of his Death, yet in as much as the Hi­story is silent here, makes no mention of such Numbers resorting to him when at those Places as when at Jordan, 'tis reasonable to think they were Comparatively few: which if it was so, its no doubt to be Resolved into this as the Reason, viz. The Baptists sink­ing, declining Reputation among the com­mon sort of People. That shining Light at the time of his Ministry in these Places was in his decrease and therefore they Resorted not to him as at first:

4 P. 'Tis manifest that of the Multi­ [...]des that attended John's Ministry, i. e. his [Page 107] Preaching and Baptism at Jordan, there were many that came a great way to it (and the same must be supposed to be proportionably true of those that attended his Ministry at Bethabara and Enon) with Respect to the time of his Ministry there, 'tis said Mat. 3.5, 6. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the Regions round about Jord in, and were Baptized of him in Jordan, Confessing their fins. If the Term [Judea] here be taken in its strictest acceptation, as distinct from Samaria & Galilee and containing only the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Simeon & Dan, yet of such Extent in this sense is it, as to make it Evident that such as came from the Remotest parts of it, must Travel near (if not full out) an Hundred Miles before they reach't Jordan. Such as came from Je­rusalem (which lies near in the middle be­tween the Western Borders of the land and Jordan on the East) Travelled between Fourty and Fifty Miles. Now it being so, its unreasonable to think that such of this Multitude at least as lived thus Remote from Jordan, Travelled thither on foot; without the help of Horses or such other Creatures as they ordinarily used in their Journeys, and the case is the same as to such as from Remote parts Travelled to Bethabara and Enon to attend his Ministry there, of [Page 108]whom its not to be doubted there were many.

5. P. As the Southern parts of Canaan to­ward the Arabia's & Egypt, are more especially dry and thirsty above the rest; so it was in this part of that Land that Philip met the Eunuch on the Road & Baptized him. This Proposition contains two Particulars in it, viz.

(1) That the Southern parts of Canaan are more especially Dry and Thirsty above other parts of it. Of this we are assured not only by Humane, but Divine Testimony. Gerar (where Abimelek was King, and to which Abraham Removed from Mamre upon the turning the Adjacent place where the City's of Sodom and Gomorrah stood into a stinking Lake) was in this part of the Land, yea near the most Southern Borders of it. The Lake it self where those abominable City's stood, and near to which Mamre was is in the Southern parts of it, and from thence the Text tells us he removed still more South when he went to Gerar. Gen. 20 1. And that this part of the Land was more Dry and Thirsty than other parts of it. The Scriptures assure us in that they let us know that here Principally it was that the Inhabi­tants were forc't to be at such Pains and Cost in procuring Water for their Herds and Flocks by digging Wells or Pitts. Here [Page 109]it was that Abraham was at this Pains and Cost for preserving the lives of his. Gen. 26.15.18. — Here it was that he Contended with Abimelek about a Well which his ser­vants had violently seized and taken away. Here it was that the Bond-woman and her Son, Hagar and Ishmael, being sent into the Wilderness with a bottle of water, when it was spent she lays the Child under a shrub and Removing some distance from him, says Let me not see the Death of the Child: And where they were Relieved in that distress by a Well of water not far from them, See Gen. 21.12, to 19. Here in a word it was that the Philistins envying Isaac's growing great­ness in Flocks and Herds, as an effectual Remedy to prevent it; fill'd up his Wells of water, Gen. 26. forecited. And to add no more, this is that part of Canaan wherein David hiding himself from Saul calls it a Dry and Thirsty Land where no Water is, or without Water, as it is in the Original. Psal 63.1.

It was in this part of the Land that Philip met the Eunuch on the Road and Baptized him. This is manifest in the story of it; For as Jerusalem it self is Scituate in the Southern parts of Canaan, so this Eunuch was now in his Return from it home; which home whether it was in the Arabic or Affri­can Ethiopia it matters not as to this, since in [Page 110]either case he must steer South from Jeru­salem. According to which the Angel that sent Philip on that Errand, does it in these words, Acts 8.26. Arise and go toward the South, unto the way that goeth down from Je­rusalem to Gaza: Which Command he obey­ing meets with this man of Ethiopia. This Gaza, the City whose Gates Sampson took away Judg. 16.2. And whether he was car­ried when taken ver. 22. and where he pulled down the House of their god Dagon on the Lords of the Philistins ver. 30. this Gaza I say stood in the very Southern Borders of Canaan toward Egypt and Affrica. In this very Dry and Thirsty part of this Thirsty Land it was that he met and Baptized him. Now what I Scope at in this and the fore­going Propositions, is, to make it evident that John the Baptist and Philip had good rea­son to Baptize in Jordan and Enon, or some other places a like Circumstanc'd, tho' it be not supposed they Dipp'd those they Bapti­zed: And if I mistake not, these Propositions reflected on, will suggest such reasons for it, as will Convince any unprejudiced Person, 'twas Wisdom and Necessary for them to do so, tho' we so suppose concerning them.

For let it be Considered here,

1. As to John the Baptist, (1) That since there were such Multitudes came to his Bap­tism [Page 111]at Jordan and Enon, (Thousands no doubt to the last, and to the first many Thousands) and since many of them came from parts so Remote from those Places, and therefore rode on Horses or other Beasts ordinarily used by them in their Journeys, and since reason will tell every man, the Baptizing such a Multitude (especially the Multitude that came to Jordan) must needs take up a considerable time, some Weeks no doubt, if not Months, and did therefore re­quire a considerable time of stay or abode there, at least in many that came; since, I say, these things were so, how could it be that these Multitudes and the Beasts they rode upon, could be supply'd with Water necessary to subsist them, and satiate their Thirst, unless he had chosen some such place or places as these were, for his Baptism, where Water was in such plenty? For cer­tain it is that tho' Comparatively speaking, a little Water would have Suffic'd for Bap­tizing those Multitudes, supposing they were Sp [...]inkl'd or Wash'd, yet the supply of their necessities, and the necessities of their Beasts for so long a time, as reason will tell any man, many of them at least, must attend or wait for Baptism, was what required no small quantity of Water.

And here,

[Page 112] If it be said that as Dry & Thirsty a Land as this was, yet its not to be doubled, but that there were in it Towns or Cities (and they Scituate in the Central parts of it too, to which a Resort had been more conveni­ent for the People) so stor'd with Pools & Wells, as to be able to furnish with Water for the Baptism of those Multitudes, provi­ded they were only Sprinkled or Washed, and satiate the Thirst of them and their Beasts; and that therefore in that case he would doubtless have chosen one or more of those Places to Baptize in. To this I say,

(2) That supposing it to be true that there were such Places, and they so conveniently Scituate in the Land yet from what has been premised, particularly the Third Proposi­tion, its Evident it would have been far from Wisdom in him to have made Choice of any of them to discharge his Ministry in, inasmuch as its from thence manifest, that in so doing he would have had reason not only to doubt of a free undisturbed [...]iberty in using their Water but moreover that Vi­olence or Injury might be done to his Per­son. What else could he [...]a [...]ionally expect or look for in this case? Did he not know that the Superior part of the Nation, consi­dered or look [...]d upon him as a dangerous [Page 113]Person, One, of whom there was need some care should be taken to stop his Progress, as they did afterward on Him, whose way he came to prepare? And that among the Inferior sort, tho' there were many that had a Veneration for him, and accordingly shew­ed regard to his Person and Ministry, yet that there were others (and they perhaps not Inferior in Number) who were of an­other strain, and had other thoughts of him, and who making their Judgment of him by his Garb and manner of Life, tho't him to be Hypocondriacal even to a degree of Di­straction, and therefore said of him He had a Devil! Mat. 11. Tis evident therefore such a choice in him would have been what no man in his Wits would have made, and that Wisdom did direct him to a more Wil­derness Life, during the time of his Ministry, & to the choice of such places for the exercise of it as Jordan, Enon and Bethabara, where (also probably) Water being ready prepa­red by Nature, without the cost of Labour and Art, in great plenty; and being Commu­nis Juris, free and open for Man and Beast as they had occasion, he was assured of the free undisturbed use of it, and which places being more remote, he could promise him­self more safety to his Person. This is what to me appears reasonable to think respecting [Page 114]the reasons inducing John to make choice of these places to discharge his Ministry in, and what I'm ready to think will appear to eve­ry unp [...]e [...]dic'd person to be the Truth of the matter; which if it be so, it lets us know he had good reason thus to do, even tho' he Baptized not by Dipping or Plunging, and by Consequence that when our Adversaries infer or argue his doing so because he Bap­tized in Jordan and Enon, such inference must appear to be what the Premises will in no wise allow to be Conclusive.

2. As for Philip his Baptizing the Eunuch in or at a Fountain, Brook or River the foregoing account of the Condition of the place where he met him on the road and Baptized him, will also well account for it, tho' we don's suppose he Dipp'd or Plung'd him; inasmuch as from thence its rational enough to think that besides that Fountain, Brook or River, there might not be a Drop of Water within many Miles of them. This I say, by all account of the place is reasona­ble to think, and if so, he must either make use of that or not Baptize him at all, unless he had Travell'd with him (perhaps) many Miles further. Had Philip met the Eun [...]ch in some Town or Village where Water sus­ficient to Sprinkle or Wash him, might have been had from Wells or Pits they had made [Page 115]for their use, and had gone with him from thence to some Fountain, Brook or River, there had then been good reason to conclude he Plung'd or Dipp'd him; and there would then be some strength in the Consequence, if from their doing so his Plunging him were inferred or argued. But we find not a Word of this in the Story, but quite the con­trary, viz That it was in the Wilderness that he met him. The Angel says to Philip, Ner. 26. Arise and go toward the South, unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is Desert, i. e. which way is a Desert; as Whitby renders it exactly according to the Greek. Here, in this Dry & Thirsty Wil­derness, where a man may Travel many Miles (yea, may I not say Scores of Miles?) and not see a Drop of Water, it was that Philip Met and Baptized him, from whence 'tis evident he was obliged to make use of this Water they came to as they were Tra­velling on the Road, or not Baptize him at all, unless (as I said but now) he had Tra­velled with him, perhaps, many Miles fur­ther. And whereas Mr. Hitchcock at that time of the Debate, as I before observed, said on this Instance, ‘If Philip did not Dipp the Eunuch, why was it that he was obliged to come forth of his Chariot and go down with Philip to the Water? What, [Page 116]had not so great an Officer of Queen Can­dace as this Eunuch was, any Dish or Ves­sel in his Chariot in which a little Water sufficient for Sprinkling or Washing him might have been fetch'd?’ To this I say, that as ver. 36. assures us that they came in their way even to or upon this very Water ( Epi to Huder the Orignal is,) before the Eunuch mov'd to Philip to Baptize him, and caused his Chariot to stand still, so every one will say the Room of his Chariot was a place no ways convenient or proper to Ad­minister the Ordinance of Baptism in, un­less Chariots in that Day were very different from what they are now; and that they were better I think there is little reason to be­lieve. 'Tis not therefore strange he came forth of his Chariot, as great a man as he was, to be Sprinkl'd or Wash'd with the Water, tho' he be supposed to have never so many Attendants, and a Score of Golden Bowls with him. And now to conclude this matter, From these things it appears to me, that John and Philip had Wise and Good reasons for Baptizing in the Places mentioned, where there were such large Collections of Water, even tho' they did but Sprinkle or Wash those they Baptized; and it being so, how Feeble the Argument or our Adversaries must be, when from their [Page 117]Baptizing in those places they infer that they Dipp'd those they Baptized, is what I hope there are none but will see. And this may suffice for the First Proposition. The Second is,

2. That supposing the utmost that can be de­sired by any in this matter, viz. That John the Baptist, the Apostles, Philip, and other Primitiva Ministers, did Immerse those they Baptized; or that Dipping was really the Primitive way of Baptizing, yet this will not prove that all others are obliged to Baptize in the same manner also, and by Consequence that our way of Baptizing by the Application of Water to the Subject is Sinful, yea it will be so for from it, that notwwithstanding it may be Sinful in others to Immerse or Dipp those they Baptize.

This Proposition contains a Two-fold As­sertion, Viz.

[1] That supposing Dipping was the way in which John the Baptist, the Apostles, Philip, &c. did Baptize, yet this will not prove that all others are obliged to Baptize in the same manner, and Consequently that our way of Baptizing by the Application of Water to the Subject, is Sinful. This I think will be evident to every one that will weigh the following particulars,

(1) That the Examples even of the Ho­liest and Best Men in any case or instance, are not simply or in themselves binding to [Page 118]others. Its true, its our Duty and we are bound in many things to trace the steps of the Wise and Holy, and its our Sin when we do not; But why is it so? Why not meerly because they did those things where­in we are bound to follow them, but either because there are moral reasons in the things themselves, or because there is some express, positive Command of GOD super-added to the example. And in these cases only it is that an Obligation lies on us to be follow­ers of them. If the example of any Man, John the Baptist, Philip or any other, as such, be binding, I would gladly know in what cases or Instances it is so, whether in some things only done by them, or in all? I'm ready to think Mr. Wightman and his Brethren will not say the last, or that its binding in all they did; inasmuch as this would be a dangerous Doctrine indeed, one inevitable Consequence of is being this, viz. That they, and I, and many others, are ob­liged to imitate John in his manner of Li­ving, taking up our abode in the Wilderness, clothing our selves with Camels Hair, and wearing a Leathern Girdle about our Loyns, and Eating Locusts and wild Honey, as he did. But this I suspect they would not like very well, I am sure I should not; and I be­lieve any Man will find it a difficult Task [Page 119]to perswade them they are bound by the Example of John in these points. Well, if we are not obliged by it in these Instances, in what are we? You say in the Instance of his Baptizing, otherwise there is no force in vour Argument, when from his Dipping in Baptism, as you suppose, you infer an Obligation on us to do so too. But pray give me a reason for this, viz. Why it should oblige us in this case or Instance, and not in the fore-mentioned. When I was at the School A Quatenus ad Omne, valet Consequentia, (which you may English thus if you please, viz If the Example of any Man as such, oblige in one instance, it does in all;) was received for a Maxim or Rule of Everlasting Truth; and that it is so, I firmly believe still. And if it be so, then our Obligation from John's example, considered as such, to dwell in the Wilderness, array our selves with Camels Hair, &c. is as great and strong, as to Baptize by Dipping; for as I said, if his Example as such, bind us in any one case or instance, it must in all. But its needless for me to enlarge here, since what I now as­sert is no more than what I presume Mr. Wightman, (or at least such of his Brethren, as pass under the Denomination of Seventh Day Baptists) will allow or grant. Their standing practice in not observing or Sancti­fying [Page 120]the First Day of the Week, but the Seventh, gives me, I think, just reason so to presume; since if they tho't Examples of Holy men, as such binding, how they can hold themselves excusable in not Sanctifying that Day, for the Sanctification of which, the Apostles and Primitive Christians have set us an Example, is hard for me to see. This particular at once Cashiers Four of Mr. Wightmans Arguments; and I can't but hope he will now see, that for him or any other Person to attempt to prove the Unlawfulness of Sprinkling or Washing in Baptism, from the Example of John, Philip or any other, (supposing it were evident they Dipp'd those they Baptized) is Vain and Absurd; since whatever they did in this matter Sim­ply in it self, can't infer any Obligation on us to do in the same manner.

2. Supposing they Dipp'd in Baptizing, yet as there are no moral reasons in the Nature of the thing obliging others to do so too, so neither is there any positive Law obliging us to follow them in it, or deter­mining that mode of Baptism. There are two Cases, as I Intimated above, wherein Ex­amples are binding, or Rather wherein we are bound to follow them, viz. When there are Moral Reasons in the nature of the things done, and when any express, positive Law [Page 121]of God is super [...]added determining them and Requiring in others an Imitation of them. But now neither of these things can be pre­tended in this matter of which I'm now speaking. For,

(1) There can be no Moral Reasons in that mode of Baptism obliging us to it, but on the other hand I think its manifest from what I have cited above from Mr. Baxter, there are Moral Reasons obliging us to Swerve or Deviate from it. If it be true that the Sixth and Seventh Commands of the Moral Law, are Moral, and Baptizing by Dipping be, as he says, a Breach of those Commands, then surely there must be Moral Reasons in the Nature of the thing thus obliging us.

(2) There is no express positive Law Ob­liging us to follow them in it; or Deter­mining that mode of Baptism. If Mr. Wight­man or any of his Denomination know of any, I'le thank them if they'll let me do so too, and instantly come over to them, at least, in this point. All that I know can be said here, is, that John's Baptism was from Heaven, as our Saviour imply's in that Ques­tion he propounded to the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews. Mat. 21.25.—And if so, then so was the mode of it too: If there­fore he Baptized by Dipping, this will infer [Page 122]a positive Law, some may think, determin­ing that mode of it. But I deny the Con­sequence here, and say that tho' it be sup­posed he Dipp'd in Baptizing, his Baptism may well enough be said to be from Heaven, and yet that mode of it not be so, since the modes of things are not of their Essence. I know very well Mr Wightman & his Brethren say this mode, viz. Dipping, is of the Essence of Baptism, and that Baptism in any other way is no Baptism. But besides that herein they seem not to me well to distinguish be­tween Entities & their Modes: Besides this I say, I'm at a loss how they will prove it, any positive Law determining this mode of it I'm sure there is none, nor can it I think be done from the import or meaning of the word in the Original: since (whatever it is, yet) we find it oft used there by the Spirit of God to signify Sprinkling or Washing by pouring on or applying water to things, as well as dipping them. But enough of this, and more I think I need not add to make out this first Particular, which is That Sup­posing Dipping was the way in which John the Baptist, the Apostles, Philip &c. did Baptize, yet this will not prove that all others are Obliged to Baptize in the same manner. The Second is,

[2] That tho' this he Supposed. yet it will be so far from inferring such an Obligation lying on [Page 123]others, that not withstanding it may be sinful in them to Immerse or Dip those they Baptize. This will be readily allowed for a Truth by all those that know that many cases may be supposed, wherein there may be Moral Rea­sons obliging Persons to Swerve or Deviate from the Example of Holy men, in things wherein at other times and in other Cir­cumstances it were not only warrantable for them, but their duty to imitate or follow them. And this all those must know that are not so near to perfect Ideotism, as not to know that as hic & nunc i.e. time and place are Circumstances inseparable from all Acti­ons, so that the Expediency or Inexpediency, and Consequently the Lawfulness or Unlaw­fulness of them has a great dependance on those Circumstances. Actions good in themselves and Expedient or Proper in one time or place, in another are Inexpedient; and it is a known Rule, Quicquid not Ex­pedit, in Quantum non Expedit, non licet, i. e. Whatsoever is not Expedient, is so far forth Unlawful as it is Inexpedient. What I now say might be Illustrated by a Thousand Instances; but one shall suffice. And its that of the Corinthians, their going to Law before Unbelievers; Mr. Wightman no doubt will allow that the use of the Law for Re­covery of mens just Rights is lawful, yea [Page 124]many times a necessary Duty; and doubtless was so in many of the Cases refer'd by the Co­rinthiane to the Decision of Pagan Judges: Yet it was a sin in them at that time, for which the Apostle greatly blames them, and it was so meerly on the account of the Circum­stances of time and place, which did render their doing so Inexpedient, Prohibit it, and Require that they should rather have de­bated and issued their Controversies among themselves. Now to apply this to the mat­ter in Hand, viz. Dipping or Plunging in Baptism, as what I have now said especially takes place in the Positives of Religion, that have nothing moral in the Nature of them, and more especially in the Undetermined Modes of those Positives, so as to this par­ticular of them of which I'm now speaking, viz. Dipping in Baptism, if the Circum­stances of time and place or either of them are sometimes such that there are Moral Reasons Disswading from and Prohibiting of it, 'twill then follow that tho' the Baptist and others in the Primitive Times did Dip in Baptizing, yet that will be so far from proving an Obligation on others to do so too, that notwithstanding it may be very sinful in them.

If any of our Adversaries say here, Suppo­sing what I now say to be true, yet what Ad­vantage [Page 125]can it be to us; Or how does it excuse us in Baptizing by the Application of water to the Subject, supposing Dipping was the Pri­mitive way, since we can Plead no such dif­ficulty in our way from the Circumstances of time and place? I Answer,

• (1) I am not now immediately proving the Lawfulness of our Baptizing in particul­lar, but that tho' John the Baptist and others in the Primitive Times did Dip, yet that not­withstanding others may sin in so doing; and that because the Circumstances of time and place may be such as to render it Inex­pedient and therefore Sinful. And this I take to be a truth so evident, that I can't but esteem that man better stor'd with Confi­dence then Sense that shall deny it. And,
• (2) As to Ourselves in particular, I say I am of Opinion, that the Circumstances of time and place, very often at least, do on Moral Considerations forbid our Dipping in Baptism, and that so evidently, that for my own part I durst not do it. To Conclude, I think I have made good the two Proposi­tions above, and having done so, as its mani­fest on the one Hand, that Mr. Wightman's Arguments taken from the Examples of John the Baptist, Philip, &c their Dipping as he supposes, are utterly Insufficient to prove what he would by them, so on the [Page 126]other its to be hoped he & his Brethren may henceforth more suspect the Expediency and Lawfulness of Dipping in this our Cold Cli­mate, than hitherto they have done: And see that we are not without something to say for our manner of Baptizing, be more in O­pinion with it, and sparing in their Invectives against us and that, than in time past they have been I pass to the Third and last Question, which was,

I must Advertise the Reader here, that in the Conference we had with Mr. Wightman and his Brethren before the Debate, he sig­nified his dislike of the Question as thus stated, & declared himself [...]ully in Opinion with us, that Ministers ought to be maintain­ed, but this maintainance he tho't they ought to have from those that heard them, and not such as by Reason of Difference in Opinion from them, hold themselves Obliged to withdraw from them. For which Reason the Question was Stated in these Words. Viz.

Quest. Whether Lawful Authority have Right or Power to Compell such to Contribute to [Page 127]the Support of the Established Ministry of the Country, who by Reason of Difference in Opinion hold themselves Obliged to withdraw from it? The Affirmative of this was what I tho't was before me to prove, till it was Read at the Debate in Order to Discussion: When Mr. Moderator Hitchcock rose up and signified his dislike of the alteration, and desired the Question as at first stated might be Debated: Which was again Complyed with. So that the Position before me to Prove was this, Viz.

That the Present way of the Country in Main­taining Ministers by a Publick Rate or Tax is Lawful. In Order to which I told Mr. Hitch­cock (for he took upon him the part of a Respondent here also) that I would first Observe to the Assembly what Evidence we have in Scripture, [...]hat its the Will of Ch [...]ist that the Ministry he has Ordained in his Church should be maintained, which having done, I would from thence offer an Argu­ment more Immediately proving the Position before me. Accordingly I Observed,

[1] That when Christ Ordained and sent forth the Twelve and the Seventy, 'twas with this Express Command or Charge, that they should not Act in the Affair before them, at their own Expence or Cost. Mat. 10 9.10. Luk 9.1. to 4. and 10.3, 4, 5. Where we [Page 128]find him Expresly Charging them not to make Provision for themselves of Food, Raiment or Money, but into whatever House they entred and were Received, there to stay Eating, Drinking, and Lodging. And at the same time, in Testimony of their De­testation of such as did not Receive and freely Entertain them, to shake off the dust of their feet against them. And further, he gives them to understand that in thus living upon those among whom they came & were Received, they would not live on their Mercy or Charity, but that there was a Justice in their being so Subsisted by them Mat. 10.10. For the workman is worthy of his meat.

[2] That the Apostle Paul insists much on this matter, and by Arguments taken from various heads gives abundant proof of it. As, viz.

1. By an Argument taken from the Law of Nature and Common justice, Thus 1 Tim. 5.18. Thou shalt not Muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn, and, The La­bourer is Worthy of his Meat: Where the A­postle alludes to that Ancient Practice among the Jews & diverse other Nations of Tread­ing out their Corn by the Feet of Oxen, in doing which, it was the Practice of some Covetous Persons to have the Mouths of those Beasts Muzzled, that while they were [Page 129]Treading out the Corn they might not Ea [...] of it; which, because it was an Act of Cruelty, GOD forbad it to his People, Deut. 25 4— By this Injustice & Cruelty of such Persons, he sets forth the Sin of not Contributing to the Support of Ministers; hereby assuring us that the contrary Duty is no other than what is Consonant to the Law of Nature and Common Justice.

2. By an Argument taken from the rea­sonable expectation of all Labourers in o­ther affairs, Thus 1 Cor. 9. where ver. 6. having asserted his right to forbear working with his Hands, and to demand support from those among whom he Laboured, he goes on with a proof of it by this Medium, and instances in the Souldier that goes not on a Warfare at his own Cost, but expects Support & Wages from those who Employ him. In the Planter of a Vineyard, who expects Fruit from it; and in the Shepherd, who, as he keeps and feeds the Flock, so expects to eat of the Milk of it: ver 7. Who goeth a Warfare at any time at his own char­ges? Who Planteth a Vineyard and Eateth not of the Fruit thereof? or, Who Feedeth a Flock and Eateth not of the Milk of the Flock? And then adds, ver. 8, 9, 10. Say I these things as a Man? or saith not the Law the same also? For it is written in the Law of Moses, [Page 130]Thou shalt not Muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that Treadeth out the Corn: Doth GOD take care for Oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt this is Written that he that Ploweth should Plow in Hope; and he that Thresheth should be partaker of his Hope. q. d. Is this what the Law or light of Na­ture only Suggests? or is it not what the Law of GOD does so too? Yes surely, for the reason of the Law, Deut. 25.4. more forcibly obliges with respect to Men, espe­cially such Men as are employed in a Mi­nistry for your Souls, than it did with respect to the Ox that trod out the Corn. Did GOD take such care of that Inferior Crea­ture, as to ordain that Men should not deal Cruelly & Unmercifully with it, while it was Labouring for them, & does he take no care of Us? Yes surely, the reason of that Law reaches us with a greater force, that as he that Ploweth for another Ploweth in hope to get Bread for himself by his Labour, and he that Thresheth for another, Thresheth in hope of the same; so We that are the LORD's Plow-men, working together with Him in Plowing up the Fallow ground of Men's Hearts, & Sowing the Seeds of Righteousness there; and His Threshers, (by our Labours, Exhortations and Arguments beating the Fruits of Good-works, to the Glory of GOD, [Page 131]out of these among whom we Labour) might also labour in hope of a Livelihood for our­selves, while we are doing His work and his Peoples.

3. By an Argument taken from the dispa­rity or inequality of the things mutually im­parted or given by Ministers and their Peo­ple that Support them. ver. 11. If we have Sown unto you Spiritual things, is it a great thing if we should Reap your Carnal things? q d. How reasonable is it that every one should chearfully Contribute to the Support of their Ministers, and since there is such a Dispa­rity or Inequality between the things they give to and receive from them? Ministers give them not only a Quid for a Quo, i. e. a just Compensation for such Support, but what is of much more value, there being a vast Disproportion in point of worth or excellence between the Spiritual things be­stowed by the Minister, & the Carnal things bestowed by the People. Finally,

4. That it is the Will of CHRIST that the Gospel Ministry should have Support from the People, he proves from the care he took of his Ministry under the Law, ver. 13, 14. Do ye not know that they which Mini­ster about Holy things Live of the things of the Temple? and they which wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar? Even so hath the [Page 132]LORD Ordained, that they which Preach the Gospel should Live of the Gospel. q d. The Will of CHRIST in these days of the New Testament is the same that it was during the time of the Old. He had a Ministry then, the Tribe of Levi, for which Tribe he Or­dained a Live-lihood, Numb. 18.22. Deut. 1 [...].9. and 18.1. So that they needed not to eat Bread by the Sweat of their Brows. The case is the same now, its His Will and He has Ordained that those who are taken off from their Worldly employments, and spend their time in the Study and Preaching of the Gospel should have a Live-lihood by their Labour. Having observed these things, I told Mr. Hitchcock 'twas evident from the Scriptures cited, and what had been said on them, that, supposing the E­stablished Ministry of the Country is a true Gospel Ministry, the Duty of Maintaining them is not among the number of meer Po­sitives in Religion, but Moral, and supposing that to be so, for proof of the point before me I offered this Argument, Viz.

That if Lawful Authority have Right or Power to Determine the Ʋndetermined Modes of Moral Duties, then the present way of the Country in Maintaining Ministers by a Publick Rate or Tax is Lawful.

But Lawful Authority have Right or Power [Page 133]to Determine the Undetermined Modes of Mo­ral Duties.

Therefore the present way of the Country in Maintaining Ministers by a Publick Rate or Tax is Lawful.

To which I added, That the Support of Ministers by a Publick Rate or Tax, was one Mode or Manner (among diverse others) of Subsisting them, and that the Word of GOD tho' it had plac'd this among the number of Morals in Religion, yet had not Determined the Mode of it, or in what man­ner it should be done, whether by Publick Rate or Tax, or Weekly Contribution, or any other, only in General, that it should be done in some way or other: And that if in such a case where Moral Duties are thus Ciroumstanc'd, Lawful Authority may Rightfully Interpose and Determine the Mode of them, then the present way of the Country in Supporting Ministers must be Lawful, because 'twas what such Authority had by positive Law determined. And this Ended the Debate, no Reply that I remem­ber being made to it. Whereupon the Reve­rend Mr. Mather Concluded with Prayer.

I Think nothing Material said on either side is Omitted in the Narrative above, [Page 134]besure I have not willingly Omitted any thing of that Nature. In accounting for some things, for the Advantage of such as may think it worth their while to Peruse these Sheets, and more full Illustration of the mat­ter in hand, I have enlarged beyond what was said at the Debate, yet not varying from the Substance of it. Yet let not any think what is here Related as then offered on ei­ther of the Ar [...]icles above, the whole that may be said in Confirmation of them It is not so, and as to the First more especially, (which relates to the Subject of Baptism,) much more might be said and is by many o­thers for Confirmation of it, and then had been, had it been needful & time & strength allowed. However by what is contained in the fore-going Pages, its hoped Persons will see We of the Established Ministry in the Country, have something to say for our O­pinion and Practice in those Points, and at the same time, reason to hope we are not in our Consciences convicted of Error in them, as some of our Adversaries Scrupled not Re­proachfully to say of us before the Debate. I have no pleasure in Recriminations, espe­cially on such Persons, yet can't forbear say­ing on this Occasion, that when at the time of the Debate I urg'd them, [...]a any of them then present, and that Repeatedly, to make [Page 135]answer, if they could, to the Arguments offer'd, and not a word could be obtained in way of Answer from any of them, but all re­mained in a Dead Silence; when I did so I say, and none so much as made an Attempt to Reply, I could not but think, as I now do, that some Convictions of the Truth, by the Over-bearing Light & Evidence of it were wrought in their Consciences; and at the same time how Engaging, Insnaring a thing ERROR is, and what need we all have to look to our selves and stand on our Guard a­gainst it. And alass, when this once gets hold of us, how much are we put into the Hands of our Grand Enemy, and how many Lusts are there that instantly rise up and set in with it, and almost Inevitably oblige us to stand by it, and this, tho' the Error be such as if retained, will issue in Eternal Ru­ine! Every Age and Place almost affords but too many instances sorrowfully Confir­ming this Remark.

But its time that I hasten to an End; and for a Close (tho' the Obstinacy of the Per­sons but now mentioned, and Contempt of all that can be said to them, manifested in their Pertinacious persistance in their Old Practices, nowithstanding all discourages me from an Address to them, yet) I think my self obliged on this occasion earnestly to call [Page 136]upon and exhort all others to take heed of them, as a sort of Men that without an A­buse may in the Apostles Language be stiled Seducing Spirits; who by bringing in F [...]lse Doctrines, (and some of them Doctrines that inser a denial of the LORD that bought them) as well as by their Subtile insin [...] ­tions, endeavour to turn Men from the Truth, that good Old way they have been Train'd up in, and which GOD has many ways Witnessed his Approbation of. (I mean the [...]stablished Religion of the Country Re­commended and Handed down to us by our Pious Progenitors) Take heed of them I say, come not into the way of them, lest by their Insinuations you are prevailed upon thus to do. We find the abounding of False Teachers, Seducing Spirits, mentioned as one of the Calamities of that Late, Con­cluding Day of the World into which doubt­less we are cast, 1 Tim. 4.1. 2 Pet. 2.1. and no doubt for this reason as much as any o­ther, its sp [...]ken of as a Time peculiarly Pe­rilous, 2 Tim 3.1.—It were well it Persons were sensible of this, knew the Peril atten­ding such Persons, and the Errors they en­de [...]our to Advance or Propagate, at least some of them. What the Apostle Col 2. says of some Christians in his time, viz. That they did not hold the Head, &c. (i, e. tho' in [Page 137]words they owned CHRIST; yet at the same time retained & taught such Opinions and Practices as infer'd a denial of Him) may with equal Truth be said of some, at least, of the Persons now spoken of; though they talk of CHRIST, and in Words seem to Honour him, yet they hold not the Head, their Opinions and Practices inferring a Denial of him It were easy to make good this charge upon them were it needful. And it being so, may we not with reason look upon them, their Opinions, &c. as none of the least things rendring the present Day Perilous? Certainly Opinions of this Na­ture are no less Damning than the most Enormous Practices. Heaven can no more Receive one who holds not the Head (at least in the sense the Apostle there speaks,) than it can the most Prosligate Wretch. And this consideration, no doubt, was the occa­sion of that mighty concern respecting the Jews, we find the Apostle making discovery of. Rom. 9. & 10 — It was not their Immo­ralities, but their bad Principles or Funda­mental Errors that wrought in him that Concern lest they should fall short of Life, as he there lets us know. Error is as Dam­ning as Vice; the one is an open Road, the other but a more By-path to Hell and De­struction. Take heed therefore, and what [Page 138] Paul says to Timothy, 2 Tim. 3.14. I would say to you on this occasion, Continue in the things you have learn'd and be not by any means turn'd aside from them And that you may take heed, I'll here for a Close leave with you a few Considerations.

1 Con. The Way now Recommended for your Walk and Continuance in, is in all the Sub­stantials of it that good old way our Pious Pro­genitors walked in, and which as they have vari­ously Recommended to us their Children, so God has variously witnessed his Approbation of. Its in all the Essentials of it the same way they walked in. Indeed of us who are of the Present Day, it may be said that our Attain­ments generally speaking in that way are much short of what theirs were, at least many of them; Where are those Eminent degrees of Faith, Love, Holiness &c. that were Conspicuous in many of them? In how few to be found? Yet the way we walk in and desire your Adherence to and Continu­ance in, is the same still as to all Essentials of it. Our Doctrines of Faith and Precepts of Life were theirs also, they Believed and Practised them, and handed them down to us. Our Ministry and Worship are the same with theirs in all the Essentials of them. We do not in any thing material differ from them in these things. What I now say is so [Page 139]well known to most, that any thing in way of proof can't I think, be needful. And this way, I say, they have variously Recom­mended to us, and God has variously Wit­nessed his Approbation of it, that its the way he has Chosen and Ordained for us to walk in. Besides their great Concern and La­bour to train us up in and inure us to it, (whereby they bore witness to it) they have Recommended it by their frequent At­testations to it and that both while living and when dying. We have in our hands, & no doubt many of you have also, such per­formances of many of them while living, as wherein tho' they are now dead, yet they bespeak us their Children in such words as these, viz This is the Right way, walk in it: In this way we walking have sound God, Received Tokens for good from him, the Pledges and As­surances of his Favour, even those that are the Earnests of the Eternal Inheritance And not only so, but as holy David when Old and Dying, being fill'd with a Pious Con­cern for Solomon that he might both do and be well after he was gone, left it in Charge with him to know the God of his Fathers, and serve him with a Perfect Heart and willing Mind, in the same way they had gone before him, in 1 Chron. 28 9. So have not many of our Pious Progenitors done in like manner? [Page 140]Of how many of them may we say that words of this Import, were their last words to us? And with them they took their leave of us: thereby giving witness to this way and assu [...]ing us that our Adherance to and Walk in it was what they look'd upon to be of an Importance for us beyond other things, and was therefore what lay on their Spirits with a peculiar Concern. Now this Con­sideration methinks should be of weight with us, and mightily arm us with Resolution to adhere to it, and withstand all attempts or endeavours of any whatever to turn us aside from this way. I'm sure it will be so with all those that are wise, and Consider who and what those our Progenitors were, par­tioularly that they were of those of whom the Psalmist says Psal. 25.14. That the Se­cret of the Lord is with them, and that to them be sheweth his Covenant.

In a word, The Most High Himself has variously signified and witnessed his Appro­bation of it. I might lustance here in more things than one, but it shall suffice to say, He has done so by that peculiar Blessing wherewith he has attended or followed it, whereby he has made it effectual for saving good to Multitudes. It's but little more then one Century of Years since New-England was numbred among those Dark Places of [Page 141]the Earth that are fill'd with the Habitati­ons of Cruelty, where Satan Reigns, and which belong to his visible Kingdom, as having never been visited with the Day Spring from on High. But since the happy Day has dawned, and it has been Blessed with the present Established Religion and way of Worship, I believe that all Impartial Persons, being Judges, will allow it has been a Fruitful Mother, bringing forth more Chil­dren to God, and more Serious, Pure and Practical Religion than perhaps any other Place in the known World, Caeteris Paribus, has done. And this I take to be a good evi­dence of its being what God approves of and is well pleasing to him. And may not we of the Established Ministry in New-England, on this Occasion, with little variation say to you as Paul on the like Occasion did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9 2. If we are not Mi­nisters to others, yet doubtless we are to you, for the Seal of Our Ministry are ye in the Lord. The Conversion of so many Sinners to a Life of Serious, Practical Religion, and the Building up so many Saints in Faith and Holiness, is Gods Seal to Our Ministry; and what we may with good Reason look upon as an Evidence of its being what he approves of. Now it being so, every one will say its not easy to believe any such Exceptions [Page 142]should lie against this way as may excuse any man in deserting of it. Especially when here­with the following are Considered, Viz.

2. Con That in this way of Religion or Wor­ship you have a True Gospel Ministry in all the Essentials of it i. e. A Number of men in Succession who being competently qualifi'd for the Ministerial work, are Lawfully called and set apart to it. None I think will doubt of this, but such as Dis-believe the fore-go­ing particular; since if that be true, this is little less than a necessary Deduction or Co­rollary from it. That our Ministry, generally speaking, are so far entich'd with Furniture for their Work or Office as to be capable of answering the main designs of it, I presume will be allowed me. And tho' as to their Call and Separation to it, some may think it not according to the order of the Gospel, yet for my own part I'm not able to see those things by Positive Laws or otherwise so Li­mited or Restrained there, to any particular Mode or Modes of them, as to doubt of the Lawfulness of them as Practiced among us, at least under our present Circumstances. As for the right of Nominating, Electing & Calling Ministers to their Office, certain it is that in different Places of the World, and Ages of the Church it has been variously assumed and used; sometimes by the Laity, [Page 143]sometimes the Clergy, and at other times by the Civil Powers: and no doubt there may be cases wherein either of them may rightfully do so. But I shall not here enter into this Controversy, nor can I think it needful since I presume there are few, if any, who will deny the Established Ministry in the Coun­try to have the Essentials of a true Gospel Ministry.

3. Con The various Objections against this Ministry with which the Mouths of such Seducers as would turn you away from it are fill'd, are Absurd, of no Validity, nor can in any wise justify you in Deserting of it. Among the several things which deprav'd reason (or something worse) in Seducers of all Ages has suggested as proper to turn Men from the Truth, one has been this, viz. Endeavours to load with Infamy such as are the Teachers and set for the defence of it; and thereby bring them into Dis-reputation with their hearers. According to which, as no Age of the Church scarce has been free from them, so the Mi­nisters of CHRIST have ever been the Ob­jects of their Invectives and Railery. Thus it is in this our Day. He is a Stranger to the men of this Character among us who knows not that they have nothing so much in view, and in which they so much lay out themselves as in Endeavours to bring an O­dium [Page 144]upon the Ministry in the Land, and hurt their Reputation & Interest with their People. To which End they are daily spending their Invectives upon it; and such Truths taught & maintained by it, as whereby their Enormous Opinions and Practices are Con­demned. Of this Strain and Tenor, and little else but this, are the generality of the Harangues with which they entertain their Hearers. But how Absurd and Senseless their Objections are, and how unable to Apologise for a deserting this Ministry you will see in the following view of them.

To Instance then,

1. From what is related in the fore-going Narrative, as offered on the Third Article, I can't but presume you agree with me in this, viz. That Ministers may of right Demand something in way of Reward for their Work, & by Consequence that its no Valid plea or exception against our Ministry that they do so. This e­very one knows is a main exception against it, especially in the Mouths of those Secta­ries you are now Cautioned against giving heed to. Those of the Established Mini­stry in the Country they say are Hirelings, they Teach for Hire and Divine for Money, Mic. 3.11. — Yea and what is worse, they are Greedy Dogs & Ravenous Wolves than devour their Flocks: Therefore come not [Page 145]nigh them. And what they think justifies them in this Opprobrious Language, is only this, viz. That Ministers according to the allowance & grant of CHRIST their Master, demand & receive from their People, some­thing in way of Reward for their work. I grant, that in cases where its evident that Gain is a Ministers last or highest end; and that indeed the Teacheth for Hire & Divines for Money, in the sense of the Prophet there, he is justly entitul'd to those opprobrious E­pithets. But in order to the conviction of any one in this point, something more is needful than meerly his Preaching the Doctrine of CHRIST & Paul in this matter, and Practi­sing according to it; i. e. His asserting his Right to partake and his actual receiving of the Temporal good things of those, unto whom he communicates them that are Spiri­tual; this I say alone will not do it, since as there is a vast difference between Preaching for Money; or other Temporal good things, & taking them for Preaching; so this last is no more than his great LORD has vested him with a Right to do, and is of absolute necessi­ty to all the designs of his Office. But I need not add here, considering what has been said above on this Head. Nor,

2. Is it a valid Plea or Exception against our Ministry, that it is not furnished for, called to & [Page 146]assisted in their Work, in the same immediate & extraordinary ma [...]er the Apostles & others in the morning of Christianity mere. This also is what we may often hear alledged in way of exception against it, by the Persons but now mentioned. O [...]r Ministers, they say, are not Conformed to those Primitive Ministers in these things; are not in that immediate, extraordinary manner furnished for, called to, & assisted in their Work that they were; but as they Acquire all their furniture for it by on humane [...]ucation, so by the assistance of that only do what they do in it; they are therefore no true Ministers of Christ, nor to be received & followed as such. To which I say, that we own the truth of this Excep­tion as to the [...]er of i [...], but deny its Vali­dity as to the end for which its made. We do not nor dare we pretend to stand upon a Level with those Primitive Ministers in these things, who freely [...]nsess we are not furnish­ed for, c [...]lled to, & assisted in our work in that same immediate, extraordinary manner they were: but do not see that this necessarily ba­nishes [...] from the number of the true Mini­sters of CHRIST, and that (as for other reasons to be suggested by & by, so because its certain it was never the mind of CHRIST to continue such a Ministry to the End of the World as they were; nor was it needful [Page 147]to the designs of that Office that he should do so, and that because tho' its certain, 'twas necessary those Primitive Ministers in the Morning of Christianity should be furnished for, called to, and assisted in their Work in that immediate, extraordinary manner, yet 'tis equally certain there is not the like ne­cessity or reason that their Successors in all Ages of the Church should be so The Gos­pel when first Preach'd by CHRIST was a new and a strange Doctrine; a Mystery that had been kept Secret from Ages and Gene­rations then past; Rom. 16.25. the World understood it not, nor was there then any that were able to Instill or Communicate the knowlege of it to others, and thereby so far forth to qualify them to be Ministers of it. 'I was necessary therefore at that time, that Divine Wisdom and Grace should interpose, & in an immediate & extraordinary manner enrich and furnish some with the knowlege o [...] it. Again, As it was a new and strange Doctrine, so in order to its being received in the World, ' [...]was necessary it should carry its credentials with it, i.e should be attended with something in those that Publish'd it, that might be an evidence it was no imposture or Cheat, but come from Heaven. And for this reason, that extraordinary Power of Mi­racles those [...] five Ministers were endued [Page 148]with was necessary. Further, This Doctrine being then to be Preached to all Nations, the time being come for the breaking down the Partition Wall between Jew and Gentile, & for extending the Blessing of Abraham (which till that [...]ne had been almost wholly confin'd to his natural Off-spring the Jews,) to Gen­tiles of a [...] Nations, 'twas necessary that those first Ministers of it should be endued with the extraordinary Powers of Tongues. And Fi­nally, They being designed by their Lord and Master CHRIST to ga [...]ner Churches & lay the Foundations of Christianity, both among Jews and Gentiles, by Preaching this Doctrine among them, they being both Ene­mies to it; and it being evident the Apostles were like to meet with great Opposition from them, in their discharge of that Work, 'twas needful they should have that Power of Dis­cerning Spirits, and that an extraordinary measure and presence of the Spirit should go along with them. On these accounts 'tis easy for any one to see, those extraordinary measures and gifts were necessary for and in them. But now these reasons of those ex­traordinary measures or dispensations toward them, not co [...]inning but [...]easing after a time, there was not a like necessity of their being continued to succeding Ministers. When those first Ministers of CHRIST had Publish'd [Page 149]the Doctrine of the Gospel, & thereby Com­municated the knowlege of it to others, there was then among those to whom they had so Communicated it, some that were so far forth furnished to be Ministers of it too, & there was no necessity of an extraordinary & im­mediate Revelation of it to them. And when by Signs, Wonders and Miracles wrought by them, the Doctrine they Preached was witnessed to from Heaven, and proved to be from thence, 'twas not needful that a like Power of Miracles should be continued to their Successors. And further, When in pursuance of their extensive Commission, they had gone into all the World, & Preached the Gospel among all Nations, gathered Churches & Ordained Officers in them; what occasion was there for the continuance of the gift of Tongues? And in a word, When by these means the Foundations of Christianity were laid, and it had obtained some Reputation & Interest among men, those who Succeeded them had not the like occasion for that Ex­traordinary Presence, Guidance & Assistance of the SPIRIT that was Vouchsafed to them.

These things are plain & sufficient to con­vince any that tho' there was a Necessity those first Ministers should be Extraordina­rily Furnished, Called and Assisted to and in their Work as they were, yet that there is [Page 150]not the like Necessity that their Success [...]rs in all Ages should be so: And that for [...]to expect a Ministry to the End of the W [...]ld Furnished, Called and Assisted as they were is Senseless, Unreasonable and what carries in it matter of Imputation on the Most [...]igh, God & Nature we say, do nothing in Vain; nothing without such Reasons and Ends as Justify the doing of it: This doubtless is as true as any Article of Our Creed; but how it can be so, Provided what these Enthusi­astick Objectors say, be true, viz. That all True Ministers of Christ in all Ages are Fur­nished, Called and Assisted as the Apostles were, I am not able to see. On this Ground alone, were there no other, we may, I think, safely conclude that if among the many Pre­tenders to the Character of the true Ministers of Christ, any are to be found that are really so, as doubtless there are, they are in these Respects a set of men different from what those first Ministers were. But for further Conviction here, before I leave this particu­lar, I would ask these silly Objectors what they intend when they say that all those that are the true Ministers of Christ are Fur­nished, Called and Assisted in the same im­mediate, extraordinary manner the Apostles were? Do they intend that in all Respects they stand upon a Level with them in these [Page 151]things, or in some only? I think there are few, if any, of them now under such a De­gree of Enthusiasm or Madness as to pretend the former: As Blind as they are they see this will be in effect to deny that Christ has now, or in any Age since those first Ministers went off has had, any true Ministers on Earth; since among the or [...]oy that pretend to be so, there are none to be found endued with those Powers of Miracles, Tongues, and disce [...]ning of Spirits which they had I Charitably be­lieve they themselves think that those who in any time past have, or now may pretend to those things, were and are V le deceivers. All that they can be understood therefore to intend, when thus they say, is this, viz. That what Furniture the true Ministers of CHRIST have for their Work, is immediate­ly from the SPIRIT; that by Him they are immediately called to it; and that what they do in it is by his immediate Suggestion and Assistance This as I take it, is what they in­tend, & this some of these silly Objectors, e­specially such as are Teachers among them, pretend to: And hence as they declaim a­gainst Humane Learning, as they call it, as what is no ways necessary to accomplish any for the Ministry, wait not for a call from Man, so in Preaching, Renoencing all Previous Meditation or Study to prepare for it; they [Page 152]depend, as they say, entirely on the Suggestions and Assistance of the Spirit. But now sup­posing this to be the case with all true Mi­nisters of Christ, that they are thus furnished, called & assisted, yet this comes much short of what was Visible in the Apostles; and it must remain a Truth even with these Ob­jectors themselves, that its no valid Objecti­on or Plea against our Ministry, that they are not in all points such as the Apostles were. But further, How do these Men prove that even this is the just or true Character of the Gospel Minister? and that they themselves, or such as are Teachers among them at least, who they say, are the only true Ministers of CHRIST, are thus immediately furnished for, called to, and assisted in their Work? Why we have but their Autos Ephe, their bare word for it, nor must we expect any thing more. Whatever some of them in times past, being under an extraordinary Infatuation, have done yet there are none of them now, I think, make any pretences to that evidence or proof of this, the Apostles, &c. of old gave, or any other that might be equally con­vincing and satisfying to such as doubt of the Truth of what they say. And this to me, and I believe to all Men that are not given up to such strong Del [...]sion as to believe Lies, is a convincing evidence these Miserable [Page 153]Creatures are sadly deceived, and that what ever they think and would perswade others to think concerning the Spirit by which they are, as they say, thus furnished, called and assisted, Yet that really & in truth it is no other than that fallen Spirit that of old said respecting Ahab's Prophets, I'll go forth & be a Lying Spirit in their Mouths, 1 King. 22.22. For certainly were they immediately Fur­nished, Called & Assisted, as they say, they would be enabled to give such Proof of it as the Apostles did, or some other that might be equally satisfying; and we should not be left to their Word only for satisfaction in that matter. Princes when they send their Embassadors on any Errand, expect not that those to whom they are sent should depend on their naked Word only for proof of their Mission, but together with their Instructions, furnish them with such Credentials as may be an evidence of it: And can we think that the Most High in this affair, which all must allow to be of the Highest Importance, would leave us at such uncertainty whom he sends, as in that case he must do? Is this con­sistent with his Wisdom and Goodness? No furely, for how should we know who to be­lieve, or how to distinguish such as thus came from him, from Deceivers! Contrary to this we find all along, that when he has thus fur­nished [Page 154]and sent any Persons on any Errand or Business, he has at the same time furnish'd them with such things as might be an evi­dence to all that they were so sent. He is Blind that in Reading the Scriptures can't see this, and its needless for me to give in­stances of it on Record there. From whence I think we may, yea we must Conclude that neither is this the true Character of a Gos­pel Minister, that he is not one immediately furnished for, called and assisted to and in his Work and that as for such as say they are so and therefore true Ministers of CHRIST, they do but Lie and deceive us. And further, That if we would find the men that are so, we must look for them else-where, and not among these Vile pretenders to the things they are strangers to. To Conclude, Tho' we find in Scripture, the appointment of a Ministry in the Church to the End of the World, yet we no where find these things mentioned as the Character of that Ministry, but on the other hand that it is a number of Men in succession, who being by the ordina­ry Blessing of GOD on proper endeavours of their own, so furnished with Light and Grace as to be capable of the Ends of the Ministerial Work, are by Man regularly call­ed and set apart to it; and by the ordinary Influences of Grace Assisted in it. And if [Page 155]this be so, as I think its not difficult to prove, its to be hoped the generality of our Mini­sters have a fair claim to be accounted of this Number, & by Consequence that its no just exception against them that they stand not upon a Level with the Apostles in the above­mentioned particulars. Nor Finally.

3. Do we impose on our People, teach them to observe things unnecessary, and Doctrines which we think False and don't ourselves Believe. The contrary to this, how much soever of Infa­my it carries with it, yet is what may fre­quently be heard from the Mouths of these Men. Our Ministers, they say, are Deceivers, walk in Craftiness, impose on their People unnecessary Burdens; and urge on them the belief of Doctrines they themselves don't be­lieve. To this effect, as is before observed, some of them Scrupled not to say of us be­fore the Debate related above. To which Opprobrious Charge, not rendring Evil for Evil, nor Railing for Railing, I hope we can say with the Blessed Apostle in the like case, 1 Cor. 4.12, 13. That being Reviled, we Bless; being Defamed we intreat. We wish them more Charity, and beg of GOD to give it them; and further, that we can Appeal to Heaven for a Testimony of our Innocence in these points. I'm sure I know not the Man of this Character concerning whom I [Page 156]dare think otherwise. Its not difficult to guets what these Objectors refer to when they thus Reproach us: They, or at least some of them, think the Sacraments of the New Testament, Rituals of Religion, which like those of Moses's Law are now ceas'd and of no Obligation. This is what they Teach, and perhaps some of them, from the Igno­rance that is in them, may Believe. But does it therefore follow that they are really so, & that we in Preaching another Doctrine do teach the Observance of unnecessary things? Tis not long since some of them taught the same Doctrine concerning the BIBLE it self, and scrupled not to load that Sacred BOOK with the most Opprobrious Epithets. And does it thence follow that that is unnecessary too, & that we in Preach­ing otherwise teach unnecessary things? To be short, How Trifling and Unnecessary so ever these men, (viewing these Sacred In­stitutions of our LORD simply in themselves and not considering at the same time, nor perhaps understanding, heir Relation to the Covenant, their Symbolical Nature, nor their designed End or Use,) may think them, yet we that know these things & consider them, can't but look upon them as signal discove­ries of the Wisdom and Grace of CHRIST, very necessary to be retained and observed, [Page 157]and of great Advantage to the ends of Chri­stianity. And further, as for our Doctrine Respecting the Necessity of them we are sure its among the things left in Charge to the Ministers of the Gospel, by Christ their Master in that Commission by which we Preach.

Nor is it difficult to Conje [...]ture what they intend, when they charge us with Preaching Doctrines which we our selves think false & don't believe. To this head no doubt belong our Doctrines respecting the subject & Manner of Baptism. To which I shall only say, That as I have no reason to doubt that we all Be­lieve as we Teach in those matters, so on what Grounds we do so; I have in part, at least, accounted for them in the foregoing Narra­tive. To the same head also, doubtless, be­long our Doctrines respecting the Decrees of GOD, Original Sin, the Extent of CHRIST's Redemption, &c. In all which they are gene­rally Opposite to Us, and Teach in those Points what those men of Great Renown with them ( Pelagius & Arminius) before them have taught. To which I shall think it enough to say that as these things are de­servedly to be Rank'd among the Dusnoeta of Religion i. e. Things hard to be under [...] stood & determined upon, so these Objectors, when they talk of them, I'm well assur'd, [Page 158]talk of things they understand not; and which are utterly beyond their Sphere or Compass. And as it would better become such Persons to be more Modest, either wholly Silent or less Dogmatical and Posi­tive in these matters, which indeed are a great deep, and puzzle the most Learned & knowing Head, so as for what we teach Con­cerning them, we Conceive it to be according to the Faith which of Old was delivered to the Saints; and being as sure of this as Our best endeavours to be rightly informed in these things can make us, if after all we are mistaken, we have reason to hope God will not impute it to us for Sin.

4. In this way you bid as fair for [...]eaven at lash, and are under as good Advantages for it (for ought I know) as you can be in any other; Yea far greater & better [...]han you can Ration [...]ly, hope to be in the way to which these Seducers would turn you aside. In this way Our Fa­thers before us attained at length that Bles­sed Place. Here it was that they found those Wells of Salvation from whence they drew the water of Lise: Were nourished up in the words of Faith, and at length made meet for the Kingdom; and so may you too if it be not your own [...]ault: Nor can you be un­der better Advantages for it in any other way that I know of: Besure I think all Per­sons [Page 159]disinterested and free from any Byass or Inclination to either way, being Judges, will say that a man must divest himself of all Reason, and become altogether one of a Reprobate mind or sense before he can en­tertain any hopes of this nature in that way to which the Persons I am now speaking of would draw you aside. Who in his right Wits can think those that adhere to and follow them are exalted above you in this Respect, viz. That they are under better Advantages to attain that blessed Place and End at last than you? Have they better means of Instruction and growth in Grace? Are their Teachers more knowing than yours, or are they more Painful and Faith­ful? What, have they either natural Capa­cities, or other Advantages to search out and know the Truth, beyond what we have, or are they more Studious, Painful and Diligent in the use of proper means for that end than we are? Who can think so, yea who knows not the Contrary to this to be truth? And that partly thro' the want of necessary helps for the obtainment of that Knowledge that is necessary to qualify any to be Teachers of others, and partly thro' an Avow'd Neg­lect and Contempt of them, they are Gene­rally speaking a Set of men extreamly Igno­rant, especially in matters of Faith or Doct­rine, [Page 160]and so ill able to be Guides to the Blind and shew them their way, that indeed they know not their own. A little Conversation with them is enough to satisfy any one of this. Nor do I Remember any one (of the many I have Conferred with) that was able to account for even any of the more Essen­tial Doctrines of Christianity, with that di­stinct [...]ess that might give any Reason to hope he might lead others to any tolerable Notions concerning them. And it being so, as its absurd for any to pretend or hope for bet­ter helps for improvement in Knowledge with them, than in the good old way you are Counselled to adhere to; so is it equally so, for any to pretend or flatter themselves with hopes of better helps for progress and improvement in Grace; since its certain these two go together, nor can the latter be without the former. And as for Faith­fulness in our work, tho' I'm far from think­ing there are no Instances among us of the want of it; & instead of saying so, I will rather say, Would to GOD there were fewer of them; Yet I look upon my self bound charita­bly to think this is not the Case with the generality, no nor with many of our Mini­ [...]ry; nor durst I allow my self to think other­wise than that there is upon the Spirits of the most of them, a Religious Concern to Ap­prove [Page 161]themselves to GOD: That it does not content them to walk in Craftiness and handle the Word of God deceitfully, but that it lyes with Concern upon their Spirits by a manifestation of the Truth to Com­mend themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God. When we pretend to be the mouth of God to our People, we can't think ourselves faithful in only delivering to them an old Premeditated, and yet Incohe­rent, Senseless, Unintelligible heap of Jargon, which perhaps we have gone over with scores of times before, and in endeavours to establish some Extra-essential matters where­in we differ from others, and in spending some of our Gall in Invective and Railery a­gainst such as dissent from us; this indeed is all, I, or perhaps any one else, have ever heard from the mouths of those Teachers I am now disswading you from; and this, they, and perhaps many of their miserable, De­luded hearers think Merits for them the Character of Faithful: And verily when I can think so too, I'll agree with them and ac­knowlege they are blessed with the most faithful Teachers. No we can't think these things to be that faithfulness in this Article of our work, which our great Lord Requires, and therefore have no great Ambition or Zeal this way, but rather with Paul to declare [Page 162]to our People the whole Counsel of GOD, and to be to them like good Housholders bringing forth of our Treasury things New and Old, and so to divide the Word of Truth that every one may have their Portion and that in Season. In a word, as we believe we are Embass [...]dors of Christ, called and sent by him, and from him have Receiv'd a Solemn Charge to be faithful in all parts of the Work he has entrusted with us, so we are not I hope without a due sense that we our­selves have Immortal Souls to save or lose, as well as our People, and that as their Souls are in a sense Entrusted with us, so a Day is before us when we must Account for them. We believe and have a sense of these things, nor are we without such frequent reflections on them as furnish us daily with forcible motives to Faithfulness, and I charitably be­lieve, leave us not without endeavours af­ter it.

5. By going after these Seducers you'll be in danger of falling at length into such Errors, and embracing such Opinions as will render your Sal­vation altogether Hopeless. There are few, its probable, if any, of those among us who do so, that have apprehensions of any such dan­ger attending them, but certain it is, that the Instances of this have been so many as may suffice for an evidence in the case, and [Page 163]at the same time to warn and caution you a­gainst doing so. And that you may have a just sense of it, and for the future be more cautious of coming nigh these men, I will here give you some Passages from that Ex­cellent Man Mr. BAXTER, which you may find in his Book of Infant-Church-Membership & Baptism, before mentioned, Pag. 147, 148—

‘And as Anabaptistry, says be, hath been no greater a Friend to mens Salvation with us, so every man knows that it is the or­dinary inlet to the most horrid Opinions. Now few did you ever know that came to the most Monstrous Doctrines, but it was by this Door? And how few did you ever know that entred this Door, but they went on further, except they Died or Repe [...]ted shortly after? I confess of the Multitudes of Anabaptists that I have known, at the present I cannot call to mind any one that hath [...]opt there. Most that I have met with are Separatists, Arminians, or Antinomi­ans, or both; (for they have found out a way to joyn these extreams, which a man would think impossible;) Socinians, Liber­tines, Seekers or Familists. But because men may refuse to Credit my Experience of them, I appeal to the Writings of all of them that I can remember ever Wrote. Whither Mr. Denis arrived by this way, his Writings [Page 164]shew, & his late Confession, when he was to be put to Death for Rebelling with the Levellers. What horrible things Collyer is come to, his Writings against Ordinances witness Mr Saltmarsh his Writings esti­fy the like too openly. Paul Hobson (one of the Subscribers of the Churches Confes­sion) publisheth himself a Socinian to the World, teaching that GOD was never at Enmity with men, but only men with GOD, & that CHRIST did not Reconcile GOD to Man, but only Man to GOD, and did not purchase Love, Life and Salvation, but was sent to manifest them, &c.’ And a lit­tle below he adds, ‘Whither Mr. Dell is arrived, let his Sermon against Reformation, & his Treatise against Uniformity witness, How far Mr. William in New-England went by this way, that Plantation can Sadly witness; but England far more Sadly, who giving him ki [...]dsier Entertainment than they, have received far more hurt by him, when he became the Father of the Seekers in LONDON. And a little after, 'What should [...] tell you of all those hideous Pam­phlets against Ordinances & for the Mon­t [...]lity of the Soul, & that the Soul is GOD himself, & against the Truth of Scripture, and down right Familism, Libertinism & Paganism, such as R. Wilkinsons, The Mad [Page 165]man's dissection of the Divinity, &c. with a Multitude more, which all spring from this root of Anabaptistry. I remember four year ago when Anabaptistry had not been long in the Country, about Marshfield and Trubridge and those parts, they maintained that CHRIST took our Sins into his Na­ture, as well as our Flesh, and so had Ori­ginal Corruption as well as we; and that men's Souls are but a Beam of GOD, or GOD himself appearing in several Bodies, and when Men die the Soul is in GOD again.’ And a Line or two below, ‘I will not stand to name any more to you, but only one, which being late is fresh in our Memory, & being not far off us, is nearer our Know­lege, and being most [...]eadful, should be heard with Trembling, as one of GOD's most Fearful Judgments; and that is Mr. Coppe and his followers, called by some the Ranters, by others the High-Attainers: This man was a Zealous Anabaptist; when I was Preacher to the Garrison of Coventry, he was Preacher to the Garrison of Compton-House in the same Country, and I heard of no Opinion that he vented or held but the necessity of Re-baptizing and Inde­pendency; and was a sharp reproacher of the Ministry; (which is the common Cha­racter of all Schismatical subverters of [Page 166]the Church, they smite the Shepherds that they may scatter & devour the Sheep more easily;) this man continued a most Zea­lous Re-baptizer many years, & Re-baptized more than any one man that ever I heard of in the Country, witness Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and part of Worcestershire, &c. till at last GOD gave him over to a Spirit of Delusion that he fell into a Trance, & professed himself that he continued in it three or four Days, & that he was in HELL, and that he received those Revelations which he hath Published in his Book, in which he Blasphemously arrogates to him­self the Sacred Name and Titles of GOD, and cries down Duties and Godly Life, by the name of [Plaguy Holiness,] & Sweareth most vilely, and professeth that it doth him more good to run on Men, and tear them by the Hair, and Curse like a Devil, and make them Swear by GOD than to join in Family Duties and in Plaguy Ho­liness: And that he can Swear a full mouth'd Oath, and can Kiss his Neighbours Wife in Majesty and [...]onour, which if a Pre­cisi [...]n do that knoweth Sin, he shall be Damned for it, [...]e pleads for Communi­ty & a [...]ainst Propriety, and saith he went up and down London Streets with his Ha [...] Cock'd, his Teeth [...]nashing his Eyes fixed, [Page 167]charging the great ones to obey his Ma­jesty within him. This & abundance more such hideous Blasphemies his o [...]n book contains. And his Practice is answerable to his Profession, for he went up and down teaching this to the poor Professors in the Country, and Sweareth most hideously in his Conference & [...]re [...]ching; & Cursing and Lascivious Practices not to be named, are his Religion. It may be some will say that he is a Mad man; but it is otherwise, as may be known by those that will speak with him He is now in Coventry Jayl, where he was once before upon his Re [...]bapt zing, for which they were taken to be Persecu­tors by those that are now Approvers of his Sufferings: but doubtless he is worse than Mad in his Delusion But O the Dreadfulness of GOD's Judgments! Would any Christian ever have believed that such a man should have any followers? and that Men and Women professing the Zealous fear of GOD, should ever be bro't to place their Religion in Revelling Roar­ing, Drinking, Whoring, open full mouth'd Swearing ordinarily by the Wounds and Blood of GOD, and the fearfullest Cursing that hath been heard; as if they were all Possessed with Devils, as for my part I think they are? Yet so it is: Many of his Peo­ple [Page 168]fell into Trances as well as he, and go about like Walking Devils in this language and carriage.’ And a few [...]ines below he adds, ‘And is not the Plague of Blindness upon his Understanding that will not see the hand of GOD in this? The LORD is known by the Judgments which he ex­ecateth, Psal. 9.16. And is not that man a Second Pharaoh that yet will not see nor stoop to GOD? Is n [...]t the name of the Sin Legible in the Judgment? And doth not GOD testify from Heaven against Ana­baptism plainly by all these? Are they [...]or even as visible Characters of GOD's Displeasure as the Monsters in New-England were? The LORD grant that neither I, nor any friend of mine, may be ever so blinded or hardned as to run upon the face of such visible Judgments, & to overtook the Apparent Finger of GOD and to stop our Ears when he thus speaks from Heaven.’ Thus that Great and Good Man. And is not this enough to convince any man of the danger of what I am now disswading you from and to let him see what Obligations lie upon us all to take heed of these Men, which but too many are apt to make bold with and go in the way of? I my self could give other instences of the like nature, of a later date and nea [...]er home; but these [Page 169]may suffice, and how Blind and Stupid are we, if by them we are not led to Appre­hensions of our danger from these men, who are so industrious to sow the Seeds of Ana­baptism, Antinomianism, Familism, as well as many other Error, among us. The LORD grant that hereby your Eyes may be open­ed, and that henceforth you may not look upon going to heas them in the places where they come; yea any unnecessary Con­versation with them, as things without Pe­ril or Danger. Alass! Error is an En­suaring thing, one of those Snares with which this Sinful Calamitous World in which we live is silled, and by which our Busie Enemy destroys Multitudes: And when once we step aside to it and embrace it, tho' it be of a more Trivial nature, yet we know not where we shall stop, and whi­th [...]r our Adversary without us and Hearts within us, will carry us e're we have done. Let the Instances above mentioned, with o­thers that might have been, and of which, many of you at least, know, be as so many Pillars of Salt serving to warn and caution you to take heed.

6. These Seducers who thus endeavour to turn you from this good old way our Fathers walked in, and the way they would gain you ever to an Em­bracement of, are but of Yesterday. Novelty [Page 170]in matters of Religion has ever with reason been lo [...]ked upon as a thing rendring them suspicious or doubtful, it being what alone carries in it no small evidence of their false­hood; whereas Antiquity on the other hand, tenders them sacred and venerable, as being what carries with is not a little evidence of their Truth. In the Morning of Christianity when the Gospel was first preach'd to the World, we find that the Novelty of it was by the Enemies of it look'd upon as a suffici­ent evidence of its falshood, & what excused them in their Conduct toward it Act. 17.19.

Certain it is that that Sect, Party, Faith & Way which is according to GOD is very An­cient, and can deduce its descent from the Earliest times; whereas that which is not so, is of a later Date. And this certainly is the case with that [...]ect (or those Sects) I am now speaking of, and the way they would gain you over to. Tis Novel and but of Yesterday. When those of the Romish Com­munion demand of us Protestants, saying, Where was your Religion (your Faith, Worship and Ministry) before Luther and Calvin? We not only tell them it had a being before those worthy Reformers lived but shew them it had so, by tracing it even to the Earliest times. But should any man thus demand of the Persons I'm now speaking of, whatever [Page 171]they might reply, yet certainly they would find thems [...]lves utterly [...]nable to do the like; since its a most certain Truth their Religion, i. e. their Faith, Worship and Ministry never had being in the World before Luther's time. (Unless we suppose, as some do, that it lived before in the Gnosticks, Manichees, or Mont anists, & some other Hereticks of a more Ancient date.) Germany was the place where this Sect (or these Sects) first made their appearance in the World, and it was not till the Sixteenth Century, (about the Twenty second Year of it,) when the Glorious work of Reformation was begun, that they did so. About this time and soon after, it was that Nicholas Stork, Thomas Muncer, John Becold, Balthasar Hubm [...]ir, David George, Caspar Swenchfield, Henry Nicolas, with many others, were inspired and raised up by the INFERNAL SPIRIT to obstruct the work of Reformation, and what Cursed Blasphemies and Damnable Errors they en­deavoured to infect the minds of men with, and what opposition Luther and others in his day, and after him, met with from them in carrying on that Blessed Work, the Writers of those times give us to understand.

They stiled themselves the Family of Love, but by others they were called Anabaptists, Antin [...]mians, Libertines, Familists, Swench­fieldians, &c. Calvi [...] wrote a Treatise against [Page 172]them, which in his Dedication, he says, he did for this end, viz. To admonish all God­ly men how mortal a Poison the Opinion of the Anabaptists is, He begins it thus, ‘If I, says he, should write against all the Errors and false Opinions of the Anabaptists, I should undertake a Long work, and enter into a Deep from whence I should have no p [...]ssage out: For this Puddle doth herein differ from all other Sects of Hereticks, that they do not only err in several things, but are as it were a vast Sea of Stupendious Do­tages, so that there can scarce be found the head of one Anabaptist which is not posses­sed with some Opinion different from the rest; therefore there would be no end of my work if I should discuss, yea, or but re­hearse all the Wicked Doctrines of this Sect, &c.’ He goes on, and shews they were then divided especially into two Sects, one more Moderate & Simple, that Boasted of Scripture, & were wont to plead it with great Confidence for their Tenets; two of which were, that Infants are not to be Baptized, and that there should be stricter and popular Discipline in every Church, and the Wicked more sepa­rated from Sacraments and Communion. The other sort, he says, were called Libertines, who pretended to be so Spiritual as to be a­bove Scripture, & had a Mystical, Ambiguous [Page 173]way of speaking proper to themselves, Con­founding Good and Bad, God and Satan, & Darkning all things. Thus that Holy man. And in this short account of those Hereticks, have we not a lively description of the Per­sons (of this our Day) I am now speaking of? Are there not two sorts or sects of them, one of which, shew some regard to Scripture and Ordinances and will plead for them; the other are so Spiritual (or at least its not long since they were so) as not to stand in need of either of them, & according­ly were wont to speak of them not without Reproach and Contempt!

But though these men at first were known only in Germany and parts Adjacent, & un­known to all the World besides, yet it was not long that they were confined to that. In the year 1575 I find they had found the way over into England; for in that year they Pub­lished there a Confession (I suppose) of their Faith, but so lax & general, says Mr. Rutherford, that it was hard to know or say what it was, Vid. Rutherford's Survey of the Spiritual Anti­christ, pag. 168 These were those whom Henry Nicolas (that first Illuminated Elder of the Family of Love, as he stiles himself) had seduced and infected with his Errors, it being, as far as I can learn, a little before this time that he went over from the Lower [Page 174]Germany (where he had spread his [...]eresies) into England. vid Survey, &c. pag. 55. In the year 1604 together with the abovesaid frau­dulent Confession, they presented a suppli­cation to King JAMES the First, which was Printed at Cambridge, Anno 1606, in which they concealed their [...]oul Tenets, says Mr. Rutherford, Survey, &c. pag. 168. & 343. And what dreadful effects followed their coming into that Land, how much the Interest of Religion, as well as the civil Peace, suffered by them, he is a Stranger to the History of the times following that is insensible. From thence it was that this Sect or Sects, came over into these American parts, and Sowed the Seeds of Familism, Antino [...]ianism and Libertinism here Nor were the Churches of CHRIST scarcely settled here, before those Seeds began to spring up. The first whom Satan employed in that work, were Mr. Wheelright with some Adherents of his, and Mrs. Hut [...]hinson, the Wife of Mr. William Hutchinson of Boston, and Daughter of one Mr. Marbury, sometime Minister in London. This Woman has been wont to be stiled by some, & that deservedly, THE AMERICAN JEZABEL; she was, says Mr. Rutherford, Survey, pag. 176 Haughty, Bold, Active in Wit, Eloquent Vain and Self-conceited, would not seruple to Lie, and brought her [Page 175]Errors with her from England. She drew after her many godly People, & many that were loose and profane, by the means of a Weekly Lecture she held in her House, un­der a pretence of Repeating Sermons. She was wont to reproach Ministers as Legalists, and said she was fore-warned by GOD in Old England, that she should Separate from all Ministers because legal men, except Mr. Cot­ton and Mr. Wheelright; that she should come to New-England and suffer for the Truth, and should be delivered as Daniel was from the Lions. Among those sowers of Tares in those early days of New-England, there was also one Samuel Gortyn or Gorton, a predeces­sor probably of that Stephen Gortyn or Gorton, who is now a Teacher among our Anabaptists and Familists in the present day. What their Tenets or Opinions in particular were, you may see at large in the above-mentioned Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist; and that they well accorded with the Abominable Doctrines and Blasphemies of Swenchfield, Muncer, Becold, David George, Henry Nicolas, the Theologia Germanica, and the Bright Star, with the rest of that Cursed Gang, every one not ignorant of them will see.

Thus I have given you the true Genealogy of these men from whom you are now coun­selled to turn away; they are the off spring [Page 176]of the Abominable Sect or Sects above-men­tioned; and though some of them may be and I charitably hope and think are in some measure reformed, and dis [...]laim some of, the Abominations of their Progenitors, yet car­tain it is that they still retain so many of them, as loudly call upon every one to take heed of them. And it being as I have now shewed, viz. That they are but of Yesterday, [...] were not known in the World till about two Mundred Years past, how can it be that the way of Truth should be with them? Have we not in this an irrefragable Evidence of the Contrary? What, was there no true Church, Religion, Worship, Ministry in the World all the time down from CHRIST and his Apostles, to Luther's. Days, when as I have shewed, this Sect, or Sects, first appeared in the World? Did GOD hide the Truth from the World all that long space of fifteen Hundred Years, and then Reveal it to those men? Who, that is not under a worse & more grievous possession than that Miserable man spoken of Luk. 8.30 can think so? Yea, who in his Wits durst think a tho't carrying with it such matter of Imputation on the Most High as this does? Finally,

7. The Sect, or Sect, you are now cautioned against, have never served the In [...]erest of Religion, but have done much to the Dis-service of it in [Page 177]all Plac [...]s where ever they came. This is what the Learned & Godly have observed of them ever since they made their first Appearance i [...] the world. For Evidence of this I will give you here some further Passages from Mr. Ba [...]ter, whose Testimony, I presume, none will suspect. You may find them in his Book before cited, from Pag. 1 [...]9 to 147. In the first mentioned Page he begins thus, viz.

‘What a hinderance the Anabaptists were to the Gospel in Germany, by resisting the most Painful, Godly Ministers, & reproach­ing and vilifying them, by their Wick [...]l Lives, by their Hardening the Papists, and Scandalizing the Ignorant, and hindering the Conversion of Multitudes that begun to have some liking to the Gospel, is too evi­dent in most of the Writers of those times, there being few Divines of Note who do not bear Witness of it frequently in their Writings; as Luthen, Melancthon, Illericus, Zuinglius, Bullinger, Leo Judah, Calvin, with Multitudes more. How they hindred the Gospel at Limburge against Junius, you may read in his Life. How they hindered it at Auspur [...]e, and what stirs and oppositions they made against Urbanus, Regius, and Musculus afterward, and other Ministers, is to be seen as in the History of the Lives of the said Divines, so in many others. Slei­dan's [Page 178]relation of their carria [...] in well known; and how they have helped on the Gospel wherever they have since been en­tertained as in the [...]o [...]. Countri [...] or [...] where [...], is commonly known. Those few that formerly wo [...]e in England we know did more against it than for it.’ And page 143 [...]d the close o [...]it, he adds, ‘I have says h [...], [...]ad too much opportunity to know very many of th [...]se c [...]lled Anabaptists, and to ben [...]an [...]iliar with them; and having first examined my Heart, lest I should wrong them out of any di [...]ffection through diffe­rence of Judgment; as I clearly discover that I hear no ill will to any one man of them, [...]or ever [...]d, nor find any Passion, but Compassion moving me to say what I do fo [...] I do impartially, and truly affirm concerning the most of them that I have Conversed with, as followeth, viz. That I have known few of them so much as Labour a [...]er, the W [...]ing of Souls from Sin to GOD, and bringing them into Love with CHRIST and [...]oliness, and Heaven; but the main scope of their endeavours in Pub­lick and Private is to Propagate their O­pinions [...]and if they do Preach any plain wholsome Doctrine, it is usually but Sub­servient to their great design, that the Truth may be as Sugar to Sweeten their [Page 179]Errors, that they may be the easier Swal­lowed. And so strangely are they trans­ported with a desire to bring men to their Opinion, as if they were never in a happy condition till they are Re-baptized, or as if there were no hope of the Salvation of the Holiest men till then, and as if there were little more than this required to make men Happy. For this is the Doctrine that they most eagerly press; and if they can get the Pro [...]anest Persons to embrace their Opinions, and be Re-baptized, they usu­ally make much of them, and shew more affection to them, than to the most Godly that differ from them. Nay more, They are the greatest hinderers of the Work of GOD in the Converting of Souls, and Re­forming the Church, that I know in the Land. What others have done, I will not say, but I know none of the most Profane or Malignant, that are half so bitter Ene­mies to the Ministry, & so great Hinderers of the Saving of Souls. Alass! How often hath it Wounded my Spirit with Grief, to see and hear men professing to be more Godly than others, to make it the very bu­siness of their Lives to Disgrace the Mini­sters of the Gospel and make them Vile & O [...] us to the People! If they come into company of the Profane, that hate a God­ly [Page 180]Painful Minister for seeking their Sal­vation, these men will harden them in it, and say far more against the Minister than the most Notorious Scorners were wont to do; and that not in a bare Scorn, which is less sticking, but in serious Slanders, per­swading the poor People that their Mini­sters are Hypocrites and Belly-gods, and meer Self-seekers, that study but to feed their own Guts, and to make a Prey of the People, and to Advance themselves and be Masters of all men; and that they are Cruel, Blood-thirsty Persecutors, Baals Priests, and Antichristian Seducers, & that they preach Falshood to our People, & tell Lies in the Pulpit, with the like Accusati­ons. O how this Confirmeth men in their Enmity to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Preachers of it! When poor People hear those despise the Ministry, that once were constant hearers, & hear those deride Family Duties, and Holy Walking, & the Lords Day, who once seemed Godly, they may think that sure these men that have tried this strict way, see some Evil in it, or else they would never speak against it so much. Nay, I never heard any of the old Scorners that would Scorn half so bitterly and re­proachfully as some of these men. Read but the Books called Martin, Mar: Priests, [Page 181]and then Judge. And usually when they run up into a Pulpit or Preach in Private, the chief scope of their Doctrine is to per­swade the People that the Ministers are Seducers and Liars, and false Prophets, &c. as if the poor People were in the sure way to Salvation, if they could but have base thoughts of their Ministers; and as if the first thing that they have need to learn to make them Happy, were to Scorn their Teachers, whom the Holy Ghost commands them to Obey, Heb. 13.7.17. and highly to esteem them for their Works sake, and know them to be over them in the LORD, 1 Thes. 5.12, 13. How could all the Devils in Hell have found out a more effectual means to make all the People despise and disregard the Gospel, and so to Perish cer­tainly and speedily, than by thus bringing them to Vilify the Messengers of the Gos­pel, and think it a vertue to reproach and forsake their Guides.’ And pag. 146 you have these words, ‘In my own experience I never knew the Labours of any Zealous Anabaptist that ever GOD Blessed to the true Conversion of many Souls; but many they make meer talking, censorious Opi­niatists, and usually there leave them. Nay, I desire any sober Christian but to look im­partially through all the Land, and tell me [Page 182]wherever any such Teachers lived, but the place in general was much the worse for them. Where the Gospel before Prospered, and Christians spent their Time and Con­ference in the Edifying of each others Souls, and in Heavenly Duties, and Mutual As­sistance, and lived together in Unity and Love, according to the great Command of CHRIST; they ordinarily turn all this to vain Janglings, and empty, windy, unpro­fitable Disputes, which he that is most Gra­cious doth taste the least Swee [...]ness in: And they turn their Unity into Divisions and Factions, and their Amity into Jealousies and Contentions: one is for this, & another for that; and they seldom meet, but they have Jarrings and Contendings, and look on one another with strangeness, if not with secret heart burnings and envyings, studying all they can how to Undermine each other, and every man to Strengthen his own Party. And these are the usual fruits of the Doctrine of Anabaptistry where it comes.’

Much more of the same strain or tenor I might have cited from the Pages above mentioned, but this is enough to satisfy any man how greatly disserviceable to Religion these men have been in other parts of the World, what dreadful effects have attended [Page 183]or followed them wherever they have come, and how much it stands every one in hand to take heed of them, and of giving the least Countenance or Favour to them.

Nor can this seem at all incredible to any one that takes a view of the Condition of Religion in such places of this Land, as in which this Sect (or Sects) have obtained, and have not been favoured with better helps to further that Interest in them When Mr. Wheelright, Mrs. Hutchinson, before men­tioned, and others of their way that first sowed the Tares of Antinomianism & Fami­lism in New-England, were for their Sedition and Blasphemies Banished the Government of the Massachusetts, they (or at least many of them) went into the Neighbouring Go­vernment of Rhode-Island; where they and some who in Succession have imbibed their Errors, have ever since been almost the only helps (if I may call them so) that miserable People have had to help forward among them the great interest of Religion, till of late Years: And who viewing the Condition of it among them, can think these men have been of any service to it? Yea who can think otherwise than that they have been very Prejudicial to it, have been so far from help­ing men forward in the Positives of Reli­gion, that they have even almost utterly [Page 184]Ras'd out the very Naturals of it. For cer­tainly that People (at least the most of those I have had opportunity to observe) had been far better, had had much more of Reli­gion than they have, had they been left purely to the dim light of Nature, without any further advantage or help. They are not such moral Pagans as the light of Na­ture alone ordinarily suffices to make men, but what is much worse. And as to Prin­ciples what Calvin in the place before cited says of the Familists and Antinomians of his day, is true of them, viz. That they are a Sea of Dotages and Errors, there being few of the Heresies perhaps advanced by any since Christ's Day, that are not taught by one or other among them.

And if we look into any other Places where these men have made entrance and gained Parties to themselves, what can we find that may give us reason to hope they have served the Interest of Religion in any one Soul? Among those that follow and adhere to them where shall we find a Watch­ful, Prayerful, Painful Christian that makes it his Care to walk with GOD, and shew forth the power of Godliness in his life? For my own part among all those of them I now do, or ever did know, I never knew one concerning whom there was reason thus [Page 185]to think. No, this is not what they endeavour to bring Persons to: If they can but gain them to their Senseless Opinions, furnish them with some Objections against the Established Religion of the Country, render them Prompt and ready at Invective and Railery against Ministers, and prevail on them to forsake our Assemblies, neglect Family Prayer, Prophane the Sabbath &c. 'Tis enough, and there they leave them, they are now Good Christians. Perhaps what I have now said may be look'd upon by some as savouring too much of an Ʋncharitable Spirit, & the effect of Passion and Prejudice; but GOD that knows my Heart, knows otherwise, and that I owe none of them any, Ill will, nor have they ever given me any special Occasion or Reason to do so that I know of. And as by these things you to whom I now direct myself, may know what to expect in case these Men, their Opinions, &c. obtain among us, so that you may do so, it is that I have here mentioned them. And GOD of His Infinite Mercy grant that You may take Notice of them, & by them be Admonished & Warned; may be led to just tho'ts of these men, their Errors, &c. and a sense of your Danger from them; and henceforth, as much as in you lies, keep out of the way of them, may not be Seduced or turned aside, but continue in the Things you have Received & Heard.

[Page 186] To Conclude, Its much to be Lamented that, as in other Parts of the World, so in this Land, those who profess Christ are di­vided into so many Parties and Denomina­tions, especially when its Considered what mutual Heart-burnings, En [...]yings, Conten­tions, and endeavours to suppiant each other there are among them. This calls upon us to weep day and night in Supplications be­fore the Lord for the down-pouring of the Spirit of Truth, Unity and of a sound mind upon us, by which alone we may expect to see an end of these things. Now much is the Interest of Religion by them hurt among us? How many are Confirmed in their Ir­religion and made to Blaspheme? How many offended, & made to stumble & fall? O that our Heads were Rivers, and our Eyes a Fountain of Tears, that we might weey Day and Night for this dishonour to God, hurt to Re­ligion, & the Souls of men! But thus it is, & for the present must be. It must needs be that Offence Cometh; but yet Wo to those men by whom it cometh, it were better for them that a Mill-stone were hanged about their N [...]cks, and they cast into the depth of the Sea. And Happy is he that is not Offended in CHRIST.