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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A COPY of a <HI>Brief Treati&s;e</HI> OF The Proper Subject and Admini&s;tration of BAPTISM.</P>
<P>Some Years &s;ince &s;ent by the Author to <HI>Thomas</HI> late Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Lincoln.</HI></P>
<P>With a Prefatory Epi&s;tle thereunto, And the Scriptures cited at large.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for the Author; And are to be &s;old by <HI>Thomas Fabian,</HI> at the Bible in <HI>Cheap&s;ide</HI> near <HI>Bread&s;treet,</HI> 1693.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="iii" REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Reverend Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR, <HI>Pa&s;tor of a Separate Congregation in</HI> London.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>FOR that you have admitted a Branch of my Family into Fel|low&s;hip with the Church whereof you are Pa&s;tor; or for that be|fore &s;uch admi&s;&s;ion, you required a Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of her Faith, and &s;ubjection to our Lord's Precept of Bapti&s;m, you have not in any of the&s;e things given to me (who am reputed to be of another Sect) any cau&s;e of Regret or Complaint; but (on the contrary) I rejoice in it: For, (with Humility, to &s;peak in the Apo|&s;tle's Phra&s;e) <HI>I rejoice greatly to find my Children walking in the Truth; and that the &s;ame Faith which dwelt in their Grandmother and Mother, is</HI> (I am per&s;waded) <HI>in them al&s;o.</HI></P>
<PB N="iv" REF="3">
<P> But in that you did not (as I am in|formed) baptize your Adult Di&s;ciple in &s;uch &s;ort as the Precept of our Lord, the Doctrine and Example of his Apo|&s;tles and Mini&s;ters require and teach: For this it is that I intend herein (in a friendly manner, and for the Truth's Sake) to expo&s;tulate with you.</P>
<P>Yet that our different Notions herein, or in other Religious Opinions of like Nature, may not &s;et us, or any other &s;incere Chri&s;tians, at a greater di&s;tance from each other than the Ca&s;e will bear, I crave leave (before I enter upon any Expo&s;tulation) to premi&s;e and offer to your &s;erious Con&s;ideration the en&s;uing Particulars.</P>
<P N="1">1. That altho it be required of eve|ry Believer, and A&s;&s;embly or Church of Believers, that all the Ordinances and Commands of the Lord be ob&s;erved as they were delivered; and every Error in Opinion, Defect in Order, or Neglect, be faulty, and ought to be corrected; yet it is not nece&s;&s;ary to the Being or Con&s;titution of a Believer, or particu|lar A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;tians, that every thing which is commanded, be &s;o done. Wood, Hay and Stubble (&s;uch Materi|als
<PB N="v" REF="3">as are not fit, and &s;hall be con&s;umed) may be laid upon a right Foundation, and yet the Foundation remain firm.</P>
<P N="2">2. As External Circumci&s;ion did here|tofore qualify a Jew or Pro&s;elyte, order|ly walking, to claim all the Privileges properly belonging to him with the Jewi&s;h Church, or any Synagogue of the Jews: So Internal Circumci&s;ion qua|lifies every Believer (holding Faith and a good Con&s;cience) for every Act of Wor&s;hip, with other Chri&s;tians, or Chri&s;tian A&s;&s;emblies, which belong unto him as a private Chri&s;tian, and which he can perform in his proper place with Under&s;tanding.</P>
<P N="3">3. The open and con&s;tant ob&s;ervance of po&s;itive Laws, re&s;pecting in&s;tituted Wor&s;hip, is liable to manifold Interrup|tions from without, as natural Infirmi|ties, unnatural Per&s;ecutions, Bani&s;h|ments, Impri&s;onments, humane Prohi|bitions, and the like; whereby &s;uch as would otherwi&s;e con&s;tantly ob&s;erve them are prevented. The Line of perpe|tual vi&s;ible Succe&s;&s;ion to the Mini&s;try may be interrupted. But the ob&s;ervance of the Law written in the Heart (where|by every Per&s;on fearing God, is obliged
<PB N="vi" REF="4">to honour him, not only in Acts of Natural, but al&s;o in &s;uch Acts of In&s;ti|tuted Wor&s;hip as he under&s;tands to be his Duty, and can have opportunity to perform) is not &s;o liable to external In|terruptions; but that there may be &s;uch Spiritual Sacrifices as are well-plea&s;ing to God offered to him continually, and thereby Glory given to him in the Church throughout all Ages.</P>
<P N="4">4. That the Being and perpetual Suc|ce&s;&s;ion of the Chri&s;tian Church Catholick Militant throughout all Generations, (from its fir&s;t planting, to our Lord's &s;econd appearing) again&s;t which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail, con&s;i&s;ts of &s;uch individual Members as are inter|nally &s;anctified by the Holy Spirit, and called by the Go&s;pel of our Lord, and depends not upon any one &s;ole external Sign, &s;o as to comprehend no others than &s;uch only as come under it; nor is it li|mited to any one certain Place.</P>
<P N="5">5. A competent Number of &s;uch &s;an|ctified Per&s;ons (who love and fear God, and have the Characters and Features of a new Creature engraven on their Hearts) joining together, and a&s;&s;em|bling to celebrate the Wor&s;hip of God,
<PB N="vii" REF="4">and ob&s;erve his Ordinances, are a par|ticular Church, or integral part of the Church-Univer&s;al, and may elect fit Per|&s;ons to be Governours and Pa&s;tors, to Rule and Admini&s;ter all Ordinances among&s;t them. And though &s;uch A&s;|&s;emblies may be deficient as to their compleat Order, Government, and ex|ternal Mini&s;trations; yet may they be and continue right as to their Church-State, with re&s;pect to their fir&s;t Con&s;ti|tution.</P>
<P N="6">6. Many &s;uch A&s;&s;emblies, as well as Members in each A&s;&s;embly, may be, who in &s;ome Opinions and Matters re|lating to Divine Wor&s;hip, differ from each other, and yet agreeing in the Fundamental Articles of Chri&s;tianity: and knowing that in other Matters, each Per&s;on's Under&s;tanding, Con&s;cience and Faith, is to him&s;elf a Guide, as to his chu&s;ing or refu&s;ing &s;uch external Forms or Modes of Wor&s;hip as are u&s;ed by others: there ought to be a mutual for|bearance of each other in Love, and a joint Communion with each other main|tained, in all things wherein they are of the &s;ame Mind, and agree to walk toge|ther by the &s;ame Rule. <HI>Fr. Junius</HI> in
<PB N="viii" REF="5">his <HI>Eirenicum</HI> on <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 122.3. for re|conciling his Chri&s;tian Brethren in his time di&s;agreeing, puts and re&s;olves this Que&s;tion; Where is Chri&s;t? but where his Spirit is: And where is the Spirit? but where the Life of Chri&s;t is: And where is the Life of Chri&s;t? but where he lives, that is, in his Body: And where is that one Body? unle&s;s where there is a Con&s;ent between the jointly living Members of the Body, concern|ing one Head, one Spirit, and one Life.</P>
<P N="7">7. No Mini&s;ter, or Member of any Church rightly con&s;tituted, can excu&s;e him&s;elf in his varying from the pre&s;cript Form of any part of Divine Wor&s;hip, nor in his neglect of any part thereof, which he knows to be his Duty to per|form; becau&s;e the A&s;&s;embly in general, whereof he is Mini&s;ter or Member, do &s;o. But in either of the&s;e Ca&s;es, as to &s;uch particular Acts of Wor&s;hip, may and ought to join with any other A&s;&s;em|bly, who perform &s;uch Acts of Wor&s;hip in right manner, without a total Sepa|ration, or making a Schi&s;m from that A&s;&s;embly, whereof he is in a more pecu|liar manner a Member.</P>
<P N="8"><PB N="ix" REF="5"> 8. The Holy Scriptures are therefore the more excellent In&s;tructors in Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, becau&s;e they do teach us, not only in general to know the Will of God; but al&s;o even among things com|manded by him, to di&s;tingui&s;h and give preference to &s;ome before others, as be|ing in their own Nature of greater weight, and tending more than others to promote the genuine and proper End and De&s;ign of the Go&s;pel: That is, to manife&s;t and advance the Riches and Glory of Divine Grace, in reconciling and making Peace between God and Man, and between every Man and his Neighbour; to re&s;tore and pre&s;erve the Order of Nature and Civil Government among Men, by turning the Hearts of the Fathers to their Children, and of the Children to their Fathers, and of the Di&s;obedient to the Wi&s;dom of the Ju&s;t; that God may not come and &s;mite the Earth with a Cur&s;e; and that &s;uch as have ta&s;ted that God is Gracious, &s;hould not only by their Doctrine and Example, but al&s;o by frequent Suppli|cations, Prayers and Interce&s;&s;ions, ap|ply them&s;elves to the Throne of Grace, and improve their Intere&s;t there for a|voiding
<PB N="x" REF="6">the Maledictions threatned, and obtaining and enjoying the Ble&s;&s;ings pro|mi&s;ed, that all Fle&s;h may &s;ee the Salva|tion of God. To this End it is that we are in&s;tructed which is the fir&s;t and greate&s;t Command, and which is the Se|cond, and like to it whereon all the Law and the Prophets depend, which is the fir&s;t Commandment with promi&s;e; Why we &s;hould fir&s;t learn to &s;hew Piety at Home, and why we &s;hould [<GAP DESC="foreign">] fir&s;t of all things make Supplica|tions, Prayers, and Interce&s;&s;ions for all Men. The&s;e things, both Mini&s;ters and every private Chri&s;tian ought to have always in their Eye, as the principal Things they aim at in their whole Re|ligious Cour&s;e. But as for Acts of in|&s;tituted Wor&s;hip, relating to a Go&s;pel-State, though the Precepts enjoyning them be always in Force, yet an actual Obedience to any of them may for a Sea&s;on be &s;u&s;pended, as the doing or for|bearing of them &s;ub&s;erves to the main Scope of the Go&s;pel. And I do not find (upon a &s;trict Con&s;ideration) that any one of them (except it be the a&s;|&s;embling together of &s;uch as fear God, jointly to celebrate his Wor&s;hip) is to
<PB N="xi" REF="6">be preferr'd before another; either as to their Nature, or Time of perfor|mance, as to render any of them (which are done with the Spirit and Un|der&s;tanding of the Wor&s;hipper) unac|ceptable to God, becau&s;e any other of them (which he under&s;tands not, that he is obliged al&s;o to do) is not fir&s;t per|formed.</P>
<P N="9">9. I readily grant, both as to the Mi|ni&s;try and Reception of Members to Church-Fellow&s;hip, that where any Per|&s;on is approved upon Trial, Elected by proper Per&s;ons, and Ordained by im|po&s;ition of the Hands of the Presbytery, &s;uch a Per&s;on is duly qualified for Rule and Admini&s;tration of the Word and Sacraments: And &s;o likewi&s;e where Repentance and Faith precede, and Bapti&s;m &s;ucceeds, &s;uch a Per&s;on is qua|lified for Church-Communion in all o|ther Ordinances; and that this is the mo&s;t approved and compleat Method, where it is or can be ob&s;erved, and is not unnece&s;&s;arily to be varied from, or neglected, becau&s;e it tends very much to the well-being of every parti|cular A&s;&s;embly or Church of Chri&s;ti|ans: Yet I do not conceive &s;uch an ex|act
<PB N="xii" REF="7">Proce&s;s ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary to the con&s;tituting of &s;uch an A&s;&s;embly, any more than Bapti&s;m is to the Being of a Believer.</P>
<P>There are &s;ome Ordinances which cannot be ob&s;erved, but in and by an A&s;&s;embly of Chri&s;tians joining toge|ther for &s;uch Purpo&s;es. And if there cannot upon any Emergency be &s;uch an A&s;&s;embly, where there is no Bapti&s;m; nor any Preaching or Bapti&s;m, where there is no ordained Mini&s;ter; then if the continued Line of Ordination to the Mini&s;try, in any part of the World, be by Per&s;ecution or Apo&s;tacy di&s;con|tinued, or never was to &s;uch part of the World before extended; though many Believers may be in &s;uch Places, yet no Chri&s;tian A&s;&s;embly can be there con&s;tituted, or any Ordinances appro|priated to a Church-State there exer|ci&s;ed. Which Opinion I take to be rather again&s;t, than agreeable with the general Scope of the Go&s;pel, (every Minute Collection of Chri&s;tians for the Purpo&s;es afore&s;aid, being a Step towards the gathering together the Children of God which are &s;cattered abroad) and would al&s;o render u&s;ele&s;s tho&s;e
<PB N="xiii" REF="7">Rules and Characters given in the Scrip|tures, which (otherwi&s;e) do and may &s;uffice in all Ca&s;es and Exigences, to revive, renew, and put in order (in any Age or Place) what is wanting for the due con&s;tituting and governing of particular A&s;&s;emblies or Churches.</P>
<P>Now, <HI>Sir,</HI> whether you are of the &s;ame Opinion with me, or no; yet you may perceive, by what I have premi&s;ed, that I account my &s;elf obliged very highly to e&s;teem of you in Love for your Work's &s;ake. And do only crave leave to &s;ay to you, as the Faithful Brethren at <HI>Colo&s;s</HI> were exhorted by the Apo&s;tle to &s;ay to their Mini&s;ter <HI>Archip|pus,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. And pro|ceed to my Expo&s;tulation before-men|tioned. Why did you not Baptize my Daughter in that Form which is mo&s;t agreeable with the proper Sen&s;e of the Word u&s;ed in the Precept of In&s;ti|tution by our Lord, mo&s;t antient in the Chri&s;tian Church, and le&s;s liable to Exception than any other Form?</P>
<P N="1">1. I acknowledg it is not con&s;i&s;tent with Prudence or good Manners, to
<PB N="xiv" REF="8">pre&s;ume to know what An&s;wer you will make (if you will vouch&s;afe to make any) before I have a conveni|ent Sea&s;on to confer with you about this Matter: But it becomes me to ren|der a Rea&s;on, and make my Apology for putting &s;uch a Que&s;tion to you: Which I &s;hall therefore begin, in the words of Sir <HI>Norton Knatchbull,</HI> who for his Dignity was in his Life-time ho|noured, and for his profound Judg|ment, Learning and Piety, much more highly and de&s;ervedly e&s;teemed among &s;uch as are competent Judges of his ela|borate Studies, and cautious handling of the Sacred Texts, in his Annotations on 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.20, 21. <Q><HI>Tinctio e&s;t formalis cau|&s;a Bapti&s;mi;</HI> Dipping is the formal Cau&s;e of Bapti&s;m: <HI>Bapti&s;mus e&s;t verus Typus Re&s;urrectionis idque proprie &s;olum;</HI> Bap|ti&s;m is properly and &s;olely a Type of the Re&s;urrection. And to this Truth do give their Suffrage the Apo&s;tles, Fathers, School-men, almo&s;t all Inter|preters, Antient and Modern, and even our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Church, which enjoins Dip|ping&mdash;<HI>In quibu&s;dam Ca&s;ibus permittens tantum ritum Perful&s;ionis;</HI> Allowing only in &s;ome Ca&s;es the Liberty of Sprinkling or Perfu&s;ion.</Q></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="xv" REF="8"> 2. Every Chri&s;tian is concerned to give heed (at all Times, and in all Places) to the Apo&s;tle's &s;olemn Charge, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.14. <HI>That he &s;trive not about Words to no profit, but to the &s;ub|verting of the Hearers.</HI> And al&s;o to his Exhortation, <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. <HI>To hold fa&s;t</HI> [<GAP DESC="foreign">] <HI>the expre&s;s Form of &s;ound Words which he hath heard of him.</HI> And certainly this Exhortation is in e&s;pecial manner to be heeded, where the e&s;&s;en|tial Form of in&s;tituted Wor&s;hip de|pends upon the Words and proper &s;ig|nification of the Words of In&s;titution, as they are interpreted and explained in the Obedience given thereto, Imme|diately &s;ucceeding the giving forth of the Command.</P>
<P N="3">3. According to the Apo&s;tle's Do|ctrine, after the A&s;cen&s;ion of our Lord, the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and that of Bapti&s;m, repre&s;ent (in di|vers re&s;pects) the &s;ame things, and re|quire the &s;ame internal &s;piritual Work and Exerci&s;e of Faith in every Per&s;on yielding an external Obedience to the Precept, <HI>&s;cil.</HI> An Examination and An|&s;wer of a good Con&s;cience towards God; and di&s;cerning of our Lord's
<PB N="xvi" REF="9">Body, as dead, buried, and rai&s;ed a|gain; and the Believer's Death (with him) unto Sin; and his being rai&s;ed a|gain (with him) unto newne&s;s of Life, through the Faith of the Operation of God. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. v. 26, 28, 29. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.21. <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.3, 4, 5. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.11, 12. As our Reception of Bapti&s;m is a vi&s;i|ble Manife&s;tation that we have been in&s;tructed in, and have imbraced the Chri&s;tian Creed, which is taught and &s;ummarily comprehended in that my|&s;terious Name <HI>of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,</HI> whereinto we are Baptized, and whereby we do pro|fe&s;&s;edly &s;ubject our &s;elves to ob&s;erve all things that our Lord hath commanded, and are vi&s;ibly incorporated into the My&s;tical Body of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.13. So in the Reception of the other Ordi|nance, (when Believers come toge|ther [<GAP DESC="foreign">] to break Bread) they vi&s;ibly manife&s;t their being and continuing in the &s;ame Faith, Love, Communion, and Hope.</P>
<P N="4">4. Herein the Ob&s;ervance of the&s;e Ordinances differ: That of <HI>Communi|cating at the Lord's Table,</HI> is often; that of <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> if once rightly admi|ni&s;tred,
<PB N="xvii" REF="9">is not (nece&s;&s;arily) to be repeated. Yet if what is recorded in Scripture be well weighed, <HI>That</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>and all</HI> Judea, <HI>and all the Region round about</HI> Jordan <HI>w<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">re bap|tized of</HI> John: <HI>That Je&s;us made and baptized more Di&s;ciples than</HI> John: <HI>That before our Lord's Death, many of his Di&s;ciples went back and walked no more with him: That at the next Fea&s;t of Penteco&s;t after the A&s;cen&s;ion of our Lord, there were in one Day bap|tized, and added to the Church, a|bout three thou&s;and: That &s;oon after the Number</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>of the Men were about five thou&s;and. That when the Apo&s;tle</HI> Paul <HI>came after|wards to</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>the Apo&s;tle</HI> James <HI>and the Elders told him, He &s;aw</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>how many ten thou|&s;ands of the Jews believed.</HI></P>
<P>A probable Opinion may ari&s;e from hence, That many of tho&s;e who were baptized before the Death of our Lord, might, after his Re|&s;urrection and A&s;cen&s;ion, upon their more clear Conviction and In&s;tructi|on, be baptized again, in obedi|ence to the Commi&s;&s;ion given to his
<PB N="xviii" REF="10">Apo&s;tles. And con&s;equently if any Per&s;on be baptized who hath not heard, or been in&s;tructed in the Do|ctrine of the Trinity, or hath had Water &s;prinkled or poured upon him, under the Notion of Bapti&s;m, and &s;hall afterwards be more per|fectly in&s;tructed, and attain to a com|petent Knowledg, both of the right Form of that Ordinance, and of the Divine My&s;tery of that Name into which he ought to be in a right man|ner baptized; and &s;hall thereupon, to &s;atisfy his own Con&s;cience, de&s;ire to be &s;o baptized: I &s;ee no Rea&s;on why a Rebaptization, or right-bap|tizing, may not in &s;uch or the like Ca&s;es be admitted; e&s;pecially con&s;i|dering withal, how difficult it may &s;eem for any Per&s;on, but of an ordi|nary Capacity, po&s;itively to deter|mine whether the words in <HI>Acts</HI> 19. v. 5. <HI>[when they heard, they were bapti|zed]</HI> are to be taken as &s;poken by the Holy Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> of &s;uch as were baptized by <HI>John the Bapti&s;t;</HI> or by the Evangeli&s;t St. <HI>Luke,</HI> of tho&s;e to whom the Apo&s;tle then &s;pake, and on whom he then al&s;o laid his Hands, <HI>v.</HI> 6.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="xix" REF="10"> 5. An actual Obedience to a po&s;i|tive In&s;titution may for &s;pecial Cau|&s;es be (as Circumci&s;ion was during the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> forty Years travel in the Wilderne&s;s) &s;u&s;pended, rather than the Per&s;ons Life or Health to be thereby endangered, or the e&s;tabli&s;h|ed Rite to be therefore changed. Where infirm or tender Per&s;ons have been pre&s;&s;ed in Con&s;cience to yield Obedience to the Ordinance of Bap|ti&s;m, the <HI>Bath</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> and warm Water in the <HI>Netherlands,</HI> hath (as I have been credibly informed) been made u&s;e of by Per&s;ons who have been of my Acquaintance. And though I am not for any need|le&s;s Innovations in Rites relating to Divine Wor&s;hip; nor in more than forty Years pa&s;t, ever knew of any Per&s;on's &s;uffering Damage in their Health, by being duly baptized in cold Water, either in Summer or Winter; yet in regard to that per|petual Rule, That <HI>God will have Mer|cy, and not Sacrifice;</HI> I dare not cen|&s;ure &s;uch as conceive there is a Nece&s;|&s;ity for making Water warm, for this Sacred, as well as for a common U&s;e.
<PB N="xx" REF="11">The Quality of the Water, as to Coldne&s;s or Warmth, whether by the Heat of the Sun, Stoves or common Fires, being not &s;o con&s;iderable in the Mini&s;tration of this Ordinance, as the Quantity of Water, that it be &s;ufficient to immer&s;e the Body of the Per&s;on (who comes to be bapti|zed) therein: For by the decent ob|&s;ervance of the External Rite, (<GAP DESC="foreign">) according to Order, the My&s;tical Sen&s;e is duly repre&s;ented, and may be afterwards &s;piritually im|proved, as is frequent in the Holy Scriptures.</P>
<P N="6">6. If it &s;hould be granted that the Word <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> as applied to Ve&s;&s;els, Beds, or any other common U&s;e, may be taken in a larger Sen&s;e, than &s;trict|ly to &s;ignify Immer&s;ion in Water, (al|though the common way of clean&s;ing both the In&s;ide and Out&s;ide of &s;uch things be to dip them in Water) yet unle&s;s it can be &s;hewn from the Holy Scriptures, that the Word was or may be taken for Sprinkling, or pour|ing Water upon a Per&s;on, as well in the Admini&s;tration of this Ordi|nance, as in any &s;uch common U&s;e,
<PB N="xxi" REF="11">I conceive there cannot be from thence drawn any &s;olid Argument for the Change of this Sacred Rite. And as to the figurative U&s;e of this Word, (as it is applied to &s;uch as had the Promi&s;e of being Baptized in, or with the Spirit, [<HI>Mat.</HI> 3.11. <GAP DESC="foreign">&mdash;<GAP DESC="foreign">] or were to undergo the Bapti&s;m of Sufferings or Afflictions) it implies a far grea|ter Mea&s;ure of the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, than is the Portion of every Believer, who is enabled by the Spirit to call <HI>Je&s;us the Lord;</HI> or of <HI>Cha&s;tenings,</HI> than is the Portion of every Son whom the <HI>Lord receives.</HI> So that this figurative U&s;e of the Term <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> is &s;o far from gi|ving any countenance to the muta|tion of the primitive U&s;e of <HI>Immer|&s;ion in Water,</HI> to that of <HI>Sprinkling with Water;</HI> that it rather explains and confirms to us, that the Ordinance of Bapti&s;m, as common to all Believers, was and ought to be admini&s;tred by Immer&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>Sir,</HI> If I had been timely adverti&s;ed of my Daughter's Inclinations to join with your A&s;&s;embly, and of the Me|thod
<PB N="xxii" REF="12">in which you thereupon intend|ed to proceed, in order to her Ad|mi&s;&s;ion, I would have u&s;ed my Endea|vours to have prevented you of this Trouble: But &s;ince that was not done, and that I have lately con&s;en|ted that a <HI>Brief Treati&s;e of the Proper Subject and Admini&s;tration of Bapti&s;m,</HI> which I writ about &s;even Years &s;ince to the late Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Lincoln,</HI> &s;hould be publi&s;hed; I pray you (at your lei&s;ure) vouch&s;afe to read it; and to accept in good part this my Apology for addre&s;&s;ing my &s;elf in this manner to you: With this a&s;&s;u|rance, that notwith&s;tanding our dif|ferent Apprehen&s;ions in any of the Matters aforementioned, I am</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your entire Friend and Servant<LB> in the Lord,<LB> <HI>R. D.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB N="xxiii" REF="12">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YO&V; have here pre&s;ented to your &s;erious Con&s;ideration, a true Account, both of the Judg|ment and Practice of &V;s, and many others called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts.</HI> The Author of the en&s;uing Treati&s;e having, to the knowledg of &s;ome of us, had his Conver&s;ation with them for above forty Years. His Moderation towards all Per|&s;ons fearing God, (though differing in Opinion from him) is well known to all that have had acquaintance with him. We believe few have with more diligence examined the Grounds of his own and our Opinions, wherein we differ from others. Some of which (for our Vindication, and not to increa&s;e Contentions) he commu|nicated to the Worthy and Learned late Bi&s;hop of <HI>Lincoln,</HI> &s;ome Years before his
<PB N="xxiv" REF="13">Death. The&s;e having been made known and read to us, we conceive may be of u&s;e to &s;ilence and remove from us the unju&s;t Reproaches ca&s;t upon us by our Adver|&s;aries, not only formerly, but of late al|&s;e. And we have therefore de&s;ired, and be hath con&s;ented, that they &s;hould be publi&s;hed.</P>
<P>What is a&s;&s;erted by the Author, hath always been atte&s;ted, both by our Doctrine and Conver&s;ation. We love and honour all Men fearing God, whether they agree with, or di&s;agree from us in their Opini|ons concerning Bapti&s;m. We heartily pray that the Spirit of Bitterne&s;s may cea&s;e, and that whereto we have attained, we may all walk in Love; and that living in Love and Peace one with the other, the God of Peace may be with us all.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><LIST>
<ITEM>William Kiffin,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Jo&s;eph Mai&s;ters,</ITEM>
<ITEM>William Collins,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Richard Allen.</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB REF="13">
<HEAD>To the Right Reverend <HI>Thomas</HI> Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Lincoln.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lord,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THE Ground of my hum|ble tendering the&s;e en&s;u|ing Pages to your Lord|&s;hip, is your declared Conde&s;cen&s;ion to peru&s;e any brief Treati&s;e that &s;hould be pre&s;ented to you concerning the proper Subject and Admini&s;tration of Bapti&s;m.</P>
<P>I have in all my Collections (which for a great part are taken out of a Treati&s;e on the <HI>Acts,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acta S. Apo&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">lorum ad lit<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">ram explica<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> written by the Learned Dr. <HI>Du|veil</HI>) endeavoured Brevity, that
<PB REF="14">I might not be tedious to your Lord&s;hip, having confidence in your Integrity, as well as ap|proved Ability, to &s;upply my O|mi&s;&s;ions and Defects, if it be re|qui&s;ite, for the Truth's &s;ake.</P>
<P>Before I repeat the Arguments brought by tho&s;e called <HI>Anabap|ti&s;ts,</HI> in defence of their Opinion, I crave the liberty of a &s;hort Pre|face concerning this Sect among&s;t us.</P>
<P>It has been their Lot (as of others in other Parts and Ages of the World) to be de&s;cribed by their Adver&s;aries under very black Characters, as guilty of the mo&s;t dete&s;table Here&s;ies and high|e&s;t Crimes.</P>
<P>Woful Experience has in all Ages demon&s;trated, that Bap|ti&s;m, whether once only, or (as of Old) often repeated, does not
<PB N="3" REF="14">of it &s;elf, without purifying Faith, effect a real clean&s;ing from Sin; the Heart of an Unbeliever, like that of <HI>Simon Magus</HI> bapti|zed, being not right before God, remains in the Gall of Bitterne&s;s, and Bond of Iniquity. Yet I &s;ee no natural or nece&s;&s;ary Con&s;e|quence in this, That a Submi&s;|&s;ion in &s;incerity of Heart to the due Admini&s;tration of this Ordi|nance, (which is an Evidence of the Baptized's Repentance of his Sins pa&s;t, and an Obligation to Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s for the time to come) &s;hould di&s;po&s;e any Man to the entertaining of any Heretical Opinion, or com|mi&s;&s;ion of any heinous Crime.</P>
<P>It appertains not to me to ac|cu&s;e or vindicate any particular Per&s;ons who have been or are of this Sect: My Intent herein is, only to remind your Lord&s;hip of Matter of Fact; That as they
<PB N="4" REF="15">have been in general accu&s;ed, &s;o they have many times in general al&s;o publi&s;hed their Vindicati|ons.</P>
<P>I have been informed by credi|ble Per&s;ons, of &s;ome of this Sect being in your Lord&s;hip's Dioce&s;s, in and long before the beginning of the Reign of King <HI>James</HI> I. And I have &s;een an Humble Sup|plication (reprinted <HI>Anno</HI> 1662. with another &s;hort Treati&s;e, in|tituled, <HI>Per&s;ecution for Religion judged and condemned,</HI> but before printed, <HI>Anno</HI> 1620.) pre&s;ented to King <HI>James,</HI> and the Parlia|ment then &s;itting, which &s;ets forth, among&s;t other things, <Q>That their Mi&s;eries were long and lingring Impri&s;onments for many Years, in divers Coun|ties of <HI>England.</HI></Q> And con|cludes thus; <Q>We cea&s;e not to pray for the King, and his Son, and his Seed, and this whole
<PB N="5" REF="15">High and Honourable A&s;&s;em|bly; now and always calling the All-&s;eeing God to witne&s;s, that we are your Maje&s;ty's Loyal Subjects; not for Fear only, but for Con&s;cience-&s;ake.</Q> Unju&s;tly called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> which is the u&s;ual Stile of &s;uch as em|brace the Opinion of baptizing Adult Per&s;ons only.</P>
<P>And as for tho&s;e of this pre|&s;ent Age, &s;ince the Year 1640, (among many of whom I have had Conver&s;ation for about 34 pa&s;t) altho it has been frequently, and e&s;pecially of late in Pamphlets, by the Authors of them, affir|med, That they have a Catalogue of Names, and can tell the pre|ci&s;e Times wherein, and Actions which were done by the Men of this Sect, (referring to the gene|rality of them, and in&s;tancing in &s;uch things as tend to the render|ing them obnoxious to Humane
<PB N="6" REF="16">Societies); Yet upon &s;trict En|quiry, I could never find any Circum&s;tances of Truth that might give Countenance to &s;uch Accu&s;ations, other than the charg|ing of the whole Sect, from the In&s;tances of a very incon&s;iderable number of particular Per&s;ons a|mong them; and therein al&s;o with &s;uch things as were done by them, (perhaps &s;everal Years) either before they entertained this Opinion, or after they had de&s;erted it, or were ejected out of their A&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P>I pre&s;ume your Lord&s;hip has &s;een the Confe&s;&s;ions of Faith and Apologies, which within the a|fore&s;aid Time, upon &s;pecial Oc|ca&s;ions, have been once and again made and publi&s;hed by the Lea|ders of this Sect, with their Names &s;ub&s;cribed; wherein they have vindicated them&s;elves and their A&s;&s;emblies in general, from the
<PB N="7" REF="16">A&s;per&s;ions ca&s;t on them by their Adver&s;aries.</P>
<P>That your Lord&s;hip may make the better Judgment of the Di&s;|ciples and State of this Sect, con|cerning whom I write this, I crave leave to bring to your re|membrance, &s;ome of their Lea|ders, and the Occa&s;ions which prepared the way for the encrea&s;e of their Numbers.</P>
<P>About 38 Years &s;ince, in the Heat of our late Troubles, <HI>Epi&s;|copacy</HI> being laid a&s;ide, and <HI>Pre&s;|bytery</HI> only (as it were by way o Experiment) for a Sea&s;on at|tempted, but never in a National Way pro&s;ecuted with Effect; eve|ry Man was at liberty to pur&s;ue the Per&s;wa&s;ion of his own Mind, as to entring into Church-fellow|&s;hip in di&s;tinct Congregations, and therein to join with &s;uch as he conceived came neare&s;t to the
<PB N="8" REF="17">Primitive Pattern in Wor&s;hip and Di&s;cipline.</P>
<P>About that Time, and a little after, there were many Mini&s;ters, &s;ome who had been before Or|dained, and others who were ad|mitted to Parochial and other Publick Charges: Among whom (of my Acquaintance) were Mr. <HI>Tombes,</HI> &s;ometime Preacher at the <HI>Temple,</HI> Mr. <HI>Chri&s;topher Blackwood</HI> in <HI>Kent,</HI> Mr. <HI>Benjamin Cox</HI> at <HI>Bedford,</HI> Mr. <HI>Edward Har|ri&s;on,</HI> Mr. <HI>Daniel Dyke,</HI> and &s;ome others, in or near <HI>Hertford&s;hire;</HI> Mr. <HI>Han&s;erd Knollys,</HI> and many others, who did openly profe&s;s, and &s;everal of them write and publi&s;h their Opinions concern|ing the proper Subject and Man|ner of Bapti&s;m.</P>
<P>Some of them voluntarily left their Parochial Charges and Be|nefices, as not approving the bap|tizing of Infants, and collected di|&s;tinct
<PB N="9" REF="17">Congregations of &s;uch as agreed with them in this Doctrine of Bapti&s;m; which by a Succe&s;|&s;ion of ordained Mini&s;ters, in the Place of &s;uch as are dead, re|main to this Day.</P>
<P>By the&s;e Means, and by the Writings and Example of Mr. <HI>Henry Lawrence,</HI> a Gentleman of liberal Education, and of divers other Learned and Pious Per&s;ons, many (and my &s;elf among the re&s;t) were induced to enquire into this Opinion; and finding the Doctrine and Examples of the&s;e worthy Guides (in all Re|&s;pects well qualified for the Mini|&s;try) to concur with the Holy Scriptures, and Primitive Practice of the Chri&s;tian Church, they thereupon con&s;orted with them in the ob&s;ervance of this and other Ordinances of Divine Wor&s;hip.</P>
<P>And con&s;equently in the Year 1649, and for about ten Years af|ter,
<PB N="10" REF="18">the embracing the&s;e Opini|ons with &s;obriety, being no Bar to the continuance of &s;uch in Pub|lick Employment, who were o|therwi&s;e found capable of it. And the non-pro&s;ecution of Penal Laws again&s;t &s;uch Opinions, for tho&s;e ten Years, &s;etting each Per|&s;on free in that re&s;pect from the common Ob&s;tacle of Dammage in their Liberty or E&s;tates, their Congregations in many Cities and Counties of <HI>England</HI> were greatly multiplied.</P>
<P>And in that Time did this Opi|nion &s;pread it &s;elf al&s;o into &s;ome of the Regiments of Hor&s;e and Foot in the Army; and in 1650, and afterwards, &s;ome profe&s;&s;ing this Opinion, were called from their private Employments, and preferred to Commands at Sea; (among others) Capt. <HI>Mildmay</HI> to Command the Admiral Flag|&s;hip under the late Duke of <HI>Al|bemarle,</HI>
<PB N="11" REF="18">when he was one of the Generals at Sea. Capt. <HI>Pack</HI> to Command the Flag-&s;hip under Sir <HI>George A&s;cue,</HI> Reer-Admiral. Sir <HI>John Harman</HI> to Command the Admiral Flag-&s;hip under his Royal Highne&s;s the Duke of <HI>York.</HI></P>
<P>But notwith&s;tanding &s;ome of this Sect had that Countenance given them, as I have mentioned, by &s;uch as had the principal ma|nagement of Affairs; yet this Sect in general (as they have publi&s;hed in their <HI>Apologies</HI>) were the lea&s;t of any &s;ort of People concerned in any Vici&s;|&s;itudes of Government that hap|pen'd among us.</P>
<P>My Stations within the afore|mentioned ten Years, gave me Opportunity to know mo&s;t Per|&s;ons and Actions of Note, in re|ference as well to Civil as Marti|al Affairs, and particularly tho&s;e
<PB N="12" REF="19">of this Sect. And although in and after the Year 1649, their Numbers did increa&s;e, in&s;omuch as the principal Officers in divers Regiments of Hor&s;e and Foot, became <HI>Anabapti&s;ts:</HI> And parti|cularly in <HI>Oliver Cromwel</HI>'s own Regiment of Hor&s;e, when he was Captain-General of all the Parliament's Forces; and in the D. of <HI>Albemarle</HI>'s own Regiment of Foot, when he was General of all the Engli&s;h Forces in <HI>Scotland;</HI> yet by the be&s;t Information I could have, there were not at any time, before the Year 1649, twenty <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> in any &s;ort of Command in the whole Army: And until after the Year 1648, there were no more than only two, <HI>viz.</HI> the afore-mentioned Mr. <HI>Lawrence,</HI> and Mr. <HI>John Fiennes,</HI> one of the old Lord <HI>Say</HI>'s Sons, who made profe&s;&s;ion of this Opinion, cho&s;en into the
<PB N="13" REF="19">Commons Hou&s;e of Parliament. And both the&s;e did in that Year, and in the Life-time of the late K. <HI>Charles</HI> I. (as I have been credibly informed) voluntarily depart from that Parliament, as not ap|proving their Proceedings again&s;t the Per&s;on of the King, and &s;at no more in it, but lived privately until about &s;ix Years afterwards, (a new Form of Government be|ing then framed, and in appear|ance &s;ettled) Mr. <HI>Lawrence</HI> was called again into publick Employ|ment.</P>
<P>I confe&s;s to your Lord&s;hip, I never heard of any <HI>Anabapti&s;t</HI> in the King's Army, during the Conte&s;t between his Maje&s;ty and the Parliament: And perhaps be|cau&s;e there were &s;ome in the Par|liament's Army, and none in the King's Army, &s;ome Per&s;ons have from thence taken occa&s;ion to af|firm, That the Opinion of Ana|bapti&s;m
<PB N="14" REF="20">in the Church, is oppo|&s;ite to Monarchy in the State. But I cannot reach the Ground of this Notion. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. What is reported in Hi&s;to|ry concerning the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> in <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> and Upper-<HI>Germany,</HI> can|not in colour of Rea&s;on be ap|plied to the generality of <HI>Ana|bapti&s;ts</HI> in <HI>England;</HI> for they have, from time to time,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Two Apo|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> of the</HI> A|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">ti&s;ts, <HI>prin|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> 1660.</NOTE> in their <HI>Apo|logies,</HI> declared an utter Abhor|rence of &s;uch impious Doctrines, and their bloody Con&s;equences.</P>
<P>It is true, as before is mention|ed, that this Opinion being no general Bar to the continuance of &s;uch as did embrace it in Publick Employment; though I have cau&s;e to believe one &s;pecial Rea|&s;on of disbanding an intire Regi|ment in the Earl of <HI>E&s;&s;ex</HI> his Ar|my was,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">m&s;teads <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">t.</NOTE> for that the Colonel en|tertained and gave Countenance to Separati&s;ts, and &s;ome <HI>Anabap|ti&s;ts.</HI>
<PB N="15" REF="20">And that which occa&s;ioned <HI>Oliver Cromwel</HI> (after he u&s;urped the Government of Lord Prote|ctor) to di&s;charge at once all the principal Officers of his own Re|giment, (upon other Pretences) was, for that they were all <HI>Ana|bapti&s;ts.</HI> And it being al&s;o true, as them&s;elves declare in the fore|cited <HI>Apologies,</HI> <Q>That the Sub|jection that they gave to the Powers which were over them, was out of Con&s;cience to the general Law of Obedience; and the Affection which they mani|fe&s;ted therein, did ari&s;e from the enjoyment of that due Li|berty and Protection which they had in Matters of Reli|gion.</Q> But yet to clear them|&s;elves of any Charge that was or might be alleged again&s;t them, as if they were Enemies to Monar|chy; many of the principal Lead|ers of them did, with an unani|mous
<PB N="16" REF="21">Con&s;ent, in one of the Con|fe&s;&s;ions of Faith publi&s;hed by them, in the Year 1647, and &s;e|veral times &s;ince, freely acknow|ledg,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">nf.</HI> p. 7. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">3, 4.</NOTE>
<Q>That Kingly Govern|ment, e&s;tabli&s;hed, guided and bounded by ju&s;t and whole&s;ome Laws, was both allowed by God, and a good Accommoda|tion to Men.</Q></P>
<P>I knew divers of them, after his Maje&s;ty's Re&s;tauration, who were continued and advanced in Civil Employments; but I do not know that any of them, un|to whom any Publick Employ|ment under his Maje&s;ty hath been offered, who did refu&s;e it: Nor did I ever hear of any one of them that was ever di&s;mi&s;&s;ed of their Employ, for any Infide|lity, or other Matter evil in it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="2">2. The&s;e latter In&s;tances do &s;ufficiently evince, that they are
<PB N="17" REF="21">not of the Temper of the <HI>Ana|bapti&s;ts</HI> of Lower-<HI>Germany,</HI> who (like to the <HI>Rechabites</HI> in another Ca&s;e) put them&s;elves under a voluntary Engagement, or el&s;e account it unlawful in any Ca&s;e to bear Arms or Office. So that the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> in <HI>England</HI> cannot be compared to the&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. The generality of them do, as Opportunity offers, embrace and exerci&s;e a Communion with other Chri&s;tians in the Articles of their Faith, and in as many Religious Exerci&s;es as they do jointly agree in, notwith&s;tanding their different Opinions concern|ing the proper Subject and Order of Bapti&s;m; as is, among other Evidences of this kind, al&s;o mani|fe&s;t in the Appendix to their Con|fe&s;&s;ion, printed <HI>An.</HI> 1677. So that they cannot ju&s;tly be charged with the Crime in this Point objected again&s;t the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="22">in <HI>Donatus</HI> his Time, <HI>Cent.</HI> 4.</P>
<P>And they have, in all their A|pologies, complained of the In|juries done, by objecting the Crimes of &s;ome few, and very few among&s;t them, to them all in general, although they have publickly declared their Innocen|cy, with dete&s;tation of &s;uch Crimes; &s;o that upon the whole, and upon weighing what they have to &s;ay for their Opinion and Practice in the Point of Bapti&s;m, and for the Communion they hold with one another &s;ub&s;equent thereupon, I hope they will, in your Lord&s;hip's Charity, (&s;o far as their Conver&s;ation &s;utes with their Doctrine) be admitted a|mong the Number of Sincere Chri&s;tians. And that their par|ticular Per&s;wa&s;ion may be no Bar in the way of your Lord&s;hip's Charity towards them, I &s;hall now proceed briefly to &s;tate their
<PB N="19" REF="22">Opinion, with the Proofs in ge|neral, upon which they e&s;tabli&s;h the Truth of it.</P>
<P>The &s;ub&s;tance of what is a&s;|&s;erted by them, is, That tho&s;e who do profe&s;s Repentance to|ward God, Faith in, and Obedi|ence to our Lord Je&s;us, are the proper Subjects of Bapti&s;m.</P>
<P>That the due Admini&s;tration of this Ordinance, is by Immer|&s;ion, or dipping the Per&s;on in Water: And that they find no Rule or Example in Scripture for baptizing any Per&s;on in any other manner, or without an actual Declaration of Faith.</P>
<P>For Proof hereof they al|lege,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Doctrine and Practice of <HI>John the Bapti&s;t,</HI> and of the Di&s;ciples of our Lord, whil&s;t he was pre&s;ent with them before his Crucifixion; <HI>Mat.</HI> 3.2. <HI>And &s;aying, Repent ye; for the Kingdom of
<PB N="20" REF="23">Heaven is at hand.</HI> Ver. 6. <HI>And were baptized of him in</HI> Jordan, <HI>confe&s;&s;ing their Sins.</HI> Ver. 11. <HI>I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance; but he that cometh af|ter me is mightier than I, who&s;e Shoes I am not worthy to bear; he &s;hall baptize you with the Holy Gho&s;t, and with Fire.</HI> Ver. 13. <HI>Then cometh Je&s;us from</HI> Galilee <HI>to</HI> Jor|dan <HI>unto</HI> John, <HI>to be baptized of him.</HI> Ver. 16. <HI>And Je&s;us, when he was baptized, went up &s;traight|way out of the Water; and lo, the Heavens were opened unto him, and he &s;aw the Spirit of God de|&s;cending like a Dove, and lighting upon him.</HI> Mark 1.4, 5. John <HI>did baptize in the Wilderne&s;s, and preach the Bapti&s;m of Repentance, for the remi&s;&s;ion of Sins. And there went out unto him all the Land of</HI> Judea, <HI>and they of</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>and were all baptized of him in the Ri|ver of</HI> Jordan, <HI>confe&s;&s;ing their Sins.</HI>
<PB N="21" REF="23">Ver. 9. <HI>And it came to pa&s;s in tho&s;e days, that Je&s;us came from</HI> Na|zareth <HI>of</HI> Galilee, <HI>and was bapti|zed of</HI> John <HI>in</HI> Jordan. Luke 3.3. <HI>And he came into all the Countrey about</HI> Jordan, <HI>preaching the Bap|ti&s;m of Repentance for the remi&s;|&s;ion of Sins.</HI> Ver. 16. John <HI>an|&s;wered, &s;aying unto them all, I in|deed baptize you with Water; but one mightier than I cometh, the Latchet of who&s;e Shoes I am not worthy to unloo&s;e; he &s;hall baptize you with the Holy Gho&s;t, and with Fire.</HI> Ver. 21. <HI>Now when all the People were baptized, it came to pa&s;s that Je&s;us al&s;o being bapti|zed, and praying, the Heaven was opened.</HI> Acts 19.4, 5. <HI>Then &s;aid</HI> Paul, John <HI>verily baptized with the Bapti&s;m of Repentance, &s;aying un|to the People, That they &s;hould be|lieve on him which &s;hould come af|ter him, that is, on Chri&s;t Je&s;us. When they heard this, they were bap|tized
<PB N="22" REF="24">in the Name of the Lord Je|&s;us.</HI> John 3.22, 23. <HI>After the&s;e things came Je&s;us and his Di&s;|ciples into the Land of</HI> Judea, <HI>and there he tarried with them and baptized. And</HI> John <HI>al&s;o was bap|tizing in</HI> Enon, <HI>near to</HI> Salim, <HI>be|cau&s;e there was much Water there; and they came and were baptized.</HI> Chap. 4.1. &mdash; <HI>Je&s;us made and baptized more Di&s;ciples than</HI> John.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Words of po&s;itive and &s;overeign In&s;titution, after the Re&s;urrection of our Lord; <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19, 20. <HI>Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t: Teaching them to ob&s;erve all things what&s;oever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the World.</HI> Amen. Mark 16.16. <HI>He that believeth, and is baptized, &s;hall be &s;aved; but he that believeth not, &s;hall be damned.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><PB N="23" REF="24"> 3. The Apo&s;tles and Evange|li&s;ts In&s;tructions, Re&s;olutions of Que&s;tions on this Subject and Pra|ctice, corre&s;pondent with the Command, next and immediate|ly after it was given. <HI>Acts</HI> 2.38. <HI>Then</HI> Peter <HI>&s;aid unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the Name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, for the Remi&s;&s;ion of Sins, and ye &s;hall re|ceive the Gift of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> Chap. 8.12. <HI>But when they believed</HI> Philip, <HI>preaching the things con|cerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, they were baptized both Men and Wo|men.</HI> Ver. 36-39. <HI>And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain Water; and the Eunuch &s;aid, See here is Water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? And</HI> Phi|lip <HI>&s;aid, If thou believe&s;t with all thine Heart, thou maye&s;t. And he an&s;wered and &s;aid, I believe that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is the Son of God.
<PB N="24" REF="25">And he commanded the Chariot to &s;tand &s;till; and they went down both into the Water, both</HI> Philip <HI>and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the Water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away</HI> Philip, <HI>that the Eunuch &s;aw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.</HI> Chap. 18.7, 8. <HI>And he departed thence, and entred into a certain Man's Hou&s;e, named</HI> Ju&s;tus, <HI>one that wor&s;hipped God, who&s;e Hou&s;e joined hard to the Sy|nagogue. And</HI> Cri&s;pus <HI>the chief Ruler of the Synagogue, believed on the Lord, with all his Hou&s;e: and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were baptized.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The manifold U&s;e and Im|provement, which after many Chri&s;tian Churches were &s;ettled, the Apo&s;tles made in their Epi|&s;tles to them, taken from the due Qualifications required in Per&s;ons to be baptized, and built upon
<PB N="25" REF="25">the due Admini&s;tration of that Ordinance, wherein are &s;hewed the My&s;tical Significancy there|of.</P>
<P N="1">1. As it is by the Prayer, Sti|pulation or Interrogation of the Baptized's good Con&s;cience there|in Godward, the Figure of Sal|vation through the Re&s;urrection of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which otherwi&s;e by the Water's wa&s;hing away of the Filth of the Fle&s;h in Bapti&s;m it would not be. Acts 22.16. <HI>And now why tarrie&s;t thou? Ari&s;e, and be baptized, and wa&s;h away thy Sins, calling on the Name of the Lord.</HI> Chap. 9.11. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid un|to him, Ari&s;e, and go into the Street, which is called</HI> Straight, <HI>and en|quire in the Hou&s;e of</HI> Judas, <HI>for one called</HI> Saul <HI>of</HI> Tar&s;us; <HI>for behold, he prayeth.</HI> And 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.21. <HI>The like Figure whereunto, even Bap|ti&s;m, doth al&s;o now &s;ave us, (not the putting away the Filth of the
<PB N="26" REF="26">Fle&s;h, but the An&s;wer of a good Con&s;cience towards God) by the Re|&s;urrection of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. As it is (to the under&s;tand|ing of the baptized Per&s;on) or|dained to be a Sign of Fellow&s;hip with Chri&s;t in his Death and Re|&s;urrection. Rom. 6.3, 4, 5. <HI>Know ye not, that &s;o many of us as were baptized into Je&s;us Chri&s;t, were baptized into his Death? Therefore we are buried with him by Bapti&s;m into Death; that like as Chri&s;t was rai&s;ed up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, even &s;o we al&s;o &s;hould walk in newne&s;s of Life. For if we have been planted together in the likene&s;s of his Death, we &s;hall be al&s;o in the likene&s;s of his Re|&s;urrection.</HI> And <HI>Col.</HI> 2.12. <HI>Bu|ried with him in Bapti&s;m, wherein al&s;o ye are ri&s;en with him through the Faith of the operation of God, who hath rai&s;ed him from the Dead.</HI> And of engrafting into that My|&s;tical
<PB N="27" REF="26">Body the Church, whereof Chri&s;t is the Head. Gal. 3.27, 28. <HI>For as many of you as have been baptized into Chri&s;t, have put on Chri&s;t. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither Bond nor Free, there is nei|ther Male nor Female; for ye are all one in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> And 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.13. <HI>For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whe|ther we be Bond or Free; and have been all made to drink into one Spi|rit.</HI> And con&s;equently a Reproof and Conviction (in the Bapti|zed's own Con&s;cience) of the Crime, in ca&s;e he be guilty, of making a Schi&s;m in the Church; as, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.13. <HI>Is Chri&s;t divided? was</HI> Paul <HI>crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the Name of</HI> Paul? Or &s;eparating from the Church, as in the Epi&s;tle of <HI>Jude,</HI> ver. 19. <HI>The&s;e be they who &s;eparate them|&s;elves,
<PB N="28" REF="27">&s;en&s;ual, having not the Spi|rit.</HI> Heb. 10.25. <HI>Not for&s;aking the a&s;&s;embling of our &s;elves toge|ther, as the manner of &s;ome is, but exhorting one another; and &s;o much the more, as ye &s;ee the Day approaching.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. As the Baptized is pre&s;umed to know him&s;elf to be thereby obliged in general to a per&s;eve|rance in Holine&s;s, a growth in Grace and Knowledg of the My|&s;teries of God, even of the Father and of Chri&s;t, and to the yield|ing a ready Obedience of Faith to all other Doctrines and Precepts of our Lord. Rom. 6.3. <HI>Know ye not, that &s;o many of us as were baptized into Je&s;us Chri&s;t, were baptized into his Death?</HI> Col. 2.12. <HI>Buried with him in Bapti&s;m, wherein al&s;o ye are ri&s;en with him through the Faith of the Operation of God, who hath rai&s;ed him from the Dead.</HI> And <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.1, 2, 3.
<PB N="29" REF="27"><HI>Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Chri&s;t, let us go on unto Perfection; not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead Works, and of Faith towards God. Of the Doctrine of Bapti&s;ms, and of laying on of Hands, and of the Re&s;urrection of the Dead, and of eternal Judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.</HI></P>
<P>My Lord, if the&s;e Scriptures be rightly interpreted and appli|ed by the&s;e called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts:</HI> And if it be al&s;o true, as they have often a&s;&s;erted, That there is not in the whole Scriptures any Rule given to baptize, or any plain In&s;tance of any Per&s;ons being baptized in any other manner, or without being fir&s;t in&s;tructed in the Doctrine, and making confe&s;|&s;ion of Faith, I cannot conceive why this &s;hould not be accepted, without any other additional Te|&s;timonies or Arguments, as a &s;uf|ficient
<PB N="30" REF="28">Defence for &s;uch as (with a due ob&s;ervance of all other Rules of Chri&s;tianity, general and &s;pecial) do in this Point thus be|lieve and do: Nor why they &s;hould be therefore cen&s;ured, ei|ther as varying from the fir&s;t In|&s;titution, or as being deficient in any Proof nece&s;&s;ary to maintain this their Opinion and Pra|ctice.</P>
<P>I take it to be agreed, among the generality of Reformed Chri|&s;tians, that in the Holy Scriptures are contained Directions, as well concerning all e&s;&s;ential Parts of Wor&s;hip, as Doctrines, nece&s;&s;ary to be believed. And it may be thence &s;afely concluded, that without the help of any unwrit|ten Traditions, or any other Writings, the Holy Scriptures divinely in&s;pired and written for our Learning always, (&s;ince they were fir&s;t written) have been,
<PB N="31" REF="28">are, and will be, through Faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, equally powerful to render any other Per&s;on, as well as <HI>Timothy,</HI> wi&s;e to Salvati|on. And to compleat any other Mini&s;ter of Chri&s;t for his Work, whether it be for Doctrine or In|&s;truction in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, re|proof of Errors, or &s;etting to right and re&s;toring the true Wor|&s;hip of God, if any of his In|&s;titutions, through Negligence, Omi&s;&s;ion, Incogitancy, humane Traditions, frequent and long-continued Examples in the Church, or any other Means have not been rightly ob&s;erved. And if it be admitted, that no Power or Authority was ever committed to any Doctors, A&s;&s;emblies, or General Councils, purpo&s;ely or knowingly, in any Tran&s;cript of the Scriptures, to vary one Let|ter from the Original Record, or in any Tran&s;lation to vary from
<PB N="32" REF="29">the true and genuine Sen&s;e of the Original Text: And that not eve|ry individual Letter, Syllable or Word in a Tran&s;cript or Tran&s;la|tion, but the Sen&s;e of Scripture is of Divine Authority, and may be rendred and preached now as well as in the Apo&s;tles Time, to every Nation under Heaven,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">2.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">, 11.</NOTE> in their re&s;pective proper Langua|ges. And that notwith&s;tanding all Accidents of various Lections, or different Interpretations, thr&ocirc; the o&s;citancy of Tran&s;cribers, or various Sentiments of Tran&s;la|tors thr&ocirc; humane Frailty; yet thr&ocirc; the admirable Providence and Grace of God, watching over and a&s;&s;i&s;ting his faithful Bi&s;hops and Teachers in the Church, we have, in all nece&s;&s;ary Points re|lating to Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, and Conver&s;ation, the genuine Sen&s;e and Meaning of the Holy Scrip|tures continued to us, as they were
<PB N="33" REF="29">at fir&s;t revealed, and divinely in|&s;pired into, and delivered over by the Holy Pen-men thereof, as I am abundantly &s;atisfied (I thank God for it) that we have. And if it be al&s;o admitted, that the Church hath no more Power to change the Rites and Forms of Sacraments in&s;tituted by our Lord, than they have to change his Word and Law; for that as the one contains the Audible, &s;o the other the Vi&s;ible Sign of the Di|vine Will: Then I humbly con|ceive, in the deci&s;ion of this Con|trover&s;y between the <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Pedobapti&s;ts,</HI> we may &s;afely ca&s;t out of our Thoughts all in|tercurrent Centuries between the Primitive and the pre&s;ent State of the Church; and without having regard to any intervening Canon, Tradition, or nice School-Di&s;tinction, follow that vene|rable Scripture-Example of the chief of the Fathers and the
<PB N="34" REF="30">Prie&s;ts, in a Ca&s;e, which in ma|ny re&s;pects may be &s;aid to be of the like Nature, upon their re|turn out of the Babyloni&s;h Cap|tivity; who when they and the People were a&s;&s;embled to read and under&s;tand the Words of the Law, which God had command|ed by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and found written therein, in what manner the Rites of the Fea&s;t of Taberna|cles were to be ob&s;erved by the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> they regulated and kept the Ceremonies thereof, not by former Examples, but by the Pre&s;cript Form, which had not been &s;o done for about a thou&s;and Years before. Neh. 8.14, 15, 16, 17. <HI>And they found written in the Law which the Lord had com|manded by</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>that the Chil|dren of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>&s;hould dwell in Booths, in the Fea&s;t of the &s;eventh Month: And that they &s;hould publi&s;h and proclaim in all their Cities, and in</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>&s;aying, Go forth unto
<PB N="35" REF="30">the Mount, and fetch Olive-branches, and Pine-branches, and Myrtle-bran|ches, and Palm-branches, and Bran|ches of thick Trees, to make Booths, as it is written. So the People went forth, and brought them, and made them&s;elves Booths, every one upon the Roof of his Hou&s;e, and in their Courts, and in the Courts of the Hou&s;e of God, and in the Street of the Water-gate, and in the Street of the Gate of</HI> Ephraim. <HI>And all the Congregation of them that were come again out of the Captivi|ty, made Booths, and &s;at under the Booths: for &s;ince the Days of</HI> Je&s;hua <HI>the Son of</HI> Nun, <HI>unto that Day, had not the Children of</HI> I&s;|rael <HI>done &s;o: and there was very great Gladne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>I take Bapti&s;m to have been generally reputed the initiating Ordinance, or Admi&s;&s;ion of &s;uch into the Vi&s;ible Church, who having been before in&s;tructed in, and converted to the Chri&s;tian
<PB N="36" REF="31">Faith, have from that internal Per&s;wa&s;ion, made an externl Profe&s;&s;ion of Faith in, and &s;ub|jection to the Per&s;on, Doctrine, and Commands of the Lord Je|&s;us. Not that I reckon it in or|der of Nature or Time, the fir&s;t Act of Wor&s;hip which any &s;uch perform towards him; for if any thing may in that re&s;pect be &s;aid to be fir&s;t, I &s;hould rather attri|bute the Priority to the Recep|tion in the Heart, of that incor|ruptible Seed, the Word of God, by which a Per&s;on is born again: And the demon&s;tration of that &s;piritual Life to be the fir&s;t breath|ing after God, thr&ocirc; Chri&s;t, in holy De&s;ires and Prayer. Nor do I think In&s;truction in all the Fun|damentals of Chri&s;tianity, or in the utmo&s;t Extent or Significancy of Bapti&s;m it &s;elf, of any more ab|&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity than in the begin|ning of Chri&s;tian Religion, (for in many, if not in each individual
<PB N="37" REF="31">Per&s;on, Chri&s;tianity may in &s;ome re&s;pects have as much its begin|ning now, as when Chri&s;t was fir&s;t preached among the <HI>Gen|tiles). Apollos</HI> was mighty in the Scriptures, and an accurate Tea|cher of the things of the Lord, knowing only the Bapti&s;m of <HI>John,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 18.24, 2<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> until <HI>Aquila</HI> and <HI>Pri&s;cilla</HI> expounded to him the Way of the Lord more exqui&s;itely.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 19.1, 7<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> A De|ficiency is al&s;o mentioned among the Di&s;ciples at <HI>Ephe&s;us.</HI> A com|petent knowledg of the Grounds of that Obedience, which in each individual Act of Wor&s;hip is yielded to God, is requi&s;ite in him that &s;o wor&s;hips, to render it ac|ceptable; for God is a Spirit, and &s;eeketh and reputeth &s;uch for true Wor&s;hippers of him, who do wor&s;hip him in Spirit and in Truth. But there may be Errors on the right Hand as well as on the Left. God is jealous of his in&s;tituted Wor&s;hip, and no Man
<PB N="38" REF="32">is exempt,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">.4. 17.</NOTE> by the Dignity of his Per&s;on, or Eminency of his Gifts, from yielding Obedience thereun|to, in due order and manner re|quired. It is very remakable, that <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> the reputed Son of King <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s Daughter, educated in all the Learning of the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> alth&ocirc; God had eminently appeared to him, &s;hewed him divers Mira|cles, made him &s;ignal Promi&s;es of his Pre&s;ence and A&s;&s;i&s;tance, ap|pointed him to be the Leader of his People: Yet after all this, the Lord met him in his Journey, and &s;ought to &s;lay him. And by the Context it is evident,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 4.24, 25, 26.</NOTE> that this Anger again&s;t him was for that he had neglected to circumci&s;e his Son. Two In&s;tances al&s;o we have in the New Te&s;tament, th&ocirc; not of &s;uch Severity, yet &s;uch as &s;erve to evidence, that it may be &s;ometimes nece&s;&s;ary to admoni&s;h tho&s;e that are mo&s;t eminently fa|voured of God, and endued with
<PB N="39" REF="32">the &s;pecial Gifts of the Holy Spi|rit, that they defer not that Obe|dience which they ought to yield to his in&s;tituted Wor&s;hip, parti|cularly this Ordinance of Bap|ti&s;m. Ordinarily at the fir&s;t preach|ing of this Go&s;pel, Bapti&s;m in Wa|ter, did precede the Bapti&s;m of the Spirit,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 3.11.</NOTE> and conferring of &s;pe|cial Gifts, (although the latter of the&s;e was always preferred before the other as mo&s;t Eminent). But <HI>Ananias</HI> was &s;ent to <HI>Saul</HI> of the Lord Je&s;us, who had before ap|peared to him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 9.17.</NOTE> that by putting on of his Hands (as appears by the Text) he might receive his Sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And this was done, not only before his Bapti&s;m in Water; but by compari&s;on of this Place with <HI>Acts</HI> 22.16. there &s;eems to have been, by <HI>Ananias</HI>'s Que&s;tion, <HI>Why tarrie&s;t thou?</HI> at lea&s;t a nece&s;&s;ary &s;tirring of him up to an immediate di&s;charge of his Duty therein. And
<PB N="40" REF="33">the like we may ob&s;erve in <HI>Corne|lius</HI> and his Kin&s;men,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">.10.24-33.</NOTE> and near Friends, on whom, whil&s;t the A|po&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> was preaching to them, the Gift of the Holy Spi|rit was poured out, &s;o that they &s;pake with Tongues,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">7, 48.</NOTE> and mag|nified God: which as it did &s;uf|ficiently evidence they were qua|lified for it; &s;o al&s;o that by this Anticipation of the Bapti&s;m of the Spirit, Bapti&s;m in Water might not be deferred by them. The Apo&s;tle, not by way of Te|&s;timony and Exhortation only, as in <HI>Act.</HI> 2.40. and in other common Ca&s;es, but as better &s;uting with their before-declared Di&s;po&s;ition, and the pre&s;ent Occa&s;ion, expre&s;ly commanded them to be baptized.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">, 34.</NOTE></P>
<P>Touching things relating to the common Faith, and common Sal|vation of Chri&s;tians, it has al|ways been allowed, by the mo&s;t eminently Learned and Orthodox Bi&s;hops and Doctors, that the
<PB N="41" REF="33">Scriptures are ea&s;y to be under|&s;tood, and were &s;o plainly in the&s;e Points penn'd by the Prophets, Apo&s;tles &amp; Evangeli&s;ts, that every Per&s;on who will read, and diligent|ly &s;earch and ponder them, might thereby of him&s;elf learn what are therein &s;poken of the&s;e things.</P>
<P>In the humble Supplication a|fore-mentioned,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ch. 4. p. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> &s;everal Pa&s;&s;ages are cited to this Purpo&s;e out of the Writings of <HI>Clemens Alexandri|nus, Au&s;tin, Chry&s;o&s;tom, Ju&s;tin Martyr, Theodoret,</HI> and others. And in the pre&s;ent Ca&s;e, touching the proper Subject and Manner of Bapti&s;m, it &s;eems not to me (I &s;peak with Submi&s;&s;ion) very ma|terial to enquire concerning the different Opinions of Men, or how their Controver&s;ies hereabout have been decided, by any General Council &s;ince the Apo&s;tles Days, becau&s;e each Per&s;on's Faith and Practice herein, in every &s;ucceed|ing Generation to the End of the
<PB N="42" REF="34">World, is alike to be founded up|on, and regulated by the Scripture, as was theirs who did &s;ucceed im|mediately, and were next to the Apo&s;tles. The Scriptures in the&s;e Points, are lea&s;t of all liable to be mi&s;taken, when they are taken by &s;uch as read them, as if &s;ent to them immediately by the Hands of the Apo&s;tles and Evangeli&s;ts, and by &s;uch as hear them read o|penly in the Church, as if that Ser|vice was performed by &s;uch as had &s;o received them, in obedience to the Apo&s;tle's &s;trict Charge to that purpo&s;e, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5.27. <HI>I charge you by the Lord, that this Epi&s;tle be read unto all the Holy Brethren.</HI></P>
<P>I do not write this to derogate from, or dimini&s;h any part of that Honour that is due, and ought to be given to tho&s;e who are pious and learned <HI>Over&s;eers</HI> in the Lord's Vineyard. The Wi&s;dom of God did fore&s;ee it nece&s;&s;ary to e&s;tabli&s;h Rulers, Pa&s;tors and Teachers in
<PB N="43" REF="34">his Church, and to qualify them with &s;utable Authority and Gifts, as well for the good Government, Ordering and Edifying of the Bo|dy of Chri&s;t, as on their behalf to watch again&s;t and di&s;cover fal&s;e Doctrines, and fal&s;e Teachers, who by transforming them&s;elves into Angels of Light, &s;eek all Occa&s;ions to de&s;troy the Flock, remove the antient Foundations of the Hou&s;e of God, and to introduce damna|ble Here&s;ies, and Doctrines of De|vils; the detection whereof is not within the compa&s;s of an ordina|ry Capacity: Therefore in this re&s;pect, e&s;pecially even now, when the ravening Wolves &s;tood watch|ing for the Moment wherein they might &s;eize their Prey, is your Lord&s;hip de&s;ervedly rank'd with the foremo&s;t of tho&s;e, who&s;e words are the more excellent and accep|table, becau&s;e upright,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> and words of Truth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">. 10, 11.</NOTE> &s;poken in &s;ea&s;on by a Ma&s;ter of Collections. And the
<PB N="44" REF="35">Grace and good Providence of God, that qualified and &s;tirred up your Lord&s;hip, upon &s;uch a &s;peci|al Occa&s;ion, to detect, and expo&s;e to open view, the Opinions and Principles of &s;uch fal&s;e Teachers, in their native Deformity, (which renders them &s;o abominable, that the Di&s;ciples of tho&s;e who are the Fathers of them, are a&s;hamed to own them) is the more remark|able, and calls for an humble, hear|ty and thankful Acknowledgment from all tho&s;e on who&s;e behalf this was done.</P>
<P>The&s;e, and all &s;uch Labours as have a tendency, either to detect erroneous Doctrines, or reduce the Doctrines of Chri&s;tianity to their prime and genuine Purity, that interpret and help others to un|der&s;tand aright the Holy Scrip|tures of Truth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">-8.</NOTE> have been, and will be always of &s;ingular U&s;e and Advantage to the Church of God, approved ble&s;&s;ed, and the Authors
<PB N="45" REF="35">of them highly e&s;teemed of all &s;incere Chri&s;tians for their Work|&s;ake.</P>
<P>But, my Lord, the&s;e and all faithful Guides, who teach their Hearers and Di&s;ciples pure Do|ctrine and Wor&s;hip, &s;peak to them in, and guide them to the Words of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles; &s;o that by common Con&s;ent all are to be tried, judged and determin|ed by the Rule of Scripture. And in this re&s;pect it is, that this Sect of <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> among&s;t us do &s;ay, <HI>That if the Doctrine of Bapti&s;m, as they teach it, and the Form of Bapti&s;m as they practi&s;e it, be ac|cording to the Scriptures, and pri|mitive &V;&s;e of the Chri&s;tian Church, this alone is a &s;ufficient Defence for them herein, although there &s;hould be no concurrent Te&s;timony of any other Tradition, Cu&s;tom, Decree of Council, or Opinion what|&s;oever.</HI> Yet, my Lord, with this due <HI>Salvo</HI> to the &s;overeign and
<PB N="46" REF="36">&s;ole Authority of Scripture, I &s;ee no cau&s;e they have (if Matters be duly weighed) to decline, or that they do indeed appeal from the Judgment of the Antient Fa|thers herein.</P>
<P>To evidence this on their be|half, I &s;hall in&s;tance in a few of tho&s;e many antient Te&s;timonies which they allege as unque&s;tiona|ble, and of &s;uch Arguments de|duced from thence, as to me &s;eem very cogent and natural.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the general and very antient U&s;age of Spon&s;ors or Su&s;|ceptors at the Bapti&s;m of Infants, to per&s;onate and an&s;wer to Arti|cles of the Chri&s;tian Faith, as if the very Per&s;on to be baptized, is, be|yond Contradiction, an Evidence in it &s;elf of a general-received O|pinion among all that u&s;e this Cu&s;tom with Under&s;tanding, that a confe&s;&s;ion of the principal Do|ctrines of the Chri&s;tian Faith, made by the Per&s;on to be bapti|zed,
<PB N="47" REF="36">did, according to the fir&s;t In&s;titution, precede Bapti&s;m. But then the Rea&s;on alleged by this Sect, why they do not ob&s;erve this Antient Cu&s;tom, is, Becau&s;e, they &s;ay, there are no foot-&s;teps of this Practice to be found in the Scriptures, neither can they trace the Original of it any higher than the Time mentioned in the <HI>Ro|man Breviary,</HI> in their Service, the 11th day of <HI>January,</HI> celebrated in Memory of <HI>Hyginus</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome, Anno Chri&s;ti</HI> 153. who is therein acknowledged to be the fir&s;t In&s;titutor of Su&s;ceptors in Bapti&s;m; and is &s;o al&s;o by the concurent Te&s;timony of other Hi|&s;torians.</P>
<P>And it is further alleged by them, as very probable,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tertul. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Bapt.</HI> cap<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> that <HI>Ter|tullian</HI>'s Admonition concerning the deferring of Infants Bapti&s;m till they could an&s;wer for them|&s;elves, rather than to admit them to it by &s;uch Undertakers, was
<PB N="48" REF="37">occa&s;ioned by this Novel-In|vention of <HI>Hyginus,</HI> the one of them living till toward the latter end of the &s;econd Century, and the other at the &s;ame Time, or about the beginning of the Third.</P>
<P N="2">2. That Practice which at fir&s;t was generally admitted by all &s;orts of Converts to the Faith, <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> in all Places at the &s;ame Time, and in a con|tinued Succe&s;&s;ion from the Begin|ning, without any Di&s;|pute or Di&s;agreement,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">is related by Father <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">h,</HI> in his French Hi|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> of the Church of <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">andria,</HI> Ch. 33. That <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>Macaire,</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">his,</HI> Secretary to <HI>Co&s;|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> the 3d of that Name, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">iarch to the <HI>Cophti,</HI> or <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">&s;tians of <HI>Egypt,</HI> who <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> Cent. 8. &s;ays, <HI>That <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> Primitive Times, Bap|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> was not admini&s;tred in <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> Church of</HI> Alexandria <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">ce a Year, and that up|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">od-Friday, <HI>and only <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">&s;e of</HI> 30 <HI>Years of Age.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;cil.</HI> to baptize &s;uch as manife&s;ted a joyful Reception of the Word of Grace, and made a Confe&s;&s;ion of their Faith, is to be prefer|red, as agreeing with the fir&s;t In&s;titution and Primitive State of the Chri&s;tian Church, be|fore that other Practice,
<PB N="49" REF="37"><HI>&s;cil.</HI> admitting Infants to Bap|ti&s;m by Spon&s;ors, which obtained but by Degrees, and in &s;ome Places before others. And which from the fir&s;t mention of that U&s;e, &s;ucce&s;&s;ively for &s;everal Ages, if not to this very Age, hath been que&s;tioned, di&s;puted, and &s;ome|times omitted by the Chri&s;tian Parents,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vid. <HI>Curceii.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> lig. Chri&s;ti<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> in&s;titut. <HI>lib. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> cap.</HI> 12.</NOTE> of &s;ome who afterwards were of great Eminency in the Church, who were not baptized until they were Adult, although Infant-Bapti&s;m was then admit|ted by others, as appears in the Hi&s;tory of their Lives, <HI>viz. Gre|gory Nazianzen, Chry&s;o&s;tom, Con|&s;tantine, Ambro&s;e</HI> and <HI>Augu&s;tine.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Teach all Nations,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hieron.</HI> in <HI>Matt.</HI> 28.</NOTE> then dip the Taught in Water; for it cannot be that the Body &s;hould receive the Sacrament of Bapti&s;m, unle&s;s the Soul fir&s;t receive the Truth of Faith.</P>
<PB N="50" REF="38">
<P> The Confe&s;&s;ion of Salva|tion goes before;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. Mag. de <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">itu Sancto. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> then follows Bapti&s;m &s;ealing our Cove|nant.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e who are to be baptized,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">cilium La|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">eum, Ann. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 span"></NOTE> ought to learn and repeat the Creed to the Bi&s;hop or Presby|ter.</P>
<P>This Canon was confirmed in <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI>'s Time, at the &s;ixth General Synod at <HI>Trullo,</HI> Canon 46.</P>
<P>As many as believe the Things preached by the Chri&s;tians to be true,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">olog. <HI>Ju&s;tin <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">tyr,</HI> to the <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">p. <HI>Antonin.</HI></NOTE> and promi&s;e to live ac|cordingly, are taught to Fa&s;t and Pray for the Remi&s;&s;ion of their Sins, (the Church al&s;o praying and fa&s;ting with them;) and then they are brought to a Place where Water is, and are bapti|zed; then they are brought and added to the Church, and receive the Lord's Supper.</P>
<PB N="51" REF="38">
<P> None but the Adult of An|tient Time were u&s;ed to be Bap|tized.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Lud. Vives</HI> i<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <HI>Aug.</HI> lib. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Civ. Dei. c. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"></NOTE></P>
<P>The Words of <HI>Tertullian</HI> and <HI>Nazianzen,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Baxter, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> Proofs,</HI> P. 275</NOTE> &s;hew it was long be|fore all were agreed of the Time or Nece&s;&s;ity of Baptizing In|fants before the U&s;e of Rea&s;on, in ca&s;e they were like to live to Maturity.</P>
<P N="3">3. That Form of Baptizing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sir</HI> Norton Knatchbull, <HI>large in his Notes on</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> 3.21.</NOTE> which is according to the com|mon acceptation of the Word and U&s;age of the Chri&s;tian Church in its Primitive State, and repre&s;ents all the material Points of Chri&s;tian Doctrine,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ambro&s;.</HI> de <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">tiand. <HI>Cap. Bern.</HI> Ser. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> whereof it is a Type, <HI>&s;cil.</HI> dip|ping the Per&s;on baptized in Wa|ter, to &s;ignify his Death unto Sin, Purification and Re&s;urrection unto newne&s;s of Life, is to be ob|&s;erved rather than any other Form; which agrees only with one thing thereby &s;ignified, <HI>&s;cil.</HI> Purifica|tion,
<PB N="52" REF="39">which is mentioned <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.22. <HI>(Let us draw near with a true Heart, in full a&s;&s;urance of Faith, having our Hearts &s;prink|led from an evil Con&s;cience, and our Bodies wa&s;hed with pure Water)</HI> rather as the Effect than Form of Bapti&s;m. There appearing no Rea&s;on why this Word, by which this Ordinance was in&s;tituted, &s;hould be therein taken in any other than a literal Sen&s;e; and if it be well ob&s;erved, it may ap|pear, where-ever this Word is u&s;ed in the Scriptures in a Meta|phorical Sen&s;e, thereby is repre|&s;ented an overwhelming, plung|ing, or large pouring on, whe|ther it be of Sufferings, confer|ring Spiritual Gifts, or the <HI>I&s;|raelites</HI> pa&s;&s;ing through the bot|tom of the Sea, and no where to &s;ignify Sprinkling. It is affirm|ed by this Sect, That herein they have the concurrent Te&s;timony
<PB N="53" REF="39">of many learned and approved Expo&s;itors, of tho&s;e Pa&s;&s;ages of Scripture where this Word is to to be taken in a figurative Sen&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Clement</HI> the 5th, is cited for the fir&s;t, who at the &s;econd Synod at <HI>Ravenna,</HI> Anno 1305, approved, that Bapti&s;m might be given (no Nece&s;&s;ity compelling) by &s;prink|ling.</P>
<P><HI>Johannes Bugenhagius Pomera|nus,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Bugenhagius Pomeranus,</HI> circa finem <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">|belli Germa<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">|ci, <HI>Anno</HI> 1 <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> editi.</NOTE> when he &s;aw at <HI>Hamburgh</HI> an Infant brought to Bapti&s;m, wrapped up in Swadling-clothes, and Water &s;prinkled upon its Head, was amazed; for that ex|cept in the Ca&s;e of Nece&s;&s;ity, for Per&s;ons &s;ick in their Beds, he had neither &s;een nor heard, nor in any Hi&s;tory read of any &s;uch thing. Whereupon there being a Convocation of all the Mini|&s;ters, it was asked of Mr. <HI>John Fritz,</HI> who had been formerly Mini&s;ter at <HI>Lubeck,</HI> How Bapti&s;m
<PB N="54" REF="40">was there admini&s;tred? Who an|&s;wered, Infants were there (as in all <HI>Germany</HI>) baptized naked: But he was ignorant how that pe|culiar Manner of Baptizing had crept in at <HI>Hamburgh.</HI> At length it was agreed among&s;t them, That they &s;hould &s;end to know the Opinion of <HI>Luther,</HI> and the Divines at <HI>Wirtenberg</HI> in this Matter. Which being done, <HI>Lu|ther</HI> writ back to <HI>Hamburgh,</HI> That this Sprinkling was an Abu&s;e which ought to be removed; that thereupon Immer&s;ion was re&s;to|red at <HI>Hamburgh.</HI></P>
<P>A Learned French Prote&s;tant,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mon&s;ieur de la Roque, <HI>Mini&s;ter of the Reformed Church at</HI> Roan.</NOTE> in his An&s;wer to the Treati&s;e of Bi&s;hop <HI>Bo&s;&s;uet, De Communione &s;ub utr&acirc;que &s;pecie,</HI> an&s;wers to an Ob|jection, concerning the Prote|&s;tants baptizing by Sprinkling. That it is true they do &s;o, but that it is certainly an Abu&s;e; and that this Practice, which they
<PB N="55" REF="40">have retained from the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> without well examin|ing it, renders their Bapti&s;m very defective.</P>
<P>Therein is corrupted the In|&s;titution, and the antient Cu|&s;tom, and the Re&s;emblance which it ought to have with Faith, Repentance, and Rege|neration. <HI>Mon&s;ieur Bo&s;&s;uet</HI>'s Re|mark, That Plunging had been u&s;ed for 1300 Years, de&s;erves a &s;erious Reflection.</P>
<P>It was very ill done to aboli&s;h the fir&s;t U&s;age authori&s;ed by &s;o much &s;trength of Rea&s;on, and for &s;o many Ages. We are ob|liged to return to the antient Pra|ctice of the Church, and the In|&s;titution of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. They further alledg, That it appears by &s;everal Pa&s;&s;ages in Antient Hi&s;tory, that the Varia|tions which were made from the fir&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed Form of Bapti&s;m,
<PB N="56" REF="41">did not ari&s;e from any doubtful &s;ignification of the words, where|by this Ordinance was in&s;titu|ted, but from other collateral Con&s;iderations, <HI>viz.</HI> The Danger of Per&s;ons (Young or Old) dy|ing unbaptized; and thereupon the pouring or &s;prinkling Water upon them in their Beds, whence by rea&s;on of Sickne&s;s they could not ri&s;e, nor (without hazard of a real, in&s;tead of a repre&s;entative dying) be baptized in any other manner.</P>
<P>Of this there needs no other Evidence,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. apud <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">rian. Epi&s;t. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">n ad Fabi|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> apud Ni|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">. <HI>Lib.</HI> 6.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">3.</NOTE> than the many Que&s;ti|ons which were moved: Whe|ther their Bapti&s;m might be e|&s;teemed Lawful or Compleat, who were baptized only by &s;prinkling, or pouring on of Wa|ter? Which received no other An&s;wer, But that, Nece&s;&s;ity urg|ing, it might be &s;o e&s;teemed.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="41">
<P> My Lord, I am mindful of your Direction, not to be prolix, and have therefore omitted ma|ny material Quotations; which if you plea&s;e to read a few Pages, you will find, in Dr. <HI>Duveil</HI>'s Treati&s;e, on Chap. 2. &amp; 8. &amp; 18. of the <HI>Acts,</HI> exactly referred to, and much to the purpo&s;e. It is not my Intent to handle this Point by way of Controver&s;y, but only to give &s;ome brief Hints, That as the Form of Bap|ti&s;m has been varied upon other Con&s;iderations, than what ap|pears in the In&s;titution, &s;o may it have been al&s;o with re&s;pect to the proper Subject of Bap|ti&s;m.</P>
<P>The Reverend Mr. <HI>Claude,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mr.</HI> Cla<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <HI>Hi&s;t. D<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Eng. Tr<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> Part 4.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> in his Hi&s;torical Defence of the Refor|mation, an&s;wering to the Objecti|ons of the Author of Prejudices, about the Validity of his Bapti&s;m, cites this Pa&s;&s;age; <HI>The Promi&s;e
<PB N="58" REF="42">is made to us, and to our Children; and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord &s;hall call.</HI> And &s;ays, <Q>That by a nece&s;&s;ary Con|&s;equence, the Seal of that Pro|mi&s;e, which is Bapti&s;m, and all the other Rights of the Co|venant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, belongs to us and to our Children, that is to &s;ay, to the truly Faith|ful.</Q> I will not undertake to explain Mr. <HI>Claude</HI>'s Meaning in the&s;e Expre&s;&s;ions, nor to &s;et forth the Extent of the Covenant which he mentions.</P>
<P>There is a &s;hort Treati&s;e, late|ly publi&s;hed by Mr.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. Cox <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>Covenants, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> at</HI> Lon|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 letter">683. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">by</HI> Du|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Acts 2.</NOTE> <HI>Nehemiah Cox,</HI> concerning the Covenants before the Law, on this Subject, which may give &s;ome Light into this Matter.</P>
<P>There may be a great Diffe|rence between a Direct, Imme|diate, and a Remote Right to what is comprehended in, or be|longs
<PB N="59" REF="42">to a Covenant; not to in&s;i&s;t any thing on the Impro|priety or Congruity of a Seal, as applied to the Covenant of Grace under its various Mini|&s;trations. <HI>David</HI>'s Son by <HI>Bath|&s;heba,</HI> (in the Time of the Law) dying at &s;even Days old, had no right to Circumci&s;ion. <HI>Shem</HI> and <HI>Lot</HI> were contemporary with <HI>Abraham; Job</HI> and his Friends (as is &s;uppo&s;ed) with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> all true Wor&s;hippers of God, and within the Covenant of Grace; yet nothing is &s;poken of Circumci&s;ion belonging to them, or any of their Po&s;terity.</P>
<P>In the Re&s;olution of the Ca&s;e by the Apo&s;tle St. <HI>Paul,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor.</NOTE> con|cerning the Cohabitation of a Believer with an Unbeliever, in a married State, it is determin|ed by the Apo&s;tle, That the Un|believer is &s;anctified by the Be|liever: And thence he draws this
<PB N="60" REF="43">Inference, That their Children were Holy: Whence it &s;eems plain, that to the Procreation of an Holy Seed, (in the Apo&s;tle's Sen&s;e) it was nece&s;&s;ary that both Parents, as well the Believer as the Unbeliever, (in that conjunct State of Marriage) &s;hould be al|&s;o reputed Holy. And therefore I do not di&s;cern how the I&s;&s;ue of both the&s;e &s;hould have any more immediate Right from thence to Bapti&s;m, than the Unbeliev|ing Parent. And if <HI>Chri&s;tiani Fideles,</HI> and <HI>Baptizati,</HI> were an|tiently Terms promi&s;cuou&s;ly u|&s;ed one for the other, then it may &s;eem by that Character, a|mong&s;t others given by <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Titus,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. 6. <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> of a Per&s;on to be cho&s;en an Elder, having believing Chil|dren, that it was not a common Ca&s;e for all Chri&s;tian Parents to have all their Children accoun|ted Faithful, and con&s;equently
<PB N="61" REF="43">Baptized. But when&s;oever it proved &s;o, it was a great Evi|dence of a right and &s;uccesful Education in the Fear of God, as was that of <HI>Timothy,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1.<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"></NOTE> and ground of rejoicing to the Ser|vants of God; as were tho&s;e Children of the Elect Lady that walked in the Truth.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 John. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"></NOTE></P>
<P>But, my Lord, my Province is only to repeat briefly what occurs to mind in defence of their Opinion and Practice, who are &s;tiled <HI>Anabapti&s;ts;</HI> and other|wi&s;e than what may be pre|&s;umed of nece&s;&s;ary Con&s;equence, (if the Terms and Form of this Ordinance be &s;trictly limited) not to intermeddle with the Opi|nion of any that teach other|wi&s;e, but leave them therein, as I ought to do, to &s;tand or fall to their own Ma&s;ter.</P>
<PB N="62" REF="44">
<P> The <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> in their own Ca&s;e do &s;ay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">g. Magn. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 37.</NOTE>
<Q>It is an Opinion that the Antients held, That what cannot be &s;hewed by certain Signs to be rightly per|formed, cannot be &s;aid to be repeated.</Q></P>
<P>In all doubtful Ca&s;es,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> in 4 <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. Di&s;t. 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> N<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> 10.</NOTE> as to Matter and Form, there are three &s;pecial things to be ob&s;erved.</P>
<P N="1">1. If po&s;&s;ible to chu&s;e the mo&s;t &s;afe Way.</P>
<P N="2">2. If it be not po&s;&s;ible, to keep that which is next to the &s;afe&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Impo&s;&s;ibility cea&s;ing, to &s;upply warily what that did for the Sea&s;on prohibit.</P>
<P>There is no doubt but they are again to be Baptized&mdash;who were not dipt in the true Sacrament of Bapti&s;m.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">e&s;ius Sco|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">ritan. In|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">. Hi&s;t. lib. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word">. cap. 4 num. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"></NOTE></P>
<P>To conclude,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">omanus <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">us Ec|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">.</NOTE> Whoever under|takes to write again&s;t the anti|ent
<PB N="63" REF="44">manner of In&s;tructing or Confe&s;&s;ion preceding Bapti&s;m,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Siffridus O<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters">|nis Presbyt<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> a&s;&s;i&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> in ip&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Acti<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1+ letters"> lib. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 word"> cap. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"></NOTE> or Form u&s;ed in Baptizing, hath this Task incumbent on him, To give &s;ome other proper In|terpretation of the Words of In|&s;titution, antient manner of <HI>Ca|techumens,</HI> u&s;e of large <HI>Bapti&s;te|ria</HI> and <HI>Lavacres,</HI> and of the Methods and Care de&s;cribed for the decent Admini&s;tration of this Ordinance, than is hither|to extant in the frequent men|tion of the&s;e things in Antiqui|ty.</P>
<P>If I have, through Inadver|tency, err'd in any Quotations, or in any thing not an&s;wered your Lord&s;hip's Expectation, I humbly beg your Lord&s;hip's Pardon. And if it may be without trouble to your Lord|&s;hip, that I may, by the mean|e&s;t of your Servants, receive
<PB N="64" REF="45" MS="y">your Lord&s;hip's further Com|mands herein, they &s;hall readi|ly be obeyed by</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Lord&s;hip's obliged<LB> and<LB> Obedient Servant,<LB> <HI>Ri. Deane.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="45">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
