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Differences in Judgment
ABOUT
VVatcr-Baptifm,
No Bar to (Communion :
OR,
To Communicate with Saints % &s Saints,
proved lawful.
In Answer to a Book written by the Baptifti,
and pnblifhed by Mr. T. P. and Mr. W. /Q
entituled, Some ferious I^ejleclions on that
fart of Mr. BunyanV Confejfion of Faith,
touching Cburch-Commmion with Unbapti^ed
Believers*
Wherein,
Their Objections and Arguments areAnfwered, and
the Doctrine of Communion ftill Ailerced
and Vindicated.
Here is alfo Mr. Henry J ejje's judgment in the Cafe,
fully declaring the Doctrine I have Aflerted.
By John 'Banyan,
Should not the multitude of words t>£ anfwered ? andfioulda man
full of tal'^be jufttfied * Should thy lyes 'nraite men hold ikar
■peace? and tphert thou mocl^e/r, Jhall no manntal>e thee an an-
fiver * Job II. 2, 3.
/ am for I eace, but when I jj>ea\^ they are for War, ?fal. 1 2,0.5*
London, Printed for John W'tikjnsy and are to.be fold at his Skp
in Exchange -Alley, next door to the Exchange- Coftee-Houie,
over againft the Royal-Exchange, 1673.
$ f f f f f 99 f f f W $ f f #,
Courteous '
reader;
BE intreated to believe me, I had not
Jet Pen to Paper about this Contro-
verfie,had we hen let alone at quiet in
our Chriftian Communion. But being
,ajfaulted for more than fifteen years * wherein
the Brethren of the Baptiz,ed-way ( as they had
their opportunity ) have {ought to breaks tu
in pieces, metrly because we are not in their
way all baptised frfl : I could not, I durfi not,
forbear to do a little, if it might be, tofettU the
Brethren y and to arm them againfi the attempts,
which alfo of late they begin to revive upon tu.
That I deny the Ordinance ofBapttfm, or that
I have placed one piece of an Argument againft
it, ( though they feign it J is quite wuhout
colour of truth. All 1 fay % is y That the
Church of Chrift hath not Warrant to keep
out of their Communion the Chriftian that
is difcovered to be a vifible Saint by the Word,
the Chriftian that walketh according tohi$
Light with God. / will not make RefleBions
.upon thofe unhandfom brands that my Brethren
have laid upon me for this, at that I am a
Machivilian, a man devilifl:, proud, irjolent,
A 2 prt->
To the Reader.
prefamptuom, and the (ifa ; neither will I fay
a* they, The Lord rebuke thee ; words fitter
to befpokf to the Devil \ then a Brother. But
Reader, read and compare, lay afide prejudice
and Judge* What Mr. Kiffin hath done in thf
matter J forgive, and love him never the worfe,
but iriuftjland by my "Principles becaufe they are
Jtaceablfo godly \ profitable, andfuch as tend to
theEdificatpn of my Brother \ and a* I believe
wiH be jufttfied in the day of Judgment.
1 have alfo here pfefented thee with the Opi-
nion of Mr. Henry Jefle, in the Cafe, which
providentially I met with y at I tvxi coming to
London to put my Taper s to the Prefix and that
it was his judgment is Affcrted to me, known
many years fine e tofome of the Baptifts, to whom
itwaifenty but never yet Anfwered'j and will
yet be Attefted if need (hall require. Farewel.
Thine in all Chriftian Service,
according to my Light and Power,
fohn^myan.
differences
< J)
*p «jp qp iff yp tjj** t^* «n^ <u^ c^* 1 f <* t»^* yff «jf» <^> 4^
Differences in Jd^^'w-
tcr-Baprifmp B^^Tfdhi.-
munion. ^^
YOur feemingly ferious reflections upon
that pare of my plain-hearted Con-
felfion of Faith, which rendrech a
Reafon of my freedom to Commu-
nicate with thofe of the Saints and Faithful,
who differ from me about tVater-Baptifm, I
have read, and confidered y and have weighed
them fo well as my rank, and abilities will ad-
mit me to do. But finding yours ( if I mi-
flake not ) farfhort of a candid Replication ;
I thought convenient, not only to tell you of
thofe iwfertlnencles everywhere (battered up
and down in your Book j but alio, that in
fwj.fimple opinion, your rigid and Church-
difquieting-Principles are not fit for any Age
and ftace of the Church.
Bat before I enter the body of your Book,
give me leave a little to difcourfe you about
your Preamble to the lame, wherein are two
mifcarriages unworthy jour pretended ferioul-
nds, becaufe void of love, and humility.
A 3 The
tfF
6 Viftreucts about Water -Baptrfm,
The firft is, In that you clofely difdain my
Perfon, becaufe of my lor» defcent among men 3
(ligmatrzing me for a Perfon of THAT Rank,
that need not to be heeded, or attended unto,
Anfve. What it is that gives a man reve-
rence with you, I know not ; but for certain 7
Tie that defpt[eth the Foor y reproacbetb bis
Maker : yet a poor man is better than a I jar.
To have gay-cloathing t or gold-rings, or the
Perfons that wear trtern in admiration; or to-
be partial in your judgment, or refpecls, for
the fake, or upon the account of flefh and
blood, doubtlefs convicleth you to be of the
Law a tranf^reflbr, and not without partiali-
ty, &c» in the midft of your feeming fan6H«*
Again you fay : / bad not me died with the
Contr over fie at allybad I found any of farts that
would divert xhemf elves to take notice of YOU.
fag. 2.
A. What need you,before you have fhew-
ed one fyllable of a reasonable Argument in
oppofition to what I Aflert, thus trample my
Perfon, my Gifts, and Grace ( have I any j
fo disdainfully under your feet ? What a
W kind of a YOU am I ? And why is MY
l * z Rank fo mean, that the mofl gracious and
godly amons you, may not duly and foberly
confider of what I have faid ? Was it not
the art of the falfe A pottles of old to fay
thus ? to befpatter a man, that his Doctrine
i Cor. ic. might be difrcgnded. Is not this the Car-
J0 ' penter ? and, His fodlly preface is tfeak^axd
co'n~
r
no Bar to Communion* 7
contemptible, did not ufe to be in the mouths
of the Saints ; for they knew the fVinl blew Joh.3.5.
where it lifted. Neither is it high birth,
worldly breeding, or wealth ; but ele&ing
love, grace, and the wifdom that comes from Jam ' 3 ' 7 *
Heaven, chat thofe who ftrive for ftriftnefs of
order in the things, and Kingdom of Chrift,
(hould have in regard, and eftcem. Need I
reade you a Lecture ? Hath not (joi chosen Coi . f .
tbefoolijh, the weak,, the bafe, yea and even 17)2 8.
things that are not, to bring to nought things
that are ? Why then do you defpife my rd»k>
myftate, and quality in the World ?
As for my Confeflion of Faith, wMfch you
alfo fecretly defpife, pag. 1 . If ic be good, and
godly, why may it not be accepted f If I have
fpoken evil, bear wltnefs of the evil ; but if
well, why fmiteft thou me ? If you, and the
Brethren of your way> did think it convenu
ent to (hew to the World what you held ;
if perhaps by that means you might efcape the
Prifon : why might not I, after above 1 1 years
indurance there,give the World a view of my
Faith and Pradtice ; if peradventure, wrong
Thoughts, and falfe Judgments of me, might
by thac means be abated, and removed.
But you fugged • I did it, becaufe I veas fo
willing to be known in the World by my SIN'
CULAR Faith, andPrattlce.
How lingular my # Faith and Practice is,
may be better known to you hereafter : but
that I did it for a popular applaufe and fame,
as your words feem to bear (for tbey proceed
from a taunting Spirit ) that will be known
A 4 to
Differences' about tPattr^Bxptiftn,
to you better in the day of God, when your
evil fdrmizes of your Brother, and my de-
x > figns in writing my Book, will be publifhed
upon the houfe-tops.
And even now> before I go any further, I
will give you a touch of the Reafon of my
publifhing that pare thereof which you fo
hotly oppofe.
Ic was becaufe of thofe continual AfTaults-
that the rigid Brethren of your way, made,
not only upon this Congregation, to rent it ;
but alfo upon many others about us: if per-
ad venture they might break us in pieces, and
draw S)m us Difciples after them.
AiTauIts ( 1 fay ) upon this Congregatiorr
by times, for no lefs than thefe -fixteen or
eighteen years : Yea, my felf they kave fent
for, and endeavoured to perfwade me to break
Communion with my Brethren ; alfo with
many others they have often tampered, if
haply their feeds of Divifion might take.
Neither did they altogether fail of their pur-
pofe, for feme they did rent and difmember
irom us ; but none but thofe, of whom now
they begin to be afhamed. The Judgment
of God fo following their dengn, that the
Perfons which then they prevailed upon, are
now a ftink, and leproach to Religion. Nei-
ther were thefe Spirits content with that dif*
cord they did fow am©ng us, but they pro-
ceeded to feize upon others. But to pafs thefe :
The wild, and unfound Pofitions they have
urged to maintain their Practice, would be
too large here to infer t.
Now
no Bar to Communion*
Now, Sir, to fettle the Brethren (the Bre-
thren of our Community ) and to prevent
fuch diforders among others, was the caufe of
my publishing my Papers : and coniidering
my Concern in the Houfe of God, I could
do no lefs than to give them warning, That
ever j man might deliver his Soul.
You proceed, faying, h ** my li forty, at
well 04 others into whofe hands it falls, to weigh
what you have Jaid in Truths baUance, and if
it be found too light, to reject; it whether yo%
will or no.
t/infw. Do but grant me, without mocking
of me, *cTie- liberty you defire to take, and
God helping me, I defire no more to fhift for
my felf among you.
As to your faying, that'I proudly and im-
prioujly infult, becaufe I fay they are Babes
and Carnal i that attempt to breaks the Peace
and Communion of Churches, though upon bet-
ter pretences than Water. You muff know
I am dill of that mind, and fhall be fo long
as I fee the Effects that follow,^. The breach
of Love, taking of Chriftians from the more
weighty things of (jod \ and to maty them
quarrel and have heart-burnings one again ft
another.'
Where you are pleafed to charge me with
JRaging, for laying thofe Eighteen particular
Crimes to the charge of SUCH who exclude
Chrifiians from Church-Communion, and debar
them their Heaven-born Priviledges, for the
want of that, which yet God never made, the
Wallof Divifion between w. (pag,n<5.)
Hay,
10 Differ eoces about Water-Baftifm,
I fay, when you can prove, That God hath
made Water-Baptifm that Wall, and that the
ftrefs of the after Eighteen Charges iye whol-
ly and only in that j then you may time e-
nough call my language fuch as wanteth
Charity : but I queftion though that was
granted, whether your faying, I RAGE %
will be juftified in the day of Judgment.
My great noife ( as you call it ) about an
initiating Ordinance, you fa jr, you JhaN. take
no notice of. pag. 3.
&4nfw. i. Although you do not, I muft :
For if Baptifm b.e riot that, but another;
and if vifibie Saints may enter intd^Feliow-
(hip by that other, and are no where for-
bidden fo to do, becaufe they have not light
into Water-Baptifm : it is of weight to be
considered by me; yea,and of others too who
are unprejudiced.
2. How ignorant you are of fuch as hold
it the initiating Ordinance I know not : nor
how long you have been of that perfwafion I
know nor. This I know, that men of your
own Party, as ferious, godly, and it may be
more learned than your felf, have within lefs
than this twelve-month urged it. Mr. D. in
my hearing, did from Rom* 6. 1,2. in the
Meeting in Loth bury affirm it : Alfo my much
efteemed Friend Mr. D. A. did twice in a
Conference with me A flirt ic.
3. But whatever you fay, whether for, or
againft, 'tis no matter; for while you deny ic
to be the entering Ordinance ? you account it
the Wall, Bar, Bole, and Door 5 even that
which
no Bar to Communion* i x
which muft feparate between the righteous
and the righteous ; nay, you make want o£
Light therein, a ground to exclude the moft
Godly your Communion, when every Novice
in Religion fhall be received into your bofom,
and be of efteem with you becaufe he hath
(and from what ground Qod knows) fub-
mitted to Water- Baptifm.
I am glad that in page 4. you conclude
with me what is the initiating Ordinance :
but withal, give me leave to correct, as I
think, one extravagant expreflion of yours.
You fay, 'lis CONSENT on all bands
and 2(0 7 HI NG elfe, that makes them
Members of particular Churches, and not Faith
and Baptifm. pag. 4.
You might have flopped at [ and nothing
elfe ] you need not in particular have rejected
Faith: your firft Error was bad enough,
what ? NOTHING elfe but Confcnt f What?
not fo much as a rcfpetl to the matter or end ?
Why then are not all the Communities of all
the High-way-men in the Land, truly Con-
ffituted Churches of Chrift ; unlefs you can
prove that they hold together, but not by con*
fent.
What ? Confent and nothing elfe ? But
why do YOU throw out FAITH ? why,/
throw out Baptifm \ which becaufe you can-
not as to the cafe in hand fetch in again y
therefore OUT muft Faith go too. Your
action is much like that Harlots, that ftood co x xj n g. ^
be judged by Solomon, who becaufe her own
Child was dead, would haye her Neighbours
killed
12 Differences about Water-Bjptifm,
killed alfo. Faith (Sir) both in thePro-
fe(fion and Confeffion of it, is of immediate
and alfo abfolute concern, even in the very-
ad: of the Churches reception, of this or ano-
ther Member. Throw out Faith, and there
is no fucli thing as a Cliriftian, neither vifible
nor invifible : You ought to receive no man,
but upon a comfortable fatisfadtion to the
Church, that you are now receiving a Belie-
ver. Faith, whether it be favingly there or
iio, is the great Argument with the Church
in receiving any : we receive not men as men,
but the man immediately under that fup por-
tion ; He hath Faith, he is a Chriftian. Sir,
Confent, (imply without Faith, makes no
man a Member of the Church of God ; be-
caufe then would a Church not ceafe to be a
Church, whoever they received among them.
Yea, by this Aflertion you have juftified the
Church of Rome it felt, to be to this day both
good, and godly, unlefs you can prove that
they did at firft, and do now receive their
unbelieving Members,without their own Con-
sent.
The Church hath no fuch Liberty to re-
ceive men without refpedt to Faith ; yea Faith
and Holinefs, mufi be the Effentials, or Baiis,
■ upon, and for the (ake of which you receive
rhem : Hoinefs (I fay) yet not fuch as is
circumfrancial, but chat which is fuch in the
very heart of it: Pray you in your next
therefore word it bectcr , leit while you
flight and trample upon me, you (land before
all blame- worthy your felt".
The
• no Bat to Communion. 13
The Scriptures you fpeak of, I did not in
my fir ft (p*£.68.) produce to fhew perfons
unbaptized might hold Communion with the
Church ( though I am fully convinced they
may) but to fhew, that knowledge of thofe
Perfons, of their Faith and Holinefs in general,
ought nrft to be fhewed to the Chuich, befere
fhe can lawfully receive them, Atts g.2y,2d,
27. iCor. 16. 10. 'zCor.S.z^.
As to my Anfwer to a Queition (pag. 70.)
which you have at pug. 5-. or yours corrupted,
and then abufed : I tell you again, That
a difcovery of the Faith and Holinefs, and a
Declaration of the willingnefs of a Perfon to
fubjedl himfelf to the Laws and Government
of Chrift in his Church, is aground fuffici-
ent to receive fuch a Member.
But you defcant j Is Baptifm none of the
LawsofCbrifi ?
Anjm It is none of thofe Laws, neither
any part of them, that the Church, as a
Church, fhould fhew her Obedience by. For
albeit that Baptifm be given by Chhll: our
Lord to the Church, yet not for them to wor-
fhip him by as a Church. Shew me what
Church. Ordinance it is} and when,or where
the Church, as a Church is roprac~tife it, as
one of thofe Laws and Appointments that he
hath commanded his Church to fhew to him
her Obedience by.
Again, That fubmitting to Water-Baptifm,
is align or note, that was ever required by
any of the Primitive Churches, ol him that
would hold Fellow fhip with them ; or that
it
*4 Differences about Water-Baftifm, *
it infufeth fuch Grace and Holinefs into thofe
that fubmit thereto, as to capacitate them for
fuch a Priviledge ; or that they did acknow-
ledge it a fign thereof, I find not in all the
Bible.
I find not (as I told you in my flrft ) that
Baptifm is a fign to any, but the Perfon that is
baptized. The Church hath her fatisfa&ion
of the Perfon, from better proof, CV.2.12,
^<w».6\i,2,3,4. 1 Cor. ij. 20. A&s 2. 3$.
&22.l6\ I Pet.$.2.1.
I told you alfo, That Baptifm makes thee
no Member of the Church, neither doth it
make thee a vifible Saint $ It giveth thee,
therefore, neither right to, nor being of Mem-
ierfhip at alt. Why, Sir, did you not Anfwer
thefe things? but flip them with others, as if
you were unconcerned j troubling your Rea-
der with fuch kind of infinuations, as muft
needs be unfavoury to godly ears.
You make the Moral Law none of Chrifts,
but Mofes's } not the Sons, but the Servants c -
and tell me, becaufe I plead forFaith, and
Holinefs, according to Moral Duties Go/pel-
tiz,ed ( they are my words, pag**j9.) where-
by we ought to judge of the ncnefs of Mem-
bers ; that therefore Mofes is more beholding
to me than Chrift. f*g*6.
Sir, Know you not yet, that a difference
is to be put betwixt thofe Rules that difcover
the EfTentials of Holinefs, and thofe that in
themfelves are not fuch ; and that that of
Faith and the Moral Law is the one, and
Baptifm , &c. the other?
Is
no Bar to Communion. %g
Is not Love to God, abhorrence of Idols,
to forbear Blafpheming, to honour our Pa-
rents, to do no Murcher, to forbear Theft, noc
to bear Falfe witnefs, nor Covet, &c. are noc
(Kay) theie the Precepts of the Lord Jefus,
becaufe delivered by Mofes ? Or, are thefc
fuch as may better be broken, than for wane
of light to forbear Baptifm with Water ? Or,
doth a man while he liveth in the negle&of
thefe,and in the mean time buftle about thofe
you call Gofpel-Commands, moft honour
Chrift, or bed fit himfelf for Fellowfhip
with the Saints ? Need I tell you, That the
Faith of Chrift, with the Ten Command-
ments, areas much now Gofpel-Commands
as Baptifm ; and ought to be in as much, and
far more refpeft with the holy ones than that,
or other the like.
Yea, (hail I tell you ; That Baptifm will
neither admit a man into Fellowfhip, nor keep
him there, if he be a tranfgreflbr of a Moral
Precept ; and that a man who believeth in
jefus, and fulfilleth the Royal Law,doth more
glonfie God, and honour Religion in the
World, than he that keepeth ( if there were
fo many ) ten thoufand figurative Laws.
As to thofe Commands that tefpect Gcd's
Inftituted Worfhip in a Churches a Church,
I have told you that Baptifm is none of them,
and you have been driven to confefs it : The p*£- 4°. «/
Church then muftfirft look to Faith, then toJ 9 "** 9 **
good Living according to the Ten. Command-
ments • after that fhe mud refpeci: thofe Ap-
pointments of our Lord Jefus, chat rcfpccls
her
i € Differ inces about Water-Baptifm,
her outward order and discipline, and then
fhe walks as becomes her, finning if fhe neg-
Icð either ; (inning if fhe over-valueth
either.
But why did you not Anfwer thofe Texts
I produced for the ftrengthening of my Ar-
gument, viz,. &>». 14.18. Dm.23.47. Jam.
2.8.- — 12. 1 Cor. p. 21. &$. 9, 10, 11.
Gal. 6. 15,16. Phil. 3. 1 Tim, 1.9,10,11.
^fibao. 28, 32. Rom. 1 J. *3« Jrf». 4. 11.
1 Cor. f . 12.
Deal fairly ; Anfwer thofe Texts, with the
Argument made upon them ; and when you
have after a godly manner done that, you
may the more boldly condemn.
You tell me, That in fagev$ of mine,!
£ay, None ever received B aft ifm mt bout light
therein.
What if I did? (as I did not) but you
grant it ; And now I will ask you, and pray
deal fairly in your Anfwer, May a man be
avifible Saint without light therein,; May
he have a good Confcience without light
therein ? And feeing that Raptifm is none of
the worfhip that Chrift Inftituted in his
Church for them to practife as a Church,
rcuift he be kept dark about all other things
concerning theWorfhip of God in his Church,
until he receive light therein ?
You have anfwered already, fag. 7. That
they ought to be a{bamed> and to repent of that
abomination (their fprinkling) BEFORE they
cime to have a fight of the fattern of the Hottfe
efGody the goings in and the comings tm there*
$£ £2^.43.10,1 1. Bu t,
no Bar to Communion* j?
But, Sir, where do you find that want of
Light in Water- Baptifm, or becaufe a man
hath been Sprinkled,that he is to be kept dark
in all other Temple-Inftitutions, til! he be
afhamedand repent of that? Pray produce
the Texts, for Ez,ekjtl helps you nothing : He
fpeakso#/;of the Pattern of the HOVSE,
the goings 6Ht> and comings In thereof. As
for rhe coming IN", you have already con-
fefTed, That Baptifm is not the entring. Ordi-
nance. And as for the Worfhip that Chrift
hath Inftituted in his Church, as a Church, I
fay (and you a!fo have faid it page 4.0) Bap-
tifm is none of the Forms thereof, none
of rhe Ordinances thereof, none of the
Laws thereof: for Baptilm is, as co the Pra-
ctice of ic, that which is without the Church,
without the Houfe of God : Then by your
own Text, if a man do repent him of his
Chriftening in his Childhood, he may be re-
ceived into Fellowfhip without fubmitting to
Baptifm : but I will not ilrain you too far.
You add, // it a Persons Light that glvcth
being to a Precept ?
%sfn[rv. Who faid it ? Yet it's his Ligh:
and Faith about it, that can make himco do
it acceptably.
You ask again, Suppofe men plead want of
Light in other Commands i
%/in{vo. If they be not fuch, the forbear-
ance of which, difcapaciates him of Member-
ilnp, he may yet be received to Feliow-
ihip.
B But
1 8 VtftrctiCis. about Water-Baptifm y
But what if 4 man want Light in the Suf-
fer ? pag.7.
J»fw. There is more to be faid in that cafe
than in the other } for that is a part of-thac
Worfhip which Chrifi: hath In'lituted for his
Church, to be Converfanr in as a Church ;
preferring them as fuch, with their Commu-
nion with their Head, and with one another
as Members of him. The Cup of blejfmg
which we bleft , i* it not the Cemmumon
of the Blood of Chrifi f The Bread which we
bre*k , u it not the Communion of xhi Body of
Chrifi f For we being many are one Bready
and one Body ; for we are all partakers of that
ene Bread y i Cor. 10. 10', 17. Wherefore
this being a Duty incumbent on the Church,
as a Church j and on every Member of that
Body as fuch> they are obliged in that cafe
more clofcly to deal with the Members, than
in that wherein they are not SO concerned ;
and with which as fuch, they have N O-
T H I N G to do. No man baptizetb by vii>
tueof his OiTkz in the Church; no man is
baptized by virtue of his Memberfhip there.
But what if a man want Light in hie Duty to
the Poor f pag.o.
*s4nfw. If he doth, God mutt give it him ;
I mean to know his Duty as a Church-
Member. Now I will add, But what if he
that can give a fhilling, giveth nothing? I
fuppofe all that the Church can do in that
cafe, is but to warn, to exhort, and charge
him, and to fhew him his Duty ;> and if he
neglect, to (hew" hi'q&j That he that foweth
fcaringlfa
no Bur to Communion. X$>
fptringly, jh*ll not reap plentifully, I Cor. p. 6.
But to cue a man off f< r this, as you for-
ward ly urge\ pag .8. would argue that Church
( at lead I think Co ) a little too bold with fo
high and weighty a cenfure. I plead not
here for the Cburie, but feck to allay your
heat : And fhould it be granted that fuch de-
ferve as you would have it t this makes no
matter to the cafe in hand.
Now whereas you fugged", That Moral
Evils are but fins again/} men, pag. 8. You are
too much.unadvifcd ; The Moral Evil ( as
you call i: ) whether you refpect the breach
of the firft or fecond Table, is firft and im-
mediately a fin againft God j and more ;>-
fufferable, yea and damnable, than for a man
for want of Light to forbear either Baptifm
or the Lord's Supper.
But lay you, JVe have now found an Ad-
vocate for Sinagaivft GOD> in the breach of
one of HIS holy Commands ?
Anfw. As if none of the Moral Precepts
were HIS. Bur, Sir, who have I pleaded,
for, in the denyal of any one Ordinance of
God ? Yea, or for their neglect of it either ?
What I fay, is but that men mufl have Light ,
that they may not do in darknefi^ or Papift-
Hke, live by an implicit e Faith.
But I fee you put no difference, between
an open breach of the Law, and a forbearing
that which to him is doubtful. But I will
fuppofe a cafe j There is a man wanes Light
in Baptifm, yet by his Neighbour is preited
K-: he faith he feeth it not to be his Duty ;
B z the
2© Differ i rices a font Watet-Baptifm,
the other faithy he fins if he doth it not :
Rem. 14. Now feeing wbatfocver is not of Faith, is Sin ;
what fhould this man do ? If' you fay, Lee
him ule the means : I fay fo too. But what,
if whenhehadi ufed it, he ftill continueth
dark about it ^ what will you advife him now ?
If you bid him wait, do you not encourage
him to live in fin, as much as I do ? Nay,
and feeing you will not let him for want of
Light in that, obey God in other his Insti-
tutions, what is it, but to fay, Seeing you live
fox want of Light in the neglect of Baptifm,
we will make you,whi!e you continue fo, live
(though quite againff! your Light) in the
breach of all the reft ; And where you are
Commanded thus, you; may fliew the place
when ycu find it.
Now where you urge, that you are one of
them that fay, The Epiflles were writ to par-
ticular Churches^ aud fo ferve nothing at ail
• for our kind of Communion : Urging further,
. lag p. j~fo at ' lt win y e difficult for me to prove y that
they were alfo directed to particular Saints.
Anfw. I wifh there were nothing harder
that were good for m'e to do.
But what fhould be tne reafon that our
Author, with others of his Opinion, fhould
ftictye fo hard to prove all the EpifUcs were
wrote to particular Churches ? Why, becaufe
• thoic Members were, as they think, every one
baptized ; and fo the Epillles from which wc
•fetch our Arguments for the Love and Con-*
cord of Saints, to be only proper to diem«-
Iclyes. But if this b£ true, there is virtue
i»dee«$
»9 B*r to Communion. 2 1
indeed, and more than ever I dreamed of, in
partaking of Water- Baptifm: For if that
fliall take away the Epiftles, and confequent-
ly the whole Bible, from all that are not
baptized; then are the other Churches, and
alfo particular Saints, in a very deplorable 1
condition. For he askcth me very devoutly,
Whether any unbaptiz,ed Perfons were concern-
ed in thefe Epiflles ? pag.o. But why would
they take from us the Holy Scriptures ? Ve-
rily , that we might have nought to
juftifie our practice withal : For if the
Scriptures belong only to baptized Believers,
they then belong not to the reft; and in
truth, if they could perfwade us to yield
them this grant, we iliould but fornly juftifie
our practice. But I would ask thefe men,
// the Word of God came out from them ? or if [oh 77.1 4
it came to them only ? Or, whether Chrift 1 Cok'i^
hath not given his whole Word to every one 3 6 -
that believeth, whether they be baptized, or
in, or out of Church- Fellowship ? Job. 17.
Or, whether every Saint in fome forr, hath
not the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven,
which are the Scriptures and their Power ?
Would to God they had learnt more mo-
defty, than thus to take from all others, and
appropriate to themfelves, and that for the
fake of thcirobfervinga Circumifance in Re-
ligion, 'fo high, and glorious a Priviledge.
But we wall come a little to proof: What
Church will this Author find in Rome, that
time the Epiftle was fent to the Brethren rhere, Roraitf.
hcfidcs that Church that was in Aqu'-l*! *'**''•
B 3 houfe,
22 differences about Water-Baptifm,
houfe, although many more Saints were then
in che City ? Yea, the Apoftle in his falu-
tation at the beginning, imbraceih them only as
Brethren, without the leaft intimation of
their being gathered into Fellowship ; To all
that be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be
Saints, Grace to you , ejre. Chap. x. 7. To all
there, to all in that City, beloved of God,
and that are Converted to the Lord Jcfus
Chriit. A Church there was in ^fqailas
houfe, and that there were many more Saints
befides is (and that by the Text) as manifest.
Bedde?, considering the Rules that are given
them in the 14 and 15 Chapters about their
receiving one another, doth yet flrongty fug-
geft co me, that they were not yet in fellow-
ship, but as it were now about it, when
Paul wrote his Epiflle to them.
The firft Epiitle written to Corinth, was
alfo wrote to all them that in every f lace called
ttfon the Name of the Lord Jefus Ckrift,
Chap.1.2. But it will be hard work for our
Author to make it rnanifeft, that none in thofe
dayes did call on the TZamc of our Lord , but
thofe that were firft baptized.
The fecond Epiftlc alfo, was, not only
written to the Church at Corinth, but alio to
% Cor.i.x. a fi t k e Saints which were in all ^Achaia. To
the Galatians and Theffalonians indeed, his
falutation was only to the Churches* there :
but the three Epiftles before were as well to
all other ; as alfo that to the Ef he fans, Philip-
yians, and Calcjfuns, in which the Faithful,
and Saints in Chriit Jefus were alfo every one
com- •
ho Bar to Communion, a 3
comprehended. Befides, Tu what particular
Church was theEpillle to the Hebrews wrote ?
or the Epiffle of James ? both thole of Peter>
and the firlt of John ? Nay, that of John
was wrote to fome at that time out of Fellow-
ship, that they might have fellowfhip with the
Churchy Chap. 1. i, 2, 3, 4. So that thefe
Brethren mult not have all the Scriptures :
we have then a like priviledge with all Saints,
to ufe the Scriptures for our godly edifying,
and to defend our felves thereby, from the
aflaults of rhofe that would make fpoyl of us.
But to pais this, and come to the next.
You object for that I faid , If Watcr-
Baptifm (at tb; Circumflances with which the
Church wot peftred of old ) trouble the Peace,
and wound the Consciences of the Godly y dif-
member and breast heir FeUowfhips j **.*$> */-
though an 0rdinay.ee, for the pre] ant prudently
to be [hunned. (pag.ScT. )
At this (aslfaid)youobjeil (pag.io>n.)
and fay, Did I ever fivd Baptifm a Pefi or
Plague, to Churches ? And did ever God fend
an Ordinance to bt a Pe(t and Plague to his
People ?
I Anfwer; I faid not that God did fend it
for any fuch end at all : God's Ordinances
are none of this, in themfelves ; nor if uled
as, and for the end for which Gcd i-\\t them.
But yet both Bapf.fm, and the Supper of the
Lord, hive ( by being wre'fed our of their
place ) b^cn a great ailiicbon to the G.xiiy
both in this and ether Ages. Wbat fay you
to breaking of Bread, which the Dint, by
B 4. abuling)
24 Differences about Water -Baptifm,
abufing, made an Engine in the hand of Va»
. pfls to burn, ftarve, hang-and-draw thou-
fands ? What fay you to John of Leyden f
What work did he make by the abufe of the
Ordinance of Water-Baptifm ? And I wifh
this Age had not given caufe, through the
Church-renting-Spirits that (ome are pofTefifed
with, 'to make complaint of this matter } who
have alfo had for their Engine the Baptifm
with Water : Yea, your felf Sir, fo far as
I can perceive, could you get but the oppor-
tunity ,* your felf ( I fay ) under pretence of
this innocent Ordinance, as you term it,
would not flick to make in-roads, and out-
roads too, in all the Churches, that fuit not
your fancy, in the Land. For you have al-
ready been bold to affirm, That all thofe that
have baptised Infants^ ought to be afhameci
and repent, before they be (hewed the Pattern
of the Hoptfe: And what is this but to
threaten, that could you have your will of
them, you would quickly take from them
their prefent Church-priviledges , and let
them fee nothing thereof, till thofe qualifica-
tions, efpecially fubje&ibn to Water-Baptifm,
was found to attend each of them.
Asro thePerfons you fpeak of, Who have
rent Churches in pieces, by making Preaching
by Method^ Doctrine^ Reafon and Vfe, to bet
Antickriflian^ 'Or, becaufe they could not
have other Miniftrations performed after their
Fancies ( pzg. n, 12. J the imprudence of
fuch va.it h your f elves, hath been heart-break-
ing to many a gracious Soul • zn high Qccafior*
- ■ : - of
no Bar to Communion, 2JT
of {tumbling to the weak, and a reproach to
the wayes of the Lord. That ic may be pru-,
dcntly fhunned, I referred you then for proof,
to what fhould be offered after : but at this
you cry our., and fo pafs it.
And now Reader, although this Author
hath thus objected againft/tfwr paflages in this
my firft Argument for Communion wich Per-
fons un baptized ; yet the body of my Argu-
ment he mifleth, and paffeth over, as a thing
not worth the Anfwering ; whecher becaufe
he forgot, or becaufe he was confcious to
himfelf, that he knew not what to do there-
with, I will not now determine.
i. I effectually prove, That Baptifm is not
the initiating Ordinance, pag. 7 1 . — 7$,
2. I prove, That though it wot-, yet the cafe
may fofall out, that Members might be received
without it, pag. 82, 83.
• 3.I prove, That Baptifm makes no man a
vijible Saini> nor glvetb any a right to Church-*
Fellowjhlp^ pag. 76,
4. I prove, That Faith, and a Life be com-,
ing the Law of the Ten Commandments, jhould
be the chief and mofi folid Argument with true.
Churches to receive Saints to Feliowjhtp,
y. I prove, Ibat CircumcifionintheF/ejh)
which was the entring Ordinance of old, was 4
Type of Cixcumcifion in the heart 3 drc.p.j9,8o.
Theie things, with others, our Author let-
tethpafs; although in the proof of chem a-
feideth the ftrength of this firlt Argument ;
to which I mult intreac him in his next, to caft
his eye, and give fair Anfwer j as alfo to else
Scriptures
%€ Differ tnets about tVaur. Baftifm,
Scriptures on which each are built, or he mnft
furTer me to fay, I am abufed. Further, I
make a qucftion upon three Scriptures, Whe-
ther all the Saints,even in the Primitive times,
were baptized with Water ? to which alfo he
anfwereth nothing} whereas he ought to
have done it, if he will cake in hand to Con-
fute. ( The Scriptures are, i 0.1.14,1$;,
16. Rom.6.$. Gal.$.2.7.) Yet we:: they
eftc&ually anfwered, my Argument is No-
thing weakened.
You come to my fecond Argumeut, drawn
from Efb. 4. 4, 7, 6. Upon which a little
more now to inlarge, and then to take notice
of your Obje&ion.
The Apoftle then in that Fourth of the
JZfhefians, exhorteth the Church there with
all lorvlinefs, and meeknefs y with long-fuffering,
and forbearing one another, to ENDEAVOUR
to keep the Unity of the SPIRIT in the bond
of PEAC8, verf. 2, 3. This done, he pre-
fents them with fuch Arguments, as might
fallen his Exhortation to purpofe upon them.
Thefirft is, Becaufe the Body is ONE ;
li 22" 14. There U one Body 5 therefore they mould not
h&i& divide: For if the Church of Chrift be a
Body, there ought not to be a rent or Schifm
among them.
2. His fecond Argument is, There is one
Spirit, or one quickning Principle by which
the Body is made to live : for having Ailerted
before that Chnft hath indeed a Body, it was
meet that hefhewed alfo, that this Body hath
li.'c, and motion. Now that life, being none
other,
na Bar to Communion. 17
other, than that nourifhment, or Spirit of life,
from which the whole Body fit ly joyned together ,
and comy&tt, by that which every jeynt fupfly+
ah, according to the efettual working of the
meafure in every party makjih incretfe of the
body jo the edifying of it felf in love,Eph.q.i6.
Now this Spirit, being firft,and chiefly, in the
Head,therefore none other but thofe that hold
the Head can have this nourishment minijlred to
them : Befidcs, This is the Spirit that knits the
Body together,& makes it increafe with the m-
creafe of God,C*/.2.itf. This is the Unity of the
Spirit which he before exhorts them to keep.
3. The third Argument is, Becaufe their
Hope is alfo but one. Even as you Are called
( faith he ) in one Hope of your calling : As
who fhould fay, Ivly Brethren, if you are
called with one calling, if your Hope, both as
to the Grace of Hope,' ard alfo the Object,
be but one : if you hope for one Heaven, and
for one Eternal Life ; then maintain that Unity
of the Spirit, and Hope, while here, in love,
and the bond of peace.
4. The fourch Argument is, There is one
Lord, or Husband, or Prince, to whom this
Church belongs : Therefore if wehaveHui-
bands but one, Lord, and Prince but one, let
us not ren: icto many Parties, as if we had
many Husbands, Lords, and Princes, to go-
vern us, as his Wife, hisHoufe, and King-
dom. Is Chrip divided? 1 Cor.i.
C. The fifth Argument is, There is one
Vaith, by which we all Hand juftified by one
Lord jelus Chi ift ; m fmb by which we
efcape
z% Differences about Water -Baptifm,
efcape the Wrath of God ; one Faith by which
only they that have it are blefled ; yea, feeing
there is but one Faith, by which we are all
pat into one way of Salvation, let us hold to-
gether as fuch.
6. The fixth Argument, There is one Bap-
tifm.
Now we are come to the pinch, viz,.
Whether it be that of Water, or no ? which
I muft positively deny.
i. Becaufe Wacer-Baptifm hath nothing
Co do in a Church, as a Church ; it neither
bringeth us into the Church, nor is any pare
of our Worfhip when we come there ; how
then can the Peace and Unity of the Church
depend upon Water-Baptifm ? Beiides, he
faith expreQy, It is the Unity of the Spirit,
( not Water ), that is here intended : and
the Arguments brought to inforce it, are fuch
as wholly and immediately relate to the Duty
of the Church, as a Church.
2. Further, That other Text, that treateth
of our being baptised into a body, faith ex-
y Cor. 1 1. P re fly i c 1S done by the Spirit ; For by one
I j. Spirit we are all baptized into one body, I Cor.
12. 1 6. Here is the Church prefented as un-
der the notion of a Body ; here is a Baptifrn
mentioned, by which they are brought, or ini-
tiated into this Body : Now that this is the
Baptifm of Water, is utterly againft the
words of the Text; For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body: befides, if the
Baptifm here be of Water, then is it the ini-
tiating Ordinance ; but the contrary I have
proved,
no Bar to Commulon, 2$
proved, and this Author Hands by my Do-
ctrine. So then, the Baptifm here, refpecting
the Church as a Body , and Water having
nothing to do to enter men into the Church,
r.or to command them to praclife it as a
Church, in order to their Peace, or Commu-
nion, or refpecting the Woifhip of God as
fuch : And ( I fay again ) the Baptifm in
the fixth Argument, being urged precifely for
no other purpofe, but with refpcft to the
Churches peace as a Body j it mult needs be
THAT Baptifm, by virtue of which, they
were initiated, and joyned together in one:
and that Baptiim being only that which the
Spirit executeth 5 this therefore is that one
Baptifm.
7. The other Argument is alio efTe&ua] ;
There is one God and Father of all, who is a- yer(.6>
hove ally and through all, and in you all. If
wc are one Body ; if to it there be but one Spi-
rit ; if we have but one Hope, one Faith, and
be all baptized by one Spirit into that one Bo-
dy -j and it we have but one Lord, one God,
and he in every one of us j let us be alfo one :
and let them that are thus qualified, both
joj'n together, and hold in one*
But our Author againft this , objeclcth,
That, now I imploy my Pen againft every man ;
and give the lye to all Expoftors, for they hold
this one B-tptifm, to be none other than that of
Water, pag.13.
Anfw. What if I fhould alfo fend you to
Anfwcr thofc Expojitors that expound certain
Scripture* for /^/4»r-Baptifm, and that by
them
$o Differences about Water +Bafti{m t
them brand us for Anobaptifts ; muft this
drive you from your belief of the Truth >
Lxpofcors I reverence, but muft live by mine
Kab.».4. OVOn fattb : God hath no where bound him -
kU to them more than to others, with refpeft
to the revelation of" his Mind in his Word.
But it becomes not you to run thus to Ex-
p oft tors, who are, as to your notions in many
Ifa.8. 20. things, but of yefterday : To the Lav?, and
Pfal.8.2. to the Tefiimony : For out of the mouth of
Babes the Lord hath ordained ftrength.
But you bid me tell you, What I mean by
Spirit'B*ptifm ?
Anfw. Sir, you miftake me, I treat not
here of our being baptized with the Spirit,
with refpe&to its coming from Heaven into
us ; but .of ttyit acl: of the Spirit, when
come, which bapttz,eth m into a Body, or
Church : It is one thing to be baptized with
the Spirit in the fir ft fenfe ; and another to be
baptized by it in the fenfe I treat of : for the
Spirit to come upon me, is one thing ; and
for that when come, to implant, imbody, or
baptize me into the body of Chrift,is another.
Your Queftion therefore is grounded on a
a miftake, both of my Judgment, and the
words of the Apoftle. Wherefore thus I
foon put an end to your Objections (pag. 14.)
For the Spirit to come down upon me u one
thing $ and for the Spirit to baptize, or im-
planc me into the Church, is another : for to
he pofteffed with the Spirit, is one thing ; and
to be led by that Spirit, is another* t con-
dude then y Seeing the Af'gunWfi tikifl from
1
no Bar to Communion* * t
that one Baptifm, refpeð Church-Fellow-
fhip properly ; and feeing Water-Baptifm
medleth not with it as fuch ; it is the other,
even, that in i Cor* 12.16. that is here in-
tended, and no other.
But you add, If nothing but extraordinary
Gifts are called the baptifm of the Spirit in a
ftritt fcnfe^ then that baptifm, 1 Cor. 12.
muft be fVater-bapti[m } as well a* that in the
Epbe/tans.
HoW : You make your Conclusions before
you have caufe } Firft prove that in the Epbe-
fians co be meant of Water- baptifm, and that
the'Bapcifm in iOr.i2.i(J. is the Baptifm
you would have it j and then conclude my
Argument void.
That it is the Baptifm of the Holy Ghojft
according to the common notion, / fay not ;
for you to ajfert it is the Baptifm of Water,
gives the lye to the Text : But that it is an
act of the HolyGhoft, baptizing the Saints
into a Body, or Church, you will hardly be
able to make the contrary appear to be truth.
But behold, while here you would have
this to be Baptifm with Water, how you con-
tradict and condemn your own Notion : You
fay Water-baptifm is not the entering Ordi-
nance ; yet the Baptifm here is fuch as bapti-
zeth us into a Body : Wherefore before you
fay next time that this in 1 Cor. 12. io\ is
meant of Water-baptifm ; affirm, that Water-
baptifm is the initiating or entering Ordinance,
that your Opinion and Doctrine may hang
betcer toge:her,
Wc
Differences about PVater-Baptifm,
We come to my third Argument ; which is
to prove. It is lawful to hold Church-Commu-
nion with the godly fincere .Believer, though he
bath not been baptised with Water, hecavife hs
hath -the DOCTRINE of Baptifms,Htb.6.
Which Dstlrine I dillingiiilh from the Pra-
Blce6{ it ; the Doctrine being that which by
the outward-fign is prefented to us • or which
by the outward-circumftance of the a6t is
preached to the Believer, viz,, the Death of
Chrift, my death with Chrift ; alio his Re-
iurredtioii from che dead, and mine with him
to newnefs of life. This our Author calleth
one of the ftrangefl ParadoJces that he hath
LIGHTLY objerved.
Anfw. How light he is in his Observation
of things, I know not : This I am hire, the
Apoftle makes mention of the Doctrine of
Baptifm } Now that the Doftrwe of a man,
or Ordinance, is the fignification of what is
Preached, is apparent to very fenfe. What is
Chrift's Dodtrine, Paul's Doctrine, Scripture-
Dodtrine, but the Truth couched Under the
words that are fpoken ? So theDodlrine of
Baptifm, yea and the Doclrine of the Lord's
Supper, are tliofe Truths or Myfteries that
fuch Ordinances preach urito ns. And that
the Dotlrlne of Baptifm in this feofe, is the
great end for which that, and the Lord's
Supper was inftituted, is apparent from all
the Scriprures : it is that which the Apoftle
feeketh for in that eminent rixth of che Ro-
mans, Know you not that fo many of hs as were
baptized into Jefta Chrifl, were baptized into
his
no Bar to Communion. + *
hu Death ? Therefore we are buried with
him by Baptifm , that like at Chrift was
raifed from the Dead by the Cjlory &f the
Father ; fo wc fbould walk^ in new Kefs of Life.
For if we have been planted together in the like-
nefi of his Death, we fhali be alfo in the like-
nefs of his Refurrcftion, Rom.6\ 3 ,4,5-. What
is here difcourfed, but the Do&rine of, or that
which Baptifm teacheth ; with an intimati-
on, that that was the chief, for the fake of
which that Shadow was Inftituted ; as alfo
that they that have the Docrrine^ox that which
is (igniffed thereby , they only muft reign wich
Chnft.
Again, This is that which he feekech for
among the Corinthians ; // the dead rife not at
all, faith he, why then were yon baptized for
the dead ? 1 Cor. 15-. 22. Why then were
you baptized ? what did Baprifm teach y
Whas DoBrine did it preach to ycu? Fur-
ther, Buried with him in Baptifm^ wherein
alfo you are r if en again wuh him^ throttoh the
Faith of the operation of (jod, who raifed him
from thi dead. What is here in chief aliened,
but the Dottrine only which Water- baptifm
preacheth ? with an intimation, that they,
and they only, are the faved of the Lord, that
have heard, received, and that live in this
Doc-lrine, CoL 2. 12, 15.
The Came may be faid of the Lord'i Supper,
i: alfo hath its Doctrine. Buc again ft this oiir
Author objeCteth, faying, That th^
the Dottrine of Baptifm^ 1 am jet to !
34 Differences about Water-It aptlfm]
*s4n[#. Your ignorance of the Truth
makes it no: an Error : But I pray you, what
is the Dottrine of Baptifm, if not that which
Baptifm teacheth, even that which is Signifi-
ed thereby? As that is the Doctrine of
Chrift, and the Scriptures; which he and
they teach as the mind of God.
But vou fay, / took^ths Doclrlne of Baptifm
to be the Command, that a Believer fhouldbc
b apt i fed, for fuch ends at the Gofpel expref-
feih*
Anfo. .To afTert that a figurative Ordi-
nance is of God, is one thing • but the Do-
Urinal Signification of that Ordinance is ano-
ther : A man may preach the Command, yet
none of the Dotlrine which Bapcifm preach-
eth, The Dotlrlne lyeth not in the Com-
mand, but the myftery difcovered to Faith,
by the a6l.
You objeel, If the %efurreUlon be the Do-
Brine of Baptifm-) why doth the Apoftle make
that % and the Dotlrine of Baptifm, things di-
ftinUy in Heb.6\
Anfw. The Relurreclion (imply consi-
dered, is not the Doctrine of Baptifm, but
Chri(Vs, and mine by him. Befides, there is
more in it than the Myftery of thisRefur-
le&ion ; there is my death firft, and then my j
riling with him.
But you add, VrMrthe Law, alltheSa-l
crifices of that Dijpenfatiori, with their Sab-
bat hs y were Types of that Chrlfl y who was the
ftiiftar.ee of ail thofe Ceremonies. If any of
them thsn that frofejfed Faith in the Mejfias
-
m Bar to Communion. gy
to comfy fhould upon for uplety or want of pre-
tended Light) negletlthe whole , or part of tb*t
Typical fVorjhip ; why may not a man fay of
them, as this Advocate of the Pratlice under
Debate, they had the richer and better Sacri-
fice.
Anftv. Firft, That the Brethren which re-
fufe to be baptized, as you and I would have
them, refufe ic for want of pretended Light,
becomes you not ro imagine, unlefs your
boldnefs will lead you to judge, that *#men
wanzfincerity, that come not up to our judg-
ment. Their Confcience may be better than
either ;o«r/ or mine; yet God, for purpofes
beft known to himfelf, may forbear to give
them convidtion of their Duty in this parti-
cular. Bat w hat ? Becaufe they are not bap-
tized ; have they not Jefus Chrift ? Or,muft
we now be afraid to fay Chrift: is letter than
Water-baptifm ? Yea, God himfelf for the
fake of this better thing, hath fufTcred in his
Church a fujpenfton of fome of his Ordi-
nances, yet owned them for his truly Con-
llituted Congregation. What fay you to the
Church in the Wildernefs ? I touched you with
it in my firft, but perceive you lilted not to
meddle therewith. That Church received
Members, the way which was not prefcribed
by, but directly againft the revealed Mind of
God ; yet flood a true Church, their Members
true Members^ alfo that Church in that {fate,
was fuch before whom, among whom, and ro
whom God continually made known himfelf
C 2. CD
3 6 Differences about fVAter-Bttptifm,
to be their God, and owned them for his
peculiar treafure.
And now I am fain upon it, let me a little
inlarge-: This Church, according to the then
Inftituted Worfhip of God, hadCircumci-
fionfor their entering-Ordinance,(j^. 17. i3>
14. without which it was unlawful to receive
any into ' Fellowship with them : yea, he that
without it was received, was to be cut off, and
call out again. Further 5 As to the Paffeover,
the Uncircumcized was utterly forbidden to
cate it, Exod.12. Now if our Brethren had
as exprefs prohibition to juftifie their ground-
less Opinion, as here is to exclude the Uncir-
cumcifed from the Communion of the Church
and the Paffeover ; ( I fay ) if they could
dad iz written, No Hnbaptiz,ed Perjon jhall
enter, no 11 n baptized Per [on [haH eat of the
Sapper } what a noifc would they make about
it? But yet let thcReader obferve,that although
Circumcifion was the entering-Ordinance,
and our Author faith Baptifm is not ; yea,
rhough this Church was expreily forbidden
to receive the Uncircumcifed ( and we have
notafyliable now to forbid theUnbaptized )
yet this Church received Members without,
and other wife than by this entering- Ordi-
nance. They alfo admitted them to the Pafle-
cv.'r; yea, entertained, retained, and held
Communion with them fo long as forty years
without it. I fay, again, That the number
of this fort of Communicants was not fo few
as fix hundred thoufand. Moreover^ to thefe
Uncircumcifed was the Land of Canaan given,
no B.ir to Communion. 3 7
yea, a pofleflion of part thereof before they
wereCircumciled ; but the old Circumcifed
ones might not enter therein. 1 am the larger
in this, becaufe our Auchor hathover-1
my firft mention thereof. And now I ask.
What was the reafon that God continued his
Pretence with this Church notwithstanding
this cranfgreffion ? Was it not becaufe they
had that richer and better thing, the Lord
Jefus Chrifl ? For they did all eat of that [pi-
ritual Bread , and drank^ of that [piriiucil
Rock which followed them, and that Rock
was Chrifl, i Cor. io. Iconfeis I find them
under rebukes and judgments in the Wilder-
nefs, and chat they were wartimes threatned
tobedeftroyedj but yet I find not Co much
as one check for their receiving of Members
Uncircumcifed, Further, In the NcwTe-
ftament where we have a Catalogue of their
fins • and alfo of their punifhment for them j
we find not a word abcut Circumcifion, nor
the fmalleft intimation of the leafl rebuke for
neglecting the entering-Ordinance, i Cor. io.
y, io. I will therefore fay of them, as I
have alfo fa id of my Brethren, I he) bud the
richer and.beiter thing.
But you object, That this pttttetk the vt),
of God's Inflituted V/or[hip both under the L
andGc[pely to the klghefl uncertainties, p. 17.
Anfw. This putceth our Oppofcfs, out of
their road, and quencheth the flame of their
unwarrantable zeal. For if the entering-Or-
cmance, if the Ordinance without which
n might be added to the Church, ;
C 5 laid
3 $ Differences about Watir-Baptiftn,
% laid afide for forty years ; yea, if more than
fix hundred thoufand did Communicate with
them without it : I fry again, If they did
it, and held Communion with God, that nou
withstanding ; yea, and had not ( that we
read of) all that time, one fmall check for fo
doing ; why may not we now enter Commu-
nion, hold Communion, maintain Communi-
on, Church-Communion, without being
judged, and condemned by you ? becaufe we
cannot for want of Light be all baptized be-
fore; efpecially coniidering Baptilm makes
no man a Saint, is not the entering-Ordinance,
is no part of the Worfhip of God injoyned
the Church as a Church. To conclude. Al-
though we receive Members unbaptized, we
leave not God's Inftituted Worfhip at uncer-
tainties, efpecially what he hath commanded
us as his Church ; we only profefs our Want
of Light in fome things ; but fee no Word to
*- warrant the forbearance of our Duty in all,
for want of perfwafion in one.
You object, / call Baptijm a Circttmftance^
afhtw, an outward (hew, I NICK-NAME
it.
Anfa. D^ep reproof ! But why did you
not fhew me my evil in thus calling it, when
oppofed to the Subftance, and the thing fig-
niried? Is it the Subftance, is it the thing
jignified f And why may not I give it the
Name of a Shew ; when you call it a fymbolc,
and compare it' to a Gentleman's Livery?
■ '- But
r.o Bur to Communion.
But you fay, I call it an OVTfvARD
(hew.
A.ifw. Is ic an Inward one? What is
it?
It is a Command ?
Anfw. But doth that inftali it in that place
and dignity, thac was never intended for
k ?
You object further, They cannot haze the
Votlrine of Baptifm that under ft and not cur
way of admlmftri ng it . [ a g . 1 8 .
This is your mitlake, both of the, T>oUr\n
and Thing it fclf. But if you will
SCORN co cake NOTICE of me, I ad-
vife you again co confidcr, That a man may
find Baptifm to be Commanded, may be in-
formed who ought to adminifter it : may al-
fo know the proper Subject: and that the
manner of baptizing is Dipping ; and may
defire to praitiie ic becaufe it is Commanded,
and yet know nothing of what Water- baptilia
preacheth} or of the Myltcry baptifm fhew-
eth co Faith. Bu: that the Votlrine of Baptifm
is no: the Practice of it, not the outward act,
but the thing fignified j and thac every Belie-
ver hath that, muft argue you more than i o
bold to deny it.
But fay you, Who taught you to divide h:-
ttlxt Chrift and his Precepts, that joh word it
at [nch a rate ? That he thac ham the oof,
&c.
An ftp. To fay nothing of T
Word: verily fl-
it Chrift be ray Right eo vfnifs, and
c 4
40 Differences abont Water-Baptifm,
ter ; if Chrift be my Advocate, and not Wa-
ter ; if there be that good and blefTednefs in
Chrift, that is not in Water ; then is Jefus
Chrift better than Water ; and alfo in thefe
to be eternally divided from Water $ unlefs
we will make them Co-Saviours., Co- Advo-
cates, and fuch as are equally good, and pro-
fitable to men.
But fay you, / thottght that he that Bath
Chrijlyhad an orderly right to all Chrifl's <Pro-
mifes and Preempts $ and that the Precepts of
Chrift, are fart of the riches that a Believer
hath in and by Chrift.
Anfw. A Believer hath more in Chrift,
then either Promife or Precept ; but all Be-
lievers know not all things, that of God are
given to them by Chrift. But mufl not they
life, and enjoy what they know, becaufe they
know not all ? Or mult they neglect the
weightier matters, becaufe they want Mint,
and Annife, and Commin ? Your pretended
orderly right is your fancy ; there is not a
- fyllable in the whole Bible, that bids a Chri-
stian to forbear his Duty in other things, be-
caufe he wanteth (.as you term it) the fym-
bole, or Water* baprifm.
But fay you, He that dejplfeth his Birth-
right of Ordinances , our C httrch-privi ledges ,
will be found to be a prophane Perfon^at Efau, in
God^s account.
Baptifm is not the Privilcdge of a Church,
as fuch. But what ? are they all ESAWS
indeed ? Mail we go to Hell, and be dam-
\i for want of Faich in Water. baptifm ?
And
no Bar t9 Lommttnion. ^t
And take notice, I do not plead for a defpljing
of Bapnfai, but a bearing with oar Brother,
that cannot do it tor wan; of Light . The beft
of Baptifm he hath, *//£,. the fignificati mi
thereof; he wantech only the ou'.w arc! jhew,
which if he hs.d, would not prove him a rruly
vifiblt Saint; it would not tell me he had i lie
Grace of God in his heart \ it is no Character
riltical note to another of my Sonfliip with
God.
But why did you not Anfwer thefe parts
of my Argument ? Why did you only cavil
at words? which if they had been left out,
the Argument yet ftands good. He that
is no", baptized, if yet a true Believe?-, loath
the Doctrine of Baptifm ; yea, ht ought to
have it before he be Convil\ed y it is his duty to
be baptised, or elje he playetb the Hypocrite.
There is therefore no difference between that
Believer that is, and he that is not yet baptised
with Witter ; but only his going down into the
Water, thtre to perform an outward Ceremony
of the S*b [lance which he hath already ', which
yet he is not Commanded to d? with rtjpei
Membership with the Church ; bm to obtain by
that further under ft an ding of his Pripihdffe by
Chrift, which be f ere he made Profc/fun of,
tbfkt as a vifible Believer.
But to come to my fourth Argu i ,
which you (o tenderly touch as if v. burnt y
fingers : I am bold ( fay I ) to have Commu-
nion with vtfi'cle Saints as before, because Go£ .
hath Communion with them, whofe examp!e x
in the cafe we are ft
Re c five
42 Differences about Water -Baptifm,
Rom. i $.y Receive ye one another, at Chrifi fefus bath re-
ceived you, to the glory of God. Yea, though
they be Saints inOpinion contrary to you,or I.
Rom.if.i' We that are prong, ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak,, and not to pleaje our [elves. In-
firmities that are Sinful : for they that are
Ts^atural, are incident to all. Infirmities there-
fore they are, that for want of Light, caufe
a Man to err in Circumftantials : And the
reafon upon which Paul groundeth this ad-
,Verf.$. monition is $ For Chrifi f leafed not himfelf,
but as it is written, the reproaches of them
that reproached thee are fallen upon me*
You fay to this, pag. 20. That it is Paul's
diretlion to the Church at Rome how to
receive their Brethren Qhurch~ Members ,
pag. 2Q.
I anfwer.
1. What? are not the poor Saints now
in this City ? are not they concerned in thefe
inftrudlions ? or is not the Church by thefe
words at all directed how to carry it to thofe
that were not yet in fellowfhip ? A bold Af-
fertionl but grounded upon nothing, but
that you would have it fo,
2. But how will you prove that there was
a Church, a rightly conftkuted Church at
JRime, befides that in Aquilas houfe ? Chap*
io\ Neither doth this Epiftle , nor any other
in the whole Book of God aftirm it. Befides,
fince Paul in this laft Chapter falutech the
Church, as in this Mans houfe, but the o-
ther only as particular Saints, it giveth far-
ther ground of Conviction to yju, that
thefe
no Bar to Communion. 45
thofc others were not as yet imbodyed in fuch
a fellowfhip.
3. But fuppofe there was another Church
befides j it doth not therefore follow, that
the Apoftle exhorteth them only to receive
perfons already in fellowfhip j but bim, even Rom. 14. 1
every 6/10, that there was weak^in the Faiths
but not to doubtful difputations.
4. Suppole again, The receiving here ex-
horted to > be fuch as you would have it;
yet the %ule by which they are directed to
do it, is that by which wc perceive that
Chrift hath received them : But Chrift did
not receive them by Baptifm, but as given to
him by the Father : Him therefore concern-
ing whom we are convinced, that he by the
Father is given to Chrift , Him fhould we
receive*
j. But what need I grant you that which
cannot be proved ? yet if you could prove it,
it availeth nothing at all j becauic you may
not, cannot, ought not to dare to limit the
Exhortation to receiving of one another into
each others affections only ; and not alfo re-
ceiving Saints into Communion.
But you object : To make God's receiving
the Rule of oar receivings in all c^jes will not
bold. pag.2T.
An(w. Keep to the thing Man : If it hold
inthecalein hand, it is enough, the which
you have not denyed. And that i: iiolds
thus, is plain , becaufe commanded. Buc
let the Reader know , that your putting in
that way of his receiving which is inviiibic to
44 Differ was about Water-Baptifm,
us, is but an unhandfome ftradling over my
Argument , which treateth only of a vifible •
receiving ; fuc'h as is manifeft to the Church :
This you kne.v , but (ought by evading,
to turn the Reader from confidering the
ftrength of this my Argument. The recei- 3
ving then ( faid I, p.2o.) becaufe it isfet an
example to the Churchy is fuch as mufl needs be i
vifible unto them ; and is befl dij 'covered by that *
word that defer ibeth the vifible Saint : who jo
thenyou can judg a vifible Saint \one that w&lkr
eth with Gody you may, nay ought to judg by the
fame Word, God hath received him. Ttyrv him
that God rcceiveth, him jhottld you receive.
But will any object ', they cannot believe that
God receiveth the unbaptized Saints ? I will
not fuppofe you fo much flupified, and there-
fore ihall make no anfwer. But you feem to
be much offended, becaufe I (aid, Vain Man !
*£hink not by thefiralghtnefs of thine Order in
outward^ and bodily conformity to outward and,
fbadorvijh Circumjtances , that thy peace is
maintained with Cfod ?
But why fo much offended at this ?
Becaufe, you intend by this the Brethren of
the Baptised way.
A. If they be vain Men, and fee up their
OWN Order } bow ftraight foever they
make it, they are worthy to be reproved : //
Jer.S,p. ffey fo avg re j e ft e( l t k e ft' orc i ftl )e . J^ or ^ f w hat
wifdom is in them. And as y.otyfuggeit the
fail ,1 affirm the fecond. But if you would be
raftihed in excluding di of c, with whom yet
you tee God hath Communion, becaufe
no Bar to Communion. 4J
yet fee not a fhadow with you; ptoduce the
Scripture for fuch Order, that vvc may be-
lieve it is the Order of God : But deal fair-
ly, left we ilicw your nakednefs, and others
fee your fhame.
You tell me of the Order of the Colcffians,
Chap, 2.5-. bur if you can prove that thac
Church -refufed to hold Communion with
that Saint whom they knew to be received by
Chriif, , and held Communion with him, or
that none but thofe that are baptized are re-
ceived by, and hold Communion with him f
then you jiiftifie your Order. In the mean
while the whole of mine Argument {lands
firm againfl: you j Tou muft have Communion
with viftble Saints, becaufe God hath Commu-
nion with them, whefe Exam-pie in the Caje
we are flrittly Commanded to follow.
Bu: you ask me, If outward and bodily Con-
formity be become a crime ? pag.23.
t/fnfa.' I no where faid it : But know
that to glorifie God with our bodies, refpedt-
eth chieriy far higher and more weighty things
than that of Water-baptifm, whatsoever is Rom.14;
not of Faith is Jin ; and to fet up an Ordi-
nance, though an Oidinance of God, that by
it the Churches may be pull'd in pieces, or
the truly Vrfible Saints excluded Communion
with their Brethren ; 1 fay again, To 11
Water-baptifm a bar and diviiion betwixt
Saint and Sunt, every. whit otherwile gra-
cious and holy alike : This is like f^ fling for
ftrife, and debate, and to fmite with the of
wickfdnefs $ and is not to be found within
the
jf.6 Differences about tVattr-Bapufm,
the whole Bible, but is wholly an order
of your own deviling. As to the Peace you
make an Objection about (/>*£. 23*) you have
granted me wha r . I intended ; and now I
Eoh 21 a ^ further, That for Church-peace to be
-2. ' founded in Baptifm, or any other external
PhiU.r, Rite, not having to do with the Church as a
hS' Church, is poor Peace indeed : Church-
peace is founded in blood j and love to each
other for Jefusfake; bearing with, and for-
bearing one another, in all things Circum-
ftantial, that concern not Church- worfhip
as fuch: And in my other I have proved
that Baptifm is not fuch, and therefore oughc
not to be urged to make rents and divifions a-
mong Brethren.
But you ask, Is my peace maintained in a
way of difobedience ? and conclude if it be 9
you fear it isfalfc* pag.24.
A. Ihhtfirfl were true,you need not to doubt
of the fecond $ but it may be thought he hath
little to fay in the Controverfie, who is
forced to ftufF out his Papers^ with fuck need-
lefs prattles as tbcfe*
My fifth Argument is, That a failure in
fuch a Circumflance a* Watcr-bdptifm y doth not
utt'Cbriftian us 5 This you are compelled to
grant, pag.25. And I conclude with your
words, Perfons ought to be Chriftians be-
fore, vifible Chriftians ; fuch as any Congre-
gation in the Land may receive to Communi-
on with themfelves, becaufe God hath fhewed
lis that he hath received them. Receive him to
the Glory of God : [ To the Glory of God ]
is
710 dht 10 communion*
is put in on purpofc, to (hew what difhonour
they bring to him, who defpife to have Com-
munion wirh fuch, whom they know do
maintain Communion with God. I fay again,
How doth this Man, or that Church glorific
God, or count the Wifdom and Holinefs of
Heaven beyond them, when they refufe Com-
munion with them, concerning whom yet
they are convinced, that they have Commu-
nion with God.
But my Argument you have not denied ;
nor medled with the Conclusion at all \ which
by That there forty even btcaufe a failure here,
doth not un-Chriftian w, doth not make w in-
fincere ; and I add, Doth not lay ui of en to a-
nj revealed judgment or dl /plea fare of God ; (it
it dothjlhew where) therefore it fhould not %
it ought not to make tu obnoxious to the dtjplea-
fure of the Church of God.
Bntyonfay, Irank^ Gofpel-Precepts,mth
Old-Teftament abrogated Ceremonies, pag^j.
Anfw. Youftiould have given your Rea-
der my words, that he might have judged
fr©m my own mouth : I (aid then ( [peaking
before of Chriftianity it felf, pag. 94.) that
ihoufands of thou j and s that could not Confent to
Water* at we, are now with the innumerable
company of Angels , and the Spirits of jufl men
made perfeci. What was faid of Earing, or
the contrary, may as to this be faid of Water-
baptifm ; Neither if I be baptized, am I the
better ? neither if I be not, am I the worfe ?
not the better before God, not the worfe be-
fore Men 5 Hill meaning as Paul, Provided I
walk
47
48 Differences aboM fVater-Baptifm,
walk according to my Light with God; cu
therwife 'tis falfe. For if a man that feech it
to be his Duty, (hall defpifingly neglect it ;
or it he that hath not Faith about it, fhall
iboiiihly take it up : both thefe, are for this
the worfe ; I mean, as to their own feiife, be-
ing convicted in themfelves, as tranfgreflbrs.
He therefore that doth it according to his
Light, doth well; and he that doth it not,
for wane of Light, doth not ill '■> for he ap-
proveth his heart to be fincere with God, even
by that his forbearance. And I tell you a-
gain, Ir. is no where recorded, that this man
asunder any revealed threatning of God, for
his noz being baptized with Water, he not
having Light therein, but is admitted through
his Grace to as. many Promifes as you. l[
zherefore lie be not a partaker of that Circum-
ftance, yet he is of that Liberty, and Mercy,
by which you Rand with God.
• But that I praitife Inftituted Wotfhip, up-
on the fame account as Fatil did Circumcifi-
on, and /having, is too bold for you to pre.
fume to imagine. What ? Becaufe I will not
fufTer Water to carry away the Epiilles from
the Chriftians ; and becaufe I will not let Wa-
ter-bapnim be the Rule, the Door, the Bolt,
the Bar, the Wail of Divifion between the
Righteous, & the Righteous; mult I thercfote
be judged to be a Man without Confcience to
theWorfhipof Jcfus Chrift ? The Lord de-
Jiver me from Superfluous, and Idolatrous
thoughts about any the Ordinances of
Chrdt,and of God. But my filch Argument
ftandech
no Bar to Communion. 40
ftandeth againft you untouched ; you have
noc denyed , much lefs confuced the lead
lylfable thereof.
Yuu tcil me my fixih Argument is, Edifice
A. It it be, why isic not imbraced ? But
my own words are thcfe ;
I am for ho'ding Communion thus ; be-
caufe the Edification of Souls in the Faiib ,
and bolincfi of thcGofpel U of great er concern
than an agreement in outward things j I fa^
'tu of greater concern with us, and of far more
profit to our Brother, than cur agreeing tn y or
contefling for Wa'.tr~bapti[m , Joh. l6\ 13.
i Cor. 14. 12. 2 Cor. 10.8. Chap. 12. 19.
Ephef. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2. Chap. 8. 1.
Now why did you not take this Argument in
pieces, and anCwer thofe Scriptures, on which
the nren^th the eoF depends; But if to con-
teft, and rail out about Water-bap.iCin, be
better than to edfte the Houfc oftood, pro-
duce the Texts, that we may be informed.
You fay; Edification is the end of all Q cm-
mtinlon , but all things mufi be dons m Order j
orderly, pag. 26.
Anfvr, When y< u have proved that there
is no fiich thing as an orderly edifying of the
Church without Water- baptifm, precede,
then it will be time enough to think you have
faid Comet hing.
You add ; Edification as to Church-fellon*-
(hi p being a building up, do n fupfofe the being
of a Church ; but pray you [hew in a Chuch
without Baptifm. p,26.
D A.
Vlfertnces about Wdtir-Baptifm,
A. See here the fpirit of thefe Men, who
for the want of Water-baptifm, have at once
un-Churched all/#df> Congregations of God
in the World ; but againft this I have, and
do urge, That Water- baptifm giveth neither
being, nor well-being to a Church, neither
is any part oi that Inftituted Worfhip of
God, that the Church, as fucb, fhould be
found in the Practice oL Therefore her Edi-
fication as a Church may, yea and ought to
be attained unto without it.
But you fay, Shew us a New-Tcflament-
£ hutch vplthmt Baptifm. pag.26\
A. What fay you to the Church all a-long
the Revelation quite through the Reign of
Antichrift ? Was that a New-Teftament*
Church, or no ?
Again, If Baptifm be without the Chnrch,
5s a Church, if it hath nothing to do in the
Conftituting of a Church; if it be not the
door of entrance into the Church, if it be
no part of Church -worfhip as fuch * then,
although all the Members of that Church
were baptized, yet the Church is a Church
without Water-baptifm. But all the Churches
in the New-Teftament were fuch: There-
fore, &c.
Again, If Baptifm refpecl: Believer, as
particular Perfons only ; if it refpeefs their
own Confciencconly ; if it make aman no vi-
fib-c Believer tome, then it hath nothing to
go with Church-member fhip : Becaufe, that
which refpects my own Perfon only, my own
Conference only : that which is no Character
• of
no Bar to Communion. ji
of myvifible Saintfhip to the Church, can-
not be an Argument unto them to receive me
into fellowfhip with themfelves. But this is
true, Therefore, &c.
You proceed, If by Edification, be meant
the private increafe of Grace, in one another, In
the ufe of private means, a* private Christians
in meeting together ; how doth the Principle
yon oppofe hinder that? Endeavour to makf
men as holy at yon can, that they may be fated
for Church-fellowship , when God jhali /hew
them the orderly way to it. pag.26.
Anfa. What a many private things have
we now brought out to publick view ? Pri-
vate Chriftians, private Means, and a private
increafe of Grace. But, Sir, Are none but
thofc of your way the publick Chriftians >
Or, ought none but them that are baptized to
have the publick means of Grace ? Or, mud
their Graces be increased by none but private
means ? Was you awake now ? Or, are
you become lo high in your own phantafies,
that none have, or are to have but private
mears of Grace? And, are there no publick
Chriftians, or publick Chriitian-Meetings,
but them of your way ? I did not think
that all but Baptifts, ihouJd only abide id
holes.
But you find fault becaufe I [aid, Edification
is greater than contt fling about Water-baptifm.
pag.27.
A. If it be not,confute me • if it bc,forbcar
to cavil. Water-baptifm, and all God's
Ordinances, are to be ufed to Edification }
D 2 not
'D'jferepces abont Water*Baj>tifm f
nor ro beget heats and contentions among, the
liy, wherefore Edification is beft.
Object. / had thought that the Preaching,
penwa Bipttfoi flight have been reckoned
a f*rt ;f o.'ir Edification.
tyirfv. The ad of Water-baptifm hath
not place m Church-worfhip , neither in
\\ hole nor \n part ; wherefore prefimg it upon
the Church is to no purpofe at all*
Obcct. Why ma) yon not m well [ay that
Edifi:#.tioxu greater than breaking °f Bread.
Axfvc. So it is, clfe that (hould never have
been Inftituced toeditie withal ; thac which
ierveth, is not greater than he that is ferved
thereby. Bapnfrn and the Lord's-Supper
both, were made for us, not we for them •
wherefore bo;h were made for our Edificati-
tionj but no one for our deftrudtion.
But again, Tne Lord's-Supper, not Bap-
ciim 3 is for the Church, as a Church ; there-
fore as we will maintain the Church's edify-
ing, that mutt be maintained in it ; yea, ufed
oft, to mew the Lord's Death till he come,
3 Cor. 11 .22. 26.
Befidcs , becaufc it is a great part of
Church-worfhip, as fuch, therefore it is pro-
nounced blefled, the Lord did openly bltfs it
before he gave it ; yea and we ought to biefs
Jt alio :, ( The Cup of blcfting which we blefs)
not to fay more, Therefore your reafoning
from the one to the other will not hold.
Object. How comes contefimg for Water*
I apt if m to be (0 much againfl you f
Awfw,
no Bay to Commnmon. j 3
Anfw. Firft, becaufe weak Brethren can-
not bear it; whom yet we arc commanded
to receive but not to doubtful difpurnrion -
doubtful to them, therefore tor theii -lakes. {
mutt forbear it. Rom. 14. 1.
Secondly, Becaufe I have not feen ay
good effect, but the contrary, where-ever
fuch hot Spirits have gone before me : For
where Envie and Strife is, there is Con-
fulion (or Tumults) and every Evil- work.
Jam.^.i6 y ij.
Thirdly, Becaufe by the Example of the
Lord, and Pattl> we muff. confider the preicne
Hate of the Church, and not trouble them
with what they cannot bear. Joh % 16. 13.
1 Cor, 3. 1,2, 3.
I conclude then, Edification in the Church
is to be preferred above what the Church, as
a Church, hath nothing co do wichai. All
things ( dearly beloved ) are for our Edify-
ing. 1 Cor. 14. £. & 12. 2.6. 260r.12.1p.
Epcf.^.26. Rom.ij'2. 1 Or. 14. 3. 2 Cor.
10. 8. & 13% io. Rom. 14. 10. Before l
wind up this Argument, I preicnt you with
feveral Inftances, fhewing that fome of the
brccah oi God's Precepts have been born
with, When they come in competition <
Edification. As Firlt, Tharof Aaron,
let the Offering for Sin be burnt, that lliould
have indeed been eaten, Ltvit.io. Yet be-
caufe he could not do it to his Edification,
Mofes was content. But the Law was there-
by tranfgrcfi'ed, Chap. 6. 26. The Prief! ■
oftercth it for Sin, ilmll eat it.
D 3 To
54 Vtfereuces about Water-Baptifm,
To this you Reply, That vpm not a conftant,
continued, forbearing of. God\ Worfhip, but a
fufptnding of it for a feafon.
i/infrv. We alfo fufpend it but for a feafon 5
when Perfons can be baptized to their Edifi-
cation, they have the liberty.
But fecondly, This was not a bare fufpen-
Hon, but a flat fcranfgreifion of the Law : Ye
ihould indeedliavc eaten it : Yet Mofes was
content. Levit. 10. 16.— -20.
But fay you, Perhaps it was fujpendfd upon
jufl and legal grounds , though not exprtffed.
Anfvo. The exprefs Rule was againit. it ;
Tefhould indeed ( faid Mofes) have eaten It in
the Holy place, as I commanded^ verf. 18. But
good Sir, are you now for unwricten veri-
ties ? for legal grouuds,though not exprefled ?
I will not drive you further, here is Rome
enough.
As for Eldad and Me dad, it cannot be de-
nyed, but thac their edifying of the People,
was preferred before their conforming to every
Circumftance. Nnmb. H .i6\— - 26\
i' You add, That Paul for a feeming low
thing did withftand Peter.
Sir, If you make but a feeming low thing
of DifTembling,' and teaching others fo to do
5al.2. u 3 ( especially whefe the Doctrine of Juftificati-
l > l h on is endangered) I cannot expect much good
Confcieace from you.
As for your Anfwer to the cafe of Hez>e~
S#*ij it is faulty in two refpe£ts :
1 . For thac you make rhe Pafleover a Type
of the Lord's Supper, when it was only a
Type
no Bur to Communion. $ y
Type of the Body and Blood of the Lord :
For even Chrift our Paffeover is Sacrifice for
us. i Cor. j. 7*
2. In that you make it an Example ro you
to admic Perfons unprepared to theLord's-
Supper. fag.19.
An[w. May you indeed receive Perfons in-
to the Church unprepared for che Lord's- Sup-
per y yea, unprepared for chat, with other fo-
lemn Appointments ? For fo you word ic,
page i p. O what an Engine have you made
ol Water- baptifm.
Thus, gentle Reader, while this Author
ceareth us m pieces for not making Baptifm
the orderly Rule for receiving the Godly, and
Confciencious into Communion; he can re-
ceive Perfons if baptized, though unprepared
for the Supper, and other folemn Appoint-
mems ? I would have thee confulc the place,
and fee if it countenanced] fuch an ad, Thac
am:n whopleadeth for Watcr-baptifm above
the Peace and Edification of the Church,
oi^ht to be received (although unprepared )
into the Church to the Lord's-Supper, and o-
cher folemn Appoincmencs,efpeciallv consider-
ing the Nature or" right Church-Conilitucion,
and the feverity of God towards chofe thac
came unprepared to his Table of old. i Cor.
11.28,29,30. A Riddle indeed, Thac
the Lord fhould, withou: 2 word, fo feverely
command, that all which want Light in Bap-
tifm, be excluded Church-priviledaes ; and
yet againit his Word, admit oi Perfons uo-
D 4 pre-
Differences about PVater-Baptifm,
prepared, to the Lord ? s Table, and other fo-
lemn Appointments.
But good Sir, why fo fhort-winded ? why
could not you make the fame work with the
other Scriptures, as you did with thefe ? I
muft leave them upon you unanfwered ; and
landing by my Argument conclude, That
if Laws and Ordinances of old have been
broken, and the breach or them born with
(when yettheOhfervation of outward things
was more fhictiy Commanded than now )
if the Profit and Edification of the Church
come in competition ; how much more may
not we have Communion, Church Commu-
nion, when no Law of God is tra(ifgre;:ed
thereby. And note, That all this ^vhile I
plead not ( as you ) for Perfons unprepared,
bur gbclly, and hich as walk with God.\
We come now to my feventh Argument,
for Communion with the Godly, thoughiin-
fcaptized Perfons j which you fay is lAve*
f>sg.2 9t X
My Argument is this ; Therefore 1 am for
Communion thus ; becaufe Love y which above
all things we are Commanded to put on, is of
much more worth than to breaks about Bapiijm.
And let the %eader note, That of this Argu-
ment you deny not fo much as one fyllable,
but run to another ftory ; but I will follow
you.
I add further, That Love is more difcover-
ed when we receive tor the fake of Chnft,
thai wl en we refufe his Children for wane
of VV«iter : And tell you again, That this
Eriior-
no B*r to Communion. *j
Exhortation to Love is grounded rot upon
Baptidn, but the rucrir.gonof the new Crea-
tuie, which ha:h fwallowed up all diftmcli-
. f o/. 3.9. — 14. Yea, there are ten A r-
gum? ts in this one, which you have noc fo
much as rouched ; but chus obje6t, That man
tha mikjs Afrth'on the Rttie of his walk'ir,g y
ra h r <b*u jtiigmtnty it u no wonder tf he go
cue of he way,
slnfa, Love to them we arc perfwa ded
tha: God hath received, is Love chat is guided
by Judgment } and zo receive theiti that arc
fuch, oe.aufe God hath bidden us ( Rom.i^S)
is Judgment guided by Rule. My Argu-
ment therefore hath fbreftalled all your hoifc,
and ftandeth ftill on ics legs again!* ycu.
As to the Ducies of Piety, and -Charity
youboaftof, pag. 30. found noc aTrumper,
tell noc your left hand of it- we are talking
now of Communiou of Saints, Church-
Communion, and I plead that e Love,, and
hold together as iuch, is better than to break
in pieces for wane of YVacer-bapcidn. Mv r
Jleafon is, becaufe we are exhorted in ail
things to put on Love ; the Love of Church-
Communion : concrariwife you onpofe, X-
bove all things put on Water. For the bell
Saint under Heaven that hath not that, with
him you reiufe Communion. Thus you make
Baptifm, chough no Church- Ordinance, a bar
to fhut out treGodfy, and a Trap door ro
let the unprepared into Churches , to the
Lord's-Supper, and other folemn # Appoint-
ments. p*g.*9>
But
5 * 'jJijjerencts avout trattr'Dapnjm,
But you object, Mufi our Love to the un-
baptiz,ed indulge them in anattef difobedi-
enee f Cannot we love their Perfons, Parts,
graces, but we mufi love their Sins ? pag.30.
Anfw. We plead noc for indulging. Buc
are there noc with you, even with you tins
againft the Lord your God ? 2 Chro».z$.io.
But why can you indulge the Baptifts in many
acts of difobedience ? For to come unpre-
pared into the Church, is an acl; of difobe-
dience: To come unprepared to the Supper
isana&of difobedience ^ and to come fo al-
io to other folcmn Appointments, are adts of
difobedience.
But for tbefe things, you fay, you do not
cafiy nor keep any out of the Church.
An fa. But what a&s of difobedience do
we indulge them in ?
In the Sin of Infant-baptifm.
*Anfa. We indulge them not ; but being
Commanded fo bear with the Infirmities of
each other, fuffer it ; it being indeed in our
eyes fuch ; but in theirs they fay a duty, till
God ihall other wife perfwade them. If you
be without infirmity, do you full throw a
(tone at them : They keep their Faith in that
to themfelves, and trouble not their Brethren
therewith : we believe that God hath received
them; they do not want to us a proof of
their Sonfhip with God ; neither hath he
made Water a Wall of Divifion between us,
and therefore we do receive them.
Obj. / i#kj it to be the higheft all of friend [hip
to- be fphhjul to tbefe Profejfors^nd to till them
tin y
no Bar to Commununu 55>
they want thu o»c thing in Gojpel-order, which
ought not to be left anion* pag 50.
Anfw. If it be chc higheft piece of Friend-
fhip, to preach Water-baptifm to unbaptized
Believers, the loweft ad thereof mull: needs
be very low. But contrariwife, I count ir
(o far off from being any a& of Friendfhip,
to prefs Baptifm in our Notion on thofe that
cannot bear it ; that it is a great abufeof the
Peace of my Brother, the Law of Love, the
Law of Chrift, or the Society of the Faith-
ful. Love furTereth long, and is kind, is not
eafily provoked : Let us therefore follow af-
ter the things that make for Peace, and things
wherewith one may edifie anothet : Let every
one of us pleafe his Neighbour , for his
good to Edification : Bear you one anothers
burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Chrift.
1 Cor, 13. Rom. 14. ip. Chap. iy. 2. CjaL
6.2.
But fay you, / doubt when thU comes to he
weighed in God's baBance, it will be found no
left than flattery, for which you will be re-
proved, pag.31.
An[w. Ic fcems you do but doubt it,where-
fore the Principle from which you doubt ic,
of that methinks you fhould not be certain ;
but this is of little weight to me } for he rhac
willprefume to appropriate the EpftUes co
himfeif and fellows for the fake of Bapifm,
and that will condemn all the Churches of
Chrift in the Land for want of Baptifm and
that will account his Brother as prophanc
Efau ( fag. 20. ) and rejected, as Idolatrous
Epbraim
go Differences about Water.Baphjm,
Efbraim (pag. 32.) becaufe he wanteth his
way of Water-baptifm ; he acts out of his
wonted way of rigidnefs, when he doth but
doubt, and not affirm his Brother to be a
flatterer. I leave therefore this your Doubt
to be refolved at the Day of Judgment, and
in the mean time trample upon your har(h>
and unchriftian furmifes.
As to our Love to Christians in other cafes,
I hope we fhall aifo endeavour to follow the
Law of the Lord ; but becaufe itrefpe&s not
the matter in hand, it concerns us not now to
treat thereof.
My Argument treateth of Church-Com-
munion; in the profecution of which I
prove,
1. That Love is grounded upon the new
Creature, Col.$.9,&c.
2. Upon our fellowship with the Father
and Son, 1 Job. 1.2,3.
3. That with refpea to this, it is the
fulfilling of the Royal Law > Jam. 4. 11.
Rom. 14.21,
4, That it fhews it felf in a&s of forbear-
ing, rather than in pubhftiing fome Truths :
Communicating only what is profitable, for-
bearing to publfhing what cannot be born,
1 Cor. 3. 1,2. ABs 20. 18, 19, 20. Job.
16. 17. r t% n .
j. I fhew further, That to have fellowihip
for, to make that the ground of, or to re-
ceive one another chiefly upon the account of
an outward Circumftance ; to make Baptifm
the including, and excluding Charter ; the
Bounds,
no Bar to Commnion. 6\
Bounds,Baij&:Kule of Communiorijwhcn by
the Word of the everlafting Teltament, there
is no Word for ic ; (to fpeak charitably^ it'
it be not for want of Love , it is for wanrof
light in the Myfteries of the Kingdom of
Chrift. Strange ! Take two Chriftians e-
qual in all Points biit this ; nay, let one go
beyond the other in Grace and Goodnefs, as
far as a Man is beyond a Babe, yet Water
fhall turn the Scale, fhall open the Door of
Communion to thelcfs; and command the
other to ftand back : Yet is no proof to the
Church of this Babes Faith and Hope, hath
nothing to do with his entering into fellow -
fhip, is no part of the Worfhip of the Church.
Thefc things fhould have been anfwered, fee-
ing you will take upon you' fo roundly to
condemn our practice.
You come now to my eighth Argument ;
which you do not only render falfly, but by
fo doing abufe your Reader. I faid not that
the Church of Corinth did fhut each other
out of Communion ; but, For God's People
to divide into Parries, or to {hut each other
from Church-Communion, though for greater
Points, and upon higher Pretences, than that
of Water-bapcifm 5 hath heretofore been
counted carnal,and thea£tors therein Babifh-
Chriftians ; and then bring in the Factions,
that was in the Church at Corinth. But
what ' May not the evil of denying Church-
Communion now, if proved naught by a lefs
crime in the Church at Corinth, be counted
Carnal and Babjfh ; but the breach of
Com-
6% Differences anut rvater-Dtfttjm,
Communion muft be charged upon them at
Corinth aifo^
#tiat my Argument is good you grant,
32. faying, The Divifions at the Church
at Corinth were about the higbefi Tundamen-
t aI Principles^ for which they are often called,
carnal i yet you cavil at it. But if they were
to be blamed for dividing, though for the
higheft Points : Are not you much more for
condemning your Brethren to perpetual ba-
nifhment from Church-Communion, though
found in all the great Points of the Gofpel, and
right in all Church-Ordinances alfo, becaufe
for want of Light they fail only in the Point
of Bapcifm ?
As to your quibble about fattl and Apollo ^
whether they, or others, were the Perfons
( though I am fatisfied you are out ) yet it
weakeneth not my Argument ; For if they
were blame- worthy for dividing , though a-
bout the higheft Fundamental Principles ( as
you fay) how ought you to blufh for carry-
ing it as you do to Perfons, perhaps, more
godly than our felves, becaufe they jump not
with you in a Circumftance ?
That the divifions at Corinth were helped
on by the abufe of Baptifm, to me is evident,
from Paul's fo oft fuggefting it ; Were you
baptized in the Name of Paul ? / thank^God
I baptized none of you, left any (hould fay y I
had baptized in my own Name.
I do not fay, that they who baptized them
defied this, or chat Bapcifm in it felf t felted
it ; nor yet ( though our Author feigns it )
that
n6 Bar to Communion. 6^
that they were mo ft of them baptized by their
Faftiotu Leaders, pag. f f . But that they
had their Factious Leaders, is evident ; and
that thefc Leaders made ufe of the Names of
Paul y Apollo, and Chrift, is as evident ; for by
thefe Names they were beguiled by the help of
abufed Baptifm.
But fay you, Wherein lies the force of this
mans Argument againft Baptifmai to its place >
worthy and continuance f
I anfwer ; I have no Argument againft its
place, worth, or continuance, although thus
you feck to fcandalize me. But this kind of
imcerity of yours, will never make me one of
your Difciples.
Have nc: I told you even in this Argument,
That J (peak not a* I dojo per (wade or teach men
to breaks the lea ft of God's Commandments ; but
that my Brethren of the Baptized-way may not
hold too much THE REUPON^may not make it
an EJfential of the Gofpel, nor yet of the Commu-
nion of Saint j.Yet he feigns that I urge two Ar-
guments againft it, p. 3 6. & 3 8. But Reader,
thou may ft know 1 have no fuchrcafon in my
Book. Befuks, lfhould be a Fool indeed, were
I againft it, fhould I make ufe of fuch weak
Arguments. My words then are thefe;
/ thank. God ( faid Pant ) that I baptize^,
none of yea but Cnfpus, &c TS(ot but that then
it wot an Ordinance, but they abufed it in ma-
king Parties thereby*, at they abufed alfo Paul,
and Cephas. Btfides ( (aid he ) / knQw not
whether I baptized any other. By this negli-
gent relating who were baptized by him j he
fkcwcib
*4 Differences about JVater-Bapttfm,
(hewetb that be made nofnch matter thereof \ M
fome in thefe dajes do. Nay, that he made
no matter at all thereof with refpecl to aChurch'
Communion. For if he did not heed who him-
felf had baptised, much lefi did be heed who
were baptised by others ? But if Baptifm had
been the initiating-Ordinance , (and I novo add)
Effential to Church -Communion ; then no
doubt he had made more Confcience of if, than
thus lightly to pafi it by.
I add further, where he fairh, He was net
fenr to baptize; that he (pake with an holy
Indignation again ft thofe that had abufed that
Ordinance. B*ptifm is an Holy Ordinance,
but when Satan abufeth it, and wrencheth it
out of its place, making that which is Ordained
of Cjod, for the Edification of Believers, the
only Weapon to break. iu pieces the Love,
1 Cor.j.f , Unity , and Concord of the Saint t ; than as Paul
^7- faid of himfelf, and fellows, What is Baptifm ?
Neither u Baptifm any thing ? This is no new
Ifiui. ii, DoBrine^ for God by the month of the Prophet
11,13, 14, of old) cryed qui againfl his own Appointments,
x *' when abufed by his own People, btcdpfe they
ufed them for fir if e, and debate, and. to f mite
Ifa.j8.4. with thefijj of wicfydneft. But to forbear, to
take notice thus of thefe things, my Argu-
ment (lands rirmagainit. you : For if they at
Corinth wc*e bhme-wortby for dividing 9
though their divifons were (if you (ay true )
about the highefl Fundamentals, you ought to
be afhamed, thus to banifh your Brethren from
the Pnv Hedges of Church-Communion for ever,
for the want of f§ low a thing as Water-
baptifm.
no Bar to Communion. €f
baptifm. I call ic not low, with refpecl to
Gods appointment, though To, ic is far from
the higheft place, but in comparifon of thofe
Fundamentals, about which, you fay, the
Corinthians made their divifions.
You come ncxc to my ninth Argument, and
fervc it as Hanun ferVed David's Servants,
2 Sam* 10. 4. you have cut oft one half of
its Beard, and its Garments to its Buttocks,
thinkig to fend ic home with fhamc. You
ftate ic thus ;
That by denying communion with unbapu^tt-
"Believers, you take from them their Frivi-
ledges to which they are born, pag. 40.
Anfw. Have I fuch an Argument in all my
little Book ? Are not my words verbatim
thefe ? // we (hall rejetl vifible Saints by cal-
lings Saints that have cemmUnion with God ;
that have received the Law at the hand of
Chrifl 'j that are of an holy converfation 4-
rnong men, they defirmg to have communion
with us ; at much a* in w lyeth, we take from
them their very priviledges, and the bleffings to
which they were born of God*
This is mine Argument : now confute if.
Paul faith, (1 Cor, 1. 1, 2. & ?. 22.) not
only to the Gathered Church at Cortntb, but
to all fcattered Saints, that in every place call
upon the Name of the Lord, that fefus Cbrijt
u thiirs ; that Paul, and Apollo, and Cephas,
and the World y and all thing* elfe was theirs.
But you anfwer Wcx*ke from them no*
thing) but we h'P them from a diforderly pra^
diet of G of pel-Ordinances , r?e offer ther*
B thfir
66 Diftwcc* ah** Water-Baptifm,
their frivilcdges, in the way of (jofpel-Or-
Aer.
A»[w. Where have you one word of God,
that forbiddeth a perfon, To qualified, as is
fignified in mine Argument, the bed Com-
munion of Saints for want of Water ? There
is noc a iy liable for this in all the Book of
God. So then, you in this your plausible
defence, do make^your Scripturelefs Light,
which in very deed is darknefs, (I [a. 8. 20,
21.) the Rule of your Brothers Faith ; and
how well you will come off for this in the
D-*y of God, you might, were you not wed-
ded to your wordlcfs Opinion, foon begin to
conceive.
I know your Reply, Ntw-Teft*mtnt Saints
were all baptiz.(d firfl,
Anfo. Suppcfc it granted; Were they bap-
tized, that thereby they might be qualified for
their right to communion of Saints, fo that
without their fubmitting to Water, they were
to bedenyed the other ? Further, Suppofe I
fhould grant this groundlcfs Notion, Were
not the Jews in Old Teftament times to enter
Ctn. 17. the Church by Circumcifion ? For that,
Bceod. a. though Water is not, was the very entering-
Ordinance. Betides, as I faid before, there
was a full forbidding all that were not circum-
cifed from entering into fellow fhip, with a
tlueatning to cut them off from the Church
if they entered in without it : Yet more than
fix hundred thoufand cntred that Church
without it. But how now, if fuch an one as
-you had then flood up and objected, Sir
Mofes y
no bar tB C ommttnt on . c 7
Mofes f What is th: reafon that you rranfgrefs
the Order of God, to receive Members with-
out Circumcision ? Is not that the very en-
tring-Ordiriince > Are not you commanded
to keep out or the Church all that are not cir-
cumcifed ? Yea, and for all thofc that you
thus received, arc you no: commanded to
caft them out again, to cat them off from d-
mon^t bid people? (Gen. 17. 13,14. Exod.iz.
2 4> 2 *>2<S.)
I fay, Would not this man have had a far
better Argument to have refifled Mofes, than
you in your wordlcfs Notion have to (hut out
men from the Church, more holy than many
of our felves ? But do you think that Mofes
and Jofhua, and all the Elders of Ifrael, would
have thanked this Fellow, or have concluded
that he (pake on God's behalf ? Or, that they
fhould then, for the fake of a better than what
you call Order, have fet to the work chac you
would be doing, even to break the Church
in pieces for this ?
But fay you, If any mil find or force ano-
ther way into the Sheep- fold, than by the fcot-
fteps of the Flocks, vet have no fttcb cttjlom not
the Churches of God, pag. 41 .
Anfw. What was done of old, I bats
flie wed you, that Cfcr//?, not Baptifrn, is the
way to the Sheep-fold, is apparent ; and chat
theperfon, in nriiue Areumenr, is intituled to
all theie, to wir, Chrifr, Grace, and all the
things of the Kingdom of Chrift in the
Church, is, npon the ScriptttKS urged, ->
evident.
But
6 S Differences about Water-Baftifm,
But you add, That according to mine old
confidence, 1 affirm, That drinks ye all of thu y
& int ailed to Faith, not Baptlfm : A thing, fay
yen, foon faid, but yet never proved.
Anjiv. i. That it is intailed to Faitb, rauft
be confefTed of all hands. 2. That it is the
i Corai. priviledge of him that drfcerneth the Lord's
** Body, and that no man is to deny him it, is
alio by the Text as evident, (and fo let him
eat) becaufehe is worthy. Wherefore he,
and he only that difcemeth the Lord's Body,
he is the worthy Receiver, the worthy Re-
ceiver in God's estimation ; but that none dif-
cern the Lord's Body but the Baptized, is both
fond and ridiculous once to furmife.
Wherefore to exclude Chnftians, and to
debar them their Heaven-born Priviledges,for
want of that which yet God never made the
Wall of Divihon betwixt us : This looks too
like a Spirit of Persecution, (Job ip. 2y, 2tf,
27, 28, &c.) and carrieth in it thofe eighteen
abiurdities which you have fo hotly cryed
out againft. And 1 do ftill add, Is it not that
which greatly prevailed with God to bring down
thofe judgment s y which at prefent we (the
People of God) groan under, I will dare to fay y
*ArJfo it it wo* * A caufe thereof: Yea, I will yet pro-
*% cc™ J cced ' 1 kar > I & xon % [ Y fear > that the Rod of
lu't fori] ^*od ,S n0t y et C0 De ta ^ en ^ rom US > * 0r wnat
the Prm- more provoking fin among Chriitians, than to
ttr j?ui tin deny one another their Rights and Privi ledges
H,e * to which they are born of God ? and then to
Father thefe their doings upon God, when
yet he hath not commanded it, ^either in the
New Teftament nor the Old ? But
no Bar to Communion. 6$
But, T mty not lightly pafs this by, for bc-
caufe I have gathered eighteen abfuidiri:-,
from this abufe of God's Ordinances, or from
the fin of binding the Brethren to obferve
Order, not founded on the Command of God j
(and I am furc yon have none to fhuc out men
as good, as holy, and as found in Faith
our felveSj from Communion ). Therefore
you call my Conclufion devlli[h, ( pag. 43. )
Top- f til of ignorance y and prejudice, (p. 4 T .)
and me, one of Machiavels .Scholars, (p.42. )
alfo proud, prefumpnous, impeaching th-
Judgment of God.
Anfw t But whac is there in my Proporti-
on, that men, confilerafe, can be offended at ?
Thefc arc my words; Bat to exclude Christi-
ans from Church-Communion, and to debar
them their Heaven-born Priviledgcs y for the
want of that which jet God never made a wail
of dtvifion between ut : This lookj too like a
Spirit of Perfection : This rtfpetletb more the
form t thin the fpirit and power pf God line fs^
&c. Shall 1 add , Is it not that which greatly
prevailed to bring down thofe Judgments which
at prefent we feel and groan under ? / will dare
to fay, it was a caufe thereof, (p. 116, 117.)
A, was in my Copy, inftead whereof the
Printer put in the ; for this, although! i]
only the truth, I will no: beg of you belief j
befides, the Bookfelier dehrcd me, becaufeot
the Printers hafte, to leave the Jail: fhee: to be
over-looked by him, which was the caufe i;
was not among the Errata's.
But, I fay, wherein is the Proportion.
E 3 often-
70 Differences about Water- B aft \[m y
offcnfive ? Is ic not a wicked thing to make
bars to Communion, where Cod hath made
none f Is it not a wickednefs, to make that a
Wall of Drvifion betwixt us , which God
never commanded to be fo. If it be not,
juftffie your practice j if it be, take mame.
Befides, the Proportion is pniverfal , why
then fhould you be the chief intended ? But
you have in this, done like to the Lawyers of
old, who when Chrifl reproved the Pharifees
of wickednefs before them, (aid, Mafler, thus
faying thou reproacbeft m alfo, Luk.il. 45.
But you feign, and would alfo that the
World fhould believe, that the Eighteen Ab-
furdities which naturally flow from the Pro-
portion, I make to be the Effects of Baptifm,
faying to me, None but your felf could find an
innocent Truth big with fo many monftroue Ab-
furdities. pag.42.
iAnfwer^ This is butfpeaking wickedly
for God, or rather to juftifie yourwordlefs
Practice. I fay not that Baptifm hath any
Abfurdity in it, though your abufing it, hath
them all, and many more, while you make
it, without warrant from the Word, as the
flaming Sword, to keep the Brotherhood out
of Communion, becaufe they after jour man-
ner cannot confent thereto.
And let no man be offended, for that I iug-
geft that Baptifm may be abufed to the breed*
ing fuch monftrous Abfurdities, for greater
Truths than that have been as much abufed.
What fay you to> This is mj B°dy f To in-
flance no more, although I could inftance
many.
many, arc not they the words of our Lord ?
arc not they parr of the Scriptures of Truth ?
and yet behold, even withthofe words, the
Devil by abttfir.? them-) made an Engine co let
out the heart-blood cf thoufands. Baptjfm
alfo may be aoufed, and is, when more is
laid upon it by us, than is Commanded by
God. And that you do (o y is manifeft by
what I have faid already, and lliall yet fay co
your Fourteen Arguments.
My laft Argument, you fay is this ;
The World may wonder at your carriage to
thofe linbaptiz,ed PerJons y in keeping them out
of Communion ?
Anf. You will yet fet up your own words,
and then fight againft them : but my words
arc thefe, what greater contempt can be thrown
upon the Saints^ than for their Brethren to cut
them off from y or to debar them Cburcb-
Communion I
*\ And now I add, Is not this to deliver
trrem to the Devil, i Cor. j. or co put them
to fhame before all chat fee your acts ? There
is but one thing can hinder chis, and that is,
by-ftanders fee, that thefe your Brethren,thac
you thus abufe, 2 re as holy men as our fclves.
Do you more to the open Prophane, yea, co
all Wizards and Witches in the Land ? for
all you can do to them ( I (peak norV as to
Cburch-a&s) is no other than debar ib.ra
the Communion of Saints.
And now I fay again, The World may well
•ponder, when they fee you deny holy. men
or God that liberty of the Communion of
E 4 Saiats
72 Differences About Water-Baptifm y
Saints which you Monopolize to your felves.
And though they do not underftand the
grounds or Profcflfion, or Communion ; yet
they can both fee, and fay,thefe Holy-men of
God, in all vifible a&s of Holinefs, are not
one inch behind you. Yea, I will put it to
your felves, If thofe many, yea very many,
who thus feverely (but with how little ground,
h feen by men of God ) you deny Commu-
nion with, are not of as good, as holy, as
unblameable in life, and as found, if not
founder in the Faith than many among our
felves : Here only they make the ftop, they
cannot, without Light, be driven into Wa-
ter-baptifm, I mean after our Notion of it:
but what if they were, 'twould be little fign
to me that they were (incere with God.
To conclude this • when you have proved
that Water- baptifm (which you your felf have
faid is not a Church-Ordinance, p. 40.) is Ef-
fential to Church-Communion, and that the
Chureh may, by the JVord of God, bolt, bar,
and for ever (hut out thofe, far better than our
felves, that have not, according to our Noti-
on, been baptized with Water ; then 'twill
be time enough, to talk of ground for fo do-
ing. In the mean time I muft take leave to
tell yon, There is not in all the Bible one [jlUble
for fuck a Frottticey wherefore your great cry
about your Order is wordlcfi^ and therefore
faithleft, and is a meer Hnmane Invention.
I come
no par to LommHnton. ^3
C*> rU *U .f*» J%> .«*» **> rf» «#> »*» r t> ^ r ti A A «L
I come now to your Fdurteen
Jrgwnents y and dial I im-
partially confider them.
Y'Our ftrft Argument to prove it lawful to
•*■ reject the Unbaptized Saint, is, Becattfe
the great Commijfion of Ckriftj Matth. 28.
from which all Per f on s hav: their Authority
for their Mini(hy y ( if any Authority at all )
doth clearly direEb the contrary. By that Com-
mijfion, Mini/lers arefirft to Difciple, and then
to Baptize them fo made Dtfciples, and after-
ward to teach them to objerve all that Cbriji
Commanded tbem> as to other Ordinances of
Worfhip. If Miniftcrs havt no other Authori-
ty to teach them other parts of Gofpel-mrfbip>
before they believe and are baptized ; it may
be flrongly fttppofed, they are not to admit them
to other Ordinances before they bate poffed this
fir/} injoyned in the Commijfion.
Anfrv.i. ThatthcMiniftersareto Difciplc
and Baptize, is granted. But that they arc
prohibited ( by the Comrxnflion, Mattb.2.%.)
to Teach the Difciples other parts of Gofpel-
Worfhip, that have not Light in Baptifm, re-
mains for you to prove. Shall 1 add, This
Pofition is fo abfuid and void of truth, that
none that have ever read the Love of ChniT,
the
74 Vtffercncis about water-Bapujm,
the Nature of Faith, the End of the Gofpcl,
or of the Rcafon of Inftituted Worlhip
( which is Edification ) with underftanding,
fhould fo much as once imagine.
But where are they here forbidden to teach
them other Truths, before they be baptized ?
This Text a* fairly denieth to the uniaptiz,ed
Believer, Heaven, and (jlory. Nay our Au-
thor jn the midft of all his flutter about this
28th of Matthew, dare venture to gather
no more therefrom, but that it mnj be ftrongly
fttppofed. Behold therefore, gentle Reader,
the ground on which thefe Brethren lay the
ftrefs of their feparation from their Fellows,
is nothing elfe bttt a fuppofition, without war-
rant, skrewed out of this blelTed Word of
God. Strongly Sftppofed I but may it noc
be as ftrongly fuppofed, that the Prefence and
Bleffing of the Lord Jems, with his Minifters,
is laid upon the fame ground alio ? for thus
Be concludes the Text, And lo^ lam with you
alwayesy even to the end of the World. But
would> I fay, any man from thefe words,
conclude, ThatChrift Jefushath here pro-
mifed his Prefence only to them that after dif-
cipling, baptize thofe that are fo made ; and
that they that do not baptize, (hall neither
have his <Pre{enec, nor his Bleffing ? I fay
again, Should any fo conclude hence, would
not all Experience prove him void of Truth ?
The words therefore muft be lefc, by you, as
you found them, they favour not at all your
groundlefs fuppofaion.
To
no Bar to Communion. 75
To conclude, thefe words have not laid
Baptifm in the way to debar the Sainr from
Fellowfhip of his Brethren, no more than
to hinder his inheritance in Lire and Glory.
Marle^ reads it thus j He that believetb and
is b*ptiz,ed,Jhall be faved^ but he that believetb
net y fhaU be damned, Mark 1 6. 16. letting
Baptifm, which he mentioned in the promife,
fall, when he came at the threatning.
God alfo doth thus with refpeft to his
Worfhip in the Church, he commands all
and every whit of his will to be done, but
beareth with our coming fhort in this, and
that, aud another Duty. But let's go 011.
Your fecond Argument, is:
That the Order of Cbr'tffs Commljfion, at
well a* the matter therein contained to be obfer-
ved, may eafily be concluded, from Cjod's [e ve-
rity towards them that fought him not accor-
ding to due order, 1 Chron. 1 j. 13. Wm
Cjod fo exact with his People then, that all
things to a Pin mujl be according tt the Pattern
iu the Mottnt y Heb. 7. 16. & 9. 11. whofe
Worjhiptben comparatively, to the Gofpel, r?as
but after the Law of a Carnal Commandment j
andean it be fuppofed he fkould be Jo indifferent
nwg to leave men to their own liberty , to time
and place hit Appointments, contrary to what
he hath given in exprefs Rule, for in hu Word
at before* Ezek.44. 7,9,10. It was the Priejl's
Sin formerly to bring the uncirexmcifed in
heart and flefh into his houfe.
Anfw. Thac there is no fuch Order in chac
Com-
>£ Differences about Watcr-Bjptifm,
Commiffion as you. feign, I have proved. As
for your far-fetch J d Inftance ( i Chron.i$.)
'tis quite befides your purpofe. The exprefs
Word was, That the Priejl, not a Cart y fhould
bear the Ark^ofGod : Alfo they were not to
touch ic, and yet Vz,z,a did, Exod, 2$, 14.
1 Chron.15. 12, 13, 14, iy. 'tymb. 4. iy.
1 Chron. 1 j. Now, if you can make that
28th of Matthew fay, Receive none that are
not baptised firft ; or that Chriji wo ft Id have
them of his, that are not yet baptised, kept ig-
norant of all other Truths that refpeft Church-
Communion ; then you fay fomething, elfe
you do but raife a mift before the fimple Rea~
der : but whofolifteth, may hang on your
fleeve.
j-vs for the Pins and Tacks of the Taber-
nacle, they were exprefly commanded j and
when you have proved by the Word of God,
That you ought to ihut Saints out of your
Communion for want of Bapcifm, then you
may begin more juftly to make your Parallel.
How fitly you have urged Ez,ek. 44- c ° in-
flnuate that unbaptized Believers are like the
uncircumcifed in heart and flefh, I leave it to
all Gofpel-Novices to consider.
Your third Argument, is*
The prattlce of the fir ft GofpeL ^Minifters,
with them that fi'ft trujied in Chrlft, dij co-
vers the truth of what 1 ajftrt. Certainly they
that lived at the jpring-head 9 or fountain of
Truth, and had the Law from Chriji's own
WHth> k?erv the meaning of his Commiffion
better
no tar to Communion,
better tktn we: but their conftant plaice in
conformity to that Commiffion, all alb** the
Atts of theApojlles, di [covers that they ne-
ver arrived, to/ucha latitude 04 men plead for
now a-dayes. They that gladly received the
Word were baptized, and they ( yea they
only ) were received into the Church.
Anfw. Hew well you have proved what
you have aliened, is manifeft by myAr.fwer
to the two former Arguments, I addc
That the Mmifters, and Servants of Tefus
Chrift in the firft Churches ( for that you
are to prove ) were Commanded to forbear
to Preach other Truths to the Unbaptized
Believers; or that they were to keep them
^ ca h r P urch: or tha < the ApoftJes,
and hrit Fathers, have given you to under-
hand by their Example, that you ou*hc to
keep as gocdotu of Churches as your kl\cs
hach i,o yet been fhewed by the Authority
of the Word. The fecond of the AZts pro-
veth nor, That the three thoufand u ere ne-
cefiraced to be baptized in order to their
Feliov.mip with the Church, i either doth
it fay THE Y, yea they only, were re-
ceived into the Church. But fuppofe all
this, as much was done ac the firft Ir.flicu-
tion of Circumcifion, &c. yec afterwards
thoufands were received without it.
Your fourth Argument is,
^ J^one of cbe Scripture-Saims ever attempted
this Cbptrc;-privilcdg wuhout Baplfm, (if
they did, lei tt be jhevm). The Eunuch fir)}
defired
i 8 Differences a font Water -Baptifm^
dejired Bvptifm before any thing elfe 5 Paul wat
1 fir(l baptized before he did ejfay to joyn with the
Church. Oar Lord Chrift y the great Exam-
ple of the New leftamenty entred not upon his
publtck. Miniftry, much lefs any other C off el"
Ordinance of iVorfhipy till he wot Baptized.
Anfw. That none of the Scripture-Saints
(if there be any imfcripture ones) fo much
as attempted this Church- priviledge firft, re-
mains for you to prove. But fuppofe they
were all Baptized, becaufe they had light
therein, whac then ? Doth this prove that
Baptifm is effential to Church-Communion?
Or, that Chrift commanded in the 28th of
tjiiatihew , or gave his Minifters by that
authority, not to make known to Believers
other parts of Gofpel-Worfhip, if they fhall
want light in Baptifm ? The Eunuch, Paul,
and our blefTed Lord Jems, did none of them,
by their Baptifm, fee themfelves to us Exam-
ples how to enter into Church-Communion,
what Church was the Eunuch Baptized into,
or made a Member of; but where is it faid,
that the unbaptized Believer , how excellent
Joever in Faith and HoUnefs, mull, for want
of Water-baptifm,be fhut out from the com-
munion of Saints, or be debarred the Privi-
ledge of his Fathers Houfe ? This you are to
prove.
Your fifth Argument is,
If Chrifl b'imfelf was made manifeft to be
the SENT of God by Baptifm, as appears
Mark i> 9, 10. Then why mzy not Bjptifm 7 a*
the firft Fruits of Faith, and the firft ftep of
Gofpd-
no Bar to Communion* 7P
G of pel-Obedience, as to Inftituted fVorfhip, be a
manifefting, dif covering Ordinance upon others
who thus follow Cbrifl's (leps.
Anfw. That Jefus Chriit was manifeft ed as
the SENT of God by Baptifm, or that Bap-
tifm is the firft Fruit of Faith, and the fir ft
ftep of Gofpel-Obedience, as to inftituted
Worfhip, is both without proof and truth j
the Text faith not, he was manifeft to be the
fent of God by Baptifm ; nay it faith not, that
by that he was manifeft to others to be any
thing thereby : you haye therefore but wrong-
ed the Tcy, to prove your wordlefs Practice
by. Yea, John himfelf, though he knew
him before he was baptized, to be a Man of
God, (for, faith he, / have need to be Bapti- Mat 3. 14.'
z,ed of tbee> and comeft thou to me) and kyew
him after to be the SENT of God ; yet not T ,
in, or by, but after he was Baptized, to wit, j° 3IJ3'
by the descending of the Holy Ghoft, after 34'
he was come out of the Water, a* he was in
Prajer, for the Heavens were opened zojokn,
and he faw, and bare Record, becaufe he faw
the Spirit defcend from Heaven, and a-
bide upon Jefus, after his Baptifm, at be was
in Prayer j Mat.3. 13, 14,1 j,itf.Luk. 3.21,22.
Thus we find him made known before, and
after, but not at all by Bapcifa, to be the
SENT of God.
And chat Baptifm is the firft fruits of Faich,
or that Faich ought to be tyed to take its firft
ftep in Water-bap:ifm, in the inftituted Wor-
fhipof God, ( this you muft prove) is noc
found exprefTed within the whole Bible.
Faub
go Difference* about PVater-Baptifm,
Faith atts according to its ftrengtb y and <U it
fees, it is not tyed or bound to any outward
Circumftance ; one believeth he may, and a-
nother believeth he may not, either do this or
that.
Your fixth Argument is,
// Baptifm be in any fence any part of the
foundation of a Church, at to order, Heb. 6»
i,2. it muft have place here or no where : why
art tbofe things called firfl Principles, if not
firft to be believed^ andprattifed ? why are they
rendred by the learned the A. B. C. of a Ckfiftt-
an, and the beginning of Chriflianity, Milk,
for Babes, if it be no matter whether Baptifm
be praftifed or no f If it be faid Water -bap*
tifm is not there intended, let them (hew me how
many Baptifms there are be/ides Water-bap-
tifm ? Can you build and leave out a flone in
the Foundation? I intend not Baptifm a Foun-
dation any other way, but in rcfpeti of order,
and it is either intended for that or nothing,
Anfw. Baptifm is in no fenfe the Founda-
tion of a Church. I find no foundation of a
Church, but Jeftu Chrift himfelf, Mat. 16. 1 8,
i C^r.^.n. Yea, the Foundation menti-
oned, Heb .6 '.i,2. is nothing elfe but this very
Cbrifl. For he is the Foundation, not only
of the Church, but of all that good that at
any time is found in her. He is the Founda-
tion OF our Repentance, and OF our Faith
towards God, verf i, 2. Further, Bap-
tifms are not here mentioned, with refpedt to
the A 61 in Water, but of the Doctrine, that
is, the fignification thereof. The VoBrine of
Baptifms*
n» Bar to Corhmumonl 8 i
Baptifms. And obferve, neither Faith, nor
Repentance, nor Baptifms, are called here
Foundations : Another thing, for a Founda-
tion, is here by the Holy Ghoft intended,
even a Foundation for them all ; a Foundatu
on OF Faith, OF Repentance, OF the Do-
ctrine of Baptifms, OF the Refurredtion of
the Dead, and OF eternal Judgment. And
this Foundation is Jefus Chrilt himfelf, and
thefe are the flrft Principles, the Milk, the A.
B. C. and the beginning of Chriftian Religi-
on in the World.
I dare not fay, No matter whether VVater-
Baptifm be pra&ifed or no. But it is not a
ftone in the Foundation of a Church, no not
refpe&ing order j it is not, to another , a %n
of my Sonfhip with God ; it is not the door
into Fellowfhip w ith the Saints,it is no Church
Ordinance, as you, your felf have teftified,
pag. 40. So then as to Church-work, it hath
no place at all therein.
Your feventh Argument is,
If Paul knew the GalatiaES ONLY upon
the account of Charity, NO other wajes to be
the Sons of God by Faith ; but by this part of
their Obedience, as he feems to import, then
the fame way voe judge of the truth of mens
profejfion of Faith, when it [hews it felf by
ths* felf.- fame Obedience, Gai. 3. 26, 27.
Baptifm being an Obligation to all following
Duties.
A»(w. This your Argument, being build-
( cd upon no more than a SEEMING Import,
F and
$± Vifitrtvcti about WaterxBaftifm,
and having been above ten times overthrown
already } I might leave (till with you, till
your feeming Import is come to a real one, and
both to a greater perfwafion upon your own
Confcicnce. But ve-rily Sir, you groily abufe
your Reader j Muft Imports, yea, muft fam-
ing Imports now {fond for Arguments, there-
by eo maintain your confident reparation from
your Brethren ? Yea, muft fuch things as
thefe, be the Rafis on which you build thofe
heavy Cenfures and Condemnations you raife
againft your Brethren, that cannot comply
with you, becaufe^you want the word? A
feeming Importx But are theje words of Faith %
or do the Scriptures only help you to feeming
Import* y and me-hap-foes for your practice ?
No, nor yet to them neither, for I dare bold-
ly affirm it, and demand, if you can, to
prove, that there is fo much as a feeming
IMPORT m all the Word of God, that
countenanced! your {hutting men, better than
our felves, from the Things and Priviledges
of our Fathers Houfe.
That to the G< latians, faith not, that Paul
knew them to he the Sons of God by Faith, NO
a her way, but by THIS part of their Obedi-
ence ; but puts them upon concluding them-
(elves the Sons of God, if they were baptised
into the Lord Jefus, which could not (ordi-
narily J be known but unto tbemfelves alone ;
beeaufe, being thus baptized, refpecleth a 1
fpecial Aft of Faith, which onely God, and
him that hath, and acteh it, can be privy to c
li is one thing for him that adminiltreth, to
Baptize
no Bar t$ Communion. 8^
Baptize in the Name of Jefus, and another
thing for him that is the Subjed:, by that to
be baptized INTO Jefus Chnft: Baptizing
INTO .Chrift, is rather the Ad of the Faith
of him that is baptized, than his going into
Water and coming out again : But that Paul
knew this to be the (late of the GaUtians NO
other way, but by their external Act of be-
ing baptized with Water, is both wild and
unfound, and a mifetable IMPORT indeed.
Your eighth Argument is.
If being baptized Into Chrift, be a putting ott
of thrift, as Paul exprejfes, then they have
not put on Chtift, * n that fen fe he means , that
are not baptized ; if this putting on of Chrift,
doth not refpeB the vifibility of Chriflianity ;
ajfign fomething elfe as its fignificatlon , great
mens Servants are k&own bythtir Makers Li-
veries, fo are G of pel-Belle vers by this Livery
of Water-baptifm, that aU that firfl trufted in
Chrlft fubmltted unto $ which is In it felf is as
much an Obligation to all Gofpel-Obedience y M
Clrcumclfion was to keep the whole Lave.
Anfw. For a reply to the firft part of this
Argument, go back to the Anfwer to the fe-
vench.
Now that none have put on Chrift: in Paul's
fenfe; yea, in a Caving, in the belt fenfe but
them that have, as you. would have them,
gone into Water, will be hard for you to
prove, yea, is ungodly for you to affert.
Your comparing Watcr-baptifm to aGen/-
F 2 tlemans
#4 Differences abort Water-Baptifm,
tlcmans Livery, by which his Name is known
to be his, is fanraftical.
Go you but ten doors from where men have
knowledge of you, and fee how many of
the World, or Chrittians, will know you by
this goodly Livery, to be one that hath put on
Chritt. What ! known by Watcr-baptifm to
be one that hath' put on Chritt, as a Gentle-
mans man is known to be his Matters Servant,
by the gay Garment his Matter gave him.
Away fond man, you do quite forget the
Texr. By THIS jhaliall men k*iow that yopt
are my Difciples> if you have love one to ano-
ther, John 13. 35.
That Baptifm is in it SELF obliging, to
fpeak properly, it is falfe, for fet ic by it felf,
and it ftands without the (ramp of Heaven
tttpon it, and without its figniflcation alfo :
and how, as (itch, it fhould be obliging, I
fee not.
Where you in(inuare,it comes in the room
A&S15. of, and obligeth as Circumcifion : You fay,
3 % ' you know not whar.Circumcifion was the in-
Gal < 1 * tlatni g Ordinance, but this you have denyed
*j&4- ' to Baptifm. Further, Circumcifion THEN
bound men to the whole Obedience of the
Law, when urged by the falfe Apoftles, and
received by an erroneous Conscience. Would
you thus urge Water- baptifm ! would yoa
have men to receive it with fuch Conscien-
ces ? Circumcifion in thefiefh, was a Type
PJihrj 3. of Circumcifion in the heart, and not of
Water- bajptifm.
Yoi&r
Rom. 2
18, z 9 .
no Bar to Communion. o
Your ninth Argument is,
// it were commendable in the ThefTaloni
*r& w i h f " U "" d ' be /**W 'f 'he
Church of Judea, x Tbef. 2. H ! l ho \ £
pears fotlo^d thu order of adding EaptiJd-
Behever, unto the Church . ThA they that
have found out another way of making Chuych-
Members, are not by that Rule praife-worthy,
hut rather to be blamed; it mm „ ot Uat wal
fince ,n corrupted times, but that which was
^Tpu% h vE:::. giiheMa '- >rch "^
ru**J"A J^ C , the Tcxt faith there was t
A °?J» d "'> I find not, (i Thelf 2
J.) And that the Thefalonians are commend-'
edrorrehifing to have communion with t ue
Unbaptized Believers, (for that is our cuefti-
on) proveitbytheword, and then you do
fomethmg. Again that the commendations
( xThcf. 2. ,4. ) do chiefly, or at all, re.
fpeft their being Baptized : Or, becufe they
flowed the Churches of God, which in Judea
we, j, Chrifl J e f M , in the Example of W.uer-
ttaptifm is quite befide the word. The
Verfe run, thus, for the Brethren, became
Mowers of the Churches of Cod, which in
Judea are inChr.fi J,f„ t f or ye alfo have
juffered l,he things of your own Comnrey-men,
even at they have of the Jews, &c. This Text
then commends them, not for that they were
baptized with Water, but, for that they flood
their ground, although baptized with fuftr
«g, like them in judea, for the Name of
F i the
%6 Differences about Water-Bapt%]m,
the Lord Jefus. For ftiffering lik$ things of
their own Countreymm, as they did of the
Jews. Will you not yec leave off to abufe
the Word of God, and forbear turning it out
of its place, to maintain your unchriftian pra-
ctice of rejecting the People of God, and ex-
cluding them their blefled Priviledges.
The unbaptiz'ed Believer, inftead of taking
ftiame for entering into fellowfhip without it,
will be ready, I doubt, to put you to fliame
for bringing Scriptures fo much befides ths
purpofe, and for ftretching them fo miferably
to uphold you in your fancies.
Your tenth Argument is,
If fo be, that any of the Members at Co-
rinth, Galatia, Colofs, Rome, or them that
Peter wrote to, were not baptised, then Paul*
^Arguments for the RefurreBion to them, or to
frefs them to holinefs from that ground (Rorn.
6. Col. 2. I Cor. if. ) was out $f doors,
and altogether needle fs, yea, it befpeaks his ig-
norance y and throweth contempt upon the Spi-
rits tVifdom, (Heb. 6. i Pet. 3, 12.) by which
he wrote ', if that mujl be ajferted as a ground
• to provoke them to fuch an end, which bad no
beeing ; and if all the Members of all thofe
Churches were baptised, why jhould any plead
for an exemption from Baptifmjor any Chureh~
Member now ?
Anfw. Suppofe all, if all thefe Churches
were baptized, what then? that anfwereth
noc our Quefijon. We ask where you find
it written, that thofe that are baptized, fhould
keep
m Bar to Communion. 87
keep men as holy, and as much beloved of
the Lord JcfusasthemfeKes, out of Church-
Communion i for wane of light in Water-
Baptifm.
Why we plead for their admiiTion, though
they fee not yet, that that i* their Duty, is
becaufe we are not forbidden, but commanded
to receive them , becaufe God and Ghrift
hath done it, %om. 14, & if.
Your eleventh Argument is.
If t*nbaptiz,ed Perfons mu{} be received i>Ao
Churches onely, becaufe they are Believers,
though they deny Bsptifm ; 7 hen why may not
ethers plead for the like privikdge, that are
negligent in any other Gofpel-Ordinnnce of
PVorfhip, from the fame grvund of want of
light y let it be what it will. So then as the
conference of this Principle , Churches m+y
be made up of vifible jinmrs, infiead of vifibic
Saints.
A»fw. I plead not for Believers (imply be t
caufe they are Believers, but for fuch Belie-
vers of whom we are perfwaded by the Word,
that God hath received them.
2. There are fome of the Ordinances that,
be they neghdted, theben.^of a Church, as
to her vifible Gofpel-Conltitution, is t.
quite away; but Baptifal is none or thc-.r^
it being noChurch-Ordininc e as i.u-:h,nor any
part of Faith, nor of that Hohncis ol hej
or life, that fheweth mc to the Church to be
indeed a vilible Saint. The Saint is a S
bJj>re, and may walk with God, and be
F 4.
$ 8 Differences about Water-Baptlfm,
faithful with the Saints, and ro his own Light
atfo, though he nevtr be baptized. There-
fore to plead for his admiflion, makes no way
at all for the admillion of the open prophane,
or to receive, as YOU profefs YOU do, Per-
fons unprepared to the Lord's Table, and other
foUmn Appointments, pag.2o.
Your twelfth Argument is,
jyby fbotfid Profejfors have more Light in
breaking of Bread, than Baptifm ? That this
mufl be fo urged for their excufe : Hath God
been more (paring in making out his mind in the
one, rather than the other ? Is there more
^Precepts or Precedents for the Supper, than
Baptifm f Hath God beenfo bountiful in ma-
king out himfelf about the Supper, that few or
none, that own Ordinances, fcruple it : And
mu(l Baptifm be fuch a rock of offence, to Pro-
feffors f That very few will inquire after >V, or
fubmittoitf Hath not man s wifdom inter ■-
pofed to darken this part of God*s Counfel f By
which Profejfors feem willingly led, though a-
gainfi fo many plain Commands and Examples,
written as with a Sun-beam, that he that runs
may read ? And muft an Advocate be enter-
rained to plead for fo grofs a piece of ignorance,
that the meanefl babes of the firfi Gojpcl-times
were never guilty of ?
Anfw* Many words to little purpofe :
x. Mud God be called to an account by
you, why he givcrh more Light abous. the
supper, than- Baptifm? May* he not -{hew
10} or conceal from this, or another of his
Servant $j
no Bar to Communion. 852,
Servants, which of his Truths he plealeth?
Some of the Members of the Church of Jt-
rufalem had a greater Truth than this kept
from them, for ought I know, as long as they
lived, (t/€fts 11. ip.) yet God was not cal-
led in queftion about it.
2. Breaking of Bread, not Baptifm, be-
ing a Church-Ordinance, and that fuch alfo,
as muft be often reiterated 5 yea, it being an
Ordinance S O full of bleffednefs, as lively
to prefent Union and Communion with
Chrift to all the Members that worthily eat
thereof j I fay, The Lord's-Supper being
fucb, that while the Members fit at that feaft,
they/frfjpto each other the Death and Blood
of the Lord ; as they ought to do y till be
comes, ( 1 Cor. 10. 1 ?, 1 6,17. & 11. 22,23.
24,25,26.) the Church, as a Church, is
much more concerned in T H A T, than in
Water- baptifm, both as to her Faith, and
Comfort \ both as to her Union, and Com-
munion.
3. Your fuppofition, That very few Pro-
fefTors will ferioufly enquire after Water-
baptifm, u too rude. What! muft all the
Children of God, that are not bapcized for
want of Light, be ftill ftigmatized, with
want of ferious inquiry after God's mind in
it.
4. That I am an Advocate, entertained,
to plead for fo grofs a piece of ignorance, as
want of Light in Baptifm, is but like the reft
of your jumbling. I plead for Communion
with men, godly and fmbful, I plead that
they
$o Differences about fVater-Baptifm,
they may be received, that God bath (hewed tts
he hath received, and commanded wefhould
receive the ai.
Your thirteenth Argument is,
If Obedience muft difcover the truth of a
mans Faith to others, why muft Baptifm be
[but out ? as if it was no fart of Gofpcl-Obedi~
ence. Is there no Precept for this Pratlice,
that it mufl be thm defpifed ? as a matter of
little ufe, or [hall one of Chrift's preciota Com-
mands be blotted out of a Qhriftlans Obedience \
to make way for a Church-fellowfbipofmans
devifing f
Anfvt.x. This is but round, round, the
fame thing, over and over : That my obedi-
ence to Water, is not a difcovery of my Faith
to others, is evident, from the body of the
Bible, we find nothing that affirms it.
And I will now add, That if a man can-
not fhew himfelf a Chriftian without Water-
baptifm, He jhaH never fberv either Saint, or
Sinner, that he is a Chriftian by it.
2. Who they are that defpife ir, I know
not but that Church-memberfhip may be
without it, (feeing, even you your felf have
concluded, it is no Church-Ordinance, p.40.
not the entering-Ordinance, p. 3, 4.) (land-
- eth both with Scripture and Reafon, as
mine Arguments make manifeft. So that all
your Arguments prove no more but this,Ti?4t
you are fo wedded to your wordlefs JSfrtkns, that
Charity can have no place with you. Have you
a!i this while fo muck as given me one fmali
piece
no Bar to Communion^ y X
piece of a Text to prove it unlawful for the
Church to receive thofe whom flie, by the
Word , perceiveth the Lord God and her
Chriit hath received ? No : and therefore
you have (aid To much as amounts to no-
thing.
Your iait Argument is,
// the Bipifm of John was fo far honoured,
and dignified, that they that did fubmit to it,
are faid to jufiifie God ; and thoje that did it
not, are [aid to rejetl his counfel again/} them-
[elves : fo that their receiving, or rejecting the
whole Dottrine of God, hath its denomination
from this Jingle Prallice. And is there not as
much to be f aid of the Baftifm ofChrift, uniejs
jottwillfaj, it is inferior ffljohn'jj invewtb
and ufe+
Anfiv. i. That our denomination of Be-
lievers, and of our receiving the DocVineof
the Lord Jefus, is not to be reckoned from
curBaptiim, is evident ; Becatife according to
our Notion of it, they only that have be-
fore received the Doctrine of theGufpel, and
fo (hew it us by their Confeflion of Faith, they
only ought to be baptized. This might ferve
for an Anfwer for all : But,
2. The Baptifm of John was the Snyilfm
of Repentance, for the Remijfion of Sins, of^^i, ■
which Water was hue an outward fignificati* 4 j a, -
on, Mar k^ 1. 4.. Now, what is the Bapnfm
of Repentance, but an unfeigned acknowledg- * *
ment that they were Sinners, and (o ftood m Oui\ 7 .
need of a Saviour, Jefus Chriil: This B-ipcifm, 2 " }
or Baptiim under this Notion, the Pkarijees Clia. 18 9.
ucuid
5>2 Diferinees about Water*Baptifm y
Ch would not receive, For they trttfled to them-
29, felvet that they were righteous, that they were
not as other men, that they had need of T$0
Chap.i$.7 repentance : Not, but that they would have
been baptized with Water, might that have
been without an acknowledgement that they
Mat.5.7. yyere Sinners : wherefore feeing the Counfel
of God refpe&ed, rather the Remiflion of
Eph.i *j£ y fins by Jefus Cbrift, than the outward a£t of
11. Water-baptifm, ye ought not, as you do, by
this your Reafoning, to make it rather, at leaft
in the revelation of it, to terminate in the
outward a& of being baptized, but in un-
feigned and found Repentance, and the re-
ceiving of Jefus Chrift by Faith.
Further, Adefire to fubmit to JaJta's Wa-
ter-baptifm, or of being baptized by him in
Water, did not demonftrate by that SINGLE
adt, the receiving of the whole Doctrine of
God, as you fuggeft.
Why did John rejett the Pbarifees that
would have been baptized ? and Paul examine
them that were f Matth. 3. 7» Acts io.
2 > *-
If your Doclrine be true, why did they
not rather fay, Oh I feeing yon defire to be
baptized, feeing you have been baptized, you
need not to be queftioned any further your
ilibmitting to John's Water ; to us is a fuffi-
cient teftimony, even that Jingle <*#, that
you have received the whole Doctrine of
God.
But I fay, why did John call them VU
prs f and Paul ask'd them, Whether they
had
no Bar to Communion* p>
had jet received the Holy Gbofl : Yea, it is
evident, that a man may be defirous of
Water that a man may be baptized, and nei-
ther own the Do6trine of Repentance, nor
know on whom he fhould believe : evident
I fay, and that by the fame Texts (Mattb.$l
7. ^tf/io.2,3,4.)
You have grounded therefore this vour
laft Argument, as alfo all the reft, upon an
utter miftake of things.
MMM$MMM
I come
£4 Differences ahnt Water-Baptifm,
I come now to your Queflions ;
which although they be mixed
with Gallyl will T»itb patience fee
if I can turn them into Food.
Your firft Queftion is,
IAsk^ your own heart y whether popularity
and applaufe of variety of Proftjfors, be not
in the bottom of what yon have [aid ; that
hath been your fn&re to pervert the right wayes
of the Lordy and to lead others into a path
wherein we can find none of the foot-fteps of the
Flock, in the firft Ages ?
Anfw. Setting afide a retaliation t like your
Queftion, I fay, and God knows I (peak the
truth, I have been tempted to do what I have
done, by a provocation of fixreen years long ;
tempted, 1 fay, by the Brethren of your way :
Who, when-evcr they faw their opportunity,
have made it their bufinefs to feek, to rend us
in pieces ; mine own (elf they have endea-
voured to perfwade to forfake the Church ;
fome they have rent quite off from us, others
they have attempted \ and attempted to divide
and break off from us, but by the mercy of
God, have been hitherto prevented.
A more large account you may have in my
next, if you think good to demand it } but I
thank
v$ Bar to Communion* $r
thank God that I have written what I have
written.
Queft. 2. Have you dealt Brotherly , or
lilej a Chriftian, to throw fo much dirt upon
your Brethren, in print, in the face of the
World, when you had opportunity to converfe
with them of reputation amongtt tu, btfore
printings being allowed the liberty by them, at
the fame time for you to [peak^ among them ?
Anfw. I have thrown no dirt upon them,
nor laid any thing to their charge, if their
Practice be warrantable by the Word ; but
you have not been offended at the dirty
your (elves have thrown at all the Godly in
the Land that are not of our Perfwafion, n>
counting th r m unfit to be communicated with,
or to be accompany ed with in the Houie of
God. This dirt you never complained of, nor
would, I doubt, to this day, might ycu be
(till let alone to throw it. As to my Book,
it was Prineed before I fpake with any of you,
or knew whether I might be accepted of you.
As to them cf reputation among ycu, I know
others not one tittle inferior to them,and have
my liberty to confuk with who I like belt.
Queft. 3. Doth your carriage an fwer the
Law of Love or Civility y when the Brethren
ufed means to fend for you for a conference,
and their Letter wot received by you, that you
fbottld go out again from the City after know-
ledge of their dejiret, and no: vouchfafe a meet-
ing with them, when the glory cf tjod, and
the vindication of fs many Churches is co-/.-
csrntd.
j4»fw,
g6 Vtprences about fvattr.Bapuim,
"%/lnfvo. The reaiori why I came not a-
mongft you, was partly becaufe I confulted
mine own weaknefs, and counted not my felf,
being a dull-headed man, able to engage fo
many of the chief of you, as I was then in-
formed intended to mttx. me ; I alfo feared, in
perfonal Difputes, heats and bitter contentions
might arife, a thing my Spirit hath not pleafure
in : I feared alfo, that both my felf and
words would be mifreprefented \ and that
not without caufe, for if they that Anfwer a
Book will alter, and krue Arguments out of
their place, and make my Sentences ftand in
their own words, not mine, when (I fay) my
words are in a Book to be feen. What would
you have done,had I in the leaft,either in mat-
ter or manner, though but feemingly miscar-
ried among you ?
As for the many Churches which you fay
are concerned, as alfo the Glory of God, I
doubt not to fay they are only your wordlefs
Opinions that are concerned ; the Glory of
God is vindicated : We receivt him that God
bath received, and that to the glory of Ged,
Rom. i y. itf.
Queft. 4. Is it not the Spirit of Diotre-
phes of old, in you, who loved to have the
preheminence, that you are fo bold to keep out
all the Brethren, that are not of your mind in
this matter, from having any entertainment in
the Churches or Meetings to which you belong,
though you your felf have not been denytd the
like liberty, among them that are contrary-
minded to you f Is this the way of your retalia-
tion f
no Bar to Communion. 9 ?
tion ? Or are you afraid left the Truth [honld
invade your quarters ?
Anfpf. I can fay, I would not have the Spi-
rit you talk of, what I have of it, God take
it from me. But what was the Spirit of D/0-
trephes ? Why, not to receive the "Brethren In-
to the Church , and to forbid them that would>
(3 John p, io.) Thisdo notl^ I am for
Communion with Saints, becaufe they are
Saints : I ihut none of the Brethren out of
the Chuichcsj nor foibid them that would
receive thtrn. I fay again, ("hew me the man
that is a vifiblc Believer, and that walketh
with God ; and though he differ with me a-
bouc Baptifm, the Doors of the Church
ftand open for hm, and ail our Heaven-born
Privileges he Hull be admicted to them.
But how came Diotrephes (o lately into our
parts? Where was he in :hofedaye$ that our
Brethren of the Bapiiz-jd-way, would neither
receive in:o the Church, nor pray with men
as good as themlelves, becaufe they were not
baptized ; but would either, like Quakers,
itand with their Hut on their heads, or elfe
withdraw till we had done.
As to our no: furrering chofe v oU plead for
to preach in our Ailemblics, the Reafon is, be-
caufe we cannot yet prevail with them, to re-
pent of their Church-renting Principles.
As to the Retaliation, wind the hand of (Jod y
and remember Adonifa&e^ J'^g. I. 7.
Let the Tru:h come into our quarters and p rov ^ 7 ,
welcome, bdt fowsrs of D-fcsrd, becaufe the Rom,i6. '
,o;d hates i: } w e alio cur felves will avnd them. 1 7> If*
G Queit.j,
£ 8 Differences abort Water. Baptifm,
Queft. y . Is there no contempt caft upon the
Brethren, who defend your fatisfailion, that
at the fame time, when you had opportunity to
fpeak, to them ; in/lead of that, you committed
the Letters to others, by way of njlcttion upon
them f
Ar.fw. It is no contempt at all to confulc
men more wife and judicious than him that
wrote, or my felf either. But why not con-
fult with others, is Wlfdomtodlcwith you*
Or do you count all that your fclvcs have no
hand in, done to your difparagement ?
Queft. 6 m Did not your prefumption prompt
yon to provoke THEM to pointing, in your
Letter to them, when they defered to be found
in no fuch practice, h(l the Enemies of Truth
fbtstili take advantage by it ?
Anfw. What provoked you to Print, will
be beft known at the Day of Judgment, whe-
ther your fear of lofing your wordlefs Opi-
nion, or my plain Anfwer to your Letter ;
the words in my Letter are, As for my Booh^,
tiever defer its Anfwer till you jfe&k. with me^
for I ftrive not for maflery but Truth. Though
you did not defire to write, yet with us there
: was continual labour to rend us to pieces, and
to prevent that, was my firft Book written.
And let who will take advant.ige,fo the Truth
of God, and the edification of my Brother be
promoted.
Q^cft. 7. Whether your Principle and Pra-
ilice is not equally againfi others as well as ut %
viz; Epif copal, Presbyterians, and Independents, ,>
WiQ are alfo of ^ur fed e, for oar pr d^iie ^though ^
thyi
t
no Bat to Communion, 99
the j differ with us about the fubjett of Baftifm)
Do you delight to have your band againft every
man ?
Anfw. I own Water-baptifm to be God's
Ordinance, but I make no Idol of ir. Where
you call now the Epif copal to (ide with you,
and alfo the Presbyterian, &c. you will not
find them eafily perfwaded to conclude with
you againit me. They are againft your man-
ner of Dipping, as well as the Subject of Wa-
ter-baptifm } neither do you, for all you flat-
ter them, agree together in all but the Subject.
Do you allow their Sprinkling ? Do you al-
low their figning with the Crofs ? Why then
have you fo ftoutly, an hundred times oyer,
condemned thefe things as Antichriitian. I
am not againit. every man, though by your
abuiive language you would fet every one a-
gainft me, but am for Union, Concord, and
Communion with Saints, as Saints, and for
that caufe I wrote my Book.
To Conclude.
1. In ALL I havefaid, I put a difference
between my Brethren ofc the Baptized-way y
I know fome are more moderate than fome.
2. When I plead for the unb*ptiz,ed y I
chiefly intend ihofe that are not SO bapcized
z%my Brethren judge righr, according to the
firfl pattern.
3. If any fhall count my Papers wtprth
^jkhe fcribling againft, let him deal with mine
arguments, and things immediately derend-
M G 2 mg
too Vifferentcs about frater-Baptifm,
irig upon' them,- and not conclude he hath con~
f uted aBook^y when he h&:h only quarrelled at
words.
4. I have done, when IJ-.ave tpty you^thac
I drive not for Mafter j^qr Js ftipw my ieif
lingular ; but, if it might be, for Union and
Communion among the godly. And count me
not as an enemy, becaufe I tell you the Truth*
5'. And now, dtjfenting Brethren^ I com-
mend you to God y who can pardon your fin y
and give you more grace, and an inherit and
among them that are fanftified by Faith in Jeftu
Chrifi. Amen.
ERRATA.
Page f7 3 line 14, for tn read Above.
Page^S, line 17, leave out Anfiv.
Page 79, line 12, leav e out thej eby.
Here
no Bar to Communion*
Here followeth Mr
Henry fefefs JudgJ
ment upon the fame
<^Aryiment m
Rom. 14. i.
Such 06 are H>eak in the Faith, re-
ceive you, & : .
WHefeas fomeluppofe the receiving
there mentioned. WasW receiv-
ing into brotherly Affection, fiich
as were m Church. Fell j^fhip •
but not a receiving of fuch as were weak into
the Cnurch.
For anfwer unco which confider,
That in the Text are two t hints iJbe en-
quired into. *
Firfl, What weaknefs of Faith this is,
thai- rn ill not hi.ider receiving.
Secondly, By whom, and to whac,'hc that
n weak in the Faich, is to be received r
To the F>rft, Wine weaknefs of Faith this
«tlncmuft not hinder receiving, whether
G 3 wgs
IOX
X o 2 Differences about Water- Bapt tfm,
was it weaknefs in the Graces of Faith, or in
jfcfc Doctrine of Faith? It's conceived the
^Firfl is included, but the Second principally
intended.
M . Firft, That fome of the Lord's People are
L u ^2 4 . 2 2 4 ^ wca ^ m the Graces of Faith, will be confefled
tyall, and tlat the Lord would have his
Lambs fed as well as his Sheep, and his Chil-
dren as well as grown Men, and that he hath
given the right to Gofpel-priviledges, not to
degrees of Grace, but to the Truth ^ Him that
is weak^in the Faith, receive yea : or UNTO
you, as fome GOOD Tranflations read it.
.£009.14.1.
Secondly, It*s fuppofed, this Command
of receiving him that is weak in the Faith,
doth principally intend, that is weak in the
DoUrine of Faith, and that not fo much in the
Doctrine of Juftification, as in Gofpel-Initi-
tutions, as doth appear by the fecond and (ix«;h
verfes, which fhews, that it was in matters of
Practice, wherein fome were weak, and at
which others were offended j notwithstand-
ing the Glorious Lord who bears all his Israel
upon his heart receives, verf.3. and command-
eth, him that is weak in the Faith receive you^
or unto you.
Therefore, here we are to enquire of the
receiving in the Text, By whom, and to what,
he that is weak in the Faith, lliould be re-
ceived.
In which enquiry there are Two parts*
F$rft, By whom ?
Second/ j , To what?
To i
no Bat to Communion.
To the Firfl. The Text makes anfwer,
Him that u weakln the Faith, rcaive you, or
unto you; which muft be the Church ac
Rome to whom the Eoiftle was writ, as alio,
to all oelovcdof God, called to be Saints,
Xom.i.7. And as to them, fo unto all Chur-
ches and Saints, Beloved and cahed through-
out the World.
Note, 7W Epl/UesareatwUtodlreclhov
Lburcbcs are to carry things toward Saints
rcithouz as to Saints within ; and alfo toward
*U men a O4to £tVf m c fence to Jew or Gentile y
nor to the Church of God. i Cor. 10.32
The fecond part of the Enquiry 7s, to
what he that is weak in the Faith is to be re-
ceived ? whether only unto mutual affcaion
« lome affirm, as if he were in Church!
^cllovvmip before, that were weak in the
fraitji? or whether the Text doth as well, if
not rather intend, the receiving fuch as were
and are weak in the Faith. Not only unto
mutual ahVhon if m the Church, but unro
Church- fellow/hip alfo, if they were out
tor clearing of which, confidcr, To whom
thchpiftlc was written, A».i. 7 . Not only
to the Church there, but unto all that were be.
loved of God, and called to be Saints in all
Ages. And as at Rome it is like there then
were, and in other places now are Safe t > weak
m the Faith, both in and out of Church-Fel-
bwfhip • And it is probable there :hQn ucre,
and clfewherc now are thofe that will caft fuch
cut of their mutual affection. And if they will
call fuch out of cbeir mutual affc&ioo that are
G 4 within.
10 l
io4 Differences about Water-Baptifm,
within, do doubt, they will keep out of their
Church-Fellowihip thofe that are without.
Arg.\. Whereas the Lord's care extends to
all his, and it it were a good Argument in the
third vcrfe, for them to receive thofe within,
becaufeGod hath received them, it would be
as good an Argument to receive in thofe with-
out, for God hath received them alfo : unlefs
it could be proved, that all that were and are
weak in the Faith, were and areinChurch-
Fellowfhip, which is not likely ^ For if they
would call: fuch out of their AfTe&ion that
are within, they would upon the fame ac-
count keep them out of Church- fellowfhip
that were without : Therefore as it is a Duty
to receive thofe within unto mutual AfTe&ion,
SO it is no lefs a duty, by the Text> to receive
fuch weak ones as are without, into Church-
Fellowfhip.
Arg.2. Is urged from the words themfelvcs
which are, Receive him that u weak, in the
Faith, wherein the Lord puts NO limitati-
on, in this Text or in any other, and who is
he then that can reftrain ir, unlefs he will limit
the Holy One of Ifrael ? and how would fuch
an interpretation, foolifhly charge the Lord,
as if he took care ONLY of thofe within,
but not LIKE care of thofe without > where-
ss he commandeth them to receive them, and
ufeth this Motive, he had received them, and
hereceiveth thofe that are weak in the Faith,
if without, as well as thofe within.
From the Example, (to wit) That God had
received them ; whereas., had he been of tr^e
- • Church,
no Bar to Communion, loy
Church, they would have been perfwaded of
char before he Motive was urged : For no
true Church o{ ChrifVs would cake in, or
keep in any, whom they judged the Lord had
not received, buc thofe weak ones were (uch
as they queftioned whether the Lord had re-
ceived them, elfe the Text had not been an
anfwer fufficicne for their receiving thexn :
There might have been objected, They hold
up Jemfh obfervations of Meats, and Daye%
which by the Death of Chriit. were abolifhed,
and (o did deny feme of the Effects- of his
Death ; yet the Lord who was principally
wronged, could pafs this by, and commzndeth
others ro receive them alio. And it it be a
good Argument to receive fuch as are weak
Jn any thing, whom the Lord hath received,
Then there can be no good ^Argument to reject
for any thing for which the Lord will not rejett
them ; For elfe the Command in the rirft verfe f
anti his Example ii the third verfe were in-
fufficient , without fome ocher Arguments
unto the Church, be fide his Command and
Example.
Some Object, Chip. 15. 7. Receive you one
another, as Chrlfl hath received its unto the *^
Glory of Cjod, and from thence fuppofing they
were all inChurch-fellowfhip before, whereas
the Text faith not fo : For if you coofider the
8th and oth verfes, you may fee he fpeaks unto
J*n?.fand Gentiles in general, that if i\\zjews
had the receiving, they fhould receive Gen-
tiles ; and if the Gentiles had the receiving,
they ihould receive Jewes ; For had they not
been
io£ Differences about Water-Baptifm,
been on both fides commanded, The Juries
might have (aid to the Gentiles, you are com-
manded co receive us, but we are not com-
manded to receive you ; and if the weak had
the receiving, they fhould receive the ftrong ;
and if the ftrong had the receiving, they
fhould not keep out the weak ; and the Text
is reinforced with the Example of the Sors
receiving us unto the Glory of God, that as he
receiveth J ewes, and poor Gentiles, weak, and
ftrong ; in Church-felbwfhip, or out of
Church-fellowfhip: Soihould they, to the
Glory of God. And as the Lord Jefus re-
ceived fome, though they held fome rhings
more than were Commanded, and fome things
left than were Commanded, and as thofe that
were weak and in Church- fellowihip, fo thofe
that were weak and out of Church-fellow-
fhip ; and that not only into mutual Affecti-
on, but unto Fellowfhip with himfelF; and/<?
fhould they, not only receive fuch as were
weak within into mutual Afiedtion, but fuch
as were without, both to mutual Affection
and to Church-fellowfhip : Or elfe fuch weak
ones as were without, had been excluded by
the Text. Oh I how is the heart of God the
Father and the Son fet upon this, to have his
Children in his Houfe, and in one anothers
hearts as they are in his, and are born upon
the ihoulders and breafts of his Son their
High-Prieft ? and as if all this will not do it,
but the Devil will divide them frill whoie
work it properly is ; But the God of Peace
veA come in fhortlr, arj brwfe Satan under
their
no Bar to Communion. 107
their feet, as in Rom. 16. 20. And they
will agree co be in one Houfe, when they are
more of one Heart ; in the mean time pray as
in Chap, 1 <$. j. Now the God of Patience and,
Confolation grant that we bt like-minded one
towards another according to Chrifi J'ftts.
I fhall endeavour the anfu ering of (bme
Objeclions, and leave it unto Consideration.
Obj. Some fay this bearing or receivings
were but in things indifferent.
An[#. That eating, or forbearing upon a
civil account, are things indifferent, is [rue:
But not when done upon the account of Wor-
fhip, as keeping of Dayes, and eftablifhing
Jewijh obfervations about Meats, winch by
the Death of Chrifi: are taken away, and ic
is not fairly to be imagined the fame Church
at Rome lookM fo upon them as indifferent;
nor that the Lord doth; That it were a'l alike
to him to hold up Jewijh Obfervations, or to
keep Days or no Days, right Days or wrong
Days, as indifferent things, which is a great
miftake, and no lefs than to make God's
Grace little in receiving fuch : For if it were
but in things wherein they had not finned, it
were no great matter for the Lord to receive,
and it would have been as good an Argument
or Motive to the Church, to fay the things
were indifferent, as to fay the Lord had recei-
ved them.
Whereas the Tex: is to fet out the Riches of
Grace to the VefTels of Mercy, as Rom.p .15.
That as at firft he did freely chufe and accepc
them ; fo when they fail and mifcarry in ma-
ny
s o 8 Differences about IVater-Baptifm,
ny things, yea "about his Worfhip alfo, al-
though he be moft injured thereby, yet he is
firft in palling it by, and perfwading others
to do the like } That as the good Samaritan
did i/i the Old Teftament, fo our good Sa-
maritan doth in the New, when Prieft and
Levite pafs'd by, Paftor and People pafs by ;
yet he will not, but pours in Oyl, and car-
ries them to his Inn, and calls for receiving,
and fetting it upon his account.
Object. That this bearing withy and receiv-
ing fuch 06 are weak, ** the Faith , m»ft be li-
mited, to Meats, and DayeS) ar,d Jnch Like
things that had been old Jewi(hObfervations,bftt
not auto the being ignorant in, or doubting of
any New -Teftament- 1 nfllttitlon.
Anfw. Where the Lord puts no limitacio.i,
men fhould be wary how they do it, for they
muft have a Command or Example, before
they can limit this Command ; for although
the Lord took this occafion from their diffe-
rence abm: Meats and D-iyes to give this
Comnand, yet the Command is notlimked
there, no more than cj^f^f. 12. 1,2, 3,4,
5 j 6, 7. That when they made ufc of his good
Law rigorcuily in the Letter, he prefcntly
published an A 61 of Grace, in the 7th verfe,
and tells them, Had they known what this
meanethy I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice ,
they woudd not have condemned the gmltlcfs •
a* alfo Mat. p. 13. Qi learn what this mean*
tih^ I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice^
which is not to be limited unto what was che
gretcflt occafion o: jpablifhing the Command,
but
no Bar to Commuion. io^
but obferved as a general Rule upon all occafi-.
ons, wherein Mercy and Sacrifice comes in
competition, to (haw the Lord will rather have
a Duty emitted that is due to him, then Mer-
cy to his Creatutes omitted by them. So in
the Text, when feme would not receive fuch
as were weak in the Faith, as to matters of
Practice, the I^ord was pleafed to publifh this
<S?CT of (jrace ; Him that is weak in the
Faith, receive you, but not to doubtful dic-
tation. Now unlefs it be proved, that no
Saint can be weak in the Faith in any thing
bat Meats and Days, or in fome Old-Teita-
ment-Obfervation, and that he cught not to
be judged a Saint, that is weak in the Faith,
as it relates to Gofpel-Inftitutions, in matters
of practice, you cannot limit the Text, and
you muft alfo prove his weaknefs SUCH, *t
that the Lord mil not receive him ; elfc the
Command in the firft verfe, and the Reafon
or Motive in the third verfe, will both be in
force upon you, to wit, Him that U vceak^in
the Faith, receive you^ or unto yon, for Cod
hath received him.
Object. But jome may objetl from i Cor.
12. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gen-
tiles. Some there are that ajfirm this to be
meant of Water-bayt'xfm, and that particular
Churches are formed thereby, and all f erf ons
are to be admitted and jojned unto fuch Churches
by Wat'er-bapifm.
Ar.fw, That the Baptifm intended in the
Text, is the Spirits-bapcifm, and not Water-
bapcilm 5
*io Differences abort Water-Baptifm,
baptifm ; and that the Body the Text intends,
is not principally the Church of Corinth, but
all Believers, both Jews and Gentiles, being
baptized into one Myftical Body, as Ephef* 4.
4. There is one Body, and one Spirit > wherein
there is fet out the Uniter and the United ;
therefore in the third verfe they are exhorted
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of
Peace. The United are all the Faithful, in
ore Body ; into whom ? in the fifth verfe, in
one Lord Jefus Chhft ; by what ? one Faith,
%f* one Baptifm, which CANNOT be meant of
Water- baptifm ^ for VVater-baptifm doth not
unite all this Body, for fome of them never
had Water-baptifm, and are yet of this Bo-
dy, and by the Spirit gathered into one Lord
Jefus Chrift, Ephef. 1. 10. both which are
in Heaven and in Earth, Jew and Gentile,
Ephef. 2. 16. that he might reconcile both un-
to God in one Body by his Crofs ; the Inftru-
ment you have in verf. 18. by one Spirit ,
Ephef* 3. 6\ That the Gentiles fhould be FeU
low-Heirs of the fame Body, verf. iy. of
whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth
is named. And the Rcafons of their keeping
the Unity of the Spirit, in £^.4.3. is laid
down inv.4^. being one Body, one Spirit,
having one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, one
Baptifm, whether they were jews or Gentiles,
fuch as were in Heaven or in Earth, which
£j* CANNOT be meant of Water-baptifm, for
ih that fenfe, they had not all one Bapciim,
nor admitted and united thereby : So in
1 Cor. 12. 13, For by one Spirit we are _ all
baptized
m Bar to Communion, m
haptiutl into one Body, whether Jews or (jtn-
tilts, whether we be bond or free, we having
been aU made to drinf^ into one Spirit 5 which
CANNOT be meant of Water-baptifm, in -£j
regard all the Body of Chriil, Jews and
Gentiles, bond and tree, partook noc there-
of.
Object. But Ephef. 4. j. faith ^ there is but
one Bapcifin^ and by what hath been faid, if
granted. Water -baptifm will be excluded, or
elfe there is more Baptjfms than one.
Anfw. Ic folio weth not chat becaufe the
Spirit will have no corrival, chat therefore o-
ther things may not be in their places : That
bccaule the Spirit of God taketh the prehemi-
nence, therefore other things may noc be fub-
fervient : 1 John 2. 27. The Apoftie tells
them, That the anointing which they have re-
ceived of him, abideth in them ; and you need
noty faith he, that any man teack yon , but as
the fame anointing teacheth you all things, Br
this fome may think, John excludes the Mim-
icry ; no fuch matter, chough the Holy Ghoft
had confirmed and inftiuCted them fo in the
Tru:h of the Gofpel, as that they were fur-
nitlied againft Seducers in v. 2.6. yetyoufes
John goes on ftill teaching them in many
things: As alfo in Ephef. 4.^,1, 12, 13, he
gave fome Apoftles, fome Prophets, fome
Evangelifts, fome Paftors, and Teachers,
verf.iz. for the perfecting of the Saints, for
the work of the Miniftry, for the. edifying of
theBodyofChrift; verfi^. Till we all come
in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge
112
Differences about Water-Btptifm,
of the So « of God-, unto a perfetl manhunt o the
meafvre of the flat ure of the falnffs ofChrift.
So in the Spirits-baptilm, thou; ;i ic have the
preheminence, and appropriated fome things,
as peculiar to it felt, it doth not thereby de-
ftroy the life and End of Water-baptifm, or
any other Ordinance in its place : for Water-
baptifm is a means to increafe Grace, and in
it, and by it Sandtification is forwarded, and
Remiflion of fins more cleared and witnefled .,
yet the giving Grace, and regenerating and
renewing, is the Holy Spirit's peculiar. Con-
sider TiV. 3. 5. By the wafhing of Regenera-
tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghcfty Baptifm
being the outward iigh of the inward Graces
wrought by the Spirit, a reprefentation or
figure, as in 1 <p^. 3.21. The like Figure,
vp hereunto Baptifm doth now alfo favew, not
the putting away of the filth of the fle(h, but the
anfwtr of Osgood Confolence towards God f by
the ReffirreUionoffe[mChri(l y not excluding
Water baptifm; but fhewing, That the Spiri-
tual part is chiefly to be looked at : Though
fjch as (light Water-baptifm as the Phzrifets
and Lawyers did Lnksl' 3 °> reject tne Coun-
felof God a^aiult themfelves not being Bap-
tized ; And fuch as would (et Water-baptifm
in the Spirit's place, exalt a duty againft the
Deity and dignity of the Spirit, and do give
the Glory due vnto him, as God blefled [or
ever, unto a duty.
By which mittake of fetting up Water-
baptifm in the Spirit's place, and -afligning it a
work, which wis never appointed uutoic
of
nbbirtoCdmfnumon. ir$
of forming the Body of Chrift, cither in ge-
neral, as in i Cor. 12.1$. Eph.^.f. or as ro
particular Churches of Chrift, we may fee
the fruit, that inftead of being the means of
uniting as the Spirit doth, that it hath not
only rent his feamlefs^Coat, but divided his
Body which he hath purchafed with his owrt
blood, and oppofed that great defign of Father,
Son, and Spirit, in uniting poor Saints, there-
by pulling in pieces what the Spirit hath puc
together. Him that is weak in the Faith re
ceive )ou> for God bath received him ; being
fuch as the Spirit had baptized and admitted
of the Body of Chrift, he would have his
Churches receive them alfo : whofe Baptifm
is the ONLY Baptifm, and fo is called the -£f
ONE Baptifm : Therefore confider, whe-
ther fuch a Practice, hath a Command or an
Example, that Perfons muft be joyned into
Church-fellowfhip by Water- baptifm ; For
John baptized many, yet he did not baptize
fome into one Church, and fome into another,
nor all into one Church ( as the Church of
Rome doth ) ; And into what Church did
Fbilip baptize the Eunuch, or the Apoftle the
Jaylor and his houfe ? And all the reft they
baptized, were they not left free to joyn them-
felvcs for their convenience, and Edification >
All which I leave to Consideration. I might
have named fome inconveniencies, if not ab-
surdities that would follow the Afiertionj
As to father the miftakes of the Baptizers on
the Spirit's a£t, who is not miftaken in any*
Hebaptizethj no fake Brethren creep in una-
H * L warc*
1 1 4 biffertttcti abotit Water- Kaptifm,
wares into the Myftical Body by him 5 and al-
io, how this manner of rorrnu.£ ChmcheS
.would fine a County, where many recon-
verted, and willing to *^e baptized $ but there
being to Church to be baptized into, how
fhalifuch a Church-ftaje begin? The firftmuft
jbe baptized into no Church, and theieft in.
to him as the Church, or the Work ftand iiiir
for want of a Church.
Obj. But God is a Cod of Order 3 and hath
ordained Order in all the Churches of Chrif! •
Mud for to receive one that holds the Bsptifm he
had in his Infancy y there is no Command nor
Example for ^ and by the- fame Rule Children
will be brought in to be Church-members ?
•
Anf#* That God is a God of Order,, and
and hath ordained Orders in all the Churches
of Chrift,is true 5 and that this is one of the
Orders to receive him that is weak in the
Faith, is as true. And though there be no
Example or Command, in fo many words?,,, re-
ceive fuch an one that holds the . Baptifm he
had in his infancy, nor to reject men. a one 5
kit there is a Command to receive him that is
weak in the Faith, wuhout limitation^ and ic
is like, this might not be a doubt in thofe
dayes, and fo not fpoken of in particular.
But the Lord ^provides a remedy for all
times, in the Text, Him that u weak, in the
Faith, receive yoft, for elfe receiving, muU
not be upon the account of Sawfbif, but upon
knowing,
no Bar to Communion, i i j
knowing, and doing all things according to
Rule and Order, and that mult be perfectly,
elfe for to deny any thing, or ro affiim too
much is diforderly, and would hinder receive-
ing : But the Lord deals not io with his
People, but accounts L O VL the fulfilling
of the Law, though they be ignorant in many
things, bochas to knowing, and doing ; and
receives them into Communion and fellowfhip
with himfelf, and would have others do the
famealfo: And if he would have (o much
bearing in the Apoffclc's dayes, when they had
infallible helps to expound Truths unto them,
much more now,the Church hath been fo long
in the Wiidernefs and in Captivity, and not
that his People fhould be driven away in ths
dark, day, though they are rick and weak,
Ez,ekz 34- itf, 21. And that it fhculd be
fuppofed fuch tendernefs would bring in Chil-
dren in Age to be Church-members, yea, and
Welcome, if any body could prove them in the
Faith, though never lb weak } fortheTexcis,
Him that is weak in the Faith, receive you :
Ic is not He, and his Wife, and Children >
unlefs it can be proved , they are in the
Faith.
Object. By this, fome Ordinances may be loft
or omitted, and is it to be fuppofed the Lord
Would fuffcr any of his Ordinances to be loft or
omitted in the Old or New-Teftament, cr the
right nfe of them, and yet own fuch for true
Churches j and what reafon can tbsre be for
H 2 Anfw*
1 16 Differences a font Water. Baptifm,
Anfrv. The Lord hath differed (ome Or-
dinances to be omitted and loft' in the Old-
Teftament , and yet owned the Church.
Though Circumcifion were emitted in the
Wildrrnefs , yet he owned them to be his
Church, Arts 7. 38. and many of the Ordi-
nances were loft in the Captivity ; See Ainf-
worth upon ExoLz 8.30, &c. which mewed
what the High-Pnelt was to put on, and
were not to be omitted upon pain of death,
as the Vnm and Thpunmim, yet being loft,
and feveral other Ordinances, the Ark, with
the Mercy- Scat and Cherubims, the Fire from
Heaven, the Majefty and Divine Prefence,
&c. yet, he owns the Second Temple, though
ihort of the Firft, and filled it with his Glo-
ry, and honoured it with- his Son, being a
Member and a Minifter therein. Mai. 3. 1.
The Lord whom youfeek will faddcnly come to
his Temple : So in the New-Teftament, fince
their Wildernefs condition and great and
long Captivity, there is fomedarknefsand
doubts, and want of Light in the beft of the
Lord's People, in many of his Ordinances,
and that for feveral Ages, and yet how hath
the Lord owned them for his Churches,
wherein he is to have Glory and Praife
throughout all tAgeSy Eph. 3.21. And fo
iliouid we own them, unlefs we will condemn
the Generation of the Jufl : It muft be con-
fefled, That if exacl: Practice be j required,
and clearnefs in Gofpel-Inftitutions before
Communion j who dare be fo bold as to fay
no Bar to Communion* 1 1 7
his hands are clean, and that he hath dont all
the Lord Commands, as to Inilitutions in his
Worfhip ? and mult not conrefs the Change
or' Times doth necelfuate feme Variation, if
not Alteration either in the matter or manner
of things according to primitive PradVcc,
yet owned foi true Churches, and received as
vihble Saints, though ignorant either wholly
or in great meafure, in laying on of hands,
ringing, wafhingof fcer, and anointing with
oyl, in the Gifts of the Spirit, which is the
Vrim and Thummim of the Gofpcl ? and 'c
cannot be proved rhat the Churches wet e fo
ignorant in the Primitive cimfs, nor yet thac
fuch were received into Fcllowfhip •, yet now
herein it is thought meet there ihould be bear-
ing, and why not in Bapcifm, efpecially in
fuch at ovfn it for an Ordinance ,though in feme
things irnfs it, and do yet (hew their \o\c un-
to it, and unto theLoid, and unto his Law
therein, that they could be wii.ing to die for
it rather than to dtn\ it, and to be baptized
in their blood; which fhewetryhey hold it in
Confcience their duty, while they have fur-
ther Light from above, and are willing ohear
and obey as far as they know, though weak
in the Faith, as to clearnefs in Gofpel-Infhtu-
tions ; furely the Text is on their hdc y or elfc
it will exclude all the former, Him that u weak,
in the Faith receive you, but not to doubtful
dijpatations, Rom. 14. 5* Let every nan be
fuily rerfwaded in his own mind; and tikh
the Lord hath leceivcd.
H 3 Ai
s 1 8 Differences 'a font Wat er- Bapt ifm>
As to the Qjery, what reafon is there, why
th< Lord fhottld ["ffer any of his Ordinances
to fa loft f
Anfw. If there were no Reafon to be
fhown, it fliouid teach us (ilence, for he doth
nothing without the highcft Reafon ; and
there doth appear fone Reafons, in the Old
Xeftament, why thofe Ordinances of Vrvm
md Tbumm'.m, &c, were fiiffered to be loft in
the Captivity, tint tLy might long, and
look for the Lord Jefus, the. Prieft, that was
to ftand up wid\ Vrlm and Th%mmlm, Ezra.
2, 6$. Neb, 7. 6 j. which the Lord by this
puts them upon the hoping for, and to be in
the expedition of fo £reat a mercy,which was
the promife of the Qid Teftament, and all
the Churches loffes in the New Teftament:
By all the dark night of ignorance fhe ha:h
beemn ; and Iong v C2p:ivity ilie hath been un-
der, and in her wandering wilderncfs-fftfe,
wherein ffte lia'th rather' bee a fed with Manna
from hLayra, than by men upon Earth ; and
after ail her crtftffcs and ioites, the Lord Je:s
Light break in by degrees, and deliverance by
. litdsand little ; and (lie is coming oat of the,
WiUemtp leamncr tipon her Beloved ; znd the
l./)rd hath given die Valley of Ale bar for a
Door of H pe., rh:r e're long fhemay receive.
the ' of che.G '[ot\ richly, by the S.pi-
r>r to he pouted i^pon as From on H^h, I fa.
32. 15-. and the Wifderncfs be a rrui.ful
1 Field, and the fruitful Field become a For reft,
and
no Bar to Communion.
and then the Lord will take away the covering
cail overall people, If a. 25.7. and the Vait
that is fp cad over all Nations; I fa. n. 9.
For the Earth fhali be filled with the Knot?-,
ledge of the Lord, ai the Waters cover the Sea.
verf. 1 3. Then Ephraim (ball not envy Judah,
and Judah (lull not vex Ephraim. Thus will
the God of Peace bruifc Satan undcr-fooc
fhortfy -j and one Reafon why the Lord may
fuffer all this Darknefs and Differences that
have been, and yet are, is, thfct we might
long and look for this bleffed Pro mile of the
Gofpel, the pourings out of the Spirit.
Objecl. But m.rny Authors do judge, *h&
the voeak^ and ftrong were all in C hurch- fellow-
{hip before, and that the receiving rloin.l^*.
was but Into mutual affetiion.
jinfiv. It ought to be ferioudy weighed
how any differ from lo many worthy Au-
thors, is confeded, to whom the World is fo
much beholding for their help in many things;
but it would be of dangerous conlequence to
take all for granted they fay, and unlike the
noble Bereans, Acls 17. 1*. Though" they
bad fome infallible Teachers, yet they took
not their Words or Doctrine upon trull ; and
there may b.e more ground to queftion Expo.
fttors on this Text, in regard their Principles
neceditate them to judge that the fenfe • for
if it be iri their Judgments a Duty to compel
all to come in, and to receive all, and their
Children, they mull .needs judge by that
H 4 Text,
Differences about PVater-Baptifm,
Text, they were all of the Church, and iri
Fellowship, before their fcrupling Meats and
Dayes, becaufe that is an Acl: of grown perr
fons at years of difcretion ; and therefore the
receiving is judged by them to be oneiy into
mutual affection, for it is impodible for them
to hold their Opinion, and judge otherwife
of the Text ; for in'Baptifm, they judge In-
fants fhould be received into Church- fellow-
ship ; and then fcrupling Meats and Dayes
mult needs be after joyning. Their Judge-
ments might as well be taken, that it ib a Du-
ty to baptize Infants, as that they can judge
of this Text rightly, and hold their pra-
ctice.
Object. Bttt no uncircttmelfed Perfon was
to eat the Pajfeover, Exod. 12. And doth not
the Lord as wellrequirey the fignof Baptifm
nox9 % as of Cireumctfion then t and is there
pot like reafo* for it ?
jinfrv. The Lord, in the Old Teftamenr f
exprefly commanded no uncircumcifcd Perfon
fliould eat the PaiTeover, Sxod. 12. 28. and
in Ez^k. 54. p. that no ftranger, uncircum-
cifed in heart^r uncircumcifcd in fLfh,(hould
eiuer into his Sanctuary : And had the Lord
commanded , that no unbaptized Perfon
fhould enter into his Churches, it had been
clear: And no doubt, Chnit was as faith-
ful as a Sen in all his Houfe, as Mofes was
as a Servant; and although there had been
Ji!.£ reafon, if the Lord had commanded it fo
to
no Bat to Comm union] 12 f
to be, yet in Goal's Worftnp wc muft not
make the likenefs of any thing in our reafon,
but the Will of Gcd, the Ground of Duty ;
for upon fuch a Foundation fome would build
the baptiiing o( Infants, becaufc it would be
like unto Circumcifion, and fo break the Se-
cond Commandment, in making the likenefs
of things of their own contrivance, of force
with Inftitutions in the Worihip of God,
The molt that I think can be faid is, Thac
we have no Gofpel-Example for receiving
without Baptifm, or rejecting any for wane
of it : Therefoie it isdefucd, what hath been
faid, may be confidered, left while we look
for an Example, we do not overlook a Com-
mand upon a miftake, fuppofing that they
were all in Chuich-fellowfhip before; where-
as the Text faith not fo, but, Him that is weal^
in the Faith nccivt yon, or unto you.
We may fee alfo how the Lord proceeds
under the Law, though he accounts thofe
things chat were done contrary to his Law,
finful, though done ignorantly • yet never
required the Offender to offer Sacrifice till he
knew thereof, Ltvit. y. y. comp. with if,
& idverfes. And that may be a mans own
fin through his ignorance; that though it
may be anothers Duty to endeavour to inform
him in, yec not thereupon to keep him out of
his Farher's Houfe; for furely the Lord would
not have 3ny of his Children kept out, with-
out we haye a word for it, &nd though they
(erupts
Xp* Differences mnt Wattr-Bapttfm,
fcruple forne Meats in tjieir Fathers Houfe, yec
it may be dangerous for the ftronger Children
to deny them all the reft of the dainties there-
in, till the weak and lick can eat Ilrong Meat ;
whereas Peter had Meat for one, and Milk for
another; and Peter muft feed the poor Lambs
as well as the Sheep; and if others will not
do it, the Great, Shepheard will come ere long
and ipok up what hath been driven away,
Ez>ckj 34. 4, 1 1. ifa. 40. 1 1 . He will feed
his Flock like a Shepheard ; he ihall gather
the Lambs mto his Bofom, and gently lead
thofe that are with Young.
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