One Nathaniel Biscoe coming from England , and sitting down with us at Watertown , upon a time desired some conference with me , and especially about these two things : The Churches constitution , and Infants Baptisme : I judging he did intend no more then he pretended ( a private conference about those particulars for further light , being not well resolved on either side ) yeelded to his request , and in my chamber with him alone , agitated those two points , both hearing what he could say , and answering unto every objection he made ; and also propounded unto him some of those grounds which in that Book are exprest ; divers hours wee spent in that discourse , and how I carried my self towards him , I leave to him to manifest , or to be revealed when all secrets shall be made known . The issue was , that he had nothing to say , only for his better consideration , he desired that I would pen down those arguments that had passed betwixt us on my part ; I willingly ( not suspecting such an event ) yeelded , and in a piece of paper sent them unto him , expecting that he would have attended a further conference with mee about the matter ; but having got my paper , and transcribed it , he communicated it to some that were contrary to my apprehension in these points , and either himself , or some other by his means , sent them into England , whether to this confuter , or who else , I know not : but this I am certain , it hath been thus divulged , and not written with my own hand , nor subscribed by my name , so far as I can remember . And concerning the Propositions themselves , and arguments here exprest , I cannot say that here is all I writ , or that I wrote all that is here ( having not the writing I gave him , nor a copy thereof , that I can find with me ) only so far as I shall question any thing , I will give notice thereof , as I shall meet with it : And having premised thus much , I come to the Book , and therein ( pasfing by the title page ) : First , to the Epistle prefixed , and secondly , to the Discourse it self . Concerning the Epistle , I observe these things :

First , the means of Gods glory and mans happinesse .

Secondly , the order how these means are o be improved and dispensed .

Thirdly , the grounds of his writing this Book , with the conclusion .

Touching the first , the means of Gods glory and mans happinesse , these things are noted : first , it is Religion : secondly , that mens care and study should be , principally how they should exercise themselves in Religion , that they may attain that end : Thirdly , that this Religion must be pure and true Religion , otherwise men may not only misse the right end , but effect a quite contrary : Fourthly , that this true Religion is only to be Gods appointment in his Word : Lastly , that the Word sets forth Christ the Mediator as principall , and all other subordinate unto him , for the attainment of the end , Gods glory in mens happinesse : from all which in the generall , and according to that sense , they seem to bear , I see no reason to dissent . Nor from the intimation of Satan and his ministers policy to corrupt true Religion , and counterfeit a false Religion , under pretence of the true , to cousen , cheat and deceive poor souls with chaffe instead of wheat , &c. It being a certain truth , as the Scriptures and experience of all ages , and of this wherein wee live , do too wofully manifest . And I wish him self were none of the number , as heartily as I pray for my self . From this Discourse hee deduceth nine Conclusions , to which I can subscribe , under these Considerations . To the first , taking Religion , and pleasing of God in a strict and peculiar sense , otherwise I do not see a ground of difference between sins and duties materially : To the second and third , the bond of obedience lieth upon all men , who therefore are to be taught in the law , that they may become dead to the law through the law , and so glad to flie to Christ for righteousnesse and life : To the fourth , the word Commission , added to the rest , seemed to make all actions of Religion common to all ( as to preach , baptize , &c. ) or to restrain acts of Religion to them in office only .

To the ninth ; If hee intend by these words , no man ought to perform any act of Religion , unlesse Christ be all in all in that action , that therefore no man may or must pray , &c. be exhorted thereunto , &c. I agree not with him . And so I come to the second thing in the Epistle : The order how this Religion is to be wrought in mens hearts , and this is set down thus : First , preaching the Gospel , to convert men from sin to grace , and then to baptize men converted , professing their Faith , and not before ; by which ( as the end of baptisme ) they may be distinguished , as by a badge or livery to belong to the Church of Christ : To this in a word , I say thus much ; that there is a distinction to be made , between a company to be converted , and to be constituted , and a Church now constituted ; in a company to be converted and to be constituted , that which is said is true , the Gospel must first be preached , and by faith received and professed , and then they are to be sealed , and not before ; but in a Church now constituted , the like is not required , but the Churches are propagated by continuall succession , till God out them off . Thus was it with Abraham and his family , the Gospel was preached to him and his , he and his believed and were circumcised , and after they did not believe before they were circumcised , but were propagated and continued a Church till Christs time ; and so when the Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles , they were not to be baptized till they believed , but believing they were joyned to the Church , and then baptized , and that Church continued by succession till God cut them off again . But because this is the point in difference , I shall spare farther speech , till I come to reply unto the answer in the Book : And touching the complaint is made again of Satan and his Ministers , Policy and Malice , to set up a false religion ; I joyn in it , only I dare not account that to be any part of humane religion or of Satan , the baptizing of Infants ( and I hope I shall prove it ) is no humane device for any thing wee cannot prove to be divine in the administrations in England , I suppose our former practice and present state , doth fully acquit us from giving our allowance therto ; but I shall have occasion to speak something likewise about this afterward . And in a word , concerning the occasions of his writing this Treatise , he expresseth amongst others , the miserable witchery and delusion of Satan , which he had spoken of before , and intends to wrap up my self and all other Gods servants and Saints in old England and here in new , with all our way of religion and worship , wherein we desire to glorifie the Lord ; To all which , I shall spare to answer , leaving any that desire satisfaction in the case as it concerns us here , or them there , to a Discourse I have written about that matter , in justification of Infants baptisme , with the calling of Ministers here and there , and their adminstrations ; and leave him to the Lord , who shall judge us all ; only I wish him to consider his own words , that if it be without cause , that hee thus traduceth and powres out his distaste against us , he hurts himself more then hee doth us , and will be found to kick against the pricks ; and it may be he shall not find it so easie a matter to answer all that hee hath here at randome written , and in his Confutation put out against me , before that Judge , as he seems to be bold in troubling the world with it . And so passing the Epistle , I come to the Book it self , wherein I shall endeavour ( by Gods good help ) to justifie what he takes upon him to confute , and follow him step by step accordingly , as he goeth along , letting passe his Preamble ; only I can say , hee speaks not truth , in saying a Writing written by Georg. Phil. came to his hand , and subscribed by him as Pastor of Watertown , when as I writ it not ; and what I writ was not subscribed by me at all , and therefore let him that sent it , and himself take it betwixt them , and see whether they may not justly repent of so speaking : But to proceed , hee sets down some Propositions , which it seems , that Writing expressed ; for the clearing of the Arguments :

To the first and second , wherof hee saith nothing , and therefore according to the second , yeelds , that though there be no expresse literall commands for Infants baptisme in the Scriptures nor example , yet if by just consequence from thence it can be proved and cleered , that is as sufficient as if it were literally commanded .

To the third Proposition , about the tender of happinesse to man two wayes dispensed : First , to the first Adam , and all man-kind by the law and works ; the other to the second Adam , and all the elect in him , which being one eternall covenant from the first promulgation for ever in substance , yet varied by divers circumstances in a fourfold period manifested , first from Adam to Abraham , called the Promise ; secondly , from Abraham to Moses in a visible outward covenant ; thirdly , from Moses to Christ , called the old Testament ; the fourth from Christ to the end , called the new Testament . To this , I say , hee hath divers exceptions , and of such weight in his apprehension , that he is not able to forbeare my person and calling , as that I am not worthy the name of a Pastor , and it doth very ill agree to mee , as the doctrine delivered in this Proposition doth declare , being not wholesome food , but a barren wildernesse , or rather hurtfull , effecting nothing but noysome diseases , and tending to death . In answer whereunto , in a word , I freely acknowledge my self not worthy the name of a Pastor , and that it very ill agrees to mee , and many reasons there are , which force me so to acknowledge , though the censure of this Confuter makes me not think so at all , nor the doctrine there delivered by me , which is good and wholesome , whatsoever hee saith to the contrary , if that be wholesome that is contained in Gods sacred Scriptures , as I shall cleer by and by : But let all take notice of this , that for a man to leave his cause , and fall upon mens persons or callings , it is an argument of a bad cause , or a corrupted heart , or both ; for I suppose hee will not challenge universall authority , and who made him a Judge over me ? in regard of his own private , I confesse he hath liberty to judge of what I say , or any other ; and if I had written to him , he might rightly have answered , nor should I have taken it ill , if hee had written to me about them , I think I should have taken it well ; but the man will be a Judge over me , and that without as much as a word of intination that I had offended him first , but hee saith hee must have leave to tell me so : As concerning his exceptions , they are so weak , and of no value , as he must give me leave to tell you all , that the name of a wise and reasonable man doth not ( or very ill ) agree to him , and be your selves Judges : For , first , he put an if ; If I limit reprobates from the tender of happinesse , made to the second Adam , and all the elect in him , hee conceives I erre , because they could not then be said to refuse the call of God , &c. but if I did not so limit it , what then ? will he confesse he did ill to blot the paper with such needlesse suppositions ? Or that he wanted charity to think that I never read those Scriptures by him alledged , and many others : as also that of Heb. 3. & 4.2 ?