BRethren , heartily beloved in the God of love , Christ Jesus : Hee , that now takes upon him , To be your monitour , is one that is peaceable in Israel ; wisheth , with the Apostle , Grace , mercy and Peace may be multiplied unto you ; seeks not yours , but you ; acknowledges in you , and from his heart congratulates to you , these two most Christian dispositions , which heretofore Hee hath observed in most of you ; namely , first , That generally ye doe fear an Oath and all open deboshery & Profaness . Secondly , That , when lately the right Church-Order and Constitution in this Land , through the mistake of the times , was either destroyed or brought into contempt and disrepute , somewhat neere a destruction , and nothing of any worth set up in steed of it ( as indeed nothing of any worth , but that it self , could be set up ) Ye yet would not be contented to live at large , and out of all both reall and seeming Church Order , as many did . These dear Brethren , are two such believing qualifications , namely , strict living , and great devotion to Discipline , That would ye now , with these , conform and apply your selves ( through the power of grace and mercy ) to the established way of this Nation ; The advantage , ye might hereby bring to the truth of the Gospel , to the peace of Christendome , and to the eternall welfare both of your selves and of others , would be such , as no conceit can aforehand sufficiently make out and declare .

To the end therefore , ye may thus ( through Grace ) blesse both yourselves and others , & that the God of Order may love you the Sons of Order , yet more and more ; Hee I verily believe ; hath stirred up my Spirit , to lay before you those convictions of the un-Evangelicallness of your way , that to me truly seem utterly unresistable . For judge , Brethren , even the meanest of you , whether that way can possibly be the right , which seems to have all these un-Christian things , most truly charged upon it ; namely ,

First , That ye do strike in with the Papists , in the most venomous and un-Christian point of all , namely , Their judging and condemning all other , or , their holding all other Christians besides themselves , to be in state of damnation ; and , separating from them accordingly . Thus doe the Papists ; thus also doe ye . But that in so thinking and doing , both of you , doe both doe and think clean contrary to Christ Crucified , or , the Gospel .

Secondly , Your rejecting of the Three Creeds .

Thirdly , Your uncharitable affirming all the Ministers of England , to be deceivers , Imposters , &c.

Fourthly , Your counting all , or most Societies of Christians , besides your selves , to be the Revelation-Babylon : And to this purpose in your Arrowes against Babylon , making , quickly , shortly , and , the time is at hand ( expressions in sundry places of that Book ) to signify a Tract of time , reaching our times and even to the very end of the World ; contrary not onely to the Truth , but also to the Scripture use of the Word , as well , as of all otber Books and Languages beside .

Fiftly , Your Urging People to judge for themselves in controverted Points ; which yet by Gods Word , are left to the Rulers gather'd together in a Council , Heb . 13. 17. Compared with Act. 15.

Sixtly , Your slighting of Prayer and Praise and of the word distinctly read , in the Assemblies , as a Part of Worship .

Seaventhly , Your Endevouring to perswade People against all sense and Reason , That the whole Church , not onely in S. Cyprians and Tertullians , but also in Hyginus his time , was ignorant , whether the 50. or 100. years before , Infants were Baptized or no ; When themselves , or their Fathers , were some of those Infants .

Eightly , Your simulation , pretending to Preach onely by inspiration , when ye your selves know well enough , that ye doe it , not without much use and study and conference , and those other means and wayes , that other men take and use ; And not onely by the present Incitations , Assistances , Suggestions and Inspirations of the Spirit .

Ninthly , Your making all Infants uncapable of any room in the visible Church , whilest Infants . A piece of cruelty never heard of , from the beginning of the World , till , about 200. years agoe .

Tenthly , Your making no difference at all , between the Infants of believers and of Infidels .

Elevently , Your making both Jewes and Gentiles to be now , ( under Christ , and the Gospel in a farre worse estate , in respect of their Infants , then they were , under Moses and the Law .

Twelfthly . Your allowing your selves in the violation of the 6. and 7. Commandements , by your endangering not the health onely , but Chastity also , of many , that ye dip .

Thirteenth . Your making nothing of the general custome , usage & practise of Christians ; clean contrary to what S. Paul does For he , in that solemne debate about being covered , or uncovered in the Publick sacred Assemblies , makes this his concluding , and , as it were , stabbing and unanswerable argument ; 1 Cor . 11. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious , We have no such custome , nor the Churches of God . For his meaning even in the opinion of Mr. Walter Craddock , is this ; if with all this , that I have said , the contentious among you will not be satified , but will in the Holy Assemblies , the Women be uncovered ; and the Men covered ; I have then to alleadge against them , this undeniable and unanswerable Argument , as being matter of known fact and practise , among all civil as well as Christian people ; That no where is it in use for Men in the sacred Assemblies to cover themselves , and for Women to be uncovered . But most signally true is this , among Christians , There being not a Church of God any where that so does . Now to go by ones selfe , and in such things as these , to doe and practise in a clean different way from all other Christians , This sure must needs be very great Arrogance , singularity and self admiration at least ; to say nothing of the unchartitableness , and Impiety therunto conjoyned .

This , Brethten , seems to be the true minde and meaning of S. Paul in this place : And if so it be , then Judge ye , whether your slighting of the use and Practise of Christians , be an Apostolicall and Christian thing or no .

Fourteenth . Your restraining the manner of Baptizing to dipping : Whereas 1. The word signifies washing , affusion , or sprinkling , as well as dipping & immersion and dowsing over head and ears . 2. Christ hath not appointed the measure of Water , nor the manner of Washing ; no more then Hee hath appointed in the Lords Supper , what quantity of Bread and Wine each must take . And as it would be but folly for any to think , that Men must needs fill themselves full of Bread and Wine , because it best signifies the fulness of Christ : so it is no better to say , We must be washed all over , because it best signifies our Buriall with Christ , &c.

Fifteenth . Your teaching , that the Infants of visible Church members under the Gospel ( or , That the Infants of Christians ) ought to have their Baptisme deferred , till they come to Age ; and , doing accordingly . For which your Doctrine and practise , there 's no one word , or example in all the New Testament .

Sixteenth . Your deceaving your selves & others with Arguments à Testimonio Negative , thus , We read not in all the New Testament , that the Apostles Baptized any Infants ; Therefore they Baptized none . An argument no better then these ; We read not in all the New Testament , that the Apostles did in their Prayers lift up their eyes to Heaven ; Therefore they never did so . That they did ever make use of the Lords Prayer . Therefore they never did use it , &c. A non dicto ad non factum , non valet consequentia .

Seaventeenth . Your turning Scripture affirmatives into exclusives , thus ; The Apostles Baptized Men and Women come to Age : that is , say ye , They Baptized such onely , and none else . They Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus ; that is , say ye , In the Name of the Lord Jesus onely , without mentioning Father or Holy Ghost , &c. Enarrations , no better then these ; The Apostles Ioh . 21. Did eat Fish ; therefore Fish onely , and never any Flesh . The Apostles did Preach the Gospel by Word of mouth ; therefore onely by Word of mouth , and did never put it into writing . Blessed are they , that have not seen , and yet have believed ; therefore only such are blessed ; Therefore S. Thomas , who by seeing the Wounds and Scars of the Lord Jesus after his Resurrection came to believe , was not a blessed believer , &c.

Eighteenth . Your comforting up your selves with passive obedience , that is , with suffering what the Law inflicts , when ye do not , what it commands . But consider , Brethren .

1. That in all the Book of God there cannot be any one believer named , nor any one Word of God noted , Warranting believers so much as to doubt or dispute , much lesse to disobey and condemne when once due Authority has interposed in things indifferent . So that not onely disobedience , but also mere passive obedience , in this case , is utterly unscripturall , that is , such as has neither precept nor practise , nor Text nor fact , to warrant it throughout the whole Bible .

2ly . That , whereas some perhaps may think to evade the force of this Observation by distinguishing about Things indifferent clothed with their Circumstances , and Things Indifferent not-clothed with their circumstances ; We may sure be bold to tell them aforehand , That , this distinction seemes but a mere Notion , or , a distinction without a difference ; Because One part of It appeares to be entirely wanting , There being no particular things in Common life , but are clothed with Accidents and Circumstances . And therefore , If the soveraigne Powers may interpose in any indifferent Things , It must be in Things indifferent , clothed with their Circumstances , There being no other things at all , in Common life , for them to interpose in .

3ly . That Circumstances , though never so many , if some where in God's word they be not certainely forbidden , can never make any Thing Indiffirent , Not Indifferent , or Unfit and Unlawfull for the Soveraigne Magistrate to interpose in , whether by Prohibition or Injunction , as Hee sees Cause . ( If indeed the Unseparable Accidents and Circumstances be certainely forbidden , The Thing it selfe we acknowledge to be forbiden to ; Not in and of it selfe , but because of those sinfull forbidden Adherescencies . But no such , we are competently certaine , can be noted in any part of our Constitution . And for the faulty Executions , that be , These are the faults of men , not of the lawes . )

4ly . That St. Pauls Rules about not giving offence to weak Brethren , have place only in such things as the Christian Magistrate has not interposed in , neither by Prohibition , nor Injunction ; For then no Christian Magistrate had determined one way or other ; Nor was there Any One then , so to doe . But now ; ( blessed be our God , who hath made so many Kingdomes of the world to be the Kingdomes of the Lord Jesus ! ) The case now is farre otherwise , as in many Soveraigneties besides , so particularly in these our Independent Kingdomes of England , Scotland and Ireland . Adde hereunto 1. That the Case , that St. Paul speaks to directly and particularly , namely , Things offered to Idols , is now no where to be met with in the Christian world . 2. That To make Rules for Conscience by Analogie or Proportions , when therein we have not the Ancient Church going before us , neither by knowne Practise , nor undoubted Canon , seemes a daring very dangerous and noway justifiable .

5ly . That the Word requires , not only Passive , but also Active Obedience from you , In all these Scripture-undetermin'd Matters , wherein the Magistrate by the word may interpose . Now that in setling the Outward worship of God , He may and ought to put in , seemes competently certaine , as otherwise , so especially from 1 Chron . 25. vers . 1. 2. 3. and 2 Chron . 29. 30 : for in the former of these places recorded we have a Plaine Order or Act from King David and his Captains , that is , his Councill of Officers ; not only from King David , the man after Gods own heart , but also from sundry Ordinary men , his Commission'd Officers : ( The Great and most Legal Parliment not then sitting , this extemporary Convention of Officers serv'd the turne . How much more ought a most free , full and most deliberately chosen Parliament satisfie us . ) I say by this Authority an Ecclestical Order is no sooner emitted , for prophesying , that is , for praysing , with Harps , Psalteries , and Cymbals ; But presently It is most cheerfully and universally obeyed . The like submission also we find in the other place , given to the ordinance of Hezekiah and his Princes for Common Prayer , or , in the literal words of the text , for singing praise unto the Lord , as we now are appointed to doe by our King , his Princes and Parliament , in the words of David and of Asaph the Seer : for the very next words are ; And they sang prayses with gladness , in these formes , and they bowed their heads and worshipped .

6ly . That if Ye suffer never so patiently and meekly , when Ye should have obeyed Actively , sinne yet doth lye at the doore and upon the Conscience . Because Impossible it is , that corporal outward suffering should be any expiation of Inward soule-sinne .

7ly . That , If ye suffer as Busy bodies in other mens matters , then can ye not be innocent ; nor , by the Gospel rule , take any comfort at all in your sufferings . For , when we underake to Judge the laws , which thing belongs only to the law makers , are we not Busybodies in other mens matters ?

8ly . That , It seemes to be the most hazardous and curious point ( one of them ) in all Christianity , Passively to Obey , without being guilty of some sinne or other : Because ; Thereunto these two things are found to be of Absolute necessity . 1. That , we be Antecedently Innocent , that is , That We be sure , We neither doe deserve , nor have deserved our sufferings , by any our own Weakness or Wickedness . 2. That in our suffering , We sinne not against any point of Christian meekness and Patience ; especially , That we speak not evill of the Power , By and under which we suffer ; and , That we be so farre from grudging at our sufferings , and from desiring by any indirect meanes , To shift our selves of our Cross , that we greatly rejoyce under it . Whether thus It be , or , when It comes to tryal , be like to be with You , Brethren , in all Respects , Your selves will make the Rightest estimate .

9. Adde hereunto , That in things by God in Scripture neither cleerly forbidden , nor cleerly commanded i . e . in things doubtful and Indifferent , The most conscientious and prudent Believers have ever counted The state of subjection , to be the hugely Happy state , that is , That the Supreme Magistrate and the laws should choose for them . For Hee , that hath the laws on his side , hath alwaies some thing of true religion to warrant him . And , Taking things upon trust from due Authority , or , Presumption in the behalfe of Authority is alwaies the safer : Praesumptio est pro Authoritate Imponentis . And subjects ought to judge in favour of the law : Subditi tenentur in favorem legis judicare . And many the like good Rules there are to this purpose .

Nineteenth . Your Contempt of deductions from Scripture ; Contrary not only to the Practise of our Lord Himselfe , Mat . 2. 32 ; and of his Apostles , 2 Cor . 5. v. 14. 15. 1 Tim . 5. v. 17. 18 : but also your own to ; For , nothing either doe yee bring or can yee bring against Infant-Baptisme , It being in Scripture no where forbidden ) save only certaine pretended deductions and Reasonings from Scripture words and Phrases . For instance , When ' ye say , Infants are not to be baptized , Yee draw it from Consequence , thus ; Because there is no Command for it in your sense . When yee affirme the Covenant is not made with Believers and their seed now , as with Abraham ; It 's drawne by consequence , Because , say yee , Abraham is no natural Father to us , as to the Jews , and , Because that Covenant was a mixt Covenant , &c. When ye come to prove , Baptizing is by Plunging , ye argue by consequence , Because the word signifies it ; Because they went where much water was , and went downe into the water , &c. And though yee greatly mistake in all these and many like consequences ; Yet this is full ad Homines , or , Against yourselves , who deny consequences to warrant Institutions , and yet have nothing to prove your own way , but what is by consequence from Scripture .

Twentieth . Your wilfulness . Ye will not , ye say , be perswaded , that Infant-Baptisme hath any ground in Scripture , unless ye may see some Scripture in so many words affirming , That Infants were baptized , or , ought to be baptized . Is not this to say , Wee will not believe that God hath spoken any thing to this point , because , Hee hath not spoken it just as we would have had him ? Or , We will not receive the sense and drift of the Scripture , because the words are not just such , as we thinke had been fittest ? Or , We will not content our selves with good grounds for the Practise , because they are not just such grounds , as we would have ? What is frowardness and meere wilfulness , if this be not ? By the same Artifice , yee may reject the Trinity , the Lord's day , and indeed every thing of faith , that is not in Scripture , in so many and such words , as yee think had been best and fittest .

Upon these and other like considerations , It was , sure , That One ( almost your owne ) did yet , many yeares agoe , thus proclaime in print ; The summe of All , writes Hee , that our Brethren have to say , though they make a great noyse in the world , is only this ; That they can find in the New Testament no syllabical precept , or words of command in termes , saying , Goe , baptize Infants ; Or , any full positive Example , where , it is recorded in so many words , that Infants were baptized . All that they say besides , is , to quarrel with our Argumens , and make shift to evade the strength of them ; But this is the only Argument , and their All to speake on . For , however they talke of the Covenant , and Fleshly and spiritual seed , and some other matters ; Yet this is their Great and most successefull Argument . And yet it 's whole strength , is nothing but this false Principle , That no Consequences from Scripture are obliging , or of Divine Authority . A principle carrying in the face of it , these three intolerable Absurdities , ( among sundry other . )

1. Then , No One can speak Divine Truth , but those that speak just the very expressions of Scripture .

2. Only the very letters and Syllables in the Bible should be Scripture , not the sense and meaning .

3. All Prophesyings ( commonly called Preaching ) All Enarrations , Opening , Applying and expounding of Scripture , should be laid aside , as Useless , if not Godless . Adde to all this ; That the Way of the Church of England , which ye have left , seemes to goe upon most cleere short and certaine Grounds of Holy Scripture and sanctified Reason , such as these .

1. Infants may and ought to be entered into Covenant with God , as upon other Authorities , so particularly . Deut . 29. 11. Yee stand this day All of you — Your Captaines — Your Elders — Your Little Ones , Your Wives — That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God .

2. When we see the Lord Jesus himselfe counting childrens coming to Him by their believing freinds , to be Very coming unto Him ; We have sure sufficient ground to believe , That He counts also their Professing the faith by their believing friends , to be Very Professing . Physically indeed or , According to the Physical , sensible or decretive Will of God , This Professing is the act of the sureties : But in Law sense or Morally , that is , According to his Moral , Intelligible , Legislative Will , It is the Childs own Act. Just as when a Father puts his Childs life into a living , and ties him to take such or such a man for his Land-lord , and to pay him such or such a Rent ; and if he doe not , to forfeit his estate ; if he doe , to enjoy it according to the Covenants : Physically , All this is the Fathers Act , but Morally and in the sense of the law , The Child is possessed of the benefit , as well as of the Burthen , as much as if he had both-known what is done , and also had done it himselfe . The Accomodation to our present businesse is so obvious , that scarce Any sure need to be holpen to doe it . For who sees not that the sureties , having Power and obligations from Deut. 29. 11. to enter the Child into Covnant with God , doe indeed so doe ? Engage him to take Christ for his Landlord as ' t were ? To enjoy and hold of him , all the Benefits of the Gospel , under the Rent of Faith and Repentance and the other Gospel . Observations ? If Hee doe not pay his Rent , to forf●it his living ? If Hee doe , To enjoy it with surety and Highest comfort ? &c. And boldly may the sureties in the Child's behalfe , protest , That it is , His desire to be baptized into the faith of Christ , because every One may and ought to be presumed not only Consenting to , but also desirous of , That , which is for his Good ; As this his beeing entred into Covenant with his God , for certaine is No small Good to every Child so enter'd ; Unless haply we dare be so absurd and wicked to affirme , That it is better to be out of Covenant with God , then in ; And , To be out of the Bosome of the visible Church , then within it . &c.

3. In the Institution of Christian Baptisme some time before . Joh . 3. vers . 22. 26 : and chap. 4. vers 1. 2 : and in the Commission for Baptizing , Math . 28. There is nothing against Infant Baptisme ; But rather , Math . 28. vers . 19. 20. Roome purposely left for it , because therein Discipling by Baptizing , that is , by Engaging into the Name of Father , Sonne and Holy Ghost that is ▪ unto the true Christian Religion , is clearly set before Teaching . The words , these ; Beeing gone therefore Disciple all Nations , Baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost , Teaching them to observe all things , whatsoever I have , &c.

4. The Baptizing of Growne Believers is so frequently noted in the New Testament , To shew not the Proper and adequate subject of Baptisme , but the success and Power of the Gospel ; that , notwithstanding there seem'd to be in Christian Religion so many ●●surd and unlikely things , yet in very deed such reasonableness as well as power was in ●he dispensation , that so many thousands of Men and Women , come to mature years ●nd judgement , and some of them the greatest and most judicious Scholars of the times , did yet very readily and deliberately engage in it , in the ordinary way .

5. Whereas the main things , that ye so much vaunt of , and stand upon , are these two , your personall professing and Covenanting ; both these ( suppose it were lawfull for every man to choose , which way he will go , whether ours or yours every sober Christian sure would choose to have his Children doe , in our way , rather then in yours ; because they may be done , if not better and sooner , yet as soone and as well , in our way as in yours . For , whereas the time , that ye would have young Ones admitted to Baptisme , is then , when they are come to be of so perfect age , as to be able understandingly to professe , and seriously to engage ; at this very point of time , our Church ( according to Apostolicall Institution and practise ) hath ordered all such adult to be presented to the Bishop for Confirmation , and after that to be admitted to the Holy Communion , and not before . And whether ratifying and confirming their Baptismall vow , openly before the Church , with their own mouth and of their own accord , together with all these venerable and weighty circumstances , that are or ought to be used and stood upon at the time in order to their being confirmed , and admitted unto the Holy Commuion , be not like to work as much upon them , and as much to prevent unworthy receiving , as would at the same time their professing & covenanting , in order to their being admitted to Holy Baptisme ; let any one Judge , that hath but once seen that ordinance dispensed Augustè , curatè , severè as the Now Bishop of Sarum , hath most happily expressed the matter , in his Latine preface , to D. Hammonds Latine Treatise of Confirmation . So gravely , so seriously , & so severely as it ought to be . So that the whole question , as to this point of Covenanting and Professing , is now come to this issue ; whether a Baptized Child , 15. years old , may not Covenant as heartily and truely with his God as an unbaptized Child of the same age and gifts ? No man sure of ordinary Capacity , can be much to seek , which part of the Question to take . Adde hereunto , that once already it hath been sufficiently made out , and , if need be , may be again , that by this Apostolicall ordinance of Confirmation worthily administred , every Bishop in his Diocesse , in all likelyhood , shall have really gained engag'd unto Iesus Christ more by farre in two or three moneths , then all the Preachers of the Country , put 'em all together , shall have done by their Preaching , throughout the whole year . So great encouragement is there , and so great an Obligation lies there , upon and unto all Parents , naturall as well as Ecclesiasticall ; whatever heretofore they have done , never any more , to be slight and Perfunctory in this part of Paternall care and relation .

6. Those words in S. Paul , else your Children are unclean , but now they are Holy ; seem to be direct and home for Infant Baptisme . For the true meaning of them is this sure ; else your Children are or remain Un-baptized , but now they are Baptized . For , all other Interpretations are resisted by the Scope of the Apostle , or some other weighly considerations ; such as this .

The Holyness , that the Apostle here speaks of , is a Holyness proper to the Infants of believing Parents ( of one side , at least : ) But now no Holyness ir proper to such , save onely the Relate Holyness , of being dedicated to God and Holyness by Baptisme : Therefore this is the Holyness here meant by the Apostle ; And , Holy , here as much as Baptized , or , Dedicated to God and the Holy Christian Religion by Baptisme .