More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second defence of our infant rights and mercies in three parts ... / by Richard Baxter.

The PREFACE.

§. 1. THE occasion and time of these Letters is long ago published by Mr. Tombes himself in the third Part of his Anti-Paedobaptism, page 353. and forward; where he printeth the said Letters without my consent: Had I found his Answers satisfactory, I had changed my judgement and retracted that and other such writings long ago. But I thought so much otherwise of them that I judged it not ne∣cessary, nor worth my diverting from better em∣ployment to write an answer to them.

§. 2. And whatever the singular judgement of that

learned and excellent Professor of Theology men∣tioned in his Preface, was or is concerning the arguments that I, and many before and since have used for Infant Baptism, and notwithstanding his opinion that it was introduced in the second Cen∣tury, &c. yet so many wiser and better men than I, think otherwise both of the cause, and of Mr. T's writings, that I hope the modest will allow me the honour of having very good company if I should prove mistaken.

§. 3. No sober Christian will deny but that Godly men of both opinions may be saved: And then I think no such Christian that is acquainted with the History of the Church, can choose but think that there are now in Heaven many thou∣sands, if not hundred thousands that were not against Infant Baptism, for one that was against it: And while we differ de jure, yet without great ignorance of the state of the world, we must needs agree that de facto, the number in the Church of Christ in all Nations and Ages that have been against Infant Baptism hath been so small, as that they make up but a very little part of the Church triumphant: which though I take for no proof of the truth of our opinion, yet I judge it a great reason to make me and others very fear∣ful of turning rashly and without cogent proof to the other side. I know the Churches have still had their blemishes; but that they should all universally so err in the subject of Baptism and Christianity it self, is not to be believed till it be proved.

§. 4. Though Christ be not the Author of any of our errors, he is the healer of them, and he is the Effector as well as the Director of his Churches faith and holiness: And yet to say that though thousands or hundred thousands are in Heaven that were for Infant Baptism, for one that was against it, yet Christ was against even such a con∣stitutive part of his Church (as accounted) is not to be received without good proof.

§. 5. For my part I must still say, that after all that I have read for the Anabaptists, and much more than such Catalogues as Mr. Danvers, I do not at present remember that I have read of any one Christian that held the baptizing of Infants unlawful, in many and many hundred years after Christ; at least not any that denied not Original sin: Though indeed the Pelagians themselves that did deny it much, yet denied not Infant Bap∣tism.

§. 6. But of this enough heretofore: I lay not my faith on the number of Consenters; but in a doubtful case I think the way that almost all went that are in Heaven, and took it as the very entrance of the door of life, is safer caeteris paribus than that which few in Heaven did own: And though on earth I have more approvers than Mr. T. I think mans approbation so poor a comfort, as that I am sorry to read in his Preface and else∣where how much he layeth upon it. Alas, were it not more for the good of others than our selves,

how inconsiderable a matter were it, whether men value and honour, or despise us, and what we are thought or said of by each other, when we are all on the borders of eternity, where the honour of this world is of no signification?

§. 7. In the answer which I must give to Mr. Tombes, should I transcribe all his words, and answer every impertinent passage, I should need∣lesly weary the Reader and my self: I will there∣fore suppose the Reader to have his Book at hand, and to take his words as he hath given him them; that I may not be blamed as concealing any of them. And I shall answer to nothing, but what seemeth to me to need an answer: And for all the rest I am content that the impartial Reader judge of them as he findeth them: For I write not for such as need an answer to every word that is written, how frivolous soever, against plain truth.