A vindication of that part of Spira's despair revived which is challenged by the Anabaptists, and shamefully callumniated by John Wells, a Baptist preacher : wherein also some things are handled relating to infant baptism and dipping in baptism : particularly it is evinced that dipping is not essential to the sacrament of baptism / by Thomas James, author of Spira's despair revived.

To those Inhabitants of Ashford and the adjacent Parishes, who attend upon my Ministry.

Beloved Christians;

THE Dedication of these few Sheets of my Vindicatio•• is due to you; and it would be a Crime to prefix any ••¦ther Name or Names: You are concerned with me in th•• Matters here spoken to; and your Concern is little le•••• than that of my own; yea upon some Accounts it is evident•••• greater: You have also some knowledge of these things; yea som•• of you do know the truth of what I write, to your exceedin•• great grief and sorrow. This Neighbourhood hath of a long tim•• been the Seat of many Anabaptists; and the Stirs they have mad•• have not been small; witness that Disputation held in the Paris•• Church July 27. 1649. between Fisher and several Ministers, b••¦fore some thousands of Hearers (about three Thousand, as th•• Printed Relation telleth us it was guessed) and a late one b••¦tween them and my Predecessour; and they have not come short 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my time, having urged me to the same, though I have answere•• them only with contempt of their Challenge.

The Reflection I made touching their troubling weak and unst••¦ble Souls, and their Practices of this kind, are Matters well know•• to many of you: Every Day discovers how restless they are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 turn some or other of you away from the Faith you profess, an•• to make you renounce your first Baptism. Ʋpon these Account 〈◊〉〈◊〉 judge it a part of my Ministry, which I have received in th•• Lord, to watch over you, and to preserve you from those Seducer•• and if I should not take all occasions to warn, to exhort, and i••struct

you, I am afraid I should not fulfil the same. Beware of ••hem therefore, and be not terrified and dismay'd at their bold and desperate Speeches, cavilling at, and condemning Infant-Bap∣••ism as a new Doctrine, a Scriptureless thing, as Antichristian; which yet was practised many hundred of Years before the Name of Anabaptists, or Baptists (being taken for a Society of Peo∣ple opposing Infant Baptism) was ever known in the World, and long before the Man of Sin was ever revealed. But why should ••ou be afraid to have your Children baptized, when Christ shewed his Love to those Lambs, by taking them in his Arms and blessing them; and the Holy Ghost makes no difference be∣••ween them and the oldest Disciples, calling them Holy, and saying, the Promises equally belong to them; and God to where in all his Word forbids you to dedicate them in Baptism, or refuseth them? Let them shew you that Scrip∣ture, if they can, which forbids Children to be baptized. What, hath God less love for your Children than for those of his old People the Jews? Is his Mercy clean gone from our ••hildren? Is he not the God of the Christians also? Yes ve∣••ily the same God in Covenant; for he is a God keeping Cove∣••ant and Mercy with his People; whose People we are if we be∣••ieve on Jesus Christ his Son; and we are Children of Abra∣••am, to whom Circumcision was given as a Seal of the Covenant ••od made with him and his Seed; to which Baptism now answers; Christ changing the two old Sacraments, Circumcision and the Passo∣••er, into Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Subjects of them ••ho were to receive Spiritual Benefit and Priviledge thereby ••eing still the same. Many things I know they have written to ••isprove this; but I seriously profess, that their Distinctions and ••ub distinctions about Circumcision being a Seal to Abraham, and ••ot to his Seed; the two Covenants God made with him, &c. ••••re so handled by them in some of their Books scattered among us, ••hat I can hardly understand them, and wonder how they could render ••••ich plain Matters so intricate. But until they can shew you ••ow God makes a difference between Children under the Law and

the Gospel, taking theirs in, and leaving ours out, why should yo•• keep your Children back from the priviledge of so blessed a Sa∣crament, or seek a new Baptism for your selves? As for the point of Dipping, can you, dare you lay the stress of the Efficacy of a Sacrament wholly upon the quantity of Water, as though the application of more, or in another way than Sprinkling or pouring•• could profit you so exceedingly? Or, must you needs be adult, and profess yo•• Faith, as though the Vertue of the Sacrament did wholly consist in what you do, and nothing in the Grace of God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cannot God bless his own Ordinance to Infants? Beware, I be••seech you, least you should provoke God, by limiting him after thi•• manner, and scandalize your Brethren, and all the Reformed Churches of Christ, even the purest of them (as that of the Wa••¦denses, now commonly called Vaudois, who were never tainte•• with any Corruption of Antichrist, but certainly the most pur•• and Apostolical in the World) who baptize Infants, and generall•• apply the Element of Baptism some other way than by dipping as by pouring it on, sprinkling, &c. But, I pray, what do yo•• see in these Men that you should think the Word of God came on¦ly to them? What Power and Demonstration of the Spirit is ther•• in their Preaching? What Holiness and Exemplariness in the•••• Lives more than others, to convince you that they are the Peop•••• of God above others? I do not go about to set you against their Per¦sons, or Societies, and therefore say nothing that may tend to the•••• Reproach, but I am shewing you how vain it is to believe eve•••• Word they say, to prevent your being insnared by their confident boasting of things they are never able to prove. Let me speak 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some of you in the Words of the Apostle; Be no more Childre•• tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrin•• by the•• slight of Men, and cunning craftiness, whereby the he in wait to deceive: And I do earnestly exhort you all, to a••¦tend to that Gospel Precept, If it be possible, as much as ••••th 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you, live peaceably with all Men; live peaceably even wi•••• these Men; as they are Neighbours live in love; let not the•• Questions and Strivings about Matters of this or any other natu••••

imbitter your Spirits, and provoke you to speak unadvisedly, much less to be guilty of any Misbehaviour in your Actions; ra∣ther pity them, and pray for them: They are their own Enemies-many ways, especially their Childrens, whom they debarr of ma∣ny blessed Priviledges; therefore pray for them, and be at peace with them: The strange Divisions of the Land of our Nativity is a sorrowful Consideration to all that fear God, and are by no means unnecessarily to be widened: I could upon this account be content most gladly to be silent; but my own defence, and your se∣curity, will excuse my Ʋndertaking: But truly I had rather ap∣pear among you in the Pulpit than in Print; and had rather speak five Words to Edification than ten thousand in a way of endless Controversie. As for you, my Brethren, believe the Promises, ob∣serve the Institutions, and obey the Words and Commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, and keep your selves pure, that none may be able to speak evil of you, or to reproach your good Conversati∣on; this will give you Peace, and end in your everlasting Happi∣ness. For this I make my Prayers to God for you; as also that he would stablish, strengthen, settle you; hoping to approve my self a faithful Minister of Christ unto you in all things, desiring and endeavouring your eternal Salvation, as I am

Your Friend and Servant in the Work of the Ministry, THOMAS JAMES.

From my Study, June 25, 1695.