Præcursor, or, A forerunner to a large review of the dispute concerning infant-baptism wherein many things both doctrinall and personal are cleared, about which Mr. Richard Baxter, in a book mock-titled Plain Scripture-proof of infants church-membership and baptism hath darkned the truth / by John Tomes.

Title

Præcursor, or, A forerunner to a large review of the dispute concerning infant-baptism wherein many things both doctrinall and personal are cleared, about which Mr. Richard Baxter, in a book mock-titled Plain Scripture-proof of infants church-membership and baptism hath darkned the truth / by John Tomes.

Author

Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.

Publication

London :: Printed by H. Hils and are to be sold by H. Crips and Lod. Lloid, T. Brewster and G. Moule,

1652.

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. -- Plain Scripture proof of infants church-membership and baptism.

Infant baptism.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62870.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"Præcursor, or, A forerunner to a large review of the dispute concerning infant-baptism wherein many things both doctrinall and personal are cleared, about which Mr. Richard Baxter, in a book mock-titled Plain Scripture-proof of infants church-membership and baptism hath darkned the truth / by John Tomes." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62870.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 24, 2025. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• To the right Honourable Bulstrode Whit∣lock, Richard Keble, Serjeants at Law, John Lisle Esq Lords Commissioners for the Great Seal of England, Major General Thomas Harrison, Edmund Prideaux Esquire, Atturney General for the State of England, Denis Bond Esquire.
• To the dearly beloved, my Auditors for∣merly the Inhabitants of Bewdly in Worcestershire.
• The Contents.
• ERRATA.
• Mr. Richard BAXTER in the 2. Edition of THE SAINTS EVERLASTING REST, part. 1. chap. 8. sect. 5. pag. 1795. in the margin, hath these words.
• PRAECURSOR, OR A FORERUNNER to a large Review of the dispute concerning INFANT-BAPTISME heretofore mannaged by the Author.
  • SECT. I. Of the necessity and occasion of this writing.
  • SECT. II. That the title of Mr. Baxters book is a mock-title.
  • SECT. III. Mr. Baxters citations from Fathers advantage him not.
  • SECT. IV. Mr. Bs. citations from my writings advantage him not.
  • SECT. V. Mr. B. unduely suggests many things in his Epistles.
  • SECT. VI. The chief points of Mr. Bs. Book are very briefly touched.
  • SECT. VII. Many personall occurrences are cleered by relating of which Mr. B. hath in his History sought to create prejudice against me.
  • SECT. VIII. More personal matters which the History of Mr. B. hath made crooked are set straight
  • SECT. IX. In my alleading Peter de Bruis and others as Antipaedobaptists 500. years ago, is no untruth.
  • SECT. X. That Mr. Bs. charge of accusing and disputing my children out of the Covenant of Christ is vaine; and some inquiry is made how they are in the Covenant.
  • SECT. XI. About Mr. Bs. 4. texts urged impertinently to prove infants visi∣ble Church-membership.
  • SECT. XII. That Mr. B. unjustly chargeth me to be a Sect-Master.
  • SECT. XIII. That it is not a right way to judge of the truth of a doctrine by strange accidents, though wonderous.
  • SECT. XIV. That Mr. B. doth not rightly expound Christs rule, Mat. 7. 15, 16. nor is the unholinesse of men a note to know false doctrine by.
  • SECT. XII. Mr. Bs. insinuations of the wickednesse of Anabaptists is Calumniatory, and vainly alleadged to condemne their doctrine of Antipaedobap∣tisme: Anabaptists and with them myself are vindicated from charges of schisme, neglect of the Lords day, &c.
  • SECT. XVI. The ground of my opposing infant-baptism is confirmed by Mr. B. him∣self.
  • SECT. XVII. The grosse absurdities to which Mr. B. vaunted I was driven in the dis∣pute, were not so as he imagined.
  • SECT. XVIII. The grosse untruths Mr. B. chargeth me with, are not such.
  • SECT. XIX. The six imagined errors charged on me by Mr. B. are cleered from his censure.
  • SECT. XX. Many learned men (with the Oxford Convocation) of former and later times take Infant-baptisme onely for an unwritten tradition.
  • SECT. XXI. Many things are cleered about my conformity, Anabaptists necessity to be baptized, the manner of dipping used by them, their stan∣ding to their confession of faith, &c.
  • SECT. XXII. The speech [that no one Countrey is gathered into Christs visible Church] contains no malignancy to Christ, but is a manifest truth.
• Cyprian, and the other Collegues which in the Council were present, to the number of 66. to brother Fidus greeting.
• For Mr. Richard Baxter at Kederminster.