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AMongst the many Lying Miracles reported by impudent, believed by ignorant Papists, in their Leaden Golden Legend; it is not the last, and least what they tell of one* 1.1 Rumball (Son to an English King) whose Saint-ship in those dark days was superstitiously adored
at Brackley in Northampton shire: Of him they report that he spake as soon as ever he was born, and pro∣fessing himself to be a Christian alrea∣dy in his heart, requested (or rather required) that he might be Bapti∣zed, which done, he instantly ended his life.
I know not whether to call this a Childs fable from the subject, or in the* 1.2 Apostles lan∣guage, an old wives fa∣ble from the inventors thereof: Otherwise, were this true, and all children like him, this our Infants Advocate were ut∣terly useless, and our pains for the present altogether superfluous, which now we believe and hope may be profitable for those who cannot plead for themselves. For
though I cannot with * 1.3 Job be eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame; that is, re∣lieve their poverty, out of a plen∣tiful estate; yet I will endeavour to be a tongue to the dumb, and plead as well as I may, in their be∣half.
True it is, I must confesse with that good* 1.4 Prophet, not in respect of my age (be∣ing past the vertical point there∣of) but of my other infirmities, behold I cannot speak for I am a child, and if a child be advocate for chil∣dren, the cause is likely to be poor∣ly pleaded: However I will en∣deavour to supply in integrity, what I want in ability; and some∣times a cordial counsel, who zea∣lously engageth for his client, is
to be accepted for his hearty in∣tentions and affections, though falling short of others in his per∣formances.
Indeed great is the multitude of pleaders, who have undertook this cause, and truly the more the better, such the worth there∣of to deserve, the weight thereof to require, many defenders against the fiercenesse and multitude of modern opposers. But here give me leave to bemoan a sad acci∣dent, that the councel cannot agree amongst themselves how to ma∣nage their clients cause. Some found it on a Jewish ceremony of washing; others fasten it only on the ancient practice of the Primi∣tive Church; others graft it on the Analogie of Circumcision;
others bottom it on an implicite precept; others on expresse argu∣ments in the New Testament. And which is the worse, many of these are not content alone to pre∣fer, and advance their own opi∣nion, except also they decry, and destroy, confute, and con∣found the arguments of others, by which discords, our adversaries in this point gain to themselves no small advantage.
I am confident those our adver∣saries long since had wanted wea∣pons, had not our friends furnish∣ed them with all manner of muni∣tion out of our own magazins. Yet dare I not challenge such pleaders for Infants Baptism of disloyaltie, as if they wilfully be∣trayed their trust herein; though
I cannot excuse them for indiscre∣tion, whereby they have prejudi∣ced that cause, they endeavoured to defend.
It would be well therefore for the time to come, if the assertors of Pedo-Baptism, on what bot∣tom soever they builded, (store in this kind is no sore, and the firmer it is that stands on so many foundations) raise their own Reasons without opposing the arguments of others who agree with them in judge∣ment, though going by different ways to the end of the same place.
It is said of every Locust, that marched in Gods Army they shall* 1.5 not thrust one another, they shall walk every one in his path, on Gods blessing; let the assertors of Childrens Baptism
(what way soever they imbrace for the proof thereof) proceed fairly and friendly in their own tract, and leave off justling those who go next to them in another path. Thus desiring, Reader, Gods blessing on thy perusing my weak pains, I remain,
Thine in Christ Jesus, THO. FULLER.
See Cam∣dens Brit∣tania, in Northamp∣ton shire.
1 Tim. 4. 7.
Job 29. 15
Jer. 1. 6.
Joel 2. 8.