Truth prevailing against the fiercest opposition, or, An answer to Mr. Iohn Goodwins Water-dipping no firm footing for church communion wherein the invalidity of his twenty three considerations against withdrawing from those societies that want baptisme by the bodies burial in water is manifested, and the separation from such societies justified by the word of God : together with the discovery of his great mistakes in the exposition of eight chief Scriptures, wherewith he fighteth to overthrow Mr. Allens answer to his forty queries about church communion / by Thomas Lambe.

Your sixteenth Consideration for sub∣stance this: THat you have no need of Baptisme after Repentance and Faith (which you call new Baptisme) because your old sprink∣ling in infancy is as effectual to all ends and purpo∣ses of Baptisme, which you reduce to three heads:

• 1. For declaring persons the professed Disciples of Christ.
• 2. For obliging persons to be the loyall Di∣sciples of Christ, in which they covenant so to be.
• 3. For matter of edification and comfort to the inner man.

To which I answer, by denying utterly that Infant-sprink∣ling is as effectual to all or any of the ends and purposes of Baptisme, as the true baptisme of persons after faith and repentance, neither is there any weight in your Argument to that purpose.

1. You say it declareth you with more advantage than ours to be the professed Disciples of Christ to the world.

And that 1. Because yours the world knoweth, ours is a kind of Barbarian to the world.

2. The generality of men doe not look upon it as any thing more significative, of owning the Name and Faith of Jesus Christ.

To both which Arguments I answer. 1. To that plea, that the world is better acquainted with your way than ours.

'Tis most true, that yours being from the world, the world must needs know and love it better than ours, because it is her own, and ours being from heaven, to which the Spirit of the world is a stranger, no marvell if it be a barbarian to them, but whether the worlds natural liking and greedy fal∣ling in with yours, be not an Argument of its carnal, earthly original, and on the contrary, its disliking ours, be not on the contrary a probable though not demonstrative Argu∣ment of the heavenly pedegree of it, let the Scriptures judge, John 15.19. The world loveth her own; because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Of this onely by the by.

But how cometh Mr. Goodwin to conclude from the dear acquaintaince the world hath with Infant-sprinkling, above what it hath with Beleivers baptisme, that therefore Infant-sprinkling is more efficacious, to declare persons the pro∣fessed followers of Jesus Christ, then Baptisme after faith, since in the baptisme of Infants, there is no profession made at all, by which the world should take any cognizance of the parties belonging to Christ, neither is the poor crea∣ture capable of making any? ('Tis true, the Bishops being ashamed of Baptisme without profession of faith, devised a remedy by allowing Sureties, who they called God-fathers and God-mothers, which being a piece of superstition too gross for the light of this day, it is gone off the stage with∣out much regret.) Whereas in the true Baptisme of the New Testament sealed in Christs heart bloud, the party himself; (and not another for him) being a beleiver, made a disciple by Teaching, maketh publick profession of his faith in Christ, as you see the Eunuch did, in his own person, and declareth

his willingness to accept of Christ, on his own terms, and to be listed in his army, and voluntarily putteth on Christ thereby (which is the Sctipture expression) as a servant put∣teth on his Masters Livery.

Who then (that is not bespoke) but will judge, that Baptisme into Christ after faith, at a mans own request (in the presence of God, Angels and men) is more to declare ones relation to Christ, than the passive, ignorant reception of it in infancy.

But to come closer, and to take light from the Scripture, what it is that both maketh a man called Christs Disciple, and what it is declareth him so? now 'tis plain by the Scrip∣ture, that as following the instructions and examples of Christ, maketh a man called his Disciple, Luke 9.23. John 8.31. So also doth it most significantly declare our disci∣pleship to Christ: The Scripture is as expresse for this as for the other, By this shall ALL men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another AS▪ I have loved you: If they would take his counsell to love one another, especi∣ally if after his own example, AS he had loved them, then he saith, By that ALL MEN shall know, they shall not onely be his Disciples, but ALL MEN should know, that they are his disciples: So that we have a plain rule laid down in Scripture, to guide us, what it is that doth, with advantage, declare men the professed disciples of Christ, and that is the walking after him according to his word, what made the Jews known to be the disciples of Moses, but the following of his doctrine, and example: Have we then a∣ny thing more to do, to determine this, but onely to lay the two waies, to the rule; for how can any one imagine with any shew of reason, that walking contrary to Christ, should declare persons his disciples.

If then believers baptisme and that by burying the body in water; be that the Scripture speaks of, as that wherein we follow Christ, and are one with him, which I have pro∣ved already, and as for Infants sprinkling, not a word of it in all the New Testament, then out of all controversie, the

way to declare men the disciples of Christ, is to go our way, because Christ walked this way, as we have proved already, and therefore all that will be called Christs Disciples by Baptisme, must go this way and no other.

But you say the world looketh not upon beleivers Bap∣tisme by dipping as any thing more significative of owning Christ, but the contrary, even disobliging them rather, from what their first baptisme obliged them unto than other∣wise.

To that I answer, how willing you are to affirm things loosely, that is like to reproach this cause, is much more plain, then the truth of your affirmation, and whether it be not so, I leave the world to judge.

Further to this cruel insinuation against the poor people and way of God, whereby you seek to pervert the strait wayes of the Lord, I shall say little, but Lord lay not this sin to your charge.

Suppose they should do so, ought the errors of men to be indulged or corrected? onely let me mind you of your own words, which, as at many other times, so at this, rise up in judgement against you.

Sir, in one of your Letters to Mr. Tho. Goodwin, p. 11. you have these words, If we judged it any advantage to the truth and cause we maintain against you, we durst vye morrall im∣putations with you, and are confident, that we could assign and suggest against you, both as many and as likely indirect and fleshly grounds for your departure from us, as you can against us, for keeping our first standing and profession. BƲT the truth will never be made GREAT by such demonstrations or arguments as these on either side.

If Mr. Goodwin thinkes the truth will never be made great by such demonstrations as these, it is because he judgeth there is no reason why it should, and if so, as on the one hand it condemneth him for using them, so on the other hand it justly begetteth suspition of error, con∣cerning that opinion, that such Arguments are used to maintain.

But to proceed, you say; that as to another end of Bap∣tisme, namely, the obliging persons to be the loyal Disciples of Christ, you say, your Infant-sprinkling or baptisme is as operative that way upon the Conscience, as out Baptisme is upon ours, or would be upon yours, if you should come un∣der it.

Here is two things affirmed, but neither of them proved, nor indeed is it possible to prove them; one is, that your Baptisme is as bearing upon your conscience to become Christs Disciples, as our Baptisme is upon ours; this is a thing which you affirm at randome, not knowing how the baptisme of those, that are indeed rightly baptised, and that take up the wayes of God in uprightness, I say, how it hear∣eth upon them, nor ever are like to doe, because your pre∣judice is grown so great that you know not how to inter∣pret any action they doe charitably, nor scarce word they say.

Another thing you affirm is, that your Infant-baptisme is as bearing upon your conscience, as ours would be if you came under it, and how can you tell that without tryall?

Truly Sir, I should hope, that passing under that figure, wherein in so fully represented Christs death, buriall and resurrection, and your death, buriall and resurrection with him, being approached unto in the Name and fear of God, and in obedience to Jesus Christ, that it might be a meanes of killing that spirit of cruelty that haunteth your pen in many of your controvert all writings, to the dishonour of God, and discredit of the opinion you maintain in them: the strait wayes of truth, as they have no need of the crook∣ed wayes of sin to build them with, so they are never like to be built by them.

But thirdly and lastly, You say, your Infant-baptisme is as edifying and comforting.

To which I answer: You must first prove it to be of Christs appointing, or else you impose upon us to beleive, that the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of edification and comfort, will take as much pleasure to concurre with mens inventions, as his own Ordinances, which is quite con∣trary

to the Scripture, In vain doe they worship me, teaching for doctrines the traditions of men.

But 2. You say your soules have thriven under that Baptisme. 'Tis probable so, but that doth not prove it was by the meanes of Infant-baptisme (of which you are igno∣rant, whether ever any such thing was done or no) onely that you have heard so (if this arguing be like Mr. Goodwin in other things I am much mistaken.)

Christ telleth the Jewes, John 649. That their Fathers did eat Mannah in the wilderness, and are dead: but can any body gather from hence, that their death was caused by the eating of Mannah? These are your own words, p. 44. Of Water dipping: And is not your reasoning in this place much af∣ter the same manner? you were baptised in Infancy, and thrive in godlinesse when grown up to yeares of discre∣tion; but it no more followeth, that your thriving in godlinesse was by the meanes of your Infant-bap∣tisme, than that their death was caused by eating of Man∣nah.

And is it likely, that ignorant worship of God should have any lively operation upon the soul, much lesse, that it should have as much as that which is done knowingly and voluntarily, and bel••ivingly, the soul having commu∣nion with God in it?

And why may you not as well say, that hearing Sermons in infancy is as edifying as at age? I know not; Infants would understand as much of the one as of the other; and when grown up, it might be told them what was (said) then, as well as now they are told what was (done) then in Bap∣tisme; is the darkness of the darkest night more void of light than this proposition is of truth? Reader judge.

Notes

• Acts 8,
• Gal. 3.27.
• Col. 2.1••.
• Mark 7.7.