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TO THE

READER.

T

litel. de

HE Doctrine of Baptifms hath been dark and obfcure in the Church, from the very Primitive Times, and hath had more of Humane Notion than of Divine Truth in it; and therefore Zuinglius writing touching this Point, Speaks thus in the beginning of his Book, Illud mihi ingenue Zuingl. circa libri initium dicendum eft, fere omnes eos, Baptif quotquot ab ipfis Apoftolorum temporibus, de tom. 2. fol. Baptifmo fcribere inftituerunt, non in paucis 57. (quod pace omninum hominum, dictum effe velim) a fcopo aberravifle: That is, In the beginning of my Book (faith be) I must ingeniously profefs, that almost all those that have undertaken to write of Baptifm, even from the very times of the Apostles, have (which I defire may be spoken with the favour of all) not in a few things erred from the fcope. Anp as he affirms, that almost all before him had erred in many things touching Baptifm, fo did he himself alfo err as well as they, not in a few; and it is as free for me, or any body else, to differ from him and other late Writers, as for them to differ from former Writers, efpecially if that be true which Godly and Learned Chemnitius affirms out of Auguftine, Chemnit that these things are not tanquam articuli fidei, à Examen quibus diverfum fentire piaculum fit Anathemate Trident. I dignum.

And therefore, Reader, 1 acquaint thee beforehand, that in this point I fhall Speak much other wife, than all former or later Writers whatever that I have met with; and though I do not without fome fear and trembling, diffent from fo many worthy and gracious men, that

E é

have

Conci'.

de Bapt.

have been and are otherwife minded, yet it is the less grievous to me, because I differ from them, (I can fay it in truth before the Lord) not out of any defire to be fingular, or for any worldly or carnal end whatever, but only that I might cleave to the clear and evident Word of God alone, even there where I fee the very faithful to leave it; seeing I am rather to joyn to the Word without men, than to joyn to men without the Word; and where I find the holiest men in the world and the Word parting, I am there to leave them, and to go along with the Word.

And fo in all love and meeknefs I tender this Difcourfe to thee, defiring that if thou canst not at the prefent agree to what is therein contained, yet that thou wouldst not rafhly judge and reproach it, feeing. through God's goodness, it may come to pass, that what thou knoweft not now, thou mayst know afterwards.

But because I fee this prefent Generation fo rooted and built up in the Doctrines of men, I have the lefs hope that this truth will prevail with them, and therefore I appeal to the next Generation, which will be farther removed from thofe evils, and will be brought nearer to the Word; but especially to that People whom God hath and fhall form by his Spirit for himself, for these only will be able to make just and righteous judgment in this matter, seeing they have the Anointing to be their Teacher, and the Lamb to be their Light.

The

THE

DOCTRINE.

OF

BAPTISMS.

T

HE Lord foreseeing how great an Evil it would be in the Church, to leave Men either to their own or to other Mens Opinions and Judgment in the things of God, did in the very beginning of the Gofpel command and bind all the faithful to hear Chrift alone, faying from Heaven (that we might give absolute credit to his voice) This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleated, hear him; and the more the faithful have kept to the word of Christ, the more they have been free from Error; and the more they have left this, and turned afide after the Doctrines of Men, (though men in fome measure faithful and holy) the more they have been perverted and feduced; infomuch that the true Church of God, and the very faithful themselves, have received, held, and The faith maintained divers Errors, and falfe Doctrines, and ful have Opinions, even for many Ages and Generations; ken with Er yea, and have not been altogether free from fome, ror, when from the very Apoftles times; and because many left the or moft Godly men in former Ages held fuch-and Words fuch Opinions, therefore the following Ages have taken them upon truft from them, and have entertained them as fure and certain, though not at all confulting in thofe Points, with the great Doctor and Apostle of the New Teftament, Jefus Chrift. Ee 2

And

been overtas

they have

The way to escape all Error, is to

to the Word.

And thus have the very Elect themselves been drawn into much error, though they have ftill had Chrift for their foundation, and were built on him fo firmly by Faith, that the gates of bell could not prevail against them.

Now to free the faithful from the former miftake, (and confequently from all error) there is cleave clofe no other way than this, wholly to forfake the DoEtrines of men, and to lay by all thofe Opinions that we have fucked in from our very Cradles, and which are now become even a natural Religion to us. I fay, utterly to lay by and wholly to forget all these things, and to come immediately to the pure and unerring word of God, and to the voice of Jefus Chrift himself by his Spirit, wherein all things are true, fincere and perfect; and not to bring Hearts to the Word, that are prepoffeft with Doctrines and Opinions learned of men; but to come thither with Hearts and Confciences free and uningaged, and in all meekness, uprightness, and fimplicity of heart, to hear what Jefus Chrift, the faithful and true Witness, will fay to his Spirit, which alfo is the Spirit of truth; and to receive and believe that alone, though never fo differing from the Opinions and Doctrines of this prefent Age, as well as of the former; and though perhaps the whole Nation would be offended with it.

The course

the Author

out the

Gruth, in

this Point.

And this is the course that I have obferv'd, to ock to find come to fome clear and certain knowledge in the Doctrine of Baptifm; for having read much, and difcourfed with many, touching this Point; and having seriously confider'd what they fay, as one that fearched after the truth, for it felf only, and for the fatisfaction of my own Soul; I do profess I could not find any thing almoft spoken, for my Spirit boldly and fafely to lean on, as perceiving most of what they faid, to be but the apprehenfons

fions and thoughts of men, and that they fpake very much by conjecture and at uncertainty in this matter; and thereupon I refolved, wholly to withdraw from fuch Difcourfe, and to lay down whatever Opinions I had before entertain'd touching this Point, and to come to the plain and manifeft Scriptures, and from thence (after much feeking God) to learn whatever the Lord fhould please to teach me; choosing rather, to build on the clear word, though alone, than on any uncertain inferences and blind conjectures of men, tho' imbraced and magnified by all the world.

from the

tifts own

Now in this inquiry from the Word, I met Inquiry with that Place, Heb. 6. 2. where the Apostle word. fpeaking of fome of the firft and initial Points of Chriftian Religion, names BaTTioμlv Aidaný, the The Bap Doctrine of Baptifms; whence I perceived that in Do&rine the Primitive Church, they had the Doctrine of Bap-touching tims in the Plural Number, and therefore did Baptifm. apply my felf to fearch from the Word what these Baptifms might be, and fo met with the Baptifts own Doctrine touching Baptifms, mention'd Mat. 3. Mar. 1. Luke 3. and Job. 1. (for all the Evangelifts make mention of this, it being a matter of fo great concernment) and Luke makes mention of the ground of this Doctrine of the Baptift, chap. 3. 15. As the People were in expectation (faith he) and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Chrift or not: John answered, faying, &c. the People it seems had great and high thoughts of John, because he was the Son of the High Priest, conceived after an extraordinary manner, his Parents being both well ftricken in Age, and past Children by the courfe of Nature; and then the manner of his life was strange, for he lived in the Wilderness, out of the ordinary converse of the World; and his apparel and Diet were unusual; being raiment of Camels hair, and a leathern girdle Ee 3

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