6-29-59

Tuttle

Cift of the SPTE

TO THE READER.

THE doctrine of baptisms hath been dark and obscure in the church from the very primitive times, and hath had more of human notion than of divine truth in it; and therefore Zuinglius, writing touching this point, speaks thus in the beginning of his book, entitled De Bapt. Tom. 2. F. 57. "Illud mihi ingenuè circa libri initium dicendum est, ferè omnes eos, quotquot ab ipsis apostolorum temporibus, de baptismo scribere instituerunt, non in paucis (quod pace omnium hominum dictum esse velim) à scopo aberravisse:" that is, "In the beginning of my book," saith he, "I must ingenuously profess, that all most all those that have undertaken to write of baptism, even from the very times of the apostles, have (which I desire may be spoken with the favor of all) not in a few things erred from the scope." And as he affirms, that almost all before him had erred in many things touching baptism, so did he himself also 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; especially if that be true, which godly and learned Chemnitius affirms out of Augustine, that these things are not "Tanquam articuli fidei, à quibus diversum sentire piaculum sit anathemate dignum." Chemnit. Examen Concil. Trident. lib. de Bapt.

And therefore, Reader, I acquaint thee beforehand, that in this point I shall speak much otherwise than all former or later writers whatever, that I have met with: and though I do not, without some fear and trembling, dissent from so many worthy

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and gracious men that have been, and are otherwise minded ; yet it is the less grievous to me, because I differ from them (I can say it in the truth before the Lord) not out of any desire to be singular, or for any worldly or carnal end whatsoever, but only that I might cleave to the clear and evident word of God alone, even there were I see the very faithful to leave it; seeing I am rather to join to the word without men, than to join 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 so in all love and meekness I tender this discourse to thee; desiring that if thou canst not at present agree to what is therein contained, yet that thou wouldst not rashly judge and reproach it, seeing, through God's goodness, it may come to pass, that what thou knowest not now, thou mayest know afterwards.

But because I see this present generation so rooted and built up in the doctrines of men, I have the less hope that this truth will prevail with them; and therefore I appeal to the next generation, which will be farther removed from those evils, and will be brought nearer to the word; but especially that people whom God hath, and shall 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

DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS.

THE Lord, foreseeing how great an evil it would be in the church, to leave men either to their own or other men's opinions and judgment in the things of God, did, in the very beginning of the Gospel, command and bind all the faithful to hear Christ alone; saying from heaven, that we might give absolute credit to his voice, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, 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 aside after the doctrines of men, though men in some measure faithful and holy, the more have they been perverted and seduced; insomuch that the true church of God, and the very faithful themselves, have received, held and maintained, divers errors, false doctrines, and opinions, even for many ages and generations; yea, and have not been altogether free from some,from the very apostles' time: and because many, or most godly men, in former ages, held such and such opinions, therefore the following ages have taken them upon trust from them, and have entertained them as

sure and certain, though not at all consulting in those points with the great Doctor and Apostle of the New Testament, Jesus Christ. And thus have the very elect themselves been drawn into much error, though they have still had Christ for their foundation, and were built on him so firmly by faith, that the gates of hell could not prevail against them.

Now, to free the faithful from the former mistake, and consequently from all error, there is no other way than this, wholly to forsake the doctrines of men, and to lay by all those opinions that we have sucked in from our very cradles, and which are now become even a natural religion to us; I say, utterly to lay by, and wholly to forget all these things, and to come immediately to the pure unerring word of God, and to the voice of Jesus Christ himself, by his spirit, wherein all things are true, sincere, and perfect; and not bring hearts to the word that are prepossessed with doctrines and opinions learned of men, but to come thither with hearts and consciences free and unengaged; and in all meekness, uprightness, and simplicity of heart, to hear what Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness, will say by his Spirit, which also is the Spirit of Truth; and to receive and believe that alone, though never so differing from the opinions and doctrines of this present age, as well as of the former, and though perhaps the whole nation would be offended with it.

And this is the course that I have observed, to come to some clear and certain knowledge in the doctrine of baptism: for having read much,