(2.) That it is no other than a change of a divine institution, and making void \\\e commandmeiit of Christ, the horrid sin charged by Christ upon those hypocrites, the Scribes and Pharisees, Matth. xv. 6. With no better than these doth he rank and associate the many thousands of God's choice and dear people, who differ in this cir- cumstantial point from him.
(3.) He compares it with the sin of Nadab and Abihu ; and with that of Israel, with respect to the ark,» 1 Chron. xv. 13. A sin, which provoked the Lord to execute judgment, by an immediate stroke in fire from heaven upon them. Thus Mr. Cary is ready to callforjirc from heaven upon his brethreji. Alas, poor man ! he knows not what spirit he is of, as Christ told the disciples in a like case. It is well we are not in his hands, to execute the wrath, as well as charge the guilt upon us. But I hope all this is but rashness in him.
(4.) He affirms it to be no less than ati'cmsgressing of the law, achan- ging-qfthe ordinances, anda breaking ()f the everlasting covenant. If it be a transgressing of the law, he should have shewn us in what scripture that law that forbids it is, or where God hath repealed his former grant to the children of his covenant-people. And for the changing of the ordinances, I am of opinion, it is he that is guilty of that sin, and not we : For we have proved, God settled this privilege upon the infant-seed of his people ; that Xho^ promise, under the gos- pel, continues still to them ; and if he exclude them from baptism, he changes the ordinance of God. And for breaking the everlasting co- venant, for which he cites Isa. xxiv. 5, 6. the Lord make him sensible of the danger he hath put himself under, from that very text he pro- duces against us ; for it is manifest, that the covenant there spoken of, is God's covenant with Abraham, renewed with the Israelites at Sinai, which in that text is truly called an everlasting covenant ; when mean time, Mr. Cary hath pronounced it to be an Adam's co- venant, and now utterly abolished. Who is it, sir, that fights
A REPLY TO MR. CARY's SOLEMN CALL. 873
Ro-ainst, and changes this everlasting covenant, you or we, that are for its continuance to us and our children ?
(.3.) He affirms these things to be of highest concernment to us. If so, then sure it must follow, that repentance from dead works, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, must be inferior things to them; for nothing can be higher than the highest, or equal with it. And then bv making them the chief fundamentals in religion, as that ex- pression doth (iFit be not a vain and sinful hyperbole) the salvation or damiiation of men depends upon compliance or non-compliance with them. And then, whether must you send all God's people in the world, that differ from you ? Sir, I find your brethren in the appen- dix to their confession of faith, page 110. placing one of these which you make of highest concernment, among the other circumstances of religion ; and doubtless that is in its proper place : Nor do I see how they can free themselves from participation in your sin, till they have admonished you for it, and causedyou to expunge it outof your book.
6. That it is a settling of your thresholds by God's threshold : These words you recite from Ezek. xliii. 8. which speak of the idola- irons Icings ofJudah and Israel building temples and altars for their idols, in or near the courts of the temple of God ; as the English annotations on the text will inform you ; an abomination that de- filed God's holy name, a wickedness not to be named, and for which the Lord consumed them, and calls it whoredom in the next words. Here sir, you have exceeded all the bounds of society and Christian charity, and made this circumstantial difference about the proper subject of baptism the grossest heathenish idolatry in the world ; and consequently dissolved the bonds of Christian charity, and bro- ken off all communion with us ; for with such idolaters you ought not to have any communion.
Your more wise and moderate brethren, in the place above-cited, tell us, ' They are loth hereby to alienate their affections or conver- sations from any that fear the Lord, and are willing to participate of the labours of those whom God hath endowed with abilities above themselves ; qualified and called to the ministry of the word ; desirous of peace, and not of renewed contests hereabout.' This is a language of another air : And if they be (as I dare not suspect but they are) sincere in that profession, they dare not comprobate such a desperate and unchristian censure as yours is : If they do, then we may easily guess what our lot and treatment shall be, whenever Anabaptism gets the ascendant in England ; we may expect as civil usage as is due to gross idolaters, and no better : But I hope better things.
(7.) You say, that as these things are of highest concernment, so they oughttoheour most serious practice and endeavour^ page24y. ult. Good Lord ! whither hath zeal for an opinion transported you ! Our most serious practice and endeavour! Sir, I thought the most serious practice of a minister had been to preach Christ and salvation to the souls of men, and not to baptize : I am sure St. Paul reckoned so^
374 A REPLY TO ME. CARY's SOLEMN CALL.
Christ sent me not to baptize, hut to preach ; that is, baptism is not my principal work, or main business. And ver. 14tb5 he thanks God he had baptized none of them but Crispus and Gaius. I believe he never uttered such an expression about his other work of preaching Christ. And for all Christians, I thought the securing of their in- terest in Christ, living in the duties of communion with him, watch- ing their hearts, and mortifying their corruptions, had been the ob- ject matter of their most serious practice, and faithful endeavour; and not the litigations about baptism. But I hope these were only inconsiderate expressions, falling from your pen, whilst you were in a paroxism of zeal, or a transport in the height of a conceited tri- umph : But whatever was the cause, I am sure you ought to revoke and repent such words.
(8.) You wish your testimony rise not up at last as a witness against u?. Sir, we do not apprehend any cause we have to fear your testimony against us, or severest censures of us, whilst we are satisfied, that as you neither have the faculty or commission to be our judge, so neither is there any convincing evidence in your reply to our arguments. But I think you have much more cause to fear, lest those arguments should come at last as a witness against you, who deny and contemn them ; when mean time, you are put to most lamentable shifts, even contradictions, and somewhat worse, to escape the point and edge of them.
(9.) To conclude. You tell us, we must not expect the special presence of Christ to be afforded to us, without our compliance in these points with you.