A26911:127
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 16
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§ 9. You say the Liturgy alloweth private Baptism without the Cross, and God-fathers. Ans. 1. Thence I must gather, that it doth not so allow public Baptism; no not on pretence of necessity and mercy; else why had they not expressed their allowance of one as well as of the other? 2. And even there, it must be repeated after in the Congregation with God-fathers that believe, and promise in the Name of the Child; (And in the house there is nothing named, or required of the Parent, but some one (whoever) is only to name the child.)
§ 9. You say the Liturgy alloweth private Baptism without the Cross, and God-fathers. Ans. 1. Thence I must gather, that it doth not so allow publick Baptism; no not on pretence of necessity and mercy; else why had they not exprest their allowance of one as well as of the other? 2. And even there, it must be repeated after in the Congregation with God-fathers that believe, and promise in the Name of the Child; (And in the house there is nothing named, or required of the Parent, but some one (whoever) is only to name the child.)
§ 10. In the Margin you say [There is no express prohibition in all the Liturgy, tying Ministers in no case, to baptize without the Cross, and to give the Sacrament to kneelers only: and to baptize none without Sureties.]
Ans. I am glad that your whole writing favoureth of that spirit of Love and Christian Peace and Forbearance, as your dislike of these things signifieth. And while we agree about the sense of God's Law, we shall not break Charity for our differing of the sense of the Laws of man: But seeing you put these great points (of my Non-conformity) here together, I shall briefly repeat the reasons of my exposition against yours.