The first year of my Ministry I fell into a doubt about Infant-Baptism; and I was so ignorant as not to understand the nature of that solemn Covenant and Investiture, and the Parents duty of entering the Child into the Covenant with God, and what the Vow was which then was made: when time, and light had satisfied me, I retained as charitable thoughts of the Anabaptists, as of almost any that I differed from. About 1646, 1647, 1648. they made more stir among us than before: Mr. Tombs living near me, we continued in peace, not talking of our difference; For I purposely avoided it in public and private, ⟨image 3⟩unless any asked my opinion. At last his Converts came to me, and told me that if I would not answer him in writing, they must take it as an encouragement to them to be Baptized; and confessed that he sent them, or that they came by his consent: To avoid long writings, one days dispute was thought a shorter way. That dispute with many additions I was necessitated to publish; with some returns to some after arguings of Mr. T.'s. He wrote what he thought meet on the other side. I thought I had done with that work for ever: But in 1655 he sent to me again, and drew from me the Letters here recited. These without my consent he published with an answer in the midst of a great Book: I left his answer these nineteen years, or thereabouts, without any Reply; as also the rest of his books against me. I thought it not lawful for me to waste my precious time on things so little necessary: A man may find words at length to say for almost any cause. I partly know what can be said against this, and every book that I have written. And I know what I can Reply. And I partly foreknow what they can say to that Reply, and what I can further say in the defence of it; and so talk ⟨image 3⟩on till we have wrangled away our Charity and our Time: and must all this be printed, to ensnare poor readers? But at last Mr. Danvers hath laid a necessity upon me: I had silently past over all his vain Reasonings, and all his accusations of my writings, and all his falsifications of Authors, had he not called me so loud to repent of slandering some for being Baptized naked: And when I found it my duty to speak to that, I thought it fit to say somewhat of the rest, passing by what Mr. Wills. hath done more fully in an answer to his book.
THe first year of my Ministry I fell into a doubt about Infant-Baptism; and I was so ignorant as not to understand the nature of that solemn Covenant and Investiture, and the Parents duty of entring the Child into the Covenant with God, and what the Vow was which then was made: when time, and light had satisfied me, I retained as charitable thoughts of the Anabaptists, as of almost any that I differed from. About 1646, 1647, 1648. they made more stir among us than before: Mr. Tombes living near me, we continued in peace, not talking of our difference; For I purposely avoided it in publick and private, ⟨image 3⟩unless any asked my opinion. At last his Converts came to me, and told me that if I would not answer him in writing, they must take it as an encouragement to them to be Baptized; and confessed that he sent them, or that they came by his consent: To avoid long writings, one dayes dispute was thought a shorter way. That dispute with many additions I was necessitated to publish; with some returns to some after arguings of Mr. T.'s. He wrote what he thought meet on the other side. I thought I had done with that work for ever: But in 1655 he sent to me again, and drew from me the Letters here recited. These without my consent he published with an answer in the midst of a great Book: I left his answer these nineteen years, or thereabouts, without any Reply; as also the rest of his books against me. I thought it not lawful for me to waste my precious time on things so little necessary: A man may find words at length to say for almost any cause. I partly know what can be said against this, and every book that I have written. And I know what I can Reply. And I partly foreknow what they can say to that Reply, and what I can further say in the defence of it; and so talk ⟨image 3⟩on till we have wrangled away our Charity and our Time: and must all this be printed, to ensnare poor readers? But at last Mr. Danvers hath laid a necessity upon me: I had silently past over all his vain Reasonings, and all his accusations of my writings, and all his falsifications of Authors, had he not called me so loud to repent of slandering some for being Baptized naked: And when I found it my duty to speak to that, I thought it fit to say somewhat of the rest, passing by what Mr. Wills. hath done more fully in an answer to his book.
