More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

Reader, having the following vindication of Mr. Allen put into my hand, I think it not unmeet upon this occasion to undeceive some who to render his example in receding from the way of Separation wherein he was sometime engaged upon the account of Infant-baptism, the less imitable, and his endeavours to draw off others, the less successful; have given out that he did but turn with the times for worldly ends when the King came in. Whereas I can bear him witness that that return was made by him the year before the coming in of the King, as did sufficiently appear to me both by Letters which then passed between him and my self about that affair, and also by his book called A Retractation of Separation, published by him that same year. Which Book I would entreat the sober Reader to get and lend to some of the separating mind: they will find no temporizing or formality in it, but a spirit of Christian love and peace. And if the reasons in that Book and in his persuasive to peace and unity since published, be such as none of the Separatists can confute or stand before, they will have no reason to impute the Authors change to carnal reason or worldly interest. I question not but experience after trial, which is wont to make teachable men wiser, put him upon reviewing the grounds of his practice, and so had a great hand in that alteration which he made. And I would have those ⟨p. 334⟩who account it a disparagement to a man to alter his Judgement at any time, to tell us at what age we come under that law, when we must grow no wiser nor no better.

REader, having the following vindication of Mr. Allen put into my hand, I think it not unmeet upon this occasion to undeceive some who to render his example in receding from the way of Separation wherein he was sometime engaged upon the account of Infant-baptism, the less imitable, and his endeavours to draw off others, the less successful; have given out that he did but turn with the times for worldly ends when the King came in. Whereas I can bear him witness that that return was made by him the year before the coming in of the King, as did sufficiently appear to me both by Letters which then passed between him and my self about that affair, and also by his book called A Retractation of Separation, published by him that same year. Which Book I would entreat the sober Reader to get and lend to some of the separating mind: they will find no temporizing or formality in it, but a spirit of Christian love and peace. And if the reasons in that Book and in his perswasive to peace and unity since published, be such as none of the Separatists can confute or stand before, they will have no reason to impute the Authors change to carnal reason or worldly interest. I question not but experience after trial, which is wont to make teachable men wiser, put him upon reviewing the grounds of his practice, and so had a great hand in that alteration which he made. And I would have those