A27006:1203
Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…
Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his life and times faithfully published from his own original manuscript by Matthew Sylvester.Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his life and times faithfully publish'd from his own original manuscript by Matthew Sylvester.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst, 1696
Part 2 › Whether it be our Duty to seek Peace with the Anabaptists?
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.
Because I conceive it no very difficult matter to resolve this Question,1 I shall the more briefly dispatch it. Only two Terms do need some Explication:
- 1Feb. 28. 1655/6.
1. What we mean by Anabaptists? We do not here use the word with an intention of Reproach; for that doth less beseem • a Disputation of Peace; but we are fain to make use of it, as that Name by which that sort of Men are already commonly known, and distinguished from all others; as not knowing otherwise how to speak intelligibly of them, without using Descriptions and Circumlocutions instead of well-known Names or Titles, which would be contrary to the Common Rules of Discourse.
1. What we mean by Anabaptists? We do not here use the word with an intention of Reproach; for that doth less besee • a Disputation of Peace; but we are fain to make use of it, as that Name by which that sort of Men are already commonly known, and distinguished from all others; as not knowing otherwise how to speak intelligibly of them, without using Descriptions and Circumlocutions instead of well-known Names or Titles, which would be contrary to the Common Rules of Discourse.
The Persons called by that Name in General, are all that are for the Baptizing of those who were baptized in Infancy, as supposing it null or unlawful. Of these there are more Subdivisions than I will undertake to enumerate: As to our present purpose it may suffice us to take distinct notice of these four sorts of them; 1. Those that only deny Infant Baptism, and are for the Necessity of Re-baptizing. 2. Those that upon this account do also gather Separated Churches, withdrawing from the Churches whereof they were Members, and receiving none into Communion but the Re-baptized. 3. Those that with the two former do hold many dangerous Errors, either Pelagian or Antinomian, or any other, which yet do not so overthrow the Foundation, but that the Persons holding them may be saved. 4. Those that had such Errors as are inconsistent with a true Belief of the Fundamentals, and consequently with Salvation. And among the three former sorts, we must distinguish between those that are peaceable, temperate, and willing of Communion with us, and that endeavour not the ruin of the Church in their practice: and those that are unpeaceable, and refuse our Communion, and set themselves to root out the Ministry, or to destroy the Faith or Church of Christ.