Rich. Baxter's review of the state of Christian's infants whether they should be entered…

If I did, I hereby ⟨p. 51⟩renounce it, and declare that I wronged them. If I did not, (as I know I did not) to say I did were to lie; and is it worthy his writing a Book to tempt a man to lie?

If he will prove that I said more, the words must decide it if; that I meant more, he is not to be believed of my heart, as if he knew it better than I.

But he proveth it (that I intended them all) contrary to my most express words. 1. He saith, it is my scope and design? 2. From my Arguments, which take in the whole Party? 3. From the Instance, &c. Reader, If I were to teach a man to understand my book, before he wrote against it, I should have some little hope of true dealing in his Report, how weak soever his Arguing were: But when I must deal with a man that understandeth not plain English, because partiality will not suffer him, and will not learn to understand what he doth not, and yet cannot forbear a public contradicting it, till he understand it, would it not be a slavery to be tied to write against such a man as long as he would write, should I live so long? I joined together, as the mode of their Re-baptizing, their doing it in cold water or Rivers, some naked, and the rest (the usual way) next naked, that is, in a linen Shift, or Vest, only to cover them. I took that which in the hotter Countries was safe, to be in our frigid Countries a breach of the sixth Commandment; and can prove, that he that said, [Go learn what that meaneth, I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice] would not have plunging over head in Cold Water, to be the ordinary way with us. I supposed that as among the naked Indians, use maketh nakedness a less provocation to Lust, than it would be here; so also in the hotter Regions, of the world, their appearing publicly next to naked, in one linen Vest or Shift, was less unseemly ⟨p. 52⟩