A Serious answer to a late book styled, A reply to Mr. Robert Steed's…A Serious answer to a late book stiled, A reply to Mr. Robert Steed's…

When it pleased the Lord in Times past to enlighten some gracious Holy Persons in that great Ordinance of Baptism, as it was commanded by our Lord and Saviour, and practised by Him and his Apostles, and the Primitive Churches. And therefore to cast off Infants Sprinkling, which was set up in the room of it as a Humane Invention. They were then also, on Scripture-Grounds, well weighed and seriously considered, convinced that ⟨p. 4⟩the common way of praying to God, or praising of God (in what manner soever it were performed) by a composed Form (as usually then was, and still is the Custom of many Protestants) was not of Divine Institution, and therefore to be rejected. And accordingly it was in those Days laid aside by the Baptized Churches, whom the Lord then graciously and eminently owned by many signal Tokens of his Presence among them. But now to our great Grief, some whose Duty and Place it was to have settled, and further to have established the Churches in that Work of Reformation, are declined from it, asserting (with Heat and Confidence) that to sing by a composed Form, with a whole Multitude lifting up their Voices together, the Ignorant and Profane, the Unbelievers or Unconverted with the Church-Members, is an Ordinance of our Lord Jesus; which they practise, and with vehement Earnestness are contending for: whereby the Peace and Edification of the Churches is hindered, and the Minds and Consciences of many gracious Souls perplexed and entangled. By this they are not only building again what hath been destroyed, but thereby also there is plain Introduction unto a farther declining in Prayer, and others of the Holy Ordinances of our Blessed Lord and Law-giver. This common or popular way of Singing they also with great endeavour are labouring to promote in all the Churches, by their public pleading for it; by Preaching and Printing in the defence of it. And therein they not only vehemently contradict and oppose whatever is presented by any from the Holy Scriptures, to deliver them or others from that Humane Invention which hath been so long rejected ⟨p. 5⟩by the Churches aforesaid; but they also take a licentious Liberty to reflect upon them that would hinder their design in this matter;

When it pleased the Lord in Times past to inlighten some gracious Holy Persons in that great Ordinance of Baptism, as it was commanded by our Lord and Saviour, and practised by Him and his Apostles, and the Primitive Churches. And therefore to cast off Infants Sprinkling, which was set up in the room of it as a Humane Invention. They were then also, on Scripture-Grounds, well weighed and seriously considered, convinced that