afts. It cannot be baptism at all, if it be only rantism; immerfion or dipping being the very thing, not an acci- · dent, but an effential, fo abfolutely neceflary, that it cannot be the act or ordinance without it. Therefore dipping is effential to baptifm.

Your bumble fervant,

THO. CROSBY.

The

The CONTENTS.

THE PREFACE. CHAP. I. Contains an account
of thofe Baptift Minifters, who were ejected or filenced by

or before the act of uniformity, or otherwife fuffered on account

of their miniftry.

CHAP. II. From the beginning of the reign of King

James II. to the glorious revolution under King William III.

of immortal memory.

Oates, Dangerfeild and Baxter tried, p. 164. Account of

Titus Oates, 166. Eliz. Gaunt burned, 185. Liberty of

confcience declared, 197. King James careffes the nonconfor-

mifts, 201. Erects a new ecclefiaftical commiffion, 203. The

elergy carefs the nonconformists, 205. The prince of Orange

lands at Torbay, 210. Is addreffed by the clergy and diffent-

ing minifters of London, 216. The nobility, gentry and com-

monality's engagement at Exeter, 218. Their declaration at

Nottingham, 219. The declaration of the lords fpiritual and

temporal, 223. Addrefs of the lieutenancy of London, 225.

The recorder of London's Speech, 227. The city of London's

addrefs, 229. A reply from the Baptifts in Oliver's army, to

bis intentions concerning them, 231.

CHAP. III. From the revolution to the end of the reign

of King William III.

A general affembly held by the English Baptifts, 246. They

clear themselves from the reproach caft upon them, refpecting the

regulators, 255. Mr. Thomas Grantham flandered, 261.

Another general affembly of the Baptifts, 264. They determine

the controverfy about finging, in public worship, 267. An in-

tended affaffination of the King, 273. The Baptifts address the

King thereupon, 278. Matthew Caffin's controverfy, 280.

An account of the Baptift board, 286. Mr. Whifton's letter

to Dr. Humphrys, 289. A fad inftance of priest pride, 297.

A fcheme of ministerial practife, 301. The public difputation

between the Baptifts and Presbyterians at Portfmouth, 312.

Mr. John Pilkington, a Roman Catholick, embraces the prin-

ciples of the Baptifts, 353. The Baptift minifters address to the

King, on the French King's proclaiming the Pretender, 357.

THE

PREFACE.

T

HO' many of the Engl Baptifts, men of great learning, prudence, and piety, have wrote fo fully in vindication of Believers baptifm, in oppofition to that of Infants, and fufficiently justified, both from fcripture and antiquity, their principles and practice; yet many, whom they cannot but acknowledge, and muit efteem to be men of piety, and true christians, retain an averfion, not only to their practice, but alfo to their perfons, and are too ready to ridicule both. But as the Rev. Mr. David Rees, very juftly obferves, The wider any people remove Inf Bapt. ne 'from papal errors, or any other inno-Iftitut. of vations crept into the chriftian church, Chritt. Pref. and the nearer they approach to the ftandard of naked truth; by fo much "the more they expofe themselves, to the • invidious

a

6

invidious cenfures of their neighbours; efpecially, whilft thofe neighbours unhappily continue fettered with the long 'received cuftom of their ancestors. The ftate of the proteftant diffenters in general, fays he, may exemplify the truth of this. And hence it comes to pass in particular, that tho' we, who affert adult baptifin, differ in nothing elfe material, from our proteflant brethren, of other communities in this nation, excepting in the point of baptifm; yet for our attempting, confcientioufly to reftore this fingle ordinance to its original purity; we have been, and it seems muft continue to be, as a fect every where Spoken againft. This treatment, is fomewhat the more remarkable becaufe it is fo well known, that the principle whereupon we differ from others, is fo evidently fupported by fcripture, that our very adverfaries often confefs it, and themselves are not able to produce any thing like the fhape of a fair argument against it.'

Conceffions of I fhall therefore here give the reader a the Pædo-bap-view of the feveral conceffions, that have tifts in favour been made by the clergy of the church of the Baptifs. of England, and other Pedobaptifts, to those who deny the rite of infant-baptifm,

and adminifter that ordinance only by immerfion.

How far the church of England agrees with us in this point, will be manifeft from the Queftion thereupon, and the anfwer thereto, in her Catechifm.

2. What

Q. What is required of perfons to be baptized?

A. Repentance, whereby they forfake fin, and faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that facrament.

Faith and

Practice.

But before I come to particulars, per-The Scripture a mit me to obferve; That there is nothing perfect Kuke of more readily, and more univerfally allowed by proteftants, than that the holy fcriptures are a perfect rule of the chriftian's faith and practice. By this weapon, they have often vanquished their popib adverfaries, and therefore have greatly triumphed in it. But in difputes among themfelves they have been either afhamed, or afraid to produce it; or elfe, have fo unskilfully managed it, as to wound the very cause they defigned to defend by it. If any weight may be given to the dignity of the Perfons who have afferted this truth; not only reverend prelates, and eminent profeffors and paftors of the reformed churches, but Kings and noblemen alfo, have declared themselves to be of this judgment.

That excellent determination of king Proteft. ReconJames I. fays Dr. Whitby, is worthy to be al. Preface. had in perpetual remembrance, viz. His K. James 1. Majesty thinketh, that for concord there bis Tejlimony. is no nearer way, than diligently to feparate things neceffary from the unnecef

( fary, and to beftow all our labour that we may agree in the things neceffary, and that in things unneceffary, there may be chriftian liberty allowed. Now his