KING at the Princes-Arms in St.
Paul's Church-Yard.

A

Defence of the Doctrine and Discipline of

the Church of England in two Parts. Containing the Objections of Diffenters, fairly reprefented from their own celebrated Writers; And fully answer'd from Scripture, the Primitive Fathers, and our own Pious and Learned Reformers. With an Introduction, giving a fuccinct History of the feparation thro' the feveral Reigns of our Kings and Queens. Being a compleat Syftem of the whole Controverfie. By William Nichols, D. D. Author of the Commentary on the Book of Common-Prayer.

A Collection of the Principal Liturgies, ufed by the Chriftian Church in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharift; Particularly the Ancient, viz. the Clementine, as it ftands in the Book call d the Apoftolical Conftitutions; the Liturgies of St. James, St. Mark, St. Chryfoftom, St. Bafil, &c. Tranflated into English by feveral Hands. With a Differtation upon them, fhewing their Ufefulnefs and Authority, and Pointing out their feveral Corruptions and Interpolations. By Thomas Brett, L. L. D. Price 6 s.

A Discourse concerning the Neceffity of discerning the Lords Body in the Holy Communion. With a Preface, giving an Account of the Erroneous Opinions of the Papifts, Lutherans, and Calvinifts, upon this Subje& by Thomas Brett, L. L. D. Price 1 s.

A further Proof of the Neceffity of Tradition to explain and interpret the Holy Scriptures, Price 2 s.

THE

Second Part

O F

LAY-BAPTISM Invalid:

Shewing, That

The Ancient Catholick Church

Never Had Any ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, TRADITION, or CUSTOM,

FOR THE

Validity of Baptifms

Perform'd by Perfons who Never were Com miffion'd by Bishops to Baptize.

All Prov'd from the Reverend Mr. Bingham's Scholaftical History of Lay-Baptifm, and from other Evidences not produc'd by that Hiftorian.

By the Author of Lay-Baptifm Invalid.

Other Foundation can no Man lay, than that is laid. Te are built upon the Foundation of the APOSTLES, Jefus Chrift himself being the Chief Corner-Stone. 1 Cor. iij 11. Ephef. ij 20.

Quam Periculofum fit autem in Divinis Rebus ut quis cedat jure fuo & poteftate, Scriptura Sancta declarat, cum in Genefi Efau Primatus fuos inde perdiderit, nec recipere id poftmodum potuerit quod femel ceffit. Cypr. Epif. ad Jubaian. 73. p. 151. Paris 1548.

London: Printed for H. CLEMENTS, at the HalfMoon in St. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCCXIII.

i

THE

PREFACE.

S.I.

A

SI have bitberto avoided all unnecessary Cavillings and Difputes,about Words and Things that have no Relation to the Merits of the Caufe, in this Controversy; and as I have all along Confulted the Just Honour and Reputation of the Clergy, and upon a Principle of Great Reverence and Efteem for their Sacred Character, have been exceeding Scrupulous and Fearful, of Saying and Publishing any thing that might reasonably be interpreted to be difrefpectful or uncivil to any of them, how much foever they have (fome of them) Differ'd from me; So I refolve (by God's Grace) ftill to preferve the fame Temper and Difpofition; and in the following Remarks to Avoid the great Impertinence of Troubling my Self and the Reader, with Strife and Wrangling about mean, little, pedantick Things, which ferve only to Cloud and Obfcure That Truth, which we profess to Plead for, and Discover to Others.

§. II. If any of my Opponents have been thus Troublefome to their Readers in this Difpute, their Performances of that kind will meet with the Deferved Cenfure of the Difcerning and Judicious; and if to make their Assertions go off the Better, they have thought fit to treat me with Incivility; I paß it by, with only pitying their

A 2

Tempers,

Tempers, and advising them to fix their Eye more fteddily upon the Great Matter it felf which is now in Debate; and then they'll fee that 'tis too Noble a Subject to be mix'd with fuch an Alloy; and that it will fooner be determin'd by feparating from our Reafonings about it, all ungenteel Reflections upon Perfons, and all Partialities in favour of fome, who are Deeply concern'd in its ConSequences.

But tho' I refolve to be as Civil to my Opponents as the Merits of the Caufe will allow, yet they must not Expect that I will Compliment any of their Errors, or that I will be fo foft and kind to their Dangerous Notions, as to skreen and hide them from that juft Reproach which is due to them. If my Learned Adverfaries make falfe Arguments to defend Error, I fhall not Esteem fuch their Methods to be only Miftakes, but fomething worse, confidering the Greatness of their Knowledge; and if my Endeavours to Expofe their falfe Reasonings be unpleasant to them, I care not; fince Important Truths of a Spiritual Concern are infinitely more valuable to me, than the Pleafure and Satisfaction of even the Greatest of Men, who ftand in publick Oppofition to them.

The Author of Lay-Baptifm Invalid, whatever his Name is,bas abundant Reafon not yet to publish it in Print ; and therefore in this Difcourfe will not answer Mr. Bingham by the Name of Lawrence, tho' that Reverend Hiftorian has been pleas'd uncivilly to print that Name at large in his Title-Page,&c. without the Leave or Confent of the Perfon, whom he fuppofes and afferts to be the Author be aims at. But not to detain the Reader any longer from the Matter in Hand, I will here, once for all, fhew him, First, What it is that the Author of Lay-Baptifm Invalid do's infift upon; And, Secondly, What thofe Things are, which were never defign'd to be infifted upon in his Jeveral Treatifes. And,

§. III.