SOme men have such an itch to quarrell, that rather then want enemies, they will fight with their own shadow; or make them of straw, tear them in peeces, and glory in the conquest: amongst all, that have disturbed our peace, none have troubled themselves more to lesse purpose, then that learned Gentleman, Doctor Peter Chamberlaine, who to his great re­nown, as he supposeth, hath given ample testimony of his wit and learning in divers famous two peny volumes, to all posterity I have not so much leisure as to take a particular survay of him, nor his works, nor indeed will it be worth my labour, nor any mans time to read, onely a touch of both, as they come in my way, and conduce to what I have in designe,

This Doctor Peter was born and bred amongst us in Black­friers, as he tels us in print in one of his papers, extracted from the Ioines of I know not what great French Mounsier, as he proclaimeth to the world in another, with Glendours in the welsh Chronicle boasting of strange meteors and constellation at his nativity, none of all which makes him the wiser man, or better Physitian; his Father, for ought I ever heard, was a good honest Barber-surgeon, & by his knack in midwifery got a plen­tiful estate, which with his art he left to this young gentlman, who slipt out of his swadlin-clowts into the Doctors chair, by a strange impuls devouring all the arts in an instant, got his degree, before the world was aware on't, and at Nineteene was made a very reverend Doctor. I will not uncover his naked­nesse, nor give you any particulars of the vain profusenesse of his younger yeers, whereby he spent and trifl'd away a considerable [Page 2] estate left him, and lost a very fair way of practise, his present condition sufficiently evidencing it, and sealeth the trueth of that divine saying, he that troubleth his own house, shall inhe­rit the winde; at last finding by sad experience, that his fathers coffers had a bottom, which could not be beaten in time into his beleife, he cast about, and falls upon severall projects and devices, for the support of his present garb and greatnes, and the first, if I mistake not, was that same trick of Physical Simony, to share in his Apothecarie gains, but scorning the poor pedling way of justice Long in the law, or his Brother Fludd in his own art, he maketh him allow him the one half of all he taketh, yet bars all the charge and trouble, as was proved at the bar of the house of Commons, in the beginning of the Parliament, as good be a knave for a pound, as a peny; but this devise took not, he got a great deale of shame, & this trick furthered not his al­ready decreasing practise, his next was to get himself created vi­car generall of the Midwives in city & suburbs, & for the main­taining a garb, fitting the greatnesse of this place, he would have a groate for every childe borne within his jurisdiction, for which he would have kept good orders and rules amongst them, set up a lecture, and himself a been reader, unfolded the hard places and passages, Aretine and Aristotles Problems, and in all things that concerned womens busines, have been a very rea­dy necessary young man; but the midwives (as most women are) being wise enough already, scorn'd to learn from a man, that had no more beard then themselves, refused subjection to him, and set up some other hand-some-handed young physikers in the same trade, by which means the Doctour his practise more and more declin'd, the fool, the porter and some coach-horses are fain to go to grasse, and himself brought to such straights, that invention must to work for some other device for a subsistance, which was to go into the Low-Countreys, and teach them the art of draining, of caching, salting, conditing stock-fish, new stores for young Fry, the rare trick of dancing on the high rope, and shooting water in a Crosse-bowe, but for all this no­thing comes, the butter-boxes liked not his physiognomie, and held fast their money, and the Doctor is fain to returne to his old quarters; whereat his first coming allarms the whole kingdom, with his lamentable cry from Ramah: children brought to the birth, and none to deliver; complains of want of self love, shew­ing [Page 3] how many infants are lost, for want of his knack, that he will do it upon lower terms then formerly without any grief or pain; tells us he is in great want, brought to his first prin­ciple, and nine children in the bargain, but all this doth nothing neither, in the sixth therefore he turns independant, joyns with Doctor Homes, and for a little while walks very soberly, but finding the old blade his Rival in womans matters, he con­spires against him, endeavours to throw him out and puts him­self in the saddle, what end was made of that busines I know not, but the Doctor hath quitted those quarters, and now turnd Anabaptist; & as Corah, Dathan, & Abiram wil be famous in some congregation, to make way for his advance, like the fencers of old, he resolves to challenge the most famous Master of the Science, beaten or not, it skild not, he will bring such judges as shall certainly give sentence for him, or in case of ex­tremity, make such tumults as shall turn to his advantage, but to be serious a little, he pitches upon old Doctor Gouge, and in a letter of January 27. desireth leave to preach in his pulpit, which he calleth speaking in publike, or to dispute this que­stion in publike, whether is the sprinkling of infants, an ordi­nance of God or Man. Doctor Gouge returns him answer that admitting private men to vent heterodox opinions was not ha­stily to be yeilded unto, but he would advise of it, and give an answer in convenient time: upon this, this pamphleter thinks he hath got the advantage desired, and sends amongst us in print a most vaine unchristian like lying letter, in which he begins thus; being converted, I thought it my duty to strengthen my bre­thren, truly Sir your carriage in this busines, gives no testimony at all of any true reall conversion, there is that notorious pride, imprudent undiscret boasting, palpable falsehood, which some men even in a naturall condition, would not express, and a man converted would not dare to be guilty of, but he goes on tells us, he had an impulse of the Spirit, which he at first strugled with, and so forth; certainly▪ Sir this could not possibly be from the spirit of God: the fruit of which is love, joy, peace, long suf­fering, gentlenesse, but the manifest works of the flesh, which are, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresie, desirous of vain glory, provoking one another; had you been guided in this act by the Spirit of God, how could that false assertion passe from you in print, that to your desire of resolution [Page 4] of the sprinkling of infants: Doctor Gouge should return answer, the question was weighty, he would take advise in it, when your own letter, ready to be shewen to any that desires it, hath not one tittle that can possibly bear any such sence, but plainly requi­red leave to speak to us in publike, or that it might be a question between him and you, in a full auditory; whether the sprinkling of infants were of God or man? and to this; to the busines of disputation, he returned that answer, knowing how little such disputes hath profited, how much the Church of God hath been torn by them; how express the spirit of God is, not to trouble the weak with vain disputes; what became of the late dispute be­twixt Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Simpson, or what one single person of either of both opinions, was brought, to the knowledge of the trueth, though managed by men of far greater abilities, then Dr. Chamberlaine? tis certain, many mens spirits are more im­bittred by it, and greater distance between them and their mem­bers, then before, to take no notice of the non-sence in the rest of the letter, what a strange pride of heart (if it be not a fault in his head, doth that challenge shew, when Dr. Gouge, Mr. Case, Mr. Ca­lamy, Mr. Marshal, Mr. Goodwin, nay, and the whole assembly are foolishly or childishly dared into the contest, all serious men and sober Christians must pity you, as a man distemperd in mind, or laugh at you for your vanity: thers good counsell in the pro­verbs, which I believe these wise, Godly, learned men, will make use of in this case; but al this while, why come you not to D. Gouge with a friend, as you are offerd, when certainly you may have ful satisfaction in that or any other thing you desire; we cannot but beleeve, thats not desired, otherwise you would have come to him at first before you troubled your self in Print, or at least you would have come, now invited, tis possibly you may believe amisse in what you hold about sprinkling infants (very wise god­ly men have, and you your self in other things, even in your own profession, as I may have occasion to shew, if ye continue trouble­some:) and then a private sair debate were best to your self, you know what the wise man saith, Prov. 14. & 33 13. 16. and in your own art, he that should set forth himself with such high flown bragging language, proclaming to the world what know­ledge, rare secrets he hath got, strange cures he can do, would be counted an Empyrick, a mountebanke, an impostor, and few wise men would have to do with such a one, me thinks the respect [Page 5] due to Dr. Gouges yeers, his piety, his learning, might have kept you from these uncivil, unchristian declamations, vain, idle sugge­stions; weak and foolish insinuations; what is the 21. & 25. of Matthew pertinent in this case, or to your purpose, the priests there came to ensnare our Saviour Christ, with this question, by what authority dost thou these things? who knowing their hearts, and their wicked designe; interrogates them thus, the baptism of John, whether was it of heaven, or of men?

Dr. Chamberlaine Craves leave to vent his unsound opinion concerning Baptisme, in Dr. Gouge his congregation, in one pa­per, and a resolution to this question, whether is the sprinkling of infants an ordinance of God or Man, in another; Dr. Gouge returns answer to the first, that he will advise on it, to the se­cond, that if he please to come to him, he will endeavour to give him satisfaction, what can that text make for you, unless you think the Doctor fears you, as the text saith, the Priests did the multitude, certainly Sir you are not so terrible yet, and I believe you will not be much higher neither, but because I believe you will hardly finde leasure to come to Dr. Gouge, knowing that tumults and branglings must be your best weapons, which you will want if you come single, or accompanied with a few, con­sider seriously of these following arguments for baptizing in­fants, letting sprinkling alone till I have more leasure.

Whomsoever Jesus Christ willeth to be brought to himself, must not be kept from Baptisme, but Jesus Christ willeth little children to be brought to himself, therefore little children must not be kept from Baptisme.

The Major is undeniable, the Minor is clear from Matt. 19. 14. Mark 10. 14. Luke 18. 15. 16.

To whomsoever the kingdom of heaven, and the covenant of grace belongeth, to them the seals of the Covenant belong­ed, but the kingdom of heaven and Covenant of grace be­long unto infants, Ergo.

The Major is not to be denied, the Minor is proved Gen. 17. 7 Acts. 2. 39. These good old arguments I could never see solidly confuted yet.

But I will end all with a word or two of advise, to entreate you to reflect seriously upon your own heart, and consider whe­ther some corrupt interest have not steered you in the busines, whether the Scripture gives any allowance, for such a kinde of [Page 6] deportment for a man in your station, towards such an ancient, reve­rend, Pious Minister, whether your misimploying so many for the spreading your pamphlets on the Sabbath day, be according to the rule of Gods word, whether your disturbing us attending the ordi­nances of Jesus Christ, your imprudence following us to the very Sacrament, can at all suite with the profession of a Christian, or a sober man; if they do not, as certainly you must needs judge, if you be true to your self, take shame to your self, and give God the glory, in an humble Christian confession, of, and repentance for, this your foul offence, and lastly think sadly upon the heavy judgments God hath very lately laid upon some of your predecessors; to instance but in two, for I wil not stirr in the puddle of the anabaptists of Munster, the, til then, unheard of impieties of whom, much troubled those parts of Germany, and interrupted the reformation begun by Lu­ther; to look no further then yesterday, upon some that very lately trode your steps: the first shall be Mr. Cops, a man that for a long time pretended both to learning, reason, and Religion, and for some time, as I am from very good hands informed, walked very strict­ly, til he first fell off from submitting to Church Government, after which he suddainly passd through all the forms now in fashion, to yours, to the holding those Anabaptistical opinions, wherewith you and your predecessors have wherever you have had power, never been quiet till you turned both Church and State into a flame, if not into ashes, but he stayed not long with you neither, but the next step brought him into that deep Abyss, from whence he vo­mits out in print to the world, those horrid blasphemies and im­pieties, then which the world never saw more desperate, maintain­ning swearing, uncleannesse in terminis to be lawfull, besides other positions, which no modest Christian care can without astonish­ment hear or read.

The other is the late matron of the Savoy, whom the hand of justice in some measure met with lately, she likewise not long since walked under the same di­spensation with you, the Spirit of giddinesse possessing her, she as suddainly as the former ran greedily into all manner of uncleannesse, and became hardened through the deceitfulnes of sin, never rested till she became a hissing and a by­word even to the meanest of the people. Certainly Sir you have no promise of support longer, then you walk in Gods way, which as certainly you are out of at present, if you and your actions be brought to the ballance of the sanctuary, how sad your condition will be, if it should please God, to leave you to your self the former presidents with many more then I have leasure or desire to instance in, may in some measure make evident; it concerneth you, as much as your eternal welfare is worth, to be true to your own heart, not to trifle away your precious time in vain wrangling, and disputations, but to make appear to the world, the hope that is in you, by a sober godly life and conversation, to direct to you which, you have a sure word of prophecie, to which, you wil do wel, if you take heed.