AN ANSWER TO DOCTOR CHAMBERLAINS SCANDALOUS AND FASLSE PAPERS.  
Philalethes K.  
June .28.  
LONDON, Printed in the year 1649.   

An answer to Doctor Chamberlains Scandalous and false Papers.  
SOme men have such an itch to quarrel, that rather than want enemies, they will fight with their own shadow; or make them of straw, tear them in pieces, and glory in the conquest: amongst all, that have disturbed our peace, none have troubled themselves more to less purpose, than that learned Gentleman, Doctor Peter Chamberlain, who to his great renown, as he supposeth, hath given ample testimony of his wit and learning in divers famous two penny volumes, to all posterity I have not so much leisure as to take a particular survey of him, nor his works, nor indeed will it be worth my labour, nor any man's time to read, only a touch of both, as they come in my way, and conduce to what I have in design,  
This Doctor Peter was born and bred amongst us in Blackfriars, as he tells us in print in one of his papers, extracted from the Ioines of I know not what great French monsieur, 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 Physician; his Father, for aught 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 gentleman, who slipped out of his swadlin-clowts into the Doctor's chair, by a strange impuls devouring all the arts in an instant, got his degree, before the world was ware on't, and at Nineteen was made a very reverend Doctor. I will not uncover his nakedness, nor give you any particulars of the vain profuseness of his younger years, whereby he spent and trifled away a considerable estate left him, and lost a very fair way of practice, his present condition sufficiently evidencing it, and sealeth the truth of that divine saying, he that troubleth his own house, shall inherit the wind; at last finding by sad experience, that his father's coffers had a bottom, which could not be beaten in time into his belief, he cast about, and falls upon several projects and devices, for the support of his present garb and greatness, and the first, if I mistake not, was that same trick of Physical Simony, to share in his Apothecary gains, but scorning the poor peddling 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 penny; but this devise took not, he got a great deal of shame, & this trick furthered not his already decreasing practice, his next was to get himself created vicar general of the Midwives in city & suburbs, & for the maintaining a garb, fitting the greatness of this place, he would have a groat for every child 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 Aristotle's Problems, and in all things that concerned women's business, have been a very ready necessary young man; but the midwives (as most women are) being wise enough already, scorned to learn from a man, that had no more beard than themselves, refused subjection to him, and set up some other hand-some-handed young physikers in the same trade, by which means the Doctor his practice more and more declined, the fool, the porter and some coach-horses are fain to go to grass, and himself brought to such straits, that invention must to work for some other device for a subsistence, which was to go into the Low-countrieses, and teach them the art of draining, of caching, salting, conditing stockfish, new stores for young Fry, the rare trick of dancing on the high rope, and shooting water in a Crossbow, but for all this nothing comes, the butter-boxes liked not his physiognomy, and held fast their money, and the Doctor is fain to return to his old quarters; whereat his first coming alarms the whole kingdom, with his lamentable cry from Ramah: children brought to the birth, and none to deliver; complains of want of self love, showing 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 independent, joins with Doctor Homes, and for a little while walks very soberly, but finding the old blade his Rival in woman's matters, he conspires against him, endeavours to throw him out and puts himself in the saddle, what end was made of that business I know not, but the Doctor hath quitted those quarters, and now turned Anabaptist; & as Corah, Dathan, & Abiram will 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 skilled 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 public, or to dispute this question in public, 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 yielded 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 vain unchristian like lying letter, in which he gins thus; being converted, I thought it my duty to strengthen my brethren, truly Sir your carriage in this business, gives no testimony at all of any true real conversion, there is that notorious pride, imprudent undiscret boasting, palpable falsehood, which some men even in a natural 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 struggled 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, gentleness, but the manifest works of the flesh, which are, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresy, desirous of vain glory, provoking one another; had you been guided in this act by the Spirit of God, how could that false assertion pass from you in print, that to your desire of resolution 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 shown to any that desires it, hath not one tittle that can possibly bear any such sense, but plainly required leave to speak to us in public, 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 business 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 truth, though managed by men of far greater abilities, than Dr. Chamberlain? 'tis certain, many men's spirits are more imbittred by it, and greater distance between them and their members, than before, to take no notice of the nonsense in the rest of the letter, what a strange pride of heart (if it be not a fault in his head, doth that challenge show, 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 distempered in mind, or laugh at you for your vanity: there's good counsel in the proverbs, which I believe these wise, Godly, learned men, will make use of in this case; but all this while, why come you not to D. Gouge with a friend, as you are offered, when certainly you may have full satisfaction in that or any other thing you desire; we cannot but believe, that's not desired, otherwise you would have come to him at first before you troubled yourself in Print, or at least you would have come, now invited, 'tis possibly you may believe amiss in what you hold about sprinkling infants (very wise godly men have, and you yourself in other things, even in your own profession, as I may have occasion to show, if ye continue troublesome:) and then a private fair debate were best to yourself, 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, proclaiming to the world what knowledge, rare secrets he hath got, strange cures he can do, would be counted an Empiric, a mountebank, an impostor, and few wise men would have to do with such a one, me thinks the respect due to Dr. Gouges years, 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 design; interrogates them thus, the baptism of John, whether was it of heaven, or of men?  
Dr. Chamberlain Craves leave to vent his unsound opinion concerning Baptism, 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 find leisure 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 baptising infants, letting sprinkling alone till I have more leisure.  
Whomsoever Jesus Christ willeth to be brought to himself, must not be kept from Baptism, but Jesus Christ willeth little children to be brought to himself, therefore little children must not be kept from Baptism.  
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 advice, to entreat you to reflect seriously upon your own heart, and consider whether some corrupt interest have not steered you in the business, whether the Scripture gives any allowance, for such a kind of deportment for a man in your station, towards such an ancient, reverend, Pious Minister, whether your misemploying so many for the spreading your pamphlets on the Sabbath day, be according to the rule of God's word, whether your disturbing us attending the ordinances of Jesus Christ, your imprudence following us to the very Sacrament, can at all suit 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 yourself, take shame to yourself, 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 judgements God hath very lately laid upon some of your predecessors; to instance but in two, for I will not stir in the puddle of the anabaptists of Munster, the, till then, unheard of impieties of whom, much troubled those parts of Germany, and interrupted the reformation begun by Luther; to look no further than yesterday, upon some that very lately trod your steps: the first shall be Mr. Copse, 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, till he first fell off from submitting to Church Government, after which he suddenly passed 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, than which the world never saw more desperate, maintainning swearing, uncleanness in terminis to be lawful, 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 giddiness possessing her, she as suddenly as the former ran greedily into all manner of uncleanness, and became hardened through the deceitfulness 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, than you walk in God's way, which as certainly you are out of at present, if you and your actions be brought to the balance of the sanctuary, how sad your condition will be, if it should please God, to leave you to yourself the former precedents with many more than I have leisure 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 prophecy, to which, you will do well, if you take heed.  
Philalethes.  
FINIS.