He was sober in the use of things of this life, rather beating down the body, than pampering it, yet he denied not himself the use of God's blessing, lest he should be unthankful, but avoid excess lest he should be forgetful of the Donor. In his habit he avoided costliness and vanity, neither exceeding his degree in civility, nor declining what suited with Christianity, desiring in all things to express gravity. He own life he accounted a warfare, wherein Christ was his captain, his arms, prayers, and tears. The Cross his banner, and his word, Vincit qui patitur. He was immovable in all times, so that they who in the midst of many opinions have lost the view of true religion, may return to him and find it. Reader, seeing a passage in Mr. Tombes his book against paedobaptism*; wherein he compares the Nonconformists in England to the Anabaptists in Germany in regard of their miscarriages and ill success in their endeavors, till of late years; I was moved for the vindication of those faithful and reverend witnesses of Christ, to publish this Character; whereof if any shall desire proof in matter of fact, as in the matter of right, the Margin contains evidence, let him either consult their writings, or those who are fit witnesses by reason of age, fidelity and acquaintance, having fully known their doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, patience, persecution and affliction, etc. 2 Timothy 3:10, 11. And I doubt not but full testimony will be given that their aim and general course was according to rule: some extravagance there be in all professions, but we are to judge of a profession by the rule they hold forth, and that carriage of the professors which is general and ordinary. FINIS. * John Tombes was a prolific champion of Believer's Baptism during the third quarter of the 17th Century. Of all the men who have ever taken pen in hand to write on baptism, Tombes has the largest number of published pages. Writing as an Oxonian scholastical Puritan, Tombes brings all of his scholarship to bear upon this one issue: historically, exegetically, and theologically. For those of you familiar with the era, Henry Scudder was John Tombes' father-in-law.

Puritanism


Movement in the late 16th and 17th cent. that sought to "purify" the Church of England, leading to civil war in England and to the founding of colonies in N. America. Many Puritans joined the Parliamentary party during the English Civil War and gained considerable power, but after the Restoration they were once again a dissenting minority. Believing themselves chosen by God to revolutionize history, some Puritans founded settlements in America (see Pilgrims), notably the Massachusetts Bay Colony.