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A36663
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A treatise of baptism wherein that of believers and that of infants is examined by the Scriptures, with the history of both out of antiquity : making it appear that infants baptism was not practised for near 300 years after Christ ... and that the famous Waldensian and old British churches and Christians witnessed against it : with the examination of the stories about Thomas Munzer, and John a Leyden : as also, the history of Christianity amongst the ancient Britains and Waldenses : and, a brief answer to Mr. Bunyan about communion with persons unbaptized / by H.D.
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Danvers, Henry, d. 1687.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing D233; ESTC R35615
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154,836
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411
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2. Nor in the Epistles themselves As Children are not concerned in the Dedications of the Epistles so neither are they as Church-Members in the Epistles themselves as may appear by a few instances to which you may abundantly add in your reading the Epistles The first we shall mention is that 1 Cor. 6.4 1 Cor. 6.4 If then you have Judgment of things pertaining to this Life set them to judge that are least esteemed in the Church And that he meant least esteemed for Wisdom and Iudgment the fifth Verse explains But Infants of 8 or 10 dayes old can neither judge nor speak therefore we must necessarily conclude there were no such Members in the Church of Corinth 2. Another you have in 1 Cor. 10.16 17 compared with 11.28 29. The Cup of blessing which webless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ And the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and whosoever doth eat and drink unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body c. But poor Ignorant Babes without understanding cannot possibly either examine themselves or have the least discerning of the Lords body whether considered as Symbolically or Mystically represented in that Ordinance Therefore were none such to be sound in the Church at Corinth nor in any other Gospel-church as Dr. Owen saith very well Dr. Owen Dr. Owen p. 103. As God hath appointed Saints to be the seal and subject of all his Ordinances having granted the right of them to them alone 1 Tim. 3.15 Instructing them with the exercise of that Authority which he puts forth in the Rule of his Disciples in this world He hath also appointed the most holy institution of his Supper to denote and express that Vnion and Communion which the Members of each of these Churches have by his Ordinance among themselves 1 Cor 10.7 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread How consonant by the way and agreeable both to Rule and Reason and Righteousness doth it appear to be to admit men upon profession of Faith to both Ordinances keeping thereby the right Subjects as well as to the due Order But how Childishly ridiculous it was in those first inventers of Baptisme for 600. years so well to observe the Order viz. first to baptize and then to communicate and yet so miserably to miss it in the Subjects applying the Spiritual Ordinances to Ignorant Babes And how much worse in the Protestant Reformers that so lamentably miss it both in the due Order and right Subjects also Which the Prelate and Presbyter do in admitting Children to Baptisme and Membership but not to the Supper And the Independent more in point of Order in admitting them to Bâ—ptisme but neither to Membership nor the Supper A third observeable Passage we have in 1 Cor. 12 25 26. 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Where the Apostle exhorts That there be no Schisme in the body but that the Members should have the same care one for another But how ridiculous would this be to be applied to a little Ignorant careless Infant A fourth considerable Instance may be fetcht from 1 Thes 5.2 4. 1 Thes 5.2 4. Where the Apostle saith That they all knew perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night That he speaks of all is evident verse 4 5. in these words But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake You as a Thief Ye are all the Children of the Day and of the Light c. But little Children that have no understanding are no such Children of the Light as to know perfectly or in part the coming of the Day of God For they know nothing at all of it therefore no such Infants were Members of the Church at Thessalonica And fifthly another convincing Passage we have in Heb. 6.11 12. Heb. 6.11 12. The Apostle thus exhorting And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the End that ye be not slothfull but of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises But little Children can shew no such diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end neither can they shew such diligence in following of them who through Faith and Patience did inherit the Promises For they have no understanding in Earthly things How then can they understand Heavenly John 3.12 Therefore no such Babes were Church-members in the Church of the Hebrews And as a further proof against Infants Church-membership 3. From the Characters Christ gives his Disciples we may add the Character Christ gives of his Disciples viz. John 8.31 32. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If you continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free And John 15.8 A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you That you also love one another By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples And again John 15.1 Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much Fruit so shall you be my Disciples And again Luke 14.27 And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple And Verse 33. So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple But how absurd would it be to apply any of these Characters to little Ignorant Infants And lastly from that General Exhortation that Christ gives to all his Disciples Mark 13.37 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man and what I say unto you I say unto all Watch. But how ridiculous would it be to include a little Babe herein Which Argument about Church-membership we shall conclude with those full words of Dr. Owen Dr. Owen so much to the purpose P. 107. viz. From all which it appears who are the â—ubject matter of these Churches of Christ as also the means whereby they come to be so namely the Administration of the Spirit and Word of Christ As also by the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit given to them to make every one of them meet for and useful in that place which he holds in such Churches as the Apostle discourseth at large 1 Cor. 12.15 16 17 to 27. Col. 2.9 Ephes 4.16 It being manifest saith he that no Ordinance of Christ is appointed to be observed by his Disciples No Communication of Gifts of the Holy Ghost is promised
Rom. 6 4. Therefore we are buryed with him by Baptisme into Death proving from thence That Dipping or plunging was the proper Ceremony and Rite in the Ordinance and how naturally Arguments did arise from that Sign in Baptisme to inforce Holiness and Mortification the thing signified thereby Object But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you so much stand upon signifies if not to sprinkle yet not only to dip and overwhelme but also to wash as Mark 7.4 The washing of Hands Cups Pots Vessels Beds and Tables which we hope you will grant may be done without dipping or plunging in Water Answ That Baptisme in a sence is washing I no ways doubt for you cannot dip a thing but you may be said to wash it therefore in allusion hereto 't is said Acts 22. Arise and be bapzed and wash away thy sins and Tit. 3. The washing of Regeneration and Heb. 10. Bodies washed with pure VVater And so in dipping of Clothes they wash them And so here by dipping of unclean Hands Pots Cups Vessels and Beds for Tables are not there the word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as in your Margent signifies a Bed but never a Table as a Learned Critick observes they are also washed Object But Hands Cups Vessels and Beds may be washed though not dipt Answ It is true they may though not from this Scripture the word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for though all dipping is washing yet all washing is not dipping in a proper sence for Water sprinkled or poured upon a thing may be so called in an improper sence though it is a very unusual thing so to deal with unclean Hands Beds or Vessels And I presume you will account her but a Slut and give her no thanks for her pains that having unclean Hands Vessels Beds or Clothes to wash doth only sprinkle or pour a little water upon them as though that would serve the turn and doth not our familiar experience tell us that to dip our dirty hands in Water rinsing them is the most effectual way to wash them and that sprinkling or pouring a little water will not do the business Therefore are we to take washing here in this 7. Mark 4. to be dipping in a proper sence as the word imports and as most agreeable to known Custom and Use for neither the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wash nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sprinkle are ever taken to dip or baptize nor is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply taken for washing by pouring or sprinkling that I can find The divers washings mentioned Heb. 9.10 may well be explained from Lev. 1.9 13. 6.27 28. 15.6 Exod. 30.19 to be such as was done by baptizing in water not sprinkling with or pouring water upon And in the 2 Kings 5.10 the Prophet bids Naaman go and wash in Jordain seven times and accordingly Ver. 14. 't is said in obedience hereto and in explanation of that kind of washing the Prophet intended he went and Baptized himself seven times in Jordain Therefore for any to shun the proper true Genuine sence and build a practise upon an uncouth indirect unusual and at best an Allegorical sence is no other then as the Proverb is To leave the Kings High way and to take Hedge and Ditch And besides if you will follow the Allusion do you not wash all that is unclean whether of Hands Cup Vessel or Bed but the whole man is all unclean every Member and every Part therefore all and every Part ought to be washed and not the Head and Face only as you expect to have all your sins washed away and every Member cleansed by Faith in Christs Blood As well as in this Figure to represent that as every Member hath lived to sin should here also die be buried raised and quickned spiritually with Christ in firm assurance of Christs Resurrection and confident expectation of the whole mans being to be raised and glorified in the Resurrection of the Just And to which purpose we have Dr. Goodwin M. Good in his support of faith P. 54. very excellently viz. That the eminent thing signified and represented in Baptisme is not simply the blood of Christ as it washeth us from our sins but there is a farther representation therein of Christs Death Burial and Resurrection in the Baptized being first buried under water and then rising out of it and this is not in a bare conformity to Christ but in a representation of a Communion with Christ in that his Death and Resurrection Therefore it is said We are buried with him in Baptisme and whrein we are risen with him c. And moreover here it is that the answer of a good Conscience which is made the inward effect of this Ordinance of Baptisme 1 Pet. 3.21 Is there also attributed to Christs Resurrection as the thing signified and represented in Baptisme and as the cause of that answer of a good Conscience even Baptisme doth now also save us c. As for the Cavils of unseemliness and hazarding of health to the weak they are as the fruits of Carnal wisdom unbelief and shunning the Cross so no other then to reproach the wisdom of Christ that so ordained and himself so practised telling us that however the world may call it undecent that it is a comely thing therein to follow him in the fulfilling of Righteousâ—ess And as for that of unseemliness they that have or shall see the decency of the Practise will sufficiently vindicate it from such a Calumney and be able to convince Mr. Baxter or any other Cavilers of their unchristian slanders of that kind already touched And for hazard of Health to the Weak the Constant Known Experience doth amply refute that vain Imagination and Suggestion CHAP. V. Wherein you have an account of several Mischiefs Absurdities and Contradictions that are justly to be charged upon the Practise I. BY its altering Christs Order in the Commission Mat. 28.19 where in teaching Repentance and Faith are required always to precede or go before Baptisme which this makes to proceed or follow after altogether II. By its changing the Subjects of Christs appointment viz. Men and Women of Knowledge and Vnderstanding capable to Evidence Faith and Repentance for ignorant unconverted Babeâ— that know neither good nor evil their right hand from their left III. By frustrating all the Holy and Spiritual Ends of the Ordinance which you have before at large viz. to be a Sign of present Regeneration a dying burying and rising with Christ to be the answer of a good Conscience to be a mutual stipulation or contract then and there entred into betwixt God and the Party as well as a visible entrance into the Church all which as applyed to a poor Ignorant Infant are but mock-shews and utterly insignificant and invalid IV. By its inverting the Order and manner from dipping the whole Man into sprinkling or pouring a little Water