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A43045 The ministers office, the infants inheritance By James Harwood, B.D. Harwood, James. 1659 (1659) Wing H1099; ESTC R221283 28,474 108

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Kingdome of Heaven The covenant is made to them doubtless then the Seal of that covenant which is Baptisme must belong unto them Of which opinion was Tertullean who lived within less then an hundred years after St. Johns death But now Deo juvante by Gods assistance I mean to make my word good and to prove by the practice of the Primitive Fathers how baptizing Infants in the four first Centuries after Christs time and his Apostles was maintained lawful Iraeneus in his second Book and 39. against Hereticks saith Omnes venit Christus per semetipsum salvare omnes inquam qui per eum renascuntur in Deum et pueros et juvenes et seniores et parvulos et infantes Christ came to save all that were born of God even Infants born a new by Baptism This holy Writer lived sixty years after the Apostles St. Origen hear him faithfully translated Ecclesia ab Apostolis Traditionem accepit jam parvulis Baptismum dare porro air propterea baptizantur quia per Baptismi Sacramentum nativitatis sordes deponuntur The Church saith he received this Tradition from the Apostles even this to baptize Infants moreover as he asserts for this cause they are admitted to this Sacrament that thereby the foul spots in their Nativity may be washed away This Father flourished in the eighty seventh year from the death of St. John who out-lived all the Twelve St. Cyprian in his third Book and eighth Epistle thus writes A Baptismo prohibere Infans non debet qui recens natus nil peccavit nisi quod secundum Adam carnaliter natus None ought to deny an Infant Baptisme for saith the Holy Father he being new born hath no sin save the guilt of Adams to answer for This Father lived in the 158. year after the death of the Apostles St. Gregory Nazianzen next steps in to defend Infants Baptisme and to give you it in our Latin tongue more suitable to the capacity of many readers he asks the question Num Infantes Baptizemus It is answered Maxime quidem si periculum quoddam imminet melius est enim nondum rationis compotes sanctificari quam non signatos initiatos vita excedere It is the judgement of this Father that we may justifie to baptize Infants if in the danger of death yea he fully determines the controversie and positively sets down how it is better though they want the use of reason so to make them holy than to suffer them to die without this Seal of Grace and mark how by being made holy or sanctified is meant being baptized as here easily you may perceive but Doctor Hamond hath perspicuously made it appear in his answer to Mr. Tombes This St. Gregory lived two hundred and seventy years after the last of the twelve St. Jerome let us now hear what he can say Infantes baptizantur ut eis peccata in Baptismate dimittantur Infants are baptized that so they may be assoiled of their sin by Baptisme he means their birth-sin and therefore without all doubt a most needfull work we impose upon all Parents to hasten the Christening or Baptizing of their Children This Holy Father lived in the year two hundred and eighty after the Apostles St. Chrisostom is as good a witness for us as any of these we may finde his testimony recorded in his Homily de Baptizatis Hac de causa ait jam Infantulos Baptizamus ut non sint coinquinati peccato ut iis addatur sanctitas justitia adoptio haereditas fraternitas Christi ut ejus membra sint omnes We baptize young children saith Saint Chrysostom that they may not be polluted with sin that there may be added to them holiness righteousness adoption a right of heirship and to be the brothers of Christ yea to be made his members yea and by this means they are made as the Holy Father tells us the Temples of the Holy Ghost And thus you see of how high concernment it is to baptize Infants by vertue of which Sacred Ordinance they are not only assoiled of their sin by Adam but have conferred upon them Gods grace with which the Anabaptists it seems are loath at young years to be acquainted and if they continue in those damnable tenents prejudicial to all government in Church and State as hitherto they have done then I dare say that as they refused to be made visible members by Baptisme in the Church Militant it s to be feared God will never bestow on them true repentance whereby they might be ensured to be members of the Church Triumphant But to draw to an head you see how large a talent of Gods grace in the judgement of this holy Father doth Baptism put Infants into a possession of of all which Sacred Riches the Anabaptists like strong thieves labour to rob them but those who stick not to imbrew their arms up to the elbows in the blood of the Lords anointed will make no conscience to wrong one of these little ones though their very Angels as the Evangelist tells us stand before the face of their heavenly Father This Father lived in the 300. Year after the departure of the blessed Apostles St. Augustine in his fourth Book and 13. Chapt. against the Donatists speaks thus Quod tenet universitas Ecclesiae cum parvuli Infantes baptizantur qui certe nondum possunt corde credere ad justitiam ore confiteri ad salutem c. Et tamen nullus Christianorum dixerit eos inaniter baptizari That which we have received meaning as an Apostolicall Tradition the whole Church of God approveth of that is That our young Infants ought to be baptized who neither can be known by outward appearance to believe and confess Yet in his time he professes none denied them Baptisme or said in vain it was administred to them Yet more in Serm. 14. he avoucheth Quod consuetudo Matris Ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis non spernenda est How the custom of baptizing Infants is not to be contemned Habet enim ista parvula aetas magnum testimonii pondus He tells us that little age in which the Church suffered sad Persecution we ought to honour her Testimony as she that did maintaine this Church Doctrine in the time of a Fiery Trial. This Doctor of our Church lived in the 330. Year And now I must tell you that since baptizing Infants is at this Day the practice of all Nationall Churches Christian nay more since Tertullian Iraeneus St. Cyprian Gregory Nazianzen St. Jerome St. Chrisostome and St. Augustine all living in the time of the Primitive Church assert it to be a Tradition Apostolical this makes me admire how so much impudence should possess the Sons of Disobedience as to send a Defiance to the Church Catholique for granting Infants that Sacramentall Privileoge of which they have been in possission ever since the Apostles time But I sleight the contest with such Adversaries who when they cannot maintain their Quarrel with men