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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49808	Baptismalogia, or, A treatise concerning baptisms whereto is added a discourse concerning the supper, bread and vvine, called also, communion / by Thomas Lawson.	Lawson, Thomas, 1630-1691.	1678 (1678)	Wing L723; ESTC R36244	71,361	108

Scripture Matth. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire a People called Jacobites from one Jacobus Syrus their Leader a kind of mongrel Christians in Asia sign their Children many in the Face some in the Arm with the sign of the Cross imprinted with an hot burning Iron at or before Baptism alledging the aforesaid Scripture Concil Cackareuse 2. Can. 34 35. Trapp on Acts 8. Of Fonts and their Rise Some Authors mention that when first they began to confer upon Infants the Tradition of Baptism they dipped them in Rivers or Fountains quarterly but in Winter the season being cold and Children tender Fonts were invented and Children dipped or sprinkled thereat There is a Book called A View of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Law written by one Sr. Thomas Ridley wherein is written that The Rites of Baptism in the primitive Times were performed in Rivers and Fountains and this manner of baptizing saith he ' the ancient Church entertained from the Example of Christ who was baptized of John in Jordan in those Ages saith he there were no Fonts Further saith he in the dayes we now live in we have no other remainder of the Rite of baptizing in Rivers and Fountains then the very Name hence it is saith he that the Vessels containing Baptismal Water are called Fonts from the Latin word Fontes which signifies Fountains Consider he acknowledges a great Degeneration from the Primitive Order Further saith he The Custom of Dipping in Rivers and Fountains being left off Fonts were erected in private Houses Thus Invention followed Invention as Wave after Wave Further saith he Because of the violent Persecution of those dayes they were debarred of that Convenience and had recourse to Woods and such like places where they had such Baptisterials as Fonts with them as they could Mede saith the same But in more peaceable Times saith he they drew nearer and set their Fonts a little distant from their Churches so called after they obtained to set them in Church-Porches and at last got them into the Church As a Cloud by the Winds so 't was tossed from place to place Further he saith that at the first they were not placed in every Church but in Cities and that in the Mother Church so called and why in the Mother Church because saith he as people in their Mothers Wombs are born men so in the Fonts of Baptism as in the Churches Womb men are born Christians Here Regeneration is ascribed to Font-Water an Antichristian Doctrine But in succeeding times saith he it being considered that the Mother Church so called was far off Towns and Villages and that in Winter season people could not well repair thither the Bishop took occasion to transfer the Rite of Baptism and Burial to the Rural Churches so called together with the Rite of Tythe so made Parochial Churches Further he saith That in Parishes some living remote from the Church it was permitted them to build in or nigh their Houses a Private Oratory reserving for the most part the Rite of Sepulture and Baptism to the Parish Church yea and on high dayes so called they were to repare to the Parish Church In after Times these Oratories were called Chappels and such as exercised the Ministerial Function in them were called Chaplains Tho. Ridley Fonts of old were adorned with Pictures of Holy Men to the end that such as were baptized might have before their Eyes whose Deeds they were to imitates as saith Pontius Paulinus in an Epistle to Severus Of Godfathers and Godmothers and Gossips so called and the word Gossip interpreted and explained Faith and Repentance were the Qualifications of such who were admitted to John's Baptism the outward Cleansing a shadow of Christ's Baptism the Laver of Regeneration Washing inwardly where the pure and undefiled Religion is known John baptized not Infants Sureties to engage for Infants Faith and Repentance when at years of Discretion had not allowance in his Ministration when thorough the ingress of Apostacy the saving spiritual Baptism was lost the shadow got entertainment in the Church as the corruptible earthly part prevailed within then men grew irreligious then credens being given to Augustins Doctrine and others That Children born or unborn were Damned of they dyed unbaptized hence the Necessity of Infants Baptism was concluded and Church-men became Defenders and Propogators of it now they being conscious that Children knew nothing of Faith and Repentance Qualifications for John's Water-baptism through the Door of this consideration crept in Godfathers and Godmothers to be Sureties for Infants and to renounce the Devil in their behalfs and to Promise and Vow that when those Infants are grown up to years of Discretion they shall both believe and repent a thing not heeded by one of many though formerly promised See more of this in the old Catechi●m Pope Higinus ordained That at the least one Godfather or one Godmother should be concerned at Baptism Platina de vitis Pontif. but for every male Child as 't is now enjoyned two Godfathers and one Godmother and for every female Child two Godmothers and one Godfather are in this Nation required About the year 680. Godfathers and Godmothers so called began to be used to Men of mature age Wolphere the Mercian King was Godfather unto Edelwalch King of the South-Saxons and this saith my Author was fashionable in that Age that such being baptized should walk worthy of their Profession were it but to save their Friends Reputation who had undertaken for their Sincerity therein Fuller pag. 89. Great Virtue in idolatrous Times was ascribed to Water-baptism as is more fully handled before to which the Testimony of venerable Bede so called hold out in his Ecclesiastical History may be added who said An ignorant Infant is saved in Baptism thorough the Faith of its Parents and Godfather a Testimony savouring of a carnal mind As for Gossips I have observed that our Ancestors understanding a spiritual affinity or aliance as they supposed to grow between them and such as undertook for their Children in Baptism called each other by the Name of Gossip which is as much as akin through God and the Child called such his Godfather or Godmother the word Gossip is derived from the Saxon word Godsib which signifies affinity or alliance in God Sibbe in the Saxon Tongue signifies affinity alliance as for a she Gossip the Belga called such a one Ghemoeder which is compounded of Ghe with and moeder Mother such a one in the northern parts is usually called a Commother for further confirmation of this thing it was ordained in the seventh Century That no Gossips might Marry together because of the spiritual Affinity and Relation they had contratcted at the Font Madg. pag. 147. In the tenth Century it crept in That Gossips were to put on white Garments as well as the Priests and the Baptized Madg. Cent. 10. That is at or about the baptizing of any one both Priest Gossips and the Party

should sit upon many Waters even upon Peoples Multitudes Nations and Tongues Revel 17.1 15. yea and he saw and fore-told that all Nations yea Kings themselves should be drunk with the Cup of Fornication Revel 18.3 Now as these things were in fulfilling Darkness entred the Professors of Christianity yea and losing the Virtue and Influence of the Heavenly Pearl Christ in them the End Fulfilling and Substance of all shadows from Abel to himself then they began to re-assume shadows and figures without them then losing the pure Gra●n they began to magnifie the Husk losing Christs spiritual Baptism the bubling Spring of living Water purifying inwardly then they began to re-assume John's Ministration of Water-baptism outwardly yea and to call it Christ Ordinance then Divisions abounded some baptized or sprinkled Old People on their Death-beds some-baptized people in their more early Age as when they were on pable of being catechized some began to baptize or sprinkle Young Children some baptized or sprinkled people after they were Dead some baptized the living for the Dead some baptized Children in their Mothers Womb before they were born some made the Character of a Cross in their Foreheads with a Burning Iron which they called Christ's Baptism some baptized themselves every year still pretending and crying Christs Ordinance Zuinglius in his Ago taking notice of the Confusion of men in reference to Baptism bore record in this manner saying In the beginning of my Book saith he I must ingeniously profess that almost all those that have undertaken to write of Baptism even from the very times of the Apostles have which I desire may be spoken with the favour of all not in a few things erred from the Truth Yea and this Zuinglius as well as they erred also the truly illuminated Branches of the true Vine turns from such as turn from the Life of the Scriptures the End of Shadows into Shadows and Inventions 't is more honourable to joyn to the Word without Men then to joyn to Men without the Word Now of the fore-mentioned Confusion and Inventions concerning Baptism and Rantism Dipping and Sprinkling more followeth I profess I have traced the steps of Antiquity and have been diligent to search out the Original of sprinkling that if possible I might find him out to whom this Tradition Rantism that is sprinkling may cry Abba Father and what I have found thereto to relating I freely commend to him that reads me I find it recorded that about the year 230. lived one Cyprian who was Bishop of Carthage in which time the foggy Exhalations of Darkness much ascended the Hearts of the Professors of Christianity yea so much as that Christ's Baptism in and with the saving Spirit the Water of Life being much lost within they began exceedingly to magnifie Water without the visible Element thinking Water-baptism saved ascribing Washing of Souls Regeneration taking away of Original Sin freeing from Perdition and eternal Salvation to it yea and in effect the Belief of this Doctrine remains and in such as would be accounted high Sharers in Reformation that the thing is so multitudes of Testimonies might be produced Whence saith Augustine hath Water so much Virtue as that it touches the Body and washes the Heart August in Hom. 8. Through baptismal Water men pass from Earth to Heaven saith Ambrose de sacramentis As Water extinguisheth cleanseth and whiteneth above other Liquors so in baptismal Water fleshly Lusts are quenched Sin both original and actual washed away Innocency begotten saith Algerus Not particular men only but even Councils were involved in this erroneous Conceit and Misapprehension The Council of Florence taught That by Baptism we are spiritually born again and that it imprints in the Soul a Character that is some spiritual sign indeleble that is which cannot be blotted out and further That we are thereby made Members of Christ of the Body of the Church Summa Concil et Pontif. The Trent Council taught That by Baptism we put on Christ and are thoroughly made New Creatures Children dying without it are by the Roman-Catholicks accounted Heathen and must not be buried in Hollowed Mould Church or Church-Yard Protestants dancing after the same Pipe accoun● such Heathen and wanting their Christendom so bury them behind the Church so called This ancient Error of magnifying outward Water when the the purifying Virtue of the Water of Life was lost yet remains 't is read in the beginning of the old Catechism of present allowance My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of God Is not here unspeakable Virtue ascribed to baptismal Water Mayer in his Explanation of the English Catechism paraphrasing on the before-cited words saith Outward Water makes none Partakers of such Priviledges and that the Externals of the New are of no more Vertue then the Externals of the Old Testament alledging that in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision avails any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature and the keeping of the Commandments of God Baptism saith he confers not Grace ex opere operato as the Church of Rome teaches and if not Grace neither those precious Effects of Grace neither is external baptismal Water any more effectual then the Blood of Bulls and Goats to take away sins Hebr. 10.4 But to return from this digression in Cyprian's Age though the Degeneration was not so great and general as afterwards it became yet they greatly magnified Water and ascribed Salvation to it so that converted Persons deferred their Baptism to as near their Latter-end as they could guess so that they might have an Evidence of the Remission of their sins all at once they were not willing to have it before lest by after-sinning they should lose their Evidence now in propounding this End to themselves sometimes they deferred their Baptism so long as that through Extremity of Sickness and Weakness or the like they could not be baptized that is dipped then one Magnus enquired of Cyprian What they should do in such a case Cyprian answered Seeing it could not be done as it ought without the hazard of the sick Persons Life they must do it as well as they could so that they might have the Element of Water applyed to them on their Beds sprinkled upon them alledging Ez. 36. I will sprinkle clean Water upon them yet if they were restored again they should be dipped in a River Now Cyprian allowing of sprinkling in this case people would make use of it in other cases see Cyprian's Epistle to Magnus Here you see the Author of Rantism that is Sprinkling not Christ nor the Apostles but Cyprian not in the dayes of Christ but some Two Hundred and Thirty Years after yet not Infants but Old People were sprinkled Also he pleads for the sprinkling of new converted Prisoners in the Prison-house by degrees they let in the Custom of Sick Children afterwards of All Children Cypr. Lib. 4. Epist 7.

baptized put on White Garments Of the Chrisom Of old the Custom was when the Earthly Mind turned to Earthly Rudiments and Elements to baptize none till at years of Discretion and the Baptized for certain dayes put on a white Garment in Imitation hereof when Infants are now baptized they have on their Heads a White Cloth called a Chrisom why called a Chrisom because a white Cloth at the first Institution of it was put upon a Childs Head newly anointed with Chrisom a hallowed Oyntment among Papists after Baptism so from this Oyntment this Chrisom the White Cloth as 't is said was called Chrisom now 't is taken for the White Cloth put upon a Child newly christned as 't is called in token of its Baptism and it s usually brought to the Church so called at the day of Churching the Woman and pinned behind her Head and in many places it is bestowed upon the Priest and in some places Money instead thereof Thus the In-dwellings of Truth being lost and turned from after the primitive times ceremonies inventions customs human traditions as Sprinkling of Infants Godfathers Godmothers Goss●ps Gommothers Chrisom Chrisoms Sign of the Cross c. sprung up among the Professors of Christianity as Weeds in untilled Grounds yet to gain acceptance they are stiled by many Commands of Christ or at the least Apostolical Traditions Now after Rantism that is sprinkling of Infants was received into the Churches as a Doctrine meet to be observed and also Supream Authorities and Church-Liturgies in divers Countries commending and commanding it hence the Clergy so called judged themselves concerned to propogate and defend the same it being that Nonconformity is not the Way to Preferment yet in divers Ages several who had Glimpses of Heavenly Light in them questioned Infants-baptism yea and esteemed it as Counterfeit Coyn as such may see who trace the steps of Ecclesiastical Writers some of whose Testimonies I shall mention Tertullian as 't is said opposed some Introducers of Infants-baptism saying That Confession of Sins Faith Repentance and Renouncing of the Devil was required of the Baptized which Infants are not capable of Tertull. de baptismo Walafridus Strab● who lived about the year 840. in his Book of Church Affairs chap. 26. said to this purpose That in the early Ages of the Church Baptism was administred on the Adul● only When the Substance say I was turned from then they re-assumed the Shadows But afterwards saith he Christians understanding Original Sin and left their Children should perish without any Means of Grace they began to baptize them by the Decree of the Council of Africa and then Godfathers and Godmothers were invented This I say is carnal Reasoning and charging the Apostles of Christ as not understanding Original Sin or as denying Means of Grace to Children but I say such as reason thus they reject the Lord's means of Increase in Grace and entertain Inventions of men in place thereof Zuing lius speaking of Infants-baptism saith There is no plain words of Scripture where the same is commanded The Magdiburgenses in their learned History tell us That as to the baptizing of Infants they read of no Example in the Scriptures Cent. 1. Lib. 2. They also therein declare against consecrating of Water before Baptism as also against Fonts Baptisterions and against baptizing at two times in the year Easter and Whitsontide so called against Gossips or Sureties for the Adult and Infant giving of Names in Baptism Exorcisms Chrisms or Anointing Consignations that is Sign of the Cross Albs Salt Spittle giving or receiving of Gifts Confirmation of Bishoping these things were not in primitive Times but steamed in as the Smoak arose out of the Bottomless Pit Magdib-Cent 1. Lib. 2. Bellarmine de baptismo saith That in Scripture there is neither Command nor Example for Infants-baptism but he refers it to the immaginary Catalogue of Apostolical Traditions Beringarius with the Bishop Bruno in France gave publick Testimony against Infants-Baptism which Doctrine spread through France and Germany Bar. Ann. 1050. Hence they were called Beringarians and Waldenses they testified also against the Real Presence Magd. cent 11. Peter de Brusius taught against Infants-baptism Transubstantiation praying for the Dead for which Testimony he was burned to Death Bar. Ann. 1116. Arnaldus taught against Infants-baptism Transubstantiation Bar. Ann. 1116. Peter Abailardus opposed Infants-baptism so did many of the Clergy this Abailardus was burned to Ashes at Rome for his Testimony In the year 1176. a People was raised up in the Province of Albi in France who preached That Infants-baptism was not necessary to Salvation Bar. ● 310. Calvin saith expresly That Infants-baptism is not mentioned by any of the Evangelists Instit lib. 4. cap. 16. They that baptize Children saith Taylor make Baptism to be wholely an outward Duty a carnal Ordinance it makes us be satisfied with Shadows and to relinquish the Substance and Spirituality of the Gospel pag. 242. Dr. Jerom Taylor saith That the Parents of Augustin Jerom and Ambrose though Christians did not baptize their Children till aged which thing saith he is very effectual for destroying the supposed Necessity of derivation of Infants-baptism from the Apostles Lib. proph pag. 239. Luther in Postill saith Young Children hear not so if the Command be followed they are not to be baptized Erasmus in his Book of the Vnion of the Church saith It is no where expressed in the Apostolical Writings that they baptized Children Bucer upon Matthew saith That Christ no where commanded to baptize Infants Staphil●● in his Epitome saith That it is not expressed in holy Scriptures that Young Children should be baptized Chocleus saith That Jesus took a Child c. but he thinks he did not baptize it Melancton in his Treatise concerning Anabaptists saith That there is no plain Commandment in the Scriptures that Children should be baptized Daniel Rogers saith That he is Vnconvinced by Demonstration of Scripture that Infants should be baptized De bapt part 29. Baxter though much for Infants-baptism yet in pag 3. he confesses That Infants-baptism is not plainly determined in the Scriptures Dr. Taylor saith It is against the perpetual Analogy of Christs Doctrine to baptize Infants Saying further ' That Christ gave no Command for the same neither did he or his Apostles baptize any of them lib. proph pag. 239. Further he saith in pag. 237. of the same Book As there was no Command for Infants-baptism so the Necessity of it was not determined in the Church till the Canon made by the Milevitan Council a Provincial in Affrica Some I grant saith he used it before this time in Affrica having good Thoughts of it yet none of them pretended it to be necessary nor a Gospel Precept and for every Ordinance the Institution is to be eyed and neither to be stretched under nor drawn narrower then the Lord hath made it I have read of a great Papist in London who going to a Dispute about Infants-baptism told his Friend He