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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74992	An ansvver to Mr. J.G. his XL. queries, touching the lawfulness, or unlawfulness of holding church-communion, between such who have been baptized after their beleeving, and others who have not otherwise been baptized, then in their infancie. As likewise touching infant, and after baptism. In which answer, the undueness of such mixt communion is declared, the unlawfulness of infant-baptism, and the necessity of after baptism is asserted. By W.A.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1653 (1653)	Wing A1054A; Thomason E713_17; ESTC R207237	74,298	97

the Apostollicall writings are written of baptism is apparent that Baptism was Administred to none by the Apostles but those of whom they concerning their regeneration made no doubt Page 21. Cassander in libello de infantium Baptismo It is certain that some believers in time past have withholden baptisme from their children untill they were grown and could understand and remember the misteries of their faith yea also counselled not to administer baptism as by Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen appeareth In same Page Zwinglius in his Book of Articles Artic. 18. In the old time children were openly instructed who when they came to understand were called Catechumens i. e such as are instructed in the word of salvation and when they had imprinted the faith in their Hearts and made Confession thereof with their Mouthes they were admitted to Baptisme Page 25. Lodovicus vives in Augustinum de civetate dei Lib. 1. Cap. 26. No man in times past was brought to be bapt●zed but those who were come to their full growth who having learned what it concerned of their own accord desired the same Page 31. Luther in his book of Annabaptisme acknowledgeth that it cannot be proved by sacred Scriptur● that Childrens baptism was institut●d by Christ or begun by the first Christians after th● Apostles Page 20. Rupertus Tuitienfis lib 4 de divinus officiis cap. 18. In former times the custom in the Primit●ve Chu●ch was that they admin●stred not the Sacrament o● Regeneration but only at the feast of Easter and Penticost and all the children of the Church which throughout the whole yeare through the word were MOVED when Easter came gave up their names and were the following dayes till Penticost instructed in the rules of Faith rehearsed the same by their baptism and dying thus with Christ rose again with him Page 15. Justin Martyr in oratione ad Anthonium Pium I will declare unto you how we offer up our selves to God after that we are renewed through Christ Those amongst us that are instructed in the faith and believe that which we teach them is true being willing to live accordi●g to the same we do admonish to fast and pray for the forgivenesse of their sins and we also fast and pray with them And when they are brought by us unto the water and there as we were new born are they also by new bi●th renewed And then in calling upon God the Father the Lord Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost they are washed in water Note that this Author is one of the first extant after the Apostles dayes Take also a few instances of such who though borne of Christian Parents yet were not baptized till instructed in the Faith Page 16. Erasmus and Wicleuius in vita Hieronomi ex ipsis Scriptis collecta Hieronimus borne in the City Sydon of Christian Parents and brought up in the Christian Religion was baptized at Rome in the 30 yeare of his age Also Paulinus de vita Ambrosij Nauclerus Chror Gener. 13. Ambrosius borne of Christian Parents his Fathers Name was Ambrosius and his Mothers Name Marcelina remained instructed in the faith unbaptized till he was chosen Bishop of Millain at which time he received Baptism of a Catholick Priest Likewise Nauclerus Generat 14. Anno Dom. 391. Augustinus the Son of the vertuous Monica being instructed in the Faith was baptized when hee was about 30 yeares of age at the Feast of Easter Moreover Idem Generat 14. Constantinus the Emperour born of Helena the Christian Queen was by Christian Priests converted to the Faith and was baptized by Pope Silvester Historia tripartita lib. 1. Bibliorum de Trinitate Theodosius the Emperour borne in Spain his Parents being both Christians was even from his youth instructed and educated in the Catholick Faith who faling sick at Thessalonia was by Achalio B●shop of the City baptized and thereupon recovered of his sicknesse Page 21. Pontius the Son of Markus a Christian was Catechised and instructed in the Christian Religion and afterwards was baptized by Pontiano the Bishop Page 22. Nazarius the Son of a Christian woman called Perpetua imbraced and followed his Mothers Religion even from his tender age who being Catechised instructed by Lino the Pope received also Baptism Also Tecla and Erasma Daughters of Valentinian a Christ●an of Aquilea were in the dayes of Nero the Emperour inst●ucted in the Faith by their Father and brought up in the Feare of God who being Catechised by Harmagora were baptized in a running water And now let the Reader judge whether these Testimonies against the practise of baptizing Infants of old have not much more in them and are worthy of much more credit the● Mr. Philpots Testimony for it together with Austin and Ierom to help him XL. Querie answered 1. Whether faith or the profession of Faith be the only or best ground whereon to build a Baptismall administration we shall not need to dispute it is sufficient that accordi●g to Scripture it is such a ground as without which baptism was not administred to any that we can finde in the Apostles dayes and therefore we say neither ought it now so to be 2. If the Querist thinks that the Apostles did insist upon believing or a profession of believing in such men and women as were baptized by them onely for want of better grounds as supposing there were better to be had let him but prove it and I will think so too Or else for my part I think they had no reason to expect better then those which were every way sufficient or then such as God had appointed for that pu●pose or if God did appoint any o●her why does not the Querist produce us a copy of that order or Appointm●nt of God 3. The Querist puts the Question whether Faith or a Profession of Faith in order to Baptisme were insisted on meerly as or because such in their absolute or possitive nature or whether not rather in respect of their relative natures and properties To which I answer that for my part I am of the Querists minde as unto this that it is altogether irrationall yea indeed I thinke a thing so irrationall as never entred into any mans head to thinke that Faith or a profession of Faith should be required of men in order to Baptisme simply for Faith sake or meerly for profession sake 4. But though we are not so absurd as to hold Faith necessary to Baptisme only for faiths sake yet it does not follow that then we must needs hold with the Querist that Faith is no otherwise or in no other respect to be insisted on as n●cessary to Baptisme but onely as it is Significative or Declarative unto the Baptizers and others of the happy estate of those in whom Faith is as being persons in the Grace and Favour of God For if persons being in a happy condition as touching Gods love to them be not the adeq●ate reason why he wou●d have them B●ptiz●d then the knowl●dge

which men have formerly devised to make the way of the Gospel more easie and plausible as to the fl●sh then Christ hath made it and these blots are so essentiall to Communion as that we know not how to eat of your Sacrifice and not be partakers of your Altar i.e. to hold Church-communion with you and not make our selves guilty of that which we condemne in the way of your Communion 2. As for the crime laid to the charge of this humour as out friend is pleased to call it of the Baptists viz. the breaking the Bonds of Vnity Love and Peace by which they were bound up with other Churches before it is nothing but what the Protestant Bishops underwent from the Pap●sts when they went off from them and the P●esbyterians from the Prelates and the Independents from the Presbyterians when they separated themselves from them and therefore I hope no wise man will be much startled with such scare-crowes as these in his eying a worke of Reformation or think the worse of the baptismall way because it carryes men yet a little further in reforming upon which account they are constrained to leave their friends behind that will not go with them as they themselves also have done those from whom they have departed 3. But as for estimating Christianity it selfe and acceptance with God by this despised way of Baptisme surely if any doe estimate Christianity by this onely for otherwise I hope it may beare its part and signifie its numb●r in the r ckoning as well as other Christian duties they are much to b●ame but that the Querist did ever know or hath ground to believe that any the men he speaks of much lesse all have or do make such an estimation I cannot easily conceive sure I am such a thing is far from their frequent Declaration of themselves as to this particular and therefore how duly or unduly the Querist hath coupled these poore Baptists with men of such unworthy straines and tempers as those are represented to be with whom they are compared and into whose company he hath put them for what cause he best knowes we must leave to God and sober men to judge XXXIX Querie answered 1. That Mr. Philpot spake or wrote as he thought in affirming Auxentius an Arrian to be the first and Pelagius the second that nyed the Baptisme of Children I will not deny but that he had any good ground so to think or so to say is that which I do deny for as Mr. Philpot did not speak this of his own knowledge so neither could any Author whom he must credit herein be able to affirme any such thing unlesse he had been more then a man and had knowne what and when every man in the world that discoursed these things had affirmed or denyed concerning them Besides were not Authors of Bookes in former times at least some of them men of like infirmity with severall in these times who have written and affirmed things of the Independents themselves not so much out of knowledge and judgement as out of disaffection if so are not or may not they be abused or misguided in their apprehensions that take all historicall relations and representations concerning the Anabaptists falsly so called for truth as well as they are and are like to be who accordingly do or sh●ll credit all that is written of the Independents by men disaffected to their way Besides what credit can be given to ancient Authors hereabout when many ancient Bookes are acknowledged to be spurious and others to be corrupted by the Papists who have put in and put out in their long reign of darknesse what would best serve their interest And that which is yet more considerable is that if it should appeare by unquestionable History which for ought I could ever learne does not but the contrary that the baptising of Children had been practised in the next age after the Apostles yet unlesse it could be made appeare that it was practised by approbation of the Apostles in the Apostles times or that by some injunction it ought so to have been it would not at all be any ground to warrant such a practise now because as the mystery of iniquity did begin to work in the Apostles dayes so there was a departing in part from the purity and simplicity of the Gospel and an introducing of the inventions of men whilest it was yet but early I know saith Paul that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flocke also of your owne selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Act. 20.29 30. But 2. If the Querist thinks Mr. Philpot is worthy of credit in his foresaid report though he produce no Authors may not the Authors of a Book entituled A very plaine and well grounded Treatise concerning Baptisme be rather credited in their allegation of Authors that assert the contrary to Mr. Philpot Amongst very many Authors which they produce on this account I shall instance in some few In pag. 19. of the said Book thus Tertullian in Libro de Baptismo That Infants or young Children should not be so speedily baptised and upon the saying of the Lord Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not he speaketh thus Let them come when they are growne and are able to be instructed when they can learne to know Christ then may they be Christians For if youth be not so hastily to be put in trust with earthly goods why with heavenly Let them therefore know first how to desire that which is for their good to the intent that it being desired it may be given them And now I doubt not but the Querist well knowes that Tertullian lived long before Auxentius and Pelagius had a being in world and therefore by this it will appeare that Mr. Philpot was not worthy of credit in reporting them to be the first that denyed the baptising of Chi●dren Page 28. Erasmus in annotationibus supra 5. cap. ad Rom. Baptising of young Children was not as yet in use by S. Pauls time Roffensis contra cap. Babylon The first Rulars in their Church have used such manner of b●ptisme as Christ never used in his Church Dr. Eckius against the new Church orders in the upper Marquisdom and Territories of Noremburg writeth That the ordinances concerning the baptism of children is without Scripture and is found to be onely a custom of the Church Page 30. Bucerus in his book entituled the ground-work and cause c. In the Congregation of God confession of sins is alwayes the first the which in times past went before baptism for commonly children were baptized when they came to their understanding And again in the beginning of the Chu ch no man was bapt●z●d received into the congregation but those that through h●aring the word wholly gave ov●r and submitted themselves to Christ And again in annotationibus super 4. Iohn So much as in