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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.

with the King and Queen and staying there some thirty six dayes baptized many all which time he spent in catechizing and baptizing being instructed he baptized them in the River Glen these were not Infants neither were they sprinkled at a Bason Bowl or Font but they were returned to the Shadow Camb. Brit. Basil said None were to be baptized but the Catechumens that is such as were duly instructed in Christian Principles Lib. 3. contra Eunomium Dr. Taylor mentioning the Canon pag. 238. saith It intimates a Practice absolutely universal in the Church of interrogating the Catechumens concerning the Articles of their Creed which is one Argument that either they allowed not of Infants Baptism or that they did prevaricate egregiously in asking Questions of them who as themselves well knew were not capable of answering Now what high Thoughts they had of Baptism what Virtue they ascribed to it how they magnified it further appears by the Canon of a Council under Pope Honorius the first who put forth that No commemoration of an holy Oblation nor the Office of Singing should be bestowed on those Catechumens that dyed without the Redemption of Baptism Concil Bacarense sub Honorio primo vide Summa Concil et Pontif. In the dayes of the Apostles when the Woman was clothed with the Sun the Church was beautified with the Garments of Christ's Righteousness and Innocency Satan operated to entangle them in the Net of Shadows Elements and beggarly Rudiments as appears by Paul's Epistles to the Galatians Collessians c. Now after the Apostles dayes as Satan the old Adversary was more and more prevalent so the purifying Faith and the blessed primitive apostolical Order was more and more departed from the one Baptism which is spiritual was in a high measure lost then they began to re-assume John's Ministration of Water-baptism without or an Imitation of it as dipping or sprinkling Aged People baptizing Middle Age Youth after they were catechized and as Darkness encreased Inventions were multiplyed and entred the Throne of the Hearts of Christianity as sprinkling of Infants Godfathers and Godmothers Chrism Chrisoms Fonts c. in this Apostacy they ascribed the virtue of Saving Sanctifying Regenerating inward Washing to Baptismal Water without as now of making Members of Christ Children of God c. John ascribed no such Virtue to his Baptismal Water but only used it as a Figure of that inward Washing which should be witnessed in the Church by the Baptism of Christ in the Spirit without Outward Water Of the Original and Progress of Paedo-baptism rather Paedo-rantism now that is Sprinkling of Infants AFter this it was considered that many Infants and Children dyed before they were capable of catechizing and instructing in the Principles of Christian Religion and being doubtful concerning the Salvation of such they wrote to Augustine the Father to have his Thoughts concerning the State and Case of such as dyed unbaptized To whom Augustine returned this Answer Infants who whether they begin to live in the Mothers Womb and there dye or being born of their Mothers depart out of the World without the Sacrament of holy Baptism they are damned being guilty of Original Sin Consider the Fury of this Uncharitable man how he plants his great Gun against innocent Children Christ told certain that they must become as Little Children which implies Children to be harmless and innocent else they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But this Augustine taught that Infants born or unborn are damned if they dye without Baptism Truly he was stiled Durus pater infantum a hard Father to Infants Again He ascribes to Outward Water the washing away o● original Sin and actual also so sets corruptible Water in the place of the Blood of Christ which indeed cleanseth from all Sin Cassiodor on Psal 5. thus wrote That in Baptism Original Sins and Offences are so cleansed that it restores us to that Purity in which Adam was created Consider into what a Gulf of Error this Doctrine leads such as receive it ascribing the cleansing away of Sin to outward Water yea and that it restore to that Purity in which Adam was created When such poysonous Pills as these were swallowed such pernicious Doctrines credited that Children quickened in the Womb or brought forth dying without Water-baptism were damned and that by Water-baptism they were cleansed and made as pure and innocent as Adam was before his Fall from such accompts as these the Necessity of Infants-Baptism was concluded and the Danger without it and the unspeakable Benefits of it thus were Monsters conceived brought forth out of the Womb of Ignorance and further to beget people into a Veneration Esteem of it it must have no lower Title and Denomination then of being Christ's Ordinance and those Scriptures which were spoken of Christ's Baptism in the Spirit of the Water of Regeneration must be wrested and perverted to defend Water-Baptism and Rantism yea and the Doctrine of Augustine and such like being rooted in mens Belief Sprinkling of Infants must be accounted Christ's Ordinance and all that deny the same must be branded as Hereticks and Schismaticks And that Augustine Fulgentius Leonardus Coquaeus Cassander and many of the Ancients were of Opinion That Children born or unborn if they dyed without Baptism were damned Ecclesiastical History plentifully shews August ad vicentium victorem Fulgentius Leonardus Coquaeus in August de Civit. Dei August de fide ad Patrum Diaconum Cassander de baptisme Epitome operum Augustini pag. 75. Again Some will have Poedo-baptism or Poedo-rantism that is dipping or sprinkling of Children to be of more Antiquity then Augustine for 't is recorded that about the year 248. lived a Priest called Fidus who willed people to baptize young Children according to the manner of Circumcision about which thing Cyprian with sixty six Bishops and Elders gather'd together ordained That Children should timely be baptized as well before as after the eighth day It seems the Doctrine of Fidus concerning Dipping or Sprinkling of Children was new and seemed strange to Cyprian seeing he would not ratifie nor confirm the same without the Sentence and Advice of s●●●y six Bishops had it been commanded by Christ practised by the Apostles and continued in Matter and Manner to Cyprian 〈◊〉 dayes there had not been a Necessity for the conco●●●e of so many Bishops concerning the same and though Cyprian here enjoyned Baptizing of Children yet a few years before he was for the Dipping or Sprinkling of Aged People See his Epistle to Magnus Now Cyprian and his fellow Bishops allowing of Childrens Baptism hence it got great entrance among the Churche professing Christianity so that Cassander in his Book de Infantium baptismo saith that Baptism of Infants came to be much used by the Fathers who lived some three hundred years after the Apostles He excludes it from being Christ's Command or practised by the Apostles As the Apostacy was more and more manifested Sun and Air