in baptizing people of ripe yeers de facto in fact confession of sin c. did precede and forego But neither John Baptist nor the Apostles make any such expresse rule that de jure of equitie none should be baptized by them but those that could make confession of sin or profession of faith Nor doth all the Scriptures brought by Mr. T. prove any such rule Mr. T. himself intimatedly confesseth that John the Baptist did not make a rule for confession but onely in practise those Jews of ripe yeers that John Baptist did baptize did first confesse their sins And that Act. 2.39 Act. 16. c. have been alreadie discussed that they shewed children were baptized who could not make confession or profession But Mr. T. objects Act. 8.37 If thou believest with thy whole heart thou mayest be baptized Where the Apostle implies in his speech to the Eunuch that defect of faith was an impediment of baptisme We answer Mr. T. afore confesseth p. 24. Infants may be sanctified If therefore he means the defect of manifestation of faith we answer It is true in men of ripe yeers For there it is known that they are worse then Infants So was it in circumcision If Ishmael be a known scoffer he is cast out and so his children are not circumcised unlesse perhaps after at yeers they gave good testimonie of their due subjection to the Law So that to the whole argumentation we say that here is mention of the manner of the practise of that first administration of baptisme to the parents with confession and profession by many examples and intimations but not a rule set down that thus it must be in the succession of believers children We list not to speak any thing more of this major Proposition and the proofs onely wonder that among the crowd of Scriptures Mr. T. quotes he would thrust in that of Act. 19.5 for baptisme of water which was onely a conferring of the miraculary gifts of the holy Ghost by imposition of hands as many arguments from the place can evince But Mr. T. objects this for a confirmation of his Argument That if it be rightly argued from 1 Cor. 11.28 that the Lords Supper is not to be granted to Infants because self-examination is pre-required by like reason we may say Baptisme is not yeelded to Infants because repentance and faith are pre-required Act. 2.38 Act. 8.37 and that of those that descended from Abraham and to whom the promise was Besides what we said afore we answer to this Argument great in shew that there is not the like reason between those places for Baptisme and that for the Lords Supper For 1. That of the Lords Supper speaks of every Communicant viritim as counting one after another Let the partie whosoeuer it be enter into self-examination before eating But that Act. 2.38 speaks in the gub or generall to the parents And that Act. 8.37 is spoken to one onely man and in that phrase that cannot be found elsewhere on that occasion 2. There is no intimation in the New Testament of children admitted to the Lords Supper But in that Act. 2. presently in the next verse v. 39. there is an intimation of their Infants admitted to Baptisme as before we have evinced That clause of descending from Abraham and the belonging of the promise is of no weight in this Argument For 1 The parents by putting to death Christ had made themselves in wickednesse worse then Gentiles 2 That confession and profession is expresly called for onely from them that were so apparently wicked 3 That if they did come in by repentance the promise saith the Apostle presently runs to their children CHAP. XIII THe fourth Argument saith Mr. T. is taken from the next Age after the Apostles Exercit. Sect. 17. The 4. Argument against Infant Baptisme from the practise in the next age after the Apostles That tenet and practise is doubtfull of which it cannot be proved that it was in force or use in the next age after the Apostles But it cannot be proved that the tenet or practise of Infant-Baptisme was in force or use in the Age next after the Apostles Ergo. The major is of it self manifest The minor is proved by the testimony of Lodovicus Vives above-recited to which Vossius in the sibus Historico-Theologicis of Infant-baptisme joyns the testimony of Walafridus Strabo and by the examining of places brought to that purpose and by the continuation of questions propounded to the baptized in Ages following and others tokens from Councils and Ecclesiasticall Writers which in historicall businesse are wont to beget credit The words of Walafridus Strabo who lived about the yeer 840. in his book Derebus Ecclesiasticis Chap. 26. are these We are also to note that in the first times the grace of Baptisme was wont onely to be given to them who by integritie both of body and minde were already come to this that they could know and understand what profit is to be obteined in Baptisme what is to be confessed and believed what lastly is to be observed of them that are born again in Christ Thus farre Mr. T. and his quotation of Walafridus 1. To Mr. T. his major we say Animadvers that it is not of it self manifest For what if we cannot produce any Records of Antiquitie for the use and practise of many things in the Age next to the Apostles are they therefore doubtfull when as we have the Word of God for them Therefore the meer failing of the Votes of humane Writers do not make a thing doubtfull though the Papists urge us with the like Argument that the Protestant Churches are not true because we cannot produce Histories c. to shew their succession in all Ages If we fail in Records of Antiquitie we may thank the Papists chiefly who as we may say martyred by fire and otherwise as well good books as godly men and yet the Truth according to Scripture stands where it did To Mr. T. his minor we say In generall 1. That Mr. T. tels us beside of Lodovicus Vives and Wal. Strabo of places brought to that purpose of the continuation of questions propounded to the baptized in ages following of other tokens from Councils and of Ecclesiasticall Writers but quotes them not which is not the way to beget credit in the judicious Reader It were too much to believe every Author upon his bare word without other circumstances and therefore by much more too much to believe Authors not produced but onely intimated by Mr. T. 2. Mr. Tombes gives us in two late-men in comparison of the stream of ancient Antiquitie which is contrary to those two 3. If those two had been a considerable number or had produced to us any considerable Reasons or quotations of Antiquitie higher then themselves or any fair probabilities or circumstances how they gather it they would sooner have begot credit then as they are now proposed In particular first to Ludovicus Vives we answered
as he saith having been formerly larger I say who knows but Mr. T. and Mr. D. formerly have so thought and so done themselves or at least have not professed against it which now they dislike in others Therefore let me offer to Mr. T. and Mr. D. and others of their judgement these three considerations First who that hath eyes as they Revel 4. as well within as without may not arreign himself guilty of this encroachment of extending his practise beyond the rule In many practises he throws open all fences and turns them into common But if he be questioned by the weakest disputant he cannot he dares not justifie himself in his sins but confesseth his way is butted there and bounded here and all the rest trespasse against the line he ought to walk by Secondly who is that professor especially a Minister living in this Summer of the Gospel at this time of the assent of Reformation to our Pole that forgets how in the dark and stormy Winter he saw lesse and stumbled more Even many of the Antipaedobaptists whom we own as brethren if they count Non-baptizing of beleevers children a peece of further Reformation a spark of clearer light must of necessitie confesse that not long since they thought not they did not so why then should we insult over our brethrens failing or taunt them for setting neerer their meridian closer to the rule that instead of baptizing all children they now state the question that onely believers children ought to be baptized unlesse in some speciall cases of which after Thirdly though meerly that second nature custome and that whirlwinde of persecution did precipitate many of later times to baptize all Protestant professors children confessing Christ to be come in the flesh and justification to be rooted in his righteousnesse alone yet all Ministers did not the same upon the same principles But 1. They knew that very anciently as appears by Tertullian living ann Dom. 195. which was not long after St. John Helvic This Tertullian being alledged in this question by H.D. the Churches did not baptize the children of unbeleevers out of the Church without Sponsores or Susceptores undertakers which we call Witnesses who engaged themselves as parents to look to the Christian education of such children called Godfathers as if fathers under God or for godlinesse to see them trained up in sound Religion Tertullians words in his Treatise de Baptismo cap. 18. are these Itaque pro cujusque personae conditione ac dispositione etiam aetate cunctatio baptismi utilior praecipue tamen circa parvulos Quid enim necesse est si non tamnecesse sponsores etiam periculo ingeri On which words Junius his note is this Tria hic distincti proponit Auctor quae si rectè intelligantur locus est sanctissimus Conditio personarum baptizandarum est quod sint in faedere sive grandiores sive parvuli Dispositio est quòd credant obsequantur Evangelio profiteanturque Aetate non qui sunt in faedere nam parvuli piorum liberi in faedere sunt sed qui profitentur fidem recognosci solent Quum itaque dicit praecipue tamen circa parvulos id de extraneorum non de faederatorum domesticorumque liberis opus est intelligi ut aetiologia sequente confirmatur Illud autem sr non tam necesse etiam sine injuriâ auctoris abesse potest Not to spend time in construing all this we now onely give you the summe of both in the point now in hand for we shall more largely speak to every particular afterwards That which they both say concerning witnesses to children that in these ancient times they were used for children whose parents were without and not of the faith not of the Church We speak not for the using of witnesses or godfathers c. in baptizing children as the wont was among us But Secondly that this ancient custome as ancient at least as Tertullian might possibly have some respect to the Scripture Gen. 17. according to Mr. Cottons observation His book of the way of the Churche in N. England pag. 115. Baptisme saith he may orderly be administred to the children of such parents as have professed their faith and repentance before the Church Or where either of the parents have made such profession Or it may be considered also whether the children may not be baptized where either the grandfather or grandmother have made such profession and are still living to undertake for the Christian education of the childe For it may be conceived where there is a stipulation of the covenant on Gods part and a restipulation on mans part So M. Grcenham also See his works where he saith the children of unbeleeving parents are within the covenant by virtue of their believing grandfathers Or else how is God the God of their seed to shew mercy to thousands of generations of them that love him there may be an obligation of the covenant on both parts Gen. 17.7 Or if these fail what hindereth but that if the parents will resigne their Infant to be educated in the house of any godly member of the Church the childe may be lawfully baptized in the right of its houshold governor according to the proportion of the Law Gen. 17 12 13. So far Mr. Cotton both his judgement and his grounds Now in imitation of this last clause in all likelihood were Witnesses used though abusively in baptizing the children of some unbelievers and strangers from the Church yet therefore we have not such cause to trample upon any of our brethren about their error in baptizing too many Infants seeing they erred with some antiquitie and some pretence of Scripture before they saw this light for which God must be glorified and not man prided The last thing Mr. T. objects in this Argument on Matth. 28.19 is that if this place doth not exclude all Infants from Baptisme then nor doth 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat exclude Infants from the Lords Supper saying by the like elusion that the speech of the Apostle is not exclusive Yea verily saith Mr. T. neither will the Argument be of force from the institution of the Supper Matth. 26.26 27. that believers onely are to be admitted to the Lords Supper We answer And first to that comparison of 1 Cor. 11.28 with Matth. 28.19 we reply two things First that there is expressed in 1 Cor. 11. an universall determinating terme singling out all communicants man by man that they must be able to examine themselves before they eat But there is no such determinating word about Baptisine in Matth. 28.19 For first we have already in severall places of our Animadversions shewed that there is no certaintie at all that the Greek word here must signifie to-disciple or make-disciples For first most learned men render it no more but teach And so the Syriack and Arabick Translations * In the best Translations of the French
T. well knows subordinate things are not contrary Christ regenerates therefore doth he not do it by his Ordinances Word Baptisme c We have heard afore that though Christ be the Author of our salvation yet it is said we are born again by water and the Spirit And that for the conjunction of the signe and thing signified the thing signified is called by the name of the signe We adde Ephes 5.26.1 Pet. 1.23 where it is said that we are sanctified by the washing of water by the Word And we are born again by the Word of God and yet we know Christ by his Spirit is the Author of these 3 Others of the approved Ancients as Commentators on Irenaeus call baptisme by the name of regeneration Nazianzen cals Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laver of regeneration or of the new-birth Nazianz. Orat. 402. in Sanct. Bapt. Augustine saith As by the first man men are born in sin and death so by Christ renascuntur they are born again in or into righteousnesse and eternall life in or through baptisme Aug. lib. de Bapt. hab Cons Ambrose saith God the omnipotent Father who hath regenerated thee of water and the holy Spirit Ambros de Sacram. Hieronimus The bloody bodies of Infants are washed as soon as they are born so the spirituall generation stands in need of the saving laver Hieron lib. 4. Ezek. ca. 16. More might be alledged but these enough to clear the businesse in hand that Irenaeus meant by being born-again or regenerated Baptisme But Mr. T. objects Mr. T. EXAMEN Sect. 4. p. 7. that Irenaeus saith Christ was fifty yeers old aâ— he had received it from those that conversed with John the Apostle and thereby Mr. Tombes would blemish Irenaeus his testimonie We answer Animad First men have their mistakes else they were not men but as Angels Secondly Mr. T. referred us to far worse Authors full of superstitions in Scham before And his Ludovicus Vives and his Walafridus we and Vossius too have noted before for their grosse expressions and mistakes Thirdly which is mainly to the point Irenaeus saith Infants may be born again that is baptized as from himself though he reports the whole age of Christ from others who if they wrote his age by ciphers in after-times fifty might easily be mistaken for thirty The third and last Author we will urge from this first age TERTVLLIAN or first hundred yeers or century next following the Apostles time is Tertullian Whom Helvicus puts in the latter end of the age afore said namely in the yeer after Christ 195. which was as about the 95 yeer after the death of John the Evangelist But the same Helvicus saith this of him put in that yeer out of Eusebius and Hieron That he put forth his book of Praescriptions and that he was the third Latin Writer And Bucholcerus mentions him as famous about the yeer after Christ 208 that is 108. after St. John that is but about thirteen yeers after the time set down by Helvicus For he saith that about that time Hieron in Catalogo Cyprian as Hieron testifies did ascribe so much to Tertullians writings that when he called for one of his Authors or Writers he would say Da Magistrum that is Give me my Master when he meant Tertullian Therefore he wrote divers yeers afore The words of Tertullian to the point in hand of Infant-Baptisme Lib. de Anim. cap. 39. 40. are these Hinc enim Apâ—st c. that is For hence also the Apostle affirmeth that of either sex sanctified are procreated those that are holy as by the prerogative of SEED so by the discipline or rule of institution But they were born unclean as if by this neverthelesse he would have it understood that the children of beleevers are designatos the designed ones of holinesse and thereby also of salvation that these pledges of hope might patronage those marriages which he had judged to be kept undissolved Otherwise he had minded the Lords determination Vnlesse one be born of water and of the Spirit he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God that is He shall not be holy So every soul is counted to be in Adam till he be recounted to be in Christ and so long to be impure till he be recounted Thus Tertullian Whence note first by the way how the opinion of Antiquity touching that place 1 Cor. 7.14 is contrary to Mr. Tombes his opinion Secondly directly to the point in hand of the Baptisme of the children of beleevers he holds forth these Notions First the birthright of beleevers Infants the parents and children being both under that promise I am the God of thee and thy seed They are saith Tertullian by the Sanctification of one of the Parents procreated holy partly by the praerogative of the SEED I am the God of thee beleeving Abraham and of thy seed Gen. 17.7 partly by the discipline of Institution THEREFORE thou shalt keep my Covenant to give the first seal to every male of thy seed Gen. 17.9 Or Act. 2. The promise is to you and you being called to your children also So that Tertullian meanes that the children of beleevers are reputatively and federally holy Which is the more plain by that which follows of counted in Adam and recounted in Christ Secondly The capacity of children of grace and Salvation and consequently of the seal for the deeds and their seals follow the right of the inheritance so all along the Scripture as we have shewed in part I say Tertullian shews childrens capacity of grace 1. In mentioning their being holy For it s in vain to talke of accounting holy if none may be holy yea therefore God will have beleevers children indefinitly accounted holy because he hath made some holy in their childhood Isaac Iacob Samuel Iohn Baptist those Mar. 10. c. 2. In mentioning that place Iohn 3.5 in relation to children Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit c. From all which we may perceive that Tertullian grounds Infant-Baptisme upon Scripture not upon unwritten Tradition Nor is it my opinion onely that this place of Tertullian is for Infant-baptisme but of learned Vossius too whom Mr. T. so oft quotes with respect For Vossius by this place proves that it was the mind of Tertullian in that noted place of Chap. 18. H. D. Mr T. in his 10th Argument of his book De Baptismo That Infants should be Baptized which some alleadge against Infant-baptism but is indeed for it Tertullians words are these Itaeque pro cujusque personae c. Therefore according to every persons condition disposition and age the delay of baptisme is more profitable but especially concerning little children For what necessity is there * Those words between Junius saith may be left out Mr T. in his 10th Argument leaves them out But in the best Editions of Tertullian they are in Vossius takes them in
and alleadgeth them If it be not so much a necessity as to have witnesses also in the danger The Lord saith indeed forbid them not to come unto me let them come therefore when they grow up to youth c. So Tertullian in the aforesaid book concerning baptisme Upon which place Vossius * Thes Theolog Hist de Paedob saith thus We think that nothing is here denyed but onely the necessity of baptisme when there is no danger of death for that 's the meaning of those words What necessity if there be not so much necessity as c. but in no case did he deny that Infants might be baptized yea and if there be danger least afterwards they be not baptized its plain they ought to be baptized which we do not obscurely discern by that which Tertullian writeth in his booke of the soul and the 39. and 40. chapter and then recited the words which before we quoted and translated to you Thus Vossius Give us but leave to give you learned and pious Iunius his note too on this place of Tertullian and we shall have done with Tertullian The words of Iunius are these Tria hic distinctè proponit Auctor Notae Franc. Junii ad Tertul de Baptis c. that is The Author propunds here three things distinctly which being rightly understood the place is most holy 1. The CONDITION of persons to be baptized is that they be in Covenant whether they be of age or little children 2. DISPOSITION is when they beleeve and obey the Gospell and make profession 3. They are not accounted to be OF AGE which are in covenant for the little children of Godly men are in Covenant but who so professe the faith Therefore when he saith ESPECIALLY CONCERNING LITTLE CHILDREN that must needs be understood of the children of strangers or Forraigners not of the children of those that are in Covenant and so domestick or of the family of the Church as is confirmed by the following Aetiologie or GIVING THE CAVSE namely what necessity is there if there be not so much necessity as for witnesses or God-fathers and God-mothers c. For we know that the first invention of witnesses was for the children whose parents could not be accounted members of the Church Mr T. his objections after against Tertul are prevented here and further answered in the 14 chap. of our Animadversions at the word CYPRIAN in the Margin That this was the mind of these Authours Justin Martyr Irenaeus and Tertullian in this age next after the Apostles will further appear by the consent of the most approved Ancients that followed them in the next succeeding ages which we have thought most proper to defer to the next chapter of our Animadversions upon Mr T. his fifth Argument CHAP. XIIII THE fifth Argument That which in succeeding Ages in which it was in use Exercitat Argu. 4. § 17. The Argument from the wrong originall of Infant-Baptism confirmed against it was in force 1 as a Tradition not written 2 Out of imitation of Jewish Circumcision 3 Without universall practise 4 Together with the error of giving Infants the Lords supper and many other humane inventions under the name of Apostolicall traditions That is deservedly doubtfull But in some ages after the first from the Apostles the tenet and practise of Infant-Baptisme was in use 1 as a tradition not written as appears from Origen Hom. on Rom. 6. Of which book neverthelesse let me add the censure of Erasmus on the Homilies of Origen upon Leviticus But he that reads this work and the enarration of the Epistle to the Romans is uncertain whether he read Origen or Ruffinus And the testimony fetched from these books for Infant-Baptisme is so much the more to be suspected because Augustine Hierom c. rely so far as yet is manifest to me on no other testimony then of Cyprian and his fellow-Bishops in the Councell of which mention is made Epist 59. ad Fidum Secondly out of imitation of Jewish Circumcision as the doubt of Fidus in the 59. Epistle of Cyprian to Fidus intimates though there were also other reasons of Infant-baptisme as the opinion of the necessity of Baptisme to salvation and the greedinesse to increase the number of Christians and perhaps the imitation of heathenish lustration of little ones and some other Thirdly without universall practise for it is manifest that Constantine although borne of Helena his mother a Christian was not baptized till aged as Eusebius in the life of Constantine written by him The same is manifest from the booke of Confessions of Augustine concerning Augustine himselfe whose mother Monica was a Christian The things which may be drawne out of Theodoret Augustine and others concerning Theodosius Alipius Adeodatus and many others although my bookes and notes out of them are wanting to me by reason of the injury of the times unlesse I be deceived will evince that though in the Churches of those times little ones were baptized yet many were not baptized whose baptisme its likely the Church would sooner have dispatched if the opinion of Baptisme that now obtains had then obtained Fourthly together with the error of giving the Lords supper to Infants as is manifest out of the booke of Cyprian de lapsis and others And that many other Inventions of men under the name of Apostolicall tradition out of a wrong likeing of Judaism did then prevail as the Paschall solemnity c. is so obvious to him that reades Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Writers that no man will need proof Ergo. And in very deed as of old because the right of Infant-Baptisme seemed to be of so great moment against the Pelagian heresie and for the authority of the Councell under Cyprian the Councell of Milevis Augustine Hierom and others rather then for any solid argument out of Scripture in former ages Infant-baptisme prevailed so in this last age some moderne men seeme to imbrace this tenet of Infant-Baptisme out of horror of mind least they should go headlong into the pernicious errours of former Anabaptists and their madde furies or least they should seeme to desert the leading-men of the reformed Churches or move troubles in the Church rather then from perspicuous foundation in the Scriptures which they will thinke that I have not said as one that dreames who shall read what Robert Lord Brooke hath in the end of his Treatise concerning Episcopacy Daniel Rogers in his Treatise of Baptisme and others elsewhere We Answer Animadver 1. To the major Take away the captain or leading particular to wit A tradition not written and all the souldiary of the other particulars with the great Rear to wit Many other humane inventions are not strong enough to make a true major proposition For what if according to Mr T. his ad particular of Iewish that Baptisme be an imitation of the Iewish passing through the red sea 1 Cor. 10.1 c. And the Lords Supper an imitation of the