to that purpose in the exercise of or leaning to his own reason where it crosses Christs instructions and the following his own designs affections and will where it hinders the practise of his teachings Matth. 16.24 Now whether that Name ever include Infants may be a question In Acts 11.26 it s said The Disciples were in Antioch first of all called Christians It s very probable that they called all brought up in the nurture of the Lord and who thereby were distinguished from the rest of the world Christians as the followers of the Pharisees were from their very youth So the Infants of Protestants are included in the name Protestants the chidren or infants of Papists are called papists to◠and at beginning called Pharisees as Paul saith of himself being the Son of a Pharisee Acts 23.6 from his youth and from the beginning he lived a Pharisee Acts 26.5 And the Pharisees discipled others to themselves whom they called also Proselites Matth. 23.15 And yet it was their manner to proselite little Babes too with their Parents Now that Christians also were and are to bring up their children indefinitely in the way and nurture of Christ is plain in Ephes 6.4 5. Again in Acts 15.10 Peter under the name of Disciples upon whose neck the false Apostles would have put the yoke of Circumcision comprehends their Infants for its a known thing that they would have had their children circumcised in Infancy too for that was the manner of Moses Why tempt ye God saith he in putting a yoke upon the Disciples necks which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear Nor matters it whether the false Apostles pressed Circumcision upon others then Disciples perhaps they might endeavour too to circumcise the unconverted and unbrought in Gentiles yet that 's more then is mentioned It s to the purpose that Peter pleads only the Churches cause that were therein to be yoked and that yoke was inevitably to fall upon the children of the Believers with them who now should have been brought up in the nurture of Moses and to the observation of his Law whereas otherwise they were only to be under the yoke and nurture of Christ and he calls all those in the Churches thus to be yoked Disciples Nor is that valid that some say that the act of circumcising was not the yoke but the opinion of its necessity for neither is that true that the opinion of its necessity was the yoke put upon their necks that was rather put into them then upon them and made way for their taking the yoke The yoke was the subjection to circumcision and the observation of the Law thereupon as so urged Gal. 5.3 and this they were to put upon Infants circumcising them with that intention and to that end that they might be subjected to the Law in their after training up It s true they felt not the weight of the yoke put upon them till they being come to understanding saw the greatness and strictness of it and began to carry it but upon them it was put even in their Infancy and as they grew up they also felt it Again in Acts 20.30 it s said some would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By speaking perverse things seek to draw away Disciples after them Draw them away to wit from the Church whose before they were Now compare this with Tit. 1.11 and there the Apostle tells us how far that extends often They draw away even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole houses or families Now that they should always happen upon such as have no children in them is very absurd and foolish to conceive and contrary to all experience yea that this especially lights upon the little children who knows not For as for children or servants fore-principled and instructed there they often fail though often they prevail with such also but for the little ones in the tuition of their Parents and as yet but rasae tabulae empty leaves fit to have any form of instruction imprinted upon them they are more sure to be subverted and overturned from the right way in which they were destined to be instructed in the subversion of their Parents from sound Doctrine and especially this was true of that Sect of the Circumcision there in particular specified They subverted children too from the Christian institution to the Jewish Again in John 9.28 We find the Jews affirming themselves to be the Disciples of Moses though yet they mistook him as much as many Christians mistake Christ who yet pretend to be zealous Disciples to him Now how were they made so but in Infancy by circumcision and thereby subjection to his Law and institution from their youth in that strict way of the observation of his precepts as understood by them Surely the very Infants of the Jews and Pharisees were discipled gradatim into Moses and so they were said of old to be baptized unto him in the cloud and sea so that at least this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discipling will reach to Infants also they are as capable of being baptized to Christ from the beginning as the Jewish children were of discipling unto Moses and to be educated in that way in which it pleased God then to administer the knowledg of himself yea they are fitter also to be doctrinated and apter to receive instruction as they grow up to years of discretion then men of years that have been otherwise principled and have much to say against such Doctrine Thence our Saviour makes them the patterns to which others of age are to be in that respect conformed Except ye be converted Math. 18 3. and become humble as a little child ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again He that receiveth not the Kingdom of Heaven as a little child viz. as a little child receives it for such is the force of such speeches as I shall shew anon cannot enter thereinto Little children as they have not those great capacities that men of years have so neither are their judgments so forestalled or their affections so fore-byassed with or to other doctrines or principles then those of the Gospel that men of riper years before the Doctrine of Christ be propounded to them have nor have they those strong conceits of themselves and their knowledge otherwise and therefore more hope of them then of those grown up that conceive themselves wise and yet are not rightly principled according to that Prov. 27.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own eyes there is more hope of a fool one that as yet knows nothing at all then of him Unless such a one fall back to his first child-like humility and docibleness to receive the things of the Kingdom he cannot enter it Remarkable is that of Isaiah to this purpose Isa 28.9 To whom shall he teach knowledg and whom shall he cause to understand doctrine them that are weaned from the milk them that are drawn from the breasts Besides what principles
mentioning infants and yet it is certain that it was the manner of Moses to circumcise the infant male of all that came in and so by that rule they are included under the words You and Disciples also they were reckoned as parts of them in the external profession A man might as colourably wrangle and plead that the false Apostles desired only the circumcision of the actual believers of their Gentiles and not of their infants because they never mention their infants and because Paul says But they desire to have you circumcised as that they baptized such only and not infants because there infants are not exprest in the mention making of their baptism If the Apostle include their infants in the word you speaking of the way of admission into the Church which the false Apostles pleaded for then I see no reason or colourable ground to exclude them when they speak of the way in which the true Apostles did admit them Nor find I any such argument used by the Apostle against the Gentiles circumcision which yet were it as the Antipedobaptists say would have been a good one as this viz. that in case we admit circumcision according to the custom of Moses then we must bring in infants too into the Church again which are as uncapable of being members of the Church now as dogs or swine as some of the Antipedobaptists are ready over rashly to say this would presently have struck the nail on the head for they that were according to the will of God circumcised were taken thereby into the Church of God the Kingdom of Heaven according to the outward visible Court. Had this been a known principle or maxime amongst the professours of Christ and had Christ and his Apostles taught them such doctrine as that children are to be no part of the Church instituted by him there had been no ground for the false Apostles to have stood upon circumcision after the manner of Moses And no doubt but the Apostles would have made use of such an argument against them had there been such a Maxime seeing it would easily and evidently have confuted them and served to settle the Church in peace in that hot contention The exclusion of children from admission into the visible Church would have broken in pieces the ordinance of circumcision that appointing all the male children to be circumcised and so to be admitted into the visible Church with their parents The general silence of this argument against them in so hot a contest and when the Apostles writ so much to the believers to settle their minds against circumcision and its doctrine as also of the Jews and false Apostles taxing the Apostles with casting out and rejecting children is to me as good or better an argument to prove that there was no such Maxime as the exclusion of infants from the visible Church then the general silence of infants baptized is to prove that there was no infants admitted by baptism But to return to the Commission for discipling the Gentiles Go disciple all the Gentiles c. The Anti-pedobaptists find two Arguments here to exclude children 1. That our Saviour says they are first to be discipled before they be baptized and that children cannot be 2. That the word them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agrees not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nations or Gentiles it being neuter but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 masculine but it rather agrees with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them Disciples Of these two things I confess they make a great noise but when they are examined there appears no cause for it For 1. To the first it may be said not only 1. The order of words is not always the order of actions therein spoken for if so then John baptized before he preached which they will in no wise admit For it is said Mark 1.4 That John was in the wilderness baptizing and preaching the baptism of repentance If the order of words shew the order of actions then John baptizing before he preached the doctrine of baptism baptized some that did not believe that doctrine for how should they believe it before it was preached and so by that way of arguing they get nothing and yet this they often make use of as again in that of Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved See say they believing is before baptizing no man must be baptized till he have first believed not considering that by the same way of arguing men must first confess with their mouth to salvation that Christ is the Lord before they heartily believe to righteousness that God hath raised him from the dead because such is the order of words Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved And yet who sees not that that should be a vain confession of his Lordship and not to salvation as ver 10. that proceeds from a heart not first believing that Lord. And by the like way of reasoning when our Saviour says Joh. 10.16 Other sheep I have that are not of this fold them must I also bring and they shal hear my voice because he first mentions bringing them before their hearing his voice it should follow that they must first be brought by him namely to that fold as follows and there shall be one fold c. before they hear his voice Well then let us so take it but by what manner of action must they then be brought by him to the fold that is to his Church whereof his Disciples were the members if not by causing them to hear his voice for that follows after their being brought though usually to that he himself goes out to them with his servants to call and bring them in Prov. 9.3 4. with Luke 14.21 then sure it is by his servants baptizing them in their infancy before they be capable of hearing him for by what other action men should be brought to his fold before hearing him I cannot tell and if that be the action to go before let it pass for an impertinent place to our business but so we shall get much more by the bargain if not let them shew us how else he brings them before they hear him or else quit this manner of reasoning from the order of words But I say not only this may be replied to it but also 2. It 's not true that Christ bids them make them Disciples first and then afterward baptize them For the words are not going Disciple and baptize but going Disciple baptizing c. And it is usual in such manner of speaking for the Participle to declare the manner of or some mediate act unto the thing spoken of in the precedent Verb as to give some instances The Apostle Tit. 1.11 sayes of the Circumcision That they subvert whole houses teaching
the Apostles practised in baptizing we may lawfully But they baptized believers with their housholds without exception of any because children that we read of therefore so may we 3. If the Kingdom of Heaven signifying or including the Church-state is not to be denyed to little children then neither is Baptism But the Kingdom of Heaven including the Church-state is not to be denyed them because of such it is therefore not Baptism 4. If the Infants of parents that are the branches of the stock of Abraham be not broken off from that stock until or unless they come to renounce that faith and profession of his or in his family then they are till then to be acknowledged as holy and as branches and not deprived of the badge of that acknowledgement that is Baptism But the Infants of such Parents are not broken off till or unless they come to renounce that faith and profession Ergo 5. If the promise of God appertains to children with their parents and the blessing of Christ belong to whole families except in case of wilful rejection and such right of it to them be ground of their coming to and receiving Baptism then are the children to be baptized with their parents But so it is as we have seen Ergo 6. If children have need of entering into the Kingdom of God for his blessing and the way of entering be by Baptism then need and ought they to be baptized but the promises are true as we have seen Ergo c. So then he that will implead and cry out against Infant-Baptism must prove 1. That children are not included in all the Nations or Gentiles to be discipled by baptizing them or that they cannot so be discipled And 2. That the Apostles baptized not such housholds as in which were Infants or in case they did they yet left out the Infants in them And 3. That when our Saviour saith Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven the word such signifies not such in kind or the Kingdom of Heaven as there mentioned includeth not its outward Regiment or that that may be theirs and they admitted to it and come to Christ in it and yet not be baptized And 4. That the Infants of believers or of persons not broken from the stock of Abraham are unbranched till actual believers or may not have the outward Baptism and be acknowledged members of the Church though not unbranched I say these and the like things are needful to be proved which I conceive a very hard task for him that shall reject Infants from Baptism There are I confess yet some other Objections against it as that 1. It occasions great disorder and confusion in the Church of God filling it with dead unprofitable members and profane persons That 2. There is no great Antiquity for it or not such as is pretended 3. That however the form that is now used viz. of not plunging into but onely washing or sprinkling with water cannot be allowed to have the essential form of right Baptism in it To all which I shall say a word or two particularly and so conclude 1. It s said Infant-Baptism brings in a swarm of ignorant and profane persons that have nothing but the name of Christians To which I answer 1. That it cannot be denied indeed that many evil men are in the Church of God as Matth. 13. Tares as well as wheat many that do iniquity good and bad are in the net Yea and this is to me an Argument of the vanity of those that go up and down to rebaptize and gather into themselves thereby as if they were not in the Church or Kingdom of Christ till discipled by their Baptism when as they may be in the Kingdom and Church of Christ though workers of iniquity in it The Gentiles are within the outward Court and it s given to them and it s a vain thing for men to say it s not the outward Court of Gods Temple because they be Gentile-multitudes that be in it Nor may any say the Kingdom spoken of in Matth. 13.41 is the Kingdom of Providence because the field is said to be in the world For then should they be gathered out of his providential Government which they cannot be for even hell it self is under the Kingdom of Power and Providence which ruleth over all The world indeed is the field but the field is not the Kingdom the Kingdom is in the field or world but it s not the world It s the Church-state in which they are and in which they offend and do iniquity and from thence they shall be gathered they need not then another Baptism of water to bring them into the Kingdom or Church-state in its outward Court or external form for they are in it already But 2. The reason of mens being such bad members in it is not Infants-baptism the Infants I am sure are least in the fault or their being baptized If it were yet we see there began to be such in the Apostles time and therefore if Infant baptism be the cause that was then too there were then divers that had not the knowledg of God 1 Cor. 3.1.2 and 15.34 James 2.17 2 Tim. 3.5 1 Tim. 6.4 5 6 and that judged and walked carnally dead Christians that had a form but not the power of godliness men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith contentious envious brangling persons some that would be drunk in their very solemn meetings And the further the stream runs from the fountain the more mud and corruption it contracts but the truth is 1 Cor. 11.21 the cause of this dissoluteness in the Church is rather mens sleeping that is their carelesness in attending to Doctrine and Discipline Parents have been neglective of training up their children in the Nurture of the Lord and Church-censure Admonition and Excommunication have been laid aside or abused otherwise the Church had not come to this corruption Not the admission of children then by Baptism but want of carefulness in members of elder years for disciplinating their children and of the Church for warning watching over and casting out have been the true causes of so much rubbish coming in 3. This might be retorted upon the Antipedobaptists the evil consequences and fruits that frequently follow upon it Not to mention the business of Munster too much talked of our own Country affords too much of the sad consequences that have followed in many upon their rejecting their former and betaking themselves to another Baptism as their growing to slight their brethren though gracious and formerly so approved their falling off from Ordinances yea from Christ himself and turning some of them to be little less then Atheists but for the fuller opening and speaking to these sad things I refer the Reader to a Book upon this subject lately set out by my godly Brother T. M. Surely John intimates that into the floor of Christ by outward Baptism there would enter chaff as well as
a few unknown persons of some Nations and that expresses such rash conceptions of the Reprobation of many Infants Pag. 72. Chap. 8. As when he sayes Pag. 72. Chap. 8. Though they dye in Infancy before they be capable of doing any work in one kind or other on earth yet they shall acknowledge Christ in hell and bow their little guilty knees c. I am sure no Scripture tells him so Me thinks his doctrine is far more obnoxious to doubts and scruples about Infant-baptism then the other Concerning which Doctrine seeing I have had occasion to mention him I must needs say Master Kendal is more beholding to his Metaphysicks then to the Scriptures for his belief and maintenance of it As not only his Book throughout but his own positive confession therein Chap. 16. Pag. 159. declare Where he says It was his laying a good foundation in Logick and Metaphysicks that kept him upright in these controversies of Divinity See I pray then upon what a good foundation that Doctrine is built and upheld not upon the only good and sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Pag. 123. Chap. 4. Ephes 2.19 20. whom he plainly confesses that Christ never sent to read us any Metaphysical Lectures about those points of the simplicity of God and so by consequence not about Necessity Contingency Liberty but upon Phylosophy which the Apostle bids us beware of lest it spoyl us in the matters of our faith telling us it is but the vain deceit of man and however solid and substantial it seems to be it will but deceive us Col. 2.8 A goodly foundation that both he and his doctrine stands on Gramercy then to use his own phrase to Logick and Metaphysicks for his being right in the faith more then to the Grace or irresistable power of God at least more then to the Gospel and holy Scriptures and Grace as therein declared for however the unlearned Apostle tells us That they the Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation to preserve himself and others from seducements Through faith in Jesus Christ yea able to furnish the man of God perfectly to every good work whether to teach doctrine rebuke evil practises reprove and stop the mouthes of gain-sayers save himself and hearers Yet Master Kendal had not gone wrong and had not been able to have made so solid an Answer as he supposes his to be to Master Goodwin had not his Logick and Metaphysicks stood him in more stead then all the Scriptures In answering or speaking to which he usually bungles No marvail that he so seriously and highly commends these Studies of which the Apostle bids us beware we put not too much in them to the Fellows and Students of Exeter Colledg in Oxford in his Epistle to them telling them It is impossible to be profitable without those Studies Oh what 's become Paul of thy assertion of the Scriptures sufficiency to make us perfect and profitable to every purpose Nay he tells them They will find that a bare pair of shears and a met-yard he means he says a little Logick and Phylosophy will stand them in I know not how much stead Yes they serve notably as he uses them to measure the Essence and Nature of God the manner of his willing knowing acting and the dependencies of all things and actions thereupon by his rule of effects and defects and applications of them to the truths of the Gospel to limit and shorten them most gallantly and to leave us but a little of that truth and goodness they seem to have in them As to instance 1. To Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord Chap. 16. Pag. 152. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked c. He applyes his Metaphysical yard-wand and measuring it by that he finds that what ever God hath no pleasure in shall not take place and so measuring it further by the appearance in the event he finds it will agree only to the Elect nay and by another false application of to it to his Met-yard makes it to run but even with the persons spoken to the House of Israel forgetting the Mood Darii That particular Applications may be well made from general Propositions And then comes his Philosophical-shears and at one cut snips off all them wicked that in conclusion do dye and so the truth of that saying Ezek. 18. ult yea and yet further by vertue of his former application of his Met-yard snip away all the reality of that dying there spoken of and makes but the force of him that dyeth to be him that by his sins did deserve to dye but indeed dyes not yea snips away all our Interest in that notable testimony of good will to sinners and incouragement given to wicked men of the Gentiles to repent Again 2. Applying the said Met-yard to 2 Chron. 36.15 where it s said of Jerusalem Chap. 16. Pag. 160. and the Jews That God sent his Prophets to them and Messengers rising up betimes and sending them Because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place and by that he measures his compassion to be but a respiting their overthrow for a time till he had sent his words Prophets and Messengers and then by his Phylosophical-shears off goes all his love of pity and benevolousness of affection to them in which he desired not their destruction but their repentance and living rather yea and all the dependance of the sending of the Prophets and Messengers upon any compassion in him as the cause of it yea indeed the sending of his Prophets was rather by this Met-yard the cause of the compassion toward them for he did but respit their destruction till he should send them his Word and Prophets and therefore sure had it not been for that he would not have respited them Nay indeed this compassion was such a respiting of their destruction as argues an absolute purpose to destroy them only yea by his effects and defects purposed according to the rule laid down by him Pag. 85. Chap. 2. it contained further in it a purpose to bring them to a greater ruine And this in his Metaphysical Divinity is Gods compassion 3. Applying the same Met-yard to John 3.16 17. or rather that to it he finds that the love of God cannot reach so far as to the world of mankind in general so as to have prepared such an Object of faith of his Son and such plenteousness of salvation in him That whosoever of it believes shall be saved therefore with his shears he snips off all but the Elect that is such as are eternally saved And further to make sense of the phrase that whosoever believes he snips it so as to make it That whosoever of the Elect of this or that Nation condition or at this or that time believes shall be saved as still implying possibly not all of them of all Nations and in all Ages shall so believe and here he snips