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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78132	A defence of the lavvfulnesse of baptizing infants. As also of the present baptisme, as it hath continued in the severall ages of the world, from John Baptist the first beginner thereof. In way of answer to something written by Iohn Spilsberie against the same.	Barbon, Praisegod, 1596?-1679.	1645 (1645)	Wing B749; Thomason E270_12; ESTC R212355	60,304	74

A DEFENCE OF THE LAVVFVLNESSE OF Baptizing Infants As also of the present Baptisme as it hath continued in the severall ages of the world from John Baptist the first beginner thereof In way of Answer to something written by IOHN SPILSBERIE against the same 1 Thes 5. 12. Try all things hold fast that which is good Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a thousand generations Deut. 30. 6. And the Lord thy God will circumcize thy heart and the heart of thy seed c. LONDON Printed by M. Bell for Benjamin Allen and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head Alley at the signe of the Crowne 1645. To the Reader THe holy Scriptures do inform us of two severall persecutions raised by Satan against that innocent part of the Church to wit Infants beside the persecutions which inclusively they at severall times have suffered with the rest of the Church The first was by Pharaoh that sore oppressour of Israel that held them in such cruell bondage The second was by bloody Herod Our Lord himselfe in this latter was personally concerned he then being an Infant and Rachels Infants suffering for him In both which it is considerable the time when In the first it was when the Israelites were neere deliverance from Egypts bondage The second was when the Deliverer was come to Sion and deliverance it was neere at hand In like kinde now in this last age now God is delivering of his Church from the long and sore bondage of spirituall Babylon called Sodom and Egypt he returning to her as in the dayes of old There is even now also a sore persecution against this innocent part of the Church which is so much the more sad and grievous in these three respects First in that it is raised and carried on by such as pretend to be friends and lovers of Sion the Church of God if it were by open and professed enemies it were more easie to be borne Secondly in that they pretend to the glory of God this their persecuting and casting out a part of his heritage as did of old those that cast out their brethren and said Let the Lord be glorified Esay 66. by which meanes many are deceived Thirdly in that their opposition is against them in a spirituall regard it being against their relation to God to his Church to his gracious Covenant or Covenant of grace from all which they seclude them driving them out of Gods heritage that they may goe serve other gods spoiling them of all their externall rights and priviledges and so leaving them among the dead to wit in trespasses and sinnes Pharaoh endeavoured to destroy and Herod killed a part of this part of the Church But these in a spirituall sense have destroyed all this part of the Church not one left alive in way of relation to God or interessed externally in Jesus Christ But this hard and injurious dealing Jehovah that is mighty and Jesus Christ that is gracious who manifested much tender respect unto these will plead their cause and right their wrong against such as rise up against them as he did of old for he taketh it as done against himselfe Courteous Reader in the behalfe of these innocent Saints to whom the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is most free they having nothing to bring unto him no not so much as good words I doe make defence in their cause as touching their right in the Covenant of grace and part in the Church of God to whom they having relation as to a father and are therein blessed as such are whose God is the Lord. Now I have thought good to offer it to thy view in regard that a great part of what I have said for them and against their opposers runneth in another line something different from what is usually pleaded in their behalfe that it might be considered of together with an answer to some things controvertable in that way about the raising of Baptisme pretended to be lost but indeed continued by the power of God under the defilements of Antichrist The exceptions against the said continuance I have made answer unto as also some other particulars handled all which I have referred to thy judgement forbearing such confident expressions of proofe and full proofe as is to be found not in a few of this way and others also that in the judgement of the Reader have made proofe of nothing at all Indeed such confident praising of a mans own work is a certaine signe of the weaknesse of it Use thy rightfull liberty good Reader in the consideration of what is said and be impartiall seeing thou art free Now for my particular Opponent I professe as much respect and tender of love to him as to any of that way and therefore desire that nothing may be misconstrued in regard of the manner of any proceed nor of any phrases wherein I intend no hurt but to quicken the Reader and to make the matter more plausible to some that are dull If any aske why I answer only a part and not the whole book published by my opposite I answer first that a great part of it was an answer to some others to whom I leave it to make reply if they please Secondly in regard that some other part of the Booke is in way of opposall of their opinion that hold not alike the truth of the Church and Baptisme in the defection but hold the truth of Baptisme only I might doe them wrong for want of ability to manage and make out the matter therefore I have forborn and left it to themselves if they please to make defence In regard some part of this Contest is of personall Reformation and proceed from corrupt wayes to serve God purely the maine worke of this present age I shall take the boldnesse to forewarne in love and sobriety all persons to take heed to their setting out at the first for want whereof this and other errours have been fallen into by not a few A person missing his way at the first setting out the further he goeth the further out and to seeke even so it is in this one errour begetteth another and another and there is no end till men sit down in darknesse That person that cast away the truth of his relation to God to Christ externally because of defilements will never be able to make out his relation in a way of purity Other foundation can none lay then that which is laid already no not ingard of outward Religion and the service of God It is safest keeping to this lest men make their ease like those that comming from captivity sought their discent and could not finde it and so might not be admitted to speciall Ordinances but by Vrim c. Esra 2. 62. 63. Their labour is to be pitied that know not the way to the City how shall such be ever stayed in their course or setled in their way

be as indeed it is lying and false for none of those things which he is pleased to set downe as held forth in Baptisme or else it is a lying signe could be expected much lesse be in Christ And yet he fulfilled righteousnesse in being D. Sclater baptized as is righteousnesse fulfilled in Infants Baptisme even as it was in their Circumcision of old For we may know that there are other ends in Baptisme as there was in Circumcision of old besides those specified by J. S. as namely the subjecting the creature and dedicating of him to God outwardly in a way of service The marking of him for God by such a Character The differencing of him from the rest of the World and instructing in inward sanctification by the outward washing And here it may be observed that at length J. S. quoteth a Scripture or two but to little purpose surely it is about dipping for that is new and pleaseth him and so in his seventh Reason at length he commeth out with it So he concludeth None of all which can be expected in an Infant And why not but only because he saith so but his words are no Oracles for those or some of those may be found in Infants notwithstanding what he saith God that works those in an elder can work them in a Infant he hath done it as in the case of Jeremy John Baptist he hath promised to do it Deut. 30. 6. And all Gods promises are yea Amen in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 10. Which when J. S. hath considered of he may repent of his error and lying accusation as indeed he hath great cause for to do I suppose the indifferent Reader will be able to see how false and unworthy an accusation this is which makes Christ himself an unlawfull subject and Baptisme a lying signe to him if J. S. his accusation were true in as much as those things could not be expected or be at all in Christ which he specifies as necessary or else it is so Reason 8 Because the subject of Baptisme is to be passive but a Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requires I mean a passive subject in a threefold way First a thing uncapable and so is a stone Secondly a thing forced and thus is a Infant that opposeth it Baptisme what it can so far is it from being passive in the same Thirdly a thing is passive by a subjecting power producing the same in the subject by bringing of it into a free and voluntary subjection and thus is the true subject of Baptisme none can be capable to receive grace but by grace because it consists of self-denyall Answ First it is marvelous to see how contrary and different these men are in their Tenents A. R. in his Treatise of Childish Baptisme maketh Children to be uncapable Subjects because they are meer passive as he is pleased to say whereas the right subjects of Baptisme he saies ought to be more then passive J. S. he maketh them uncapable because they are not passive at all as contrary as these men are one to another even so contrary is their opinion to the truth Namely their denying Baptisme to Infants as untrue also is that which he further addeth that an Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requires What that Ordinance requires in a passive way that is not or cannot be in an Infant in a passive way sure J. S. cannot shew Infants were passive in Circumcision of old so were persons of years and there was no reall difference in passivenesse or being patients in that Ordinance of Circumcision as there is none now in Baptisme betwixt Infants and men of years though J. S. would by a foolish distinction of the divers kindes of passivenesse seek to make it appear otherwise He first speaketh of a stones being passive but this he saith is uncapable of what is it uncapable not of totall dipping no not in a passive way J. S. may please to remember what is written of such like subjects namely The baptizing of cups and pots c. which sure he Mark 7. 4. forgot else he would not have distinguished so Secondly for an Infant which he saith opposeth its Baptisme what it can I say it opposeth its Baptisme no more then it did in Circumcision of old But how knoweth he they oppose their Baptisme because happily they shrine and cry a waighty reason sure did not Infants nay did not persons of years in Circumcision do the like yea more do not persons of years shrinke and shew an unwillingnesse to be totally dipped in J. S. his way Thirdly For passivenesse by a subjecting power bringing a thing to a free and voluntary subjection which is as he saith the true subject It may be observed how he rubbeth upon the old sore there is somthing in Infants wanting some Faith some Repentance some Freenesse some willingnesse of submission which he is pleased to make passive qualifications with little reason surely for any man may see what the disease is they bring nothing to Christ therefore they must have no acceptance of him nor grace from him Indeed it is works and not grace that here lets For certainly Infants are as capable of grace and grace as free to them as to persons of years As both old and young are meer passive in regard of inward grace and God giveth freely so both are also alike passive in regard of outward grace to wit that of the * Gen. 17. Covenant and this in question in particular namely Baptisme the Seale of it even as in Circumcision of old But he hath a kinde of reason although no Scripture to prove either his distinction or that children are not passive and that is That none can be capable to receive grace but hy grace because it consists of self-denyall Truly this had need of some explaining surely our being sinners and miserable maketh us meet subjects for mercy I reckon that there is nothing in us as of our own of grace that can make us capable I suppose he holdeth not with the Papists foreseen works or any preparatives that maketh persons capable of grace If he mean thus that none can be capable of the grace of Baptisme in an orderly way but by being within the grace of the Covenant first I should agree with him and do think that nothing can be more clear but that Infants being within the Covenant and interessed in the grace of God that way they are capable of further grace namely to be sealed with the Seale thereof Baptisme But what he meaneth I I know not because he saith It consists of self-denyall If he be able to apply it to the purpose now in hand I shall be willing to acknowledge my want of judgement for to me it is as if he had spake of a man in the Moon and how far this eight reason is from effecting any thing against the lawfulnesse of Infants Baptisme I leave it to the Reader to judge