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A77497 The doctrine and practice of paedobaptisme, asserted and vindicated. By a large and full improovement of some principall arguments for it, and a briefe resolution of such materiall objections as are made against it. Whereunto is annexed a briefe and plaine Enarration, both doctrinall and practicall, upon Mark 10.V.13.14.15.16. As it was some time since preached in the church of Great Yarmouth: now published for an antidote against those yet spreading errours of the times, Anabaptisme and Catabaptisme. / By Joh. Brinsley. Brinsley, John, 1600-1665. 1645 (1645) Wing B4712; Thomason E300_14; ESTC R200258 127,125 196

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away with it And what is it that so prevailes with them for the sucking in of this errour why surely nothing more than the high opinion which they have of those who stand up in this cause an opinion of their singular piety zeale knowledge They are knowing Christians forward and Zealous Christians close walking Christians such as desire to come to the Rule and to follow Christ close Such they apprehend them to bee And I will not deny but some such may be found amongst them And hereupon they make their judgements and practise a standard a patterne to themselves Surely say they it cannot bee but that they should bee in the right A knowing people a praying people c. Ans To meet with this Errour doe but looke upon this instance in the Text and see who they were that prohibited these children from comming unto Christ and rebuked those which brought them They were not Scribes and Pharisees They were not superstitious or blinde ignorant or yet wicked and prophane persons No they were Disciples followers of Christ those who by reason of their constant attendance upon Christ and familiar acquaintance with him one would have thought should have understood his minde sooner than any yet they fall into this very errour they would not have children brought unto Christ for which they are reproved of their Lord and Master I doubt not but even amongst that Sect which I am now speaking against there may be some pious devout humble Christians though I feare not many for in most of them you shall see a spirit of pride and disdaine and bitternesse against all that doe not walke by their light but some such I hope there are some Disciples of Christ who do follow Christ according to their light in the simplicity and uprightnesse of their hearts Now what though they debarre children from comming unto Christ and rebuke th●se which bring them finding fault with the received practise of all the Churches in Baptizing of Infants What then Shall we presently hearken unto them Nay rather hearken unto Christ so doe these women here in the text The disciples prohibite rebuke them bid them be gone with their children But Christ hee incourageth them hee invits them And to him they harken not to his disciples Suppose the adversaries to childrens Baptisme be some of them disciples of Christ never so pious never so zealous never so eminent for grace for holinesse yet hearken we rather to their master then to them to him inviting rather then to them prohibiting The disciples rebuked those which brought them But upon what ground did the disciples this What did they it out of malice Out of envie Were they unwilling that these Infants should receive any benefit from Christ Surely not so Charitie envies not Grace is communicative willing and desirous that others should have a share in the same Christ and in the same benefits by Christ whence was it then Surely out of Ignorance out of blind-zeale 1 Out of ignorance ignorance of these two things 1. They did not apprehend what need these Infants had of Christ Not being troubled as is most probably with any bodily infirmitie they did not see what should occasion this their addresse The whole need not the physician but the sicke Had they been sick and diseased questionlesse the disciples would have admitted them as readily as they had done others but being sound and hayle they put them back as apprehending them to have no need of Christ 2. As they apprehended that they had no need of Christ so probably they did not conceive how they were capable of any benefit by him Those which came unto Christ ordinarily they came for one of these ends to be benefited by him either in their bodies or in their soules In their bodies by his miracles in their ●oules by his doctrine Now as for the former of these these Infants had no need of it and for the latter they were not capable of it and consequently the disciples could not see what they should be the better for coming to Christ and thereupon repell them keep them back And are not these the very grounds the chiefe grounds that the Anabaptists goe upon at this day in debatting children from the Sacrament of Baptisme 1. They have no need of Baptisme say they And 2. They are not capable of benefit by it 1. They have no need of Baptisme How so In as much as they are free from originall sinne that is the doctrine of the compleat Anabaptist Infants say they doe not stand charged with Adams sinne And as for any sinne of their owne whether originall or actuall they are not guiltie of it Originall sin in Infants faith one of their books it was but a Romish invention 〈◊〉 and set a foot by those Antichristian factors that so they might have an occasion to extoll and de●●●e their queen of heaven the virgin Mary whom alone amongst all the posterity of Adam they exempt from that common condition Now being free from sin say they from the guilt of sinne and from the staine of sinne what need have they of this laver which is ordained for the washing away of sins Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes saith Ananias to Paul The poole of ●eth●sda that miraculous hath it was proper for lepers and cripples and such other diseased bodies as for others they received no benefit by it And so is it with this spirituall this heavenly bath it is appointed for leprous sinsick-soules not for Infants who are not troubled with any such maladies Againe secondly as they have no need of Baptisme so what benefit can they receive by it or from it being void and destitute of understanding of reason and consequently of faith upon which depends the efficacie of this and all other the ordinances of God This it is that qualifieth a person for the Sacrament of Baptisme his faith in Christ If thou believest thou maiest saith Phillip to the Eunuch And this it is that draweth vertue and benefit from the ordinance which without this is rendred wholy ineffectually These are their reasonings and are they not for substance the very same with the supposed reasonings of the disciples here in the text They would not have the Infants brought unto Christ Why They had no need of him being in perfect health free from sicknesse and they could receive no benefit by him being void of understanding Even thus saith the Anabaptist what should children be brought to Baptisme They have no need of it being free from sinne neither can they have any benefit by it being voide of faith Now to both these we may say as our blessed Saviour once did to the Sadduces in an other case when they represented to him their mis-apprehensions touching the Doctrine of the Resurrection Yee erre saith he not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God Surely so did the disciples here