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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

Matth. 3. 3. I. S. is a stranger in his reasons to what is written though as we noted before he doth account it such a faulty thing in others yet he pleaseth himselfe all along in his reasons to infer this and the other thing to little purpose unlesse to deceive Secondly this practice of old namely of propagating the Church by generation was so far from destroying the Church as that it did tend to the increase of it greatly and was a meanes of Gen. 17. 20. 22. 17. 26 4 24. Esay 4. 8 19. Psal 105. 8. the continuing of it according to the gracious Covenant of God to a thousand generations and his promise to the seeds seed a Esay 59. 14. Now that Covenant is yet in force and that promise Yea and Amen b 2 Cor. 1. 20. in Christ as are all other of like nature Thirdly this is an inference savouring of ignorance or else diffidence or both hath not God said that he will poure his Spirit upon their seed to wit of his Church and his blessing upon c Esay 44. 3. their off-spring and that all their children shall be d Esay 54. 13. taught of God that his Church shall be a praise in the world e Esay 62. 7. when he shall returne in favour to Sion that the Gentiles shall bring their riches to her f Esay 60. nay hath he not said that the kingdome and greatnesse thereof shall be given to the Saints of the most high g Dan. 7. 27. and that this honour have all the Saints h Psal 144 9. Last of all what ever is or can be conceived in this reason either in the parts of it or the whole put together cannot amount to make good the charge the whole supposed proofe reaching but to the wel-being and purity of the Church at the most and not to the being of it it being so far from destroying of it as is affirmed the which I leave to the judgement of the Reader Reason IV It is unlawfull to baptize Infants because it is a ground both of ignorance and errour for it holds people in blindnesse that they cannot come to see and know the nature of that holy Ordinance nor what the same requires in the subjects thereof and also it causeth the simple to conceive that Baptisme is of necessity to salvation Answ That it is so as this Reason affirmeth if any please to beleeve it they may sure there is no Word of God produced to enforce them nor yet good reason or necessary consequence which the Author disliketh in others to move them to it Secondly this Reason savoureth of arrogancy and intrencheth on the wisdome of God that established this very thing in the substance of it in circumcision of old it being then no ground of ignorance nor errour neither is it now though he so say there being no more cause given to simple now to thinke so of Baptisme then was given them then in case of Circumcision Indeed it is rather likely their keeping such adoe about Baptisme and building such high things thereon may occasion some strange thoughts to such as are simple as surely it doth Thirdly I aske what should be the reason they cannot see the nature of the ordinances c. The Baptizing of Infants doth not let or hinder the knowledge of persons of yeers those are not the persons he meaneth surely for I appeale to himselfe whether he in particular be hindred at all thereby Nay further it hindreth not Infants when they come to yeers from understanding the nature and ends of the Ordinance no more then it did in the case of Circumcision the Israelites of old it being Gods appointment that children Ephes 6. 4. now as of old should bee trained up in knowledge and understanding If any be hindred from understanding the nature and ends of this Ordinance such are a great cause of it in regard of many that are of the judgement and practice of I. S. who being so mutable in their course one while laying downe another time taking up and then casting away againe And beside altering the ends of Baptisme and rejecting the proper subjects of it namely the lineall seed of the faithfull that many they converse withall are at their wits end and know not what to hold or settle upon And that it is so and also that this reason hath no force in it against the baptizing Infants I leave the Reader to judge Reason 5 It keepeth up the state of Antichrist by granting of him this so chiefe a corner-stone of the Lords House to lie in his foundation for that Church where Baptisme is the true ordinance of God in the administration of it is by the rule of the Gospel a true Church so that if Antichrists Baptisme which he administreth be Gods Ordinance then that Church wherein he doth so administer the same must be also the Church of God and those in sinne that refuse communion with it Answer It may here be minded that divers things are here in this Reason affirmed and concluded but nothing at all proved we know what is written to the Law and Testimony Esay 8. 20. but I. S. seemeth to be a stranger to that and chuseth inferences such as he found great fault with in his Epistle No man needs to beleeve what is said in this Reason unlesse he will Secondly who granteth this to lie in the foundation of Antichrist surely I. S. surmiseth and taketh for granted that which is not acknowledged if any doe or have done it is not for want of ignorance Jeroboam made a schisme set up an idolatrous way of worship and calves and yet notwithstanding that way of his there was Circumcision the Ordinance of God and no part of the foundation of his idolatrous way nor any corner-stone in the building thereof Neither is Baptisme now any more a part of the foundation of Antichrist or corner-stone in that building And if I. S. were not ignorant of this mystery of iniquity he would not thus reason as he doth This mystery of iniquity it wrought in the Church 2 Thes 2. in the Apostles time when Baptisme was Gods Ordinance and no part of that foundation or corner-stone in that building as neither is now any part of it Let I. S. if he can shew when Baptisme became such a corner-stone in the foundation of that building or why it should be so more then Circumcision of old was a corner-stone in that idolatrous state and way of Jeroboam and the Calves let him shew how long it continued Gods holy Ordinance and when it ceased so to be Thirdly Christ is the chiefe corner-stone and this corner-Stone is in Ephes 2. 20. that dessection yet no part of it I suppose I. S. granteth it and will not deny it That there is in many in this Kingdome especially and John Hus alia else where as it was also formerly such as in whom Christ and his

by matters fundamentall and how the receipt of the Ordinance can be a matter fundamentall when the person may not onely be matter but part of a Church without it as he holdeth Fourthly I would know how the word of man stands in the place of the Word of God and what he meaneth by the bare word of man in this matter of fact Lastly I would know what he meaneth by truly receiving this holy Ordinance and whither he hold there be a false receiving this Ordinance and yet the Ordinance holy and true to them that receive it This Reason as it is set down I take to be something like a spell The summe of it in other words I take to be this Infants are not to be baptized for that they cannot be assured when they come to yeers that they were baptized but by the witnesse of man and if that fail then there is no way of satisfying of themselves that they were at all baptized To which I answer first that I would not much strive with a person in such a case If that were the cause that the probablenesse of his not being at all Baptized were the cause that moved him to desire to be Baptized especially if it did appeare to them by whom he should seek to be Baptized that he had not been Baptized at all But surely this is far from the case in question wherein men get themselves baptized not that they thinke they were not baptized at all but that they judge it was not the Baptisme of Christ because of the corruptions in the subject instrument or the manner of their being baptized which made the matter null and void Secondly I would have it minded how a person circumcised in youth could be assured when he came to yeers especially if his Circumcision were gathered and grown so as he could not see the print in the flesh For this Reason if it hath any force in it it hath the same against Circumcision in Infancy as against Baptisme for such so circumcised could be no otherwise assured then such a way as will come within the compasse of humane testimony If it be said They might satisfie themselves by the sight of the print of the flesh I answer that might be gathered and grown so as not to be seen And again if it were not that fight is not the Word of God and beside they might be mistaken or be circumcised unlawfully Thirdly that others were circumcised of old or are baptized now especially those to be joyned with in publike Ordinances and speciall communion Now how could the Israelites know of old or how can it be known now in particular how will I. S. to put the case to himselfe how will he I say know and be assured that such and such as he holdeth communion withall are baptized but by humane testimony instead of the Word of God as he saith he must take their own word in their own case whether it be not humane I leave it to him to judge And I demand further whether upon this his ground any can in faith joyn in fellowship and speciall communion or could of old with any they did not see or have not seen circumcised of old Ephes 44. 9. or Baptized now in this dispensation of the Gospell for suppose they were Baptized in Holland or in some part of this Kingdom nay in this City and I not see it done where am I then by his ground I must beleeve the bare word of man in stead of the Word of God in a matter alike fundamentall according to his account Fourthly in matter of fact I judge Faith of such a nature as we have now in hand is to goe upon humane testimony if I. S. will have it so called and that such testimony is of divine authority and every way satisfactory to be rested in for at the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth stands ratified In matter of fact I Matth. 18. 16. make it appear thus That such a people are Christs Church a Church being a fundamentall thing mens witnesses must carry it and give satisfaction especially in regard of the first beginning of a Church which some much stand upon Again that such a person is the lawfull Minister of Christ and his Church lawfully chosen and ordained what way is there of satisfaction but the word of man to any but onely to those that were at the acting of it Excommunication is an ordinance alike fundamentall with Baptisme it is to be done in faith the practike part of it is to be built upon the testimony of men at the mouth of two or three witnesses so as here expresly the word the bare word of man carrieth the same So as I conclude as this reason is a foolish fancy so it premiseth wholly upon untruth and raiseth unprofitable doubts and hath the same force against other Ordinances of Christ as it hath against Baptisme of Infants that it can by no means reach so high as to hinder Infants Baptisme all which I leave to the judgement of the Reader Reason 7 To baptize Infants makes the Ordinance of God a lying signe because none of those things can be expected in an Infant which the said Ordinance holds forth or signifieth in the administration of it which is the parties regeneration and spirituall new birth a dying and buriall with Christ in respect of sin and rising with him in a new life to God and a confirmation of faith in the death and resurection of Christ and free remission of sins by the same as Rom. 6. 3 4. none of all which can be expected in an Infant Answ This is a lying accusation of a malignant spirit against a holy practise of an Ordinance of Gods own appointment for might not any one as truly have said thus of Circumcision of Infants of old aswell as of the Baptisme of Infants now for what could be expected of an Infant then that cannot be now Did not Circumcision call for and lead unto then as much as Baptisme doth now did not Circumcision call for Circumcision of heart Circumcision Rom. 2. 29. being as the Apostle speaketh of the heart not of the letter the praise whereof is of God not of men did it not also call for regeneration and newnesse of life were not the Infants of it spirituall above the reach of the creature especially children yet it was then no lying signe as I. S. in the case of Baptisme lyingly affirmeth Secondly I say our Lord was baptized and this Ordinance was no lying signe as it was acted on him yet those things were not in him nor could be which I. S. saith the Ordinance holdeth forth or signifieth namely Regeneration a spirituall new life dying to sin burying with Christ rising with him in newnesse of life confirmation of faith and free remission of sins by the same What will J. S. say now will he say it was a living signe or will he confesse his lying accusation to