Spiritum Sanctum Sancitur Bez. in Match 28-19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just in Martyr Apolog of late said By Baptism we are consecrated unto God in as much as our Adoption in Christ is there ratified by the Holy Ghost so Justine Martyr of old going to give an account of the primitive way of introducing persons into the Church by Baptism begins his relation thus Now will I set forth after what manner we did dedicate or offer up our selves to God when we were renewed through Christ § 4. And as our Church in the baptizing of Infants designes a Dedication of them unto God so did the Ancient Church too Whence that Grant that whosoever is here dedicated unto thee by our Office and Ministry c. Office for Infants Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian Orat. 4. de Bapt. Quibus tamen ad Consecrationem remisionemque Originalis peccati prodest eorum fides à quibus offeruntur D. Aug. Quinquag Hom. Serm. 50. advice of Gregory Nazianzen If thou hast an Infant let not iniquity get time let it be sanctified in infancy let it in the tender age be consecrated by the Spirit Where certainly it is the Baptismal Sanctification and Consecration that he speaks of and by the Spirit he means Christian Baptism the Spirit which is one part of Baptism as Water is the other which two our Saviour joyns both together John 3. 5. saying Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit c. and by both means one thing viz. Christian Baptism being put for the whole even as Water which is the other part of Baptism is by St. Paul Ephes 5. 26. put for the whole saying that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of Water that is of Christian Baptism § 5. Now for children even in their Infancy to become by the designation of their Parents Gods own portion and to be made Holy unto the Lord this certainly cannot but be for the childrens good For as much as being appropriated unto God in a nearer relation they will be respected by him with a dearer affection § 6. When any Thing is offered unto God in sincerity God kindly accepts of it You may see instances in Abels offering the firstlings Gen. 4. 4. of his flock Noahs offering of every clean Gen. 8. 20 21. beast and fowl Davids 2 Sam. 2. 2 Chron. 7. Hagg. 2. designing Solomons building and the Jews repairing a House to serve God in So when any Person is offered and consecrate unto God in integrity of heart God usually blesseth both the offerer and offering You may see instances in Abrahams offering Gen. 22. his Son Isaac in sacrifice to God in Samsons Judg. 16. being made a Nazarite unto God from his mothers womb and in Hannahs consecrating her Son 1 Sam. 1. Samuel to the Service of God § 7. So that for our children to be by us offered and consecrated unto God and his service is the way to intitle them to Gods favour and to derive on them his blessing And that 's reason enough were there no more why we should baptize them and by so doing intitle God more nearly to them entring them into the Catalogue of his more peculiar possessions listing them as Tyros into the number of his souldiers and enrolling them into his family as his more immediate servants Whereupon our Church in her Office for the Baptizing of Infants not onely gives the baptized Infant a Cross in his forehead as a badge and cognizance of his Profession and Relation but also prays to God for him that he would receive him for his own child by Adoption § 8. Not to add that so early a Consecration of them unto God and to his service so timely a Dedication of them unto piety and holiness is not without a great probability of being very influential on them in their future lives in the way of a preservative of them from impierty and iniquity natural conscience that light set up in the soul by the Author of Lights being likely to suggest unto them in their first approaches to understanding and reason what a shame it will be for them to give themselves unto wickedness when they are men who were dedicated unto holiness when they were children to addict themselves in their Age to the Devil who in their Infancy were consecrated unto God Whence doubtless it was that Greg. Naz. advised the giving to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. Orat. 4. de Bapt. Infant the Trinity i. e. doubtless Baptism into the Faith of the Trinity that great and good phylactery or preservative there being no more likely means to preserve them from the after debauches of judgment or conversation then the sense of a foregoing consecration to Truth and Purity by being baptized into the Faith of the Holy Trinity early instilled by a Carachetical infusion of the due notices of it into a child in his Infancy whereby he is as it were prepossessed for God and Goodness before any possession can be gotten of him by Satan and wickedness CHAP. VII Baptism Beneficial unto Children in regard of their being brought thereby into Covenant with God § 1. SEcondly by Baptism Infants are brought into Covenant with God Baptism is to us as Circumcision was to the Jews a Ceremony of our initiation or entrance into Covenant with God And as then all circumcised ones were so now all baptized ones are brought into Covenant with God by a mutual stipulation and contract explicitly or implicitly made between them and God whereupon they become Gods and God becomes Theirs upon Baptismus significat nunc in Ecclesia pactum illud quod primum ab omni Christiano cum Deo initur Flacci Illirici Clavis Script Voc. Baptismus See Mr. Servieners Course of Divinity l. 1. par 1. cap. 40. pag. 193. Sparks Brotherly Pèrswasion to Unity c. 11. Mr. Hookers Eccl. Pol. l. 5 §. 64. Gr. Naz. tells us that Baptism in brief doth import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. Jam verò is qui baptizatur secundae vitae meliorisque vivendi rationis instituti pactum cum Deo init priori flagitiosae vitae nuncium remittit Nicetas in Orat. 40. Greg. Nazianz. Covenant-terms even the terms of the Gospel which is the New Covenant they promising God to be His and he promising them to be Theirs they to believe and obey him and he to pardon and save them § 2. Hence all along in the Primitive Church and See Dionys Ar op Eccles Hierarch ch 4. Hocker Eccles Polit. l. 5. §. 63. so downward we read of stipulations promises contracts covenants made by the Adult persons that were admitted to baptism and of no admission of any such to be baptized without such stipulating contracting and covenanting * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Basil l. de Spir. Sancto c. 12. § 3. And because of Parvuli allo profitente baptizantur qui
his Disciples to suffer those to come to him that already were at and with him Yea suppose he had onely called them and they were not yet come who can imagine that it were needful to give any further command to his Disciples to suffer those to come at him whom he had but just then called unto him It is therefore of Infants in general and not of those particular Infants onely that he spake § 7. Yet Fourthly Our Saviours speaking these words upon that particular occasion doth not necessarily restrain the concernment of his words unto those particular Infants Acts of justice and acts of Grace are of general concernment though the occasions of them be particular unless there be something in the circumstances of the acts that may lay a restraint upon their concernment And the Apostle hath notably taught us to draw general conclusions from particular expressions in Heb. 13. 5 6. He hath said I will never leave thee nor for sake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper The promise of not being for saken of the Lord was a particular one made upon a particular occasion unto a particular person namely Joshua Jos 1. 5. And yet saith the Apostle so general is the concernment of it that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper And thus were the occasion of this Speech of our Saviour never so particular yet how fairly is this general conclusion drawn therefrom Christ gave order that little children when they were brought should be suffered to come to him and not be forbidden Therefore little children should now and at all times be suffered and should not be forbidden to come unto Christ especially since as there is the same need for our children that there was for those children to come to Christ so there is the same mercy in Christ now to move him to receive our children that there was in him then to move him to receive theirs and there is no circumstance in all the action debarring our children of his mercy and restraining it unto theirs § 8. But it is time I should proceed to speak to the Third and shew what coming of little children unto Christ it is that is to be suffered and ought not to be hindred CHAP. IV. What coming of little children unto Christ is to be sufferedm and ought not to be hindred § 1. NOw to clear this we must shew that the Phrase of coming unto Christ is capable of various interpretations § 2. And first it notes an approach or access of any person unto Christ as exhibiting himself corporally present in place Thus those Saducees came to him that came to pose him Matth. 22. 23. And this is the ordinary and proper signification of the Phrase And in this sense those Infants spoken of in the Text did come to Christ Their being brought to him was a coming of theirs to him When the Disciples rebuked those that brought them our Saviour commands that they the children should be suffered to come unto him § 3. But in this sense now our children cannot come unto Christ Christ is no where corporally present upon earth that children may be carried to him or in this sense come at him In Heaven indeed he is corporally present but thither children cannot be carried thither children cannot come Whither I go ye cannot comâ— saith our Saviour John 13. 23. i. e. not till after death nor then neither but in spirit till the resurrection of the dead For flesh and blood unchanged cannot inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 20. So that the words taken in relation to children now are not to be understood properly And therefore unless we mean not to have our children come at Christ we must go seek out some other meaning of the Phrase and find out some other way by which they may come to him § 4. Secondly therefore the Phrase may be taken Figuratively And so sometimes in notes a becoming or a being made a Disciple unto Christ And so when our Saviour saith Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour his meaning is become disciples to me for so it follows in ver 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me Where he offers himself to be a Master to such as should come to him And in what other sense than this can we understand that in John 3. 26. Behold the same baptizeth and all men Omnes currunt ad baptismum illius Alcu. in Aqui. Au. Cat. come unto him That is Jesus by Baptism receiveth proselytes and there is great recourse unto him for that end many persons become his Disciples by receiving his Baptism And to thâ—s agrees the Paraphrase of Nonnus upon the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non. in loc All the citizens make hast desiring to partake of his divine washing i. e. to become his Proselytes to be made his Disciples by Bapâ—ism And in accordance with this sense is the same Phrase interpretable John 5. 40. Ye will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come to me i. e. become my disciples believing on me and being baptized by me that ye may have life And See Dr. Ham. on John 6. 37. Similitudo sumpta à discipulis quos pater magistro tradit quique volentes eum frequentant Grot. ap Poli. Synops so again in John 6. 37 44 65. In all which places the phrase of coming unto Christ implies a becoming disciples to him being made his Proselytes § 5. So then to become a Disciple to Christ is in one sense to come to Christ And if children may be made Disciples to Christ then there is a way left whereby they also as well as elder persons may come to Christ § 6. And that they may is very fairly hinted even in this Text the words which our Saviour useth to express the coming of these Infants to him by being the very words as is observed Dr. Hammond of which that name is composed by which such as became Disciples to Christ were anciently called viz. Proselytes His words are Suffer the little children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as St. Matthew relates them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come to me q. d. to become my Proselytes for so were they called that from Gentilism did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come over unto Judaism before Christs time and from either Gentilism or Judaism came over unto Christianity in or after the days of Christ And by those words of St. Athanasius wherein he mentions some other books besides the Canonical ones that were by the Fathers proposed to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to those that as yet came to and were desirous to be catechized i. e. instructed or taught the word of piety or the principles of true religion a Proselyte seems to be described And the word it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proselyte we have indiverse Scriptures Matth. 23. 15. Ye compass sea and land to make
this because it is not said of these but of such as these is the kingdom of God the same will be objected against their coming into the kingdom of glory which they intitle them to from Matth. 19. 14. because it is not there said of these but of such as these is the kingdom of heaven And so it will follow even by their own way of arguing either that such as they men resembling them in humility and innocence shall enter into the kingdom of glory but not they or that if the such as they hinder not but that they may enter into heaven then the such as they cannot hinder but that they may enter into the Church § 11. The second thing to be observed from this Text is this That our Saviour in his expression of himself useth such a word as can no way be restrained from reaching even unto Infants and even unto the least of them He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except a man that is a man of years and understanding be born again for so those words may be capable of being rendred and even the latter of them which is of the more extensive signification is so to be interpreted in 1 Cor. 11. 28. where the subjectum recipiens or person that is to receive the Lords Supper is spoken of Let a man that is a man of years and understanding examine himself c but he saith here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except one any one be it who it will be man woman or child be born again that is baptized he cannot enter into the kingdom of God § 12. Heaven then being the region of light the paradise of pleasure the habitation of joy the mansion of peace the seat of bliss the rest of the Saints the country of Angels the court of God a kingdom of glory an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away where our solaces shall be pure our happiness compleat and our life eternal and Baptism being so highly conducible if not absolutely necessary to an entrance into heaven the ready way for our selves and the only way that we know for our Infants to get admission into that city of our God and joy of our Lord it necessarily follows that Baptism must be highly beneficial to our Infants and that we if not upon the account of sin in them with the Orthodox Christians yet at least for entrance into the kingdom of heaven with the Heterodox Pelagians * Parvulos etiam negant secundum Adam carnaliter natos contagium mortis antiquae prima nativitate contrahere Sic enim eos sine ullo peccati originalis vinculo asserunt nasci ut prorsus non sit quod eis oporteat secunda nativitate dimitti sed eos propterea baptizari ut regeneratione adoptati admittantur ad regnum Dei de bono in melius translati non ista renovatione ab aliquo malo obligationis veteris absoluti c. D. Aug. de Haeres c. 88. should be moved to baptize them CHAP. XIII Baptism beneficial unto Children in regard of their being thereby made partakers of Grace § 1. YEt eighthly to shew the Beneficialness of Baptism to Infants Baptism is a means of Grace to them an instrument of conveying unto them and making them partakers of the Grace of God that is so far and in such manner and measure as they are capable of it § 2. To signifie Baptism to be a means of Grace Grace is one of the Names by which Baptism is called in the Writings of the Fathers Whether out of a certain strange kind of joy saith Gr Na. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nyssen de Baptismo or whether in consideration of the manifold benefits of it we give it many names we call it Gift Grace Baptism Vnction Illumination c. § 3. Now that Infants are in some degree and measure capapable if not also sensible of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Resp. ad Orthod 13. Gods grace and of divine impressions by the Holy Ghost sure none doubts that reads of John Baptists being filled with the Holy Ghost that sure signifies some Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb Luke 1. 15. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Resp. ad Orthod 13. nay of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leapings for joy in the womb of his Mother Luk. 1. 44. which sure could come from nothing but some divine impression made on his soul by the Holy Ghost wherewith his Mother being at that time filled it may well be thought he was not wholly empty especially after so sensible an indication of it Nor surely does any doubt that what effect and operation Baptism hath upon elder persons it hath also upon Infants according to their measure of capacity inasmuch as they do not any thing to hinder its operation upon them and there is nothing said that deprives them of the benefit of its operation § 4. To the point in hand then There is a twofold Grace of Gods imparted and communicated in Baptism first there is the Grace of Justification and secondly there is the Grace of Sanctification The Grace of Justification is Gods remitting to us the guilt of our sins The Grace of Sanctification is Gods cleansing us from the corruption and pollution of our Natures and Persons and enabling us to do acts of Righteousness and Holiness § 5. Now for the first of these the Grace of Justification that that is communicated in Baptism is evident from the speech of Ananias unto Paul Acts 22. 16. bidding him arise and be baptized and wash away his sins calling on the name of the Lord. And from Peters exhorting the Jews Acts 2. 38. to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins i. e. that they might thereby obtain the forgiveness of their sins § 6. Then for the second the Grace of Sanctification that that also is communicated in Baptism is evident from that of the Apostle in Tit. 3. 4 5. After the kindness of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i. e. by the Grace of Sanctification which is a work of the Holy Ghost usually begun in Baptism and constantly wrought by it in some measure in the party baptized at least so far as amounts to the putting into him the first principle of it whereby he is in time and by degrees brought to a newness of condition actually regenerated into a new creature § 7. Hence Peter unto the convert Jews Acts 2. promises upon their Baptism the gift of the Holy Ghost v. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive
year Magdeb. Cent. 10. c. 10. col 97. ib. c. 6. col 416. ib. c. 4. col 238. 389. And he having in his Oration on Baptism gone through all the ages of man showing that it belongs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every age and sort of life comes at length to Infancy and then touching that delivers his mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. thus Thou hast an Infant let not iniquity get time let it be sanctified in infancy let it in the tender age be consecrated c. Where by sanctifying he means baptizing Vid. sup c. 6. Sect. 4. And again saith he what will you say concerning those that are yet children and neither know the loss nor any sensible of the grace of baptism shall we also baptize them Yes by all means if any danger press 't is better they should be sanctified when they have no sense of it than that they should die unsealed and uninitiated See Dr. Hammond urging this and other passages of this Author Def. of Inf. Bapt. pag. 101 102. And as for this Authors willingness that Infants should stay till they be about three years old before they be baptized which the Magdeburgenses tell us is to be accounted a singular opinion of his own that nothing prejudices ours or profits the Antipaedobaptistical Cause as Dr Hammond shews loc sup cit For at three years old they are still Infants and if they have attained to speech yet have not attained to reason at least not to that measure of it thought necessary by the Antipaedobaptists to qualifie for Baptism § 72. In this Age also about the year 326 flourished St. Athanasius And to the question concerning the final estates of Infants dying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Athanas q. 114. ad Antiochum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. q. 94. de Dictâ— Interpret Parabol S. Script unbaptized he answers that in as much as the Lord saith Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven and in as much as the Apostle saith now are your children holy it is manifest that the baptized Infants of believers do enter as unspotted and faithfull into the kingdom of heaven But that their unbaptized Infants as also the Infants of heathens have not entrance into that kingdom as neither on the other side do they go into punishment having not committed actual sin And as in this passage he declareth his own belief as to the final estates of Infants dying whether baptized or unbaptized so in another he intimates the practice of this age to be to baptize Infants and by that particular way of Immersion whilest he declares the signification of that Immersion to have respect to the death and resurrection of Christ after three days For whereas saith he we thrice dip the Insant in the water and bring him up again this signifies Christs death and resurrection after three days This Fathers Authority is referred to by the Magdeburgenses also Cent. 4. c. 6. Col. 416. And let this suffice for the Fourth Century § 73. Ascend we now up to the Third Century And about the middle of that Anno 248 was St. Cyprian made Bishop of Carthage and ten years after as Dr. Hammond notes he suffered martyrdom He in the year 257 sate in Council with 66 Bishops In that Council was debated a question proposed by Fidus. The question was not whether Infants might be baptized at all that was no question then that I see but whether they might be baptized the Quantum verò ad causam infantium pertinet quos dixisti intra secundum vel tertium diem quo nati sunt constitutos baptizari non oportere considerandam legem esse circumcisionis antiquae ut intra octavum dient eum qui natus est baptizandum sanctificandum non putares longe aliud in concilio nostro omnibus visum est In hoc enim quod tu putaâ—as faciendum esse nemo consensit sed universi potius â—udicavimus nulli hominum nato misericordiam Dei gratiam dene gandam D. Cypr. Ep. ad Fidum l. 3. Ep. 8. Porro autem si etiam gravissimis delictoribus in Deum multum ante peccantibus cum postea crediderint remissa peccatorum datur à baptismo atque gratia nemo prohibetur quanto magis prohiberi non debet infans qui recens natus nil peccavit nisi quod secundum Adam carnaliur natus contagium mortis antiquae primâ nativitate contraxit Qui ad remissam peccatorum accipiendam hoc ipso faciliùs accedit quod illi non propria remittuntur peccata sed aliena Et ideo frater charissime haec fuit in concilio nostra sententia à baptismo atque à gratiâ Dei qyi omnibus misericors benignus pius est neminem per nos debere prohiberi Quod cum circa universos observandum sit atque retinendum tum magis circa infantes ipsos recâ—ns natos observandum putamus qui hoc ipso de ope nostra ac de divina misericordla plus merentur quod in primo statim nativitatis suae ortu plorantes ac flentes nihil aliud faciunt quam deprecantur Id. ib. This is referred to by the Magdâ—b Cent. 3. c. 4. col 49 c. 6. col 125. ib. c. 9. col 205. second or third day after birth or whether as in circumcision so in baptism the eighth day were not to be expected To this Question St. Cyprian in his Epistle to Fidus returns in Answer the judgment of the Council upon the Case So that by the way his Testimony is not a single witness but the Testimony of a Council and that of above threescore Bishops in conjunction with him And what 's their judgment We all resolved upon the case that the mercy and grace of God and consequently that means of Grace which was under debate namely baptism was not to be denied to any child of men And if saith he no man be hindred from Baptism and Grace i. e. from the Grace of Baptism how much more ought not an Infant to be forbidden And again this was our determination in Council that no man ought by us to be kept back from baptism and the grace of God which being to be observed and held about all much more do we think it ought to be so about Infants and new born children This and more to the purpose speaks the Father in that Epistle § 74. In the same Century but somewhat before Cyprian flourished Origen who dyed Anno 254 And he hath several passages in him to our present purpose Little ones saith he in his 14 th Homily on Luke aâ—e baptized Parvuli baptizantur in remissionem peccatorum Quorum peccatorum vel quo tempore pâ—ccaverunt aut quâ—modo potest ullalavaeri in parvulis ratio subsistere nisi juxta illum sensum de quo
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 47. I might add that its being said that all that believed were together does not prove that the whole multitude of believers men and women were always all together never asunder but all in all places and at all times and in all actions still together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not enforce that I might add also that it is not demonstrable that the breaking of bread here is infallibly meant of the Holy Sacrament for some understand it otherwise though it is ordinarily so understood And then where 's all the force of the Argument from Example gone Nothing here said by H. D. has proved it And much of the same rate is the proof for Command from 1 Cor. 11. 28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Here saith H. D. the Greek word signifieth a man or woman the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of the common gender as appears 1 Tim. 2. 4 5. There is one Mediator betwixt God and Man and Woman To which I Reply Admitting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be as he saith of the common gender and that whilest it continues undetermined to either sex by any distinguishing note it may be allowed to comprehend both sexes in it as in 1 Tim. 2. 5. where we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any article of either masculine or feminine gender to confine it to either sex and exclude the other yet where it is determined by distinguishing notes to either sex how doth it follow that the excluded sex is necessarily implied under that note that excludes it The nature of common words being such that before their determination by any masculine or feminine adjective they are applicable to either sex but after their determination to either they are no longer common to both Had it been said to be of the doubtfull gender something might have been inferred from that But as the word is not of that gender so H. D. expresly saith it is of the common gender Now look but into 1 Cor. 11. 28 and it is most evidently apparent that the signification of the common word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is determined to the male sex by the very next word that follows it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself which is of the masculine gender and not of the feminine and in propriety of speaking denotes the male and not the female sex So that that Text which is onely express for mens receiving the Sacrament can be no express command for womens receiving it also And whereas he saith there is the same word used in Gal. 3. 28. First it signifies nothing if it were there unless it were so used as expresly under a determination of sex by gender to intend a sex excluded by such determination But secondly it is not true that it is there for there is no such word used in that Text but to take in both the sexes there are two words each distinctly belonging to its several sex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first for male and the second for female And so that Text is nothing to the purpose And now having shewed that there is no proof from either the Example or Command produced by H. D. from Scripture for womens admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I may conclude that the proof for Infants Baptism is as good as for womens Communion and wish it might as H. D. saith it shall suffice CHAP. XXXVII The Conclusion of this Discourse with a Reprehension Caution and Exhortation § 1. THe remaining part of this Discourse wherein I will not be long shall be spent in a threefold address by way of Reprehension Caution and Exhortation Reprehension of such as baptize not their Infants Caution against the seductions of Antipaedobaptists and Exhortation to the baptizing of Infants § 2. And first if it be so that little children are to be suffered to come to Christ and ought not to be hindred from coming to him then do they deserve a sharp rebuke that will not suffer them to come but hinder their coming Hath Christs so much tenderness of heart towards your Infants hardened your own hearts against them What a cruelty is this to them to debar them from and deprive them of that Remedy for their native Infirmity which the Physician of souls hath provided for them Do ye love to see them wallowing in the blood of their nativity unwashed therefrom in the Laver of Regeneration Is natures filth so amiable in the eye of any pretending to be Christian What a presumptuousness is this in you to let them live and venture their dying in a damnable estate And if they be not damned they have more to thank the mercy of their God then the care of their Parents they might have been damned for all you you resolved to venture both theirs and your own damnation too rather than have them baptized though you knew baptism to be the means the onely ordinary means there is whereby they might be saved What shall I call it in you pride or perverseness that you so contumaciously and contumeliously oppose and confront your private novel conceit to the judgment and practice of Christs whole Catholick Church Yea what is it cross-grainedness or rebelliousness against the Lord Christ himself to have no regard to his word no respect to his reason but opposing your resolution against his reason and your will against his word to hinder little children from coming to him and forbid their coming though he hath said Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not § 3. Secondly are little children to be suffered to come to Christ and ought they not to be forbidden coming to him then my Brethren beware of giving ear to the contrary Infusions of Antipaedobaptistical Seducers O let no man whisper into you any doctrine that contradicts the Command of Christ disagrees with the Institution of Christ and crosses the practice of the Universal Church of Christ O consider not what they say now but what Christ so long ago hath said and let his word be of more prevalency with you than the words of any heretical Seducer O regard not what they do now but what the Church of Christ hath ever done and let her judgment be of more power with you than the Opinion of any Schismatical Separatist O think not that an upstart generation of men not heard of in the world till many hundreds of years after Christianity had been planted and setled in the world are the onely men in the world that have the priviledge of discerning the truth But stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where â—s the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls Jer. 6. 16. § 4. Lastly are little Children to be suffered to come to Christ and ought not their coming to be forbidden Suffer then