the Scriptures as we have often quoted and then the result of Mr T. his argument will be only this Augustine read the Scriptures for originall sinne in Infants and Infant-baptisme and so did the Councill of Milevis Ergo the Councâ—ll â—f Milevis depended on the authority of Augustine A non-sequitur that every man will perceive Two Councellours urge the same clause of a statute or the same deduction thence clear to both their reasons will it follow therefore that the ones judgement depended on the other But saith Mr T. I value Augustines judgement EXAMEN just so much as his proofes and reason weigh Wee answer Animadver That 's well But as we may not extoll good men too much so nor depresse an Augustine a Luther as if we would by a back blow strike out their eyes and then say they saw nothing Augustines retractations and Luthers voluntary suffering of so many losses and crosses for the truth are incomparable signes they aspired not to be high in authority over mens consciences Augustine argued out of the Scriptures plentifully according to his light for that he held so doth Mr T. so do others Therefore let us not too rashly despise one anothers arguments The Councill of Milevis did Anathematize them that did deny originall sinne and perhaps them that said Infants were not baptized into remission of sinnes but they do not curse them that will not make Infants originall sinne an argument for Infant-baptisme Sure Augustine did not so Anathema and therefore the C. of Milevis tooke no such thing from him and therefore no wonder they doe not practise it But Mr T. again urgeth the baptisme of Augustine at above 30 years old EXAMEN §. 8. of Alipius his friend at ripe years of Adâ—odatus his sonne at 15 to prove that the custome of baptizing Infants was not so received as that the Church thought it necessary that all children of Christians by profession should be baptized in their Infancy Wee answer first in generall Animadver That they were perswaded that of Equity they ought to baptize all Christians children as the stream of Antiquity hath carried it of which afore abundantly And Mr T. himselfe chargeth Augustine and Cyprian that they thought too many Infants were to be baptized namely all that had Christian parents or undertakers If therefore in fact some few were not baptized in infancy it must needs be that there was some outward forcible stop no inward lett in the judgement As the Israelites in fact gave not their children the first Seal or signe of Circumcision for 40 years in the wildernesse by reason of their pilgrimage there so long and God bare with it though by equity they should have done it upon the eighth day after birth upon pain of cutting off Gen. 17. 2 In particular Touching Augustine's baptisme that it was not done till he was about 34 or 35 yeares of age we have before acknowledged and we shall give a full account why anon after when we have done with this 8. Sect. of Mr T. his EXAMEN and returne to his EXERCITATION Section 17. where Mr T. urgeth the same thing touching Augustine But mean while for Adeodatus Augustines sonne if Mr T. be sure he was baptized at 15 the cause might be this Seeing Augustine when he was at mans estate about 32 years old ranne into most blasphemous errors and after that became Catechumenus A Catechised about two years and so not baptized till about 34 or 35 he might possibly have a sonne of about 15 years old unbaptized till the father were owned in the Church for a Christian and then he and his sonne Adeodatus and his friend Alipius might be baptized the same Day Augustine and his friend being men Adeodatus his sonne being a youth of 15 years of age But there is no mention or probality that either Alipius had believing parents or that Alipius had been long a Christian but rather the contrary * See August Confess lib. 6. c. 7. And it is uncertain to me and not to me only looking more wishly on the wordes of Augustine whether Adeodatus were baptized the same time his father was or no ** Inde ubi tempus advenit quo me nomen dare oporteret relicto rure Mediolanum remeavimus Placuit Alipio renasci in te mecum Jam indato humilita esacramentis tuis congrua fortisumo domitore corporis ulque ad Italicum solum glaciâ—â—e â—udo pede obterendum insolito â—â—su Adjunximus etiam nobis puerum Adeodatum exâ—â—e â—â—tum carnaliter de peccato meo Tu bene feceras eum Annorum erat feâ—me qui decim ingeniâ— praeveniebat multos graves doctos viros Munera tua tibi coâ—fâ—eor do nine deus meus creator omnâ—um mulâ—um potens reformare nostra deformia Nam ego in illo puero praeter delictum nihil habebam Quod enim enutriabatur a nobis in disciplina tua tu inspiraveras nobis nullus alius Aug. Confess lib. 9. cap. 6. Nor is it of moment whether he was or was not For Mr T. his conclusion from these premisses of Augustine Adeodatus and Alipius I say his conclusion that the Church thought it not NECESSARY That all children of Christians by profession should be baptized in their Infancie doth not necessarily follow But Mr T. in his EXAMEN Sect. 8. asserts further that though he conceived with Grotius on Mat. 19.14 That Baptisme of Infants was much more frequented and with greater opinion of necessity in Affrica then in Asia or other parts of the world for saith he in the Councilis you cannot finde ancienter mention of that custome then the Councill of Carthage yet Mr T. doth very much question whether they did in Africa even in Augustines time baptize children except in danger of death or for the health of body or for such like reason I do not finde saith Mr T. that they held that Infants must be baptized out of such cases for it is cleer out of sundry of Augustines Tracts as particularly Tract 11. in Johan that the order held of distinguishing the Catechumeni and baptized and the use of catechising afore baptisme still continued ANIMADVERS We Answer 1. For the judgement of Grotius as it appears there we have abundantly spoken of it afore as for us 2. For this particular quotation as applyed by Mr. T. we say besides that it is a naked thing not backed to a sufficiency of a cleer and manifest assertion from negatives especially in the point of necessity we may justly Quare 1. How much more frequencie and necessity doth Mr T. meane How much more can he make appear For sure he cannot dispute from punctilio's And what use will Mr T. make of it if for a time there appeared a grain more in Africa then in Asia An Argument is not managed by countenance or gravity of asserting Men in divers countries may more frequently and with more â—â—al practise a truth and yet the
truth be still the same Yea different complexions and conditions of Countries in receiving or opposing a truth may make it to be more or lesse practised and yet the minds of true Christians in both may be alike one with the rule Yea if the more frequency of Infant Baptisme were never so ancient in Africa according to the Councils there whereof that in Cyprians time was one * Cyprian was within 148 yeers after the Apostles yet we know that it came first from Asia ** This Asia the greaâ— consisted of Anatolia Syâ—ia Palestina Armenia Arabia Media Assyria Mesopotamia Persia Chaldea Parthia Hircania Tartaria China India the Islands of the Indian and Mediterranean seas where man was created Christ born wrought mirocles suffered All the pen-men of both Testaments acted were the Monarchies and captivities over the Church Great Asia included Asia the lesse since called Anatolia * This Anatolia or Asia the lesse comprehendeth Cilicia Pamphylia Lycia Bythinia Pontus Paphlagonia Galatia Cappadociae Lycaonia Pissdia Armenia the lisse and Asia propria that is the Estern Country where were the seven Churches Revel 1. this included Asia Propria ** Which comprehends Caria Jonia Lydiaa Aeulis and both the phyrigiae's of which at least is meant that Act. 19.10 and 27. All Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus And certaine which were the chief of Asia sent unto Paul Sutably we quoted Justin Martyr for one of our witnesses since the Apostles time of Infant Baptisme He was a Samaritan which is part of Palestine in Asia the Great Genere Samaritanus atque è Samaritanis ad Christi fidem transiit Epiphan Some of Samaria were converted by Christ John 4. v. 5. v. 29. v. 30. v. 39. After in the Apostles time the Word was preached to many Villages of the Samaritans Act. 8.25 Justin Martyr was converted to the faith about 28 yeares after the Apostles To that of not baptizing children in Africa but in danger of death or c. we have shewd the contrary out of severall antiquities particularly out of Cyprian whither we refer the reader And sure enough from the life of Augustin of which anon after it is cleer that Augustines sicknes whiles young was some occasion of deferring his baptism for that time For he saith in his first book of Confessions and c. 11. That having been sick they deferred their thoughts of baptizing him that they might the more freely give him his will to do what he would for the furtherance of his recovery which they might not allow him if once he were under the bonds of Baptisme Those words Mr T. addes Children were baptized for the health of body or such like reason seem to clash against that he so often presseth in his book that Augustine and the Ancients did too much put salvation and the taking away Originall sinne in Baptisme which presently Mr T. repeaâ—es within 25 lines following You may conceive saith Mr T. how light Augustines judgement was by considering the ground upon which Augustine held and urged the baptisme of Infants so vehemently which was saith Mr T. as all know that read his works the opinion he had that without baptisme Infants must be damned by reason of Originall sin which is not taken away but by baptisme and for this quotes severall places out of Augustine T. 7. de Nat. Gra. c. 8. T. 2. Ep. 28. For the distinction of the Chatechised and the Baptized and that the use of catechising afore baptisme still continued and a great while after he means Augustines time All this doth not overthrow the common tenet and practise of that antiquity and upward as well as downward in baptizing Christians children The chatechising being for the children of those whose parents were not supposed Christians as before we abundantly shewed out of Tertullian and Iunius upon him and out of Pareus Calvin Bullinger Marlorat c. on Heb. 6.2 And this is practised in all Protestant Kingdomes to this day notwithstanding the constancy of baptizing Infants If there be not used a right judgement to determine who are Christian-parents that is the fault of men not of the Ordinance or its institution If I should go about to answer that quotation of Augustine with others out of Augustine I might abound with his sentences for Infant Baptisme As his collation of Baptisme and Circumcision in many places of his works His Collation of baptisme with the Flood the Cloud and Red Sea divers times His sayings That Baptisme is not to be deferred That repentance is not absolutely universally necessary before baptism His severall tracts of the Baptism of little ones c. Which we need not quote to them that are acquainted with Augustine All which shew in what sence Augustine spake of catechising before baptisme viz. of those whose Parents were not Christians If with Nazianzen he had held that little children of three years old being Chatechised to answer that they understood not might be baptized what is that more to the purpose then to baptize them whiles Infants We must understand that in most of the Fathers times there were no whole Kingdomes or for the most part converted or Religious worship set up by allowance of the state but the generall of them were heathens Therefore of necessity there must have been some catechising afore the baptizing of some And for baptizing Infants for bodily health c. named but not quoted out of Augustine as his opinion we can answer it out of Augustine who saith T. 7. Col. 84. c. Edit Basil Ibid. Col. 55. That Baptisme doth not profit all That Baptisme profits not without charity That one baptisme by faith purgeth And that the Vertue of Baptisme is not in the water but in the word which we forbear to quote and translate at large as having too much if it might have been prevented troubled the readâ—r with quotations already They are obvious to him that reads Augustine But Mr T. EXAMEN §. 8. objects that catechizing afore baptisme continued in Augustines time and after a great while in Asia because Peter Cluniacensis saith that there had been none but Infants baptized in all Europe for 300 or 500 years afore his time but doth not deny the baptisme of men of ripe years in Asia We answer First touching Cluniacensis we have said abundance afore Secondly Animadver that this Argument doth no more determine any thing about Asia then about Affrica which is Mr T. his Qu. in hand And for Affrica we have heard abundantly out of all sorts of antiquity of the baptizing of Infants Thirdly Cluniacensis professeth himself a Latin ignorant of Greek and other tongues and therefore doth not determine here any thing concerning places out of Europe but is silent concerning them Fourthly Touching baptisme of Infants in Asia we heard afore To that Mr T. objects Augustine and Ambrose his judgement for Infant-baptisme as putting too much in the ordinance as conducing to salvation
Pet. 2.9 Examined which things are said of the Israelites Exod. 19. 〈◊〉 6. Therefore beleevers of the Nations obtain the same birth priviledges which the Israelites had and therefore the children are within the Covenant and to be baptized as the children of the Israelites were to be circumcised Mr T. his Answer is first If this Argument proceed it will follow that there is some Nationall Church among the Gentiles as of old among the Jews which is not to be granted which I would have understood in this sence There is now no such Nationall-Church as amongst the Israeliets so as that a person should be accounted a member of a Church in that he is an Englishman Sco◠Dutchman c. In this speech JOPPOSE NOT THEM WHICH AFFIRME Note THE OUTWARD GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO NATIONALL SYNODS Secondly Exod. 19.5 6. God speakes not of a priviledge flowing from birth but Obedience Thirdly The Epistle was written to the dispersed Jews and therefore the Argument lies lyable to exception when it is drawn from that which is said of the Jewes as if it were said of the Gentiles Fourthly The sence is ye which beleeve ver 7. whom God hath called out of darknesse are a holy Nation whether Iews or Gentiles by spirituall regeneration as beleevers are called a family or kinred Ephess 3.15 The houshold of faith Gal. 6.10 The house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 A people 1 Pet. 2.10 Wherefore in this family kinred house people are onely beleevers whom not carnall birth but spirituall causeth to be reckoned in that number We Reply Animadver to Mr T. his first particular thus The Argument in my eye doth not proceed to suppose some Nationall Church among the Gentiles For it doth not say The Nations of beleevers but The Beleevers of Nations obtaine the same birth priviledges Besides it recites a text written to the Iewes who were scattered from being a formall Nation throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Chap. 1. v. 1. And when they were a formall Nation a person was not counted a member of that Church quatenus ipsum precisely as he was a Iew but as he was circumcised or the Infant of one circumcised and so to be circumcised also A Iew was cut off if not circumcised according to the institution to Abrabraham Gen. 17. And a Gentile though a Gentile was a member of that Church if circumcised Ibid. Gen. 17. Just as an Englishman as an Englishman was not reckoned a member of the Church or Churches in England if unfit to be Baptized but kept out or a damnable Heretick after Baptisme but was cast out or if one be not the Infant of one baptized Though Mr Tombes seemes to oppose Nationall Churches yet he sets them up thus far wherein those of his judgement in the Question in hand I mean the ANABAPTISTS WILL NOT APPROVE Mr TOMBES That the outward government of the Church should be SVBIECT to NATIONALL SYNODS Nor will Mr Tombes please himself with the direct inference that will follow from his expresse words which inference is this That if a Nationall Synod in England shall determine that Infants of Beleevers shall be baptized whiles Infants Mr. T. must SVBIECT to it and lay down all his Exercitat Examination and Appendix against the baptizing of beleevers Infants as labour in vaine cancelled writings an old Almanack For Mr Tombes hath not in a matter of so great consequence reserved to himself by any expresse here so much as this exception That he will not SVBMIT in case they determine contrary to the Scriptures in his judgement but that he will have his liberty to stand out against the determination If any can at the first sight of this suddenly divine and Edict by Proclamation that this exception was supposed it may be as suddenly and rationally argued back again that this would have been sooner understood of the vulgar and readier been beleeved of the wiser if it had been here expressed But if they will have it supposed then the Question will be first Whether Mr T. according to his design hath prevented all offence to any of whom he would be rightly understood touching Nationall Synods Secondly What greater thing hath he said than divers others with whom yet he doth not for ought I know close in point of Church-Government To Mr T. his second reply touching Exod. 19.6 That the place being spoken to the parents suppose upon condition of obedience doth no way infringe that the children of those obedient parents should be counted of that holy Nation that is among the reputed holy of that Nation witnesse their Circumcision and their no-capacity of disobedience To the third particular we reply That this Epistle being written to the dispersed Jews leanes pronly for application to the Gentile-beleevers that though they are as a dispersed people among the unchristian Christian called-nations yet their Infants with them are to be accounted indefinitely holy as the children of circumcised Jews were counted holy To Mr T. his fourth particular we reply That there is nothing in it that doth evince that the children of the regenerate should not be accounted federally among the beleeving Gentiles of the more more glorious New Testament as among the Jews under the shadowed Old Testament Sixthly it will be answered saith M. T. that the Church of God Exercitat failes not § 13. The Argument from the Churches sayling if Infant-baptsme be not lawfull Examined But we must say the Church of God hath failed if Baptisme of Infants be not lawfull Ergo. Mr T. Answ 1. The Church of God may consist without baptisme as in the crucified converted thief c. Secondly neither perhaps is it necessary to be said that the baptisme of Infants because not lawfull is therefore null Thirdly there was in the Church Baptisme of persons grown in all ages Ludov. Vives in his Comment upon Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 27. hath these words No man of old was brought unto the place of holy baptisme unlesse he were of grown age already and when the same person knew what that mysticall water meant and desired to be washed in it and that more then once an image of which thing we see yet in our baptisme of Infants for as yet the Infant though born the same day or the day before is asked whether he would be baptized and that thries for whom the sureties answer that he would I beare in some Cities in Italy that the old custome for a great part is yet preserved We reply To the first particular First doth one converted thees continue the church Animadver 2 Or if an accident that many by divine providentiall necessity are bolted and debarred from an ordinance for a certain time doth not interrupt the Churches succession when God by his prerogative will continue it Can at another time wilfull neglect of an Ordinance in a right manner yea the applying of it grossely to the
integrity or ripenesse of body and mind c. but gives not proofs or reasons but onely one single instance of Augustine himselfe for an universall proposition 3. As we noted afore that Walfrid grossely mistook in the alleadging that one instance of Augustine For Walfrid saith in his book De rebus Ecclesiasticis which we have under our eye that Augustine reports in his confessions of himselfe that he continued a Catechumenus a chatechised person till he was 25 years old before he was baptized when as Augustine saith of himselfe in his books of confessions that he was not converted till about the thirtieth year of his age after which he continued a Catechized one about two years in which time he wrote against the Academians and wrote his Soliloquies and in his 34 yeer of his age he was baptized at Mellain of Ambrose You see then how little credit is to be given to dreaming Walafrid in this point of Augustine 4. Walafrid confesseth that upon the increase of diligent search into divine Religion men of understanding in Christian doctrine finding that peccatum originale Adae c. the originall sin of Eve did hold guilty not onely those that had committed actuall sinne but those that had not according to the 51 Psalm in sin did my mother conceive me and Rom. 3. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that from Adam we had all sinned c. That upon these grounds of Scripture they that is those religious men baptized their Infants into remission of sinne And this practise of Infant-baptisme Walfrid judgeth a token of the growth of Religion And alleadgeth Augustins book of baptism of Infants and the African Councills and the Fathers in generall for Infant Baptisme against that of Augustines practise baptized at ripe yeares and withall Walafrid saith That thus those wise Christians did Baptize their Infants into remission of sinnes and for regeneration and not as some Hereticall persons contra-opposing against the grace of God contend that Infants are not necessarily to be baptized And now I hope I have given Mr T. enough of his Walafrid upon his so oft and confident alleadging him and have satisfied the Reader touching him If Mr T. speaks of Walfridus his mention of the invention of Gossips as they call them following upon Infant-Baptisme and spirituall kin of Gossips following upon that as thereby to blemish Walafridus then Mr T. breaks his own shins For Mr T. did go upon the legs of Walafridus to fetch us an antiquity against Infant-baptism If Mr T. doth but use Walafridus his antiquity of the invention of those two things We Answ 1. Gossips were long before Augustines time even in Tertullians time many hundred yeers afore Superstitions of divers sorts crept into the Church soon after Constantines time And spirituall kin of Gossips is but a novell late dream of yester night in comparison of the Church of Rome falsly so called 3. That neither of these inventions necessarily depend on Infant baptisme more then a rope of sand or pebles in a With for as much as if beleevers practised the baptisme of their children it was seldome but one of the Parents were alive in the Infancy of the child Kneeling followed the Communion and adoration of the Elements followed that kneeling yet these do nothing disparage the Communion it selfe in the Institution and substance of it but onely defiled the Communicants that so superstitiously used that sacred thing Thus of Walafridus Strabo Now of Peter de Bruis and of Peter Cluniacensis his Epistles to two A. B B. and two B B. against him which are called Epistolae contra Petro-brusianorum Heinricianorum haereses And well may De Bruis and Heinricus be taxed with Herefie if that be true Cluniacensis chargeth upon them And he professeth twice that he would not accuse them upon uncertainties and reports but upon that writing taken from them and brought to him wherein he chargeth them as from their own mouths that they denyed all the Scriptures especially in the New Testament excepting the four Evangelists Evangelium at supra dixi vos suscipere Epistolas Pauli c. cur non suscipitis Respondetis quia non adeo certa nobis earum authoritas est And for this cause Cluniacensis spends two long chapters in proving the Old Testament and the New to be the true Word of God by quotations out of the four Evangelists which Evangelists Bruis and Henricus did acknowledge and Cluniacensis goes over all the Bible so book after book to so approve them to Bruis and his collegue But to come to the point in hand of paedobaptisme 1. Mr T. tells us that Peter de Bruis denyed Baptisme but tels us not the rest that Peter de Bruis denyed in that very point Mr T. shewed us fairly the green grasse but not the snake lurching in it Truely I could not but with fadnesse read Cluniacensis of Peter de Bruis when I found how there as formerly Mr T. takes here and there a touch of Authors that is for his turn and conceals that which is most necessarily mixed and twisted with it which if Mr T. had but intimated would have overthrown his quotations For Mr T. his Petrus Cluniacensis gives us the first Preposition so he calls it of Petrus de Bruis thus Mar. 16.15 Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit salvus erit qui verà non crediderit damnabitur Ex his apertè monstratur nullum nisi exediderit baptizatus fuerit hoc est nisi Christianam fidem habuerit baptismuni perceperit posse salvari Nam non alterum horum fed utrumque pariter salvat * And a little after this is made more plain Nec baptismus sine propria fide nec propria fides sine baptisme aliquid potuit Neutrum cuim sine altero salvat That is unde infantes licèt a vobis baptizentur quia tamen credere obstante aetate non possunt nequaquam salvantur Non rebaptizamus sed baptizamus quia nunquam baptizatus dicendus est qui baptismo quo peèccata lavantur lotus non est that is Mark 16.15 He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned Hence it is apparently demonstrated saith Peter de Bruis that none unlesse he beleeve and be baptized that is hath Christian faith and receives and perceives Baptisme can be saved For not one of these alone doth save but both of them joyntly see the Margin ** Neither could baptism without ones own proper faith be ableto do any thing nor ones own proper faith without baptism For neither of them without the other saveth So doth Peter de Bruis after explain himselfe Therefore faith De Bruis to Cluniacensis his partee though Infants be baptized by you yet because through the hinderance of their age they cannot believe by no means are they saved We saith De Bruis do not rebaptize but baptize because he is never to be said
the mother of us all the Baptisme of thy Christ and of God my Lord. And the mother of my flesh was much troubled c. and earnestly hasty that I should be initiated and washed with the saving Sacrament c. But being now refreshed that my purifying was delayed And Augustine tels us the reason in many words the effect in short was this That his friends thought that more indulgence was to be allowed to let him have his will to doe what he listed being yet weake and not fully recovered then was fiâ— to be permitted in case hâ— had bin Baptized Which thing Augustine there bewaâ—â—es in these words my Baptisme was delayed as if it had beene necessary I should be more defiled it I would live It founded in my eares from these and those let him alone to doe what he will for he is not yet Baptized And yet of the health of the body we say not let him be wounded more for he is not yet healed Fourthly when he was Post pueritiam past the age of childhood or of a little boy or lad many and great waves of temptation hung over him * So in the same booke chap of his Confessions And though in his child-hood or lad-ship he loved not his learning and hated to be urged to it yet there was lesse feare of him then then when he was a youth * In adolescentia So in the 12. chap. of that first booke of his Confessions Fifthly After this before his Baptisme which was about the 34. yeere of his age as we shewed afore he ranne into blasphemous errors in so much as his mother would not admit him to her table so he confesseth in his third booke of Confessions Chap. 11. And thus you see the life of Augustine and the causes of the delay of his Baptisme sure enough the delay of his and Constantines baptisme was not from the custome of the Churches as we have before prooved From a non-fact to a non-equity is no consequence though they were not Baptized young yet they ought But Mr. T. Exercitat §. 17. gives other instances for his particulars in his minor of Theodosius Alipius Adeodatus that were not baptized in their child-hood and so Infants baptisme was not Vniversally practised in those times 1. Touching Alipius and Adeodatus we have answered afore Animadver That of Alipius is very doubtfull whether he were of Religious Parents the contrary being more probable by some passages out of Augustine we have there quoted And it is doubtfull of Adeodatus whether he were baptized at 15. yeeres old as was alleadged 2. Touching Theodosius the Great for that 's the man I suppose Mr T. meanes it is true that both Pezelius and Socrates Scholasticus doe tell us that he was baptized at mans estate but they doe not make out that which is deficient in Mr T. his assertion namely whether his Parents or either of them were Christians when he was an infant It is true that they say he was formerly trayned up in Christianitie But by the story it seemes to me that Religion did not so cease upon his spirit or that he did so declare himselfe against Arrianisme and for the Orthodox Religion and faith till he fell sick a little afore his baptisme For the naked story in short is this His Collegues Valentinian the second his assistant in many batles and Gratian who was Partner with Theodosius in a victory against the Barbarians being dead Theodosius succeeded them in the Empire By stock a Spaniard his descent from Trajan he had beene formerly trayned up in Christianitie After the aforesaid battles he fell ill and lay sore sicke at Thessalonica in which time he desired to be baptized Sent for Anatolius alias Ascholius the Bishop of that Church asked him whether it was lawfull for him to be baptized of an Hereticall Bishop The Bishop answering that for his part he detested the opinion of Arius that he imbraced the faith delivered by the Apostles and set forth in the Nicen Creede by the Council of Nice he was presently baptized by him Then wrote Theodosius to the people of Constantinople that he was addicted to the Orthodox Religion and exhorted them to constantly imbrace the Orthodox faith Thus the story Now what inferences Mr T. can justly make hence for a consult delay of Theodosius his baptisme by his Christian friends I know not This hence onely appeares to me that seeing we cannot learne neither how good his Parents were at his baptisme though great in his infancie and who shall meddle with great mens children in point of Sacraments without their consent nor how long or how much his education in Christianity had beene in his youth it being unlikely that forwardnesse in Religion would forward them to be elected Emperours in those generally troublesome and Hethenish times nor what leasure he had seriously to thinke of Religion and worship in his young manhood the Empire then being full of warres against the Gothes Hunnes and Alanes c. That that was the onely fit time to baptize him when he was baptized Now his sicknesse made his soule well Now he had leasure to thinke of Religion for his owne soule now he is hungry for baptisme now he regarded of what faith Ministers were now being Emperour and baptized he declares himself in writing what he was in Religion and in opinion Therefore for Mr T. to infer from the Contingency of Theodosius his baptisme at ripe yeare to a Necessity that the Churches then thought so baptisme ought to be administred is a consequence which I never found in my Logick And if This Theodosius was about the yeere 401. after Christ as the Eccles Chrono at the end of Euseb tells us * Others put him higher then all those Godly learned Ancients before alleadged for infant baptisme from Justin Martyr to Augustin had declared their judgements to the world for the same as the Tenet and Practise of the Churches in all age of the New Testament And therefore Theodosius and the other few instances Mr T. hath given of adult baptisme at ripe yeeres were rather beside then according to the generall Tenet or Practise of the Churches anciently and downward which doe no more infringe the generalily of the Tenet and Practise of Infant baptisme then the hills and vallyes doe the roundnesse of the world's which by the Moone we can see keepes its exact rotundity The Moone light of antiquitie can shew us that the generalitie of Infant baptisme hath been all along so uniuersally held and practised that it swallowes up a small handfull of instances of the other practise Mr T. his fourth particular of his Minor Exercitat Sect. 17. of his fifth argument against infant Baptisme is That together with it went along the error of giving the Lords supper to Infants as is manifest out of the booke of Cyprian de lapsis and others In our answer to this 1. Let us consider the proof 2.
and alleadgeth them If it be not so much a necessity as to have witnesses also in the danger The Lord saith indeed forbid them not to come unto me let them come therefore when they grow up to youth c. So Tertullian in the aforesaid book concerning baptisme Upon which place Vossius * Thes Theolog Hist de Paedob saith thus We think that nothing is here denyed but onely the necessity of baptisme when there is no danger of death for that 's the meaning of those words What necessity if there be not so much necessity as c. but in no case did he deny that Infants might be baptized yea and if there be danger least afterwards they be not baptized its plain they ought to be baptized which we do not obscurely discern by that which Tertullian writeth in his booke of the soul and the 39. and 40. chapter and then recited the words which before we quoted and translated to you Thus Vossius Give us but leave to give you learned and pious Iunius his note too on this place of Tertullian and we shall have done with Tertullian The words of Iunius are these Tria hic distinctè proponit Auctor Notae Franc. Junii ad Tertul de Baptis c. that is The Author propunds here three things distinctly which being rightly understood the place is most holy 1. The CONDITION of persons to be baptized is that they be in Covenant whether they be of age or little children 2. DISPOSITION is when they beleeve and obey the Gospell and make profession 3. They are not accounted to be OF AGE which are in covenant for the little children of Godly men are in Covenant but who so professe the faith Therefore when he saith ESPECIALLY CONCERNING LITTLE CHILDREN that must needs be understood of the children of strangers or Forraigners not of the children of those that are in Covenant and so domestick or of the family of the Church as is confirmed by the following Aetiologie or GIVING THE CAVSE namely what necessity is there if there be not so much necessity as for witnesses or God-fathers and God-mothers c. For we know that the first invention of witnesses was for the children whose parents could not be accounted members of the Church Mr T. his objections after against Tertul are prevented here and further answered in the 14 chap. of our Animadversions at the word CYPRIAN in the Margin That this was the mind of these Authours Justin Martyr Irenaeus and Tertullian in this age next after the Apostles will further appear by the consent of the most approved Ancients that followed them in the next succeeding ages which we have thought most proper to defer to the next chapter of our Animadversions upon Mr T. his fifth Argument CHAP. XIIII THE fifth Argument That which in succeeding Ages in which it was in use Exercitat Argu. 4. § 17. The Argument from the wrong originall of Infant-Baptism confirmed against it was in force 1 as a Tradition not written 2 Out of imitation of Jewish Circumcision 3 Without universall practise 4 Together with the error of giving Infants the Lords supper and many other humane inventions under the name of Apostolicall traditions That is deservedly doubtfull But in some ages after the first from the Apostles the tenet and practise of Infant-Baptisme was in use 1 as a tradition not written as appears from Origen Hom. on Rom. 6. Of which book neverthelesse let me add the censure of Erasmus on the Homilies of Origen upon Leviticus But he that reads this work and the enarration of the Epistle to the Romans is uncertain whether he read Origen or Ruffinus And the testimony fetched from these books for Infant-Baptisme is so much the more to be suspected because Augustine Hierom c. rely so far as yet is manifest to me on no other testimony then of Cyprian and his fellow-Bishops in the Councell of which mention is made Epist 59. ad Fidum Secondly out of imitation of Jewish Circumcision as the doubt of Fidus in the 59. Epistle of Cyprian to Fidus intimates though there were also other reasons of Infant-baptisme as the opinion of the necessity of Baptisme to salvation and the greedinesse to increase the number of Christians and perhaps the imitation of heathenish lustration of little ones and some other Thirdly without universall practise for it is manifest that Constantine although borne of Helena his mother a Christian was not baptized till aged as Eusebius in the life of Constantine written by him The same is manifest from the booke of Confessions of Augustine concerning Augustine himselfe whose mother Monica was a Christian The things which may be drawne out of Theodoret Augustine and others concerning Theodosius Alipius Adeodatus and many others although my bookes and notes out of them are wanting to me by reason of the injury of the times unlesse I be deceived will evince that though in the Churches of those times little ones were baptized yet many were not baptized whose baptisme its likely the Church would sooner have dispatched if the opinion of Baptisme that now obtains had then obtained Fourthly together with the error of giving the Lords supper to Infants as is manifest out of the booke of Cyprian de lapsis and others And that many other Inventions of men under the name of Apostolicall tradition out of a wrong likeing of Judaism did then prevail as the Paschall solemnity c. is so obvious to him that reades Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Writers that no man will need proof Ergo. And in very deed as of old because the right of Infant-Baptisme seemed to be of so great moment against the Pelagian heresie and for the authority of the Councell under Cyprian the Councell of Milevis Augustine Hierom and others rather then for any solid argument out of Scripture in former ages Infant-baptisme prevailed so in this last age some moderne men seeme to imbrace this tenet of Infant-Baptisme out of horror of mind least they should go headlong into the pernicious errours of former Anabaptists and their madde furies or least they should seeme to desert the leading-men of the reformed Churches or move troubles in the Church rather then from perspicuous foundation in the Scriptures which they will thinke that I have not said as one that dreames who shall read what Robert Lord Brooke hath in the end of his Treatise concerning Episcopacy Daniel Rogers in his Treatise of Baptisme and others elsewhere We Answer Animadver 1. To the major Take away the captain or leading particular to wit A tradition not written and all the souldiary of the other particulars with the great Rear to wit Many other humane inventions are not strong enough to make a true major proposition For what if according to Mr T. his ad particular of Iewish that Baptisme be an imitation of the Iewish passing through the red sea 1 Cor. 10.1 c. And the Lords Supper an imitation of the
Church Now the reason of Augustines authority was this the Pelagian heresie being generally condemned and Augustines workes being greatly esteemed as being the hammer of the Pelagians the following refuters of Pelagianisme Prosper Fulgentius c. the Councells that did condemne it as those of Carthage Arles Milevis c. did rest altogether on Augustines arguments and often on his words and Augustine in time was accounted one of the four Doctors of the Church esteemed like the four Evangelists so that his opinion was the rule of the Churches Judgement and the schools determination as to the great hurt of Gods Church Luther and others have been of late Now Augustine did very much insist on this Argument to prove originall sinne because Infanâ—s were baptized for remission of sinnes and therefore in the Councill of Milevis he was adjudged accursed that did deny it But for my part I value Augustines judgement just at so much as his proofs and reasons weigh which how light they are you may conceive August tom 1. Confess lib. 1. c. 11. Signabar signo crucisejus condiebar ejus sale jam inde ab utero matris meae quae multuâ—â— speravit in te And then follows how being young and falling sick he desired and his mother thought to have him baptized but upon his recovery it was deferred First In that whereas he makes it so Universall a tradition his owne baptisme not till above thirty though educated as a Christian by his mother Monica the Baptisme of his sonne Adeodatus at 15. of his friend Alipius if there were no more were enough to prove that this custome of baptizing infants was not so received as that the Church thought necessary that all children of Christians by profession should be baptized in their infancy And though I conceive with Grotius annot in Matth. 19.14 that baptisme of Infants was much more frequented and with greater opinion of necessity in Africa then in Asia or other parts of the world for saith he in the Councells you cannot finde ancienter mention of that custome then the Councell of Carthage Yet I doe very much question whether they did in Africa even in Augustines time baptize children except in danger of death or for the health of body or such like reason I do not finde that they held that Infants must be baptized out of such cases for it is cleare out of sundry of Augustines Tracts as particularly tract 11. in Johan that the order held of distinguishing the Catechumeni and baptized and the use of Catechizing afore baptisme still continued yea and a great while after insomuch that when Petrus Cluniacensis disputed against Peter de Bruis he said only that there had been none but Infants baptized for 300 yeares or almost 500 years in Gallia Spaine Germany Italy and all Europe and it seemes he denyed not the baptizing of growne persons in Asia still whence I collect that even in the Latine Church after Augustines dayes in sundry ages the baptizing of persons of growne age did continue as well as baptizing of infants till the great darkenesse that over-spred the Westerne Churches spoyled by Barbarous Nations destitute of learned men and ruled by ambitious and unlearned Popes when there were none to Catechize and therefore they baptized whole Countries upon the baptisme of the King of that Country though both Prince and people knew little or nothing of Christianity but were in respect of manners and knowledge Pagans still which hath been the great cause of the upholding of Papacie and corrupting of Christian Churches I meane this great corruption of baptizing making Christians giving Christendome as it is called afore ever persons were taught what Christianity was or if they were taught any thing it was onely the ceremonies and rites of the Church as they called them 2. You may conceive how light Augustine's judgement was Rivet tract de Patrum authâ—ritate c. 9. Augustinus aeternis flammis adjudic at Infantes sine badtismo morientes by considering the ground upon which Augustine held and urged the baptisme of Infants so vehemently which was as all know that read his workes the opinion he had That without baptism Infants must be damned by reason of originall sinne which is not taken away but by baptisme yea though he wanted baptisme out of necessity urging those places Joh. 3.5 Rom. 5.12 continually in his disputes against the Pelagians particularly tom 7. de natura gratia c. 8. And tom 2. ep 28. he saith Item quisquis dixerit quod in Christo vivificabuntur etiam parvuli qui sine Sacramenti ejus participatione de vita exeunt hic profecto contra Apostolicam praedicationem venit totam condemnat ecclesiam And in the close of the Epistle calls it robustissimam fundatissimam sidem qua Christi ecclesia nec parvulos homines recentissime natos a damnatione credit nisi per gratiam domini Christi quam in suis Sacramentis commendavit posse liberari And this Perkins in his Probleme proves was the opinion of Ambrose and many more And hence as Aquinas so Bellarmine proves baptisme of Infants from Joh. 3.5 And this hath been still the principall ground The ground that you go on that the covenant of grace belongs to beleevers and their seed I cannot find amongst the Ancients Yea as you may perceive out of Perkins in the place alleadged although Ambrose and Augustine in his 4. book de Baptismo contra Donatistas c. 22 yeilded that either Martyrdome or the desire of Baptisme might supply the defect of Baptisme and some of the School-men Biel Cajetan Gerson do allow the desire and prayer of parents for children in the wombe in stead of Baptisme Yet we find no remedy allowed by them but actuall baptisme for children borne into the world So strictly did Augustine and the Ancients urge the necessity of Baptisme for Infants born 3. You may consider that Augustine held a like necessity of Infants receiving the Lords supper from the words John 6.53 as is plainly expressed by him lib. 1. de peccat merit remis c. 20. And accordingly as in Cyprians tim the Communion was given to Infants as appears by the story which he relates of himselfe giving the Communion to an Infant in his book de lapsis mentioned by August epist 23. So it is confessed by Maldonat on Joh. 6. that Innocentius the first Bishop of Rome held it necessary for Infants and that this opinion and practise continued about 600 years in the Church though it be now rejected by the Romane Church in the Councell of Trent 4. You may consider that Augustine held such a certainty of obtaining regeneration by Baptisme that not onely he puts usually regeneration for Baptisme but also he makes no question of the regeneration of Infants though they that brought them did not bring them with that faith that they might be regenerated by spirituall grace to eternall life but because by Baptisme they thought to
the holy Supper to the Disciples 2 Cornelius his and the Gaolers families after the gathering of Churches were not by that numbred to any particular Churches or thereby made particular Churches that we read Now that which exists afore or after a thing without that thing cannot be the forme of that thing 3 That which is common cannot be proper and peculiar But baptisme is common to make men onely visible Christians in generall Therefore it is not proper and peculiar to make them of this or that particular Church And therefore though godly men or their infants have been baptized yet the Churches think according to Scripture that there must be somwhat more expressed to make such to own this or that preaching officer to be their pastor or teacher whom they must obey in the Lord and have in singular respect for the works sake Heb. 13. And to cause that Minister to own them as his flock Act. 20. if he meane not to take upon him a power Apostolicall for latitude to extend to all baptized ones Nor can it be pretended that this Minister baptizing them doth make them of his congregation because the Confession of the Anabaptists h Their confession of faith Artic. 41. set forth by the seven brethren of their fraternities say That any preaching Disciples that are no particular Church Officers or pâ—rsons extraordinarily sent but as considered Disciples are designed by Châ—ist to dispence this Ordinance Which we look upon us as a second fault in discipline following upon the Anabaptists Baptisme For we find not that any baptized others but either they were extraordinary Officer as the Apostles or Evangelists Or else particular Churches Pastours or Teachers Nor is there any thing in the Scriptures alleaged in their Confession but to the same purpose we speak Divine reason also concurs with us For a Disciple as a Disciple is only a member of the universall visible Church And so he can conferre nothing but what hee hath And so bring his brother no further in subjection to Church Ordinances than are administred by the universall visible Church and so can never be censured â—in case of lapse unlesse the universall visible Church concur which can never be And so Church discipline falls to the ground 3 Anabaptists have in many ages admitted generally all that will take up their baptisme Epiphan Anaceph p. 408. E dit Lat. Basil Epiphanius shews us in the fore quoted place That they affirme that for a man to stray in some great sin is nothing God required nothing but that hee should be of their faith Augustine in his fourth booke against the Donatists complains and quotes Cyprian as condoling the same That many Corde in melius non mutato c. That many being not changed in heart that renounce the world in words not in deeds were baptized And in another place speaks of it as an error of some in those times Errant qui pâ—aeter delectum omnes ad baptismum admittunt They erre saith Augustine that admit all to baptisme without any choice or difference And one of the late Anabaptists in a book called the marke or character of the Beast sayth that any man upon confession of sin though hee manifest no signes of grace ought to be baptized Thus of faults in discipline 4 By Anabaptisme have been occasioned many unnecessary disputes 1 Whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to baptize signifies to dip to rantize or to sprinkle whereas they baptized in old time some in their beds a See afore or couches b Clinidia therefore dipped not them The baptismes of Tables Mar. 7.4 here the word cannot signifie dipping The Israelites are sayd to be baptized in the Cloud and the red Sea But they were but sprinkled in the Cloud and not dipped in the Sea 2 Whether those baptized by men erroneous in judgment ought to be re-baptized Aug. against the Donatists 3 Whether there be originall sinne in infants 4 Whether they have faith 5 How long they must stay ere they be baptized c Of these 3 last we heard afore severally upon other occasions whether till three years old or under or till foure years old or over or how long whether till as old as Adeodaâ—us who was 15 at his baptisme as some will or till they be 30 years old which was the age of Christ As some thought in Nazianzens time Thus I have given you a taste of the manner of M. T. his disputing in those foure Arguments by an easier retorting them If M. T. condemne these our arguments retorted of impertinencie or invalidity he must of necessity also condemne his own And for my part if he will doe so I am contented that these foure arguments on both sides should goe for blank and so to leave the dispute where we found it as no great matter being done on either side to argue for or against by producing the errors and mistakes of men which may be laid aside on either side and yet a truth be held by either Though I doe not hereby mean to give away the Question of the lawfulnesse of baptizing believers infants And therefore we goe on to give particular answers to M. T. his foure Arguments aforesaid CHAP. XVI TO M. T. his first particular Exercitat § 19. of Sureties in baptisme urged in the minor of his sixth Argument touching humane inventions occasioned by Infant Baptisme We answer Animad 1 That sureties are known to have beene in Tertullians time and two hundred yeeres after in Augustines time as we have touched in divers quotations afore Whence I infer only this that the tenet and practice of Infant-baptisme were held in ancient times 2 That by vertue of Abrahams power and Guardianship over his houshold all his male family had the first signe or seal As the family of Cornelius and the Gaoler had the Governours believing and being baptized And usually those sureties that brought children to Baptisme promised to see them brought up in the fear of God or to that effect Whence I infer though I am not in the least for sureties onely I would have M. T. speak justly of things as they are That the sporting of profession of faith which M. T. here abjects was rather in the sureties that performed not that they promised then in thing it self To M. T. his second particular thence Exercitat of Episcopall confirmation We answer Animad that wee have already declared much of the Patriarchs imposition of hands of Christs imposition of hands of the Apostles imposition of hands of Churches imposition of hands since the Apostles upon little ones and usually after the first seal So that there is not so much human-invention in imposition of hands on baptized persons as there was arrogancy in the Bishops to assume this peculiarly to themselves To M. T. his third particular there That the reformed union Exercitat by examination confession and subscription of the received doctrine