by Sprinkling them with Water according to the Usage of our Country and not by Dipping them all over in it should they not be baptiz'd by a Lawfully Ordain'd Minister of the Church of England and that too in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost V. But now as to the Circumstances of Time and Place when and where this Sacrament ought to be Administred which is my Fifth Particular and comes now to be consider'd more at large Rubr. 1. before the Office for Publick Baptism Rubr. 2. before the Office for Private Baptism Most are so prejudic'd against them by a prevailing Custom to the contrary that notwithstanding our Rule tells us It ought not to be done but upon Sundays or Holy-days nor Out of the Church unless in Cases of great Necessity They think these Matters of no such Importance but that they may safely pass them by and Christen their Children at Home when there is no Cause for it without the least Contravention to my Text or any other place of Scripture To Persons of which Complexion I answer First That although this Text is not strictly producible for Publick Baptism as it means Baptism at the Font according to the particular Constitution of our Church which provides Can. Const Eccles Can. 81. That there shall be a Font of Stone in every Church or Chapel where Baptism is to be Administred and there in that Font only the Minister shall Baptize publickly Yet with their Leaves it may be urg'd for it as far as the Design of the Institution it self will warrant us and the early and constant Custom of the Church of Christ which is the best Expositor of such a Design Now that Baptism even from the Church's Infancy has been all along as publickly celebrated as the present State of that did permit may be fairly gather'd from the following Words of a great Searcher into the Records of the Primitive Times which shall serve instead of many Quotations that might be brought for the Proof of the Assertion Dr. Cave in his Prim. Christ part 1. c. 10. The Place where this solemn Action was perform'd was at first unlimited any Place where there was Water Ap. 2. p. 93. as Justin Martyr tells us In Ponds or Lakes in Springs or Rivers De Bap. adv Quintill cap 4. as Tertullian speaks But always as near as might be to the place of the Publick Assemblies for it was seldom done without the Presence of the Congregation And then Secondly I answer farther That though the Text before us should not be sufficient of it self to satisfie all the beweldring Doubts of the Scrupulous or Perverse but notwithstanding its Evidence they will think themselves still at liberty to baptize either in publick or private yet in Consort with some others that may be alledg'd it ought certainly to be thought of such Force as to conclude them without more a-do and immediately determine their Choice Such are these 3 Cor. 14.40 and the like Apostolical Canons Let all things be done decently 26. and in order Let all things be done to edifying From which and several other Places of Scripture of the same Nature Hor. Confess varias Aug. Sc. Helv. Basil Bohem Belg. Sax. c. it is on all Hands acknowledg'd among Protestants That hereby is given to the Church Power to make Decrees about such Matters as this and others design'd there where St. Paul tells the Corinthians That the rest he will set in order when he comes 1 Cor. 11.34 And we of this Church expresly assert Art 20. That she has Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies not repugnant to the Word of God And that the Bringing of Persons to be solemnly baptiz'd in God's House for the general Good of Christians there present has no such Contrariety must still be presum'd till better Topicks for Conviction be found out than what have hitherto been offer'd Now this Power being granted as lodg'd in the Church it will hence follow That what our Mother doth lawfully enjoin we are with Readiness and Submission to assent to lest by standing out against her obstinately we sin as much against Heaven who gave her this Commission as we do against the Authority of the Church it self However therefore some may stile themselves her Children and seem mightily pleas'd with the specious Appellation of True Sons of the Church of England whilst they are guilty of such an Irregularity as Private Baptism has been always reckon'd in it especially when required to the contrary they must pardon others who cannot but think them highly unworthy to be call'd so since by such stubborn undutiful Carriage were all Men as positive in their Refusals as they her Being must inevitably be destroy'd as a Church whence every one of us derive our own as Christians But to be more methodical and to press this Matter with greater Application let me crave your Patience whilst I tender to you the Four following Particulars 1. The express Orders of our Church with Relation to Publick Baptism and the Care she has taken in the Contrivance of her Form for it so that there can be no Intrenchment upon it without a great deal of Absurdity as well as Disobedience on their side 1 Cor. 11.22 who become Despisers of the Church of God by acting contrary to her Injunctions 2. That the Obedience of her Genuine Sons in this Affair may not be Nick-nam'd or term'd Implicit I shall shew that she hath done nothing herein but upon very extraordinary Motives in that her Constitutions about it do not only bear a sweet Harmony to the Practice of the Eastern and all the Western Churches But 3. That the Practice of all these Churches is grounded upon the earliest Antiquity And 4. That that Antiquity has no less solid a Basis than the firmest Reasons to support it But of each of these as briefly as possible And 1. Then As to the Orders of our Church besides the Canon just now mention'd Can. 81. where there is a Font enjoin'd to be set up in every Church or Chapel where Baptism is to be Administer'd and that in the Font only the Minister shall Baptize publickly Rubrick 1st of that Office the Office for Publick Baptism saith in one place That the People are to be admonish'd that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be Administer'd but upon Sundays and Holy-days when the most number of People come together Rubrick 2d In another place it enjoins That when there are Children to be baptiz'd the Parents shall give notice thereof over Night or in the Morning before the Beginning of Morning-Prayer to the Curate And then the Godfathers and Godmothers and the People with the Children must be ready at the Font either immediately after the Last Lesson at Morning-Prayer or else immediately after the Last Lesson at Evening-Prayer as the Curate by his Discretion shall appoint Again
proprius locus hujus Sacramenti sit Ecclesia Parochialis nullus extra eam nisi forte in casu necessitatis baptizet Nor doth She permit any but in Cases of Extream Necessity to be baptiz'd at Home and they upon Recovery are still brought to Church afterwards The French as well as the other Reform'd Churches abroad Il est a noter qu'un doit apporter les Enfans pour baptizer ou le Dimanche ou les autres jours au Sermon a fin que comme le Baptesme est une reception solennelle en Eglise il se fasse en la presence de l' Assemble v. La Forme d' Administrer le Baptesme conformable to which is their Practice as many of them as have Churches in this City not only order this Usage in their Service-Books but as we do give their Reasons for it there likewise Because * Baptism say they is a solemn Admission into the Church of Christ and therefore ought to be done in the Face of the Assembly who are to be Witnesses of the Matter Nay The English Congregation which was gather'd at Geneva in the Year 1558. upon an unjust Dislike of some Things in our Liturgy and Church-Government here in their Form of Prayer See The Order of Baptism Rubr. 1. and Administration of the Sacraments approv'd by J. Calvin himself tells us positively That it is evident from God's Word that the Sacraments are not Ordain'd of him to be us'd in Private Corners as Charms or Sorceries but left to the Congregation and necessarily annex'd to God's Word as Seals of the same Therefore the Infant which is to be baptiz'd shall be brought to Church on the Day appointed to Common Prayer and Preaching c. And which I hope will be for the Conviction of those among us who are very ready to charge every Person or Thing with Popery or Superstition at least that doth but look towards the Establishing or Retrieving any of the Solemnities in God's Worship Even the Presbyterian Directory in the late Times of Confusion expresly Ordains In the Chap. Entituled Of Baptism p. 19. That Baptism be not Administer'd in Private Places or Privately but in the Place of Publick Worship and in the Face of the Congregation where the People may most conveniently see and hear Which the Framers of it likewise tell us was resolv'd upon See the Preface to the Directory for the Publick Worship of God throughout England Scotland and Ireland Minist of Pub. Bap. p. 43. After earnest and frequent Calling upon the Name of God and after much Consultation not with Flesh and Blood but with his Holy Word Pursuant to which Resolutions as it should seem we are told that as for their Brethren in Scotland no Length of Way nor scarce any Indisposition can prevail with them to keep their Children from the Church but they carry them several Miles to be baptiz'd that it may be done in Publick And that they thought it an inexpressible Favour when a Toleration was granted them for Private Baptism in case of Great Necessity But 3. There is not only a Consent between ours and these Churches in this Particular but the Practice of all of them is grounded upon the earliest Antiquity For the Proof of which I shall not now trouble you with a pompous Ostentation of Authorities though I might quote to you Justin Martyr St. Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen Ambrose Chrysostom * Vid. Cocceii Thes Cathol Tom. 2. lib. 5. Art 11. de Baptisteriis c. with Councils †Pro caeteris notetur praecipuè Can. 59. antiq illius Conc. Constant 3. sic Stat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 General and Provincial but desire the * Pag. 11. from Cave 's Primitive Christianity Part 1. Chap. 10. Pag. 311. above-mention'd Citation may serve instead of many Where 't was said That the Place where this solemn Action was perform'd was at first unlimited any place where there was Water as a Pond Lake River or Spring serving turn But that always they chose a Place for Baptism as near as might be to that of the Publick Assembly for 't was seldom done even in the very Infancy of the Church without the Presence of the Congregation For which Reason it was that in Ancient Times as we are there likewise told Id. Ibid. p 312. their Baptisteria or Fonts as we call them were built at first near the Church then in the Church-Porch to represent Baptism's being the Entrance into the Mystical Church and afterwards in the Church it self At which Places Baptism was of Old Administer'd only on Easter and Whit-Sunday as many Councils formerly order'd because as one of them is express at those Solemn Times there were the most numerous Assemblies De Catechumenis Baptizandis id statutum est ut in Paschae vel Pentecostes solennitate quanto majoris celebritatis major est celebritas tanto magis ad Baptizandum veniant Conc. Gerund Can. 3. and by Consequence the Administration of this holy Rite would be then more for the Edification of the Church Where by the way we may observe the Rise of Private Baptism in the Primitive Church together with the Reasonableness of its Allowance then For they reserving the Baptization of all their Catechumens till those two great Festivals if any of them in the mean while happen'd to be in great danger of Persecution Qui enim in difcrimen naufragii hostilitatis incursum obsidionis ambguum cujuslibet corporalis aegritudinis desperationem inciderint sibi unico credulitatis auxilio poposcerint subveniri eodem quo poscunt momento temporis expetitae regenerationis praemia consequuntur Siricius Papa ad Himerium Tarraconensem as was probable in the first Ages of the Church Incursions of Barbarous Enemies no less frequent in the succeeding Times present Death by Sickness or any other Means they granted them the Liberty of being baptiz'd immediately fearful lest at any time they should go out of the World depriv'd of the Benefit of this Holy Laver. But God be thanked we are under no such Apprehensions at present though we were then when this Custom of Christning at Home first got Footing amongst us no such Practice being heard of in the Church of England till the late Times of our horrible Distractions Which bare Consideration viz. of the Means whereby this Usage was here introduc'd might one would think have long since render'd it odious and abominable to those especially who have the Conscience still left them to abhor the lewd Proceedings of those Days when Wild Enthusiasm and Blind Zeal justled all sober Religion almost with God's Solemn Worship out of these three Kingdoms But 4ly and Lastly The Constitutions of our Church which order Baptism to be Publickly Celebrated do not only bear a just Correspondence with the Practice of the Eastern and all the Western Churches now in the World as grounded upon the earliest Antiquity But that Antiquity has no
late Councils Conc. Colon. Decr. 15. Conc. Mogunt Can. XVI Conc. Mediol 5 tum cap. Quae ad Baptismum pertinent even by the Corrupt Church of Rome we should quickly find the Thoughts of most People which are now wholly bent upon Dress Shew and the Pomp of the Business turn'd a contrary way and the chief Solemnity of Christnings would then lie in having the Religious Part of them perform'd more decently with respect to Time Place c. than generally now it is But 3. The Main Topping Argument from both Sorts is That such or such Great Men have not scrupl'd to Christen in Private Why therefore should others refuse it who are not nigh so much Dignify'd nor Distinguish'd To this I answer Lastly When those Eminent Persons declin'd their Rule they did it with Reason or without If without Then their Example ought no more to be a Guide to others than the unwarrantable Actions of a Superior Magistrate in any Corporation should be propos'd to the Imitation of an Inferior one for however they may both by the Connivance of the Higher Powers or any other way escape the Punishment due to them for the Breach of the Laws of their Country yet there is a Court of Conscience in each of their Breasts that will not acquit them here and a Sentence to be awarded them by the highest Tribunal hereafter If they did it with Reason Then it must be presum'd 't was for the same that made Moses counive at some Irregularities in the Jews viz. the Hardness of their Hearts in hopes to bring them by this Means at length to an entire Conformity For to that deplorable Condition are we arriv'd through a complicated Degeneracy of Principles and Manners peculiar to this Age that unless a Clergy-man will now and then submit to undue Compliances of this nature some proud peevish Persons there are who shall make it their whole Study and Endeavour by spreading about malicious Innuendo's and palpable Vntruths with other indirect Methods to render his Preaching Prayers Administration of the other Sacrament his whole Ministry ineffectual But God be thanked this is but the Case of a few the rest of the Laity generally standing out upon no other Ground than the Strength of that bad Custom to the contrary which many wish heartily were broke but only are shy each of them of first attempting it Far be it therefore from me to apply to the Present State of our Church with relation to this Affair what was said by one of the * Conc. Colon. Anno 1549. V. Inter Censuras decreta tata pro abusuum vitiorum ad Synodi judicium perlatorum emendatione Decr. 15. Councils last mention'd of the Clergy and Laity in the Diocess of Cologne where Private Baptism began to make Head Detestanda est non minus Laicorum superbia quam Pastorum eis obsequentium adulatio qui contemptâ Ecclesiâ proles suas volunt in domibus suis baptizari eo Baptismi aquam deferri No it is not owing to the base Easiness of our Clergy in making Concessions of this nature nor to the Pride of most of our Laity Private Baptism c. is since become a Mark of Vanity and a piece of Affected State Burnet's Hist Reform Abridged Lib. 2. pag. 63. though some must be thought to make it a Piece of State that they have had a long while and still have in too many places their Children generally Christn'd at Home but to the great difficulty of breaking a Custom which as it began in a very ill Time and has more unhappily prevail'd ever since so it will be most dismal in its Consequences if the Observation of a great Doctor in our Church holds good Dr. Sherlock's Relig. Assemb Part 2. ch 4. pag. 293. That there is not a more ready way to root out Christianity it self among us than thus to destroy the Solemnities of God's Worship However therefore some Men when press'd with Arguments of this kind from the Pulpit or otherwise are apt to stifle or shuffle them off with crying out in general of a Ho-Life a Holy Life as the only Stable Support of Christianity Sure I am though what they say is true yet they are never like to be any great Pillars of it who are deaf to all Informations about and consequently neglect all the Means of Practice amongst which a due Administration of God's Holy Sacraments has still been reckon'd none of the least The Application from all what has been said is this in short That since there is no Shadow of Reason for Private Baptism and no Bar against bringing this Ancient this Catholick this Religious this almost necessary Practice of Baptizing in Publick into a greater Esteem amongst us than the pitiful Plea of a prevailing Custom to the contrary which might be easily overthrown by the Encouragement and especially the Example of Rich Men whom their Meaner Neighbours would as readily follow in â—…ous Vsages as in Civil Fashions I say since there is no other Bar against Publick Baptism but this pitiful Plea it may be worth while for all Persons of Character and Station to consider whether as God has bestow'd on them more distinguishing Marks of his Favour than on others round about them they ought not were it only by way of Gratitude to signalize themselves more especially and become forwarder Instances in promoting his Glory all the ways imaginable A fair Opportunity of doing which in no small measure they have in the Matter before us which tends so much as we have seen to the Good of his Church in the Edification of particular Christians and which is little thought on the Welfare of their own Souls too For See the Prayer for Christ's Church Militant in the Communion-Service Whereas they beseech God every Lord's-Day and Holy-Day that he would give his Grace to all Bishops and Curates that they Rightly and Duly Administer his Holy Sacraments if in this as well as other Petitions their Hearts go along with their Lips and their Endeavours with both if they do not frustrate this his Grace here by discouraging his Ministers in a faithful Discharge of their Office they may then expect to be at length Partakers with him in Everlasting Glory hereafter Now Consider we what has been said and God Almighty give every one of us a right Judgment in this Particular as wellas in all other Matters That as he hath left in his Church but two Sacraments Church-Catechism as Outward and Visible Signs of his Inward and Spiritual Grace we may none of us in the great Day of Visitation be found among those who have either scandalously neglected the one or huddl'd up the other in a Corner Now to the Individual and Ever-blessed Trinity Three Persons but One Glorious Almighty Lord God be ascribed as is most due by us and his People every where all possible Adoration Honour and Glory As it was in the Beginning is now and ever shall be World without End Amen FINIS
Mr. STUBS'S SERMON OF Publick Baptism BEFORE THE LORD MAYOR c. Fleet Major Martis vj. Die Decembris 1692. Annoque Regis Reginae Willielmi Mariae Angl ' c. Quarto THis Court doth desire Mr. Stubs to Print his Sermon Preached at Guild-Hall-Chapel on Sunday the 20th Day of November last before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City GOODFELLOW Imprimatur Decembr 9. 1692. Guil. Lancaster R. P. D. Henrico Episc Lond. a sacris Domesticis OF Publick Baptism A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable THE LORD MAYOR AND THE Court of Aldermen AT Guild-Hall-Chapel Sunday Nov. 20. 1692. By PHILIP STVBS A. M. Fellow of Wadham-College Oxon. And Chaplain to the Right Reverend Father in God ROBERT Lord Bishop of CHICHESTER LONDON Printed for Henry Bonwicke at the Red Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIII TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir JOHN FLEET Kt. LORD MAYOR Of the CITY of LONDON And to the Court of Aldermen Right Honourable THE unexpected Success this plain Discourse by the Blessing of God met with from a kind Auditory in this City for whose private Benefit 't was not long since I must confess but too hastily drawn up as it prompted me at first to offer it before the most publick Assembly therein at Guild-Hall-Chapel so the Hopes of its farther Vsefulness makes me now readily comply with Your Honour's Commands for its Publication in order thereunto That it may have it s design'd Effect in contributing though never so little to the Retrieving so Ancient so Vniversal so Religious I may say so necessary a Practice as is the subject Matter of it and by Consequence to the farther Promoting of God's Glory in the greater Good of his Church in general and the Welfare of particular Christians is the Hearty Desire of Right Honourable Your most Humble Most Obedient Servant PHIL. STVBS A SERMON Before the LORD MAYOR c. St. MATTH xxviij 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost THE Text is a full Commission deliver'd out by our Saviour to his Apostles when he had just finish'd the glorious work of our Redemption and was now Ascending up again unto his Father whereby he impowers them to extend the benefits of his Passion by Baptism as far as he design'd they should reach even to the utmost parts of the Earth For as he himself had spent his whole time in Judea and the Regions thereabout amongst the Jews God's peculiar People so he commands them whom he had fully instructed in every Particular of his Doctrine to communicate it to the Gentiles Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost From which Words I may take Occasion to speak of these Five Heads I. Of the Nature of Baptism in general II. Of the Persons here authoriz'd to Baptize III. Of the Persons to be Baptiz'd IV. Of the Form of Baptism And Lastly Of the Time and Place when and where this Sacrament ought to be administred Of the Four first there being no difference about them either as to Principle or Practice amongst those of our Communion I shall say little more at present than what may serve by way of Introduction as it were to the last Particular which I have design'd for the main Subject of my ensuing Discourse Wherein I shall with all the Brevity and Plainness I can endeavour to demonstrate the Unreasonableness of continuing that corrupt Custom crept in among us and which of late Years has prevail'd more especially in this City of Baptizing Children in Private Houses contrary to the earnest pious Desires and Endeavours of our Clergy the declared Sense and Usage of the Catholick Church all along the express Orders and Constitutions of that sound Part of it whereof we boast our selves Members and the very Reason and Design of the Institution it self to the no small Dishonour of God Almighty in hindring the greater Promotion of his Glory and the Edification of many Religious well-dispos'd Christians But before I enter professedly upon this Argument I am to speak a Word or two briefly on the four just mention'd Heads And I. Of the Nature of Baptism in general Now Baptism signifies properly an Immersion Dipping or Washing the whole Body in Water and was a Ceremony used among the Heathens as well as the Jews upon the Admission of any new Converts to their Religion By which Washing was signified the Cleansing of the Persons so baptized from their former Pollutions and their Resolution of continuing Pure and Unspotted for the future This Ceremony being very innocent and very significant the Holy Jesus was willing to continue it in his Church leaving out the other of Circumcision which signified but the same thing and was more injurious to Men's Health and to their Modesty I say Baptism signifies properly an Immersion Dipping or Washing the whole Body in Water And so it was practis'd in the Primitive Times after the manner of John's Baptism who chose the River Jordan and such Places where there was much Water for the Convenience of such an Immersion For so it is expresly said of him That John was baptizing in Enon S. Joh. 3.23 near to Salim because there was much Water there After this manner the Eunuch in Acts 8. was baptized by S. Philip Acts 8.38 for 't is said They went down both into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him And indeed this Dipping all over in Water is thought by some more significant than any other sort of Baptism for hereby is denoted the Cleansing the whole Man from Sin the being buried with Christ in Baptism which is signified by the Immersion or Dipping in Water and the Rising to a Newness of Life which is signified by the Emersion or Rising out of it again But yet it is not so necessary but it may be omitted in favour of the Weakness of the Person to be baptiz'd and the Pouring or Sprinkling of Water us'd instead of it as has been the Practice of these Northern Countries in the Baptism of Children whose tender Bodies cannot endure a total Immersion and of the first Ages of the Church in favour of Sick and Bed-rid Persons who desir'd to become Christians For as God Almighty is tender of our Souls so he takes care of our Bodies too and his Laws are so far from injuring our Healths that they highly improve them Upon which Account it is not to be imagin'd that the Ceremony of Admission into the Christian Religion should be more difficult than that into the Jewish Covenant or that Children should be oblig'd to become Martyrs as soon as they are made Proselytes But here it may be started That admitting this Washing Dipping or Sprinkling to be the Ceremony of my Admission into Covenant with Christ How doth it hence appear that Christ thereby enters into Covenant
with me I may be washed indeed with Water But how shall I be satisfied that Christ washes me with his Holy Spirit For the satisfying of which Objection I must proceed to the Second Thing I design'd to speak of viz. II. The Persons here authoriz'd to Baptize Whom if we look back to Ver. 16. of this Chapter we shall find to be the Apostles St. Matt. 28.16 Then the Eleven Disciples for so the Apostles are there call'd went away into Galilee into a Mountain where Jesus had appointed them Who when he came amongst them spake unto them saying All Power is given unto me in Heaven V. 18. and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations V. 19. baptizing them c. As if he had said My Father has left the Government of this World which I have redeemed with my Blood to me I have power to make what Covenants I please with Mankind I have told you upon what Conditions I will confer Heaven and Happiness upon Men Go ye therefore and let them all know it And I give you power and none but you to admit them into this my new Covenant by Baptism But then the Mercy of God as it was willing to extend the Benefits of his Passion beyond that Age of the World and that Generation of Men continu'd Means for the effectual Continuance of this Power of making such Covenants to the End of the World by authorizing the Apostles to delegate and depute their Power to others in this large and plenary Commission As my Father hath sent me S. Joh. 20 21. even so send I you I give you the same Authority which I have receiv'd And as I had Power of my Father to send you forth to preach the Gospel and baptize every Creature so I give you Power to send others forth with the same Commission to Ordain Bishops Priests and Deacons as you shall judge expedient for the Edifying and Welfare of my Church Which Power was accordingly delegated immediately afterwards to seven Persons at once Acts. 6.3 Chap. 13.3 as you 'll find in Acts 6. to Saul and Barnabas to their Successors until this very Period of Time wherein we of this Communion have Persons under the several Characters above-mention'd who derive their Authority from them by an uninterrupted Succession For no Man can take this Authority upon himself and unless there were Sacred Persons so continu'd in the Church there could at this Day be no Legal or Valid Administration of this Sacrament and by Consequence our Saviour's Command would have long since fell to the Ground which I tremble to think of when he bid them and in them their Successors Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. The Meaning of which Words All Nations or an Enquiry III. Into the Persons to be Baptiz'd is the Subject of my Third General which now offers it self to be spoke to Go ye therefore and teach All Nations baptizing them c. The Lord God had for a long time dwelt only in Judea Though the vast Circle of the Earth 2 Chron. 2.6 nor the larger Circumference of the Heavens cannot contain him yet as the Psalmist expresses it at Salem was his Tabernacle Psal 76.2 and his Dwelling at Sion There was his House there his peculiar Residence To the People of Israel only had he given his Laws and order'd the manner of his Worship The rest of the World seem'd over-look'd and neglected like Children dis-inherited and banish'd from their Father's Presence But when the Blessed Jesus the Word of God by whom all Men were created descended for the Redemption of them all he threw down the Partition-Wall which shut out the Gentiles from the Sight and Favour of God and contriv'd Means for the Bringing them into his Family He caus'd the Waters of Baptism to extend themselves as far as those of the Vniversal Deluge that as all Men had once perish'd by Water so they should all be saved by it Nor do we when we say All Men only upon slight Grounds exclude the Children of Believers from this extraordinary Privilege as do the Adversaries to Infant-Baptism Who should not have been mention'd in this place since their wild Opinion runs counter to the Belief and Practice of the Universal Church in all Ages did not some of them boast of an Irrefragable Argument on their Side taken from the very Words we are now about arguing from hence that because our Saviour first said Teach before he said Baptize therefore every Body must be taught before he is baptiz'd To which there need be given no other Answer but what the true Meaning of the Original Word will readily furnish us with For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek signifies not here Teach as in our Translation but rather make Disciples of Inter Judaeos Discipuli facti sunt ii non qui jam docti sunt sed ideo Discipuli facti sunt ut doceantur Lightfoot Hor. Heb. ad locum As if our Saviour alluding to a known Custom among the Jews had said Go and admit into my Church and make Disciples of all Nations and that by the Ceremony of Baptism for which is very remarkable in the very next Verse where the Word Teaching comes again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is another Word made use of in the Original which has that for its proper signification An Exposition which if it were duly attended to might be of no small Use to many unprejudic'd Anabaptists As IV. The Form of Baptism here prescribed in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost might be so to another sort of seemingly more Rational Persons who yet some of them make a Difficulty in Founding the Doctrine of the Individual and Ever Blessed Trinity upon express Words of Scripture For if the being baptiz'd into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost as the Original imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not in the Name according to our Translation which is less significant If I say V. Grot. sup loc the being baptiz'd into those Names doth not signifie the being baptiz'd into the Belief of Three Persons in one Incomprehensible Godhead which distinguishes the Christian Baptism from all others and the submitting all the Faculties of our Souls and Bodies to the Soveraign Dominion and Guidance of each of them as such then the whole Church almost has been in an Error for nigh these 1700 Years and a Handful of Men whose Business it is now-a-days to receive old condemn'd Heresies are alone in the Right Thus have I briefly gone through the Four first Particulars which relate to the Essentials of Baptism To all and singular of which every one in our Communion is so ready to subscribe against all Anabaptists Socinians and other Vnorthodox Persons whatever that few would forgive themselves should their Children by any means happen to be otherwise baptized than
In the Office for Private Baptism Rubrick 3d. The Curates of every Parish shall often admonish their Parishioners that without great Cause and Necessity they procure not their Children to be baptiz'd at home in their Houses Our Church is so indulgent a Mother that she permits any to be baptiz'd in Private when there is a Necessity for it agreeably to the Practice of the Universal Church all along and accordingly hath provided a particular Form for such Exigencies Rubrick 5th in the Office for Private Bapt. But this still with an Injunction That afterwards they be brought to Church that those Prayers and Rites which before were omitted in the Office may be there publickly supplied This is the Sence of our Church in this Matter and her Determination and therefore sufficient as has been prov'd to oblige every True Son of hers to acquiesce therein and be conformable But I have yet farther to urge That whosoever will be stubborn and run counter to these Establishments of hers by Christ'ning his Children at home and that by the Publick Form which is still insisted upon must not only be reckon'd guilty of manifest Disobedience to his Mother but is chargeable likewise with several gross Absurdities in one of the solemnest of God's holy Ordinances the Publick Form being so contriv'd to prevent Evasion or Collusion herein that it cannot properly be us'd any where but in the Church Mr. Arwaker 's Ministration of Publick Baptism of Infants to be used in the Ch. as has been well observ'd in a late Treatise on this Argument to which hardly any thing can be added on this Head For 1. For instance as the Author observes Pag. 29 c. When the Minister says thus to the Godfathers and Godmothers You have brought this Child here to be baptiz'd Ivo Carnotens Serm. de Sacrament Dedicat according to that of one of the Ancients You were brought to Church in the Arms of your Sureties he ought in a Private House to invert the Words thus Ye have brought me here to baptize this Child 2. How can any Minister use that Petition in the last Collect before the Prayer of Consecration in such a place with any colour of Reason when he is thus to address himself to God Almighty Grant that whosoever is here dedicated unto thee by our Office and Ministry may be endued c. whilst by Here is undoubtedly meant the Font in the Church or the Church it self the proper place of Dedication at least 1 Sam. 1.24 Hannah was of that Opinion when she offer'd her Samuel the Son of her Prayers in the House of the Lord with a Design of Dedicating him there to his Service 3. In the Prayer of Consecration it self it is no small Argument to prevail for God's Assent to the Petitions offer'd in the behalf of the Child to be Regenerated That he would regard the Prayers of his Congregation and comply therewith in Sanctifying the Water to the Mystical Washing away of Sin c. Now this Congregation whose Prayers are thought thus efficacious ought to be such an one Pag. 31 as the above-cited Author observes of which the Minister may safely and truly say Thy Congregation for there is certainly the greatest Validity in the Prayers of God's Congregation But there is great Reason to think that those are not such which are gather'd in a private House on such an Account since the Church has not appointed it a fit place for Baptism unless as was abovesaid in Cases of extream Necessity So that Private Houses being not ordinarily allow'd much less commanded to be made use of as such nay oftentimes perversely appropriated by some to that Use against the express Authority of the Church and earnest Sollicitation of those that are set over them whoever assemble there in such an illegal manner Vid. Bals Zon. apud Beveregium Tom. 1. p. 191. ad Can. 31. Concil 6. in Trullo St. Matth. 18.20 must be thought as really guilty of a Disorder in the Church as those who meet in prohibited Numbers and Places are of a Riot in the State Nor will that pitiful Plea from our Saviour's ignorantly misapply'd Promise Where Two or Three are gather'd together in my Name there am I in the midst of them stand them in any stead Since we must not be allow'd to argue from extraordinary to ordinary and common Cases for though not a Tittle of our Saviour's Words shall fall to the Ground but he will be with his all the World over till the Consummation of all things yet this Text must be understood of them as duly circumstantiated with respect to Time Place c. Hence the Reason of no Considering Person will give him leave to say Because our Saviour supported his Disciples with these Words whom he foresaw Drooping ere-long under a Persecuted Condition therefore they may make use of it upon every Caprichio as too many among our Laity actually do in the more flourishing State of the Church against the known Orders of the Establishment in it to which in many the like Cases they readily submit upon those very Motives which are usually urg'd for their Obedience to this Injunction But 4. The last Absurdity committed in using our Publick Form at Home is the Receiving the Child When the Minister having first Nam'd it and Baptiz'd it holding it still in his Hand uses these Words of Admission We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's Flock c. Which Reception doth not only mean into the whole Body of the Vniversal Church but as well that Representative Part then present and Consenting to it for the Whole And the Minister's Embracing the Child is for the same End as the Imposition of Hands in Baptism was of Old which Durantus tells us De Rit Eccl. Cath. Lib. 19. cap. 1. signified the Reconciliation by which he that was without the Church a Child of Wrath according to our Catechism was in the Church receiv'd into the Church's Favour and made a Child of Grace Thus have I laid before you the Commands of our Church with relation to Publick Baptism together with the Danger and Absurdity of our Breach of them which was the First Particular I hasten through the following Ones with all imaginable Brevity and proceed to shew 2. That She has done nothing herein but upon very extraordinary Motives in that her Thoughts with respect to the Business in hand accord with the Eastern and all the Western Churches now in the World As for the Eastern Chap. 7. Sir Paul Ricaut in his Present State of the Greek Church tells us That That hath from long Antiquity practis'd on the Eighth Day to present their Children at the Church-Porch to receive the Blessing of the Priest c. And 't is notoriously known that the Practice of the Church of Rome here in the West is agreeable to her Constitutions Vid. Rituale jussu Pauli 5. Colon. Edit Cum
less solid a Basis than the firmest Reason to support it Three of which I shall for the present only hint at leaving the farther Consideration of them and others as obvious to your own more serious Reflections The 1. Concil Gerund bab Conc. Anno. 517. Of which is That Publick Baptism is more for Edisication This the Primitive Church was sensible of as you find from the Canon of the Council just now mention'd which with a great number besides orders Baptism to be perform'd on Easter and Whit-Sundays only because then the Congregations were fuller This our Church is very sensible of in like manner when She orders it to be administred ordinarily upon Sundays or Holy days when the greatest Number of People are met together that all there present may be put in mind of their own Profession made to God in their Baptism Rubr. 1. in the Office for Publick Baptism This the French Reformed Church is highly sensible of when in her last Rubrick in the Office for Publick Baptism She orders That the Minister Baptizing in the Church Le tout se dit a haute voix en langue vulgaire d'autant que le Peuple qui assiste la doit estre temoin de ce qui s'y fait a quoi est requise intelligence aussi asin que tous soient edifiez en reconnoissant c La Forme d' Administrer le Baptesme Rubr. 1. in the Office for Publick Baptism speak as loud as he can in the Vulgar Tongue that all may be edified En reconnoissant reduisant en memoire quel'est le fruit l'usage de leur Baptesme This in a Word all the Churches in the World are sensible of their Custom being principally founded upon this Motive But then 2. The very Nature and Design of Baptism bespeaks the Reasonableness of its being done in Publick It is as has been said our solemn Admission into the Christian Church and therefore ought to be done openly that as our own instructs us the Congregation then present may testifie the Receiving of them that are newly baptiz'd into the Number of Christ's Church And 3. We may consider that Baptism contains a Publick Profession of our Faith in Christ by our Godfathers and Godmothers Now the Profession of our Faith the more publick it is the more agreeable is it to the Nature of Baptism and the Constitution of the Christian Church which is a Visible Society professing the Faith of Christ And when can it possibly be more publick Psal 116.13 than in the Courts of the Lord's House The Publick Congregation for God's Worship held by Publick Authority in Places publickly set a-part for that purpose when the End of Assembling there is the more solemn Celebration of God's Honour that Devout Persons may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie his Name together Thus have I gone through all the Particulars I design'd to speak to And have shewn I. Very briefly The Nature of Baptism in general II. Who were the Persons Commisson'd by our Saviour to baptize III. Who ought to be baptiz'd IV. After what Form And V. More at large at what Time and in what Place I should now put an End to this Discourse but that it may be expected since I have been so copious in the Defence of Publick Baptism that I should say somewhat by way of Obviating those Pretences which have been so powerful as to uphold the contrary Practice amongst too many of us for some Years last past And indeed were it not for this Reason notwithstanding their Prevalency I should have thought the best of them too weak and trifling such as deserv'd rather to be pass'd over in Silence or at most answer'd by a Minister in Whispers as they are commonly urg'd to him rather than mention'd by way of Confutation before such an Auditory as this But such as they are they may be reduc'd to Three chiefly either of the Richer Sort the Poorer or Both indifferently The Richer Sort usually preface their Resolutions about a Private Christning with an Intimation of their sincere Intentions towards the Church of England in which they were born and bred and resolve by the Grace of God to die in too But as for the Business in hand the Child is at present indispos'd and the Gossips are now in the Way who cannot so well attend another Time and therefore it is convenient it should be done immediately without making any farther Trouble on 't To such it may easily be answer'd If they are so well affected as they pretend to the Church of England or rather the Church of Christ let them shew their Affection by a ready Compliance to the wholsom Injunctions of this in general with relation to Publick Baptism and that in particular which has provided a Private Form purposely to be us'd in such Exigencies and satisfies them there Rubr. 5th in that Office That the Child so baptiz'd is lawfully and sufficiently baptiz'd and ought not to be baptiz'd again But only desires upon Recovery it be brought to Church afterwards for the Reasons just mention'd and there receive the high Honour of being orderly and solemnly admitted into Christ's Flock But to be plain 'T is not the Child 's real Indisposition but the unhappy Bent of the Parents too perverse Inclinations oftentimes that make them take these Measures since 't is notorious that of those who dar'd not venture their Infant two or three Doors to Church in the cold Air of this City many have speedily after sent it out some Miles in a much colder to be taken Care of in the Country And then as for the Excuse of wanting those that will stand Godfathers and Godmothers 't is well known that Persons of any Fashion are not without Numbers ambitious of paying that Complemental Piece of Respect to them for to our Shame be it spoken 't is too frequently look'd upon as no more On the other side Whilst we have gloss'd varnish'd Falshood from the Rich suitable to their Circumstances we meet with simple naked Truth from the Poor What was pretended Indisposition in the former is downright Shame in the latter Truly though they thank God they want nothing yet they are not so well to pass in the World as to make a Figure in 't and upon that Account being unable to provide things handsom enough for their Company and a Publick Appearance they don't care to be ridicul'd and laugh'd at by their Neighbours till they can To which 't may be reply'd in a Word That the Vanity of some in a higher Rank ought not to be a Rule for those in a meaner Condition much less should the Avoiding of it be objected to them then which nothing can more advance their Reputation among Persons of Prudence and Sobriety whose Censures in such Cases are alone to be regarded And indeed were those Extravagant Expences retrench'd which are every where too common on such Occasions and have been condemn'd in three