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
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
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