afraid to enquire into the meaning of them Nay but the greatest Strength of that Book is spent against our Mode of Baptizing by Sprinkling Your Author has a Throw at this where-ever he meets with the Word Baptize and takes it for granted all along That to Baptize signifies always to Dip which I think has been sufficiently disprov'd and therefore if all that he has said and repeated again and again to this purpose in his little Book was taken out his Forty Texts wou'd dwindle into a far less number and there wou'd not be many of them left standing against Infant-Baptism Well but in Answer to the first part of your Objection That you no where find in Scripture that any Infants were Baptized First I 'll make an Impartial Enquiry what I can find in Scripture to have been done in this Case of Baptizing by Christ and by his Disciples in his Life-time And Secondly What I can find to have been done by his Apostles after his Ascension into Heaven I. We have no very large account in the New Testament of Christ's or of his Disciples Baptizing in his Life-time not one word more than what you may see in these few Texts John 3.22 26. John 4.1.2 The First of which Texts says that Jesus Baptized but says not whom not a Syllable to exclude Infants John 3.22 The Second Text says that Jesus Baptized and all Men came to him John 3.26 But here Sir that our English Translation may not lead you into a mistake I must inform you that there is no particular word in the Original that signifies Men only but the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Baptized and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all came to him All without Exception And here I will do so much Right to the Author of your little Book as to suppose he had observ'd this to be the sense of the Original words in this Text and therefore he passes it over as rather making for than against Infant-Baptism He does not I say mention this amongst the Forty Texts in his Book because he knew the Greek Word here Translated All Men signifies as well All Children even all without Exception All of all Ages I proceâ—d therefore to the Third and Last Text which says That Jesus made and Baptized more Disciples than John tho' Jesus himself Baptized not but his Disciples John 4.1 2. And here the Author of your little Book wou'd fain gather from the word Disciples that no Children were Baptiz'd but all that he say's is grounded upon a Gross Mistake which supposes them to have been Disciples before Baptism whereas the Text says plainly That they were made and Baptized Disciples That is they were by Baptism made Disciples and accordingly that Baptism is the only ordinary way of making Disciples I shall take occasion hereafter very largely to prove to you And thus I have particularly and Impartially Consider'd those few Texts which yet are all we find in Scripture which speak of Christ's or of his Disciples Baptizing during his Life-time and the Sum of them is this That Jesus's Disciples Baptized and made by Baptizing them more Disciples than John The Words are not They were Baptized all that Believed or all that Repented Nay nor all Men only but all in general not a Child of Man excepted And now Sir whether the Scripture be thus far against or for Infant-Baptism judge you And here I will add one thing more which wou'd be a great Satisfaction to my own mind in this Case of Baptizing Infants tho' there was nothing more to be said for it Know then Sir and I tell it you from undoubted Authority that Children were Baptized as well as Circumcised in the Jewish Church long before our Saviour's Coming in the Flesh The Jews report says Dr. Taylor That the World took up the Doctrine of Baptisms in Remembrance that the Iniquity of the Old World was purged by Water Great Exemp P. 175. And indeed Noah and his Families being saved by passing through the Waters of the Flood in the Ark did Typifie and Pre-figure our being saved by passing thro' the Waters of Baptism in the Ark of the Church for so St. Peter In the Ark says he were Eight Souls saved by Water The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us 1 Pet. 3.20 21. And as for that Infant-Baptism which was practised of Old in the Jewish Church 't is by their own best Writers made as Ancient as Moses and deduc'd by them says Dr. Towerson from that Command of God whereby Moses was Enjoyned to Sanctifie the Israelites and cause them to wash their Cloaths against that time that God declared from Mount Sinai That Legal Covenant which they were then to enter into Dr. Towerson of the Sacrament of Bapt. Pag. 13. And the Apostle himself tells us of these Israelites That they were all Baptized into Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10.2 They were all Men Women and Children so Baptized And you know Good Sir that when God did safely lead these Children of Israel thro' the Red-Sea he thereby figured his Holy Baptism And therefore as they Men Women and Children were Baptized into Moses by the Cloud above and the Sea beneath so says Dr. Taylor are all Persons now Men Women and Children to be Baptized into Christ by the Spirit from above and the Water below and the same Excellent Author most truly adds That it was the design of the Apostle in that Discourse 1 Cor. 10. To represent that the Fathers and We were equal as to the Privileges of the Covenant and that as we do not exceed them so neither do they exceed us nor their Children ours Great Exemp Pag. 176. And in short When our Saviour first Instituted his Baptism amongst that very People who had then such an Ancient Custom to Baptize Infants had he made any Exception against that their Custom had he excluded such Babes from his Baptism as they admitted to theirs we should certainly have heard something of it I am sure that their Infant-Circumcision was not laid aside without great Noise and Struggle and therefore that their Infant-Baptism should be so easily quitted without so much as one word said either for or against it is what I profess to you I cannot easily believe Nay but I am hereby very much confirm'd in my Belief that Infants were as well admitted to our Lord's Baptism when he Baptized in Judea as they then were and for a long time before had been Baptized in the Jewish-Church And thus Sir I have Briefly shewn you what was done by our Lord and by his Disciples in his Life-time in this Case of Baptizing And II. I will God willing enquire again what we find in Scripture to have been done in this Case by the Apostles after our Lord's Ascension But of this in my next which shall be hastened from Sir June 26. 1698. Your c. T. H. LETTER V. SIR I Proceed to enquire
every-where find Infant-Baptism receiv'd and continu'd as an Apostolical practice But I 'll not lead you too far into these Historical accounts which yet we must be oblig'd to or else we shall know but very little of the Acts of the greatest part of the Apostles for what they did into what Cities and Nations they Travel'd what Disciples they made whom they Baptiz'd is not written in Scripture But now Sir suppose some wild Theist or Atheist in pursuance of their Mischievous design to discredit the Apostles should come and tell you that the greatest part of them were a pack of Lazy Drones who though they were under the obligation of a Command to Disciple and Baptize all Nations yet never mov'd a Foot upon that great Errand did not the least Hand's-turn in all that weighty Business pray Good Sir what Answer would you make How would you vindicate the Apostles from so black a charge I am sure that all Scripture-Evidence would here fail you you could not quote Scripture in the defence of one half of them but how then would you stop the Mouths of their Accusers Why Sir You must be beholden to just the evidence we have for Infant-Baptism's being practis'd by the Apostles for by all the Authority whereby you could silence their Accusers and prove to 'em the Apostles Travels and the Conversions that they every where made all the wide World over even by all that Authority I say do we prove Infants to have been Baptized by them And further suppose an Atheist should fly in the face of our Blessed Saviour himself and Blasphemously tell you that he was a false Prophet who pretended to foretell such things concerning the Destruction of the Jewish Church and State as never came to pass though he positively prophesy'd that That very Generation should not pass away till all these should be fulfill'd Suppose I say an Atheist should say thus Good Sir I must beseech you to tell me what you would answer or how you would clear our blessed Lord and Saviour from the foul Aspersion you could not in this case have any help from Scripture No but you would be forc'd to appeal to the Historians of that and of the following Ages and particularly to that most admirable Historian Josephus to shew how these Predictions and Prophecies of our Saviour were accomplish'd and most wonderfully and punctually fulfill'd about forty Years after our Saviour's Crucifixion Well Sir and we have altogether as good evidence in the first Writers of the Christian Church for Infant-Baptism as we have for the Accomplishment of our Saviour's Prophecies and as you must prove our Saviour to have been a true Prophet in that Case even so do we prove Infants to have been Baptized in the Apostolical Ages Once more some deny that the Apostles Baptiz'd any Infants and suppose a Quaker who is against all Water-Baptism should deny that they Baptiz'd either Men or Women I know you would say that we have sufficient Proof of this in the Acts of the Apostles Oh but Sir You need not be told that these Quakers many of them are a sort of unmannerly fellows that disrespect and disparage the very Scriptures themselves and perhaps they 'll ask you Who writ that Book in the New Testament call'd The Acts of the Apostles Of what Authority is it Was the Author of it an Inspir'd Writer and what can you say why we are bound to believe what we find Written therein more than in any other Old Book And now pray Sir should a morose Quaker thus put you to 't to prove the Authority of the Acts of the Apostles how wou'd you do it Truly you must answer that we have the whole Primitive Church bearing witness to it that it was written by an Inspired Author viz. by St. Luke and that it has ever been receiv'd as Canonical Scripture throughout the Universal Church of Christ dispersed over the face of the whole Earth And this indeed is sufficient evidence to a Wise-Man But then we have the very same evidence for Infant-Baptism's being an Apostolical practice we have the Universal Church of Christ bearing witness thereto in all places yea and at all times for the first fifteen Hundred Years after Christ without exception Sir That Infant-Baptism was the Universal Practice of the Holy Catholick Church and that no time can be shewed on this side the Apostles when it began is so manifestly and clearly prov'd from the best and most Authentick Writers of all Ages that some of our learned'st Adversaries have had more Conscience than to deny it Menno One of the most Learned of the Anabaptists as the Author of the Case of Infant-Baptism tells us from Cassander acknowledg'd Infant-Baptism to be as Old as the Times of the Apostles and therefore he was forc'd in the defence of his cause to invent the Story That though Infant-Baptism was first taught in the Apostles Times yet that it was then taught by false Apostles and false Teachers which proof-less Story is Learnedly and largely answer'd by the said Author of the Case of Infant-Baptism pag. 47 48 49 50. And our excellent Dr. Falkner has these Words The Christian Church in the first Ages thereof and in a Continued Succession from thence to this time hath admitted Infants to be Baptized and thought it self bound so to do And this he proves by several plain Testimonies out of St. Austin St. Cyprian Origen and from the famous African Council and concludes that divers other Fathers and Councils might be added to manifest the Universal Reception of Infant-Baptism in the Catholick Church But this saith he having been clearly and sufficiently evidenc'd by the Historical Theses of Vossius upon this Subject of Paedobaptism I shall refer him thither who wou'd have more large and ample Proof hereof Treatise concerning Reproaching c. pages 285.286 And now Good Sir have patience with me till I shall briefly summ up what I have said in this long Letter and I will conclude I have shewn you how little we read in Scripture of what The Apostles did in this Case of Baptizing after they had receiv'd the Command to Baptize all Nations and likewise what clear hints we have even in that little of their Baptizing Infants but then I have added that as we find larger accounts of the Apostles Travels and of the Nations Converted by them in the primimitive Writers so that from the same Writers we are more fully assur'd that Infant-Baptism was an Apostolical Practice And you Sir I hope will not be so vain as to despise this Evidence without which you can never prove that the greatest part of the Apostles Baptiz'd either Man Woman or Child Without which you cannot prove to an Atheist that our Saviour was a True Prophet Without which you cannot prove to a Sullen Quaker the Authority of that very Book in which we have so may Proofs against them of Baptism in general viz. The Acts of the Apostles And thus I have
Proof as the Learned Defenders of our Faith are forc'd to make use of against the Macedonians to convince them that the Holy Ghost is God And thus I have enquir'd how Infant-Baptism was taught by our Saviour in his Life-time I should now in the Second Place Enquire whether Infant-Baptism was taught by him after his Death and Resurrection before he Ascended into Heaven But this shall be the Subject-matter of my Next which you may expect by the next opportunity from Good Sir July 9. 1698. Your c. T. H. LETTER VII Sir I Go on as I engag'd my self in my Last to enquire Secondly Whether Infant-Baptism was Taught or Commanded by our Saviour after his Death and Resurrection before he Ascended into Heaven And all that he Taught or Commanded concerning Baptizing with Water at that time may be readily found in these two Texts Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.15 16. Both which it is my design at this time very particularly to Consider Now the Words of the first of these Texts are these in our English Bibles Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost But Sir Be pleas'd to know that the Word Translated Teach expresly signifies Disciple Go ye therefore Disciple all Nations c. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same thing and are rightly render'd to make Disciples John 4.1 For the understanding of which you must know that our Lord as himself has told us was not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Mat. 15.24 His first endeavours were to Disciple the Jews and accordingly it was only in Judea that any were Discipl'd and Baptiz'd by him or by his Disciples during his Life-time as you may see by Comparing John 3.22 with John 4.1 Well But now that he was a leaving the World Now that the Partition-Wall was to be broken down he enlarges his Commission to his Disciples and they were not for the future to Disciple and Baptize in the Land of Judea only but they were now to Disciple and Baptize all Nations even the whole Gentile World Go ye therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disciple all Nations Baptizing them c. Which Command and Commission was first given to those Eleven Apostles Mat. 28.16 who were all by Nation Jews or as St. Paul expresses it Israelites according to the Flesh Rom. 9.3 4. But pray now good Sir Let us here Consider what then was and had always been the way of Discipling or Proselyting these Gentiles to the Jewish Church Truly 't is most certain that when any of these Gentile Nations were converted to Judaism that not only themselves but their Children together with themselves were also Circumcis'd and receiv'd into that Ancient Church when the Door was open'd to take in the converted Parents not the least of their Infants being but Eight Days old was excluded Nay but no sooner was the Gentile Proselyte Circumcis'd and made a Member of the Jewish Church but by the very Law of Circumcision were all his Male-Children at eight Days Old to be Circumcis'd and made Members likewise Thus stood the Case between the Jews and Gentiles then the Gentile-Children together with their Parents were Discipl'd and Receiv'd into that Church of Old But then certainly the Apostles who had so lately been of that very Church and knew no other way of Discipling the Gentile Nations but this of Discipling their Children together with their Fathers Certainly I say these Apostles could not otherwise understand the Command to Disciple and Baptize all Nations than as obliging them to Disciple and Baptize the Children as well as the Fathers For here was no exception to exclude them The Command was general Go Disciple all Nations Baptizing them c. All Nations without exception and Children are a part of the Nations Yea and a very great part too and therefore why they should not be Discipl'd and Baptiz'd as well as any others for my part I can see no Reason Nay but certainly unless it was the will of our Lord that Children should be Discipl'd and Baptiz'd with the rest of the Nations he would have said something to except them he would have told his Apostles that they must not Disciple or Receive such Infants into the Christian Church as were Receiv'd and Discipl'd into their Jewish Church No he would have said you must not mistake me tho' I have commanded you to Disciple and Baptize all Nations yet I hardly mean one half of the Nations for I do not mean so much as one Child or Infant belonging to them And thus Indeed must our Lord be supposed to have Interpreted his Command to his Apostles had he excluded Infants out of the Command And then again had they been thus taught to Disciple and Baptize no Infants not one of all the Nations but the Adult and grown Persons methinks some Charitable Body or other in the Name of the Poor Children should thus have lamented and condol'd their Case And is it the Christian Church that is now the true Church of God Time was when the Jewish Church was only so and then was the the happy time for us Poor Babes and Children For had our Gentile Fathers been then Converted Circumcis'd and Receiv'd into that old Church of God We their little Infants must not have been left behind No but the Door into which our Fathers must have enter'd then would likewise have stood open for us their Children too But now in the Christian Church it seems 't is otherwise Alas the Door is now close shut and barr'd to keep us poor Infants out There is no place for us in this New Church of God No but tho' our Fathers are Baptiz'd and Grafted into the good Olive-Tree as the Christian Church is call'd Yet We God help us We must remain Branches of the Wild Olive still as the Heathen World is term'd And thus when the Apostles Discipl'd and Baptiz'd the Gentile Nations into the Church of Christ had they excluded such Infants and Children as with their Parents were receiv'd into the Jewish Church of Old the Case of these Infants and Children might justly have been thus Condol'd But our Lord who was once an Infant himself and as such receiv'd into the Jewish Church he has not indeed forbidden Infants now to be receiv'd into his No he has given no such occasion of Complaint against him for the Command is Plain and Clear for the Discipling and Baptizing all Nations not an Infant excepted that I can find But Sir The grand Objection follows in the next Verse Teaching them to observe all things Whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 28.20 And from hence our Adversaries very confidently argue That none are to be Discipl'd and Baptiz'd but such as are Capable of being taught too which Infants and Children they boldly say are not But to this I answer First 'T is said of
Signified when he speaks of baptizing with the Holy Ghost or baptizing with the Spirit for so says the Apostle again By one Spirit we are all Baptized 1 Cor. 12.13 I add That it is no new thing for the Holy Spirit to be figur'd or represented by Water for thus in the Prophet of Old when God had said I will pour Water on him that is Thirsty He interprets himself immediately I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed Isai 44.3 and again when he had said in Ezekiel I will Sprinkle Clean Water upon you he adds as the meaning of it I will put my Spirit within you Ezek. 36.25 27. And again with allusion to Water is the promise of the Spirit express'd by pouring out I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh Joel 2.28 and to clear this matter from all doubt St. John quoting these Words of our Saviour He that Believeth in me out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water This he spake says that Evangelist of the Spirit which they that believe in him should receive John 7.38 39. Sir If you would see more and larger proofs of this you may read Mr. Mede's Discourse upon Titus 3.5 Indeed I cou'd hardly have thought that there cou'd have been any difference among Catechetical Writers as to this matter only I find in that same discourse of Mr. Mede that some would have the Blood of Christ to be the thing signified by the Water in Baptism as it is by the Wine in the other Sacrament To which he replies That the Blood of Christ is not once mention'd by the Fathers of the Primitive Church as the inward part of this Sacrament of Baptism no more than it is in our Liturgy and he further adds That the Opinion is Novel and That the Lutheran Divines make it peculiar and proper to the Followers of Calvin But now Sir give me leave to observe to you That Calvin himself seems not to have been always of this Opinion nay but he plainly asserts That the Holy Spirit is the Thing signify'd by the Baptismal Water For complaining of the Church of Rome for feigning Confirmation to be a Sacrament by which the Spirit of Regeneration is conferr'd he adds That they transferr'd to Confirmation what was proper to Baptism meaning that they made the Spirit of Regeneration which is the Inward part of Baptism to be the Thing signifi'd by the laying on of hands in Confirmation Calv. in Heb. 6.1 2. And here Sir if I was minded to enlarge I could confirm this Matter with abundance of Testimonies out of the best Writers and Fathers of the Primitive Church but I forbear being pretty confident that there is no great need of their Evidence in so plain a Case And now my good Friend are not your Eyes open Don't you clearly see from what I have said of the Inward part of Baptism how rightly the Outward part may be administred by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water The Gift of the Holy Spirit the thing signified in Baptism is exprest by Sprinkling or Pouring on And is there or can there be any Reason given why the Thing Signifi'd should be exceeded by the Sign God himself thought it not necessary but makes Sprinkling or Pouring on Water sufficient to represent and signifie his giving or pouring on the Spirit for when He I say promises his Holy Spirit he does not no not so much as once in the whole Bible say I will dip or plunge into Water but I will sprinkle or pour on Water Isa 44.3 and Ezek. 36.25 Dr. Towerson who had once said something which was a little too harsh as himself confesses against this way of Baptizing by Sprinkling whose very words our Adversaries have catch'd hold of and have boasted of him as a brave Man on their side yet when he came to enquire more narrowly into the Matter he industriously defends it and amongst other Arguments uses this very Text Ezek. 36.25 and proves from Maimonides That the Words were spoken with reference to the Times of the Messiah and affirms That they cannot be better interpreted than of the Water of Baptism applying them as I have here done as very well expressing the Outward Sign of that Sacrament And shall Men be wiser than God Or think it any Wit to mock at and deride his Words And be at the pains of making a Greek word English to make their mockery the plainer Sprinkling forsooth out of Sport and Rallery must be call'd Rantizing and Baptism when administer'd by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water must be nicknam'd Rantism But let me tell you Sir and you may tell the Author of your little * A little Book call'd The Reason why not Infant-Sprinkling but Believers Baptism ought to be approv'd c. Book you boast of That when he so merrily calls our way of Baptizing Rantizing and our Baptism Rantism He makes a mock of the very Words of God himself and according to his reproachful way of Speaking when God promises to Sprinkle clean Water upon his People he must not then promise to Baptize but only to Rantize This puts me in mind how I had once the misfortune to hear a wild Wretch call the Lord's Supper He seem'd to quarrel with my Friend for calling that Sacrament the Supper of our Lord A Supper said he A Bite and a Sip you mean And he had as much to say for the Profane expression as any one can have for calling our Baptism Rantism Why Sir He urg'd that a Supper ought to be a full Meal that to Signifie our receiving the Body and Blood of Christ we ought to eat a piece of Bread as big as his Body and to drink as much Wine as he shed Blood And is it not at a like Rate that some plead against Baptizing by Sprinkling You have heard the reason why That profane Wretch call'd our way of Receiving the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper a Bite and a Sip and is it not for a very like reason that our way of Baptizing is by some call'd Rantizing I will not here say with the Psalmist What shall be done to the false Tongue but rather with our most charitable Lord Father forgive them for surely they know not what they say or do But this 't is to be so Zealous for Externals when Men think that they can never have enough of the outward Signs of the Sacraments when yet perhaps the thing Signified which is the main and principal thing is as much neglected But Sir When we receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper if we Spiritually eat his Flesh and drink his Blood which is the inward part of this Sacrament as to the outward part it will not matter much how little Bread we eat or how little Wine we drink So when any are baptized if their Souls are purifi'd and cleans'd with the Holy Spirit which is the Inward part of this Sacrament as to the outward part it will not matter much how little Water
p. 398. And the same Learned Author after a very Nice and Critical Enquiry into the various Modes of Washing and Baptizing used among the Jews he concludes concerning the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Baptized namely That it was very frequently and ordinarily made use of to signifie That Washing which was performed by Pouring on Water Quod forsan contra illos qui vim verbi ubi de Baptismi Sacramento disputatur morosius urgent non inutile erit observare And this says he may be observ'd with great Advantage against those who when they dispute of the Mode of Baptizing do with too much Stiffness and Obstinacy urge the Word as if it did always signifie to dip into Water Idem p. 402. And again The Apostle says of the Israelites that came out of Egypt that they were all Baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea but they were not Dipt into the Cloud or into the Sea they were only Sprinkled or Dashed upon with the Waters of the Cloud and of the Sea 1 Cor. 10.2 I know 't is said that this is but a Metaphorical Expression but still I hope that 't is a pertinent Metaphor and shews the signification of the Word Baptizing viz. That it does not always signifie Dipping which is all that I am Enquiring after at present Once more Were not the Holy Apostles Baptized with the Holy Ghost But how The Holy Ghost was poured down upon their Heads in streaks of Fire like unto Cloven Tongues The Holy Ghost did not descend like a River of Flame for the Apostles to be Dipt into but was only poured upon their Heads in streaks of Fire and yet 't is said that they were Baptized with the Holy Ghost And tho' the Expression in 1 Cor. 10.2 be but Metaphorical yet I hope that this Baptism with the Holy Ghost is a real Baptism 't is I am sure the Chief and Principal Baptism and of which the Baptism with Water is but the Outward Sign And here give me leave to add That the Primitive Fathers call'd Sprinkling with Water Baptizing with Water as in the Case of Clinic Baptism of which you shall hear more by and by here I shall only tell you of the Clinics that they were Baptized as they lay upon their Beds of Sickness and 't is well known that they were only sprinkled with Water and yet were said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptized upon their Beds And now I hope 't is pretty plain as to the signification of the word That Baptizing does not always signifie Dipping nor consequently does it exclude all other Modes of Baptizing But notwithstanding all this we the Ministers of the Church of England it seems amongst some Folks must be great Dissemblers and Hypocrites And why I pray Why Because when we Baptize by sprinkling we dare not speak as we act we dare not say I sprinkle thee in the Name of the Father c. Alas for us poor Men that we are no such daring Blades as some others are But is it so indeed When they Baptize by Dipping dare they say I Dip thee in the Name of the Father c. I am sure we may with as good Reason and Authority say I sprinkle thee as they say I dip thee Our Saviour's words are Go teach all Nations Baptizing them Our Adversaries ask us Dare you Translate the words Go Teach all Nations Sprinkling them and to be even with them we think it enough to ask them again Dare you Translate the words Go Teach all Nations Dipping them But Sir I 'll endeavour to strike more light into this matter by a parallel Case Suppose then that our Blessed Saviour had said to his Apostles Go Hire all Nations into my Vineyard paying them such a Sum in my Name And suppose further that some of them had paid the Sum in Silver and some in Gold Can it be imagin'd that ever these different ways of paying the same Sum would have proved a matter of Controversie Truly according to the aforesaid way of Contending and Arguing They who paid in Silver might have quarrell'd with the others for paying in Gold and might have disputed their Quarrel after this manner Our Saviour has said Go Hire all Nations into my Vineyard paying them such a Sum in my Name but dare you Translate the Words Paying them so much Gold in my Name How then dare you pay in Gold when you dare not Speak as you Act Now to this Argument might not the others have reply'd and disputed on the other hand against paying in Silver Our Saviour has Commanded us to Hire all Nations into his Vineyard paying them such a Sum in his Name but dare you Translate the words Paying them so much Silver If not How dare you pay in Silver when you dare not Speak as you Act This Case I think sufficiently shews the Folly of our Adversaries in daring us to use the word Sprinkling for Baptizing Nay and further We may suppose our Saviour giving this Command to his Apostles to Hire all Nations into his Vineyard paying them such a Sum in his Name we may farther suppose him I say at the same time to have been in the Indies where Payments for the most pâ—â—â— are made all in Gold And Consequently we may suppose that the Apostles hiring these India Nations into Christ's Vineyard did pay them all in Gold according to the General usage of these Countries Well but then even upon this supposition that none of the Apostles had ever paid the aforesaid Sum in Silver but had paid all in Gold yet their practice in this Case would not have made a general Rule or made it unlawfull to pay the Sum in Silver No but their Successors and other Ministers of Christ notwithstanding this Apostolical Practice of Paying the Indians in Gold might yet in other places have paid the Sum in Silver Yea and woud have been constrain'd and oblig'd so to do had they come to hire such Nations into Christ's Vineyard where Silver is the Current Coyn and they could not have paid in Gold without great and manifold Difficulties and Inconveniencies And thus when Christ Commanded his Apostles to Baptize all Nations in his Name he was then in those Eastern-Countries where by reason of Excessive heat Washings and Bathings were very frequent and a Customary practice and therefore when the Apostles Baptiz'd in these hot Nations tho' we suppose them to have Baptiz'd there by Dipping yet their Practice in those hot Countries cannot reasonably be urg'd as generally obliging us to the same way of Baptizing or making it unlawful to Baptize any otherwise no but their Successors and other Ministers of Christ may yet in other places Baptize by Sprinkling yea and are even Constrain'd and Oblig'd so to do when they Baptize in Cold Countries where they cannot Baptize by Dipping without great and manifest dangers and inconveniencies In short as in the aforesaid Case had our Saviour Commanded such a Sum to be
enquired into the Apostolical practice in this Case of Baptizing Infants and I thank God that the more I have enquir'd I have found the more and greater Satisfaction in the Case In the next place I am to enquire what Authority they had for this practice of theirs that is I am to enquire whether I can find in all the New Testament that Infant-Baptism was any where Taught or Commanded But I presume you 'll be Content to trust me for this till I may have a farther Opportunity and in the mean while I am Sir July 2. 1698. Your c. T. H. LETTER VI. Dear Sir THE Second part of your great Objection against Infant-Baptism is this You find not in Scripture that any Infants were COMMANDED to be Baptized Now to this I cou'd give you this short Answer When the Disciples of Christ made and Baptized more Disciples than John John 4.1 2. Let any Man living tell me where the Command is written in Scripture which gave these Disciples of our Lord Authority to Baptize at that time and I will undertake to shew you that the very same Command oblig'd them to Baptize Infants This I do affirm that they had then as much Command to Baptize Infants as they had to Baptize either Men or Women And do you Sir make the tryal if you please Go and learn from Scripture where these Disciples had any Command then to Baptize the Elder sort and if you do not find the same Command obliging them to Baptize Children also I do here freely tell you that I dare yield you the Cause But to give a more particular Answer to this as I have done to the former part of your Objection First I will enquire from Scripture whether Infant-Baptism was taught by our Saviour in his Life-time Secondly Whether it was Taught or Commanded by him after his Death and Resurrection before he Ascended into Heaven And Thirdly Whether it was taught by any of his Apostles after his Ascension 1. I will make it my business at this time to Enquire from Scripture whether Infant-Baptism was taught by our Saviour in his Life-time Sir The Sadducees cou'd not find in all the five Books of Moses so much as one single Text which taught the Doctrin of a Resurrection and therefore they Confidently deny'd the thing and warmly disputed it with our Blessed Lord and Saviour himself And you may be pleas'd to see how our Lord confuted and convinc'd them by a Text of Scripture which they had overlook'd Mark 12.26 Have you not read said he in the Book of Moses how God spake unto him Saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob to which he added But God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living And this was our Saviour's Scripture-Proof of a Resurrection and from these very words by just Reasonings and Consequences did he make the Truth of that great Doctrin appear to those very Sadducees themselves who had so long and so stiffly oppos'd it It must indeed be acknowledg'd that it requir'd a Piercing Eye to find out a Resurrection in these words I am the God of Abraham c. And yet so it was The Resurrection was a Consequence that our Lord Himself then drew from them and the Consequence was acknowledged to be good Scripture-Proof and the Sadducees were wiser than to Object against it This I have observ'd to let you see that there may be Scripture-Proof of a thing tho' every Eye cannot discern it and that tho' we cannot always produce plain and express words of Scripture in the defence of a Doctrin yet if we can prove it by right and genuine Consequence we do as much as our Saviour himself did in the Case of a Resurrection and I hope that in good Manners and Civility to our Great Lord you will allow such Proof as he made use of to be good and sufficient But further There were a sort of Hereticks of Old call'd Macedonians and a spawn of them we have still amongst us who deny'd the Divinity of the Holy Ghost and their great Cry was Where do you read in Scripture that the Holy Ghost is God And I do assure you Sir that it was truly Confess'd that there is no such Scripture-Text no such express words in the whole Bible it is not expresly asserted in terminis either in the Old or New Testament that the Holy Ghost is God But what then There are in Scripture such things said of the Holy Ghost as by undoubted Consequence prove him to be God as to give you but one Instance of an Hundred The Holy Ghost is said to be Omnipresent Psal 139.7 and from hence it necessarily follows as a very plain Consequence that he must needs be God because God only is Omnipresent And now Sir with a like manner of Proof I will fall upon the matter in hand Tho' we find not in Scripture any such express Command as this That Infants shall be Baptized yet we find such things given in Charge concerning them as necessarily Imply that they ought to be Baptized that is to say we find in Scripture that Children ought to be admitted into the Church of Christ and we there likewise find that there is no other ordinary way of admitting into that Church but by Baptism And to give you full satisfaction in this matter I will here undertake briefly to prove That our Blessed Lord and Saviour did in his Life-time teach both that Children are to be admitted into his Church and that they are to be admitted by Baptism That Children were admitted into God's Church of old is as well known as that they were then Circumcis'd And what I pray is the Christian-Church but that old Church Reform'd The Root and Stock are still the same tho' as for the Branches some viz. the Jews were lopped off and others viz. the Gentiles are graffed in as you may read at large Rom. 11.16 17 18. Christianity indeed as one speaks very well is Judaism explain'd into its Spiritual sense and meaning and hence it is that the Christians in the New Testament are called Jews that is Reform'd Jews Rev. 2.9 and sometimes the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 and sometimes the Children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 And hence it is that the christian-Christian-Church is called the New-Jerusalem because it is the Old Jerusalem or Jewish Church renew'd and enlarg'd Rev. 3.12 But now Good Sir suppose that our Church should be taken down to the very Foundation and built again a great deal larger and more Glorious than now it is What think you Might we not then take our Children along with us to our Church as well as we do now Certainly the Re-building and Beautifying it wou'd take away no one's privilege of entring into it In a resembling manner there was indeed a great Reformation made by our Saviour in the Church of God a great deal taken away and a great deal added and almost the whole
not deprive them of the Benefits of the New Covenant out of any such vain and foolish fear for thus runs the Covenant whereof Baptism is the Seal God promises Heaven upon such and such Conditions and their Sureties promise for our Children that they shall perform these Conditions for that Heaven that is they promise for our Children that they shall perform these Conditions or else forfeit that Heaven which is not otherwise to be had or hop'd for but upon these Conditions And this is the true nature and meaning of those Promises which are made by Parents and Sureties in the Names of Baptized Infants and you now plainly see I hope that there is no such danger in them as some poor silly people whom you know and have heard will be talking of And the danger wou'd be less still did but all Sureties strictly observe what they are most excellently taught in the Exhortation made to them at the Conclusion of the Office for the Publick Baptism of Infants in our Common Prayer-Books And indeed When you have made an Advantageous Covenant for your Children as you desire that they should reap the Benefit of it you must be sure to take care that as soon as they shall be able to learn they may be instructed in the Nature of it and be taught the Conditions required of them together with the Advantages which will accrue to them by their performance of these Conditions as also the great Damages which they shall sustain by their wilful neglect of them Even so it is not enough for their Sureties to engage Infants and Children in Covenant with God but they must be sure to take care especially in case of the Parents Death or neglect that the Children be taught as soon as they shall be able to learn what they are bound by that Covenant to perform and what infinite Gainers they shall certainly be by a Conscientious observance of the Conditions required of them and what infinite Losers by their wilful and continued failure in the performance of these Conditions Those for whom you stand as Sureties you ought says the Pious Author of the Christian Monitor to do your utmost towards their good Education in the knowledge of God and Religion according to the Charge given you Especially if the Parents Die or prove negligent Pag. 37. And Dear Sir In case of the Parents Death the State has provided that Children shall not want Guardians to take care of their Temporal Inheritances and shall any blame the Church for taking as good care of their Souls as the State has done of their Lands and Possessions Or why may not why should not the Church require that in case of the Parents Death their Children should have Sureties oblig'd to take care of their Eternal Affairs as well as the State requires that they shall have Guardians oblig'd to take care of their Temporal Certainly were we but as mindful and concern'd what may become of our Childrens Souls after our Decease as we are concern'd what may become of the Estates which we leave them we should then be as willing and careful to provide good Sureties for them who are oblig'd to look after their Souls as now we are careful to appoint them good Guardians who are oblig'd to look after their Estates And Sir Let the Ill-advised World say what they please there is as much Popery in the State for requiring Guardians as there is in the Church for requiring Sureties for Children unless the same care may not without Popery be taken of their Souls which may without Popery be taken of their Estates But perhaps you will say That Sureties very seldom take this care of the Children's Souls which I am speaking of I Answer That neither are all Guardians Faithful and Just as they ought to be so that you cannot still blame the Church for requiring Sureties because of that general neglect of their Duties which you observe among them but you must also blame the State for requiring Guardians because of that too general unfaithfulness which among them likewise is both observ'd and lamented in this Age. And then again in case of the Parents negligence As it is at the Request of those Parents that we become Sureties for their Children we do thereby acquire some kind of Authority over those very Parents themselves as well as over their Children and we may roundly reprove even those very Parents if they bring not up their Children in the Practice of those Christian Duties which themselves desired and procured us to Promise in their Children's Names and much more may we Reprove and Rebuke their Children being grown to years of discretion if then they neglect those duties And thus if Sureties are bound thus to give such Reproof and Christian Admonition to those Parents and Children for whom they have undertaken to the Church it is but a very necessary Duty that they are thus bound to and which all Christians are oblig'd to perform towards one another as there is occasion Those very Duties which we are oblig'd in General to perform towards one another we are but more Particularly oblig'd to perform them towards those Children for whom we become Sureties And therefore They who shun the Charitable work of becoming Sureties for Children because they are thereby oblig'd to Advise Counsel Exhort and Reprove them as they find occasion they may e'en as well refuse to become Christians because by their very Christianity they are oblig'd if there be a like occasion to Advise Counsel Exhort or Reprove all their Fellow-Christians And further If some wou'd have all Sureties at Baptism to be laid aside Because there are but few such Sureties that Conscientiously perform what they undertake might not the same reason perswade others to lay Baptism it self aside viz. Because there are but few who are Baptized that Conscientiously perform their Baptismal Engagements For thus Here comes a bold Man and makes a Noise and quarrels with the Church for Requiring that Children shall have Sureties to undertake for their Instruction and Education in the Christian Religion and all the Reason that he can give against the use of such Sureties is because so few of them do as they say or perform what they promise And Dear Sir May not another bold Fellow be thus Encouraged to quarrel with the Church for putting it upon all Persons to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh at their Baptism viz. Because but few who are Baptized do so Renounce these Spiritual Enemies in their Lives and Practices as by their Baptismal-Engagements they are oblig'd to do Surely if the general neglect of Sureties as to the Obligations laid upon them be a good Reason why there should be no Sureties at all then the like general neglect of Baptized Persons as to the Obligations laid upon them too may be thought a good Reason why there should be none Baptized at all But Sir When People have nothing to say against the use of Sureties but that the Duties which they take upon themselves are seldom regarded These very People may soon help to remove the Objection Namely by their undertaking for and performing these Duties towards Children whereby the usefulness and advantage of having such Sureties would be seen and felt and the good and Charitable meaning of the Church would be understood and applauded where she requires that there shall be for every Male-Child to be Baptized two God-Fathers and one God-Mother and for every Female one God-Father and two God-mothers Upon the whole matter Let us take care that our Children as well as our selves be admitted into the New Covenant by Baptism For 't is the one and onely Covenant by which both we and our Children are to be saved and let us remember how heavily God complain'd by his Prophet of some who took away his Glory for ever from little Children Micah 2.9 'T is true When our New-born Infants die Unbaptized before we can possibly bring them to that Holy Sacrament we may reasonably hope that in such a Case the want of Baptism will neither be required of them nor us But when we refuse or neglect to have them Baptiz'd when we neither want time nor opportunity so to do then whatever happens to the Innocents says the Seraphick Bishop Taylor we may well fear lest God should require their Souls at our hands We know indeed says he that God is good infinitely good but we know that it is not at all good to tempt his Goodness and yet he tempts God's Goodness who expects to meet his Children in Heaven when himself shuts the Door which is Baptism against them which for ought he knows is the only Door that stands open And now Sir As you put it upon me to begin these Letters with a very Solemn Protestation so I will here take leave to Conclude them with one too and therefore in the Apostle's words 2 Cor. 1.23 I call God for a Record upon my Soul that I would not for all the World have any Child of mine die unbaptized through my fault or negligence Dear Sir I say the Truth in Christ I lye not as the same Apostle protests again And you may assure your self that I speak the Truth likewise when I tell you that I am SIR July 29. 1698. Your very sincere and faithful Servant T. H. FINIS