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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85020	The infants advocate of circumcision on Jewish and baptisme on Christian children. By Thomas Fuller, B.D.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1653 (1653)	Wing F2447; Thomason E1431_1; ESTC R202071	87,089	272

conscience been convinced of the truth thereof How might he have rejoyned Original sin cannot be proved from the Baptizing of Infants which is but a modern custome an innovation in the Church of God What the Sodomites said of Lot Gen. 19. 9. This one fellow came in to sojourn and will he needs be a judg may be said of Infants Baptism This custome is new and novel lately crept into the Chuch as yet rather a sojourner then an inhabitant therein and must this regulate matters in a judicial way so that arguments must be deduced from the same Besides I have been a Traveller and have conversed with most Churches in Christendome being born in Britaine a little world by it self I have been in the great world abroad Jew and Gentile East and Western Churches have I observed Hierusalem that was and Rome which is so eminent for Religion are places wherein I am well acquainted This I know some Churches observe others neglect some use others slight the Baptising of Infants Nor can it be accounted a general custom of the Church which is but local and partial in a word both NEW and NARROW as neither coming down from Christ nor extended over all Christendome But Pelagius endeavoured to evade S. Austins argument by another device namely by pleading that Baptism was admitted to Infants not to wash away their Original sin but to bring them to the kingdome of heaven A fancy which he was the first and he and his the last to maintain it The result of all is this Seeing Pelagius was so great a schollar knowing full well how to manage a bad cause to its best advantage and seeing he was so great a Traveller who had not eat his bread all in one place but had roved up and down to know the customes of the Church and yet feeing by his silence urging nothing against it and by his shifting seeking otherwise to evade it he acknowledgeth the truth of Infants Baptism we conclude the same in his days received for an Ancient and Universal practice of the Church For why should he adventure the breaking of his bones or at leastwise the bruising of his flesh by leaping out of the window who hath a wide door set open unto him Why should he make so poor and pittiful so base and beggerly an escape to avoid S. Austins argument against him by forming a frivolous fancy of his own who had a ful free and fair passage at pleasure to go forth durst he but have denied the Baptizing of Infants to have been a general Church custome in his time To conclude this point the argument of Jephthah to the King of Ammon carrieth great weight therewith Judg. 11. 26. proving Israels right to the Land which they possest and the Ammonites pretended unto When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns and in Aroer and her towns and in all the cities that be along by the coas●s of A●●on three hundred years why there fore did ye not recover them within that time In like manner may we urge it against the adversaries of childrens Baptism If the Ancient Church conceived the Baptizing of Infants an usurpation and incroachment injurious and unlawful why did not the Church of God in so long a time cast out the custome which made so unjust an invasion therein For S. Austin lived about the fift Century after Christ when Pedo-baptism was in a peaceable passission of Church practice and Pelagius himself sufficiently impudent was so modest and ingenious not to deny the same though such a denial had conduced much to his own advantage I have done when I have told the Reader that S. Austin brought the Baptizing of Infants as an argument to prove Original sin and in our age wherein Original sin is on ought to be granted by all we alledge the same as a reason to prove the necessity of Infants Baptism and surely so solid is the argument reciprocally that both may be firmly grounded on the same CHAP. XVI The Grand Objection drawn from the silence of Scripture herein Answered OUr Adversaries in this point gain not a greater advantage against us amongst common people then by urging of that which indeed we confesse no literal precept or practice for Pedo-baptism in Scripture By popular improving of which argument they not only gain to themselves the reputation of a strict adherence to the Word and will of God but also asperse us with the dangerous imputation of wil-worship and Popish inclinations Yea which is more they threaten us with a curse pronounced Rev. 22. 18. If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book In Answer whereunto In the first place we request our Adversaries to remember that this place by them cited out of the Revelation like a two edged sword cuts on both sides for it followeth immediatly And if any shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the book of life See here a curse incurr'd as well by the defect as the excesse And be it reported to our opposites in this point whether denying such consequences which infallibly flow from Scripture be not taking away from the words as well as mutilating or abstracting the numerical words from the same More particularly I answer Baptizing of Infants appears not to such who only read the Scripture but is plainly visible to those who also search the Scriptures which John 5. 39. is the duty of all judicious Christians as by reasons out of Scripture we have made it to appear Here will it not be amisse to mind our adversaries in this point that they account themselves concerned in conscience to believe and practice many things as necessary to salvation which notwithstanding are built on the same foundation with the Baptism of Infants namely not on the expresse letter of Scripture but undeniable consequences arising from the same But I conceive such instancing though lawful yet not expedient in this unhappy juncture of time lest Satan get an advantage over us for we are not ignorant of his devices and lest such instancing though intentionally good in us prove occasionally evil to others by casting scruples into mens consciences who are quiet for the present There needs more allaying of old then raising of new jealousies in divinity more needful to settle then scatter mens belief in our dayes wherein so many deniers and more doubters in most Articles of Faith Indeed the words of the wise Eccles 12. 11. are as goads or as nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies But such builders must be wary lest whilest they fasten one nail they do not loosen another However to prove this point I will embrace a way as sure to clear the matter and more safe not having any dangerous influence on the times This may be done by removing the instance from our age and fixing the same in the time of Gods

Church amongst the Jews Now none will deny but that wil-worship or adding to Gods Word and his Service was as utterly unlawful amongst them as amongst us Christians Yet the most religious amongst them used that as their bounden duty and necessary to Gods service which hath no original expresly in the word of God For proof hereof we shall offer three things to the readers consideration 1. Repairing to Synagogues amongst the Jews was a necessary part of Gods service 2. The same was not grounded on any expresse of Scripture 3. But consequentially on several places prudentially joyned together For the first It plainly appeareth by Christs constant practice Luke 4. 16. And as his custome was he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day As sure as a seventh day return'd every week so certainly did our Saviour visit the synagogue It is also evident by the continual custome of all pious Jews Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day To destroy these synagogues was accounted a wicked work witnesse Gods servants their passionate complaint Psal 74. 8. And again to erect them was an acceptible act alledged by the Pharisees as an argument to endeer the Centurion unto our Saviour Mat. 8. he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue Lastly it was esteemed a heavy punishment equivalent to our excommunication John 9. 2● to be put out of the synagogue Yet repairing to synagogues or the erecting of them was not founded on any positive precept in Gods word Indeed the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple were of Divine institution where all males were commanded to present themselves thrice a year namely at the Passeover the feast of Trumpets and Tabernaclos But these synagogues which I may terme Chappels of ease to the mother-Temple no written law obliged men either to the founding or frequenting of them Yet that the same was grounded on rational deductions from Scripture may infallibly be evinced The text saith Exod. 20. Remember thou keep holy the sabbath day And reason dictated unto them First that peoples presence at publick service was a principal part of sanctifying the sabbath Secondly that it was impossible for them to repair to the Temple and return to their houses such their distance betwixt them Thirdly therefore it was necessary some room of receipt should be provided sequestred from common uses wherein people should meet together Lastly another text affirming That the Priests lips should preserve knowledge It was proper for them and the Levites dispersed in all Israel on the sabbath in the synagogue to read Moses to the people Thus we find the first foundation of synagagues not on the floating sands of humane fancy but firm rock of Gods Word Though not directly yet by consequence collected from the same In a word as chambers and houses were for mens personal family devotions every day or as oft as they pleased as the Temple was for the national service of the Jews thrice every year so Synagogues were interposed in the middle betwixt both for Towns and Cities to serve God on the Sabbath day the whole nation meeting thrice a year every City once a week as private persons every day and as oft as they pleased Suppose now that a Priest amongst the Jews should presse an obstinate Jew to repair to the Synagogue how might he have returned this answer according to the Principles of our Anti-pedo-baptists I will go up to the Temple thrice every year and there I will not appear empty-handed But I will not on the sabbath present my self in the Synagogue which meeting is not JURE DIVINO a meer civil institution groundless on Gods word shew me a place of Scripture injoyning my attendance in a Synagogue and I will become your convert Till which time I will not only my self refrain my appearance there but wil also account it wil-worship in all such as there assemble themselves I believe not one of our Adversaries in our present Controversie which are ingenuous but will condemn such a recusant amongst the Jews for refractory and obstinate Yea they will conceive him if persisting herein to deserve Church-censure for his schismatical singularity Yet give me leave with love grief and anger to say unto him as once Nathan to David thou art the man in denying Infants Baptism which though not in so many words expressed is by necessary consequence infallibly founded on Gods Word Now although I freely confesse no litteral precedent of Pedo-baptism in Scripture yet such an one therein is presented unto us which although it will not confute our opposites it will confirm us in our judgements and though it be not able Titus 1. 9. to convince the gainsayers yet it will strengthen us in the Truth When the principal is known of him self to be sufficient any security with him will be accepted and the following instance may be cast in as over-weight to such minds who already have their full measure of perswasion in this point Namely when it is said Acts 16. 15. Lydia was Baptized and her houshold And again Acts 16. 33. of the Jaylor was baptized he and all his straight way Also 1 Cor. 1. 16. I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas For the Jaylor That Children if he had any were comprised under the expression of all his is sufficiently known by Satans interpretation Job 1. 12. of Gods commission Behold all that he hath is in thy power and Gods consenting thereunto when permitting him by vertue thereof to destroy all Jobs children And whereas in the other two instances the baptizing of whole housholds are exprest we must rationally conceive that some infants were amongst them I must confesse I can tell the time when there were three housholds of young folk in the world and then but three housholds of young folk in the world namely the three sons of Noah and his daughters in law in the Ark and yet not one Infant betwixt them all But this was a rare and mystical accident Again to hold the ballance even I can tell the time when in a large Country every famil● offered a first-born namely in Egypt Exod. 12. 3. There was not a house where there was not one dead Which S. Austin accounts miraculous God purposely making every family fruitful that it might yield a fit object for his own justice But to wave these instances of extraordinary dispensation take three houses together indifferently numerous such as those of Lydia the Jaylor and Stephanas must be presumed to be considering the garbe of that age wherein most of mens moveable wealth consisted in men and maid servants with the children begotten by them and it is utterly improbable but some infants will be amongst them For a great family is like unto an Orenge tree which at the same time hath buds and blossoms and knobs and green and half ripe and full ripe Orenges on it all together I mean