cut off from standing as till Chirist they did now any longer upon their own Root Abraham because of unbelief I say then that no infant in infancy of what believing parent soever is either Abrahams spiritual seed or dying in infancy is saved upon any such account as a believers seed or Abrahams seed nor whilst living an infant onely may be signed by baptism as an heir apparent of salvation for if Abraham stand not a spiritual father to his own meer fleshly seed he stands not so sure to the meer fleshly seed of any believing Gentile for that were to priviledge every ordinary believer and his natural seed above either himself or his own Nor doth this hinder or deny the salvation of the dying infants of believers or dispose them ere the sooner muchless necessarily to damnation to say they are not Abrahams spirituall seed quâ believers infants nor heirs to salvation upon any such account as that for though neither upon that nor any other account at all they may warrantably be baptized yet it s more then possible or probable either because infallible that there 's other Scripture account enough upon which when we see them die in infancy we may assert them undoubtedly not to be damned for as it is most sure and true that all that are apparently if really Abrahams spiritual seed by faith must so living so dying be saved in token and farther evidence of which to themselves more then others they are by the good wil of Christ to be baptized yet is it neither true nor necessary that all that are saved must be Abrahams spiritual seed by faith but most certain that some shall be saved that never were Abrahams seed in any sense at all witnesse not onely the faithful fore-fathers of Abraham for he was their seed and not they his but also all dying infants of what parents soever both before Abrahams time and since of whom to salvation notwithstanding those are the onely termes on which it belongs to adult ones to whom it s preacht Mark 16.15 16. these being truly capable of neither 't is not required that they should either repent believe or be baptized I know this Iustification of dying infants without faith is uncouth and little less for all it holds forth so much salvation then damnable doctrine among you Divines that plead the contrary but I shall by the help of God make it good to the faces of you all when I come to consider the baldness of your consequence in this point as you give me good occasion to do in some places where me thinks you meddle with it somewhat clumsily as it were in mittins as if because there 's no other way revealed for the salvation of such by Christ to whom the gospel is preached who are capable to hear and do what 's required for such onely the word universally speaks of when it speaks of salvation in that way but the way of belief and actuall obedience onely therefore there 's no other way for the salvation of dying infants by Christ who can possibly neither believe in him nor obey him which as it is such shameful stuff that I cannot bear it with out inward blushing at your blindness so whether you have not as much cause to be ashamed on 't within your selves is well worth your inmost inquiry I say therefore again so far is this from excluding dying infants of believers from entrance into the kingdome of heaven to say they are neither Abrahams spiritual seed by faith nor heirs thereof upon that ground onely of being so that it rather concludes and supposes there 's some other ground that is common with them to the innocent infants of even infidels and all the world upon which these whom though they are hundreds to one yet your selves in your fierce wrath and merciless cruelty devote universally to damnation may dying in infancy universally be saved also which ground if you will yet know it is the righteousness of Christ the free imputation of which universally from the father saves not onely all that believe from both that and their actuall transgressions too but even the whole world whether they believe it or no from the the imputation of Adams transgression so that none at all ever perish upon that account in which respect he is said to be the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe much more doth it and that without faith save all dying infants who as they believe not so have not as yet by any actual sin bard themselves or deserved exemption or become liable at all to the second death i. e. the damnation of hell which befalls not any but upon personal neglect of the light and grace of life brought in by the second Adam as the first death onely overtakes mankind for onely that sin of the first Adam Babist If all dying infants are saved then not few but many if not the maior part must be saved contrary to that of Christ Mat. 7.13.14 Luke 13.23.24 where he saith few there are that are saved Baptist. There are indeed but few inter adultos among persons that come to years of whom alone and not of Infants at all Christ there speaks and even every where else where he speaks to us of the way of life and this is plain by the reason he there gives why so few are saved which is the straitness of the gate and narrowness of the way that leads to life viz. of self-denial and suffering for Christ which men mostly being very loath to walk in it comes to pass that few of them come to life by it but infants being altogether uncapable to walk in it are are altogether dis-ingaged from walking in it till they come to capacity so to do and yet are not damn'd for not walking in it when we come to years of understanding and to apprehend the good will of God to us in providing a Saviour for us his good will concerning us in order to salvation by him is that we believe in him and obey him and apply his righteousness unto our selves Gal. 3.27 but whilst we are yet in such minority as neither to know what God hath done for us nor to be capable of putting on the Lord Iesus our selves he himself is pleased to impute his righteousness to salvation to us so dying even as we our selves whilst our infants are new born do not onely provide but also put on what clothes we have provided in our pitty towards them for the covering of their nakedness but when they come to years of such discretion as to discern and be sensible of their own shame and capable to dress themselves with their own hands we expect when in our love we have once provided raiment for them they should put it on themselves or go without it thus candid are we towards the dying infants of all sorts nevertheless though we tell you of our charity towards them and of your own cruelty in sending all
ours therefore I shall not trouble my self with it but the first of them which you say is so directly against us t is because you are blind if you do not perceive it to be an express downright declaration of a general justification of all from Adams sin as to life i. e. a resurrection from that bodily death which that sin brought upon all mankind and from which as there is now a universal return of every individual by Christ so there had never bin any returning for any one man in the world but by Christ to all eternity world without end 1 Cor. 15.21.22 Yea as universally as that judgement or condemnation to that first death came by Adam upon all men so that it spreads its black wings upon them all and brings them all down to the dust from whence they came so universally is justification unto life i. e the benefit and resurrection from that death from which else no one man should ever have risen come by Christ upon all men really and truly and not onely so but a capacity also and possibility of eternal happinesse and well being after that resurrection and all this whether persons believe it yea or no yea and a promise and certainty of it in case of belief in this Christ otherwise indeed a losse of the Resurrections becoming a mercy and benefit to them and a lyablenesse even after that escape of the first death that came by the first Adam to a sorer even that second death that lake of fire which by the second Adam by whom comes eternal blessednesse on believers comes upon all unbelievers and that for ever So that if there be no salvation to infants without justification yet ther 's justification of infants without faith or baptism either And whereas you argue from the cart to the horse from the justification and salvation of infants to their faith I argue from their non capacity to believe to their justification and salvation without it no salvation or justification without faith say you but infants are justified and saved therefore they believe if no justification and salvation without faith say I infants who cannot believe can neither be justified nor saved but infants so farre as they need justification for they have no sins of their own are justified and saved also for the kingdome of heaven belongs to them therefore there is justification and salvation for infants without faith To conclude therefore this opinion of you adversaries to the truth which allows no salvation to infants without faith puts you miserably to your shifts viz. either to find out a new way of coming by faith which Paul saies comes onely by hearing or else to damn innumerable dying infants who whilest they lived were uncapable to hear the word preached and so to believe or else as you do p. 18. to dream out a new kind of hearing whereby infants come by their faith viz. an inward wonderful miraculous hearing of some voice of the spirit within such a sigment of your own brains as the Scripture is wholly silent in and no true Church of God nor rational man but your selves who dream dreams and divine â—alse divinations and things of nought deceits of your own heart and tell them to the deceiving of others did ever dream of and whosoever shall consider the impertinencies of your proofs in a cause of so great consequence shall have just cause to suspect all your other doctrines and to take heed how they take any thing any more upon trust as the whole world hath done now of old from these new masters the Clergy who instead of being ministers in truth or servi servorum dei have bin domini dominorum Lords over the heritage and over the faith of all civil powers and people teaching them instead of the true doctrine of the old ministers the traditions and commandements of men And so I have done both with the head of this third argument and with that long tail also that trails after there remains no more of it to be meddled with but a certain slender sting that sticks to this tail put forth against us with more length then strength in prosecution of the argument which I shall cut out into many pieces and after set upon each section severally and then I hope your great hope of help from these three unworthies will prove a forlorn hope indeed Review But to prosecute this Argument for the full satisfaction of the simple but honest Reader since there is no way to come to salvation but by justification and no justificatnon but by faith why should it be doubted by any but little infants which are ordained to salvation are also by faith made subjects of justification those soules which please God so well as they are to see him presently after their separation from the body why should they not be capable of faith without which the Apostle saith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Re-Review The Reader had need be honest for I dare say he will be simple enough that receives full satisfaction your way by your present prosecutions of it because there 's no way for salvation and justification for men that are actual sinners and capable to believe and to whom justification and remission is preached to the end that they might believe it to their comfort is there therefore no other way wherby God willing and ordaining to save little infants from eternal wrath can possibly or doth certainly save them that can neither sin or be preacht to nor believe but that very self same way of believing is he tied to that means to save infants by as we are tied to it in order to the saving of our selves viz. the way of faith if so why not to repentance and self denial also for both these are the way to us Act. 2.38.40 Mat. 16.24 and would it not shift a man out of his seven sences to hear such doctrine that infants as ever they will be saved dying infants must even in their infancy repent is it not manifold more suitable to reason and sense of Scripture that as infants so far as they are guilty become guilty unwittingly to themselves by the presentment and imputation of the first Adams sin without personal disobedience in themselves so also should be justified from that imputed sin by the presentment of the satisfaction and imputation of the righteousness of the second Adam as unwittingly to and without personal obedience in themselves and because without faith t is impossible to please God for such as have actually incurred his wrath such as come to him by prayer for these indeed must believe that is God and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ther fore is it impossible for infants also who yet actually disspensed him nor yet are capable to come to him by belief or prayer Is that Scripture think you intended to infants for shame scope the Scripture a little better Review Is it not the
present and I hope you will see the whole out in the end for all will not own so much some perceiving no doubt what a foundation it laies for us to build firmly upon all that in this point we contend for do rather choose to deny this truth that baptism signifies or at least that it resembles a death and resurrection then by owning it be forc't to own the true way of baptism indeed Your Dr. Featley little better then denies both at first p. 70. saying thus As for the representation of the death and resurrection that is not properly the inward grace signified by baptism but the washing the soul in the laver of regeneration and clensing us from our sinnes but I can little lesse then admire that he above all men who quotes the Rubrick with little lesse authority then he doth the bible and hath no question little lesse then an 100 times in his daies taught little children the catachism contained therein should quite forget to learn it himself for there it s set down plainly that the inward and spritual grace signified by the outward sign of baptism is death unto sinne and a new birth unto Righteousnesse and besides he knew that in true regeneration there is a death and resurrection Rantist However in the manner of baptism as it is administred in the Church of England there is a resemblance of a death and resurrection for though the child be not alwayes dipt in water as the rubrick prescribeth save onely in case of necessitie which would be dangerous in cold weather especiall if the child be weak and sickly yet the minister dippeth his hand in the water and plucketh it out again when he baptizeth the infant and these are the very words of Dr. Featly next following the words you quoted and therefore whether he be right in those or no I am sure he is in these for there is a resemblance of death and resurrection in our baptism Baptist. Whether the Dâ—s mind misgave him or no after he had asserted that a death and resurrection is not the thing signified and that which is to be resembled in baptism I know not but me thinks he speaks as if he feared whether that would hold water or no and therefore least it should be found to leak in the very next words which you now speak in as one supposing it the safest way to grant thaâ— there ought to be a resemblance of a death and resurrection in right baptism he rather goes another way to work viz. to patch up a proof of it that there is a resemblace of a death and resurrection in that administration of it that is used in England but t is in such a way me thinks as may well make all the seers ashamed and Divines confounded specially you that so dote on that Doctor as to give up your selves to be so blindly discipled by him as you do and would have others to do so also that ever such a piece of doctrine should be delivered and yet behold you justifie and side with it by Englands Doctors in Divinity It seems then you dare nor quite gainsay but that a representation of a death and resurrection is fit to be made in the manner of baptizing and that the Church of England hath prescribed that it shall be done in such a manner as may be tanta mount thereto viz. by dipping unlesse of necessity through the infants sicknesse it be done otherwise yet notwithstanding that prescription of the Church which of you priests did ever do any other then sprinkle the healthiest infants but because the subject of your baptism in England being an infant is too tender at all times to be dipt or buried in water where not that your false subject of necessity ingages you to forgo the true way of baptizing which your selves prescribe unlesse necessity forbid it because I say the child cannot conveniently be buried with Christ in baptism into death in his own person therefore ecce signum this visible death burial and resurrection with Christ must be all transacted for him per alium i. e. by the ministers hand that is dipped into water and brought out again as it were instead of the child And this is even very suitable to all the rest for all the rest of your service in the point of baptism is done by representatives as little as it represents what is mainly to be represented by it and one part would mock the other if this should not be done so too t is true all is done in the childs name and in the childs stead but nothing done that of right ought to be done either by or to the child himself The infant indeed is askt dost thou believe in God dost thou forsake the divel wilt thou be baptized c but others must answer and promise and professe assent to and vow all these for him others mouthes must speak his mind and there 's the profession again he is spoken to by the minister saying to him I baptize thee i e. dip or bury thee with Christ in baptism into death for so t is in a little plainer English and true sense and intent of the service but alas it s nothing but the ministers hand that is dipt buried raised again with the drips that hang upon which the infant is onely rantized and there is the resemblance of the death burial and resurrection but I trust Sirs you will understand at last that when Paul saies to the Romans and Colossians that they were buried and raised in baptism he doth not mean that the dispensers hands but that their bodies were put under water and brought out again in respect of which they were said to be buried into death and are raised again i. e. not spiritually onely and really in respect of the soules dying to sinne and living to righteousnesse but outwardly visibly bodily in water also and this significatively and representatively of the other and this is my third argument for total dipping Rantist Significatively I grant if you will but not representatively I know no necessity that in every sign there is to be a resemblance of the thing signified thereby Baptist. If that be granted you will not easily withstand the other yet that is granted by the most and must be granted by all whether they will or no as for Mr. Cook and Mr. Blake themselves they neither of them seem to me to deny but that such a thing as a death and resurrection are signified in baptism yea Mr. Cook affirms it yea who questions saith he p. 19. but our justification and sanctification or remission of sins together with mortification and vivification are signified by baptism and he saies right for none can and I think none doth deny it but Dr. Featley of all Divines that I know of yea Calvin and Zanchee both assert it in their several expositions upon these very places Rom. 6.4 Coloss. 2.12 This participation in death saith Calvin is principally to be
into Christ i. e. into or in token of an interest in him of a onenesse and fellowship with him by faith are baptized into his death i. e. in token of such a communion with the power of his death as kills â—in and crucifies the old man So that henceforth we should not serve sin therefore or hence it is saith he that in baptism i. e. the outward ordinance we are buried with him i. e. outwardly visibly bodily in water into death i. e. in token and resemblance of our dying to sin by vertue of his death that we should be ever practically mindful of this that like as Christ rose again after he was dead so we should rise to a new life for if we have bin planted together in the likenesse of his death i. e. signally in outward baptism spiritually and really in the inward work and washing performed by the spirit upon the soul we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection i. e. we should be de jure and shall de facto as we believe Fourthly this burial and resurrection that is immediately expressed by the words buried with him in baptism wherein you are also risen with him is made a motive argument and incitement to the spiritual death and resurrection for therefore are we perswaded to die to sin and live righteously because in baptism we are buried in water and raised again in token that we ought so to do and on this condâ—on are we baptized and buried and raised therein and so interessed into all the other benefits of Christs death remission of sins and salvation viz. that we should die to sin and live holily and to this end also that we may be minded thereby to do so Nos ea conditione in mortem sepeliri in baptismo Scriptura reclamet ut emoriamur ac mortificationem istam exinde meditemer Saith Calvin l. 4. c. 16. S. 16. Now if this death and burial that we are buried with in baptism be to this end to teach us and shew us that and how we must die to sin then the buriall in baptism there spoken of is not the death to sin it self for the motive and things we are moved to are two and so are the sign and thing signified now Fifthly t is not only such as is made a motive to the other therefore is not the other but such a death and resurrection as is performed accomplisht transacted in baptism i. e. in the very time and juncture of our baptizing therefore cannot be meant of our spiritual death and resurection immediatly but of that burial and resurrection which the outward man in a figure or resemblance passes through both at in the administration of the ordinance for the spiritual death and resurection is that which though it be signified and resembled in baptism yet it is seldom if ever transacted in a person in that juncture of time wherein he is baptizing but for the most part before or after yea ever either before or after and never in the very nick and act of baptism no neither of your baptism nor of ours for you who professe to baptize infants have a subject of whom you hope that he will die to sin when he lives to years but you look not on him as one that is mortuus but moriturus and that not in baptism but long after it unlesse you suppose baptism confers the inward grace viz. death to sin ex opere operato still but we baptizâ—ng believers baptize such as repent from dead works and in fieri though not infacto esse are dead to sin before we baptize them as well as oblige them to die more to sin after it yet you say your subjects for all that are buried in baptism too and so say we of ours therefore the burial in baptism there meant is no other then that of the sign for the thing signified viz. the death to sin is not done in baptism whether it be before or after it and one of the two it is for Calvin saies truly that we hold baptismum esse sepulturam in quam nulli nisi jam mortui already dead i. e dying to sin are to be buried but of himself and others that are baptized in infancy he saies quoting Rom. the 6.4 nos jam ante mortuos per baptismum sepeliri i. e. before we are dead to sin we are buried by baptism l. 4. c. 16. S. 16. the burial therefore is not the signatum but the signum i. e. their putting under water in baptism which sacramentally is called a burial even therefore because of the analogy and likenesse it bears to such a thing even to Christs burial and ours with him which are the things analogized and lively resembled thereby i. e. by immersion for by aspersion they are not And so I have proved by three arguments hitherto that Christs ordinance of baptism is a totall dipping viz. First by the prime signification of the word baptize which is to overwhelm or wash by swilling or dipping but never to sprinkle as Rantize never to dipp or wash Secondly by the practise of the primitive times which was totally to dip as I have made appear many wayes Thirdly by the name of a burial and resurrection that 's there given to the outward sign by a sacramental Metonimy i. e. in this respect as in its dispensation it must bear analogy and likenesse as spirinkling does not to the death burial and resurrection of Christ and ours in him which are the things immediatly signified in baptism and therefore mainly and as lively as may be to exemplified thereby If there be yet any more to say against dipping and for sprinkling let us hear it and as I find it true upon triall or false and feigned so accordingly I shall eitâ—er answer it or yield for I know that he who is not as desirous to hear all that can be said against what he holds as what is to be said for it can never be so solidly settled in it as he should be for nil tam certum quam quod ex dubio certum est Nothing more sure to a man then that which he sees as well on what ground some doubt and disown it as one what himself owns and imbraces it and though I professe my self to be beyond all doubt that Rantism is no ordinance of Christ but a meer figment of men meaning to serve Christ by the halves nor infant baptism neither howbeit I have disputed for them both and thought I did God service in it too yet he that knoweth my heart knoweth that I have so unsatiable a thirst after the knowledge of truth that if I could think those things to be the truth of God as I once did upon the same totten and reasonlesse principles you now think so on I should re-entertain them with rejoicing in my flesh which would find much ease and honour by it and in the spirit much more which would have that ease and honour with
also what part of a man lesse or greater yea if it be but the tip of the finger that he instances in as an overt dipping is truly to be dipped must not be dipped so overly as that it is not dipped underly I mean put truly under water for else it is not properly a dipping of that part but I would I could hear some of those Criticks for he mentions not one of them that distinguish him so besides the way of God by their fair false glosses upon the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only to signify that we stand for i. e. a total overwhelming and baptizing no more then some dribling kind of darting some part of the subject under water for verily they are but crackt braind Criticks to me if the Lexicons be at all to be heeded for howbeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify the same that we saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies viz. dipping or being under water and it may be more deeply then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is as it were Imum petere to go down to the very bottom yet neither doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify any lesse then we say and that primarily also viz. at least to put under and overwhelm with water which is enough for us or else it would never be rendred by obruo ond submergo which words if they do not as truly expresse as total a covering with water as subeo ingredior which are the senses by which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred then I have as much sense in my heel as my head but if those Criticks think this no right rendition let them do the world that right as to take upon them to correct those Errata's in the Lexicons that are extant and to turn Lexicographers themselves The third exception of Mr. Baxter against what hath been before said in proof of dippping is this viz. The thing signifyed is set forth by the phrase of washing on sprinkling and the sign need not exceed the thing signifyed And in this fashion argue both Mr. Blake and Mr. Cook especially out of whose larger drivings home of this head a man that hath but half an eye may see Mr. Baxter borrowed most of that little he saies in exception against what we say for dipping abridging two or three pages of Mr. Cook viz. page 19 20 21. into these two or three lines of his and coting the same Scriptures and no other and that in the self same order and no other then Mr. Cooke doth viz. the 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.5 Heb. 10.22 Isa. 4.4.3 Ioel 2.28 Ezek. 36.26 1 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 12.24 To which I say it is true some but not all the things signified nor yet that which is most immediately signified and therefore mainly to be resembled are set forth by the phrase of washing pouring and sprinkling and it is as true that the sign need not exceed the thing signified but the sign need be adaequate to the thing signified and so is not any kind of washing but that of dipping under water nor doth that exceed the thing signified for that which is the main matter the signandum or the radical matter to all the rest is the death burial and resurrection of Christ and ours spiritually with him which things are no way Analogized in sprinkling and pouring but onely by a burial under water and bringing up again which yet are the only things that these three men plead to have left unsignifyed and unrepresented in the sign but we must have them all not only signified but also as much as may be lively pictured out in the sign of baptism this cannot be by infusion or aspersion for they are too narrow to resemble all but they may be and are in submersion and immersion for these are neither too narrow nor too wide but just adaequately resembling the signata there must be a sufficiency in the sign to the end saies Mr. Cook p. 20 namely to represent the spirituall grace though yet p. 17. he knew not any word of God wherein this representation is necessarily either expressed or implied Now the whole spiritual grace being the death burial and resurrection of Christ together with all the benefits thereof viz. the washing of our souls from guilt as to justification from filth as to sanctification as by the blood of Christ sprinkled and his spirit poured respect must be had that as neer as can be all these must be represented and that the Elements and actions be neither so overmuch as may take off the heart from the spiritual to the Corporal thing as we might easily do if we should do more then dipp under and raise up or should hold so long under water as almost to suffocate the subject nor yet so little as Mr. Cook saies well as not clearly to represent the spiritual grace the whole spiritual grace being therfore all these things forenamed care must be had that they be all Analogized as far as it is possible and â—specially the main which is fundamental to all the rest viz. Christs death burial and resurrection for this however ought to be done nor ought the other altogether to be left undone but if sprinkling be the way then the main thing is left undone for there is no representation of Christs death buriall and resurrection Rantist And if Totall Dipping be the way then many things are left undone for there is no representation of the blood of sprinkling and the Spirits powring Baptist. Not so neither with your leave for howbeit in bare infusion and aspersion death burial and resurrection are excluded yet in submersion and emersion both pouring and sprinkling are concluded the greater wettings containing in and under them the lesse but the lesse no way reaching to the other Moreover that remission of sins by the blood of Christ sprinkled is represented sufficiently in emersion as well as in aspersion not so the death burial and resurrection in Aspersion consult a learned Author for this that was for asspersion as well as your selves though I believe he saw submersion to be the better way i. e. Bucan who in page 668. as I have hinted above saies thus viz. Illa in aquam Mersio sive aspersio perspicue denotat Rantismon id est aspersionem sanguinis Christi in peccatorum remissionem justitiae imputationem mora autem c. So that we see he counted submersion though it exceed that one part of the thing signified viz. Christs blood sprinkled yet to signify represent that vertually as well as other things I conclude therefore notwithstanding any exceptions that Either Mr Ba. Mr. Cook or Mr. Blake hath put in hitherto against what hath been said by us in proof that baptism was by dipping in the primitive time that that was the way of baptism then Rantist But Mr. Blake hath many more Arguments then those you have yet spoken to whereby he cleerly evinces
full Thirdly That a little may serve as well as much there 's little weight as far as I see in any part of it The first hath so little reason that it hath no truth in it for Christ hath appointed vertually in some measure the measure of water in that his very appointment of the manner of washing in the way of a totall overwhelming as appears before in the â—ignification of the word Baptize which signifies a dipping or overwhelming of that subject that is particularly denominated to be washed by it whether it be the whole man or but a part of him if the tip of the finger only be said truly to be baptized then that tip must be totally washed if the hands be denominated without a figure to be baptized then the hands at least are totally washed if the man be the subject properly predicated to be baptized then that man also must be totally washed but in Scripture the man is required and appointed to be baptized to the performance of which such a measure of water is consequently appointed as may be at least sufficient for that end and required it is that it be neither so little that it cannot totally wash him nor yet so much as must necessarily drowne him as an ocean would but a proportion suitable to that purpose To the second I might answer that there is not altogether the same reason for such a totall filling and swilling in the Supper as there is for a totall swilling in baptism sith the main and radical matter that is to be resembled in baptism is Christs death burial and resurrection but the radical thing that is resembled in that action of our eating and drinking in the Supper is our faith whereby we feed upon Christ and accept him each to our selves as our Redeemer without which that he is a Redeemer will do us no good for faith is the appropriating of of Christ the bread of life each to our selves who is set before us in common in the whole loaf and as it will do a man no good to have bread and wine before him which are elements most refreshing unless he take them and eat and drink so neither us to see a Saviour set before us unlesse we take of his salvation to our selves This is that which is most immediately signifyed and particularly represented in the Supper which businesse of bare taking Christ Jesus to our selves by faith is represented truly in taking never so little but a burial and resurrection not in never so little water a few crumbs of bread and sips of wine taken do repâ—esent a taking of Christ in the Supper but not so a few drops of water tiffled upon the face Christs death buriall and resurrection and fith you say the refreshment of the soul by the fullnesse is represented in our eating and drinking in the Supper and yet that eating and drinking a little bread and wine not to fulness is enough in the supper to represent that and so why not a little water not deep enough to dip and bury in applyed to us in baptism the burial and resurrection of Christ I might answer that the refreshment of the soul by Christ is represented rather in the elements then in the action of either eating or drinking in the supper by the bread which is a strengthner of mans heart and wine which is for them of a sorrowful heart and therefore there might not be altogether the need of representing our refreshing by eating and drinking much at least so much as Mr. Cook and Mr. Ba. talkes of viz. to the filling and glutting of our selves to the top as long as head and stomack will hold that action would yield but a small resemblance of a refreshment and were enough to make a sound man sick but there is a reason in all things and a difference as we say between staring and stark mad thus I say I might answer and cut off your arguing for analogy and a small portion of the element in baptism as well as in the supper between which there is not fully the same reason But verily I am of your mind that a refreshment of the soul by the fulnesse of Christ is very fit to be resembled and represented by the quantity of the elements as well as by the elements in the supper also and yet am I not of your mind that so little as you ordinarily use is so very fit as you dream it is to represent it but of the mind rather that as you are in your baptism viz. not out of your element as you should be if you were baptized in truth by submersion or putting clear under water but out in your element rather i. e. in the measure of your water which is not adaequate to the true manner of washing so you are also in the supper too poor in your provision of elements for that which is the true and full purport of that sacred service you have got together many littles to prove that so little element as you use both in baptism and supper may do as well if not better then more all which are very little to the purpose a little may signifie as well as much saies Mr. Baxter a clod of earth a pepper corn but what then we are to signifie with resemblance or else a sacrament is no sacrament saith Austin but saies Mr. Cook a little may resemble the washing and the refreshing of the soul may well be resembled by a sprinkling of a little water eating and drinking a little bread and wine in circumcision a little skinne was cut off what then First it was as much as God required to be cut off Secondly it was so much as made it circumcision Thirdly as much as truly and clearly resembled the circumcision of the heart which is signified but such is not for all Mr. Cooks conceit that little water you sprinkle nor yet that little becad and wine you distribute it is neither so much as represents clearly the things signified which are not onely the clearing of the soul by Christs dainties in the supper which should be resembled by eating and drinking it but some more chearing and refreshing of the body then that which is commonly in your communions But alas the burial and resurrection of Christ in baptism should be resembled by submersion and emersion and therefore to answer Mr. Cook in the words of Mr. Cook the outward elements of water bread and wine are for spirritual use and to signifie spiritual things so that if there be the truth of things but what I wonder if there be not as I am sure in Rantism there is not the truth of baptism the quantity is not to be respected further then is sufficient for its end namely to represent the spiritual grace so far then it seemes it must be and that is enough to confute Mr. Cooks Rantism for it represents not the spiritual grace and that it be neither so little as not clearly to
infants as concerning their everlasting salvation into little a little corner yea good lord how few dying infants does he hope shal be saved that hath hope of none but of some i. e. believers infants which are but one of many and also not of all but onely some of them yet to conclude this in a way of resemblance to Mr. Bs. conclusion of his Argument from Mark 10. p. 107. I blesse the Lord Jesus Christ King of the Church though he gave no order to baptize and in church infants here on earth yet for having a greater tendernesse towards the eternal state of all dying infants then Mr. B. is yet aware of and towards all that live to years such a tendernesse as to invite them to himself universally and bid them wel-come and so great a care to inform his Church in his Word and Gospel concerning his good will to all men and to all infants also in that particular so as to speak it so plainly that plain minded men that are not minded never to change their minds as I hope Mr. B. is not may well see his mind in this case even as if he had therefore done this because he foresaw that some would arise so carnally and so cruely conceited as to suppose it impossible to be and but in vain to hope it almost that Gods saving mercy should extend to any more dying infants then those few and not all those few neither of their own and for my part I gladly accept Christs information and submit to his discovery let them resist it that dare And lastly one more Argument of hope that I have within my self that all dying infants must needs be saved is this yet because I could never find since I lookt for it as also none ever shall that look not without their eyes what should nor what save the Priesthoods divine kind of Doctrine does damn them I mean any of them so dying any more then one of them First as for sin which onely damnes I know none they have of their own and to say that any infant dyes eternally for theiniquity of his father only makes the word of God which is truth it self no better then a flat falsehood to me who read in Ieremy 31.29.30 Ezek. 18.3.4.19.20 Deut. 24.16 2 Kings 14.16 that the waies of God who requires it strictly of man not to put the children to death for the sins of the father but every man only for his own sin are so equal for all the false accusation of him by the wicked Jewes that seeing he both saies and also swears it that men shall never have occasion to say the childs teeth are edged by the grapes the father only hath eaten and in way of complaint for injustice doth not the son bear the iniquity of the Father but that every soul that dies shall dy for his own iniquity onely and that individual soul onely that sinneth shall dy i. e. eternally for temporally t is true we all dy in Adam as far as a to temporal death God may and often doth visit the sins of the Father on the children to the third and fourth generation of such as hate him not onely when children inherit so as to imitate their fathers hatred of God in which case only t is a punishment to those children but also on infants so as to take them out of the world with the fathers as in the case of Dathan and Abiram Amaleck Hittites Amorites c. yea Sodom and Gomorrah and the old world on which for ensamples sake to them that in after times should live ungodly the flood and the fire fell not onely temporal but eternal to the adult ones that gave themselves over to fornication and followed strange flesh though but temporal only to infants who neither lived ungodly nor gave themselves over to fornication as the other did and therefore though passing hence with the rest to a temporal death by that fire yet are not set forth as an ensample with the rest to all that should live ungodly by suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 2 Pet. 2.6 Iude 7. But the same temporal death that may be in fury to one as t is a passage to worse may be a mercy to another and so to those infants a passage from worse to better as good Iosiah was slain in battell as well as wicked Ahab and that for going on his own head to war as well he yet was it in respect of that eternall state that followed as well for him as ill for Ahab Sith therefore it s said so plainly the son shall not die for the iniquity of the father and yet temporally they may be taken away with the father it must needs be meant that eternally none die nor lye for ever under wrath for no more then meerly the fathers fault whereupon all dying infants having no trangression of their own cannot be damned for their own nor yet for their father Adams transgression and so are all as well as those of believers in a visible state of salvation and while they live infants unlesse hereafter they reject it as Esau did the land of Canaan in visible right to so dying to the heavenly Canaan Yea many thanks to my Ashford opposites for that clause of their pamphlet which is assistant to me almost at all assaies Christian charity it self which doth presumere unumquemque bonum nisi constet de malo constrains us to hope all things believe all things concerning the salvation of dying infants and of all infants as well as some specially since these more then those i. e. the infants of unbelievers more then of believers have not committed any actual sin wherby to deserve to be exempted from the general state of little infants declared in Scripture viz. that of such is the Kingdome of heaven Secondly as for righteousnesse there 's enough in Christ to take away it being imputed what ever unrighteousnesse is imputed for Adams sin and why that righteousnesse should not be imputed if the Scripture had not said it so plainly as it does Rom. 5. 2 Cor. 5.19.21 1 Cor. 15.22 to all poor dying innocent infants as well as some I cannot imagine unlesse you say not God the fathers love to all but man the fathers faith is that thing that must save some of those infants of believers that are savd by interesting that fruit of his body in the righteousnesse of Christ as well as himself for the taking away the sin of his soul which faith a father wanting the child shall perish for ever in default out and yet be in no fault in the world about it Alas poor infants indeed that descend from such parents as believe not if it be so that that the fathers faith onely does interest the infant in Christ their forefather the first Adam by his sin unawares to them damned them say they and say I if it did there 's righteousnesse enough in the heavenly father and the second
as well as they do in the tenth part of it already will take cognizance ere long that it can be no great ease to truly tender consciences who with the CCClergy are ever stiled Sectaries and Schismaticks to lie under the lash of these Lords over Gods heritage and in tender consideration thereof and compassion to those righteous souls who are vexed with their vanities proclaim such a Iubilee that the true spouse of Christ whom they made a keeper of their vineyard shall have leave to keep her own vine yard go forth from her Apprenticeship to these spiritual Task-masters that their consciences shall be no more yoaked nor captivated to their crude and carnal conceptions and the wings of the CCClergy so clipt that they shall not soare so high as they have done over the faith of all people yea in the name of the blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ Iesus I warn all the civil Powers Princes and Potentates of the world that have been bewitched by the sorceries of that WWWhore who corrupts the earth with her fornications that they give up their power and strength no more to be improved to the forcing of the inhabiters of the earth to drink of the golden cup and wine of her fornications but that they improve it rather henceforth to the freeing all men from from her conscience crushing principle of persecution by the civil sword that submit not to her Sinodical constitutions and if they refuse to obey the will of the Lord in this thing and permit not all people to live peaceably in their several forms of worship they behaving themselves civilly and in all subjection to them in civil matters in their several States I testifie unto them that then the hand of the Lord will be so heavy upon them and their PPPriests and people that he will plague them as certainly as he did Egypt Pharoah and his Magicians till they let his Israel go forth and serve him as he required Yea O ye Powers if ye shall yet persevere to Tyranize over truth and trample upon tender consciences and force all men to that one faith which the men or rather the woman Rev. 17. the CCClergy in their counsels make the standard through you several States the Lord Christ will tread you and your people in his wrath and trample you in his fury and stain all his raiment with your blood and strengthen your own Subjects against you and your PPPriesthood IIIezebel that stirs you up whose lovers you are with invincible courage and irresistable wrath against you to suppresse your miserable misgovernment and cast her into a bed and you that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except you repent of your deeds yea he will endlessly imbroile you in wars one against another about your false faiths and Anti-christian Christianities and bring plagues upon you the sword famine death and destruction that he may repay unto you the things that have been done unto his chosen and will hold his tongue no longer as touching the wickedness of that kind which hath been profanely committed but as innocent and righteous blood crieth unto him and the souls of the just complain continually so the Lord will surely avenge them and receive unto him all the righteous blood from among them behold his people hath been led as a flock to the slaughter but he will not suffer them now to dwell any longer in the land of Egypt i. e. under the Lordly tyranny of the PPPriesthood who is that threefold great City BBBabilon which is also spiritually called Sodom for her Spiritual whoredoms and Egypt Rev. 11.8 the land of Israels captivity in the streets within the territories of which the carcases of Christs witnessesly dead where also our Lord was crucified But he will bring them out with a mighty hand and a streched out arm and will smite EEEgypt with plagues as before and will destroy all the land thereof EEEgypt shall mourn and the foundation of it be smitten with the plague and punishment that God shall bring upon it like as they do yet this day unto his chosen so will he also do and recompence unto their bosom and he will make the Princes of the earth to know that t is Christs right alone to rule over the consciences of the children of men and that no meer man may sit as a judge there and thou O PPPriest shall know that Christ alone is King in his Church and in the conscience and the true Ministers but meer Ministers or servants unto both and not Masters over either and that the civill state is the element and the Orbe which the Magistrate onely is to move in under him and that only meerly in matters civill and that thy self who art a creature not of Gods but of thy own creating and hast usurp'd a supreme jurisdiction at least a jurisdiction over all these hast nothing but naught to do in any of them at all and as thou art no plant of the heavenly fathers planting so shalt assuredly be plucked up by the very roots from all thy pretences priviledges provinces parishes and other profits and places in which thy earthly father the Pope hath planted thee yea thou shalt be weakned as a poor woman with stripes and as one chastised with wounds so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee would I with jealousie have so preceeded against thee saith the Lord if thou hadst not alway slain my chosen exalting the stroak of thine hands and saying over their dead when thou wast drunken set forth the beauty of thy countenance the reward of thy whordome shall be in thy bosom therefore shalt thou receive recompence like as thou hast done unto my chosen saith the Lord spoiling and destroying them that fear the Lord wasting and taking away their goods tearing them with thy teeth for Tith and casting them out of their houses even so shall God do unto thee and shall deliver thee unto mischief thou shalt be cast down by them as stubble and they shall be to thee a fire look what thou hast they shall spoil it and marre the beauty of thy face and the glory of both thou O poor Princely PPPriesthood and of all those PPPriestly Princes that adhere to thee shall be dried up as a flower when the heat shall arise that is sent over thee Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed ye that are judges of the earth see that you serve the Lord with fear in your own persons according to his own will and way revealed in his word and know that howbeit you are the Gods of the earth to judge all men that are under you whether in the Church or of the world in earthly cases and matters of meer secular concernment that you are not the Gods of heaven that is the Church so far as to meddle at all as earthly judges to correct in those meer heavenly