any thing in the world be so and no man can profess to be maried to Christ that doth not profess to take him for a husband Therefore for my part I never intend to baptize any without profession of saving faith Amen And let the Lord God say so too that Mr. Bâ—xter may baptize no more Infants nor defend so palpable an abuse but may wipe away the reproach he hath cast on Gods people and ordinance He goes on thus Pag. 100. Argum. 10. If Paul account all the baptized Saints or Sanctified men dead with Christ and risen with him such as have put on Christ sons of God by adoption Abrahams seed heirs according to promise and justified then they did all profess a true justifying faith But no Infant did profess a true justifying faith if they did let it be shâ—wed when and where and to whom therefore no Infant was then baptized nor are now to be The antecedent Master Blake confesseth and I shall prove it by parts The consequence is that which lyeth chiefly on me to prove and I shall do both together The Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to the Corinthians and in many other places calls the whole Church Saints 1 Cor. 6. 11. He saith to them but ye are washed ye are sanctified That part of the antecedent then is certain the consequene I prove thus There are none called Saints in all the New Testament but onely such as were in heart devoted to Christ by a saving faith or professed so much therefore the word Saint in this case must signifie onely such If any will prove a third sort of Saints viz. such as profess a faith not saving they must do that which I never saw done The first and most famous signification of the word Saints or Sanctified in the New Testament is onely of them that are in heart devoted to Christ by true faith therefore the borrowed or Analogical or less proper signification call it what you list must be of that which hath the likeness or appearance of this and that is onely the profession of it Profession maketh Saints visible or by profession as hearty dedication to God by faith maketh real or heart Saints Master Blake addeth we read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. And they were taken to be Church-members as soon as they made profession as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity as we see Acts 2. Acts 8. 12. 13. 38. Answ. 1. They renounced the way of ungodliness and wickedness in general by a profession of repentance as well as the way of Paganism and Judaism in particular There were no Christians that professed not repentance towards God from dead works 2. We believe that there were Churches of the Saints and therefore that none should be of the Church that profess not to be true Saints But prove if you can that there was ever either Church or Church-member called Saints in Scripture that had not either special sanctity or a profession of it And as for those Acts 8. you cannot prove that any of them were either called Saints or baptized without a profession of a justifying faith as shall further be shewed afterwards The Galatians I find not called Saints but to call them a Church of Christ or believers is equipollent and what Saints were they Why they were all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus having been baptized into Christ and put him on and were all one in him and were all Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3. 26 27 29. A Church in Scripture sense is a society of men professing true saving faith And thus we see what a Church was and what Saints were and what believers and Disciples were supposed to be by the Apostles and what is the signification of these words in Scripture for they are all of the same extent Thus much I have said to prove that all the baptized are accounted Saints and therefore professed a saving Sanctity The second title which I mentioned follows of which I shall be more brief All the baptized are accounted to be dead and risen with Christ even dead to sin and risen to newness of life therefore they all profess a saving faith The proof of this is full in the two Texts already cited Rom. 6. and Col. 2. 11 12. Rom. 6. 3. c. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walk in newness of life For if we have been planted together into the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence forth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Here is a full report of the use of baptism and the profession of all that are baptized and the state they are supposed to be in So that I cannot speak it plainlyer then the words themselves do So Col. 2. 11 12. which I shall not stay to recite because it is to the same purpose and before cited The third title mentioned in the argument is this All that are baptized have professedly put on Christ therefore they have professed saving faith The Antecedent is expressed Gal. 3. 23. for as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ the consequence is proved in that to put on Christ heartily is to be made true partakers of him and living members of him therefore to profess this is inseperable from the profession of saving faith yea by that faith he is truly put on Putting on Christ is the same with putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness being renewed in the Spirit of our minds Ephes. 4. 20 21 22 23 24. Col. 3. 10. It is putting on the new man which is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him that created him and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is put for the state of Sanctity in opposition to a fleshly life Rom. 13. 13 14. Saith Calvin on this Text induere Christum bic significat virtute spiritus ejus undique nos muniri qua idonei ad omnes sanctitatis partes reddamur sic enim in nobis instauratur imago Dei quae unicum est animae ornamentum Respicit enim Paulus ad vocationis nostrae finem quia Deus nos adoptans in corpus unigenti filii sui inserit
true Evangelical repentance I mean still such as hath a promise of pardon and salvation but all that are baptized must renounce the world flesh and devil of which we shall have occasion to say more anon Argum. 4. They that profess to be buried with Christ in baptism and to rise again do profess true repentance but all that are baptized must profess to be buried with him and rise again therefore c. The major is proved in that to be buried and risen with Christ signifieth A being dead to sin and alive to God and newness of life and it is not onely an engagement of this for the future but a profession also of it at the present This with the rest we thus prove Col. 2. 11 12 13. In whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptism wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses Where note 1. that this is spoken to all the Church of the Colossians and therefore they are presumed to be what they profess and appear to be 2. That the putting of the body under the water did signifie our burial with Christ and the death and putting off of our sins and though we now use a less quantity of water yet it is to signifie the same thing or else we should destroy the being of the Sacrament So also our rising out of the water signifieth our rising and being quickned together with him 3. Note also that it is not onely an engagement to this hereafter but a thing presently done They were in baptism buried with Christ and put off the body of sin and were quickned with him and this doth all suppose their own present profession to put off the body of sin and their consent to be baptized on these terms The like we have in Rom. 6. chapter 4. 5. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also should walk in newness of life for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shal be also into the likeness of his resurrection Here also it is evident 1. that all the members of the visible Church are supposed to be baptized into Christ and into his death so to be buried with him by baptism into death planted together into the likeness of his death 2. And that this is not supposed to be onely an engagement for the future but a present entrance into the state of mortification and vivification wherein they were to proceed by newness of life and therefore verse 5 6 7 8 11. they are supposed to have the old man crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed and that henceforth they should not serve sin and that they are so dead as to be freed from sin as to the servitude thereof And that they must reckon themselves dead to sin but alive to God He that readeth the whole chapter with judgement and impartialitie will soon discern that true repentance and abrenuntiation of the service of sin was to be professed by all that would be baptized and that thereupon they sealed their own profession and covenant by the reception of baptism as Christ sealed his part by the actual baptizing them and that hereupon they are by the Apostles all called and supposed such as they professed themselves to be Argum. 5. If it be the very nature of baptism to signifie and seal both the present putting off the body of sin and present putting on Christ then the profession of true repentance must needs precede or concur with baptism but the former is certain of which more anon I conclude then that both Scripture and the very signs themselves and the common consent of the Church do shew that true repentance and present repentance must be professed by all those that we may baptize Pag. 62. Argum. 2. My first Argument was from the necessity of a profession of true repentance The 2. shall be from the equipollent terms a description to the thing described thus We must baptize no man that first professeth not to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost But no Infant professeth to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost therefore we must baptize no Infant The minor is manifest by sense The major is proved from Matth. 28. 19. where this is made the form of the words in baptism or at least the end and that which we must insist on Calvin on the words yields the Anabaptists that faith is put justly before baptism nam alioqui mendax essot figuraque remissionem peccatorum spiritus donum afferes incredulis qui nondum essent Christi membra For otherwise he should speak false and the figure should bring remission of sins and the gift of the spirit to unbelievers who were not members of Christ And that non abs re Patris Filii spiritus expressa hic fit mentio quia aliter baptismi vis apprehendi non potest quam si a gratuita patris miserecordia initium fiat qui nos per filium sibi reconciliat deinde in medium prodeat Christus ipse cum mortis suae sacrificio tandem accedat etiam Spiritus sanctus per quem nos abluit regenerat denique suorum omnium bonorum consorâ—es faciat Not from the matter here is express mention made of the Father Son and Spirit because otherwise the efficacie of baptism cannot be apprehended but by beginning from the Fathers free mercy who reconciles us to himself by his Son and then that Christ himself come between with the sacrifice of his death and then at last the holy spirit also approach by which he washeth and regenerates us and last of all makes us partakers of his benefits It appeareth by comparing Matth. 28. 19. with Rom. 6. 3. and 1 Cor. 1. 13 14 15. and 10. 2. that to be baptized into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is not onely to be baptized by their authority but also to be thus initiated into the relation which the Church standeth in to them and to be consecrated to the Father Son and Holy Ghost as Musculus Diodate the assembly of Divines Annotations and the generality of expositors do express See Doctor Hammond Pract. Catech. lib. 6. 5. 2. And especially on Matth. 28. 19. Grotius at large and that it comprehendeth or presupposeth a profession of believing Son and Holy Ghost For no man can devote himself solemnly by our ministry to
Felo de Se. OR Mr. RICHARD BAXTERS Self-destroying MANIFESTED In twenty Arguments against Infant-Baptism Gathered out of his own Writing in his Second Disputation of Right to SACRAMENTS BY John Tombes B. D. PSALM 64. 8 9. So they shall make their own Tongues to fall upon themselves all that see them shall flee away And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God for they shall wisely consider of his doings LONDON Printed by Henry Hills next door to the Sign of the Peacock in Aldersgate-steeet 1659. To the Christian READER MAster Richard Baxter in his Second disputation of right to Sacraments begins thus It may seem strange that after 1625. years use of Christian Baptism the Ministers of the Gospel should be yet unresolved to whom it doth belong yet so it is And I observe that it is a question that they are now very sollicitous about and I cannot blame them it being not onely about a matter of Divine appointment but a practical of such concernment to the Church The true reason hereof seems to be that Ministers have for many Ages left the true Baptism of believers which Christ appointed and like Michal instead of it have substituted an Image or Idol of their own to wit Infant Baptism Which being quite besides the rule of Christ Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. and the Apostles practice throughout the Acts of the Apostles they have been at a loss about the ground of it and almost at Daggers drawing about the use of it As it happens to fellow-travellers when they are all out of the right way one conjectures this way they should go another that and sometimes they are at hot disputos and contentions about their way and many by-ways are attempted yet still the farther they go the more out of the way till they come into the Road again So it hath been with Baptizers of Infants they are fallen into many new devices to maintain Infant Baptism the ancients with the Papists imagining that by it Gods grace was given and that it was necessary to save the child from perishing the Lutherans that by Baptism a seed of faith and some relative grace was given to Infants to which Doctor Samuel Ward Bishop Davenant Doctor Cornelius Burges Master Thomas Bedford Master James Cranford and others have of late much inclined others opposing these have fallen into as bad conceits of the Covenant of Gospel grace as made to a believer and his seed Baptisms succession to Jewish Circumcision and fetching a rule from thence as others from the Jewish Baptism Master Baxter having found these unsafe to rest on sub they will bring the assertors to the avouching Jewish tenets hath devised another as he conceives more refined and subtile way making Infants Disciples of Christ mediately by the parents or proparents as his new term is faith which he never proves and an imagined ordinance or law of Infants visible Church-membership no where extant unrepealed and in following these by-ways they have been at variance among themselves Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen onely allowing Infant Baptism in case of manifest danger of imminent death others to take away original sin Baptizing all weak or strong believers or unbelievers children which had almost quite thrust Baptism of believers out of the World and under colour of Christening as they fasly term their Infant Baptism and making Christian souls by throwing water on them they have so polluted the Churches of God with the dregs of the nations I mean innumerable ignorant scandalous prophane superstitious haters scorners and persecutors of Christianity that nothing but the mighty power of God is sufficient to purge the Churches of God of that loathsome and infectious filth which these have brought into it The Papists themselves do in a sort confess that Infant Baptism is an aberration from the first rule in that they count it not perfect till their Mimical and ludicrous Sacrament of Confirmation be added which was used with some reformation in respect of the right and disclaiming of some errours affixed to it and with the appointment of Catechizing by the late Bishops and from them termed Bishopping though without any remarkable emendation of the intrusion of ignorant ungodly unchristian persons into the society of Christians and the Lords supper Some of those who of late have sought reformation herein begin to devise how they may remedy this evil and yet keep the multitude in their Communion by refining that which is called Confirmation To this purpose lately is published by Master Jonathan Hanmer An exercitation or Confirmation to which Master George Hughes Master Richard Baxter and Master Ralph Venning have prefixed their Epistles concerning which how he is mistaken in the laying on of hands used by the Ancients and the application of Heb. 6. 2. to Confirmation after Infant Baptism is perceptible by Sect. 23. of the second part of my Review and sundry passages in his own book in which many things besides are vented without proof about difference between the Church of Infants and Adult members of the effect of Confirmation of compleat and incompleat visible Church-members c. the errors of which it is unnecessary to refute there being no proof of them offered but his own and other Divines mistakes and the main of the design being to set up another humane inventiâ—n which hath no precept or promise of God that he may uphold or colour over an old corruption It pleased God lately to begin to bring the truth concerning Baptism of believers to light in this Nation which stirred up many to contend for Infant Baptism and having as they imagined though the three parts of my Review now published do sufficiently shew they are deceived made that sure they have of late fallen to dispute whose Infants are to be Baptized Mr. Thomas Hooker Mr. Cobbet Mr. Firmin and others pleading against the Baptism of the Infants of the national and parochial Church-members and some of them restraining it to Infants of inchurched Church-members and those who are judged to be real visible Saints have been opposed by Master Rutherford Master Cawdery Master Blake and others Master Blake to maintain his tenet hath asserted that a Dogmatical faith intitles to baptism to oppose which Master Baxter however in his Letter to me he pretends the unpleasantness and non-necessity of meddling any more about the point of Infant Baptism the want of time and health for work of greater moment that he might decline â—â—â—â—ing where his law of Infants visible Church-membership unrepealed is and thinks a man cannot justifie it to lay out the hundreth part or perhaps the thousandth part of his time study talk or zeal upon this question yet here he blames not them that are sollicitous about it being of Divine appointment and practical of such concernment to the Church and hath himself besides his Apology before this last year published a large Book of disputations concerning right â—o Sacraments the second whereof is against Master
sign on our part as well as an exhibiting notifying confirming sign on Gods part It is confest it is the covenant of grace we are to enter and that there is but one covenant of grace This Master Blake acknowledgeth for all the mention of an outward covenant it is also a confessed thing on all hands that it is God that is the first author and offerer of the covenant that it is he that redeemed us who made the promise or covenant of grace upon the ground of redemption and that it is frequently called a covenant in Scripture as it is a Divine Law or constitution without respect to mans consent as Grotius hath proved in the preface to his annotations on the Evangelists much more out of doubt is it that it is called a covenant before man consenteth as it is a covenant offered and not yet mutually entred in the former sense the word is taken properly but in another sense and for another thing then in the later But in the later it is taken tropically viz. Synedochically it being but a covenant drawn up and consented to by God conditionally and offered to us for our conâ—ent It is the same covenant that is offered to us and not another that we are called to consent to or enter in and we cannot be truly said to enter into covenant with God if we make a new one of our own and lay by his for that 's none of the covenant of God he never offered it nor will he ever enter it We are I hope agreed what the covenant of grace is as offered on Gods part or else its great pity viz. that on the title of creâ—â—â—n first and redemption after we being absolutely his own it is offered to us that God will be our God our chief good and reconciled father in Christ that Christ will be our Saviour by propitiation teaching and ruling us even from the guilt filth or power of sin that the Holy Ghost will be our indwelling Sanctifier if we heartily or sincerely accept the gift and offer that God will consent to be our God Christ to be our Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be our in-dwelling Sanctifier if we will but consent This is no doubt the gift or covenant so offered These things being thus premised I come to prove not onely the inseparability but even the identity of heart covenanâ—ing and saving faith and of signal external covenanting and the profession of saving faith without which we must not baptize any Pag. 79. Argum. 5. We must not baptize any without the profession of that faith and repentance which are made the condition of remission of sins But Infants make no profession of that faith and repentance which are made the condition of remission of sins therefore no Infants are to be baptized The minor is manifest by sense and the major I prove thus If we must not baptize any but intentionally for present remission of sin then must not we baptize any without a profession of that faith and repentance which is the condition of remission But the former is true therefore so is the â—uer the consequence is past all doubt for else we should imagine that men may have present actual pardon without that faith and repentance which are the condition of it which subverteth much of the Gospel The antecedent I prove thus If God hath instituted no baptism but what is intentionally for the present remission of sin then we must not baptize any but intentionally for the present remission of sin But the former is true therefore so is the later I say intentionally in contradistinction from eventually or certainly and infallibly attaining that end where further note that I speak not of Gods absolute decrees as if his intention in that sense could be frustrate but of his ends as Legislator speaking of him after the manner of men but principally of the instituted end of his ordinances that is the ends which he requireth the Minister and People to use them for and so it is our intention principally that I mention As the Gospel it self is said to be intentionally to save men and though it condemn most that is besides the first intention and but by accident and though this be principally to be spoken of the prae-imposed intentions of their conversion and salvation yet Christ is pleased in the word to ascribe such intentions to himself as attain not their ends as professing that he came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him migh be saved That is to condemn them is not his direct principal intent but onely on supposition of their wilfull final rejecting of him and thus he speaks partly in the habit of a rector or promiser and partly as man or after the manner of men and of the intention imposed on us there is no doubt Now I shall prove the antecedent for the consequence is past doubt And first we are confirmed in this truth because the Opponent whom it concerneth hath not proved any other baptism instituted by God but what is for present reâ—ission of sins If they can shew us one Text of Scripture that speaketh of any other we shall give up all the cause but yet they have not done it that I know of In the mean time we shall prove the contrary God hath instituted but one baptism That one baptism is for the present remission of sins therefore God hath instituted no baptism but what is for present remission The major is proved from Ephes. 4. 5. There is one baptism In the minor we take the words for remission not to speak of somewhat accidental or to be intended onely by the administrator uncertainly or but sometime And I prove it from Scripture Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as remission is here made the end of baptism so it is present remission For 1. It is such as is the consequent of the repentance which Peter exhorteth them to but that was present remission 2. It was to precede the giving of the Holy Ghost in the sense there mentioned therefore it was present remission Beza in loc. upon the place saith in nomen Christi id est dans Christo nomen cujus mortis scpulturae ac resurrectionis simus in baptizo participes cum peccatorum remissione nec enim hoc declarat formulam baptismi sâ—d finem scopum In the name of Christ That is giving our name to Christ of whose death burial and resurrection we are made partakers in baptism with the forgiveness of sins for this doth not declare the form of baptism but the end and scope So Deodate in the name viz. not onely for a mark of our profession of the Gospel but also to participate of his spiritual virtue in the washing away of our sins with which he accompanieth and