was all mercy to such Bloudy Monsters who so much as lieth in their power by this their Murdering opinion Massacre the souls of so many Infants depriving them thereby of salvation CHAP. XII The fourth Reason drawn from some degrees of Faith conferred on little Infants THe Fourth Reason out of Scripture is thus formed They that have some degree of Faith may and ought to be Baptized But Infants have some degree of faith Therefore they may and ought to be Baptized The Major is the very same with the words of the Scripture The Eunuch askt of Philip Acts 8. 36. See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized Philip answered if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest Al the difficulty is in the proof of the Minor For our Adversaries wil say if the Infant could rejoyne with the Eunuch in the same place I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God then the now most zealous opposers would be the most earnest advancers of their Baptism For the proof then of Infants faith let us bring another Reason but still out of Scripture Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. But Infants please God Therefore they have Faith Herein the Minor alone is dubitable and may manifestly be evinced All men I know are ready to pretend that they please God And Hypocrites themselves most odious unto him as forward as any to claim this priviledge to themselves To put this therefore out of question it matters not what men say but what God says herein We appeal to him who best knows his own mind and he hath judged this case already That Infants please him Say not if so smal then were they insensible of any benefit by the blessing not conceiving the meaning of our Saviour therein This appears by Christs carriage towards the little children brought unto him in the Gospel Concerning whose years be this premised that though we have not the Register books of their several ages yet we may conclude at least some of them no bigger then Babes First because called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by S. Mark 10. and judiciously rendred by our Translators verse 13. young children verse 14. little children The diminution in the Original word being equally appliable either to their age or stature The same are termed by S. Luke 18. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and translated Infants alwayes used in Scripture for such as suck on their mothers breast Secondly they are said to be brought by their parents as unable to bring themselves Thirdly Christ took them up in his arms as not big enough to kneel down and be blessed which otherwise was the posture of striplings upon the same occasion That these little children pleased Christ is proved by his expressions the best interpreters of love or hatred in that heart which could not dissemble concerning them Mark 10. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God Of Such that is not only of those who are like unto these in which sense our Saviour might as significatively have said the same of Doves or Lambs that the kingdom of heaven consists of such who are like unto them but of these and also of those who imitate them in their innocential qualities Such make strange interpretation of the words who exclude the Original and only admit the Copy let in such as are like to children and shut out children themselves from the kingdom of heaven Secondly The complacency Christ took in these little children appears by his actions unto them vers 16. he took them up in his arms laid his hands on them and blessed them See wee such Infants were in a blessible condition Here we distinguish between childrens being sensible of the meaning and their being capable of the benefit by a blessing Probably some of the smallest children here presented unto Christ understood not our Saviours language nor the meaning of his gestures until their parents afterwards interpreted the same unto them as they grew up in years And yet such Infants might effectually partake of the vigour and vertue of Christs benediction Thus as many though by natural defect they never had or by sicknesse have lost their Taste and by their pallat cannot distinguish betixt sweet bitter sharp sowre c. and consequently take no pleasure or delight in what they eat or drink yet by the receiving thereof may have their hunger and thirst satisfied and their strength daily increased So these Infants purely passive in our Saviours Arms brought thither without their knowledge and blest there above their understanding did nevertheless some of them no doubt really participate of the spiritual comfort which the emphatical blessing of Christ impressed upon them CHAP. XIII The Fift Reason drawn from the Malady of Original Corruption THe Fift Reason out of Scripture may thus be contrived They who are subject to the malady of sin ought to partake of the remedy against it But Infants are subject to the malady of sin therfore they ought to partake of baptism the remedy against it For the proof of the major or first part thereof I appeal amongst Christians only to the married amongst the married only to the parents of children These cannot deny it but that against their wills as the unhappy instruments they have derived corruption to their infants as conveyed in the same charter of their being unto them If any should be so sensless as to deny Infants infected with Original Corruption the contrary will be sadly demonstrated by those several diseases and death it self to which they are subject before they have or can commit actual sin All will confesse no suffering can follow but where sin hath gone before and that Infants deeply share in sufferings daily experience approveth Some of them whilest they lie in the Cradle how lie they on the rack Such sighes such sobs such gripes such groans such convulsions such distortions enough almost to kill the hearts of the beholders relating unto them if all pitty be not dead in them before Nor can all the rending of the fathers hair abate the aching of the childs head nor all the rain of the mothers tears allay the wind in the babes body Quid teneri infantes in te committere tantum quid pueri potuere But these little Lambs wherein have they offended Their hands did never hurt others which could not help themselves Their tongues did never lie swear c. which cannot speak Their feet were never swift to shed bloud which cannot go All these miseries and death at last fals often on Infants uncapable of actual sin because of the corruption of their nature wherein they were born and conceived Seeing therefore Infants are subject to the malady of sin what a cruelty were it for parents to leave them in this pittiful case neglecting the remedy for the same By the Levitical Law Exod. 21. 33. If a man shall open a pit
reductively Circumcised It follows by whom it was administred this generally was the master of the family Abraham Circumcised Isaac Gen. 21. 4. As for Zipporahs Circumcising her sons Exod 4. 25. in a case of extremity and her husbands indisposition it was an irregular act not to be drawn into precedent but to be recounted amongst those which when performed are valid but ought not to be performed Come we now to the time When eighth day Here I will not search with some for a secret sanctity in the Number of eight as consisting of seven the Embleme of Perfection with the Addition of one that is Intirenesse lest our Curiosity reap what Gods wisdom never sowed therein The plain reason is this Before the eighth day a child was not conceived to be consolidated flesh but till then in the bloud of the mother And for the same cause when a bullock sheep or goat was brought forth Levit. 22. 27. Then it shall be seven dayes under the dam and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Quest. What became of the souls of such infants who died before the eighth day and so wanted Circumcision Answ They wanted not Circumcision For want is the absence of that which ought to be had now there was no necessity of because no command for their Circumcision before that time God the Grand Law-giver though tying others is not tyed himself to his Law But can and no doubt did give spiritual grace to many infants chiefly if children of believing Parents dying in their non-age of their non-age before the eighth day and incapacity of the sign of Circumcision He who Rom. 4. 17. calleth things which are not as if they were can call children which are but are not circumcised as if they were circumcised And although properly amongst men they were not named till the eighth day Luke 2. 21. Yet such infants nameless on earth might Phil. 4. 3. have their names writte◠in the book of life An instance we have hereof plain and pregnant to such who read the place without prejudice in Davids child 2 Sam. 12. 18. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died That is seventh day à nativitate from the birth thereof as Tremelius expoundeth it the more probably because no mention is made of any name imposed upon it This child besides the natural stain of original corruption had also the personal blemish of adulterous extraction And yet how confident David was of the final happinesse thereof appears by this expression vers 22. I shall go to him but he shall not return to me Let none strangle the life of so comfortable a passage with too narrow an interpretation thereof as if nothing therein were imported more then that David should die as well as his child This had been but cold comfort unto him and would never have invited him to such cheerfulness of spirit so freely to have refreshed himself Whose joy was founded on the comfortable assurance of his childs final happinesse and that one day they should both meet in Heaven together It remaineth that we treat of the punishment on the refusers of Circumcision expressed in these words Gen. 17. 14. That soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant A threatning capable of three several sences 1. Severe That is by the sword of Ecclesiastical censures They shall be cut off from the visible congregation they shall most justly as the blind man was injuriously John 9. 33. be cast out of the Synagogue not to be restored unto it without their solemn and sincere repentance Parallel to S. Pauls expression Gal. 5. 12. I would they were even cut off that trouble you Though both phrases by some Divines be expounded in a sence 2. Severer That is the Magistrate shall cut them off with the sword of Justice and as Capital offenders they shall be put to Death In this sence God had last used the same words Gen. 9. 11. neither shall all flesh be cut off any more that is their lives shall no more be taken away by an universal destruction 3. Severest That is they shall be cut off from the congregation of the righteous by a final perdition of soul and body in Hell-fire These three interpretations do not crosse but crown one another being no contradiction unto but a gradation one above another The Refuser of Circumcision first shall be cut off by excommunication that not causing his amendment shall be cut off by the Magistrate and the pain and shame of temporal death not reclaiming him he shall be cut off with Eternal Damnation Quest Here is a heavy punishment indeed But who is the person on whom it is to be inflicted It was the Disciples question to our Saviour John 9. 2. Who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind But here the question will be who shall be punished this child or his parents seeing betwixt both Circumcision is neglected Answ First negatively surely not the child for it is said He hath broken my Covenant The Covenant may be said to be broken on him but not by him being purely passive therein Were the child sensible of the benefit by the having dammage by the loosing thereof and might it but borrow a tongue of the standers by never was Rachel more impatient for children then this child would be importunate for Circumcision Give me Circumcision or else I dye Now positively that the Penalty fals not on the child but on the parent plainly appears by Gods proceedings Exod. 4. 24. When he sought to kill Moses and not his children for being uncircumcised However if a child left uncircumcised by his Parents neglect afterwards arrive at mans estate and pertinaciously persist in the contempt of Circumcision he equally entitleth himself to the fault and is also liable to the punishment in my text Quest Seeing so sharp and severe the penalty how came that suspension of Circumcision full forty years in the wilderness Josh 5. 7 to be connived at God not only not punishing but for ought appears in Scripture not so much as reproving the same Answ In the first place I cannot approve the answer of S. Hierom and others affirming that Circumcision was given to difference and distinguish the Jews from other Nations and seeing no Nations were near them during their travel in the desolate wildernesse Circumcision was therefore purposely omitted For beside that sundry people and particularly the Amalekites dwelt in the desart Circumcision was principally ordained not to be a badge of distinction but a Seal of the consecration of the Jews unto God More probable therefore it is that because the Jews during that fourty years were alwayes though not actually moving disposed to move at a minutes warning when ever they received orders from the removing of the Pillar God the Lawgiver dispensed with them to defer Circumcision till they were fixed
half-Countrey-men the Jews yet soon after it decently expired leaving Baptism to succeed in the Church to all the essentials thereof amongst which this was one of main importance That as Children were admitted to Circumcision so they should also participate of Baptism Which by reasons out of Scripture God willing shall plainly appear CHAP. VIII What it is to reason out of the Scriptures and what credit is due to deductions from Gods word WE do freely confesse that there is neither expresse Precept nor Precedent in the New Testament for the Baptizing of Infants and yet are confident by necessary and undeniable consequence from Scripture it will be made appear to be founded thereon Let us here premise and explain a practice of the Apostle Paul as much conducible to our purpose He coming to Thessalonica Acts 17. 2. Reasoned with the Jews out of Scripture Three things herein are considerable First being to prove that this Jesus whom he preached was Christ he neither did nor could produce a positive text of Scripture wherein the same was affirmed syllabically or in so many very words Secondly in proof hereof he did not bring bare reason which would be but ineffectual especially to prove that which was meerly an article of Faith Thirdly in his disputing he made a wise composure of both joyning Scripture and reason together Scripture was the Well Reason was the Bucket S. Paul was the Drawer Pauls precedent ought to be followed by our practice herein Scriptura non scribitur otiosis The Scripture was not writ for the idle but the industrious Yea to what intent hath God bestowed reason upon us improved in some with Learning and Education together with the promise of his Spirit to conduct us into all necessary truth but that we should improve the same in the serious searching of the Scripture One main motive which induced Columbus to believe the other side of this Globe to be peopled with reasonable souls and invited him to undertake the discovery thereof was a firm apprehension and belief that God would not create so glorious a creature as the Sun to shine to Sea and Fishes alone but that surely some men did partake of the benefit thereof Is it probable that God would light the threefold lamp of reason learning and grace in mens souls for no other purpose or higher design but meerly that men should make use thereof in perusing of pamphlets and reading the works of humane writers chiefly in examining the word of God with such consequences which naturally may be extracted from the same Some things are in Scripture as grasse on the ground which on the surface thereof is apparent to every beholder other things are in Scripture as mines and minerals in the bowels thereof no lesse the product of the earth then the former though more industry must be used for the eduction thereof Circumcision is of the first sort obvious to a childe that can read the 17 th of Genesis But he must be a man of understanding which we all ought to be to whom Baptism is visible by deduction from Scripture See we here not only the usefulnesse and conveniency but even the absolute necessity of the profession of Ministers not only for the administration of Sacraments but for the clearing those necessary consequences from Scripture which at the first view are not apparent to every ordinary capacity S. Paul saith Rom. 12. 6. Let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith Now I believe it will generally be granted that by Prophesie here is meant the preaching of the word Know then that the proportion of Faith consists not in one or some or many but is the result of all places of Scripture the universal Symmetrie of them all concerning such a point which is treated of Here then is the office of the Minister to present to his people in any matter necessary to be believed or practised the sence of the Old and New Testament This is sometimes not conspicuous in any one place as being the collective and constructive Analogie amounting from many particular places compared together Here I say the Ministers office is called upon in whom Reason is or ought to be cleared and strengthned by his learning to manifest and evidence to the people of his flock the rise and result of such deductions how naturally and necessarily they flow from Scripture This done such of his flock who of themselves could not see will see when shown who of themselves could not go will go when led enabled by Gods blessing on his help will both easily apprehend in themselves and communicate to such in their family such Scipture-consequences which their simplicity could never first have found out by themselves Then will it fare with such people as with the Samaritanes John 4. 42. who came to Christ at the womans invitation but believed on him not because of her saying but because they heard him themselves Unlearned people receive not such consequences for truths on the credit of the Learning and Religion of their Minister though by his direction first acquainted therewith but because that since they have been convinced in their own judgements and consciences of the truth thereof as no doubt the Thessalonians were when S. Paul as is aforesaid reasoned with them out of Scripture But a greater then Paul is here to avouch this practice even our Saviour himself Who being to confute the Sadduces who not only denied the resurrection of the dead but also that there was neither Angel nor Spirit Acts 23. 8. existing separate from the body so that at death the souls of men expired and were utterly extinguished In refutation of which errour our Saviour reasoned out of Scripture Mat. 22. 31. 32. But as touching the resurrection of the dead have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living God is not the God of the dead that is he is not God to that which is annihilated and null in nature but that thing must have an absolute being in it self before it can be so related that God becomes a God unto it This text in it self seems at great distance to prove the Resurrection and never likely to meet the matter in controversie unlesse Reason intercede to joyn them both together The argumentation being thus framed and that to which God pronounceth himself a God hath a true real existence But God pronounceth himself God to Abraham Isaac and Jacob some hundreds of years after their death Therfore Abraham Isaac Jacob had stil a true and real existence And thus an argument which formerly was vertually in the text is by the assistance of Reason actually extracted thence and effectually applied to the preset purpose Say not Christ might have chose in the old Testament more pregnant and pertinent places then this by him cited to prove
and not cover it he was to pay the owner for the losse of those his cattel which fell into it Parents having opened a pit of original corruption by the sinfulnesse of their nature if they labour not to cover it again as much as in them lies by using the ordinance God hath appointed for the same shall not the souls of their children if finally falling into that pit be heavily required at their hands Yea shall man be carelesse and cruel where God hath been so kind and careful in his instituting of Baptism Rom. 6. 3. That we may be Baptized into Jesus Christ his death as it followeth vers 6. that the body of sin may be destroyed To conclude Infants having the body of sin as well as adult persons and Baptism being appointed for the destruction thereof such parents are wanting to their own duty undervalue Gods ordinance and are cruel to the souls of the flesh of their body that deny Baptism unto Infants CHAP. XIV The Sixth Reason drawn from the constant Practice of Christian Churches in all Ages what credit is to be given to a Primitive Custome I Shall now be challenged by such who herein dissent in judgement from me for breach of promise starting from my own principles that having promised Reasons out of Scripture I flie now to Church-Practice and Ancient Tradition Wherefore to vindicate my self which is far more considerable the Truth herein I will first prove by Gods assistance by Reason out of Scripture that the Practice of the Catholique Church in all Places and at all Times especially in such matters wherein nothing appears contrary in Gods Word obligeth all conscientious Christians to the observation thereof And in the next Chapter we wil shew that the Baptizing of Infants hath been the uninterrupted Custome of the Church Be it premised that if we look on Customes simply in themselves we shall find them generally like the men of Sodom not ten good ones amongst the many thousands of them For what is Custome but the practice of most men time out of mind Now seeing most men yea all men by Nature Gen. 6. 5. have the imaginations of their hearts evil and that not for a day week or year but as the Text saith continually no wonder if Customes be commonly wicked Yea such errours and vices which at the first are soft and supple pliable to Reproof and sensible of Refutation contract an hardnesse by custome in continuance of time yea get an incrustation and such scales over them that they become impenetrable to Scripture and Reason brought against them And as Lahan deceived plain-dealing Jacob in his Marriage Gen. 29. 26. by pleading the custome of the Country so it is confessed that too many in all Ages in matters both of faith and fact have alledged Custome to Patronize their erroneous opinions and injurious practises But all this ought not to beget in us a neglect of such Customes which like Melchisedec are Heb. 7. 3. without father without mother without discent whose first original cannot be found out as practised in the Church time out of mind no remembrance or record extant to the contrary Now as Melchisedec in the same place is said to have neither beginning of dayes and what necessarily followeth thence nor end of life so it is but just and equal that such Ancient Customes in the Church which never had memorable Rise should never have Fall therein but that such which probably began at the first should constantly be continued till the last coming of our Saviour Here I plead not for such mis-shapen Customes which either run up all in length narrow and slender which though long in use never extended to any wideness in the Christian World or else so low and thick they only spread in bredth as many Popish Customes generally but not anciently used but never shot up to the just stature of Primitive Antiquity We only defend such wel-grown Customes which I call square ones the form of firmness and stability whose height and bredth are well proportioned put in ure by Christians at all times and in all places conceiving we can demonstrate it by reason from Scripture that such Customes must be presumed grounded on the word and will of God For proof whereof we produce Gods promise and Lo I am with you always unto the end of the world Amen Mat. 28. 20. Every operative word herein deserves our serious consideration I am with you unto the end I am A verb of the present joyned with words of the future tense to shew Gods Instantaneous assistance in every moment of extremity Psal 46. 1. God is our strength and refuge a very present help in trouble With you This cannot be meant only of the Disciples personally none of them living to the end of the world seeing John himself the surviver of the whole Jury died about the year of our Lord 102. It is therefore meant extensively of the Disciples as they were an immortal corporation With you Selves and successours persons and posterity As Christ John 17. 20. Did not pray for these alone so here he did not promise to these alone but to them also which should believe on him through their word These words To be with you import not only a promise of protecting them from all dangers but also of directing them in all doctrines necessary to be believed and practised for their salvation And this promise being made not so much to the particular persons as to the collective body of the Church is not so effectually performed to every individual Christian as to the Universal Church which amounteth from them all We confesse that notwithstanding the foresaid promise of protection and direction many good men have been guilty of great errours and have also fallen by Gods permission and just punishment of their sins into grievous dangers However Divine goodnesse so doubleth his Files about his Church in general that he will not suffer the same to be universally infected in all Ages with any one dangerous Errour And therefore a Church Custome in all times and places must be presumed conformable to the will of God because were it erroneous it were utterly inconsistent with that solemn promise which God hath passed to his Church to be with them unto the worlds end Such who on the contrary side are highly opinioned of their private Judgements and will not confide in the Universal Customes of the Church I know not whether therein they do shew more want of Charity in condemning so many Christians at once or plenty of pride in over-prizing their own judgements or store of profanenesse in doubting yea denying the performance of Gods promise so solemnly made of his protecting presence in the Church who surely will dispatch and destroy an errour therein before it grow up to be so long liv'd as to become a Custome What a high valuation S. Paul set on Church Customes appears by his expression 1 Cor. 11. 16. But if any man
infants children striplings youths men of perfect reduced decayed ages CHAP. XVII An Objection Answered drawn from the inability of Infants to repent and believe ALthough we conceive this formerly satisfied yet finding it to recur in our proceedings we will repeat something in our larger Answer thereunto We perceive many men infidels in the point of infants faith and do not believe that they do or can believe whose distrust is principally grounded on these two causes partly because infants cannot evidence their believing to others partly because men cannot conceive the manner of infants belief To the first of these we say it is injurious to conclude infants incapable of believing because they cannot manifest it to others On the same account and with as much truth and right one might deny reasonable souls to infants because they neither do nor can make any expression thereof Let matters be measured by outward appearance and the young ones of bruit beasts seem more rational though indeed it be but natural instinct in them then any childe whatsoever A Lamb new wean'd and Chicken new hatch'd know their Dam can stand go do many things in order to their self-preservation better then a new-born infant and yet no wise man will pronounce them more reasonable then a childe Yea give me leave a little here to make an useful digression There is no one mistake w ch hath betrayed mens judgements to more absurdities in the points of Circumcision and Baptism then a misapprehension in making the body the standard of the soul and measuring the same by the proportion thereof I am afraid there be too many who conceive souls like the pipes in an Organ some longer some shorter some lesser some larger and fancy degrees of their dimensions variable with their ages So that a new-born infant should have a smal soul a weaned childe a soul somewhat greater and so successively that the souls of boyes youths striplings men should gradually exceed one another in greatnesse Yea I am afraid that some do farther extend this their false apprehension even to imagine that at the last day of Judgement the souls of such who died in their infancy shall appear before Gods Tribunal little diminutive Spirits This conceit makes men behold infants with disdainful eyes accounting them but Cyphers which signifie but little in nature and nothing in Religion To rectifie their erroneous judgements let them know that all reasonable souls as created by God and first infused into bodies are equal in their essence and that something extrinsical and adventitious causeth that grand disparity betwixt souls in their natural moral and supernatural operations 1. In their natural as the wise man and the fool are equal in their death Eccles 2. 16. so also in their birth not only in the manner thereof but in this respect of an adequation of all the essentials of their souls The different tempers of their brains and more or lesse perfect fabrick of their bodies differenceth them in their actions who in their beings are alike 2. In their moral That which makes the difference betwixt them is this First education bestowed on one more then another whereby he arrives at a perfection above his equals Secondly Habits of vertues or vices which one hath acquired more or lesse then the other 3. In their supernatural Only the distinction ariseth from infused graces more plentifully conferred on one then another and from the holy improvement thereof which one frugal in goodnesse makes above him which is an unthrift therein Thus the species or kind with all specifical perfections are not partial to one individuum to make that a favourite more then another but all indifferently partake thereof And as amongst the Israelites Exod. 16. 18. all had their just omer of manna so the man yea the giant hath no more of the reasonable soul then the Dwarfe or the Infant all share alike in the essence thereof The same may be said of the souls of Children and men The essentials of a childs soul are as large and ample to all purposes and intents as that of a man The house-keeper is the same though pent for rooms he cannot make the like entertainment Indeed we read Rev. 20. 12. I saw the dead great and small stand before God and the books were open c. But the inequality there relates not unto their souls and the essences thereof but to their conditions wherein they were estated when alive Psal 49. 2. Low and high rich and poor together What matters it then though Children cannot discover and though men cannot perceive their belief It follows not but that God may see what a child is not sensible of in it self nor others in it God judgeth not as man judgeth nor doth he see as man seeth Man only beholdeth the out-side of childrens operations loaden with defects arising from their bodily indisposition Gods sees the heart and what mainly moveth therein the soul and age being meetly circumstantial and accidental thereunto it maketh no odds at all in Gods discovery therein who can see in them that beliefe which we cannot behold But suppose the worst that Infants neither do nor can believe yet this cannot be a bar to their Covenanting in Baptism no more then it was to the Jewish children in Circumcision Their tender age knew not what a Covenant with God meant Nor had they feeling how thereby they were engaged to keep the Law Nor understood what did belong to the inward Circumcision of the heart yet were vouchsafed to be foederati cum Deo So it can be no bar to the children of Christian parents to receive a seal of covenantship with Christ albeit they at that time want reason to know the nature of a Covenant nor how they put on Christ nor what it is to believe and to be washed clean from sin There is no more absurdity or inconsequence upon one then the other CHAP. XVIII Other Objections Answered THe Grand Objections thus cleared such as remain will be easily satisfied as followeth Object It is pride and presumption for any to account themselves fitter and forwarder for Baptism then Christ himself was Now Christ himself was not Baptized Luke 3. 23. till he began to be about thirty years of Age none ought therefore to prevent that date of time in their Baptism Answ Though Christ was not baptized till thirty years of Age remember he was circumcised Luke 2. 21. on the eighth day Secondly Christ was not Baptized out of necessity needing no soul-physick who had no soul-sicknesse but a voluntary design to Baptize baptism and to give a soveraign vertue thereunto Thirdly Many of Christs actions were for our instruction not imitation Christ presently after his Baptism fasted fourty days and fourty nights which the urgers of this argument will not pretend unto Discover we here a corruption too rife in all our hearts Such is the frowardnesse of our crosse-grain'd nature that we lazily stand still and admire such actions of Christ