the Purity of the primitive Church through the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit darkned then Traditions and Inventions of men were multiplyed then the Necessity of Infants Baptism by Augustine Cyprian and such like was introduced and by the Ratification and Enjoynment of Popes Councils General National or Provincial Synods Kings as absolutely necessary was strengthned Johannes Bohemius saith That Baptism of old was administred to none unless upon urgent Necessity but to such as were before instructed in the Faith and catechised but when it came to be iudged Necessary to Everlasting Lâ—fe it was ordained that Infants should be baptized and that they should have Godfathers and Godmothers who should be Sureties for Infants and should renounce the Devil in their behalfs it grew to this in the Roman-Catholick-Church that at the baptizing of a Child the Priest 1. blows three times in the Infants Face 2. he anoints his Eyes Ears and Nostrils with Earth moistned with his Spittle 3. he names him and marks him with the sign of the Cross upon his Breast and Back with Hallowed Oyle 4. he dips him into the Water or pours Water upon him three times in form of a Cross 5. dipping his Thumb in the Holy Chrism as they call it he signs the Childs Forehead with the sign of the Cross 6. he covers him with a White Garment 7. he puts into his Hand a Burning Candle Lib. 2. de Gentium moribus When the primitive Purity was turned from the one Baptism by the one Spirit into one Body lost then steamed such like things out of the Bottomless Pit into the Church and to gain Estimation they must be stiled Christ's Commands or at least Apostolical Traditions Augustine as 't is said was the first that preached the Necessity of Infants Baptism and as Nations became drunk with the Cup of Abomination and Fornication idolatrous and strange Erroneous Doctrines streamed out of Apostatized Christendom About the year 402. the Milevitan Council celebrated by ninety two Bishops put out this Canon All that affirm that young Children receive Everlasting Life without the Sacrament of Baptism and will not that young Children newly born be baptized to the taking away of original Sin that they be anathematized Magdiburg Cent. 5. This Canon then sent to Rome had the Ratification of Pope Innocent the third In the 5th General Council at Carthage held in the year 416. 't was decreed That whosoever denies that little Children by Baptism are freed from Perdition and eternally saved let them be accursed Tuis was confirmed and ratified by the said Pope Innocent the third after by Pope Zosimus after by Pope Boniface Isidore saith If Children were not baptized so thereby renewed and original Sin washed away they were in a state of Damnation Madg. cent 7. Pope Hormisda ordained That Children if they be weak should be baptized the same day in which they are born Summa Concil et Pontis And what care is taken in this Nation for weak Children to make sure their Christendom as they say I may be silent About the year 692. In a King of the West-Saxons ordained That every Infant should be baptized within thirty dayes after its Birth on the Penalty of his Parents forfeiting thirty shillings and if the Child dyed unbaptized the whole Estate These Saxons received the Faith of the Church of Rome from the mouth of Austine the Monk and others About the year 816. the Council under Wolfred ordained That they should not pour Water upon the Heads of Infants but immerge that is dip them in the Font Full. pag. 109. It seems they were for Dipping not for Sprinkling In the 9th Century it crept in ' That in Exorcism the Head Ears and Nose should be salted and anointed before Baptism Magd. Cent. 9. Augustine's Doctrine That Children born or unborn were damned if they dyed within Baptism being received at a Heavenly Oracle hence Infants Baptism was enjoyned by Popes Councils and Kings and great Virtue was ascribed to it as the taking away of Original Sin and of regenerating Infants and renewing of them and freeing them from Perdition and eternally saving them and of making them Members of Christ Children of God and thaâ— it made the Receivers as pure and innocent as Adam was before his Fall these things being believed Church-men became Defenders and Propogators of it common people received it with Greediness Who would refuse an Eternal Inheritance tendred upon such terms Thus Ignorance Blindness entering Christendom the Custom and idolatrous Tradition of Infants Baptism became so epidemical and general as that in the eleventh Century it was scarce questioned in this Age it crept in That Salt should be put into the Mouth of the Baptized Magd. Cent. 11. In the Discourse between Dr. Harpsfield Arch-Deacon and John Bradford Martyr this Bradford said I dare not exclude from Christ all that dye without Baptism He placed not Salvation in visible elementary Water but the Roman-Catholicks are otherwise minded and thrust the Souls of Infants that dye without it into a Limbus infantum a place very nigh Hell and their Bodies out of Christian-burial into an Unhallowed Place and in this Nation who pretend to Reformation behind the Church so called if granted for burial to the Unbaptized must be received as a Favour And to the Decrees of Popes Councils and Kings there are several wrested Scriptures and Objections alledged for the defence and confirmation of Infants Baptism I. Obj. Whole Families were baptized so Children Answ 'T is written that whole Families believed John 4.53 Must it be inferred hence that Children not grown up to years of Discretion believed Families may be without Children they may be grown up or they might be newly married Families or their Children might be dead so 't is a wild Inference to ground Infants Baptism on this saith Optatus II. Obj. The Spirit accompanies Water in Baptism and Water so accompanied is Christ's Baptism the Spirits Baptism Answ The Scripture bears record against that the holy Spirit sell on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost this was Christs Baptism the Spirits Baptism and here was no Water made use of Acts 1 2. yea and in Acts 11.15 he call the holy Spirit falling on them the Spirits Baptism without the Element of Water as for Water that he calls John's Baptism III. Obj. Those that have right to the Promise they have right to the Seal thereof but the Children of Believers have right to the Promise ergo they have right to the Seal that is baptism Answ In Christ the Promise of the Father all the Kindreds of the Earth obtain the Blessing he is also the Covenant of Light given for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isaiah 43.6 and that such as have right to the Promise have right to the Seal thereof that is a real Truth but that Dipping or Sprinkling of Infants should be the Seal of the Covenant that I deny as Antichristian consider the first Covenant stood in Meats
baptized put on White Garments Of the Chrisom Of old the Custom was when the Earthly Mind turned to Earthly Rudiments and Elements to baptize none till at years of Discretion and the Baptized for certain dayes put on a white Garment in Imitation hereof when Infants are now baptized they have on their Heads a White Cloth called a Chrisom why called a Chrisom because a white Cloth at the first Institution of it was put upon a Childs Head newly anointed with Chrisom a hallowed Oyntment among Papists after Baptism so from this Oyntment this Chrisom the White Cloth as 't is said was called Chrisom now 't is taken for the White Cloth put upon a Child newly christned as 't is called in token of its Baptism and it s usually brought to the Church so called at the day of Churching the Woman and pinned behind her Head and in many places it is bestowed upon the Priest and in some places Money instead thereof Thus the In-dwellings of Truth being lost and turned from after the primitive times ceremonies inventions customs human traditions as Sprinkling of Infants Godfathers Godmothers Gossâ—ps Gommothers Chrisom Chrisoms Sign of the Cross c. sprung up among the Professors of Christianity as Weeds in untilled Grounds yet to gain acceptance they are stiled by many Commands of Christ or at the least Apostolical Traditions Now after Rantism that is sprinkling of Infants was received into the Churches as a Doctrine meet to be observed and also Supream Authorities and Church-Liturgies in divers Countries commending and commanding it hence the Clergy so called judged themselves concerned to propogate and defend the same it being that Nonconformity is not the Way to Preferment yet in divers Ages several who had Glimpses of Heavenly Light in them questioned Infants-baptism yea and esteemed it as Counterfeit Coyn as such may see who trace the steps of Ecclesiastical Writers some of whose Testimonies I shall mention Tertullian as 't is said opposed some Introducers of Infants-baptism saying That Confession of Sins Faith Repentance and Renouncing of the Devil was required of the Baptized which Infants are not capable of Tertull. de baptismo Walafridus Strabâ— who lived about the year 840. in his Book of Church Affairs chap. 26. said to this purpose That in the early Ages of the Church Baptism was administred on the Adulâ— only When the Substance say I was turned from then they re-assumed the Shadows But afterwards saith he Christians understanding Original Sin and left their Children should perish without any Means of Grace they began to baptize them by the Decree of the Council of Africa and then Godfathers and Godmothers were invented This I say is carnal Reasoning and charging the Apostles of Christ as not understanding Original Sin or as denying Means of Grace to Children but I say such as reason thus they reject the Lord's means of Increase in Grace and entertain Inventions of men in place thereof Zuing lius speaking of Infants-baptism saith There is no plain words of Scripture where the same is commanded The Magdiburgenses in their learned History tell us That as to the baptizing of Infants they read of no Example in the Scriptures Cent. 1. Lib. 2. They also therein declare against consecrating of Water before Baptism as also against Fonts Baptisterions and against baptizing at two times in the year Easter and Whitsontide so called against Gossips or Sureties for the Adult and Infant giving of Names in Baptism Exorcisms Chrisms or Anointing Consignations that is Sign of the Cross Albs Salt Spittle giving or receiving of Gifts Confirmation of Bishoping these things were not in primitive Times but steamed in as the Smoak arose out of the Bottomless Pit Magdib-Cent 1. Lib. 2. Bellarmine de baptismo saith That in Scripture there is neither Command nor Example for Infants-baptism but he refers it to the immaginary Catalogue of Apostolical Traditions Beringarius with the Bishop Bruno in France gave publick Testimony against Infants-Baptism which Doctrine spread through France and Germany Bar. Ann. 1050. Hence they were called Beringarians and Waldenses they testified also against the Real Presence Magd. cent 11. Peter de Brusius taught against Infants-baptism Transubstantiation praying for the Dead for which Testimony he was burned to Death Bar. Ann. 1116. Arnaldus taught against Infants-baptism Transubstantiation Bar. Ann. 1116. Peter Abailardus opposed Infants-baptism so did many of the Clergy this Abailardus was burned to Ashes at Rome for his Testimony In the year 1176. a People was raised up in the Province of Albi in France who preached That Infants-baptism was not necessary to Salvation Bar. â— 310. Calvin saith expresly That Infants-baptism is not mentioned by any of the Evangelists Instit lib. 4. cap. 16. They that baptize Children saith Taylor make Baptism to be wholely an outward Duty a carnal Ordinance it makes us be satisfied with Shadows and to relinquish the Substance and Spirituality of the Gospel pag. 242. Dr. Jerom Taylor saith That the Parents of Augustin Jerom and Ambrose though Christians did not baptize their Children till aged which thing saith he is very effectual for destroying the supposed Necessity of derivation of Infants-baptism from the Apostles Lib. proph pag. 239. Luther in Postill saith Young Children hear not so if the Command be followed they are not to be baptized Erasmus in his Book of the Vnion of the Church saith It is no where expressed in the Apostolical Writings that they baptized Children Bucer upon Matthew saith That Christ no where commanded to baptize Infants Staphilâ—â— in his Epitome saith That it is not expressed in holy Scriptures that Young Children should be baptized Chocleus saith That Jesus took a Child c. but he thinks he did not baptize it Melancton in his Treatise concerning Anabaptists saith That there is no plain Commandment in the Scriptures that Children should be baptized Daniel Rogers saith That he is Vnconvinced by Demonstration of Scripture that Infants should be baptized De bapt part 29. Baxter though much for Infants-baptism yet in pag 3. he confesses That Infants-baptism is not plainly determined in the Scriptures Dr. Taylor saith It is against the perpetual Analogy of Christs Doctrine to baptize Infants Saying further ' That Christ gave no Command for the same neither did he or his Apostles baptize any of them lib. proph pag. 239. Further he saith in pag. 237. of the same Book As there was no Command for Infants-baptism so the Necessity of it was not determined in the Church till the Canon made by the Milevitan Council a Provincial in Affrica Some I grant saith he used it before this time in Affrica having good Thoughts of it yet none of them pretended it to be necessary nor a Gospel Precept and for every Ordinance the Institution is to be eyed and neither to be stretched under nor drawn narrower then the Lord hath made it I have read of a great Papist in London who going to a Dispute about Infants-baptism told his Friend He
what Water elementary shadowed out outwardly which cools cleanses quenches the Thirst makes fruitful outwardly Piscator on this John 3.5 saith very evidently Seeing that without this Water whereof Christ spake to Nicodemus no man can attain unto eternal Life it follows that Christ spake not of Baptismal Water Lombard Vossius yea a Cloud of Witnesses have showred down Testimonies to the same purpose but if notwithstanding all this thou wilt have John 3 5. to speak of material Water then Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire must be understood of material Fire then outward Fire must be used in Baptism which would be judged an Absurdity and a strange Doctrine Water and Fire are in these places added to shew the effectual Operation of the Spirit working that inwardly which Fire and Water represent outwardly as many have observed born of Water and of the Spirit or of Water which is the Spirit John 7.38 9. as Piscator observes so baptized with the holy Spirit and with Fire baptized with the holy Spirit which is Fire a Coal from the Lord's Altar giving light to the inward man spiritualizing him changing him into the divine Image from Glory to Glory elevates and carries the Renewed Heaven-ward purifying from the dross of Sin Polutious and Defilements uniting to the Called Faithful and Chosen separating from the World in a word who dwell in the Light of Grace these more and more receive the Spirit in which Christ's Baptism is a Coal from the Lord's Altar operating inwardly as elementary Fire outwardly Of Children in the Womb Baptized Satan the grand Adversary by Hellish Suggestions Wicked Temptations Unclean Injections by little and little after the primitive Times disjoynted and as I may fay dis-spirited many so that the pure serious Worship in Spirit and in Truth came by little and little to be departed from and a Will-Worship clouded with Ceremonies Shadows Traditions Inventions of men came to be established so that Augustin in his day taught That Children born or unborn if quickened in the Womb were Damned if they dyed without baptism hence the Necessity of baptizing Infants was concluded as before I have touched Now it being observed that many Children dyed in the Womb and according to Father Augustin's Doctrine such were damned if unbaptized the consideration of this set them to seek a Remedy for that Disease and none could be found except the Child in the Womb could be baptized but if it might then all was well in order to this concern a great Question was propounded An pueri in utero possint baptizari it a salvari that is Whether Children in the Womb could be baptized so saved yea or nay This was looked upon as a Mysterious Question and necessary to be considered and it set the most curious Wits on work and out of the Magazine of carnal Reasoning came this Conclusion If a Quickened Child in the Mothers Womb shall be in danger to dye thorough the Weakness of the Mother or of the Child or thorough hard Labour let them bless or pray for the Child and let them strengthen the Mothers Womb let them commend the Child to God with Desires to baptize it and can protest saying The Fault is not in them why that Child is not baptized the Observation of these Ceremonies upon the Child's account was judged equivalent to Baptism and the Child concluded to be saved thorough its Parents Belief Cassander de baptismo Thus after the ingress of Apostacy multitudes of Inventions were brought into the Church and to the end they might have favourable Entertainment they were stiled Decent and Doctrines of Christ or Apostolical Traditions Concerning Baptizing of the Dead Thorough the Smoak of the Apostacy after the Apostles dayes such was the Depravation of mens Understandings as that they ascribed the virtue of Renovation Regeneration and Eternal Salvation to Baptismal Water yea and not a few concluded it effectual not only for the Living but also for the Dead so that the Cataphygians and Montanists baptized the Dead Bodies of men as saith Philastrius and Georgius Ederus in his Mataeologia haereticorum There were some saith Sparke that baptized the Dead and put the Sacramental-Bread in their Mouths as their Viaticum udging it better to have such a necessary Ordinance by Proxy then altogether to go without it A Child that dyed unbaptized was taken up and Christened as 't is said and had his Fathers Name given him Magd. Cent. 7. Concerning Baptizing the Living for the Dead Thorough the Apostacy many fell into a dead Lethargy as I may say into a spiritual Sleepiness Drowsiness and Forgetfulness as Israel of old who forgot the Lord dayes without number a Custom crept in among the Marcionites and Cerinthians that when any Catechumenist dyed without Baptism that is such a one as had been instructed in the Principles of Christianity some living Person was placed under the Bed of the Deceased then the Priest came unto the Deceased Party saying Desirest thou to be baptized the Dead Man replying nothing the Party under the Bed answered for it saying I would be baptized thus they baptized him for the Dead as if they acted a Play upon a Stage Tertull. Epiphan de Cerinth haeres Goodwins Roman Jewish Antiquities Paul to the Corinthians said If the Dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the Dead 1 Cor. 15.29 a Custom saith Piscator on this place not universal nor taken up in all Churches nor among the Corinthians is here noted A Custom saith this Piscator sprung up among the ancient Christians of being baptized at or over the Graves of the Dead of the Martyrs to testifie saith he that with Christ they were dead to sin and ready to dye for him c. But the Churches who bare about in their mortal Bodies the Dying of the Lord Jesus so came to witness his Life manifest in them they knew the Ground of Rudiments and beggarly Elements cast out the End of Shadows and Figures manifested in which they left off John's typical Baptism without and all other irrePtitious Customs and Confusions about the same Of an Annual Baptism that is of such as Baptize themselves every Year The Habbasines a kind of mongrel Christians in Affrica baptize themselves every year on the day of Epiphany so called in Lakes or Ponds thereby to keep a Memorial of Christs Baptism in Jordan which was performed on the aforesaid day as many of the Ancients conjectured Trapp on Matth. 3. Of Outward Fire used in Baptism The Apostacy prevailed with and in the Church as a Consumption upon a Mortal Body which weakens the Body by little and little causeth Leanness and turns the Body to the Dust so the Apostacy crept in by little and little the Cross of Christ being turned from Weakness followed spiritual Leanness that was lost which opens Scriptures and fulfils them in men so conceits conceivings mis-apprehensions mis-interpretations got place as from that
was going to hear a Miracle viz. Infants-baptism to be proved by Scriptures Oxford Divines in a Convocation held in the year 1647. said That without the consentaneous Judgment and Practice of the Vniversal Church they should be at a loss when they are called upon for Proof in the Point of Infants-baptism Eccius acknowledges That Infants-baptism is not clear from the Scripture see his Enchiridion Monsieur Daille a learned Frenchman a great Searcher into Antiquities said That in ancient times they often deferred the Baptism of Infants and produces many Examples but whence is it saith he that the very mentioning hereof is scarce to be endured at this day Lib. 2. pag. 149. Claudius Espontius Bishop ordained at a Council at Pysoy in France about the year 1500. That Infants-baptism should be received by Tradition because it could not be proved a Command of Christ The Long Parliament which sate in the year 1647. in their Declaration in Answer to the Scots Commissioners declared thus The Opinion touching the Baptizing of Infants is such wherein former Ages as well as this learned and godly Men have differed both in Opinion and Practice and said they herein we hold it fit that men should be convinced by the Word of God with Gentleness and Reason and not be beaten out by Force and Violence It is no small Evidence saith Hugo Grotius on Matth. 19. tho Baptism of Infants for many Hundred Years was not ordinary in the Church because Constantine the Great the Son of Helena a zealous Christian was not baptized till aged By what hath been spoken the Sober mind may understand that such as dip people are relapsed into the Shadow John's temporary Baptism and not confirmed in the one Baptism the inward cleansing the Spirits Baptism into one Body and that such as rantize or sprinkle Infants have no Command from Christ nor Example among the Apostles nor the first primitive Christians for â—o doing but only the Commands of Popes Councils Kings Earthly Powers and the Examples of men deviated from the primitive Order and Ministers of Christ should not be hurried away with the heady Torrent of Times Customs Traditions Unscriptural non-Non-apostolical Doctrines but should have an Eye to Christs Command and the Apostles Practice for what they do I cannot but subscribe to the Testimony of Tertullian who said Id verum quod prius prius quod ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis that is That is Truth which was first that is first which was from the beginning that is from the Beginning which was from the Apostles Tertul. contr Marcion lib. 4. for what the Apostles preached the same they received from Christ who is Alpha and Omega the First and the Last the Beginning and Ending glorified with the Father before the Foundation of the World Now if any question in their Minds why I call Sprinkling of Infants Rantism let them consider what follows for their satisfaction The Ceremony of John's Ministration according to Divine Institution was by Dipping Plunging or Overwhelming their Bodies in Water as Scapula and Stephens two great Masters of the Greek Tongue testifie as also Grotius Pasor Vossius Miâ—ceus Leigh Casanbon Bucan Bullenger Zanchy Spanhemius Rogers Taylor Hammond Calvin Piscator Aquinas Scotus Now this Dipping or Plunging of the Bodies of such as repented and believed in Rivers or Fountains the Greeks called it baptismos the Latius call it baptismus in imitation of whom in our Orthography we call it baptism the before-cited fully agree hereunto Now as for Sprinkling the Greeks call it rantismos which I render rantism for 't is as proper to call Sprinkling Rantism as to call Dipping Baptism this Linguists cannot be ignorant of that dipping and sprinkling are expressed by several words both in Latin Greek and Hebrew 't is very evident if Sprinkling had been of divine institution the Greeks had their rantismos but as Dipping was the Institution they used baptismos so maintained the purity and property of the Language Meds in his Diatribe on Titus saith That there was no such thing as Sprinkling or Rantism used in Baptism in the Apostles dayes nor many Ages after them to sprinkle Young or Old and call it Baptism is very incongruous yea as improper as to call a Horse a Cow for Baptism signifies Dipping c. Zepperus is as clear as the Sun in this thing saying Ex ipsa vocis notatione et etymo apparet quae baptismi administrandi consuitudo fuerit initio cuâ— not pro baptismo Rantismon potius hoc est aspersionem â—unc habeamus that is It appears by the genuine signification of the word what their Custom in administering Baptism was at the first forasmuch as for Baptism we now rather use Rantism that is sprinkling Zepperus de sacramentis However Rantism hath entred into among the Professors of Christianity and to gain the more acceptance 't is called Baptism Since the Ingress of the Apostacy great hath been the Confusion of men about this Point as hath beenshewed and might further be made apparent If any Bishop or Priest saith a Canon fathered upon the Apostles do not immerge that is dip the Party to be baptized three times in the Water but content himself with one Immersion that is Dipping let him be deposed Summa Concil et Pontif. But the fourth Toletan-Council under Pope Honorius the first taught That whether an Infant be baptized with three Immersions or but with one in plain English whether the Infant were dipt thrice or but once yet he should be accounted baptized and the Priest not to be deposed Here was Canon against Canon and the Canon fathered upon the Apostles wholely or in a high measure made void but it hath been a Sleight of Antichrist to father upon the Apostles his smoaky Inventions that coming under that guise they may find Acceptance But drawing to the Haven let me seriously tell the Reader That John's Water-baptism in its season I own as an useful Shadow fulfilled and ended by Christ's Spiritual Baptism and that such as are for dipping Believers are thorow the influence of Earth within turned to Shadows without and Relapses are dangerous And as for Rantism that is Sprinkling of Infants with Godfathers Godmothers Gossips Commothers Fonts and all other Antichristian Appurtenances the same I deny Now to what I have spoken of Fonts I further say that they are usually hallowed in this manner The Priest makes two Crosses in the Water with his Right Hand c. then he takes a burning Candle and drops it into the Water in form of a Cross then cries aloud over it and prayes That the holy Spirit would descend into it and make it fruitful that it may have Power to regenerate and beget anew then he breathes thrice into the Font and puts Oyl and Cream into the Water c. Further the Council of Trent taught That at the Font a spiritual Kindred and Relation was contracted between the baptized Child its Parents and the