considerate men then the too common pollutions of others which are meerly through negligence but not justified and defended Let Master Baxters own words judge him who makes the same foul work in the Ordinance of baptism by admitting Infants to it upon a Parents or Proparents as he terms them profession when all his proofs of the necessity of profession to go before baptism are of the profession of the party himself to be baptized and this device of a Parents or Proparents profession instead of the Infants is his own invention that hath not any intimation in Scripture and by his own proofs makes Infants capable of the Lords Supper and perverts the nature of Sacraments which his own words do fully express thus Pag. 123 124. The first Argument of Master Gillespies 20. is from the nature of Sacraments which are to signifie that we have already faith in Christ remission of sin by him and union with him The sense of the argument is That seeing Sacraments according to Christs institution are confirming signs presupposing the thing signified both on our part and on Gods therefore none should use them that have not first the thing signified by them Though I undertake not to defend all the Arguments that other men use in this case yet this doth so much concern the cause of baptism which I am now debating that I shall give you this reply to it What Divines are there that deny the Sacraments to be mutual signs and seals signifying our part as well as Gods And how ill do you wrong the Church of God by seeking to make men believe that these things are new and strange If it be so to you it is a pity that it is so but sure you have seen Master Gataker's Books against Doctor Ward and Davenant wherein you have multitudes of sentences recited out of our Protestant Divines that affiâ—m this which you call new It is indeed their most common Doctrine that the Sacrament doth presuppose remission of sins and our faith and that they are instituted to signifie these as in being It is the common Protestant Doctrine that Sacraments do solemnize and publickly own and confirm the mutual covenant already entred in heart as a King is Crowned a Souldier Listed a Man and Woman maried after professed consent So that the sign is causal as to the consummation and delivery as a Key or Twig and Turff in giving possession but consequential to the contract as privately made and the right given thereby so that the soul is supposed to consent to have Christ as offered first which is saving faith and then by receiving him Sacramentally delivered to make publick profession of that consent and publickly to receive his sealed remission Master Cobbet cited by you might well say that primarily the Sacrament is Gods seal but did he say that it is onely his and not secondarily ours And in the next words you do in effect own part of the Doctrine your self which you have thus wondered at as new and strange saying I confess it is a Symbol of our profession of faith If you mean as you speak taking profession properly then 1. you yield that the Sacrament is our symbol and so declareth or signifieth our action as well as Gods 2. And it is not onely a sign of our profession but a professing sign and therefore a sign of the thing professed for the external sign is to declare the internal acts of the mind which without signs others cannot know As therefore the words and outwards actions 〈◊〉 â—wo distinct signs of the same internal acts so are they two wayes of professâ—â—â— My signal actions do not signifie my words which are plainer signs the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore need not darker to express them but they both expre 〈…〉 mind So that they are not only symbols of our professiâ—â— as you spea 〈…〉 t professing symbols 3. And if so then they must be signs and professions of those internal acts which correspond with them The Fourth Argument of Master Gillespy is from Rom. 4. 11. Circumcision was a seal of that righteousness of faith therefore so is baptism therefore it belongeth onely to justified believers He that maketh it the instituted nature or use of circumcision to be a seal of righteousness of faith which the person had before doth make his circumcision a proof of his foregoing righteousness of faith Pag. 133. You cannot shew where ever the wicked are commanded to communicate with the Church in the Sacrament but in this order First to be converted and repent and so baptized and so communicate Gillespy Aarons rod blossoming pag. 514 515. The assumption that baptism it self is not a regenerating ordinance I prove thus 1. Because we read of no Persons baptized by the Apostles except such as did profess faith in Christ gladly received the word and in whom some begun work of the Spirit of grace did appear I say not that it really was in all but somewhat of it did appear in all Baptism even of the aged must necessarily precede the Lords Supper Pag. 144. My Twelfth Argument is from Matth. 22. 12. Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment and he was speechless To come in hither is to come into the Church of Christ By the wedding garment is undoubtedly meant sincerity of true faith and repentance so that I may hence argue If God will accuse and condemn men for coming into his Church or the communion of Saints without sincere faith and repentance then it is not the appointed use of baptism to initiate those that profess not sincere faith and repentance But Infants profess not sincere faith and repentance as is manifest by sense therefore it is not the appointed use of baptism to initiate Infants Pag. 145. The Thirteenth Argument is this We must baptize none that profess not themselves Christians But no Infants profess themselves Christians as is manifest by sense therefore we must baptize no Infants The major is certain because it is the use of baptism to be our solemn listing sign into Christs Army our initiating sign and the solemnization of our mariage to Christ and professing sign that we are Christians and we do in it dedicate and deliver up our selves to him in this relation as his own So that in baptism we do not onely promise to be Christians but profess that we are so already in heart and now would be solemnly admitted among the number of Christians the minor I prove thus 1. No man is truely a Christian that is not truly a Disciple of Christ that is plain Act. 11. 26. No man is truly a Disciple of Christ that doth not profess a saving faith and repentance therefore no man that doth not so profess is truly a Christian The minor I prove thus No man is truly a Disciple of Christ that doth not profess to forsake all contrary Masters or Teachers and to take Christ for his chief Teacher consenting to learn of him the way
shall take liberty to say It is this to one but not to another when the Scripture saith no such thing but speaks of the nature and use of it without distinction Else when it saith circumcision is a seal of the righteousness of faith we may say with the Anabaptists it was so to Abraham but not to all others And when the Lords Supper is said to be appointed for the remembrance of Christ we may say That is but to some and not to others when as the Text plainly speaks of the stated use of the ordinances to all 2 And in the type it is clear for it was not some onely but all that entered Noabs Ark that entered into a state of salvation from the Deluge therefore so it is here as to the commanded use 2. When baptism is said to save us it s plainly meant of the state of salvation that baptism entereth us into and not of baptism ex opere operato by the work done effecting our salvation And so baptism comprehendeth the state into which we are solemnly by it initiated As a woman that is maried to an Honourable man or a Souldier listed under an Honourable Commander is said to be honoured the one by mariage the other by listing Where antecedent consent is the foundation on both sides of the honourable relations and the subsequent state is the condition or state it self which is honourable but the solemn signation is but the expression of the former and passage to the later 3. Hereby it is apparent that though the answer of a good conscience be the principal thing intended and that saveth yet the external baptism is here included as the sign and solemnization so that when the Apostle saith not the putting away of the filth of the flesh he means not the bare outward act of washing alone or as such but baptism as it is entire having the thing professed on ouâ— part together with the professing sign 4. It is therefore but by way of signification obsignation and complemental exhibition that baptism saveth it being neither the fast or principal efficient or condition of it but is valued as it is conjunct with the principal causes and condition for the attainment of these ends 5. It is not a meer remote means leading towards a state of salvation that baptism is here affirmed to be but an enterance or means of entrance into that state of salvation it self As the heart-covenant or faith doth it principally so baptism signally and complementally This is plain 1. Because it is not said to help us towards a state of salvation but expresly to save 2. Because the type which is here mentioned viz. the Ark was such a means that all that entered into it for preservation from the Flood were actually saved from it All this laid together doth confirm both the antecedent and consequence of my Argument Calvins words on the Text signifie 1. that no baptized men are excluded from salvation but Hypocrites 2. That they that are excluded from salvation for all their baptism are such as did depâ—ave and corrupt it and not justly use it Yet another Argument may hence be raised thus Argum. 2. If according to the institution the answer of a â—ood conscience must be joyned with baptism for the attaining of its end then we must admit none that profess not that answer of a good conscience But no Infant doth profess that answer of a good Conscience as is manifest by sense Therefore we must admit no Infant to baptism But the former is certain from the Text for baptism is said to save that is its appointed use yet not the external washing but the answer of a good conscience doth it therefore this is of necessary conjunction and without it baptism cannot attain its end but it is to be administred and received onely in order to the attainment of its end and therefore never in a way by which the end is apparently not attainable What this answer of a good conscience is we shall further enquire anon Both the common expâ—sitions fully confirm the point which I maintain The assemblies Annot. recit both thus Hence by the answer of a good conscience we may understand that unfeigned faith whereof they made confession at their baptism and whereby their consciences were purified and whereby they received the remission of their sin c. Some understand by the answer of a good conscience that covenant whereinto they entered at their baptism the embracing whereof they testified by their unfeigned confession of their faith viz. such a faith as is aforesaid Pag. 160. Argum. 18. No one may be admitted to baptism who may not be addmitted a member of the Church of Christ No one may be admitted to be a member of the Church of Christ without the profession of a saving faith therefore no one may be admitted to baptism without the profession of a saving faith But no Infant doth profess saving faith as is manifest by sense therefore no Infant may be admitted to baptism I speak of such admission to Church membership as is in the power of the Ministers of Christ who have the Keys of his Kingdom to open and let in as well as to cast out The major is past question because baptism is our solemn entrance into the Church who were before entred by private consent and accepted by the covenant of God All the question is of the minor which I shall therefore prove 1. It is before proved that all the members of the Church must be such as are visibly solemnly or by profession sanctified from former sin cleansed justified persons of God the heirs of the promise c. But this cannot be without the profession of a saving faith therefore c. 2. This is also before proved where it was shewed that no other are Christians or Disciples 3. In Acts 2. 41 42. c. The many thousand that were added to the Church were such as gladly received the doctrine of saving faith and repentance and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer and so far contemned the world as to sell all and make it common And doubtless no man continued in those ways of doctrine fellowship prayer c. without the profession of saving faith and repentance for the very use of these is such a profession of which saith Calvin in Act. 2. 42. quaerimus ergo veram Christi ecclesiam Hic nobis ad vivum depicta est â—jus imâ—gâ— ac initium quiâ—em facit a doctrina quae veluti ecclesiae anima est not as barely heard but as professed and received nec quamlibet doctrinam nominat sed Apostâ—lorum hoc est quam per ipsorum nanus silius Dei tradiderat ergo ubicunque personat pura vox Evaâ—gelii ubi in ejus professione mâ—â—nent homines ubi in ordinario ejus auditu ad profectum se exercent illic indubio est ecclesia c. Quare non temere
are before expressed and require a profession And though their false doctrine force them to misexpound their own words yet custom hinders them from changing them and for the reformed Churches it is past all question by their constant practice that they require the profession of a saving faith The practice of the Church of England till the late change may be seen in the Common prayer book wherein all that is fore-mentioned is required even from the infant to whom the question is propounded doest thou renounce doest thou believe wilt thou be baptized although they took the answer of the sureties as if it were the childes and say in the Catechism they now promise and perform faith and repentance by their sureties In the confession of faith of the Assembly at Westminster cap. 28. and again in the shorter Catechism profession of faith in Christ and obedience to him is the thing required They add also in the Directory that all who are baptized in the name of Christ do renounce and by their baptism are bound to fight against the Devil the world and the flesh Calvin in Acts 8. 37. saith Quod non admittitur Eunuchus ad baptismum nisi fidem professus hinc sumenda est universalis regula non ante recipiendes esse in Ecclesiam qui ab ea prius fuerant alieni quam ubi testati fuerint Christo se credere Est enim baptismus quasi fidei appendix ideoque ordine posterior est Deinde si datur sine fide cujus est sigillum impia nimis crassa est prophanatio That the Eunuch was not admitted to baptism till he professed faith Hence this universal rule is to be gathered that those are not to be received into the Church who before were strangers from it till they first testifie they believe in Christ for baptism is as it were an Appendix to faith and therefore is later in order then if it be given without faith of which t is the seal t is a wicked and too gross a prophanation Here note 1. That baptism as received is the seal of our faith how much soever denied by Master Blake as it is the seal of Gods promise as administred 2. That the constant order is that baptism follow faith 3. And that it is no better then an impious profanation of it if it go without faith that is 1. if the party seek it without the presence of faith 2. if the Pastor administer it without the profession of faith To like purpose speak many more but to salve Infant baptism they say that Gods promise to an Infant whom they imagiâ—â—â— be born in the Church is instead of profession that for it they by a judgement of charity are taken to be regenerate and that it is as much as we have of persons of age and is sufficient warrant to baptize them But 1. they prove none of these 2. nor are they true 3. nor were they true would they warrant Infant baptism when the Institution is as they confess to baptize them who believe by the Preaching of the Gospel to them Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. whereby the inadvertency of the generality of Protestant Divines in this point may be discerned and by the reading of this book all intelligent persons may perceive Master Baxters deceitfulness or heedlesness and if he perfist in defending Infant baptism his unreasonable pertinacie in his conceit and if he do not declare his forsaking his Doctrine in his book of baptism his impenitencie and unrighteous dealing with the Church of God which he hath injured
haec quatuor recenset Lucas quum desseribâ—re vult nobis rite constitutam ecclesiae statum Et nos ad hunc ordinem eniti convenit si cupimus vere censeri ecclesia coram Deo Angelis non inane tantum ejus nomen apud homines jactare Therefore we seek out the true Church of Christ its image is here painted to the life and verily it begins from the doctrine which is as it were the soul of the Church neither doth he name any doctrine but of the Apostles that is to say which the Son of God had delivered by their hands therefore wheresoever the pure voice of the Gospel sounds where men remain in the profession of it where they exercise themselves to profit in the ordinary hearing of it there undoubtedly is the Church Wherefore Luke mentions these four things not without just ground when he would describe the duly constituted state of the Church and its convenient that we should endeavour to attain to this order if we desire to be a true Church in the sight of God and Angels and not onely to boast of the vain name thereof before men And vers. 47. it is said that the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved It describeth them that were added to the Church viz. that they were such as should be saved or as Beza yieldeth to another reading and so Grotius and many others such as saved themselves from that untoward Generation qui sese quotidie servandos recipiebant in ecclesiam Who daily added themselves to the Church that they might be saved The Church is the body of Christ Col. 1. 18. 24. and none are members of his body but such as either are united to him and live by him or at least seem to do so The Church is subject to Christ and beloved of Christ and cherished by him We are members of his body of his flesh and his bones Ephes 5. 24. 25 30. And those that are against the general redemption me thinks should be moved with the consideration that it is the Church that Christ gave himself for even the visible Church which he purchased with his own blood Acts 20. 28. Ephes. 5. 25. and he is the Saviour of his body vers. 23. But so he is not effectively the Saviour of the professors of a faith that doth not justifie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to opinion he is the effective Savior of those that profess a justifying faith and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of the sincere but of others neither way Hitherto Divines have gathered from the plain Texts of Scripture that there is but one Church one faith and one baptism and those that had this faith really were to be baptized and were real members of the Church and that those that professed this faith and so seemed to have it when they have it not are visible members of the Church and are so taken because their profession is sensible to us and by that they seem to have the thing profâ—ssed but Paeâ—obaptists and chiefly Master Baxter are fallen into new conceits in these 1. They feign a new Christian faith to themselves to wit a believing immediate by the faith of a Parent or Proparent so that before there was but one Christian faith and now they have made two 2. And so before there was but one sort of real serious or sincere Christians consisting of such as had that real Christian faith in their own persons and now they have found out another sort of them to wit believers by anothers faith 3. So they have feigned a new baptism for the old baptism was for remission of sin and burial and resurrection with Christ and to ingraffe men into the Church which is the body of Christ upon the profession of a saving faith But now they admit to baptism as they term it Infants without any profession of saving faith made by them to seal an imaginary covenant of grace made by God to believing Parents and their seed without any covenanting or sealing by the baptized person upon a pretended title of Parents and Proparents faith and instead of baptizing as of old they did by putting under Water and coming out again so as to resemble Christs burial and resurrection and their conformity thereto they call that baptism and say falsly they baptize when they onely sprinkle or pour water on an Infant without such dipping as of old Master Baxter pag. 70. confesseth was used and expressed by the Apostle Rom. 6. 4 5. 4. And they have feigned also a new kind of Church For the Church of Christs constitution is but one which is called visible from mens profession and invisible from the faith professed But they have made a Church which consisteth of a third sort of members that is of men that neither have saving faith nor profess it but onely are Infants whose Parents or Proparents have faith 5. To this end they have confounded the Church and the Porch the Vineyard the adjacâ—nt part of the wilderness those that heretofore were not so much as Catechumeni oâ— men in preparation for the Church but onely designed to holiness and hoped and expected to be in after time when they came to understand the Christian faith Church-members are now brought into it and are annumerated to true Christians before they once profess themselves to be such 6. And hereby by Infant baptism also one of the two sorts of teaching which Christ distinguisheth Matth. 28. 19 20. is taken away to wit that teaching which draweth men to Christ and maketh them Disciples and perswadeth them to receive Christ Jesus the Lord For they take him for a Disciple so Master Bâ—xter of baptism part 1. chap. 3. that is not learning to be a Disciple yea though he do not so much as submit to learn nor hath learned any preparatory truths though yet he be not made a Disciple indeed nor profess to be Master Baxter is deeply offended with Master T. for denying Infants to be Christians or members of the Church mediately c. But I shall say somewhat more concerning those Infants that are asserted by him to be Disciples who do not so much as profess a saving faith viz. that they are no members of the Church at all and are not so much as to be named Christians nor to be admitted into the visible Church No man can prove that ever one man was admitted a Church-member in all the New Testament without the profession of a saving faith Otherwise we should have two distinct Churches specially different or two sorts of Christianity and Christians differing tota specie in the whole kind because the profession by a Parent and Proparent which is made by him their qualification doth make a difference specifical between such Christians and Church-members and other Christians and Church members When the Jaylor Acts 16. 30 32 33 34. was admitted into the Church by baptism it was upon the
professing of such a believing by which both he and his houshold might be saved as is before shewed And so of all others in those times Pag. 163. Argum. 19. If we once admit men to baptism without their own personal profession we shall be utterly confounded and not be able to give any satisfactory resolution whose profession may be a sufficient qualification to entitle to baptism and so never be able to practice the Doctrine of Paeâ—obaptism as being utterly uncertain what Infants to baptize This might be manifest by considering the several conceits of Paedobaptists some whereof make the faith of the Church sufficient some the faith of albelieving Nation some of any ancestors some of the sureties some of the next Parents some of the Parent inchurched some of the Parent or Proparent and this they claim by a covenant which they can extend to no other then the Parent who is believer not onely by Profession but also really before God which can be known to no administrator of baptism ordinarily Paedobaptists speak so much and purposely of this point particularly Master Baxter of baptism Part. 1. chap. 29. that one would think we may expect an exact resolution of this point from him if from any man and yet he is uncertain what to fix upon and if he resolve on any thing it is without proof as is shewed by Master T. Review Part. 1. Sect. 35. 37. Exercit. Argum. 9. 11. Review part 2. Sect. 10. 12. 17. Part. 3. Sect. 50. c. And I perceive that the stress of the differences between Master Baxter and Master T. did rest much in this and no wise man will leave his grounds till he see where he may have better especially when the grounds are so plain as those of the Antipaedobaptists are from Christs institution Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15 16. and the Apostles practice which Master Baxter hath here so amply proved to be of the baptizing onely of persons who themselves profess a saving faith unless he mean to be for nothing or of no Religion No man can tell where to fix nor what we must consent to to procure a title if we once forsake the present ground of the Persons own profession of saving faith who is to be baptized What is said to the contrary is answered in the books forenamed and it is not meet to be still writing for those lazie Readers that had rather erre then be at the pains of reading what is already written None are Disciples upon the account of your other faith but of either saving faith or the profession of it none are Christians on the account of your lower kind of faith but onely of saving faith or the profession of it Once for all I let you know that I take saving faith to be the constitutive or necessary qualification of a real or mystical member and profession of that faith to be the qualifying condition of visibility of membership I confess still that the sealis to others besides believers but though the promise be conditional we must not seal to any but those that profess consent to the conditions and therefore not to any but those that profess to be true believers Pag. 190. I find by sad experience to my sorrow that a considerable part of some Parishes or Villages are ignorant of the Fundamentals I have spoken with abundance that that know not Christ is God or man or either but they say he is a Spirit nor that the Holy Ghost is God nor why Christ died nor that any satisfaction is made for our sins or any thing done or necessary to their pardon but our own repentance and amendment and with some that know not that the soul goes to heaven before the resurrection nor that the body shall ever rise again Now I would know of Master Blake whether all the children of these Parents must be baptized again or not For certainly these have not a Dogmatical faith which is the thing that he saith entituleth to baptism And then what certainty have we that any of our ancestors had a true Dogmatical faith And I would know of Master Baxter whether such children are not to be baptized agian Sure if he say no how can he allow that baptism which is without a Profession of saving faith If he say yea how can he assure himself that any of our ancestors had right baptism Me thinks few that hold Master Baxters Tenets should allow of the baptism of the greatest part of English People who are no better then those Master Baxter mentions and yet neither Master Baxter nor other Paedobaptists do baptize such when they come to profess understandingly the faith of Christ Pag. 195. My Twentieth and last Argument is drawn from the constant practice of the universal Church of Christ It hath been the constant practice of the Catholick Church from the Apostles practice till now to require that profession of saving faith and repentance as necessary before they would baptize therefore it must be our practice also But it is otherwise in Infant baptism as experience shews therefore the practice of it is not right For the proof of the Churches practice 1. I have already said enough about the Apostles own practice and the Church in their days 2. The constant practice of the Church since the Apostles to this day is undoubtedly known 1. by the very form of words in baptism and 2. by the history of their proceedings therein 1. It is certain that the Church did ever baptize into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And as I have proved before the voluntary seeking and reception of that baptism containeth the actual profession of saving faith 2. It is certain that the persons to be baptized if at age did profess to believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost 3. It is also certain that they did profess to renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil 4. And it is certain that they promised for the future to live in new obedience and thus they publickly entered the three stipulations Credis credo Abrenuncias abrenuncio Spondes Spondeo Doest thou believe I believe Doest thou renounce I renounce Doest thou promise I promise It was the constant doctrine of the Fathers and the Church then that faith and repentance given in vocation did go first and that Justification Adoption and Sanctification followed after And so they took this justifying faith and repentance to be prerequisite to baptism therefore they ever required before hand whether they believed in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and renounced the Flesh the World and the Devil as is aforesaid and caused them to profess this before they would baptize them And as it is true of the ancient Church that they never baptized any without the profession of saving faith and repentance so it is true of all the Christian Churches in the world that I can hear of to this day The Papists themselves do use the same words in baptism as