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A91846 A treatise of the vanity of childish-baptisme: wherein the deficiency of the baptisme of the Church of England is considered in five particulars thereof. And wherein also is proved, that baptizing is dipping, and dipping baptizing. by A. R. Ritor, Andrew. 1642 (1642) Wing R1542; Thomason E152_4; ESTC R20692 24,769 39

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thing most evidently knowne whereupon it must needs follow that seeing the power and authority whereby Baptisme is there administred is not from Christ but from an Antichristian Hierarchie that the Baptisme it selfe is not from Christ but from Antichrist likewise The Nonconformists themselves teach us thus to reason for although they approve the Baptisme of Infants when it is administred by themselves of their brethren yet the baptisme administred by the midwife as it was appointed in the book of Common-prayer that they repute to be nothing but a meer prophaning of the name of the Lord Why so did not the mid-wife baptise a right Subject to wit an Infant with a right Element namely with water in a right manner viz by sprinkling water on the face of the Child to a right end that is to say to regenerate the Infant and al this in the name at least as they conceive and to the service of the blessed Trinity Now seeing that in all this the mid-wife was as right as any of them why should not the baptisme administred by the mid-wife be as warrantable and good as if it were administred by any of them Moreover was not the mid-wife a Disciple and a member of the Church aswell as they yea and had she not as lawfull and as true a calling to that Office as any of them for did not the Bishop ordaine her thereunto in one case aswell as authorize them in any other case yet all this availeth nothing with these men to prove this to be the Baptisme of Christ and the reason must needs be this for there can be no other rendred by them because the Lord Jesus Christ hath no where in his word ordained and appointed any women to administer his Baptisme Nor no more hath he any where in his word authorized any men by any false power to administer his baptisme And therefore as the former were none of Christs Ordinance but a humane invention and for that cause by King JAMES justly rejected no more is the latter any of Christs Baptisme but one of Antichrists strong delusions 2 Thessal 2. 1● and which with him shall one day goe to perdition The truth of this is seene in all Civill States wherin when the Ordinances of the same are administred by such persons as the King or State hath assigned thereunto then are they to be reputed and esteemed as the Ordinances of the State but if a stranger or any other person then such whom the King or State hath so authorized shall attempt to do any such action let him do it never so much like to that which is done by authority as some have bin found too skilfull therein yet notwithstanding he is but a counterfeit and no better then a Traytor against the King and S●ate Apply we this to the present case the Lord Jesus Christ the King of Saints hath instituted and given to his Kingdome which is his Church divers ordinances for the well being thereof and amongst the rest this Ordinance of baptisme and for the administration thereof he hath given rules and precepts to his Church for the authorizing such and such persons to administer the same Now when any such person so authorized shall dip a beleever in water in the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Spirit This is to be esteemed and reputed the baptisme of Christ but when a stranger to the common-wealth of Israel by a false power shall performe any such action let him doe it never so much like and in resemblance to that which is done by the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ given unto his Church yet this is but a forgery or a counterfait baptisme and none of the baptisme of Christ That such counterfeits should appeare in the world for the opposing of the truth and deceiving of the people the Lord long since by the Apostle foretold 2 Tim. 3. 9. As Iannes and Iambres saith he to wit the Magicians and Sorcerers of Egypt withstood Moses so shall these withstand the truth Now Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses no otherwise then by their arts counterfaiting and resembling the signes and miracles which Moses and ●●ron by the power of God wrought before Pharaoh for as Moses cast downe his ●od and it became a Serpent Exod. 7. 10. so likewise the Magicians and Sorcerers cast down every man his rod and they became Serpents also ver 11. 12. And Pharaohs heart was hardened just thus deales Antichrists Ministers who by the Spirit and power of Antichrist resemble and counterfait and thereby resist and oppose the Baptisme of Christ in the hands and ministry of his Servants whereby the hearts and mindes of the people are hardned and prejudiced against the same but as the Magicians Serpent was not the Ordinance of God though like unto the same No more is Antichrists Baptisme the Baptisme of Christ though never so much like thereunto And although notwithst●nding by this their jugling and counterfaiting they may for a season d●lude the people and harden their hearts ag●i●st the Lord and his truth as the Magicians and Sorcerers did Pharaoh yet saith the Apostle they shall prevaile no further Moses his Serpent devoured the Magicians for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3. 9. Object If any object That though they received the Office of Ministry from the Bishops yet they received it from them as Elders and not as they were Lord Bishops Answ If the Bishops be lawfull Elders they must be Elders chosen by a true Church which is a Congregation constituted of Beleevers and Saints by calling Act. 2. 41. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Phil. 1. 7. Rom. 1. 7. 8. As the nineteenth Article of the doctrine of the Church of England doth also witnes whichsaith The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull men c. now let them shew where or when such a Church made either the Bishops or any of our Priests to be Ministers or Elders by Election as the Scriptures doth testifie to be done in every Church Act. 14. 23. And as the entrance of all ordinary Offices of which we speake of necessitic presupposeth a Church by whose election they are to enter so their continuance requireth a Church wherin as in a Subject they are to subsist and to which they must minister but the unlawfulnesse of the calling of the Ministry of the Church of England in all these respects is acknowledged by many of themselves who have therefore forsaken and cast off their ministry there received of the Bishops and departed the land and became as Lay-men untill they were authorized a new by the Election and appointment of such a Congregation as they conceived to be a true Church And these were no whit inferior but for most-part did farre exceed any of their fellowes which they left behind them either in learning wisdome or godlinesse or in any other parts or guifts Nor did these men judge that inward
De Tri● Eloh Lib. 7. c. 1. effect of the Holy Ghost upon the waters which Moses describeth Gen. 1. to be a resemblance of that which the Holy Ghost performeth in the water of Baptisme for as there he rested upon those waters that he might cherish and prepare them for the producing of living creatures and for the Generation of all things So the Holy Ghost sits upon the waters of Baptisme and sits as it were abrood upon them and blesseth them and thence doth cherish regenerate and animate the Elect c. PETER MARTYR In Infants who by reason of their Loc. com ●●as 4 Cap. 8. Sect. 2. tender yeares cannot beleeve the Holy Ghost supplieth the roome of Faith AUGUSTINE cited by Bishop JEVVELL Def. ch 11. saith Infants have Faith of their own because they have Baptisme the Sacrament of Faith For saith he as the Sacrament of Christs Body after a certaine manner of Speech is Christs body so Baptisme is Faith because it is the Sacrament of Faith Dr. WHITAKER Infants are purged by the Spirit Treatise of the Sacraments seeing they are in the Church and of the Church Christ sanctifieth his Church The end for which Infants are Baptized in the Church of England is to regenerate them and that they may be borne a new and accordingly it is concluded in the Catechisme and confirmed by all these Authors and divers others well knowne to our Ministers the maintainers of this doctrine That in Baptisme they receive the Holy Spirit that they are regenerate and borne a new that they are made the members of Christ the child●en of God and heires of the Kingdome of Heaven In answere to all which I shall say nothing but only reason this with some other of their own principles and practise and thereby I doubt not but it will appeare to all how unfaithfully they have and do delude the Nations in this particular They are regenerate and borne againe in Baptisme they are then made the members of Christ the Children of God and inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven Why then they are all saved No not so for the Ministers twenty yeares after if the Children live so long preach R●generation Repentance and conversion to them and tell them that they must then be regenerate and borne againe or else they cannot enter into the Kingdome of God for without holynesse no man can see the Lord. Why but what needs this were they regenerate and borne againe in their Infancy when they were Baptized and must they yet be regenerate and born again the second time or have they lost their first generation new birth and of the children of God and members of Christ become the l●mbs of Satan and children of the Divell No not so neither for the Ministers of the Church of England both have will defend and maintain the Doctrin of perseverance in the Regenerate and members of Christ both against Pelagians Arminians and Papists or whosoever else shall oppose or question the same What then were they in their Baptisme regenerate and borne againe made the members of Christ and children of God c. and have they not nor can they not fall away from that estate and yet shall they not be saved will God lose his children or Christ his members doth not Christ say except a man be regenerate and borne againe he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 5. thereby assuring us that if a man be regenerate and borne againe he shall en●er into the Kingdome of Heaven Here now these these learned Divines are at as great a straight to defend their proposition and to avoyd the Arminians and others consequents that will necessarily follow thereupon as their predecessors the Priests and Elders were to justifie themselves in their rejecting of the counsell of God Luke 7. 30. When Christ demanded of them whether the Baptisme of Iohn was from heaven or of men Mat. 21 25. And therefore in all likelyhood they thus reason and debate the matter amongst themselves If we should say that Infants are not regenerate and borne againe in Baptisme then our adversaries the Anabaptists as we use to terme them will say that then our forme of Baptizing of Infants before laid down together with the Testimonies of our learned Fathers to whom both in this point and divers other we are more beholding then either to Christ himselfe or to any of his Apostles are nothing but meere conceits of mans foolish braine first invented to make all the world wonder after the Beast which otherwise never had nor possibly could have bin brought to passe besides this we our selves shall be found false witnesses of God and false Prophets to the people in pronouncing before God and them and bearing them in hand all the time of our raigne over them even unto this day that God hath regenerate and begotten againe their Infants in Baptisme when there is no such matter yea and how impudent and audacious shall we be judged to be in that we have solemly given thanks to God for regenerating their Infants in Baptisme requiring the people also to joyne with us therein exhorting them not to doubt but confidently beleeve the truth thereof If now we should acknowledge that they are not regenerate and borne againe therein Moreover if we should grant that Infants are not regenerate and born againe in Baptisme then it will follow that our Church hath a false constitution not being constituted of Christians beleevers Disciples Sonnes and Daughters of God but contrariwise of persons borne in sinne dead in trespasses and sinnes the children of wrath even of such persons as we declare Infants to be before we Baptize them and then our own definition of a true visible Church in the 19 Article where it is said that every true visible Church consisteth of beleeving men and women will rise up against us and declare us not to be the true Church of Christ Againe on the other side if we shall stand to it and maintaine that they are Regenerate and borne againe in Baptisme then first it will follow that the greatest part of our preaching might very well be spared for the whole Nation are regenerate and borne againe before we preach at all unto them namely in their Baptisme And also secondly it will follow that we convert none by our Ministry and then the Seale and marke of ●ur Ministry whereby we use to prove the same true against the Brownists will utterly faile us And thirdly we shall justly be impeached as abbettors of that Popish Tenet that Sacraments convey Grace Exopere operato by the worke done And last of all it will undeniably follow as the Arminians use strongly to inferre againstus from this ground That either the whole Nation is saved or that the Children of God and members of Christ persons regenerate and borne againe may finally fall away and be damned Now Sirs by this craft yee know we have our wealth Acts 19 25.