hold the Scepter Present incapacity of use is no barre to the laying the foundation of a future claim Many men at years must revâ—ew the Decrees concerning their estates which were sealed in Infancie Infants may have their Baptisme as soon as born whereby they must claim the Covenant when they come to years of capacity 6. Rule The baptized not arguing joy and duty from their Baptisme doe sinne against the nature of the Ordinance and either disown its institution to that end or deny its efficacie thereunto and disesteem its specialty as related to the Covenant and people of God Therefore deliver we our selves from sin and let us carefully improve our Baptisme as the qualification that fits us for a confidence in approach to God The fourth exhortation is to Parents Christian Parents With ardent care and affection present your Infants unto Baptisme and instruct them in their baptismal priviledge Your children may nay must by your care come nigh to God Let them then be consecrated they are as your natural issue an holy seed begotten to the Lord Holy in the esteem of the Church and extent of the Covenant partakers of the fatness of the Olives Heirs of the promise of Remission and Salvation Children of the Covenant bearing Christ his Name as his Disciples to be received not offended as we have before proved And shall not they come nigh to God enter into his Sanctuary be joyned to the assemblies of his people Hath not Christ said to the rebukers of such approach Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for such are of the kingdome of heaven and capable of my blessing and shall not then Infants be admitted members of Christ his body and have the seal of the Covenant set in their flesh and holiness stamped on them Shall they not be consecrated to the Lord hath not the Lord appointed the same sanctifying Ordinance to root and branches and will you not with care and affection pursue it Shall God give your children Covenant interest and shall not your paternal care provide for the confirmation of it by the seal of which they are capable Would you not affectionately contend for their interest in a worldly estate neglect it not in an heavenly but when God gives you children be carefull with all convenient speed to give them back again to God When you have brought forth heirs of the Covenant with due reverence bring them to Gods Church to be inrolled and have their interest sealed by Baptisme Provoke not God to meet with you as with Moses for your neglect of sanctifying your seed by his holy Ordinances Let not your children have cause to curse and complain of your neglect of their baptisme Let not your affection to your Infants baptisme be cooled or care for it be checked by the foolish exceptions of their adversaries whilest you see their interest is cleer What if it be objected that all the arguments for their Baptisme is by way of inference and consequence Is not Scripture consequence Gods word binding conscience produced by our Saviour as a ground of faith to prove the Resurrection and his own sufferings Is it a sufficient warrant of womens receiving the Lords Supper and will it not prove Infants right to Baptisme and direct the subjects to whom a sacred Ordinance must be applied I have before evidenced Infants right to Baptisme and given sufficient answer to the objections urged against it I would now engage you Parents to make conscience of your duty to baptize your children Contract not on your selves the guilt of the sacriledge before noted and the more to encourage you hereunto let me shew you some of those many advantages that attend the infant season of Baptism wherein it is to be preferred before baptisme at grown years Reverend Mr. Forde in his practicall use of Infant-Baptisme hath very affectionately enforced this argument and shewed many benefits I refer you seriously to read them And for your present help let me wish you to consider that Infant Baptisme confers on us these several priviledges which adult Baptisme leaves us without 1. Infant Baptisme expresseth sin nature 2. Explaineth the benefit of Relation and the method of the Covenant and eminently dignifyeth the children of such parents 3. Enlargeth and establisheth the Church 4. Exciteth Repentance 5. Enforceth Faith 6. Engageth duty 7. Encourageth under death None of these doe so naturally flow from the baptisme of men of grown yeeres as wee shall plainly see by a particular consideration of them The first benefit by Infant-Baptisme is That it expresseth the sin of nature and engageth against it Baptisme doth it self declare sinne to bee defiling but the spreading propertie thereof is evidenced by Infant-Baptisme They are washed must needs witness they are uncleane but their early Baptisme must needs note their uncleannesse is in their nature not in their persons for poor Babes they have acted neyther good nor evill That Babes must beare the paine of Circumcision bespeaks a foreskin upon their heart that makes them prophane to God The Baptisme of men at yeeres doth indeed minde them that they are filthy but that is a filthiness of their person evidencing that they having committed many actual corruptions that appears to them but that they are transgressors from the womb conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquiry of a prophane lump and polluted in their very being it no way at all convinceth no that is the language of the baptized before actuall sin The baptisme and burial of our babes hath ever been in the Church of God two unanswerable arguments against the Pelagian fancie that children have no imbred corruption but sin by imitation If we give away the first it is just God should take away the second by giving us barren wombs Infants Baptisme was urged by Austin against Pelagius to the puzling of him in his denyal of original sinne yet he never denyed them to be baptized which had been a ready answer nor was he ever able to withstand the consequence For if baptized before polluted in person they must needs be unclean in nature before actual sin pass from them original sin must needs be upon them before they are capable of any imitation then they must needs be the subjects of imbred corruption For Baptism cannot be denyed to be Gods Ordinance of Remission and Regeneration and further this evidence of hereditarie sin must needs engage hereditarie enmity and so irreconcileable hatred much more violent and implacable than that which is personal being inforced by the antiquity of the quarrel it runs in a blood and passeth from parents to children I have observed a great aptitude in the enemies of Infants Baptisme to embrace the Arminian fancies and deny all original sinne And it is no marvel whilest their principles are so neer of kin one Error will easily ingender another As ever you will make visible the sin of nature baptize your babes before they be stained with actual
claim God when deserting them Is that an engagement to divine faithfulnesse and may not thy Faith make it thy encouragement to appear before him did God complement when he annexed Baptism to the Covenant and called it The Seal of the righteousnesse of Faith or dost not thou rather cozen thy self of the comforts the Ordinance do really and according to divine designment exhibit It is indeed true Salvation is not conferred op re operato by the act done and meer application of the water yet it is thereby assured to the Soul that by acts of Faith shall duly argue its interest The Privy-Seal is the clearest token of affection to be puriâ—â—ed but is the Broad-Seal of no authority or advantage to be retained and improved The outward Ordinance is not without inward Grace to be depended on as sufficient to Salvation but inward grace duly reflects the outward Ordinance as Gods great mercy and the ground of Faith and encouragement to it self The Moral swasion of any Ordinance is too short to sanctifie or solace any Spirit without supernatural Grace but supernatural Grace comes not into any soul to convince or comfort but by a moral improvement of every Ordinance by rational meditation of its nature use and end Many sit under Gods Ordinances and make most sad complaints they find no profit in them when the reason is in themselves they cry out God must do all work in them to will and to do at his own pleasure which is indeed true but they consider not Gods method of working grace or comfort in any souls he alwayes deals with men like themselves as they are râ—asonable creatures and have a power of discourse and therefore his Ordinances are moral instruments by due discourses to enforce their end We have reason to check some under the Ordinances as the Disciples weâ—e checked from heaven for their posture in the Lord his ascension Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing this Jesus that is taken from you shall so come as you have seen him go into heaven Act. 1.11 As if the voice had said Considerations of his return better become you than silent observations of his present going So I say Why doe many enjoy Gods Ordinances and not goe home and consider them must we run so far from free will as to run out of our wits Let such men as make not their Baptism a moral engagement to and encouragement in their access to God know that they appear ignorant or sinfully insensible of its nature and expose it to great contempt Can any thing more easily cast a soul into contempt of an Ordinance than its unprofitableness and unusefullness The grand cause of all the blasphemie that our age doth belch out against Baptism is the little benefit men finde it brings them not by reason of any defect in the Ordinance but their own neglect to improve it as a ground of faith guard against sin and special qualification of access to God The fift sort that carrie contradictorily to this consecrating nature of Baptisme are such who declare not to theirs baptized the dignity and duty of their Baptisme Men doe with much zeal present their children to Baptism but never minde to acquaint them of their priviledge or instruct them in the nature of so holy an Ordinance they are carefull to bring them up to some Trade or Calling to acquaint them with all external rights and priviledges and the past ground of claim to all future injoyments in the world but education in the fear and nurture of the Lord is to them unusual and the affecting them with baptismal priviledges and Church Rites or the acquainting them with Covenant interest and ground of claim as to spiritual mercies and soul enjoyments is the last and least of their endeavors Well may we observe the men of this world are wiser in their generations than the children of the Kingdome Common prudence if Scipture were silent would direct a more serious instruction of our children in the nature of their Baptisme Shall they be begotten to the Lord and not be made to know whose children they are and how they came by that relation Shall they be incorporated into the body of the Church and not know the family and houshold to which they belong Shall holyness be stamped upon them and they not be made to know that they are out of the common lump and mass of mankind Shall the Covenant of God be in their flâ—sh and they not know the Charter sealed and Conditions to be performed In a word Shall they be sanctified by the washing of water and not made sensible that they stand consecrated unto holy service and dedicated to the worship of an holy God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and therefore ought not to stain themselves with guilt but carrie as an holy people peculiar to the Lord that must wait on him because they wear his livery and may worship in his presence with confidence because their bodies have been washed with pure water I did in the last branch of this Use blame them that disesteem and disregard their own Baptisme and that was but the effect of this sin Our progenitors neglected us and we neglect our posterity as to their instruction in the nature of divine Ordinances How shall they esteem that wherein they see no excellencie or improve that priviledge of whose nature they are ignorant How shall they claime the promises who neither understand what they are or on what ground to be claimed What conscience can they make of dutie who doe not know themselves under sacred obligation What confidence can they have in accesse to God who know not themselves consecrated If men have in them parental affection to their children and doe care for their future good we must needs conclude they sought no more in their Bâ—ptisme than friends satisfaction and a Formal Religious complement and so not any special Soul saving priviledges thereby conferred for charity forbids us to thinke they would bring up their children in the ignorance and incapacity of claiming such high priviledges and rationally improving so holy engagements if themselves were affected with them or they had any sense of duty as to such Religious education which should indeed spur their natural affection to the discharge thereof Little doe men consider that the same God that gave babes the right to the initiating seales of the Covenant did provide catechising as the way to make them know their priviledge He to whom they are born hath provided milk for their nourishment no less than meat for stronger men and hath committed them as his lambs to the care of his Church and charged it as the duty of their Parents to educate them in the feare and nurture of the Lord So that such Parents who doe not seriously instruct their seed in the solemn Bond of their relation to God and his Church the suitable qualification by which they are fitted for divine communion the seal of
kingdome all my dayes thou hast done me good yet wretched I have sinned against such a God ungratefull I have been ready to forsake thee my God and my fathers God and have dealt falsly in thy Covenant It might be just with thee to deal with me as I have dealt with thee when I despised the oath in breaking the Covenant but in thy mercy Lord I pray thee Remember thy Covenant thou madest to me in the dayes of my youth and establish it for an everlasting Covenant that I may know the Lord that I may remember and be ashamed and never open my mouth any more because of my shame when thou art pacified towards me for all that I have done against the God of my father and the God of my youth Now will I live in loyalty to so good a God if thou wilt give me to be sanctified by the blood of sprinkling and my old man to be crucified by Baptisme which by thy Grace shall be the awe of my soul and answer of my heart unto every temptation to sin against thee This benefit cannot be effected by adult Baptisme which affords no such matter of meditation apprehending the dispensations of God to be only personal and therefore to be personally improved The fifth Benefit of Infant-Baptisme is that it enforceth faith towards God Baptisme as a seal of the promise pledge of love and sanctifying Ordinance of God is a ground of faith pleadable in prayer by all its subjects but receiveth not a little force from the season of its application in infancie whilest it self witnesseth the Covenant it seals the season of its use witnesseth the extent of the Covenant to beleevers and their seed and creates a ground on which to claim protection as well by early seizure as covenant proprietie not to note how all the Graces of God in order to salvation and good things of this life even all things pertaining to life and godliness are assured to the soul by Baptisme as the seal of the Covenant The Parent can with faith thus plead from the season Lord my childe is thine in Covenant to thee begotten to thee dedicated by thy seal on his flesh Oh! wilt thou own him Remember him take care of him establish thy Covenant with him let all the graces of thy promise be performed to him let not Satan seduce him from thy service to which he is so soon sealed How much doe I owe to thee that makest Grace to run through Natures channel my loins Lord let him in time know and have faith to claim his interest keep him from the property of prophane Esau that he despise not his birth-right in thy Covenant which thou hast sealed to him in the sight of thy people by his baptisme And as the Parent so the person baptized acting faith in the Ordinance doth thus enforce it from his Infant season of enjoyment of it God is a gracious God in calling my parents he had respect unto my good before I had a being he graciously established w th them a Covenant which he extended to their seed I no sooner sprang from the womb but he owned me as his own and called me by his name and set the seal of his Covenant in my flesh as studious to forestall the choice of my corrupt will which would never have chosen him he challenged me and caused me to be dedicated to his service as sensible of Satans malice he made an early seizure of me and set his mark upon me and before there was in me the least of act or qualification he sanctified me to himself by the washing of water What ever doubts may deter me I will now draw nigh unto him and depend upon him for he that was so soon gracious in extending and sealing to me the Covenant will faithfully perform it My condemnation will be most just if I having such grounds of faith should be cut off by reason of unbelief now I will walk before and wait upon him for he will not now forsake me or suffer Satan to repossess me and take me out of his house and family The sixth Benefit of Infant-Baptisme is That it engageth more to duty than adult Baptisme Herein it is of use to the Parent and baptized child How much of argument doth Infant-Baptisme press upon the Parent to the due instruction and education of his baptized child Not to speak any thing of the benefit of catechising it self the Parent hath reason to reflâ—ct the Baptisme of his child in its infant estate to convince him That if God hath been so gracious to extend a Covenant of Salvation to his seed he must have so much grace as to make them know Gods goodness and understand the extent of the Covenant If God hath caused their loins to convey grace as well as sinne their care must be that the grace of God be not received in vain The childs ignorance of interest in conceded honours and priviledges is the baseness of education and blot of natural affection If by their Parental power they have dedicated them to Father Son and holy Ghost it is their part to make them know to what they are devoted And as it bindes the Parents to the duty of education so the child to carefull observation Early adoption is the greatest argument of filial observation that can be the child taken off the Stall is more bound to the will of Parents than the man at years adopted to inherit the one is the object of more pitie subject of more care cost and charge but of lesse service and obedience therefore bound more to duty than the other Infant-Baptism giveth cause to sing with Israel He is our God and our fathers God we will exalt him Exod. 15.2 and with David I am thy servant the son of thy handmaid I will offer sacrifice and call upon thy name Psal 116.16.17 We must not think as heirs of dignity to wear Gods livery in our cradles but must know it makes us also heirs of duty to yeeld loyalty to him all our dayes Parental dedication to God layeth on us the duty of observation Shall Parents proclaim dayes of purim to be observed in all generations and posterity dare to pretermit them Whether we consider Gods pitie or our Parents power sparkling in our Infant-Baptism both impose on us duty the nature of our Baptism the effect of both binds us to fight at Gods command under Christ his Banner against every iniquity and vice to the discharge of every duty of Religion but neither faith nor obedience can be so enforced by the Baptisme of grown persons which deny relations natural to be of any use in things of Salvation and doth greatly darken the method and order of the Covenant of Grace and Salvation The seventh and last Benefit of Infant-Baptisme is That it encourageth under death and that either the Child or Parents We read in primitive times of Infant Martyrs certainly they were thereunto prepared by a knowledge of
Many as 1. Such as dictate to the unbaptized a liberty of access to God teaching that Baptism is not the ground of Communion with the Church visible but real Grace the answer of a good conscience and thereon do tender all the Ordinances to the unbaptized which is directly opposite to this use of the Ordinance and inverts the Ordinance of the Gospel giving God cause to complain as once in Israel Ezek. 44.7 Ye have defiled my Sanctuary by admitting into my Sanctuary the unbaptized in flesh and in spirit Q. Who are further to be condemned as contrary to this consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as disown their Baptism in drawing nigh to God as do some Familists who deny all outward Ordinances and pretend to serve God altogether in Spirit as if divided man could draw nigh to God or the Lord would not be adored by the body he hath redeemed or true Grace could admit a contempt of any divine Ordinance Or the Anaebaptists who are so irrational as to renounce their Baptism because received in Infancy as if a corruption in circumstance if this were one had destroyed the essence of the Ordinance but indeed they do it out of ignorance or obstinacy deâ—ming Gods Institution Superstition and so run into the sin of Sacriledge Q. Is the denial of Infants Baptism the sin of Sacriledge A. Whilst it robs God of the children to him begotten the Church of Members to her born believing Parents of a ground of Faith and reason of hope and the Infants of their undoubted Interest in the Covenant I cannot but deem it sacriledg Q. Who else are to be blamed as repugnant to this consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as disregard Baptism in its application to others as do Parents who pass over their childrens Baptism as a Civil Complement and meer Formality to please Friends but never compose themselves to it as an act of Religion and Ordinance of God pray not for a blessing on it nor praise God for the blessing of it nor instruct their baptized children in the benefit and use of it and people who attend with some shew of reverence on other Ordinances but rudely rush out of the Congregation when Baptism is administred as if it were some idle action and as if the sanctifying of a soul to God the sealing of the Covenant and admission of a Member into the Church were of no use to them nor worth their attendance Q. Who else are to be blamed as contrary to the nature of Bapiism A. Such as disesteem their own Baptism neither improving it against sin nor arguing to themselves the duty or dignity of their Baptism so as to make Baptism an Engagement against sin to holiness and encouragement of their Spirits in holy duties Q. Who also are to be blamed as contrary to the consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as deny the Baptized the liberty of access to God in the Assemblies of his people as do the Independents who gather Churches out of Churches rightly constituted and call the Baptized into Church way as if they were out and prescribe a Covenant of their own whereby to admit Church members affect to distinguish themselves from others Baptized by the term of Saints Brethren Church and the like and deny to communicate with them as if Baptism did not incorporate into Christ his Body and prepare for communion with him in his Ordinances Q. To what course of life doth your Baptism bind you A. To depart from all iniquity to devote my self wholly to the Faith and Service of one God Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom I am dedicated and all my days to demean my self as a member of Christ his Church one in Covenant with God on whom holiness is stamped and that is sanctified for approaches to him Q. You spake of some benefit you reaped by your being Baptized in Infancy Is the early enjoyment of this Ordinance of any advantage A. Yes veâ—y much in many things to be preferred before Baptism of grown persons wherein it is more profitable Q. What is the first benefit of Infant Baptism A. Infant Baptism expresseth clearly the sin of nature and engageth against it in that we are washed it is evident we are unclean but being so soon baptized doth witness our very nature is defiled for infancy did never admit us to be stained with personal guilt as are men at years and so Infant Baptism is an unanswerable argument of our inbred corruption against which we are bound to fight being baptized before it had spread it self into actual sin Q. What is the second benefit of Infant Baptism A. It explaineth the method and order of transmitting the Covenant and affecteth us with the benefit of Relation to a believing Parent That we are baptized speaks us in Covenant but that we are so soon baptized before we have in our selves any qualification for it shews us as branches we partake of the fatness of the olive and are of the same kinde with our Parents God hath graciously become the God of the Believer and his Seed and made grace to run through natures channel otherwise we had never enjoyed this Priviledge Q. What is a third benefit of Infant Baptism A. It enlargeth the bounds and establisheth the being of the Church Baptism is the band of union and Ordinance of ingrafting into the Church But Infant Baptism doth scatter the holy seed and send forth sprouting branches which succeeding into the room of old perishing stocks doth not only increase the number of the Churches Members but defend it from the wasting annihilating breaches of time Q. What is the fourth benefit of Baptism A. It exciteth Repentance representing sin in its Root and Original the pravity of nature and its gracious object the God of our Fathers and the God of our youth against whom we have offended Q. What is the fifth benefit of Infant Baptism A. It enforceth Faith not only in the sealing but also the extending of the Covenant to the seed of Believers a ground of Parental Prayer for Posterity and an early seizure of our souls before Satan could possess us or our own corrupt nature could betray us unto him Q. What is the sixth benefit of Infant Baptism A. It engageth duty Parents to Christian education and instruction of those who by their Authority are dedicated to the service of the true God children to the obedience of the God of their Father and of their youth who extended to them the Covenant and so soon set the seal of it in their flesh Q. What is the seventh benefit of Infant Baptism A. It encourageth under death the knowledge of the Covenant extended unto Believers and their seed hath prepared young children unto Martyrdom and interest in the Covenant can be the only ground of hope to the Parents under the death of their Infants who are born the children of wrath but by Baptism are put into the ark of salvation such as let go this must
out of your common discourse an ordinary terme relating to Baptisme viz such a one is Christned if I did not hope you well understand it Baptisme may Christianum dicere declare and pronounce a man a Christian but it doth not Christianum facere make a Christian if your Children be not made Christâ—ans by the extent of the Covenant to believers and their seed bring them not to me to be Baptized most cursedly prophane was the cruelty of the Spanish Papists in America who with whips and scourges drave the unchristanized untaught Indians to the Fonts to be Baptized for that Baptisme belongs to none but Christs disciples and Covenant People Baptisme belongs to all Christs Disciples and Gods Covenant People so that none of them may without sin nay sacriledg be barred from Baptisme and these are resolved into two ranks and known by two names in the Church viz Infidells converted to the faith and the Infants of one or both Christian Parents These two are the orders into which Gods faederates have been Ranked ever since Gods Covenant was established and his Church was estated in Abraham Isaac and Jacob and their seed as to the first of them they are on all hands consented to as fit and proper Subjects onely our over-pious age hath started the quaery How and when they must be judged converted to the faith which I must needs resolve to be by a profession of saving faith not the saving Profession of faith and possession of sincere Grace which the Congregating Anabaptists call for sincere grace and saving Profession must be the soules care and ground of joy but cannot be the signe that shall guide the Church in giving the Sacrament of Baptisme assoon as they professed to believe Philip Preaching the things of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were Baptized both men and women Act. 8.12 Philip required no more of the Eunuch in v. 37. and when I hear Peter declared Simon the Sorcerer to be after his Baptisme in the Gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity as v. 23. I perceive they in whose company he was Baptized yielded no more and when I remember Annà nias and Saphira Demas and other Baptized Persons proved hypocrites and reprobates I cannot believe they possessed sincere Grace or made a saving Profession though they professed saving Faith I cannot yet turn Arminian and believe true Grace may be finally and totally lost and a man may be a child of God to day and a child of the Devill to morrow I have not faith enough to believe that when God made me a Minister he made me a God and endowed me with the property of to searching the heart nor have I wit enough to conceive that God making me a Steward of his Misteries prescribes to my as my guide the qualification of subjects which lies beyond my knowledg I believe the grosse enormities of many baptized Saints as they call themselves hath convinced them that true Grace is not within their sight but they may and have baptized hypocrites why then do they call for that qualification God hath not directed and they can not discern God hath made the tongue the trumpet of the heart and I can better hope men will not play the hypocrite and make that utter an uncertain sound then I can know the sincerity of their Grace Though Infidels converted to the Faith be generally resolved within the Covenant yet since the dayes of Balthazar Pacimontanus who pretending to have derived his fancy from Luther constrained Luther to write against him in the year of our Lord 1527. The Right of Infants to the Covenant of God and consequently their capacity for Baptisme hath been called in question and of late yeares hath met with most high and violent though irrational and unscripturall opposition wherein I cannot but admire at the erroneous industry of the Antipaedobaptists to curtail Gods Covenant cut off their seed from the priviledges of Grace and cast away their own reasons blinding their eyes against plaine demonstrations of Scripture and the Antient enjoyments of the Church wherein we must see better warrant before we strike hands with them and be of their uncharitable beliefe for if I know any thing of the method of Gods Covenant or in the least how to Reason from Scriptures It is as cleare as the Sun that the Infants of believing Parents Gods Covenant People whilst Infants and as their naturall seed are Gods faederates and within his Covenant and so fit Subjects of Baptisme In politicall and all civill transactions of men we find all the world over that Covenants made from or to parents do usually include children as their children so that by that very relation without any new formall contract they claime Priviledges and stand bound to duty and when I consider Gods way of dealing to be according to mans capacity and humane method I have no ground on which to imagine that he hath inverted the order and cut off Relation in the conveighing of the priviledges of Grace and constituting a peculiar People to himselfe for Gods speciall dispensations do ordinarily run in the same Channell though not with the same Latitude that his Generall Providences do and then when God after the manner of men assumes to himselfe a Kingdom without doubt he confers Honours on and looks for Loyalty from his subjects and their seed or off-spring who as their seed are born heires of such Honour and duty Further in all the transactions of God with man ever since he had a being the Covenant hath extended to his seed as his seed without any personall qualification all that know any thing of Gods dealing with Adam know the Covenant of works was made to him for himselfe and his seed as they were his naturall seed he received priviledges for himselfe and them and so he lost them and by one mans disobedience we were all made sinners if this were Gods method in the Covenant of works we must have good reasons to make us believe it is altered in the extent and Administration of the Covenant of Grace but not to stand on Generall equity and demonstrations the Scripture doth by plain and clear instances in both Old and New Testament evidence the children of men under the Covenant of Grace to be also in Covenant as they are their naturall issue There is nothing plainer in Scripture then that when the Covenant of Grace was established in Abraham Isaac and Jacob it was extended to their naturall seed their children as their children even in infancy and before they attained to any Personall qualifications were in Covenant and the children of God This is expressed in the very form of the Covenant Gen. 17.7 I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee This is evidenced by Circumcision the Seale of the Covenant set in their flesh on this very ground and that at eight dayes old whilst infants unable to any personall acts of Abrahams faith and it must needs be
contempt and profane negleâ—t thereof that is not a little abounded to our shame and with grief of heart be it spoken in the midst of us were men but rightly affected with the nature of Baptisme they would see in it beauty and of it a great necessity Was not washing of the flesh necessary and the holy Garment glorious in Israel because they fitted for approach to God and entrance into the holy place if men were but really convinced that the body washed with pure water was a ground of assurance because a qualification of access to God that Bâ—ptisme is the onely band of union and doore of admission into the Church the formall consecration to the service of the living God what an esteem of Baptisme must needs possesse their hearts and make them not content without but carefull to pursue it as seeing into Gods presence there is no approach to such as are not sanctified by the washing of water through the Word but a pressing unto Gods Ordinances not thus prepared must be a presumption no less then damnable nay how would the sence of Baptisme affect the heart with joy whilst thereby we are made Members of Gods Church an higher priviledg then the Coronation of a King C. and made fit for the worship of an holy God the ground of all alacrity and boldnesse in the use of his Ordinances How must such a soule say what a happy condition am I now in who through Grace have my body washed with pure water and joyned to the houshold of faith and sanctified for the service of that consuming fire and Holy God whom to approach unto it 's the greatest happinesse man can enjoy whilst others are a far off debarred the Holy things of Grace and dare not intermeddle with the Holy things of God nor draw nigh unto his Holy place I come with freedome into his Sanctuary and claim the liberty and priviledges thereof by virtue of Baptism that Covenant of God which is upon my flesh in this therefore I will rejoyce before the Lord. Nay the sense of Baptisme as a qualification for accesse to God would set our hearts into a reverent use and dreadfull attendance on the administration of it to others whilest the Element is weak and simple its use and end must make it glorious and powerful whilst common washing is contemptible a bathing the flesh at the door of the Tabernacle in order to an entrance into the Holy place and appearance before God is dreadful â—â—â—â—â—gh Wax and parchment aâ—â— poor and viile base and common Commodities most Shops afford Commodities much higher prized yet these conjoyned by the hand of Majesty to make a Patent Deed or Magna Charta to secure some Grant priviledge or great revenue is of much more worth and value and received with more reverence and esteem if we look on water we see it is an Element as low as common as meâ—n in our esteem as ordinary in menâ— use and this is ready to raise in our hearts contemptible thoughts and make us say what a beggerly Element and base Administration is this What profit can be in the Application of an handfull of water But when we shall consider that water is applyed by vertue of Gods Command as a most sacred Ordinance to signifie the blood of Christ whereby we are cleansed from all sin to seale unto us the Covenant of Grace and all its priviledges of Salvation to set us in union with the Church to the enjoyment of all Gospel Ordinances and Sanctifie us as a peculiar people that may and must draw nigh to God in assurance of faith what lustre doth there appear in the Ordinance what reverence doth then raise our Spirits what high and honourable regard doe we then see we ow unto this common and contemptible act of Baptisme oh what prayers for efficacy what prayses for enjoyment what pleasure in administration must the consecrating qualifying and soule-encouraging assuring nature of Baptisme effect in all such as are seriously affected with Gods Holiness and the order of approach to him unto all such Baptisme is no carnall beggarly and unprofitable Element but a Glorious Spirituall Evangelicall Administration of exceeding dignity no Church complement and matter of indifferency that may or may not be used without any damage but a compleat duty by reason of Divine command and its own due nature disposing man into such a devout relation to God and so of indispensable necessity Vse 2. Is of reproofe justly to blame that disesteeme and disregard of Baptisme that is to be found among us our age of liberty hath set us so loose to Gospell Ordinances that many can be not onely content wiâ—hout them but also readily run into the contempt of them how few in the midst of us understand the nature and seek the use of Baptisme as a ground of â—aith and Ordinance of Consecration and so of confident access to God mens principles and practise doth proclaim their palpable ignorance of such priviledges possessed by the body washed with puâ—e water How many to our shame and with griefe be it spoken do use Baptisme as a meere Church complement and convenient Ceâ—emony to the content of their wives kinsfolke friends or neighbours bring their children to be Baptised without any awe of an Ordinance of God upon their spirit or apprehension of advantage to be by Baptisme conferred or design and intention of solemne dedication of their children to God and his service and so to have Gods name and Covenant stamped upon their flesh and them fiâ—ted for accesse to God in the Assemblies of his people and hence it is that they are at cost and care for the civilities that attend the Baptisme of their children but as for the Solemne praises of God for the blessing of the Covenant prayers for a blessing on an Ordinaâ—ce and carefull instruction of their Baptized children in the consecrating nature of Baptisme the boldnesse it creates and the duty of access to God it imposeth these come not into his thoughts cost him no care or pains his friends gone and work done he thinks himselfe well rid of a piece of trouble and pursues that dayes enjoyments to no more advantage nay how many sit so luke-warme in minds and affections to Baptisme that they think it to be a meer Ceremony and matter of indifferency if their body be washed they are content but they know no good it hath done them and if it be not washed they are as well pleased they see no losse they undergoe by the want of it and they can accompany with the Baptized or unbaptized in the Assemblies of Gods people and Administrations of Grace they matter not an outward Ceremony but look after the inward and hidden Man of the heart true and reall Grace without any outward Ordinance shall be the ground of their communion but say Circumcision or Uncircumcision avails not to them must it not be concluded that these men yet need to be
valid and of force the Grant of a cruel King and profane Prince will be by these men admitted as the substantial binding Charter of the peoples Priviledges we read often of the proâ—anenesse of the Priests of Israel but never of a nonentitie brought upon Gods Ordinances in their hand If they be in Moses Chair though we must not do as they do we are bound to the attention and obedience of what they say It is not impossible for a man to preach to others and himself be a cast away I never read that the Baptism of those Baptized by the unworthy hand of Judas was ever pronounced void or null A pure Ordinance is unhandsome in a profane hand but yet its essence is not impaired it is Gods Ordinance effectual to its end So that if they were Baptized by Ministers though unworthy wherein I wâ—sh charity be not violated for that many know not who they were they do censure as unworthy nay some worthy men to themselves so known they now call unworthy it is a corrupâ—â—on consistent with the essence of the Ordinance not any way destructive to its being The same is to be said for the annexed Ceremonies that they were profanely added but yet did not nullifie the Ordâ—nance but it stands in full force as a ground of confidence in access to God But secondly As they appear greatly irrational in inferring more then their premises will allow so they are Grosly ignorant nay I fear many wilfully shutting their eyes may be charged to be grosly obstinate They renounce their Baptism under the notion of Superstition not considering they run into the sin of Sacriledge charity must perswade us these men understand not the method and ministration of the Covenant of Grace otherwise they could never charge Infant Baptism with superstition which is the very application of Gods Ordinance to its proper subjects and so Sacrilegiously rob God his Church believing parents and their children of those holy duties and Dignities that belong unto them Have we not before noted that they who are in Covenant with God ought to be Baptized and is not this the principle wherein we all agree And if these men know any thing of the method and and ministration of the Covenant must they not needs confesse That the natural issue of one or both believing Parents are in Covenant as we have before proved and so fit subjects for Baptism that may and must be made partakers of the first initiating Seal of which God hath made them capable in their Passive age and estate Can any stand convinced that such infants are as soon as born the Lords Heritage Psal 127.3 The Lords servants Lev 25.42 Children begâ—tten to him Ezek. 16.20 21. Holy ones Rom. 11.16 1 Cor. 7.14 Children of the Covenant Act. 4.25 To whom belongs the promise Act. 2.28 Interressed in the prâ—viledges of the people of God Mar. 10 14. and withhold the keeper of the Sanctuary and Stewards of Gods houshold from setting of Gods mark in their flesh or withstand their dedication unto God Must not we give Caesar the things that are Caesars and God the things that are Gods Will not God account it a Râ—bbery tâ—at they which are his shall be withheld from him Again câ—n any consider the issue of believing Parents to be the Churches Children begotten to the Lord Ezek 16.20 an holy seed scattered for her increase and yet snatch them out of her armes and cast them out of her bosome into the wide wildernesse of the world Shall not the Church lament and refuse to be comforted whilest she is bereaved of her babes and as a Bear robed of her whelps Will not such robbery prove her ruiâ—e and the drying up her seed hinder her increase and make her bâ—rren and fruitlesse Again shall the children of such believing parents be borne members into thâ— houshold of Faith and not be incorporated by Baptism Shall Loyalty be their born duty and not Gods Livery their dignity Shall the Covenant of Grace be the Charter of their priviledge and the Seals not be applyed to them as tâ—ey are capable of receiving them Shall they be holy in their kind and the badg of distinction be denyed them If any thing would make a new born babe to speak sure this Sacriledge would do it there is reason for the real demand that is fabled of one Rumball Son to an English King at Brackâ—ly in Northhamptonshire that as soon as he was born he requested to be Baptized for that he was a Christian Iâ— it not a cruel Sacriledge to shut out of the Ark of Salvation such whose title to entrance cannot be denyed Yet further is Baptism the only visible evâ—dence God hath given to parents of the extent of the Covenâ—nt to their children and shall any deprive them of this reason of hope cause of joy ground of Faith in prayer and spur to duty in dedication to God and education of their children for God So that these things considered such as on this ground of being Baptized in infancy do renounce thâ—ir Baptism do out of ignorance of Gods Covenant commit most horrid Sacriledge by robbing Gâ—d of his Heritage the Church of Children and the beâ—efits of the administration of Baptism to infants which by Gods grace I shall shew to be great the children of believing parents of their Seal of the Covenant of which they are capable and their Parents of that ground of Faith the administration of the Covenant doth award them And so they g ve us cause not only to charge them with irrationality in fancrying Gods holy Ordinance to be superstition but in the language of the Apostle to say Thou that abhorrest Idols dost commit Sacriledge Rom. 2 22. So that not only Groundlesly but even contrary to Divine method and order they disowning the regular washing of their body in pure water do divest themselves of that Seal of Sanctity and veâ—ture of holinesse by which they were fitted for a confident approach to God and decline the assembles of Gods people in which alone the Lord is to be adored and joyn themselves to false assemblies where they are consecrated to and come before God in a way that is not of his appointment nor can expect his approvement how high soever false hopes and joyes may carry their sâ—irits For those to whom they joyn are divided from the Church of Christ and void of all commission to administer the holy things of God if you look at their constitution you shall find it is no other then seâ—f-congregation with the cry of all the Lords people are holy and invectives against Aaron and Moses as they which take too muâ—h upon them the which I could never yet find warranted in Scripture but is remarkably condemned in the company of Kâ—rah that were thus constituted Ministerial authority is no lesse essential to Constitute a Church of Christ then Magistratical to constitute a Corporation or Company my litt e skill in Politicks could never
their interest in the Covenant In vain should the miserable mother encourage the scourged thirsty child to remember the cup of which Isaac drank and patiently to bear its present torments for that it should be shortly crowned with eternal glory if the child at eight years of age had not understood the Covenant of God and been catechised in its baptisme Our Anabaptists will never afford us babie Martyrs that will not allow us babie Christians And as for Parents if their childrens interest in the Covenant and right to Baptisme doe not support them under the death of their babes I a parent of dead children doe demand what can That they are by nature children of wrath must not be denyed that they fall into a limbus Infantum must be denyed by all that abhor Poperie that they are saved there remains no hope whilest we see them out of the Ark of salvation What unusual way the Anabaptists run upon for their own comfort they have not yet declared nor will Scripture warrant any Were it not for Infants interest in the Covenant sealed in their Baptism I should mourn over my dead children as without hope You see now that there is not only warrant in Scripture for the Baptisme of your Infants but there is much of profit by it Whilest others are beating the controversie doe you study the practice of Infant-Baptisme Let not seducers beguile your simple souls by pretending Infant-Baptisme is unlawfull because unusefull But seeing there is so much profit in the Ordinance and so much in the season of its application prize it pursue it and preserve it to the Church Let your children be baptized in their Infancie and catechised according to their growing capacitie that through ignorance they may not throw away their birth-right but may duly know the duty and dignity thereof and dâ—mean themselves as baptized souls The fifth and last exhortation is to Church-gathering saints To admit the baptized into the approaches to God in the assemblies of his people Make no bar of division to such as we are the badge of union If Baptisme doe incorporate into the Church and consecrate unto God why doe you deny the relation of the baptized or their fitness for divine service either deny Baptisme to be the dore of admission into the Church of Christ or throw down your Church Covenant agreement or experiences of graces as to entrance into a Church state Deny Baptisme to be the Church constituting Bond or talk not of gathering Churches from among baptized souls Affect not to your selves the terms and titles of saints brethren beleevers Church and the like whilâ—st those you despise have as good naâ— by reason of your sinfull schisme a better title thereunto than your selves If Baptisme be the ground of confidence in access to God who are you that make it void Is not the straitning of the Church dore as dangerous as setting it wide open Will it not be equally provoking to God to let doggs into his house and to keep children out to pollute his holy things by the unbaptized and bar the baptized from his worship If men baptized walk disorderly endeavor by discipline to reduce them deny not their interest drive them not from God make it not your designe to paganize the Christians among whom you dwel that some few of them may be brought into your Church-way Weigh well the nature of Baptism if it do not charge your way with wickedness I know not how to judge If Baptism rightly apprehended be not the engine to batter Independencie I dare renounce my skil in militaries Let not God say draw neer in full assurance having your bodies washed with pure water and you say to your baptized Brethren stand thou further from me I am holier than thou Thus then I have noted to you the nature of Baptisme the outward Ordinance and the duties that flow from its consecrating nature which rightly understood will convince much error and correct many sinfull practises Which that it may doe God Father Son and holy Ghost in whose holy Name we are baptized follow it with his blessing Amen FINIS