unreasonable and unchristian to deny an external sign to those to whom Christ hath granted the internal Grace and declares he will receive to eternal Glory So that Reasonably it may be granted those who are capable of the Kingdom of Heaven are capable of Baptism Minor And that Children are capable of the Kingdom of Heaven appears 1. From our Saviours express words Mat. 19.15 Mark 10. Luke 18.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of these very Children and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such like Children also is the Kingdom of Heaven 2. From the Consert of the Anabaptists who grant Salvation to all Children and therefore are the more to blame to deny them Baptism ARGUMENT XI All who are Believers ought to be Baptized But Children are Believers Therefore Children ought to be Baptized Major THE Major Proposition will scarce be denyed by our Adversaries who Plead so much for Faith before Baptism I shall therefore adhere to the Proof of the Minor Minor That Children are Believers Which I thus Prove 1. All to whom Christ will impute unbelief Mark 16 1◠shall be damned but according to their own Arguings all Children shall be saved Whence follows that Christ and they esteem them not as Unbelievers 2. Christ expresly calls them Believers He took a little Child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and set him in the midst of the Company Mat. 18.5 6. Mark 9.36 and said whosoever shall offend one of these little Ones that Believe on me it were better that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and that he should be sent into the depth of the Sea Here is a little Child or as the word properly signifies a very little Child and yet a Believer on Christ Let us then take heed of offending such by denying them Baptism as if they were Unbelievers because we know not but that very Child we refuse as an Unbeliever may be in Gods esteem a Believer For 3. God hath Chosen Called Sanctified some from the Womb Jer. 1.4 5. and so may he have done those Infants we refuse to Baptize for ought appears to us to the contrary 4. Luke 1.15 Rom. 5.1 John 3.16 Acts 2.39 Heb. 11.6 Bev. 21.8 God grants to them what he Promiseth to Believers He accepts of them into Favour imputes to them the Benefits of Christs Death is the God of them and will receive them to Heaven and Happiness which he would not do it he esteemed them as Unbelievers since without Faith he hath declared none can please God or shall be saved 5. Though they have not Actual Faith demonstrable to Man yet they may have the Seed of Faith and its habit wrought on them by God since they are in his esteem accounted as Faithful and have the Priviledges of Believers 6. They are in Covenant with God as we have already Proved which Covenant is betwixt God and Believers and if we esteem them not as such we grant them no Priviledge as Children above the Turks and Pagans 7. If only true Believers be subjects of Baptism then is there no subject on whom the Minister can confer Baptism discernable to Men because we know not who are true Believers and may Baptize Hypocrites while we pass by true Believers And it seems to be an Usurping of Gods Prerogative of Judging our Brother in censuring some to be Unbelievers and rejecting them from Baptism whose Souls may be equally Precious to God with those we admit 8. If the Judgment of Charity be admitted and these ought to be Baptized on whose Profession of Faith we have Reason in Charity to think Believers Then surely it is very Rational to Baptize Infants whom in Gods and Christs esteem we have Proved to be Believers to whom they will not impute the sin of Unbelief on whom they are pleased to bestow the Mercies promised to Believers and who can neither play the Hypocrite with God Wills against Danvers p. 34. 58. nor dissemble with us whereas Adult Persons whose Hearts we cannot search may make a Profession of the Faith of Christ for some finister ends and self-respects to affect a singularity and to obtain others Charity and yet they may be Hypocritical before God Thus have I endeavoured to Prove Insants Believers and then according to the very Anabaptists own Plea they ought to be Baptized And here we may lament their Folly who Dissent from us when as in Christian Moderation Believers are Baptized by us as well as them And they having no just cause of Separation are indeed the more culpable ARGUMENT XII They who are capable of the Ends of Baptism may be Baptized But Children are capable of the Ends of Baptism Therefore they may be Baptized THE Major seems directly to prove Baptism for if the Minor be true That Children are capable of the Ends of Baptism nothing seems to hinder their being Baptized And therefore I shall chiefly aim to Prove Children capable of the Ends of Baptism which are these 1. Towards God the Ends of Baptism are 1. To be as a Covenant between God and the Soul And Children may be admitted into Covenant their Youngness doth not hinder their enjoying any Mercy from God nor deprive them of being devoted to God 2. As a Seal to Ratifie the Promises of the Covenant which may be applyed to Infants We are careful to Ensure our Estates to our Children in this World and though they be Young yet are they not thereby deprived of their Birth-right or rendred incapable of having an Estate made sure to or entailed upon them And yet some are unwilling that God should Ensure and Seal to them the Benefits of Christ by the Seal of the Covenant of Baptism 3. It is a sign of God and Christs receiving Children as their Disciples and Servants Deu. 6.6 Ephes 6.1 4. to which state Children are capable of being admitted and whom God hath engaged the Parents so to Devote 4. It is a distinguishing note between Christians and Heathens but the Infancy of our Children doth not so incapacitate them as we should look on them but as Heathens 5. It is an entring of the Soul into Covenant with God to continue his Faithful Souldier and Servant to his Lifes end And thus they are capable of being engaged seeing it is the great Duty of Christianity to perform it containing nothing more than what Religion calls for A ceasing from sin and doing well 6. They are as capable of all the Ends of Baptism as the Children of the Jews were capable of the Ends of Circumcision And then these may as reasonably be Baptized as they were Circumcised 2. The Ends of Baptism relating to Man are 1. That Parents might devote their Children to Gods Service by this Baptismal Engagement which they are capable of in that they are in the Power of the Parent to dispose of and Educate as God hath commanded in his Fear 2. That the Baptized might enjoy the Benefits of the Covenant of Grace through Christ of
the Sacrament of Baptism nor doth Scripture afford any tittle against it Therefore surely it may be Lawfully Practised Enq. 2 If Children be received to Baptism why are they not also received to the Lords Supper I Answer Answ 1. The Children of the Jews were admitted to Circumcision but not to the Passeover 2. Children though capable of having Baptism Administred to them yet are not capable of Manducation or eating Bread 3. Baptism precedes the Lords Supper as Regeneration doth our growth in Grace and in a Natural state a Child is first Born before he can be Nourished externally in order to his Growth 4. Though Children are capable of Baptism and the Sealing the Blessings of the Covenant of Grace to them thereby yet are they not capable of performing the Duties requisite to be Acted by any Communicant as self-examination and discerning the Lords Body Enq. 3 If Infants are capable of being engaged in Covenant with God by Baptism what need have they of God-fathers and God-mothers Answ 1. I Answer The Jews had at the Circumcision of their Children several Persons by Godwin Antiq. lib. 6. Buxtorf Jud. Syn. c. 2. p. 82. Gen. 17. Isa 8.25 Luke 1.58 Platina in vita Hygini Isaackson Chr. An. 153. as Witnesses to Testifie the Childs Circumcision and thereby its Reception as a Member of Gods Church and to remind the Child Circumcised when it came at Age of what a Covenant it was concerned in between God and its Soul 2. We find this Practice Recorded in Scripture as Witnesses at the first Institution of Circumcision and afterwards continued even to the Circumcision of St. John 3. The rise of God-fathers and God-mothers in the Christian Church was taken from the Practice of the Jews before Christ and was of an early Institution Especially Eyginus Bishop of Rome about 153 Years after Christ who considering the frequent Persecutions attending the Church of Christ whereby the Christian Parents often were taken away and the Children brought up in Heathen Idolatry or Jewish Superstition did Prudently order in the Church Persons to be engaged at Baptism with the Parents to take care of the Childs Education that if the Natural Parents dyed or were taken away by Persecution or else if they Apostatized from the Faith or were Ignorant and could not or wicked and would not bring up the Child in the Principles and Practice of the true Religion these might endeavour their being so Educated that Christianity might be propagated and Children brought up in the fear of God 4. Nor is this contrary to Gods pleasure Ephes 6.1 Deut. 29.10 11. Deut. 6.6 Gen. 18.19 Josh 24.15 who Commands and Commends the Parents and Friends engaging their Children in Covenant with him yea their Saves and Servant were to be engaged by them to be God Servants And we find Godly Parents and Masters Practising this Duty in their Families in their several Ages 5. Children are in the Power of their Parents or Guardians to engage in Civil Contracts and to be Invested with any Priviledge or Estate Therefore our Churches Prudence is Commendable in taking care that with the Child Baptized there should be Persons who should stand in the behalf of the Child engaged to God and the Church of Christ 1. As Witnesses to take notice of the Childs Reception into the Church as a Member of it and to Witness to the Child the tenor of that Covenant it was engaged in when it grows up and that thereby it stands obliged to be a true Christian And also to satisfie the Child that it hath been Baptized and may proceed to other Ordinances 2. As Sureties to engage as much as in them lies to see the Child brought up Vertuously to lead a Godly and a Christian Life in Principle and Practice 3. As God-fathers and God-mothers to engage themselves as it were to God and for his sake and cause to endeavour his Religion may be promoted in the Pious Education of those Children that the succeeding Age as well as the present may serve him 6. Sureties God-fathers and God-mothers are now as necessary as ever for though through Gods goodness we are not under Persecution for the Cause of Christ yet the sad Schisms and Divisions amongst us in Principles and the lamentable Debauchery and Profanenets in Practice of Professing Christians plead it necessary to retain this Commendable Order of our Church and they call aloud on all who stand thus engaged to God and the Church for any Child or Persons Education that they speedily and diligently labour after a discharge of their Duties in a diligent endeavour that those they are engaged for may be reclaimed from Impiety to Holiness and reduced from Error and Heresie to the true Faith For the neglect of those who are thus engaged renders the Order though it be in it self so good to be accounted as a meer Ceremony and as a burdensome Circumstance rather to be laid aside than continued But were the Persons engaged for Children thus Conscientious in the discharge of that great Trust they have undertaken the great good that would thence flow to the Church of Christ would make even its Enemies to be in Love with this Order and Constitution Enq. 4 Are Infants Obliged to perform that Covenant wherein they were by Baptism engaged since it was not their act but the act of other Persons in their behalf to which they gave no Consent Answ I Answer Yes They are obliged to perform it and that for these Reasons 1. Nothing was then engaged but what is Christian and Reasonable to be done 1 Pet. 5.8 Tit. 2.11 1 Pet. 2.11 1 John 5 4. If we would be Happy we must be Holy which is the sum of that Covenant then entred for Holiness will engage our Mortifying the Flesh Crucifying the World and Renouncing the Devil and all his Works So that these Duties of our Baptismal Vow are Commanded by God in Scripture as well as their observance is engaged by us in Baptism 2. Every one hath care of his own Soul and therefore what was in our Childhood engaged for 〈…〉 and every of us when we come to Years of 〈…〉 standing and retain the Christian Religion 2 Tim. 2.19 Tit. 2.14 are obliged to perform and we oguht to endeavour it if we expect Salvation nothing being promised but what our Religion obligeth to A ceasing from sin and a living the Life of Godliness And here how may the desires of all Christians be for the Christian Practice of that Solemn Ordinance of Confirmation of Persons of Ripe Years That they being instructed in the Vow of Baptism engaged in their Childhood may Publickly in the Congregation own that Religion they were Baptized into and be Solemnly in their own Persons engaged to the performance of it This certainly would much dis-engage the engaged God-fathers and Mothers and much Oblige the Catecheumen to abstain from all sin and to perform all Duties when as every Person in the Congregation is a several Witness of his Solemn Engagement it will shame him out of Sin nor will he dare wilfully to act contrary to the Gospel-Rules But 3. A Child is frequently obliged in Civil Contracts to perform what the Parent or Guardian engaged for it as in a Bond Lease or the like or else he is lyable to the Law and debarred from receiving any Profit or Advantage by any such Contract made for him So in Spirituals The Child is doubtless engaged by the Covenant made in his Name and behalf in Baptism to be Holy or else he will be deprived of the Benefits of this Covenant which is Eternal Happiness and be exposed to the Law and Curse of God for as the Commands of God obliging the Parents to engage their Children in Covenant with God are not impertinent So since the Duties they were then engaged in are but what God by Precept to the Children when at Age expects from them Their non-performance of that Covenant incurs Gods Anger and Forfeits Heaven and Happiness 〈◊〉 If they Labour not to perform the Duties of 〈◊〉 Covenant which is their Reasonable Service their Parents and Friends Care for the engaging them in Covenant with God and their devoting of them to God and their Labour in Educating them in true Christianity will Witness against them aggravate their Sin and add to their Torment FINIS
Lawful and Honest or else to lose the Benefits that might accrue to them by Observance of that Covenant 2. As to Spirituals Parents are Obliged to take the greatest care imaginable of their Childrens Souls Ephes 6.1 4. for their Education in the Fear of God who also hath commanded the Parents to engage their Children in Covenant with him and to bring them up in his Service 2. God esteems Children capable of engaging in Covenant with him Deur 29 11 12 14. Rom. 10.5 to 10. Deut. 30.11 12 13 14 and gives command for all the Little Ones to stand before him to be entred into Covenant with him who were as capable of being engaged in Gods esteem and were as much engaged as those Captains Men and Women that stood with them and were not engaged in Covenant as was once impertinently urged to me by our Adversaries from a Critical Observance of the Particle Thou as if one alone in the stead of all others had been engaged To which Criticism I returned besides the premised Argument of Childrens being equally capable of being engaged as all the others who being present were not engaged and that the engagement of one in stead of all did no more infringe the capability of Children then it did that of those Captains Men Women who were by and not engaged that I thought the Particle Thou might reasonably refer to every individual Captain Man Woman and Little One who I suppose to have been particularly concern'd and the Commandments were instanced in which concern all yet are given in the same second Person singular Nor was this Covenant any other than a Covenant of Grace the same Covenant now remaining as to its substance only freed from the encumbring Ceremonies and altered as to its External Administration of its Ministry Sacrifices Baptism c. as hath been proved and the Marginal Citations compared will manifest 3. 2 Chron 20.13 Joel 2.16 Deut. 31.11 12 13. The Jews Children were formerly concerned in the Duties of the Covenant as in Fasting Prayer and God accepted of them as capable of entring into Covenant of Hearing Learning Doing his Will surely then we may esteem so 4. Our Children are as capable now as the Children of the Jews were then nor can an Objection be against ours but it is equally valid against theirs and if God accepted theirs we have the same Covenant and God of Mercy and so the same Reason to believe he will receive ours and then why should we esteem them uncapable of being engaged in Covenant with God by Baptism ARGUMENT VI. Those who are Members of Christs Church ought to be Baptized But Children are Members of Christs Church Therefore Children ought to be Baptized THIS Argument hath no small force in it as will appear by considering each Proposition distinctly Major Those who are Members of Christs Church ought to be Baptized as appears 1. Because this is the usual way of Solemn Admission into Christs Church Acts 2.37 38 and the Apostles usually Practised thus Administring Baptism upon their receiving any into the Church of Christ 2. If Baptism be not Administred at the Admission of Persons into Christs Church then must it be done after or not at all The last is not true Christs Ordinance ought not to be neglected and there is no Instance or Precept in Scripture what time after a Persons Conversion and becoming a Church-Member it should be done Therefore it must be done as the Apostles Practised it at the Receiving any into the Church of Christ 3. Our Adversaries the Anabaptists acknowledge none Members of a Visible Church of Christ but those who are Baptized and Baptize as they call it those whom they receive as Church-members at their first Admission whence directly follows from their own Practice that those who are Church-members ought to be Baptized 4. Christs Church is to be Purified with the washing of Water by the Word Ephes 5.26 If then Children are of his Church they ought to be Baptized Minor And that Children are Members of Christs Church appears as to their Membership of his Invisible Church from our Adversaries granting them Eternal Life and all Priviledges belonging to such Members and that they are also Members of Christs Visible Church will appear thus 1. The Children of the Jews were with their Parents Church-members under the Law Baxter's Infant Church-Memb p. 26. Deut. 31.11 12. which Law is not yet Repealed by Christ 2. The Children of the Converted Jews lost not their Priviledges but still remained Church-members for Christ did not infringe but rather enlarge the Priviledges of his People And St. Peter seems to use this as a great motive to induce the Jews to close with Christ Acts 2.37 38 39. that though they had Crucified the Lord of Life their Promised and Expected Messiah yet they Repenting and being Baptized might be saved and might find Mercy for themselves and their Seed also for the Covenant and Promise is still to You and to your Seed 3. The Gentiles are through Christ admitted to equal Priviledges with the Jews Rom. 11.11 15 25. Eaxter p. 20. the Children of Parents who did not believe were Excluded therefore the Children of Parents believing were received 4. The Jews shall with their Children be recalled into a state of Church-membership at their Conversion Rom. 11.25 26 27. therefore doubtless the Children of Believing and Converted Gentiles are Church-members 5. Children are either Members of the Visible Church of Christ or else are visibly of Satans Kingdom There is no Medium between these two all appertain either to Christ or Satan Now let them and us consider how dismal a Doctrine theirs is which makes all the Children of the World of the Visible Kingdom of Satan and so denies us any good grounds for the hope of their Salvation And how strangely their Thoughts are linked together in granting Children all the Priviledges of Church-members as Pardon of sin and Eternal Life and so esteem them of Christs Invisible Church and yet Excommunicate them out of his Visible Church Art 11. of their Principles Grantam's Works l. 2. p. 67. c. 5. and to countenance this they calumniate Scripture and say the Old Testament-way of bringing of Children into the Church is cast out and that Children are not mentioned as received in the New Testament about which the Author Cited spends some leaves which Calumny may easily be wiped off and his leaves blown away as to the force of their Arguments against us for it can never be proved that Children are in any place by Christ rejected and excluded the Covenant Discipleship and Church-membership and it is fully proved and must be granted they were in the Covenant were Disciples and Church-members before Christ But if by the Old Testament-way of bringing in Children into the Church being cast out They mean not to infringe the Priviledge of Children the Subject of this Argument but to shew the way of their Admission