Gods Ordinances Christ though without sin and the Converts who had received the Holy Ghost we have premised to have submitted to Baptism Rom. 6. the wilful Refusal and Contempt of which where in an Establish'd Church it may be had is a Contempt of Christ and his Precepts and as much as lyeth in us a depriving of our selves or Children of the Benefits of the Covenant of Grace and a reducing us into a state of Heathenism or at best an unwillingness to be owned as Christians 7. It serves as an Oath and Obligation on Souls to be and continue Christs Faithful Souldier and Servant to our Lives end Our Life is often in Scripture called a warfare wherein we are engaged to fight against the World Flesh and Devil to engage us against whom the Lord of Hosts the chief General of the Field and Christ the Captain of our Salvation List all their Souldiers the Members of the Church Militant here on Earth to Fight under their Banner till they have their Writs of Ease by Death and have their Quarters removed from the church-Church-Militant on Earth to the Church Triumphant in Heaven Into which Militia this Ordinance is the Publick way of our Admission and is as it were our Matriculation or taking the Oath of Allegiance to our God Col. 2.6 7. thereby discriminating us from Rebels and Traytors and engaging our Fidelity to our Lives end 8. The uncircumcised Child was to be cut off from Israel which Punishment respects either its Exclusion from the Church of Christ Gen. 17.14 and so its cutting off from the Israel of God Or else a punishing of the Child by Death and so taking it away from among the People Or Lastly it signifies an Eternal Excluding it from Heaven and a cutting it off for ever from Gods People and their Portion Now though probably the Punishment in the Text on the Uncircumcised Child may not denote its being thereby Miserable to Eternity for what it could not help Yet to engage the Parents care to observe the Covenant and Gods Ordinances in having the Child Circumcised it might be punished both the other ways which could not but be a great trouble to the Parent whose remisness or neglect of the Ordinance might cause himself in his Child to be Punished either with his Childs Death or if it Lived by its being esteemed not of the Church of God but to be looked on as an Heathen And so under the Gospel although the Child shall not probably for the want of Baptism it being guilty of no contempt of it suffer Eternally Walkers Modest Plea p. 147. yet may the Parent justly fear to be severely Punished for slighting and contemning the Sacred Ordinances of God and Christ commanded to be Observed Thus are the Enquiries premised considered and the Necessity of Baptism stated I proceed more closely to adhere to the Exposition of the Parts of the Text. 1. Part of Text. 1. Form Wherein we Observed 1. The Form or Essence of Baptism Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And I esteem this the Form or Essence of Baptism because though there be a subject capable of Baptism and Water be used to Baptize yet is the Baptism Null unless in the Name of the Trinity according to Christs Commission in the Text which is never Repealed in any part of the New Testament As for the Baptizing Persons into the Name of Christ mentioned sometimes Acts 2.38 Acts 8.16 that doth not derogate from Christs Commission in the Text those places not relating to the manner of Administring the Ordinance but to the end of Baptism for the Jews who were pricked in their hearts for the Crucifying of Christ whom St. Peter had proved to be the Messiah and enquired what they should do to be saved The Apostle Exhorts them to believe on a Crucified Saviour and to be Baptized in Acts 4.12 Acts 10.48 or into his Name as a Token of their owning him as their Messiah and Saviour without whom no Salvation was attainable And those other places mentioning the Baptizing in the Name of the Lord or in the Name of Christ have the like respect denoting the Converted Jews and Gentiles being by Baptism received into the Name or Religion of Christ And they do not in the least infringe our Saviours Commission of Baptizing in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And therefore the Anabaptists seem to be blame-worthy Article 11. 1660 given to our present King who in their Printed Principles give Order indifferently to Baptize in the Name of the Trinity or in the Name of Christ alone which Practice is directly contrary to this Precept of our Saviour by which the Person to be Baptized was Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name Profession and Service of the Sacred Trinity The Acknowledgment of the ever Blessed Trinity and the Grounds of the Souls hope of enjoying all the Promises and Benefits of Christs Death Regeneration and Grace being thereby Ratified and Scaled to the Soul Epl. es 5.1 who is also thus engaged to act as a Child of God 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. Rom. 6.11 a Member of Christ and a Temple of the Holy Ghost The Form or Essence of Baptism being Proved 2. Part of Text. Subject we come to consider the Subject of Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Nations which in Scripture is spoken either 1. Exclusively as to the Jews and Inclusively only of the Gentiles who were through Christ to be received into the Church of God Ephes 2.2 12 13 19. and be made Members of Christ were admitted to partake of the Benefits of a state of Grace through Christ and by him also were made Heirs of Glory So that through Christ they were admitted to equal Priviledges with the Jews Acts 2.3 7 9. Acts 10.34 35 49. which thing though it caused an astonishment to the Jews yet was in Remarkable Evidences verified so that now all the ends of the Earth have seen the Salvation of God who is become God of the Gentile as well as Jew Rom. 3.29 and without Respect of Persons hath Respect to all those whether Jews or Gentiles who truly serve him 2. Inclusively of the Jews also for that Christ who was so long before his manifestation Promised as a Messiah and Saviour to the lost sheep of the House of Israel Mar. 10.5 6. would not when manifested exclude them but being to Collect a Church to himself Mark 16 16. Acts 26.17 18. Acts 13.46 47. Acts 28.28 he did Personally and by his Apostles first promulgate the Gospel to the Jews and they rejecting it he Commissioned his Apostles to go to the Gentiles as well as Jews who discharging their Office prevailed with great Numbers of both to accept of Christ to shew the equality of Christs proceedings and the freeness of Gods Mercy to both Jew and Gentile that of
Peace to be Members of the same Christ 2 Cor. 13.11 Gal. 5.22 Heb. 12.14 1 Cor. 3.4 the Prince of Peace to be acted by the same Spirit of Peace to walk by the same Gospel of Peace and to enjoy the same Heaven hereafter where we shall be at Peace together may if possible be United here that our Divisions may no longer rent the Church of Christ to the great hindrance of the Conversion of both Jew and Gentile and the apparent exposing our Church and State to Ruine and Confusion by the Fury of our Adversaries But that our unanimous Prayers may Deprecate apprehended Judgments and prevail for our continued enjoyment of Gospel Mercies And may these Pages be in any respect serviceable to these Ends so God have the Glory and his Church the Advantage I have my end who am Thy Faithful Friend The PREFACE TO THE Paidobaptist AMongst the many Parties our Church and Nation abounds with the Anabaptists are not the least considerable who not only deny Infant Baptism but proceed so far as to Separate from our Communion on that unwarrantable ground nor contented with that they as if acted by Infallibility confine the Church of Christ to their own People denying our Ministers to be either Members or Ministers of Christ and declaring our selves and our People to be in no visible way to Salvation which sad expression being daily whispered into the Ears of the People committed to my Care did not a little disturb several of them who thus were almost seduced from our Church And to add to my trouble one of the chiefest of their Teachers gave me frequent Challenges to a Publick Disputation which I declining as not yet seeing any good to have been the issue of such Disputes he and my Neighbours supposed my refusing to dispute to preceed from my sense of the weakress of the cause or from my inclination to their Opinion These and such like things Christian Reader occasioned my endeavour to discharge my Fidelity to my Peoples Souls and my own Conscience by Publishly Preaching on Infant Baptism enquiring into its Necessity as to Salvation and Church-membership in order to the satisfying my Peoples troubled minds And then inquiring into the Form Subject and Mode of Baptism to Vindicate the Doctrine and Practice of our Church and to clear my self of those Aspersions I met with which being compleated I endeavoured to solve all those Objections I have yet met with from their Mouths or Writings Which Sermons God was pleased to make so successful as to satisfie my Auditors so that hitherto they have created me no more trouble And that Person who had so often Challenged me to Dispute the Point having a little private Discourse with me assured me he would no more trouble me or my People which Promise he hath hitherto kept and hath declared his desires and as he said the inclination of the most Eminent of their Party to a Compliance with our Church to promote which I know there have been some endeavours Let then your Candor I humbly beg excuse me if when God hath been pleased to make my Endeavours Instrumental to the keeping my People and others from straying from us if not to reduce some from them to our Church And if after I have been sometimes requested to expose my Thoughts I now at length finding their inclinableness declared by word and writing to a closure with us humbly offer them such as they are after my submitting them to my Diocesan's Judgment to the Service of Gods Church in promoting his Glory and Peace and Vnion in our days And may my sincerity in this design obtain your Pardon for what may be amiss in this Tract humbly devoted to the Service of every of your Souls by one who daily Prays for and by all endeavours labours to promote the good of our Church and State it shall ever Oblige Yours in the Service of God and Souls Baptism OF INFANTS VINDICATED Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you OUR Saviour Christ who was the Messiah promised to the Jews and also a Saviour Prophesied to the Gentiles being when manifested in the Flesh to gather a Church to himself of both Jews and Gentiles did while he was on Earth Commissionate his Apostles to Teach or Disciple all Nations by acquainting them with the Rudments of his Gospel And then Ordered the Reception of them as Members of his Visible Church as by Circumcision under the Law so by Baptism under the Gospel Gen. 17.10 which in the words premised is directed to 1. As to its Form In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. As to its Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Nations 3. As to its manner of Performance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptizing them Before I come to the Consideration of the parts of the Text I shall premise this Grand Enquiry with its Solution Enq. How far Baptism is necessary as to Salvation and Church-membership which I shall Consider 1. Negatively 2. Positively 1. Prop. 1. I shall assert that this Baptism of Water is not absolutely necessary to Salvation so as that it is impossible for a Person to be saved who is not Baptized which Proposition I shall thus prove 1. Gen. 17.10 14. Because the Children of Israel under the Law to whom Circumcision was as strictly enjoyned as Baptism is or can be to us were Forty Years without its Practice they being not Circumcised all the time of their sojourning in the Wilderness lest their soreness thereby occasioned might hinder them in their Travel towards Canaan Josh 5.2 3 4 5. yet doubtless we dare not entertain thoughts that they who dyed in the Wilderness uncircumcised were all Damned 2. Salvation in no place of Scripture is annexed to Baptism but to the Covenant whose Tenor is not Be Baptized and thou shalt be Saved but Believe and thou shalt be Saved Not was Christ given that all who were Baptized might have Eternal Life John ◠16 Mark 16.16 but that all who Believe on him As for that place Objected against us and Pleaded by the Anabaptists Mark 16.16 it must either if strictly taken include Infants as Believers and so as subjects capable of Baptism or else exclude them as Unbelievers and render them as Persons liable to Damnation according to their own Argumentation which if they evade by saying they who are capable of believing do believe and are Baptized shall be saved Order for Baptism of Riper Years I oppose to this the Practice of our Church which requires actual Profession of Faith of all Persons who are capable of doing it and have been brought up unbaptized And again this Text when it respects Damnation doth not mention Baptism it saith not He who is not Baptized shall be Damned but he that believeth not
15.4 5 6 7. Rom. 4.11 and received Circumcision as a Seal of his Faith whence undeniably follows that Circumcision was not absolutely Necessary to the Visibility of Gods Church among the Jews 2. Neither Circumcision nor Baptism are absolutely Necessary to the Being of a Church because a Visible Church may be without them and yet be a Church Visible as in the Instance of the Israelites whom we proved to be forty Years together Uncircumcised in the Wilderness and yet were they all that time the Visible Church God had on the Earth 3. If Persons be not Church-members before Circumcision or Baptism and be so after it will infer an Operation from the Ordinance not allowable for then these being Circumcised or Baptized would entitle the Heathens to be Members of the Church of God and Christ 4. The Jews did first Proselyte or Teach the Nations the Rudiments of their Law before they Circumcised them and so owned them to be received amongst them So that they were Proselytes and Members as such of their Church before they were Publickly declared and owned to be so by Circumcision According to which our Saviour Adviseth his Disciples in the Text Mat. 28.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Going to Disciple all Nations Instruct them in the Principles of my Religion and then being Disciples Baptize them So that there is a Discipleship and Visible Church-membership pre-existent to Baptism And indeed the premising the word Disciple implies none to be capable of Baptism who are not Disciples of Christ and Members of his Church which also in due time Infants will be proved to be 5. If Baptism be absolutely Necessary to Church-membership that none belong to Christs Visible Church but who are Baptized what shall we think of that innumerable number of Professing Christians dispersed over the Face of the whole Earth and scattered amongst Heathen People whose Princes and Governours will not permit this or any other Christian Ordinance to be Practised among them Shall we unchurch these or count them as Heathens What will then become of that Article of our Faith The Belief of an Holy Catholick Church Do not the Anabaptists herein imitate others who while they believe a Catholick Church confine it to their own Synagogues not considering the Catholick Church of Christ comprehensive of all Christian Professors through the whole World nor weighing the sad Consequents of denying Persons to be Visibly of this Church of Christ making them thereby Visible Members of Satans Kingdom and exposing those Persons in their Thoughts to Eternal Ruines which Thoughts are too severe to entertain of those who Profess the same God and Christ but are not Baptized because probably the Ordinances are not permitted in the Territories wherein they Reside 6. If Baptism give a Visible Form to Church-membership Wills against Danvers p. 50 51 52. then must it be often repeated even as often as any Person is Excommunicated or else Baptism is nullified for it being the Christian Practice of the Apostles and their Successors even to our Ages 1 Cor. 5.4 5. to exclude their Assemblies and Excommunicate Persons which was termed a giving such over to Satan who were guilty of scandalous Offences 2 Thes 3.6 Mat. 18.17 till by their Humiliation they had Evidenced their Repentance and so were received again into their Assemblies If that Excommunication can Exclude the Person from being a Member of the Church as it ever did then it nullifies Baptism or else Baptism is not Essential to the Form of Visible Church-membership because it would then follow that the Person even Excommunicated is still a Member of the Visible Church which is a contradictory Solecism or else that his Baptism is nulled and then must Rationally be repeated at his Reception into the Church again and so as often as any being guilty of a Crime is for it Excommunicated and afterwards received into the Church again so often must he be re-baptized Ephes 4.5 which is opposite to the Scriptures Assertion of but One Baptism Thus have I endeavoured to prove Baptism contended for to be not so absolutely Necessary to Salvation or Church-membership as that none can be saved or be of Christs Church unless they be Baptized to remove the unchristian Censures the Anabaptists have of us But Lest on the other side I should detract from the Ordinance and its due worth by rendring its use needless I proceed to prove that the Practice of Baptism is very Necessary as an Ordinance of Christ in any Church of his where it may be had Prop. 3. and that the slighters and contemners of it are really Culpable Which I prove thus 1. Christ hath Commanded its Performance in his Churches under the Gospel to the end of the World Mat. 28.19 And all his Ordinances and Commands ought by us to be Observed 2. Christ himself was subject to it Mat. 3.16 Acts 10.47 and therefore none can pretend to be above it though they have already received the Holy Ghost 3. The Apostles Practised it Mat. 3.1 St. John from hence was called the Baptist And whenever the Gospel was Preached to the Gentiles and unconverted Jews Acts 10.48 Acts 2.38 41. Acts 16.31 32. Acts 16.15 1 Cor. 1.16 and received by them The General way whereby the Apostles owned the Converts was Baptism and we find not only single Persons but whole Families Baptized 4. It is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace which when made to received by Abraham he also received Circumcision as a Seal of it And Baptism succeeding Circumcision denotes probably our greater Priviledges by Christ than the Jews had before Christ Rom. 4.11 who was of the one Sex and derived our Nature from the other by this Sacrament admitting both Sexes to equal Priviledges that of Circumcision only belonging to the Males And Baptism may as significantly be a Seal of the Covenant of Grace as Circumcision Acts 2.38 Gal. 3.27 Rom. 6.3 4 c. the Person Baptized being said to put on Christ which Phrase implies his being Invested with a Right to the Priviledges of Christians and the Benefits of Christ And thus it is of great Use 5. Many of the Converts to Christianity have soon after their being Baptized received the Holy Ghost Acts 8.16 17. to whose Baptism this seems precedaneous and preparatory And Gods usual way of working in an Established Church and Ordinances Baptism being a Publick Sign manifesting the Persons Baptized to be Publickly owned as Members of Christ and Children of God to which this Spirit of Adoption is promised Gal. 4.4 6 7. 6. This serves as a distinguishing Mark in a settled Church to know Professors of Christianity from Jews Turks and Heathens so that all who would manifest themselves to be of Christs Church should desire to partake of and submit to this Ordinance of Baptism And all Christian Parents ought to desire it for their Children since none beneath Heaven can be above
all which Benefits even of Heaven its self Children are capable 3. That the Baptized might be amongst Men owned and reputed as Christians and Members of Christs Church and this also Children are capable of whom it seems hard to account as Heathens when they are the Children of Christians ARGUMENT XIII Whom the Church of Christ hath ever received to Baptism may still be Baptized But the Church of Christ hath ever received Children to Baptism Therefore Children may be Baptized AS for the Church of God among the Jews it is evident that they received Children to Circumcision to which Baptism succeeds Nor hath the Church of Christ since its Institution ever denyed Children Baptism as will appear 1. In that for many hundreds of Years the Question was not moved Walkers Modest Plea p. 219. to 254. Walkers Doct. of Baptism p. 118. nor the Point doubted of as to its Lawfulness And indeed there was little Reason for such a doubt considering that Children were Circumcised under the Law and so admitted into Covenant who were equally uncapable of that as our Children are now of Baptism nor was that Covenant Repealed of Children any where excluded it or our Priviledges by Christ infringed but rather enlarged 2. Harmony of Confession The Reformed Churches who have espoused Christs Doctrine most purely have unanimously Practised it as their several Confessions attest And in our Nation in our Saxon King Ina's time Walkers Doctrine of Baptism p. 126. about 692 Year of Christ a Child was to be Baptized within Thirty days under pain of the Forfeiture of Thirty shillings 3. In the series of Scriptures History and the Practice of the Church what concerneth the Baptizing of Believers and Sinners Confessing their sins hath respect to those Adult Persons Converted from Judaism or Gentilism when the Church was first Constituting And in all Ages those who were brought up unbaptized through their Parents or others Negligence or contempt of the Ordinance Order for Baptism of those of Riper Years or are Converted to Christianity have given account of their Faith and still do in the Practice of our Church before they are Baptized But after a Church is Constituted and Persons Converted those thus in a Constituted Church had their Children ever esteemed capable of being admitted to Baptism 4. The deferring of Baptism amongst the Ancients was not from their Questioning the Lawfulness of Infant Baptism Walkers Modest Plea in Preface but from several Opinions they had about the Efficacy of Baptism as to the Pardon of Sins by it and the danger of sinning after it So that these Opinions whereof some might be erroneous cannot take away what was justly and Lawfully Practised by Gods People before Christ Walker's Modest Plea p. 219. to 254. and even from the * Philpot the Martyr Fox Acts v. 3. 607 608 609 at large Apostles time since Christ Therefore not only from Scripture and Reason but from good Antiquity Children are Lawfully Baptized This Argument drawn from Antiquity and the Practice of the Church of Christ for so many Centuries so universally by all true Christian Churches by Reformed as well as Popish Though it hath not so great force with the Vulgar who are incapable of the Rational deduction of its Lawfulness from this Practice yet to the Judicious Christian it prevails much the Practice being no ways opposite to but agreeing with Scripture easily deduced from it the receiving of the Practice by the Apostles implies its Practice in Christians and from Him and Them hath it been received and retained in the Church to our days and will be while Christ hath a Church upon Earth ARGUMENT XIV That Doctrine which introduceth many unchristian Consequences is erroneous But the Doctrine of the Anti-pedobaptists introduceth many unchristian Consequences Therefore the Doctrine of the Anti-pedobaptists is erroneous Major THE Major Proposition must be undeniably true For that Doctrine that introduceth many or any unchristian Consequences must needs err from the Rule of Christianity Minor The Doctrine of the Anti-pedobaptists whereby they deny Baptism to Infants introduceth many unchristian Consequences as appears 1. It opposeth the whole current of Scripture nullifies many Scripture Promises and Priviledges and destroys the Covenant of Grace as the premised Pages manifest 2. It reduceth the World into Gentilism or Heathemsm again and makes Christs Church always gathering never gathered always instituting and never established 3. It excludes Children the Covenant of Grace and its Seals denies their Fellowship or Membership with Christ and his Church they owning no visible Church of Christ on Earth but their own Synagogues and esteem all us who are not of their way as Persons who are not visible Members of Christ whence we may easily guess their Charity and hopes of our Salvation 4. It introduceth genuinely a despair of Salvation of our Children for we cannot have any good grounds for the hopes of Salvation of those whom we think not to belong to the Covenant of Grace so as to be uncapable of its Seal out of the Church so as to be unfit for Baptism out of the way to Salvation so as to be no Disciples of Christ nor Believers which implies our esteeming them as Unbelievers whose end is eternal Misery And though they will not say so of our Children yet I am sure some of their Teachers have said so of themselves that we are no visible Members of Christs Church nor are in a visible way to Salvation 5. This Doctrine is injurious to Christ and renders him a kind of Impostor who hereby is made not a Mediator of a better Covenant than that with the Jews before him And while he Promiseth to admit the Gentiles to equal Priviledges through him to what the Jews had before him makes both the Jews and our Priviledges less by the excluding the Children of us and of all Converted Jews the Covenant and debarring them the Seal of it Baptism when as the Jews before their Conversion had their Children reckoned in the Covenant and received to its Seal Circumcision 6. It equals the Children of Christians with the Children of Turks and Heathens and then sure this Doctrine must be Erroneous The Form and Subject of Baptism being hitherto considered and the Christianity and Rationality of Infant Baptism declared together with the Anabaptists corruption in respect of the Form and the absurd Consequences of their Doctrine as to the subject of Baptism being detected I proceed to consider The Mode of Baptizing laid down by our Saviour Third Part of Text. and expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptizing them whence the Anabaptists Plead solely for dipping and account that no Baptism which is not so performed And our Church admits indifferently of either dipping or sprinkling I shall therefore shew 1. The Indifferency and Lawfulness of each Mode in Baptism 2. The unreasonableness of that Absolute necessity of that dipping the Anabaptists have espoused 3. The Reasonableness of