Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
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A49508
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An apologie for our publick ministerie and infant-baptism written som years ago for private satisfaction of som dissenting brethren and upon request enlarged and published for the same ends / by William Lyford.
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Lyford, William, 1598-1653.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing L3544; ESTC R24102
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42,825
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54
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that Covenant to Abraham and to the Nations hee gave withal a Commandment Gen. 17.12 that the initial mark of the Covenant should bee set upon all whom hee had taken into Covenant both Jews and Gentiles and their Infants The Covenant it self and the mark of the Covenant are alike extended to all the same persons whether yong or old Note farther that when Christ renewed and established that Covenant in his own blood though hee changed the Sign yet hee repealed not that Commandment Nay Mat. 28.19 hee added a new commandment enjoining the new Sign Baptism to bee given to all Nations without exception of any persons formerly received into Covenant so that wee are under a twofold Commandment to Baptize our Infants one of God who first made the Covenant and gave that Commandment the which is still so of force that if Christ the Lord of the hous had not changed it wee were all bound at this day to bee Circumcised and seeing hee hath changed that Sign into Baptism but not the Covenant it self nor the Commandment thereto annexed it followeth that by the old Commandment enjoining Infants to bee marked and by Christ's new Commandment enjoining Baptism to bee that mark all that are not excepted out of the Covenant stand bound to recei it In like manner as the fourth Commandment injoining one day of seven for an holy Rest to the Lord doth binde us to observ our Lords-day the Commandment stand's of force though the first day bee changed so the Commandment for signing of the Nations whom God received into Covenant and their seed doth still oblige us to set the New Seal upon them especially seeing wee are again commanded by Christ so to do without any exception of Infants Hence I thus argue Argument 1 All that are taken into the Covenant of Grace ought to receiv the judicial Sign of the Covenant what ever the Sign be that God shall chuse and that according to the Commandment of God and our Lord Jesus Christ But Infants are taken into Covenant with their Parents as is proved therefore by the Commandment of the Lord they ought to recev the Sign which God hath enjoined to bee used and that Sign is Baptism Or thus If Infants have a right to the Covenant and the initial sign thereof then it is a wrong to deny them But Infants have a right to the Covenant and the initial Sign thereof both by God's Original Grant Gen. 17.11 14. And by Christ's confirmation of that Covenant made with the Fathers Rom. 15.8 therefore it is a wrong to deny it to them The Covenant under which wee are is the Gospel-Covenant made long since with us Englishmen and our Infant-seed with a command of giving them the Sign which at first was Circumcision and now Baptism by the same Divine Autoritie enjoyned and commanded to bee given without any exception of any within the Covenant Argument 2 My second Argument is grounded on Act. 2.38 39. then Peter said Repent and bee baptized c. In which passage of Scripture I note three things 1. Who the persons were of whom Peter saith The promise is to you and to your children they were a mixt multitude of many Nations as appears vers 10. strangers of Rome Jews Proselyts Creets and Arabians Note 2. What promise that is of which S. Peter saies it belongs to such people and their children and is applied to his hearers as the ground of their beeing baptized It is that grand promise made to Abraham to bee a God to him and his seed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Gospel-promiss of good tidings gratuitum Dei promissum quatenùs opponitur legi saith Beza in a word it is that promiss of blessedness Jer. 31.34 which consists in remission of sins to bee obtained by the promised Messiah Object Nay Why not rather understand it of the promise of the gifts of the holy Ghost promised Joel 2.27 and given by laying on of the Apostles hands especially becaus it is said in the end of vers 38. Bee baptized and yee shall receiv the gift of the holy Ghost Answ The promise here spoken of cannot bee understood I conceiv of the miraculous gifts of the holie Ghost 1. Becaus Peter's bearers received no such gifts and therefore S. Peter made no such promise to them for doubtless they received what was promised 2. Such a promise must here bee understood as belongs to Parents and their children and to all that shall bee called to the worlds end But there is no such promise in all the Scripture that the miraculous gifts of the holie Ghost shall fall upon Parents with their children and all that are to bee converted to the worlds end 3. A promise of such gifts seems not sutably applied to Peter's hearers comfort for their Question was what shall wee do to bee saved And Peter gives them 1. A direction 2. And a Promise A direction to repent and to acknowledg Christ to bee head and foundation of the Covenant of Grace and that life and remission of sins is in his blood where of Baptism is the Seal And then hee recites and applies to this comfort the promises of the Covenant q. d. yee shall receiv the benefit of the Covenant remission of sins and also the gift of the holie Spirit the Seal thereof those first motions now begun in your hearts shall bee followed with increas of Sanctification of spiritual light of joy comfort and assurance This interpretation doth exactly agree with the Apostles discours Gal. 3.14 where speaking of the blessing of Abraham to com on the Gentiles hee saith that wee being delivered from the Curse and restored into God's Grace by Christ shall receiv the promise of the Spirit through Faith i.e. the spirit of Grace which is the Seal of the promises of the new Covenant the gifts of the holie Spirit which had been so often and so solemnly promised by the Prophets Es 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirstie as Peters hearers now were and Floods upon the drie ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring and one say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob with Ezek. 11.19 cap. 36.27 A new spirit will I put within you I will take the stonie heart out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh Act. 2.38 Gal. 3.2 14. So that the gift of the Spirit in Peter's Sermon and the promise of the spirit in the Galatians and in the Prophets is all one thing for substance As for that place Joel 2.27 S. Peter expounds it Act. 2.17 of the descending of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles in fierie Tongues and it may well have relation to all those upon whom in like manner it did descend But if any man conceivs that that place hath a farther accomplishment in the New Testament in the larger pouring forth of the gifts of the spirit of illumination
and understanding in the mysteries of Christ and his Kingdom more generally upon all sorts and conditions of people and in a greater measure so that all sorts and sexes now shall have as much or more light and illumination then the Prophets had in the old Testament the common light of the Elect now under the Gospel shall bee clearer and better then that of prophecie of old according to that of Zach. 12.8 Hee that is feeble shall bee as David and the hous of David as the Angel of the Lord. I shall not withstand him and so that place of Joel in this large sens doth contain a part of the promises of the new Covenant whereof Baptism is a Seal But as for those miraculous gifts of the holie Ghost I no where finde them communicated with or annexed unto Baptism Sometimes they were poured forth before Baptism received at the Apostle's preaching as upon Peter's hearers that were with Cornelius Act. 10.45 47. Somtimes after Baptism by another Ceremonie of laying on of hands as Act. 8.16 17. Act. 19.6 Somtimes upon their fervent praiers as Act. 4.31 And upon these considerations it is that I take the promiss here spoken of and applied to Peter's hearers and their children to bee the promise of blessedness made to Abraham and all Converts The third thing to bee observed in Peter's words Act. 2.39 is this that this promise bee it what it will did belong as well to his hearers children as to themselvs it is to you and your children Object True say they when they are in a capacitie to receiv the promiss i.e. to as many of our children as are calld to actual faith not of our Infants Answ This is a miserable shift for those words as many as the Lord our God shall call are quite a new thing clearly relating to another sort of people then his present hearers viz. All that are afar off which as yet never heard of Christ Those words do not exegetically expound to which of his hearers children the promiss did belong as if Peter meant to tell them to som of their children it doe's belong not to others but by the very order of the Text they point out others that were afar off in their several generations to bee called by the Gospel to whom saie's Peter this promise doe's belong to them and their children as well as to you and your children The children then of Peter's Converts were within the promiss Fourthly Observ Peter's reasoning and argumentatisn in this word For vers 39. where S. Peter give 's a reason of his direction why those hearers should bee baptized viz. becaus that grand promiss of blessedness by remission of sins did belong to them and upon this as upon a principal foundation he build's his Exhortation to them to bee baptized the holy Ghost in that manner of reasoning clearly teaching this Doctrine Doct. viz. To as many as the blessings or promiss of the Covenant belong's to them also belong's Baptism For therefore doe's the Sign belong to Peter's hearers becaus the Promiss did first belong to them And by the like reasoning the same Apostle doth justifie his Baptism of Cornelius and his Family Act. 10.47 48. Can any forbid water that these should not bee baptized who have received the holie Ghost as well as wee And hee commanded them to bee baptized in the name of the Lord which discours if reduced to form of Argument saie's this they that receiv the same Grace are capable of yea have right to the same Sign but Infants are capable of the same Grace of the holy Ghost and of remission of sins as shall bee proved anon therefore of right they are to receiv the same Sign i.e. the Sacrament of Baptism The same Doctrine doth our Saviour teach using the same manner of reasoning for the admission of Infants to the outward sign of blessing Mat. 19.13 14. There were that brought unto him little children that hee should put his hands on them and pray and his Disciples rebuked them but Jesus said Suffer little children to com unto mee for of such is the Kingdom of God In which words observ 1. Christ's practice 2. The reason of his Practice By his practice Hee admitted Infants to the outward sign of Blessing though they understood not what was said or don unto them yet did Christ give them his Blessing and the Sign thereof hee laid his hands on them contrarie to the carnal judgment of his Disciples who thought it a mockerie to give Infants a Sign which they understood not 2. The Reason of Christ's practice is this Infants are not excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven therefore they are not to bee excluded from the outward Sign of the right and entrie to such a Grace And if Christ did esteem it a sufficient reason why little children should bee admitted to the Sign of his Blessing becaus of such is the Kingdom of God then by the same reason Infants must bee admitted to Baptism and not debarred from the first Sign of entrie into Christ's Kingdom viz. Becaus the Kingdom of Heaven belong's to Infants before actual Faith Now if they will give us leav to make use of Christ and his Apostle's manner of reasoning my second Argument for Infant Baptism will bee this Argument 2 All those to whom the Blessings and Promises of the Covenant do belong to them also belong's Baptism the Sign thereof by the Doctrine of St Peter and of Jesus Christ himself But to Infams of believing Parents the Blessings and Promiss of the Covenant do belong before actual Faith therefore by the Doctrine of the holie Ghost in Scripture such Infants ought to bee baptized before actual Faith The Major or first part of this Argument is the very reason of the Text The Minor Proposition viz. that the Blessings and Promisses of the Covenant do belong to Infants before actual Faith is proved by these reasons 1. By the express words of Peter which say the Promise is to your children 2. By the express words of our Saviour of such is the Kingdom of Heaven 3. By example of Isaac and Jacob they were children of the Promise before actual faith and had applied unto them the Seal of the righteousness of Faith 4. Som Infants dying are saved they are members of Christ's Kingdom therefore the Blessing of the Covenant viz. Regeneration and Remission of sins through the blood of Christ do also belong to them for except an Infant bee born again Joh. 35. and cleansed by the bloud of Christ hee cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 9.22 23. But som Infants do enter into Heaven therefore som Infants are born again justified and sanctified in the bloud of Christ Now what hath the Anabaptist to except against this plain Doctrine of Scripture Object 1 The Blessings of the Covenant belong to Elect Infants not to all Shall wee under that pretence baptize all in general This was objected to mee in our