as well as the Jews be in Covenant with God and Baptism now as well as Circumcision then be a Seal of the Covenant to be Administred to all in the Covenant then certainly it must follow that Children of the Jews as in Covenant with God being admitted to its Seal Circumcision the Children of Christians being equally in Covenant may and ought to be admitted to its Seal which now is Baptism Thus is the Major Proposition proved and those who were Circumcifed under the Law manifested to have a Right to Baptism under the Gospel I proceed 2. To Receive and Answer the Objections I have met with against this Argument Object 1. They Object The Covenant then made was a Carnal Covenant but this through Christ is a Spiritual Covenant and therefore though Infants may be capable of one yet not of the other till Regenerated and become Believers Answ 1. The Covenant then made was a Covenant of Grace permanent to the Worlds end Gen. 17.10 13. made through Christ the Promised Seed and is the same Covenant we are now admitted to nor shall it ever be Repealed while Christ hath a People on Earth Which thus appears 1. It was made with Abraham who in Scripture is often called the Father of the Faithful Rom. 4.11 and it was made with him as a Believer Therefore it was a Covenant of Grace 2. It was made through Christ Gen. 17.7 in whom all the Families of the Earth should be Blessed who was that Promised Seed to proceed from Abraham 3. It is often called an Everlasting Covenant and therefore this Covenant of Grace hath been often in succeeding Ages urged to God by his People to re-mind him of his Promises made to Abraham And God also in divers Ages hath declared himself to his People by the Title of the God of Abraham 4. The Tenor of that Covenant is the same with ours now Gal. 3. latter end Heb. 11. that God will be a God of his People and their Seed and that they who believe on him shall be accepted by him 5. Scripture Attests Circumcision to have been to Abraham a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.1 which implies that Covenant made with Abraham to have been a Covenant of Grace Object 2. But they Object again That the Seed here in the Covenant and that had Right to Circumcision the Seal of it was a Spiritual Seed and therefore Believers ought only to be Baptized To which I Answer Answ 1. The Seed in the Covenant denoted not only the Spiritual Seed but all the Natural Seed of Abraham all proceeding from his Loyns Gen. 17.23 13 14. Ishmael as well as Isaac was Circumcised and every Male Child Born of all the Strangers that were Proselyted to the Jewish Religion 2. The Natural Seed as Men belonged to the Visible Church of God and so were in a Capacity to receive that Seal and Mark distinguishing them from the Gentiles and Heathens which was only an Ordinance belonging to a Visible Church of which Men might Judge 3. The Uncircumcised were denyed many Common Priviledges yea it was a Scandal for the Jews to Associate with them or to joyn in Affinity with them which Priviledges could not be granted only to the Spiritual Seed Gen. 34.14 because it would be much injurious to Humane Society nor indeed could their Spiritual state or their being the Spiritual Seed of Abraham come under Mans Cognizance 4. This would crect Men as Judges of our Hearts and Spirituality which cannot be discerned by any Mortal Eye Jer. 17.9 10. 2 Tim. 2.19 but is only known to that Immortal God who tryeth the Heart whence proceeds that distinction of an Invisible Church consisting of true Believers only whom God alone knows and of a Visible Church containing all Christian Professors whose Members are discernable by Men. 5. If Baptism or Circumcision be only applicable to the Spiritual Seed of Abraham true Believers the Ordinances would soon be null as to their Administration because we know not then whom to Baptize not dare we say this Man or Child is a true Believer and one of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham and the other is not and probably may thus admit those to the Ordinances who are Hypocrites while we reject those who are true Believers Cen. 17.22 Acts 8.13 18 23. There have been Persons Baptized and Circumcised who yet doubtless were not of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham witness the instances of Ishmael and Simon Magus 6. The Children the Anabaptists refuse may be the Spiritual Seed of Abraham for ought they or we know Jeremiah and St. John were Sanctified from the Womb and known by God to be his before they were Born and so before they could be under Mans Cognizance And who dare say that the Children they refuse are not partakers of the Holy Ghost or by God accounted as Believers What would be the Result of such Expressions Should those dye in their Infancy who dare say they are Damned Nay the Anabaptists grant them a Capability of Salvation and say all Children dying Children shall be saved and then surely they esteem them the Spiritual Seed of Abraham And if so the Children not Acting any thing to render them uncapable they might by their own Arguings be Subjects fit to be Baptized ARGUMENT III. Those who are within the Covenant of Grace may be Baptized But Children are within the Covenant of Grace Therefore they may be Baptized THE Major of this Argument is verified in that Baptism is now the Seal of the Covenant between God and his People as Circumcision was under the Law and therefore those who are thus in Covenant with God Col. 2.11 12. may be admitted to the Participation of its Seal as those were The Minor That Children are within the Covenant of Grace is thus undeniably confirmed 1. Gods Grace is Universal appertaining to Children as well as Adult Persons Christ dyed for them as well as Men and Women and they partake of his Benefits as well as the other and shall be saved hereafter as well as grown Persons 2. Children were ever in the Covenant with God and never rejected or cast out by Christ nor that Covenant Repealed and we have already proved the Covenant including Children as well as Parents to be a Covenant of Grace and so everlasting Therefore Children are still in the Covenant of Grace 3. They never Excluded themselves Rom. 11.20 because not actual Unbelievers and none but such were rejected therefore they are still in the Covenant 4. They have the Promises of the Covenant belonging to them Acts 2.37 38 39. and renewed to them with their Converted Parents which would not be unless Christ still comprehended them as well as their Parents within the Covenant 5. They are termed Holy though Born but of one Believing Parent And this Holiness cannot be understood of Legitimacy or Lawfulness of Birth as I have met with the Anabaptists Glossing as if
is the Action of the People inconsiderable in this matter who brought them to Christ both which imply they were Little Ones who could not come alone else need they not to have been brought nor stand alone else Christ might have laid his Hands on them standing without taking them up into his Arms. 2. The Ordinance it self declares it it was imposition of Hands Christ laid his hands on them and Blessed them saith the Text which 1. Heb. 6.2 Is in the very words the Holy Ghost expresseth that Ordinance of Christs Church Confirmation both in the Original Text and our Transiation Mar. 19.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laying on of Hands And Christ laid his hands on them 2. That this imposition of Hands was an Ordinance and no common Laying on of Hands may easily be gathered because here is no mention of the Childrens being ill or labouring under any Malady to be Cured by Christs touch which might move Christ to lay Hands on them in order to their Cure 3. Christ did not at any time lay hands on Pray and Bless for the healing any Malady as he did at this time 4. It refers to a Spiritual good by our Saviours Reason given why he laid hands on them Theirs or of such is the Kingdom of Heaven They belong to my Church here and shall partake with me of my Glory hereafter Besides this Argument these Texts admit of many more for Infant Baptism so that our Church hath Prudently chosen it as one Reason for its Practice wherein is 1. A double Precept tending to it 1. Affirmatively Suffer little Children to come unto me 2. Negatively Forbid them not By both which our Saviour shews the earnestness of his desires Children should come and his unwillingness they should be hindred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from coming to him or becoming as the very words import Proselytes of him 2. It was to a visible Mercy Christ could have bestowed on them Internal Favours nor could his Disciples have hindred them from receiving them or from being Members of Christs Invisible Church but because they obstructed their coming to Christ to accept of a Visible Mercy and of an outward Priviledge belonging to Christs Visible Church he is displeased 3. The Displeasure of Christ against his Disciples for this fault is Emphatically expressed Mark 10.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was very Angry with them so as severely to chide them for it as the Publick Reproof they had declares Let us take heed we incur not the like by keeping from him those whom he bids to be be admitted to him 4. The expression of Christ concerning the Children whom he Blessed declaring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those very Infants or Children and of their Species is the Kingdom of Heaven a◠it includes the present state of Grace and the future state of Glory 5. Their coming to Christ is their becoming his Disciples or Proselytes Suffer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Proselytes to Me or let them be received as my Disciples And how can Children be brought to Christ or come to be his Proselytes and Disciples under a Gospel Oeconomy unless by Baptism as the Jews were formerly under the Law by Circumcision This Text rightly considered might silence all Opposers and gain their consent to our Practice ARGUMENT IX If the Faith of the Parents entitles the Children to the Covenant it entitles them to Baptism But the Faith of the Parents entitles the Children to the Covenant Therefore the Faith of the Parents entitles the Children to Baptism IN this Argument the Grand Enquiry is the Benefits resulting to the Children of Believing Parents from their Parents Believing And it being manifested that the Parents Faith entitles the Children to the Covenant we have Proved the Consequence That they being in Covenant ought to be Baptized And that the Faith of the Parent doth entitle Children to the Covenant and its Blessings and Priviledges I thus Prove 1. Scriptures seem clear in it when St. Peter had Converted the Jews Acts 2.37 38 39. he proposeth to them a Believing on Christ and adds the Covenant then to be to them and to their Seed And that place already urged manifests the Child 1 Cor. 7.14 though but of one Believing Parent to be in Covenant with God and so esteemed Holy 2. If Children of Believers had no Right to the Blessings of the Covenant in vain are our Prayers for them but we believe and know that our Prayers are helpful and serviceable to them and obtain Blessings for them 3. The Faith of Parents amongst the Jews entitled their Children to the Covenant Rom. 11.26 Deut. 29.10 11. Gen. 17.10 the Belief of the Proselyte rendred all his Children capable of Circumcision and the like Promises and Priviledges are granted to and enjoyed by Christians 4. We find the Jaylor instructed to Believe Acts 16.33 and presently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very same hour not only him but all with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forthwith were Baptized 5. Else there is no difference observed between our Children and those of Turks and Infidels Ephes 2.12 13. but ours would be equally with theirs without Christ which is a Mystery unknown to the Jews and a thing not to be credited by us since Christ 6. Lydia and the Jaylor Acts 16.15 31 33. Gen. 17.7 c. being instructed we may suppose believed the Doctrine made known yet on their Believing their whole Families were Baptized agreeable to what hath been premised concerning Abraham and others who believing among the Jews were Circumcised and all their Families So that I humbly suppose we may genuinely infer from these Reasons that Children by Right of the Faith of their Believing Parents are received into Covenant by God and have been and ought to be received to the Seal of that Covenant by Man ARGUMENT X. Those who are Capable of the Kingdom of Heaven are Capable of Baptism But Children are Capable of the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore Children are Capable of Baptism Major THE Major Proposition of this Argument Proving their capability of Baptism who are capable of the Kingdom of Heaven relyeth on these grounds 1. The greater includes the less But it is a greater thing to be fit Subjects for Heaven than to be fit for Baptism Many are Baptized who shall not be saved but all who shall be saved are fit for and capable of Baptism 2. The Requisites for Baptism are far more necessary to Salvation Heb. 11.6 Rev. 21. last Mark 16.16 as Faith Repentance and if Children in Gods esteem be such who are capable of enjoying Heaven as well as Believers then sure we may account them Subjects fit for Baptism 3. The Kingdom of Glory of which they shall be partakers hereafter implyeth and presupposeth their being in a state of Grace and of the Church of Christ here Ephes 5.26 and if of Christs Church they may be Baptized 4. It seems
Salvation is annexed to Faith and Damnation is the Punishment of Unbelief Baptism therefore is not absolutely necessary to Salvation nor its want absolutely exposing Souls to Damnation 3. This would be to tye God to means and to make it in Mans Power to Save or Damn whom he pleased For if it be impossible any should be saved without Baptism then would it follow that it is Baptism more than Gods free Grace that saves Ephes 2.8 and that it is in the Power of the Minister by Baptism to save whom he please and by denying it to damn whom he will Yea then this Ordinance will be supposed to confer Grace Ex Opere Operate which Assertion detracts from Gods Glory disagrees with Truth and is injurious to Souls who may be hereby brought to rely rather on a Creatures Baptism than their Creaton Mercy for Salvation 4. Then all Children and those who dye unbaptized must be supposed not to appertain to Christ nor to be saved by him which to believe of all Infants is dreadful whom I cannot implead of sin in not being Baptized being not capable of desiring it And though I cannot but think the Parent highly to Offend in slighting the Ordinance where it is to be obtained yet cannot I suppose it to be by God imputed as a sin to the Child so dying for which he will damn it which is the Genuine though Dismal Consequence of that Position That Baptism is absolutely necessary to Salvation 5. The Baptism contended for is but an outward sign of that inward Grace which Entitles the Soul to Heaven John 3.5 and to which Glory is annexed the sign then cannot be so Essential as that they who have received the things signified and inward Grace without Baptism should still be excluded Heaven because they are not Baptized Acts 10.47 Which is as much as to assert that though a Soul should partake of all Christs Benefits to be bestowed on a Worthy Communicant yet unless he actually Eat the Bread and Drink the Wine which are the External Elements in the Lords Supper and Representatives of those inward Benefits yet he could not be saved A Thesis deservedly to be exploded Rubric 3. after Comm. 〈…〉 as nullifying Christs Merits to Idolize External things And our Church is clear against it 6. By this Assertion it would follow that many Thousands of Christians shall be Damned who duly and perhaps more circumspectly walk in Obedience to God than we in and amongst the Turks and Pagans who probably by Reason of their Persecuted Condition or the non-settlement of a Church and Ordinances amongst them are and so dye unbaptized But how sad this would be to a Christians Eat I leave every one to judge 7. When ever Baptism is taken as so necessary to Salvation in Scripture it hath respect to the Internal thing signified by it so St. John 3.9 John hath chiefly respect to the Baptism of the Spirit whereby the Soul is Regenerated and reduced to a state of Grace nor can the Baptism we contend about be there meant this being not Instituted till after our Saviours Resurrection which was some Years after these words were spoken by our Saviour And this Baptism of the Spirit is other where called A Baptism by Fire Mat. 3.11 denoting the cleansing and purifying Nature of the Graces of the Holy Ghost which purifies the Regenerated Soul from its Corruption and burns up its drossie Lusts In comparison of which Baptism St. John accounts his of Water the Subject of our present Controversie so mean as only to have a Relation to it as Precedaneous not as Competitour Again Ephes 1.26 27. St. Paul joyns the Word of God with this Baptism in order to the Purifying Christs Church that acting on the Soul and this terminating on the Body And St. Peter's Assertion is clear 1 Pet. 3.21 that it is not the Water Purifying the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God that saveth us And indeed the Trope of using the sign for the thing signified is not unusual in Scripture 8. The All-wise God hath determined the Controversie in that He in divers places of his revealed Will Asserts Gal. 6.15 1 Cor. 7.19 that neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision avail any thing but a New Creature It is not the being an unbaptized Person that will expose any one to Condemnation for there is not one Woe denounced against any as such Nor is there one Promise in all the Divine Writ Infallibly annexing Salvation to Baptism 2 Thes 1.8 9. John 3.16 All Threats of Misery are to those who believe not and Obey not the Gospel of Christ And all Promises of Eternal Mercies are to those who by Faith close with Christ and live the life of Christians So that I dare not say all who are Baptized shall be saved and all who are not Baptized shall be damned But I dare affirm that whosoever remain and dyeth in unbelief shall be damned though he be Baptized And whoever believes truly on Christ and lives answerably to that Faith though for some Persecution or other Causes he cannot be Baptized he shall be saved Whence will appear That Baptism is not absolutely Necessary to Salvation so as that one cannot be saved without it As I have hitherto endeavoured to remove the great Censure of the Anabaptists of our being in no visible salvable way because not Baptized after their Mode by giving my Reasons why Baptism is not so absolutely Necessary to Salvation So I proceed to prove That Baptism of Water is not absolutely Necessary to Church-membership Prop. 2. so as that they cannot be Members of Christs Church unless Baptized Which will appear thus 1. Wills against Danvers p. 49. There was ever a Church before Baptism or Circumcision were Administred They being both External signs to be acted on visible Professors and Church-members in the Church of Christ there is necessarily presupposed an existence of a Church containing Members to be Circumcised or Baptized and Persons to perform these Offices So that these signs are not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse of a Church or the Essential Constituents of its visibility Noah Seth and those Holy Patriarchs before the Flood who Lived some hundreds of Years before the Institution of Circumcision Gen. 17.24 were doubtless Members of Gods Church And Abraham also doubtless before he was Circumcised which was in the 99th Year of his Age and about the 2107 Year of the World was a True Believer and a Member of the True Church And if it be alledged they were Members of the Invisible Church we may grant them a Membership in the Visible from that known Axiom Omne majus in se continet minus Their being of the Invisible Church being greater than their being Members of the Visible Church Yea it is apparent the Promises were made to Abraham above Twenty Years before Circumcision was Instituted which Promise he believed Gen.
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