they were to make confession of at their baptism But that Christendom might encrease and be filled with the word of God the Church hath thought good for mortalities sake that the children of Christians should be timely baptized 20 Johannes Bohemius lib. 2. De gentium moribus saith In times past it was the custom to administer baptism alone to those that were instructed in the Faith and seven times in the week before Easter and Pentecost Catechised or asked questions and then upon Confession of their Faith they were baptized But afterwards when it was thought and adjudged needfull to everlasting life to be baptized it was ordained that new-born children should be baptized and that Godfathers or sureties were appointed who should make confession of their Faith and renounce the Devil in their behalf 21 Bilander de Trinitate Justinianus the Empererour ordained Novella institutione 144. That children should be admitted to haptism and those that are come to their full growth should be taught before they were baptized Thus have you it out of the mouths of their own Poets and by them confessed that baptizing of babes is Wili-worship which the Scripture saith shall all perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Col. 2.22 23. and thus having discovered the foundation of the Font and having shown whence and when and by whom Infant-baptism came in I shall leave it to the view of all and proceed to the next Now for better and more full satisfaction the book is suddainly to be reprinted and will be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls and is Entituled as followeth A very plain and well-grounded Treatise concerning Baptism Wherein is very cleerly shown and out of good grounds demonstrated that Baptism was instituted and ordained by the Lord Christ for those that believe and Repent and was so taught and used by his Apostles and observed and followed by the Primitive Church As also how that in process of time the baptism of children in stead of true Baptism was brought in and received and by divers Councels Popes and Emperours commanded to be observed Now we come to answer something to the beginning of Mr. Cooks book and to Mr. Baxters 10 Positions upon which himself confesseth his whole book standeth and without which it cannot be understood See his third page before he lay down his first Position But first I shall desire the Reader to take notice that after the truth of the Gospel had a long time been preached and publickly at Stafford both by my self and others who constantly affirmed according to the Scriptures that men and women when they believed in Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins were to be baptized into his name as in Mark 1.5 with Act. 8.12 is evident with ver 37. these things being preached in the presence of many people and some Ministers to the number of seven or eight at a time who stirred up the people to oppose it as indeed they did very much we desired them lovingly to bring their Teachers that they and we might reason about it before them the which the people were very confident they should have obtained but never could insomuch as I was carryed forth to declare my earnest desires in publick before some Priests and many people divers times thinking that then they could not in Civility have denyed it but yet we could never attain ours nor the peoples desires but they rather sought to satisfie them in private using divers Reasons and Arguments to perswade them to the contrary as if they were afraid to come to the light lest their deeds should be manifest as indeed we told the people at last we judged they were because they so much incensed the people against us privately and yet would never come to speak to our faces in the open Congregation although the honourable Governour Danvers did freely offer to engage himself that not the least wrong nor abuse should be offered them yet these men were in great fear where no fear was as it s written Psal 53.5 as appeareth by Mr. Cooks Epistle in his Font uncovered to the inhabitants of Stafford Notwithstanding we divers times offered them to reason with them twenty miles from Stafford as we have done since but it would never yet be received but rather paper-conference which for my part I was always against and was then although I was perswaded by the Governour and Captain James Brown to set my hand to that paper which was then sent them which did not exceed a quarter of a sheet to which they have answered seven sheets but to what purpose I shall leave it to the Reader to consider when he hath perused my following lines in answer to Mr. Cook and Mr. Baxter and first to Mr. Cooks Font uncovered Pag. 1. our words which he hath there put down are these You having avoided publike dispute by your selves so much prest for at first and since have rather desired paper-conference we to gratifie your desires therein have written these few lines hoping thereby to beget some discussion of the truth wherein we affirm that the baptism or sprinkling of infants whereby the national Churches of Spain England France and Rome are Constituted and from thence called Christians and Christendom is not the baptism or dipping of believers which Christ Jesus ordained and his Disciples practised for the right constituting of Churches under the Gospel whereby they rightly became and were truly called Christians To all which you begin to answer thus saying Cooks In this our stating the question divers things must be animadverted that we deceive not our selves and others through darkning the truth by words without knowledge for say you we take it for granted that you hold that by the baptizing or sprinkling of infants Churches are constituted but this you deny and proceed to affirm that 1 As Faith or interest in Christ or the Covenant of Grace constitutes a Christian so the joynt and orderly profession of faith and interest in that Covenant or Gods owning a people to be in his Covenant is that which constitutes them a Church 2 You say baptism is not essential to the constituting of a Church being but adventitious or additional as a sign or pledge of peoples entring or admission into the Church the penitent Thief on the cross was a true believer though unbaptized and a multitude of such penitent ones joyntly professing Christ should be a true Church though they wanted opportunity to be baptized c. 3 You tell us that the Church of England received its constitution in or anon after the Primitive times when by the Ministry of the word some were converted from heathenism to Christianity at which time you grnnt persons of yeers were baptized upon their profession of Repentance c. H. To all which I answer 1 It is to be observed that Mr. Cook can say nothing nor give any Answer in the least to our
writings as we wrote them and therefore he cunningly saith that in the stating the question many things must be animadverted or changed in the minde and then he states the question according to his own minde and then falls on answering not ours but his own words and thus he darkneth the Counsel of God by words without knowledge and so deceives the hearts of the simple but he telleth us that we take it for granted that he holds that by baptizing or sprinkling of infants Churches are constituted but he denies it Answ 1 If you deny that you differ from the rest of your brethren and forefathers who all generally and with one consent till within these ten or twelve yeers at the most did conclude that children were made members of Christ children of God and heirs of heaven in their baptism witness your old Catechism which you all concluded was Orthodox till the beginning of the first Parliament 1640. and therefore out of your own mouths you are condemned for if in Baptism they were made members of Christ children of God c. then they were not so before and if not members nor children before then not constituted members and thus is your folly manifest And now if you shall for an advantage seem to disown the Common-Prayer book and that Catechism Then I answer You may as well disown your baptism which you had by it and be baptized again as we are 2 I suppose you will not be so absurd as to own any unbaptized person for a Church-member that hath an opportunity to be baptized neither do I think any of you that are zealous in your own way will have communion with any such persons in the Lords Supper or other Ordinances 3 No people in Scripture since the Resurrection of Christ and his Ascension the time that all power was given into his hands to give to his Church Laws and Commandments were ever called a Church of Christ without baptism prove it if you can by the Scriptures Therefore baptism doth constitute a true Church being done upon right subjects viz. such as can believe and gladly receive the word of God as in Act. 2 41 they that gladly received the word were baptized and the same day were added three thousand souls And ver 47. the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved 4 Your self saith than faith and interest in Christ constitutes a Christian Very well then but why do you baptize such as cannot believe in Christ nor yet make out their Interest in the Covenant of Grace it is cleer to all that will understand that if faith in Christ and interest in the Covenant of Grace do constitute a Christian then they that do not believe in Christ and cannot make out their interest in the Covenant of Grace are no constituted Christians but all the infants baptized into the Church of England could do neither therefore no constituted Christians What they are to God is nothing to you nor me secret things belongs to God Deut. 29. Again you say that joynt and orderly profession of faith and interest in the Covenant doth constitute them a Church Very well and I pray then is not repentance and baptism an orderly profession of faith doth not the Apostle say Act. 2 38. 1 Repent and 2 be baptized c. and 3 So many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 and is not putting on Christ profession Consider it again doth not a man that puts on a garment profess to wear it to all that behold him whilst it is upon him so likewise they that put on Christ by baptism do profess to own him before all men and Mr. Baxter calleth it a listing engaging ordinance himself I hope you will not deny his Doctrine to be Orthodox although you cavil with the Scriptures And now seeing that baptism is an Ordinance by which believers do put on and profess Christ then its evident out of your own mouth that it constitutes a Church or else you must say they are constituted before they put on Christ 5 You say that baptism is a sign or pledge of peoples admission into the Church Well then if so then it followeth that they are not in before to any mans sight and if not in the Church much less constituted and established members of the Church But you proceed to prove by instancing the Thief upon the cross to be saved without baptism Answ We deny it not because he declared openly his faith in Christ and owned him when he was disowned almost of all which sheweth plainly that if he might have had liberty to come down he would have quickly been baptized into his name and therefore the Lord accepting the will for the deed as 1 Cor. 8.12 he said unto him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise But what makes this for the baptizing of Infants to tell us of a man that was saved and was never baptized at all You might rather if you would have dealt honestly with the Text have proved that little babes may be saved though not baptized for alas they can profess no faith nor confess no sin neither hath Christ anywhere required them to obey any command before they can understand and believe the Gospel for what soever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 But you are pleased to say that we do not apply that Scripture right And why I pray because it spoyles your practice but doth not the word what soever include all matters and duties we owe to God Consider it again cannot the Scriptures be in quiet for you But because this offends you we will give you another Heb. 11.6 without faith its impossible to please God Now consider whether you please God or no when you baptize babes that have no faith in them neither have you any word of God for it Again this your president of the Thief upon the Cross will not at all help you except you finds some men in the like condition or some men upon the Gallows that would gladly come down and become new creatures then I confess as you say 2 multitude of such penitent ones might be reckoned to be in a saying condition though not baptized But sir I suppose that neither you nor I are in that straight the poor Thief was in as yet therefore it wall be no plea for us but if either of us be unbaptized we have time and liberty enough to consider our ways and to turn our feet to the testimonies of the Lord therefore let us make haste and not delay the time see Psal 119.59 60. Lastly You tell us that the Church of England was constituted in or anon after the Apostles days and by the Ministry of the word were converted from heathenism to Christianity and then persons of yeers were baptized upon profession of Faith and Repentance Answ What then what is your Church now the better for that which was done 1600 yeers agone
an empty law Third General I. That though in the 4 last books of Moses is an oft repetition of the Statutes and Judgements yet usually there is inserted in each of them some weighty distinction and not without great reason repeated which because of my necessity and brevity of time of writing with my other imployments I have omitted to observe leaving it to your selves to do as being the sole object of your study and rule of life to live by II. That as in the beginning God divided government committing some to Moses in the judicials and other to Aaron in the ceremonials 1. Moses government in the law is not destroyed Mat. 5.17 and cap. 23.2 2. Aarons Priesthood and with that his government ceaseth and in the place thereof Jesus Christ by the Fathers appointment is set up Heb. 7.11 12 15 16. 3. So that now as first there was Moses and Aaron so now there is to be to the end of the World Moses and Christ to rule and govern the World by 1. Moses in the World or State under the covenant of works also the servant of Jesus Christ ruling for him because he is not of the World 2. Christ in the Church among the Saints or believers under the new covenant of grace among whom the Lord himself is being one of them III. Those words Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God cannot be said of nor applyed to any in that way as the words are delivered but to those 1. That have covenanted with God in the way of the law as the Israelites did 2. That are under the rule and goverment of the commands the Statutes and Judgements contained in that law Object That was spoken only of those God brought out of Egypt and concerns not us Resp As the Jews were under the bondage of Egypt and were restrained from Gods service and were then not in covenant with him nor had not his law to judge by so we have been under Antichrist in Babel and have been restrained from Gods service and were then not in covenant with the Lord as they were not nor is his law set up as a rule to judge by among us so that when God shall have brought us out of Babel and set up his laws and brought us into covenant with himself according to Moses it shall then be as binding to us that God brought us out of Babel as to them that he brought them out of Egypt Jer. 16.14.15 They shall no more say The Lord Liveth that brought them out of Egypt but out of the north countryes Jer. 23.7 8 9. Note Under the first covenant God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 2.16 In the one God is as Abram to Hagar whose son she had by him was to be cast out under the Gospel-estate which was fulfilled in the casting out of unbelievers from the society of Saints they being not to inherit the promise that is Jesus Christ Gal. 4.30 which work was then done and shall be most certainly done againe in this age of ours In the other God is as Abraham to Sarah whose son Isaac being born of the free-woman signifieth the state of the Church under the Gospel under the name of Jerusalem from above which are a society of believers joyned to the Lord Jesus in the fellowship of the Gospel in whom the better promises are conferred and made over to the Saints born after the Spirit Gal. 4.30 Conclusion The covenant of works was after the covenant made with Abraham of grace but being renewed in Christ it is called new and the new old Gal. 3.17 The now first covenant though it hath not the best yet it hath many excellent promises necessary for the life annexed to it which we wanting bodily are reduced to great necessities and the breaking thereof brought ruine and desolation suddainly to the Jews And though at this time it be not in esteem among men yet the prophesie of Isaiah 42.19 21. incourageth me that after Gods servant comes who the blind world accounts blind though God saith he is his servant and perfect and which the Scripture before clearly shews was to come after the grand Apostacy of Antichrist I say after he comes the Lord will magnifie the law make it great though all the world have endeavoured to make nothing of it or of no use at all a long time when they shall againe judge by it and punish by it and rule by it c. yea and more the Lord will make it honourable also they shall never set up traditions in the place thereof again O Parliament This God will do but whether God will do this by you or not and honour you herein or not I do not know you see it is my desire if it be his will ye are witnesses and God also that the work may be yours who have dore much of the work of the Lord in the Nation that the Honour here and reward thereof hereafter may be yours and let me speak freely to you thus that if you will not do it God in few yeers will not want them that will do it upon whom and whose posterity the blessigs of God and the Nation will fall in great abundance who did that in their generation for them was never done it being then and never untill then fulfilled that of Paul Rom. 10.19 I will provoke you to jealousie by them that are not a people that is some heathens which none never yet did do should as the Jews nationally covenant with God in the covenant of Moses with which the Jews as awaked begin to thinke that people Jacob-like steal away or God gives away his birthright from him the not doing whereof delayes their call Now what Nation in all the world is like to do this as England O that it might be offered them who would not refuse it The fourth General That to the Elders Heads and Judges were other inferior subordinate officers to serve in the same rule who have their authority from the Scriptures and from God as the rest Josh 23.2 Deut. 16.18 Command the First Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me Statutes DEut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. Chap. 10.20 Fear the Lord thy God him shalt thou serve and to him shalt thou cleave Exod. 34.12 Take heed to thy self that thou make no covenant with the inhabitants Verse 15. Lest thou and they go awhoring after their gods and one call thee and thou eat of their sacrifice Deut. 11.6 Take beed to your selves that your hearts be not deceived to turn aside to serve other Gods and worship them Deut. 8.19 If thou forget the Lord thy God and walk after other Gods and serve and worship them c. Deut. Thou shalt not go after other gods the gods of the people round about you Exod. 23.24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods nor serve them nor do after their
Church-members and Disciples of Christ and therefore ought to be baptized for which cause I shall now come to Answer to their Arguments in general and to shew by the Scriptures why infants that cannot speak words nor understand Reason cannot be Church-members under the Gospel nor Christs Disciples the which being cleered it will plainly appear they are not fit subjects for baptism by their own grant For the cleering of which I shall first speak something concerning the Covenant that God made with Abraham upon which Mr. Cooke and Mr. Baxter do pretend to build making the Covenant with Abraham and his natural seed under the law all one with the Covenant made with Abraham and his spiritual seed born of the spirit under the Gospel In answer to which I thus Reason 1 That there is two Covenants is evident Gal. 4.24 in these words for these are the two Covenants Now if there be two Covenants then either we are under the old Covenant still or else the new is come in place but that we are not under the old Covenant still is evident because Christ is come whose blood is the blood of the new Covenant which is everlasting Heb. 13.20 and Luke 22.20 he saith This cup is the New-Testament in my blood giving us to understand that as the old Covenant or Testament was sealed with the blood of Bulls and Goats and Calves Heb. 9.19 20. So the new Covenant that is established upon better promises is sealed and confirmed by the blood of Christ the Son of God who hath obtained a more excellent ministery in that he is the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 for finding fault with the first he saith Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judab not according to the former c. ver 7 8 9 10 11. what is that he will put his Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people which Covenant the Saints are now under and are heirs of these better promises upon which it is established therefore Paul applyeth the same to the Saints 2 Cor. 6.16 saying as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people c. And thus have I proved that we are not under the old Covenant which did properly belong to the fleshly seed which had but the promise of an earthly Canaan under the curse and Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children See Gal. 4.24.25 but believers are under the new Covenant which hath better promises viz. that they shall inherit that new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteonsness and that new Jerusalem which is above and is free and is the mother us of all see 2 Pet. 3.13 with Gal. 4.26 Againe I believe Paul knew as well the intent and meaning of the Covenant of God made with Abraham as Mr. Baxter or Mr. Cooke and yet he applieth it not to a fleshly seed as appeareth thus Gen. 17.7 God said unto Abraham I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and thy seed c. Now the Question is who are the seed to whom the Covenant and promises do belong which Paul answereth Gal. 3.16 saying Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made be saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Chrst Thus we see that it is not every one that is born of the flesh to Abraham that had right to the Covenant and priviledges thereof but as he saith ver 29. If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise as it is written Rom. 4.13 The promise that Abraham should be the heir of the world was not to him nor his seed according to the Law but according to the righteousness of Faith as Rom. 9.7.8 Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy seed be Called that is saith the Apostle They that are the Children of the flesh are not the Children of God but the Children of the promise are counted for the seed Now if the Children of Abraham were not the Children of the Covenant nor heirs of the promise by fleshly birth much less can the Children of beleeving Gentiles that are inferior to Abraham be in Covenant for that which is born of flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 Likewise the Apostle doth not say that it was Esan though he was the elder that was in Covenant but Jacob though the younger who beleeved in the God of his Father Isaac And indeed I do much wonder how the Preachers of the Chureh of England dare affirme that beleevers Children are in Covenant before beleeving by vertue of their Parents faith and yet they hold that God did hate and had reprobated Esau before he was born or had done good or evill and so notwithstanding his Parents Isaac and Rebecea were both precious beleivers yet Esau their own Child was never in Covenant before he was born nor after by their own grant Thus all men may see how they confound their own principles no marvell then although they labour to confound other mens and if this very thing were but well weighed and rightly considered it is sufficient to discover the folly and falshood of all Mr. Baxters and Mr. Cooks arguments Againe If beleivers Children be in Covenant because they are beleivers Children then grace comes by generation and not by regeneration the which to affirme is absurd Againe If beleivers Children be in Covenant by vertue of their beleiving Parents then all the World ever since righteous Noah must needs be in Covenant for they and we all came of righteous Noah But Mr. Cooke saith in his Font uncovered pag. 45. That he doth not hold falling from the inward efficacy of grace and true sanctification justification and adoption Answ So then it seems by his own confession it s not true and then it must needs be false and it s well if they fall from false grace and false sanctification and false justification and false adoption for they that fall from false must needs fall to true as certainely as they which fall from true must needs fall to false or else they fall from nothing but abide as they were But to make the folly of these wise men manifest I pray consider with me 1. what the new Covenant is and then 2. you shall judge whether Infants are or can be in it or no Heb. 8.8.9 10 11. The Lord saith The daies come when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt