and admitted into God's Church and Family Cur eos à signo arceamus upon what reason can wee drive them from the sign of their admittance It is saith a Learned man God's great Work to Church the World A Treatise entituled a blow at the root◠or a discoverie of Satan's devices p. 154. and the Divel's counter-work is to Heathenize the Church It troubles the Divel much that children from their infancie should bee under an Engagement to receiv nurture and admonition in the Lord to frequent the Ordinances and to own Jesus Christ by an external profession if hee could but contriv to prevent their coming into that Engagement hee might hope more easily to keep them out when they are grown up then to work them out so grown up to a renouncing of Christianitie which yet hee hath brought som unto For a close of both the questions hitherto debated I desire to bee resolved by our Adversaries What is meant by the doctrine of Baptism and laying on of hands reckoned up among the principles of Christian Religion Heb. 6.2 By laying on of Hands must bee understood either the rite of confirmation which stood 1. In instruction and examination of those who had been baptized Infants 2. And in Praying for them that God would continue them in the Faith c. This was performed when they grew up to years of discretion and were called to give account of their Faith before their admission to the Lord's Supper And of this minde is judicious Mr Calvin Inst l. 4 c. 19. de confirmatione §. 4. And hee wishes that this Rite and Custom were again restored and practised in the Church of God Talem ergò manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat laudo restitutam hodiè in purum usum velim and gives weightie reasons of what benefit it would bee to the Church Sect. 13. Or secondly by imposition of hands must bee understood a Rite or Ceremonie used in the Ordination of Ministers Now chuse which sens you pleas if the later then you confess that Ordination is a Scripture-principle to bee acknowledged of all Christians and so you yield our first question if the former sens then you acknowledg Infant-Baptism to bee a Scripture principle fit for all men to imbrace and so you yield our later question But why may wee not understand this laying on of hands in both respects and so conclude both points judicent docti It is necessarie for all men to bee instructed and catechized in these six Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and to believ 1. That wee must Repent of all our sins which are dead works and turn from them to serv God in newness of life 2. That penitent persons must believ in God and rest on his mercie in Christ for salvation 3. And for the grounding of people in Religion that they bee instructed concerning the nature use and signification of Baptism whereby wee are baptized and planted into Christ Rom. 6.3 to bee partakers of the benefits of his death 4. And farther to bee instructed that by laying on of hands our baptized Infants ought to bee trained up in the knowledg and fear of the Lord seasoned with the principles of Christ's Religion and that for their good and the instruction of the whole Church and for right dispencing of Gospel-Ordinances and the means of salvation it is necessarie that a succession of Ministers bee Ordained for gathering and perfecting the Saints till wee all meet in Heaven 5. And that all Christian people bee taught to believ the Resurrection of the dead 6. And the last judgment whereby all men shall be judged and eternally disposed of 2 Cor. 5.10 according to that they have don in the bodie whether it bee good or bad O Lord our God God of all Grace Father of all mercies vouchsafe for thy Son's sake to open all our understandings that wee may conceiv and bow all our hearts to imbrace all saving Truthes And let us never bee of the number of those that strive or rebel against the light Soli Deo gloria FINIS
by their unwearied diligence the Orthodox after sound Confutation of their Heresie sitting down content with that discharge of their dutie And surely if ever our glorious lights of the sanctuarie bee put out and new ones set up in their stead next unto God's wrath penally inflicting such a judgment for a Peoples unthankfulness it will bee ascribed to our laziness and their unwearied diligence rather then to any truth of their Caus or excellence of their Arguing For they do not or will not know when they are confuted but after their Arguments answered ten times over they are as brisk to offer new disputation insisting upon their old bald Arguments as if never uttered before their diligence should provoke us to the like if not their diligence yet love to their souls should 2 Tim. 2.25 remembring that of Paul in meekness instructing those that oppose themselvs if at any time God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselvs out of the snare of the Divel wee must not give over a Patient while there is hope no not though they oppose themselvs but with long-suffering they must bee instructed becaus as the gift of grace so the time of grace is in God's hand alone It is a great skill to discern who are to bee forborn and who to bee opposed they that make Divisions and parties in the Church and scandalize the Doctrine are to bee avoided Rom. 16.17 others that walk humbly and peaceably under that weakness and dissenting Opinion from their brethren are to bee forborn loved and cherished till wee meet in heaven where Luther and Calvin and all whose Faith and hearts do center in the Lord Christ shall for evermore bee fully agreed To his Grace I commend you who is able to establish you and rest Yours and the Churches servant in the Gospel of Jesus Christ WILLIAM LYFORD AN APOLOGIE FOR Our Publick MINISTERIE TOuching the Office and Calling of Ministers and Lay-men's preaching the Question is not Whether Christians may and ought privately to edifie one another by admonitions counsels reproofs repetition of Sermons reading of good Books and other Christian conferences all this I grant and commend to practice from these Scriptures Heb. 3.13 1 Thes 4.8 1 Thes 5.11.14 Rom. 15 14. But the whole state of the controversie may fitly bee reduced to these three heads Quest 1. Whether the work of a Minister in the Administration of the Word and Sacraments bee a Calling Office and work distinct from the rest of the people Whether there bee any such Calling or Office for that holy work in the New Testament Affir 2. Whether Ordination of Ministers for Administration of Word and Sacraments bee an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Affir 3. Whether it bee lawful for men uncalled and unordained to Take upon them the preaching of the Word in the Name and with the autoritie of the Lord Jesus or the Administration of the Sacraments Neg. The answer and determination of these three Questions will clearly state the Caus which I shall do in three Conclusions Concl. 1 1. The Ministerie is a distinct Calling and Office which they are bound to attend unto and None but they can or ought to perform Concl. 2 2. Ordination of Ministers by imposition of hands of other Ministers for the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Concl. 3 3. No man uncalled and unordained can with good Conscience intrude or enter upon that Work and Office it is a great sin so to do Of these I will speak in order The first Conclusion in Answer to the first Question viz. that the Ministerie is a distinct Office and Calling is proved 1. By express words of the Text 1 Tim. 3.1 if any man desire the Office of a Bishop hee desireth a good work The Text tell 's you that Bishop or Presbyter is an Office a good Office and hee that is made a Bishop is a man in high Office even to take care of the Church of God ver 5. and in him there are required manie qualifications which are not required in other Believers Again Paul writing to the Philippians doth plainly distinguish the Bodie of Saints from the Officers To all the Saints which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1.1 By Bishops there all understand Ministers of the Gospel in Office of Teaching distinct from the people who were Saints but not Bishops So in the Church of Ephesus the like distinction between Pastor and People in respect of Office and Calling is obferved Act. 20. Paul called for the Elders of the Church vers 17. Hee minde's them of their Office vers 28. Take heed to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers or Bishops to feed the Church of God for so did Christ ordain and set in the Church som Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministerie Ehes 4.11.12 e.i. to bee Guides to the Flock to feed them with wholsom Doctrine Heb. 13.7 17. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God and submit your selvs for they watch for your souls In which places you see that Ministerie of the Word is a name of Office given to certain men designed and singled out to that work as a special work not common to others take one clear place more viz. 1 Thes 5.11 Comfort and edifie one another there 's the peoples mutual dutie in private But vers 12. know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you there 's the Pastor's Office and dutie who though they may bee but even with you in respect of Gifts and Graces yet they are over you in the Lord in respect of their Office and Work they are over all even over them which were able Concl. 1 privately to admonish one another and the people's dutie is to know i.e. to acknowledg them as such and to esteem them very highly for their work 's sake becaus God hath set them over you in that Office By all which places of Scripture it is evident that in the Churches of Christ Som are Pastors and Elders to feed Some are Guides and Rulers Som are Sheep the flock to bee fed Som are Guided and Ruled Som are single Saints Som are Bishops over them in the Lord. There is a work wholly to bee attended and men appointed to attend that work wholly Names of Office without an Office are meer mockeries the Names of a King of a Steward Pastor Bishop Guide c. without their respective Offices are not given in Scripture In the places now cited you finde those distinctive Titles and Names joyned with the work it self I demand then with the Apostle Are all Teachers 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 14.4 are all Bishops are all Guids and Pastors The Minister and his Work are as precisely distinguished by the
Conference Answ If Baptism belong but to one Infant it is enough to confute them who deny it to all becaus they are Infants 2. And if it belong to som Infants why not to all for who shall judg which are elected and which are not It concerns not us to know who are and who are not Elected becaus the Sacraments do belong to the Elect not as Elect but as visible members and Professors upon which account S. Peter baptized Simon Magus And Abraham by God's appointment circumcised Ismaël though a reprobate Esau and all the children of the flesh were circumcised 3. Lastly by your reason Men of years should not bee baptized becaus wee cannot tell whether they bee Elected or not Object 2 But where have you any Example of children baptized Answ There is no need of example when wee have the Doctrine of the holie Ghost for it which is of greater Autoritie and force then bare Example Howbeit the practise of the Apostles may go for an Example their baptizing of whole housholds is an Example of baptizing all within the hous old and yong that are not excepted Even as under the name of Abraham's houshold are comprehended his Infants Abraham and his houshold were circumcised so the Jailor and his houshold were baptized the phrase is the same the case the same and why not the persons Object 3 Yea but the Scripture saies Go Teach and Baptize and they that gladly received the Word were baptized and again they were baptized confessing their sins therefore men must bee capable of teaching of Faith and repentance before they bee baptized Answ T is true When wee first bring the Gospel to a People they must bee first Taught confess their Faith and their Repentance and then bee baptized But it as true that when the Parents have received the Faith and are baptized their children also are taken into Covenant Thus Abraham was first taught and then circumcised But his Infants were first circumcised and then taught This one Error doth much bemist your understandings you conceiv that the Covenant take's in onely actual Believers That is indeed a part of the Covenant but not the whole extent of it as hath been proved For as wee by deeds do purchase and convey Lands holden in Leas or Copie to our children yea to children which shall bee born as well as to them that bee already born and though our children at that age knew not what their Fathers did for them yet when they come to age they claim those Lands by virtue of the Land-Lord's Grant and Seal annexed paying their Rents and doing their covenanted Services and Homage So doth the great Land-Lord of Heaven put both us and our children into the Copie of Heaven and confirms it by Seal of Baptism And when our children com to have Faith they may claim the good things covenanted by virtue of God's Grant and Covenant made with their Fathers they performing the conditions of their Father's Covenant From Scripture I proceed to som Reasons for Infant-Baptism Reasons 1 Infants are capable of the thing signified in Baptism viz. of the blood of sprinkling therefore of Baptism it self If they have the thing signed which is the greater why should they bee debarred the Sign which is the less It cannot bee denied them upon any just ground of Faith or Reason Object Yes Say they becaus Infants have not Faith nor Repentance Answ You must add 1. that have not Faith nor ever will com to have Faith 2. You must add that they have not Faith nor any other means of applying Christ's blood els your exception is not sufficient In men of years it is applied by the Spirit of God and by Faith in Infants by the Spirit alone which is given unto them It is the Application of Christ's righteousness that justifieth us not our Act of apprehending it the thing applied not our Act of applying God by his Spirit in Infants doth all things on our part which Faith should do Joh. 3.8 the wind bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is everie one that is born after the spirit i. e. As the power of God is seen in the wind moving the aër so it is in the changing and renewing of us though the manner bee bid from us Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child Eccles 11.5 Thus much wee know from Christ's own mouth that Infants are blessed for hee blessed them Mar. 10.16 Shall wee denie it becaus wee know not the manner how they are blessed Or shall wee deny them to bee reasonable creatures becaus wee cannot discern in them the use of reason Or shall wee deny them to bee sinners becaus they know not what the Law is nor what the transgression of the Law is Wee need not trouble our selvs about the manner how Christ's righteousness is applied to them seeing God is as gracious to apply unto them the righteousness of the second Adam as in justice hee did the sin and condemnation of the first Adam 2. That Exception about Faith and Repentance is no more a barr against the Baptism of Infants then against the Circumcision of Infants forasmuch as in Circumcision were required all the same qualifications which you say are required to Baptism viz. the inward Circumcision of the heart Little children must bee brought unto Christ and none forbid them and by Baptism they do com unto him where the Minister in Christ's stead receiveth them and blesseth them and the Lord sealeth up unto them their receiving into his favor and grace for his own mercies sake without any merit of ours Reason 2 Christ confirmed the Covenant made unto the Fathers Rom. 15.8 Hee bettered it and no way worsted it And when hee commanded a new Seal to bee set in stead of Circumcision hee did it without altering the substance of the Covenant in the least degree but now the very substance of the Covenant would bee altered to the wors if som persons formerly received into Grace should by Christ bee excluded yea and Believers children are in wors condition then in the Jewish Church which to affirm were not onely derogatorie to Christ's Grace but against Scripture it self which saith Ephes 3.6 that the Gentiles are Fellow-heirs with the Jews and of the same bodie and partakers of his Promise in the Gospel of which they are not partakers nor Fellow-heirs if so great a part of the Gentiles as their children should bee excluded The Infants of Jews and Proselyts at the coming of Christ had interest and right to the Covenant of Grace And if that right bee taken away then their condition after Christ is wors then before Shall they bee loosers by becoming Christians This no sober man will affirm Neither is this a complaining against God but against them who would exclude whom the Lord hath not