Free-man a Church-member yet according to their respective Charters the Honor of the one the Freedom of the other and Church-priviledges of the third may descend on their children ANABAPT CAT. Q. What other Arguments have you to prove That Infants have not Faith and are not to be baptized A. If they had Faith they were presently to be admitted to the Supper and not excluded from communion therein as many are which are admitted to communion in Baptism whereas the communion in both is one and the same the same thing signified in both viz. our fellowship with Christ in his Death and Resurrection So that all that are baptized into one body are all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 and the same preparations of Faith and Repentance are required for both and he that is cast out of the one is cast one of the other seeing by excommunication he is like an Heathen or Publican IT is the Judgment both of Mr Rutherford Exam. Chap. 4. §. 1. and Mr Hooker and others of New-England That Infants of visible Churches born of wicked Parents members of the same Churches ought to be baptized The reason may be We when a Child is presented to Baptism are to take notice of the Parents Church-membership not of his scandalousness If the Church do not cast out the Parents why should the Minister cast out the Child Parents where suspended lose only their present fruition not their fundamental right to membership It is right to membership not the present fruition of it nor their worthiness of that right doth as they conceive transfer that priviledg to Infants Mr Cotton in his Way p. 115. conceives it is considerable if the Grandfather or Grandmother making profession be still living and willing to undertake for the Child yea that in some cases a Heathens child may be baptized in right of its houshold-governor Gen. 17. Yet it is very far from their Opinions That these children or the immediate Parents of them should be admitted to the Supper Amongst the Jews Infants were circumcised §. 2. yet were they not presently admitted to the Passover they could not come up nor do we read they were carryed from the remote parts of Judea to Jerusalem where only the Lamb was eaten nor could they eat it standing with staves in their hands and with sowr herbs as was required Exod. 12. nor keep it to the Lord vers 46. with spiritual respects to Gods glory to Gods ends and rules and to have their hearts prepared as well as to be ceremonially clean 2 Chron. 18.19 and the same males were as well to be at the feast of tabernacles as at the Passover and to carry boughs which was no Infants work to make booths or tabernacles to dwell in Deut. 16.16 17. with Levit. 23.34 35 38 39 40. The children yea those that could speak and ask questions did not partake of the Passover as is implyed in that they did not say what mean we but what mean you by this service It was not allowable to count them for the eating of the Passover that could not eat of it viz. Infants sick persons uncircumcised and unclean see Ainsw in Exod. 12.4 The uncleanness of a Proselyte was no bar to Circumcision but to the Passover it was Numb 9.6 10. An adult Proselyte might in some case be circumcised and baptized and not presently admitted to the Passover Ainsw in Exod. 12.44 The Rite of Baptism is after the common custom of washing new born Infants from the pollutions of the womb §. 3. Ezek. 16. 5 9. but the elements of bread and wine are the food of riper years Baptism is a Sacrament of Initiation as Bernard calls it the Supper is the highest Ordinance Christians as such are capable of It is one thing to be admitted a Scholar in a School or to be matriculated into the University another thing to be of such a form standing or degree It is one thing to be a subject a tenant or free of a Corporation which children may be another to do homage suit and service Our Regeneration or birth in Christ whereof Baptism is the laver Infants are capable of but not of that growth and augmentation signified in the Supper To be baptized is to be passive as in the first act of Regneration we are meerly passive the action is wholly the Baptizers I baptize thee c. but to eat and drink in remembrance of Christs death and to discern the Lords body is to be active and requires exercises of reason and grace And as Christ himself did not administer Baptism but his Disciples Joh. 4.1 2. Paul faith God sent him not to baptize the Apostles did not so usually baptize as ordinary Ministers 1 Cor. 1.14 15 17. but Christ did administer the Lords Supper as also the chief Minister present did usually afterward So multitudes were baptized by John Baptist and the Disciples of Christ which were not presently admitted to the Supper when Christ instituted it The Apostles were to teach all Nations baptizing them but the communicating of all Nations is not expressed of the Samaritans and several housholds baptized we read of their present admission to the Supper we read not So that though the communion in both the Sacraments be one and the preparations for them both in adult persons be the same for substance yet because of their different dispensations and degrees Infants may be admitted to the one and not to the other Yet I freely and confidently assert that to admit children to the Supper is far more excusable then to deny them Baptism for they have jus ad rem a right to it as a young heir hath to his lands as Saints decayed in mind and body have a right to hear the Word and the communicating of Infants is of more antiquity and credit in the Church then denying of their Baptism though I hold it not fit that Infants should communicate because they have not jus in re they have not aptitude and fitness for it a child is not fit to manage his own estate nor is it rational to preach the Gospel to an holy man what right soever he may have to it when he is destitute of capacity to hear or understand it and hence it is that the Church having some while admitted Infants to the Lords Supper did upon second considerations discern her mistake and lay it aside but yet still continued that other of baptizing Infants seeing no cause to leave it off but rather more strictly to observe it ANABAPT CAT. Q. But what if an Infant or any other in their childhood should dye unbaptized are they not damned A. We know nothing out of the Scripture of their Salvation or Damnation and therefore we must not be too inquisitive yet may such Infants so dying be saved through the presentment of the satisfaction of Christ to the Justice of God for original sin which Satisfaction though it be applyed through beleeving in those
THE Catechist Catechized OR AN EXAMINATION OF AN Anabaptistical Catechism Pretended to be Published for the Satisfaction and Information of the People of God in Lancashire c. ALSO SOME OBSERVATIONS Both Old and New Concerning the pretended Visibility Universality Antiquity Infallibility Unity and Purity of the present Roman Church and Religion Sent to a Gentleman upon his revolt to Popery and now published for the Churches good By RICHARD HOLLINVVORTH Mancuniens LONDON Printed by J. M. for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his shop at the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard 1653. SIR THere is an Anabaptisticall Catechism that walks abroad lately directed to Lancashire when it is of age and can answer for it self you shal know the name of it it is but newly brought forth to this County and therefore not Christned If you meet with it it would be a good work to Lancashire in which you dwel to the Town of Manchester the place of your Nativity and Ministry to make some Annotations of it a few smooth stones out of soft Siloam hurl'd out of your sling might lay it dead a friendly arrow shot beyond it may give warning that there is danger I would not engage you to the contest with this A. B. C. but that Error is a springing Leprosie in contagious times Wormes in children may turn to the Plague a few vacant hours will serve the business and satisfie the earnest desire of Sir Your Brother and fellow-Labourer in the Work of Christ Richard Heyricke January 1. 52. For Mr. Richard Hollinworth with my Love These To all in Lancashire that love and seek the Lord in all his Soul-filling Ordinances especially them of the associated Churches about MANCHESTER Dearly Beloved and longed for our Joy and Crown YOu shall with more praise to God light and stability to your selves read the ensuing Treatise if you first consider and lament that for abuse of Ordinances Satan transforming himself into an Angel of Light hath undermined all Ordinances of divine Light and Life The Lords-Day not moral publique solemn Assemblies turned into House-meetings publique Ministry exchanged for private Conferences publique preaching of the Word common to gifted Brethren with called Ministers no prayer but when the Spirit moves no communion in the Supper but in Churches newly gathered and no Baptism for Infants No wonder if religious Ordinances be thus undermined when the Doctrine of the holy Trinity the Deity of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost the divine Authority of the Scriptures the Obligation of the Decalogue and other Fundamentals of Faith Holiness and Righteousness are by the Ministers of the Prince of Darkness professedly overturned No wonder that Children are unchurched when so many Churches are unchurched many of them that have done the former having begun at the latter They who would not be saved by Ordinances shall perish for want of Ordinances and they that would not unite themselves to the Fountain of Life by Faith shall be separated from the streams and conveyances of Life that they may apparantly wither and dye only upon the living in Jerusalem that by the subtilty of delusion or power of interest are darkened and benummed pray and weep that the Sun of Righteousness may arise with healing in his wings But the Ordinances being the purchase of Christs blood as well as the Church the gifts of his Princely Government the Ensigns of his Victory over the Kingdom of Darkness and of his glorious Ascension he will by his soveraign Power maintain And to that end successively enoble the spirits of some with beams of heavenly light and courage that they shall discover the stratagems of Opposers and adventure upon their Armies marshalled against them and triumphantly overcome by his glorious power redeeming the captived Ordinances of their King unto a just and glorious Liberty This being so high a favor from Christ the glory of his Grace and Power it is most thankfully to be accepted and his Instruments to be had in honor by all that rejoyce in the glory of his Kingdom His Ministers he hath designed to be the Executors of his last Will and Testament to them it belongs by divine appointment to give out the several Legacies there bequeathed and to put in suit all them in the high Court of sacred Scripture who shall upon any pretence whatsoever detain any Legacy bequeathed and where will their faithfulness more appear then to open their mouth for the dumb and to sue for Childrens rights whil'st they are forcibly wronged and unable to right themselves where is greater Trust and more shining Fidelity The right of Infants to Baptism hath of late been openly impleaded in reference to Lancashire and the Bill printed to be published there in special with expectation of the concurrence of the godly but blessed be God one of the Lords Executors in Manchester where part-taking was most desired and expected hath wisely and faithfully joyned issue and by clear Evidence hath procured a determinate sentence for the setling of their undoubted right upon Infants to our great comfort and the honor of the Kingdom of Christ in the Right whereof Infants are rightly baptized And our hope in the Lord Jesus is that the questioning of the Right of Infants and the shaking of their title will have that influence upon all the godly in Lancashire especially Parents peculiarly in Manchester and the rest of the associated Churches that out of enflamed love to Christ and the Souls of their Children they will so much the more settle their Judgments in this Truth by the conscionable and diligent use of this hâ—lp provided by the Lord amongst them so seasonably in respect of danger and so suitably in respect of clearness brevity and charge that will happily lead to the believing repenting and prayerful use of this Ordinance which is the Covenant-way of conveying to their Children the sure and saving Mercies of the Covenant so shall they and others who have seen the holy Seal set on in Infancy clearly behold in their holy life the lively characters of the Spirit of the Covenant the Image of the Lord Jesus in their riper years To their own abundant satisfaction the silencing of Adversaries the increase of the Church mystical the encouragement of them that have carefully and painfully pleaded their Right and above all the honor of the Lord Jesus who in their Infancy opened unto them his Arms and Bosom in his Church that in an hidden way he might warm them with a spiritual Life to be manifested in due time In this hope we pray for you and labor amongst you that we might present Parents and Children in Covenant-obedience and blessing at that great Day This is the principal Desire and Soul-travel of The Lords unworthy Servants who in reference to Infants do rejoyce in our Ministry John Angier John Harison Nathaneel Rathband William Meek March 10. 1652. THE Authors Preface to the Christian Reader IN these times the Lords Builders are compelled while they
Parents be Christian partus sequitur meliorem partem the children are not Infidels but Christian But §. 3. say you there is no command for baptizing such and you call it Will-worship forbidden Lev. 10.1 A tradition and ground-work for more traditions others call it the mark of the beast one of the strongest holds of Antichrist and what not To all which I answer 1. If Nadah and Abihu's offering strange fire fire unsanctified or not taken off the Altar Was Will-worship though the Scripture doth not call it so yet Paedobaptism suppose it be not warranted by the Word cannot be will-worship because it is not an introduction of a new Worship or Ordinance but the misapplication of an old and unquestionable Ordinance of God or if you put on it the worst name you can with any shew of reason the Profanation of an Ordinance as your self call it some of your party which have in derision and contempt of Infant-Baptism baptized Horses Cats or Dogs have been unquestionably guilty of horrible Profanation but not of will-worship 2. Infant-Baptism is grounded on and warranted by the Word of God and therefore is far enough from being a Profanation or so much as the misapplication of an Ordinance That it is so grounded and warranted needs no other proof then what hath already been produced in this Examination upon occasion of the Scriptures and Reasons brought against it 1. They that are Disciples in Scripture-sence are expressed in Christs Commission about Baptism and are to be baptized But Infants of the Church are Disciples in Scripture-sence Therefore they are to be baptized See Chap. 2. Sect. 3. 2. They that are Abrahams seed are to be baptized as you confess But such Infants are the seed of Abraham Therefore they are to the baptized See Chap. 7. 3. They that are visibly Within the Covenant of Grace are to be baptized as you acknowledg But such Infants are visibly Within the Covenant of Grace Therefore they are to be baptized See Chap. 8. 4. They that are to be judged Church-members are to be baptized But such Infants of the Church or born of members of the Church are to be judged Church members Therefore c. 5. They of Whom the Kingdom of God is are to partake of the privileges of the Kingdom of God But of Infants is the Kingdom of God Therefore c. 6. They that are Saints and holy are to be baptized But such Infants are Saints and holy Therefore 7. Christ knew that Baptism was an ancient Ceremony of initiation into the Church and applyed to the Infants of the Church as well as to adult Proselytes yet he took up that Ceremony and advanced it as he did the Postcoenium of the Passover to be a Sacrament of the New Testament without prohibition of Infants from it and therefore he did at least approve it should be administred to Infants See Cap. 2. § 1. In these alone to omit others conscientious enquirers into the mind of the Lord Jesus may find satisfactory grounds of Infant-Baptism especially when they are compared with the grounds of the contrary Opinion and Practice You cannot shew any precept at all §. 4. or president or good warrant in the Word of God that children of believing Parents should be kept from Baptism as you require them to be till they do in their own persons actually believe or make profession of Faith or that any such were baptized in riper years as you would have them now to be Yea I further say that if you can shew me in Scripture any son or daughter of believing Parents baptized I shall shew you that he or she was baptized in Infancy Surely from the time that John Baptist begin his Ministry to the writing of the Apocalyps great multitudes of Infants of Christians grew up to maturity yet amongst them all we read not of one whose Baptism was so delayed nor have we any solid ground to conceive that God at the coming of Christ took away Infants Covenant interest Church membership and Sacramental initiation and made their condition as to this as bad as the Heathen and worse then the Jewish children seeing it cannot be said that God did take these priviledges away in judgment upon occasion of Christs coming from all Infants even Elect children of Elect Parents seeing Infants in the time of the Gospel are not any way more guilty or uncapable then in former times nor can it any way appear that God did it in mercy and sure if it was done it was done either in judgment or mercy for it was a mercy to the Jewish children to have these priviledges and nothing more was conferred upon Infants which lost them then upon adult Christians which did not lose them You cannot shew a precept ' or president for your gathering Churches out of other true Christian Churches for requiring persons before they can be admitted members to give account of the truth of their graces for the Congregations judging whether they have grace or no and consequently whether they were to be admitted or no for a solemn explicite Church-Covenant for the erection of a Church without Officers for the power of such a Church consisting only of unofficed Christians to elect ordain impose hands by one or more of them on their Officers to censure or excommunicate any member yea any or all their Officers when they have them for maintenance of Ministers by Lords Day-Collections formerly urged as an Ordinance of God though of late much waved for a sentence of non-communion with Sister-Churches for Synods only consultative and not decretive for publike ordinary preaching of gifted men not so much as intending the Ministry and their receiving maintenance for their pains and yet these are asserted by men of the Congregational way in which Antipaedobaptists are generally found to be duties priviledges of the Church or Ordinances of God nor can you shew any Church consisting of unbaptized ones such as you account your selves to be your Infant-Baptism being a nullity till you be baptized upon profession und such a Church admitting members commissionating some Disciples to preach and dip nor any precept or president for admission of such which are in your opinion unbaptized to the Lords Supper not for rebaptizing such as were baptized suppose in Infancy in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost or for renouncing such Baptism nor can you shew any one Text of Scripture in which Infant-Baptism either in express words or in the interpretation of any Apostolick or Primitive Church or Father in the purest Times nor can you shew one visible Church from the beginning of the World to the time when your Opinion was lately broached which was of any long continuance and did neither admit into it nor permit in it any Infant-member Finally §. 5. Should you or I be required a Command for admission of women to the Supper as you require a Command for Infant-Baptism though you can neither shew command