Bellarmine for sayes he The seven Vertues the seven capital Sins the seven Planets the seven Defects the seven golden Candlesticks the seven Seals the seven Trumpets the seven Angels blaze there are seven Sacraments I wonder they forgat the woman in Rev. 17.3 with her seven Heads But if this plea were satisfactory I could likewise countenace the number of two with two Tables two Testaments two Trumpets two Swords two Witnesses but this is childishness That these are two Sacraments it is confessed by our adversaries that these two are all is justified by us of the Reformed Churches and proved by Gods word 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. And we have the unity of the Fathers St. Jerome St. Ambrose St. Angustine all averring two onely and necessary to salvation The fountain out of which they did flow was Christs side when he swet water and blood These two Gospel Sacraments he left us instead of the two Sacraments under the Law the one we once recieve the other oft Baptisme presently after our birth the Lords Supper when we come to maturity or full growth and as the childe is once born but must oft eat so we are baptized but once oftentimes feed upon the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus Having spoken upon these two Sacraments conjunction now give me leave to speak upon this Sacrament of Baptisme disjunction single by it self And since it belongs to my Office to baptize I think it very fit to let you know what is Baptisme Secondly what is covenanted at it Thirdly why the Church requires Sureties Fourthly why commonly administered at the Church door Fifthly whether absolutely needful Sixthly what good got by it Lastly whether lawful to baptize Children And of every of these a word and but a word till we come to the last so much controverted And first of the first I take Baptism to be primum novi foeder is Sacramentum in quo elect is in Dei familiam receptis externae aquae aspersione peccatorum remissio regeneratio per sanguinem Christi Spiritum sanctum obsignatur Baptism is the Seal set to the New Covenant whereby we being received into Gods Houshold by the washing of water have sealed unto us by Christ and his Holy Spirit Remission of our sins and Regeneration The Word of God is Gods hand writing which he passes to ensure us we shall be saved and this Sacrament is his Seal what would you have more then hand and seal O this Sacrament seals our pardon and ensures us heaven yea it is the general Tenet of the Catholique Church That no Christians childe baptized dying before it come ad usum rationis was ever damned but of this suo proprioloco in its properplace The next thing to be considered is what covenanted when the child is baptized know it this is the good the adulti which those of ripe years get by staying out the Administration of this Blessed Sacrament O! it puts you in minde what covenanted when you were Christened I will give you it in my Common Prayer Books Language and the rather Because I dearly love it neither care I who know it At you Baptism you covenant to forsake the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomp and Glory of the World with all covetous desires of the same the carnal desires of the flesh so that you will not follow nor be led by them in one word you promise to forsake the world Flesh and Devil to leave being at the command of those three and be obedient unto the other three Father Son Holy Ghost but why will not the Anabaptists suffer their new born children by their Sureties to make this holy League with God Is it because that as their fathers have made a league with Hell Death and the Devil freely giving themselves over to a reprobate sense to work all maner of wickedness with greediness so their children being kept from Christendom as being free from the Tripertire Bond in Baptism might more swiftly run to the devil after them the contempt of this Head of Christs Ordinance and the practice of the Church Catholick imbitters my charity towards them while they show so little love to their young ones Know this for certainty how that Gods Ordinance is a Teacher which stints us from running into gross sin which as Infants while Infants are uncapable to commit so after their mature age as oft receiving lifts up their hearts from earth to heaven so this bond past in Baptisme and their calling to minde their solemn Covenant past at Font draws them from the love of the world to love our Lord God who made the world and our Lord Jesus who died for our sins and rose for our righteousness The third thing to be enquired after is why the Church but we are grown in this age wiser then the Church why the Church appoints Sureties at the Font and three at the least 1. For that the Infant is to pass promise by the three Sureties to forsake three the World Flesh and Devil 2. To make the baptized coming to years of discretion have more care to hold promise with God 3. That if Parents were neglecting among so many some might have a care of the Bond past to God in Baptism 4. To rub up our memories and put us in minde how man is more likely to break Bond with God then man with man and therefore in common Contracts there are no more then the Principal and two Sureties but at the Christening the Principal the Baptized and three Sureties and to countenance this commendable custom the Council of Mentz in the ninth Century ordained Godfathers to be and to attend and see that their spiritual children be brought up in the true Faith 4. And now in the fourth place These Sureties of the Baptized Infant commonly stand over against the Church Door and there this Sacrament of Baptisme usually is administred O! our Mother the Church there set the Font that you may know how Baptism is the Door lets us into Gods Church by it we enter in into our Masters House the Church Militant 5. But not in the fifth place it is enquired whether Baptism be of absolute necessity To this I answer No for we have this Sacrament instead of Circumcision enjoyned by the Lord not to be administred till the eighth day and I am confident that as all the children which died before the eighth day were not damned no more those who dye unbaptized but I will end with Saint Bernard who saith Non privatio sed contemptus damnat it is not the want but contempt that damns the default being in the Parents let them fear the punishment and since the neglect is dangerous let us be sure that there be no defect in us but let us bring our young to be washed in this Jordan 6. And so I come to the sixth thing considerable viz. What good is got by Baptism ne parum quidem yet we will
THE MINISTERS Office THE INFANTS Inheritance By JAMES HARWOOD B. D. Bulling advers Anabapt Cum id quod majus est Infantes habeant rem scilicet signatam gratiam Dei remissionem peccatorum Quis illis id quod minus est Signum Aquam videlicet denegabit LONDON Printed by R. W. for the Author 1659. To the Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of SOUTHAMPTON Baron of Titchfield Right Honourable THat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of favour which I have received from you bindes me in a strong obligation to return a thankful acknowledgement Some in these sad times have voted Charity an Heretick a Sect whose Faith is in the full their Charity in the wayne it is their belief they are for Heaven their works say they are for Hell these call themselves young Saints but are old Devils they profess much practise nothing full of science but make no conscience of their wayes these have a Bush at the door no Wine within A generation of Vipers who cry up Christ and Crucifie his Members My Lord here you have in full view these Arch Hereticks enemies to young and old all the young Infants in the Land and all the old Ministers of the Gospel We at this time in comparision ane as few as Gideons Lappers yet with those few sounding Trumpets the Lord I trust will throw down the Walls of Jerico to the ground Our Church much resembles the sweet waters of Hypanis through which a Well of incredible bitterness runs that as Heroditus and Solinus do affirm none of those sweet waters admit of any of the bitter waters to lodge within their source Here we live together as in the Ark clean and unclean incorrigible Hereticks and devout Conformists yet no hereticall brinish waters do we suffer to intermix with the waters that issue out under the threshold of the Temple Phideas his Picture was so made that it all appeared in every part of Minerva's Im ge but the Picture of Heresie God of his mercy hath kept from appearing in the face or dwelling in the tongue of us so much despised Divines There is yet a Sibboleth Shiboleth by which your Honour may discover who is the Gileadite who the Ephraimite who are the Sons of God who are of their Father the Devil My Lord it is no small comfort to us The Seers of Israel to behold such tall Cedars as your Honour standing upright in this our Lebanon who for all the storms of Schismes and Heresies hold fast to the Faith of Christ Crucified to the Doctrine of his Apostles to the practice of the Primitive Church It 's well known how you approve of the Ministerial Office as the highest calling as also Infants Baptisme and yet in these latter dayes perillous men are start up who debar yong Children from the Font and shut the Church doors upon us called to officiate their malice reaches from the Font to the Pulpit from the Pulpit to our Persons Their Germane Massacre makes us fear a second Parisian Mattens or else the Cicilian Evening-Song where they predominate they are most bloody none talk more and less reason they are ever questioning but never satisfied And thus I have taken to task unreasonable men whom though we inform they will never reform The Sun-beams makes clay the harder and the Beams of Gospel Admonitions makes these more obdurate a just judgement for their Capital crime their sin was against the Head and God gives them over to be headstrong Hereticks And now my Noble Lord since I have to do with such sons of Belial and so ill-opiniated I crave the shrowding my Manuel under the benigne shrine of your protection your gracious compliance shall oblige me to pray for your health here and happiness in heaven which is the Christian engagement My Lord of Your Honours most humble servant in the Lord James Harwood THE Ministers Office The Infants Inheritance Matthew 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost THe occasion of these words lieth thus Our Christ who was attached arraigned condemned crucified and now is risen from the dead appears to Mary Magdalen and the other Mary verse 9. Christ giveth the woman a gracious salute An all hail and the woman again do him worship O! A word of Christ first to us is able to make us fall down at his feet and worship him O! Christ cometh to us via gratiae or we can give him meeting via Ecclesiae But it seems the two good old women fall a trembling but saith our Saviour Be not afraid He would have them fear him but not be afraid of him fear him as the Childe the Father not be afraid of him like Malefactors of the Judge Nay they have just cause to rejoyce and again I say to rejoyce for they have foud him whom they had lost they have found him whom their soul loves even the Lord Jesus God blessed for ever Amen These are his servants and he sets these to work verse 10. The two Maries must go tell the eleven nay more saith Christ Go and tell my Brethren Brethren But such Brothers as Josephs who had sold him so did some of them at best left him so did most of them the prime of them forswearing him so did Peter And yet he calls them Brethren Go tell Brethren and bid them go into Galilee and there they shall see me me lately left in the grave now the Lord of Life me and my side which the Jews wounded me and my head which Jews crowned with thorns me to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth But as the women so the eleven they are now come they come whither Christ did command into Galilee unto the Mountain Yea as the women so the eleven they worship him but the women begin this divine worship the Apostles are onely their seconds They at the Grave Christ newly come out of the grave these Apostles not till the two women instructed them And thus as our first Mother Eve by sin threw down the first Adam so now these two women throw themselves down at the feet of the second Adam as if not onely willing to bewail Eves evil and fall but also as a woman first wronged mankinde so these the same Sex first desire to do service to mans Messias These first after the Resurrection met with Jesus and Jesus sends them to tell his Disciples his Apostles They are met verse 11. now the Apostles see him they worship him even that Jesus who was delivered up to death for us all Rom 8. Yea this is he hath overcome him who hath brought to the ground all our Ancestours Death Death as sath the Apostle He hath swallowed up death in victory and therefore that sacred Christ-tide carrol is made in his praise 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory Ride on O Lord with thine Honor full of Majesty and Power thou who guidest
the Heavens and governest the Earth thou art now met with thy servants the Apostles and it is now that thou hast issued our a Warrant for them to execute The contents of Christ his Warrant is my Text and my Text is this Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost In which words take notice of two parts the Apostles Mission and Commission The Mission Go ye therefore The Commission And teach all Nations In the Mission we have two in full view Here is 1. Persona mittens inclusivè 2. Personae missae expressivè The Person sending is Christ Iesus implied though not exprest The Persons sent are ye In this ye The Ite are considerable The Ergo are considerable The Ite involves the Journey The Ergo the cause of the Journey The Ite Go. The Ergo Therefore Go ye therefore Therefore wherefore Look ad Christum Lood ad Patentiam And first at Christ He bids go who dyed for us nay rather who is risen again sits at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us Hath he done so much for us go ye therefore Again he hath all power a bar against dilatory delay he can make us go go ye therefore But I must onely do with these waters which run under the thresh-hold of the Temple as the Egyptian Dod doth as he goeth by the Banks of Nylus lap and run on The second part of my Text is the Apostles Letters Paents for 1. Preaching and 2. Baptizing Let us read their Commission at large 't is this Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost See here 1. What they are allowed to do 2. How they must do it What they are allowed to do it is this to Teach Baptize To teach not then to be taught by them who Christ hath sent them to teach we have such forward fellows in our Congregations who will not stick to teach as blinde Byard had they either learning or commission to do it I would be silent but the want of both avows it is high presumption The Commission to instruct and teach in publick you see is onely granted by Christ under his own hand to the Apostles and their undoubted successors the Ministers of the Gos pel who have leave and by commission and from Christ to Teach Baptized 1. You see the Act licensed is to teach 2. For extent it is all Nations The other part of our Office and we hold it from Christ and by Chatter form him it is to baptize For Quiddity it is to baptize Universality all Nations Why not Children then This and other Argumetns we shall use to confute the Herefie of the Anabaptists and all that rabble sent from Hell Next follows the Modus or how this sacred Sacrament must be administred In nomine Patri◠Filii Spiritus sancti The Jews and Turks they circumcize Christians and none else they baptize The Jews believe not that the Messias is come and so deny the second Person The Turks deny both the second preson the third the holy Ghost Onely Christians believe a Trine Unity one God and three Persons and we baptize into this Faith Baptizing in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Nor run we without our Warrant this to teach a Trinity and thus to baptize In the Name of the three Persons since it is Christ himself who saith Ite praedicate Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost I would not like a careless Porter keep you without doors till you have lost your stomachs Each several part of my Text is a several Service I will say to you as Abakkuk to the Prophet Take the meat your God hath provided for you And the first whole serive this day to be served up is missio Apostolorum the mission of the eleven intimated while said Go ye therefore The Persona mittens or he that sends is our Jesus so he sayes Go. This is the first dish of the first service but of this and divers others we must onely take a taste and keep our stomachs for a Christening Dinner I mean the Doctrine of Baptisme which is the last course and the most fitting these Times and Seasons Briefly then to give you a taste and no more and first of the Sender it is Christ he bids go And whosoever is desirous to go about this great work our Master Christ our Lord Christ must send therefore Luke 10.3 himself saith Ego mitto I send you but how as Lambs among Wolves yet ego mitto Go ye therefore You might be disheartened you poor Ministers of my Gospel to go among ravenous Wolves but ego mitto I send you I bid go Go ye therefore Fear not to go and preach my Gospel among men as fierce as Wolves of whom it is reported that after they have slain the innocent Lambs lick their lips when they reek with their hearts blood be the time such even to these Blood-hounds we must preach not weighing the danger but the Sender casting our eyes up to his Greatness Goodness And first his Greatness who is sole Independent that is under no authority and a Name onely fit for the Lord of Heaven and Earth and it is high ambition yea high Teason to attribute it to any mortal man He sends who is a King of absolute independent Power who purposeth and disposeth all things as he pleases as one saith Tyrants are the Kings of slaves Princes are the Kings of men Christ is the King of kings here dispatching us his Legats on his Embassage to the world This doth divulge his Greatness and his Commission begets in us a courage to tell Judah of her sin and Israel of her transgressions I cannot but likewise take notice of the Senders Goodness to send to us men a sort of miserable treacherous wretches qui pulvis cines Del hostes he sends to us who are dust and ashes and Gods grand foes Here is Love surpassing mans expression God grant that our Love may be reciprocal and to this let all the people say Amen Our Lord and Saviour he sends to us miserable sinners he sends to man man else meant not to make to him Christ is the way the truth the life if the way had not found out us we should never have found out the way herein appears Gods goodness that early and late Messengers are sent unto you to beg to you to be reconciled to God in Christ Jesus Such a message and from such a Statist non sauciare sanos se◠sanare saucios not to slay the sound but to make well the wounded this shows Gods infinite goodness to us wretched creatures and obliges all the people to the Lord of life for ever But in haste I will pass along from the Person sending to the
the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus This is that unum necessarium one thing onely needful to know Christ Jesus Iohn 17.3 his birth death resurrection ascention and his for ever making intercession for us This must be subjectum basis praedicationis the subject of our sermons Christ Jesus and the reason is given by St. John the Evangelist who said Haec est vita aeterna this is life eternal to know God and whom he hath sent Christ Jesus O what a plentiful Harvest is here I wish we had had more time to inn this divine grain But as we must reach you to know verbum Christum the word Christ so verbum Christi the word of Christ two places I will press upon you one threatning judgement without repentance Matth. 3.10 where it is said And now also the ax is laid to the root of the tree and every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen down and cast into the fire The other place promising salvation to all that confess and believe Rom. 10.9 the words be these who so confesseth with his mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in his heart that God hath raised him from the dead shall be saved I cannot give you a less Manuel of the Law and Gospel the one place steering you off the rock Presumption the other preserving you from being crushed upon the rock Despair while the one threatning punishment the other promising salvation and now betwixt these two the Lord grant we may sail in safely to that haven the kingdom of heaven And so I pass along from the quid to the quomodo how we must teach the people of God the good Word of God Quoad se Quoad nos Quoad se purè integrè Purè purely not teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of men God will not be pleased that we preach what we please the gold must all of it be fined and refined which we hammer upon that anvil the Pulpit we have no licence to disburse any other Peters pence unto Gods people save such as have been delivered to our hands out of the Treasury of the Scriptures And therefore our sacred Bellows have in them no winde to blow and bouy up a people into rebellion against their Sovereign we know better how to interpret that Text Curse ye Meroz then some have done who for I had almost said their unpardonable sin conscience enjoyned a publique penance Again you may long be hearers of Orthodox Divines before they give the least encouragement for a Civil State to rob Christs Church Nor yet hear till that they approve of those numberless Locusts the Enthusiasts who being taught by a white devil pretend Gods Spirit to destroy Christs Gospel No we honour the gospel of Christ Jesus praise God for those that bring purple and fine blue to adorn the Sanctuary and preach ever since we have heard of the mutinous angels obedience to the Sovereign Power under whom we have lived for many years a godly and peaceable life And thus having winnowed out the chaff we feed you with the kernel of the Scripture the Babes with Spoon-meat milk the strong men with Manna meat for Angels neither must we be spiritual niggards but integrè wholly impart and make known unto you the Gospel of Christ Jesus we must endeavour to imitate the Apostle who sayes I have hid no nothing from you What shall we think then of such Ministers that have hid the truth in unrighteousness who many years have concealed while not read the Ten Commandments in our Churches surely these are those new kinde of Ministers that would have their hearers forget their duty to God and charity towards their neighbours What shall we think of those Teachers sprung up of late like Mushrums who have hid while hindered their Parishioners for many years from receiving the Holy Communion Had the good people detained their Tythes when these Mungril Ministers first refrained giving Communion I will warrant you ere they would have wanted the Pig and Goose they would have given you the Bread and the Wine What shall we say now to those Preachers who deptive poor Infants of their jus divinum I mean Baptisme but of this I shall make a large discourse to the Anabaptists shame and our Mother the Churches renown These are the Preachers who have detained from Infants their due and also stoln from us Christs Legacy while instead of peace they have cryed up war in the room of Subjection voted up Rebellion in the stead of Religion brought in Atheism nay their false Doctrine so commonly ventilated hath made as fearful a rent in our Church and State as was at the death of the King of Salem in the Temple of Jerusalem As our sins have brought upon us this misery so none can help us but the King of glory Now Lord for thy ancient mercies sake for thy Son his merits sake be good unto Zion and build up the breaches in the walls of our Jerusalem And thus having prayed for our selves let us look quoad nos at our selves and take into consideration how we the Ministers of Christ Jesus ought to preach the Gospel this must be done with a quick speed deliberate discretion with a constant continuance to joyn all together Haste without discretion is like wings without eyes discretion without haste is like eyes without wings both without constancy is like feet and eyes without an heart First we must hasten to our business and teach saith St. Paul I conferred not with flesh and blood when it pleased God to send me to preach his Son among the Heathen Gal. 1.16 And to shew what speed all the Apostles were to make they are commanded to salute none by the way Remember what Solomon saith As vinegar is to the teeth and smoak to the eyes so is a sluggard to them that send him Prov. 10.26 Remember Peter and John were at the Temple at the third hour of the day Secondly Discretion is mightily required in teaching to make our spiritual receipts we stand in need to be inspired with Gods Spirit and all this to know how much oleum and how much acetum we must pour in 3. We are to hold on teaching for 't is said Cursed is he that puts his hand to the plough and pulls it back A Ministers work is never at an end for as we make the Devil mars we must therefore to our work again as we sowe the wheat the envious man sowes tares when therefore tilth time is past preaching the Law seed-time past preaching the Gospel The weeding time comes in and never ends till our end till you Gods harvest be inn'd into that common barn the grave Here is work for us then all our lives you finde us work a long life-lasting work 't is an hard case to work so long for no wages for small wages nay more for all our pains to be scourged out of the Temple plundered of all our goods as Iob was by the
begin at the leaft Novum Nomen a new name now christened you have two names the one is nomen naturae the other nomen gratiae commonly called Sirname Christen name But objected what am I bettered Much if thou have wit or grace thy two names put thee in minde of thy two natures and with Rebesca that there are two strugling within the womb of thy heart Nature and Grace Old Man New Man the Flesh the Spirit yea thy Sirname puts thee in minde of thy sinful Generation thy Christen Name of thy Spirituall Regenration by the Grace of our Lord Jesus thus whilest the one makes me fear the other puts me in hope whilest the one tells me I am of a sinful seed and to suffer and the other comforts me assuring me I am a Member of Christ Jesus 2. The second good got is recorded Gal. 3.27 I can assure you it is a very comfortable place and a spur to prick every Christian on to baptize their yong ones the words are these Ye who are baptized have put on Christ you are hapt with him as with a garment he is the Robe of Righteousness all over-spreading the late Biptized you are armed with his as with a coat of mail able to bear off all the fiery assualts of the devil Saith the Spouse in the Canticles I have put off how can I put on again Being baptized we put on Christ with a resolve never to put him off any more and it is this Church Cognizance whereby we are known to be of the Household of God The third good got is Admittance into Heaven and hence sayes our Saviour Except you be born again of Water and the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Baptism of Water assures the Visible Church that you are made Members of Christs Congregation here the Baptisme of the Spirit when you are of ripe years asserts you shall be Members of the invisible Church hereafter our outward Baptisme ingrafts you into the Church Militant an Ordinance of Grace conducting to the Baptisme of the Spirit being an assurance you shall be admitted into the fellowship of the Church Triumphant if wilfully you sleight this 't is not probable how God will bestow upon you the other the laying hold on this Ordinance within humane reach puts me in hopes to attain that other onely conferred by the Divine Power when I scornfully neglect what proffered by Gods Church what hopes have I to attain that without which I cannot come to Gods Kingdom since you cannot enter into Gods Kingdom except you be born of Water and the Spirit let us use the water lest we deprive our selves of the hopes we have to acquire Gods Spirit The words recorded by the Evangelist are spoke to all of all Sexes Ages and since the major part are Younglings there being more children then men let not us disinherit so many Infants to humour a few Hereticks hinder not your children from Baptism for not having the perfect use of reason since we are unsure whether theelder believe but onely by professiion it were to be wished at one instant we might be baptized flumine flamine with water and the Spirit but the aged may receive the first want the latter Let us then who have prayed for the Infant that he may receive the latter not debar him from the former The Catholick Church way is a safe way to walk in and who so obstinately scorns Baptisme hath small hopes that the Spirit will land at the haven his heart nay 't is to be feared that he shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As none in Rome could enter into the Temple of Honour but first went thorow the Temple of Vertue so none can be admitted into the Kingdom of glory but such who first have had admitttance into the Kingdom of grace And this Sacrament is the ordinary key which opens your children the door that they may enter in by and may rest assured this Water Baptisme takes away the mulct though not the guilt the blame though not the stain and that the Infant baptized who dies before it have usum rationis to sin with a free will shall certainly depart in peace to a place of immortal bliss whither God of his mercies send all of us And so I come to the sixth and last thing to be discust upon Whether it be lawful to baptize Infants in discoursing upon this controversie I shall first set down the Adversaries Arguments against Baptisme and by the help of my God the answer to every of them then give you my Reasons why Infants ought to be baptized lastly shew you the punishments have been enacted to be inflicted upon Anabaptists And because this age is desirous to read much in few lines therefore I will rather offer the courteous Reader matter then words and as much as I can match solidity and brevity both together and with the one win the ear of the more judicious and by the other prove my self not much to prejudice such as have high employments The Anabaptists the more hopefully to lay their foundation against Infants Baptisme have first cunningly gone about to prove rebaptizing lawful which Block I purpose to remove out of our way that so we may the better answer all they object against baptizing Infants To countenance their cause they labour to prove out of the Acts That those whom John baptized that had not heard of the Holy Ghost Paul again baptized To this hear what St. Augustine saith Discipulos Joannis iterum baptizatos fuisse non iterato Baptismate for as Philip Melancton saith Ioannis Baptismum The Baptisme of John was signum mortificationis Christi Baptismum signum vivificationis for to Christs was added condonatio peccatorum oportuit iterum baptizari qui Ioannis Baptismo loti erant quo certi essent se jam consecutos esse remissionem peccatorum To Christs Baptism was added remission of sin and it was most might and right for those who were washed with Iohns Baptisme to receive also Christs Baptism that so they might be ensured of remission of sin by being baptized into the Faith of our Lord Jesus The Anabaptist let him produce any so baptized by Iohn and we shall not refuse them Christs Baptism till such a one be produced this Argument must be shouldered out We have not now to do either with the Novatians who were admitted into the Church without any new Baptism or yet with the Hereticks sprung from the corrupt lungs of Samosatenus who were excluded from being members of the Church Catholick till anew baptized because they denied Fundamentalls but with Anabaptists who will allow no Infant to be baptized and yet this Heresie the very Hereticks called the Donatists and Pelagians cried down It is at least a thousand years since this execrable Tenet sprang up and the new Fomenters of it in Germany were Nicholas Stock Iohn of Leiden and Knipperdolin but now it is ferried over into England
and by such bloody Saints who will either force us to lose our estates if not lives or else put in peril our Infants souls hard chap-men who would force upon us so hard a bargain I need not recount unto you the several forts of Anabaptists fourteen in all Alstedius hath saved me this labour nor will I blur my paper with their abominable Opinions lest my making them too publickly known might move the spiders to suck in poison whence the laborious Bees might gather honey yet since our Land is infested with these Locusts who contumeliously against the Tenet of the Church Catholick maintain it is unlawfull to baptize children for this cause give me leave to shew you the weapons they fight against us with and then disarm them what are these weapons but so many Arguments which they use wherewith to abuse us Cassander pag. 740. hath quoted their champion reason this they say Non sunt capaces Baptismi quod doceri profiteri nequeant Children are not capable of Baptism that are not capable to learn and believe To this we answer that the ground of their Argument is taken out of Matthew 28.19 20. where it is said Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you Upon this foundation they reer up this building that teaching must go before baptizing my answer The words in the Original are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say make Disciples which infants in their swadling belts may attain to by being by Baptisme admitted into Christs School while their Sureties give in their names and by this Sacrament record them amongst Christs Disciples And again it is plain from the Text that baptizing ushers in teaching as appears verse 20. Teaching them to observe all things to which they have several conducts their Christian Parents instructing the Bishops Confirmation with prayers for them and their growth in the mystery of the faith of our Lord Jesus 2. We might answer that all the world but a few were Jews and Gentiles ignorant generally of Christ and Christianity and denying the Saviour of our souls now if we were to go to such as are now the Indians teaching must precede baptizing but you know what is said The Covenant is made to you and to your seed 3. The Anabaptists might as well say that since it is said Mark 1.25 Repent and believe that repentance goeth before faith which is as known an untruth as that preaching to Infants must necessarily precede baptizing of them And thus since the setting repentance before faith bindes me not to believe how faith is not before repentance Secondly since these words Mat. 28. were spoke concerning people unconverted and therefore first to be taught Thirdly since all enjoyned is first make disciples then baptize and after teach This considered makes the Anabaptists Argument weak and invalid The Anabaptists 2. Objection Signum frustrae datur non intelligenti say they it is a vain and footlish custom to give the Sacrament to ignorant Infants that know nothing of the vertue of it nor what it means Give me leave to tell these Anabaptists what answer a late Reverend Doctor of our Church gave to this saith he These gyant-like fight with God for if this Argument were in force it would be available to overthrow the circumcising of Children instituted in the Old Law by God himself as Infants Baptisme in the New For they then knew no more what Circumcision meant then these now what Baptisme Secondly These bold Hereticks by this Argument do seem to condemn our Lord and Saviour as if in vain he laid his Hands upon children and blessed them seeing they knew not what he meant Thirdly Physick is given to the Patient sometimes when senseless and doth him good so though children perceive not what they receive yet may get good by receiving this Seal of Grace And thus since health may be restored by administred physick when the Patient is senseless since Christ blessed those whose young years did impede their present cognition of a Blessing Lastly since God ordained circumcision for children of eight dayes old and not in vain this considered makes invalid this second Argument unless these Anabaptists will condemn all Physicians who give physick to Patients in a trance or will inveigh against the Lord who ordered circumcision on the eight day or else conclude our Savivors blessing yong children was in vain Their third Objection Christ was not baptized till thirty years of age ergo Infants ought not to be baptized To this I answer Baptisme was not in esse at Christs Birth but no sooner instituted but he was baptized though not as one saith in his infancy yet in the infancy of Baptism and because he lived in the time of the Law he was circumcised the eighth day and so soon as the New Law was proclaimed baptized according to the Gospel Again the example of Christ bindes not without a precept for then we should as Christ did onely receive the Lords Supper at the closure of our life and all our life time till then abstain from the Blessed Communion And now all considered the Anabaptists Argument is invalid And since our Saviour binds us not for all his example from Communion till our dying Secondly since he received this Sacrament so soon as it was instituted Thirdly since it was impossible for him to receive a Sacrament before ordained These seriously considered blunt the edge of the Anabaptists argument And though they would seem to give us a great down-right Blow yet have drawn from us no Blood Fourth Objection Their fourth Objection in this You have no express place in Scripture that injoyns Ministers to Baptize Children and man ought not to have a Mouth to speak for that which God alloweth not a Pen to write for Answ This Gordian knot long since hath been unloosed I mean divers Doctors of our Church have resolved this doubt it is almost impossible for me to adde one mite into their Treasury yet to recollect in short what hath been said at large is neither dishonourable to the Writer not will be unsatisfactory to the Reader I answer then though we finde it not set down totidem verbis in so many words Go and Baptize Infants yet Mark 10. ver 14. tells how unto little children belong the Kingdome of Heaven which must be understood of Infants because as followes Chirst tooke them up in his armes and blessed them And it is a sound Argument à majori ad minus that if heaven belong to them then the means to be assoiled of their sin which otherwise would obstruct their going to heaven into which no uncleane thing can enter and the means at their Age in viacognita can be no other but Baptism And of this judgement were the Primitive Fathers and are our now Modern Writers as
Kingdome of Heaven The covenant is made to them doubtless then the Seal of that covenant which is Baptisme must belong unto them Of which opinion was Tertullean who lived within less then an hundred years after St. Johns death But now Deo juvante by Gods assistance I mean to make my word good and to prove by the practice of the Primitive Fathers how baptizing Infants in the four first Centuries after Christs time and his Apostles was maintained lawful Iraeneus in his second Book and 39. against Hereticks saith Omnes venit Christus per semetipsum salvare omnes inquam qui per eum renascuntur in Deum et pueros et juvenes et seniores et parvulos et infantes Christ came to save all that were born of God even Infants born a new by Baptism This holy Writer lived sixty years after the Apostles St. Origen hear him faithfully translated Ecclesia ab Apostolis Traditionem accepit jam parvulis Baptismum dare porro air propterea baptizantur quia per Baptismi Sacramentum nativitatis sordes deponuntur The Church saith he received this Tradition from the Apostles even this to baptize Infants moreover as he asserts for this cause they are admitted to this Sacrament that thereby the foul spots in their Nativity may be washed away This Father flourished in the eighty seventh year from the death of St. John who out-lived all the Twelve St. Cyprian in his third Book and eighth Epistle thus writes A Baptismo prohibere Infans non debet qui recens natus nil peccavit nisi quod secundum Adam carnaliter natus None ought to deny an Infant Baptisme for saith the Holy Father he being new born hath no sin save the guilt of Adams to answer for This Father lived in the 158. year after the death of the Apostles St. Gregory Nazianzen next steps in to defend Infants Baptisme and to give you it in our Latin tongue more suitable to the capacity of many readers he asks the question Num Infantes Baptizemus It is answered Maxime quidem si periculum quoddam imminet melius est enim nondum rationis compotes sanctificari quam non signatos initiatos vita excedere It is the judgement of this Father that we may justifie to baptize Infants if in the danger of death yea he fully determines the controversie and positively sets down how it is better though they want the use of reason so to make them holy than to suffer them to die without this Seal of Grace and mark how by being made holy or sanctified is meant being baptized as here easily you may perceive but Doctor Hamond hath perspicuously made it appear in his answer to Mr. Tombes This St. Gregory lived two hundred and seventy years after the last of the twelve St. Jerome let us now hear what he can say Infantes baptizantur ut eis peccata in Baptismate dimittantur Infants are baptized that so they may be assoiled of their sin by Baptisme he means their birth-sin and therefore without all doubt a most needfull work we impose upon all Parents to hasten the Christening or Baptizing of their Children This Holy Father lived in the year two hundred and eighty after the Apostles St. Chrisostom is as good a witness for us as any of these we may finde his testimony recorded in his Homily de Baptizatis Hac de causa ait jam Infantulos Baptizamus ut non sint coinquinati peccato ut iis addatur sanctitas justitia adoptio haereditas fraternitas Christi ut ejus membra sint omnes We baptize young children saith Saint Chrysostom that they may not be polluted with sin that there may be added to them holiness righteousness adoption a right of heirship and to be the brothers of Christ yea to be made his members yea and by this means they are made as the Holy Father tells us the Temples of the Holy Ghost And thus you see of how high concernment it is to baptize Infants by vertue of which Sacred Ordinance they are not only assoiled of their sin by Adam but have conferred upon them Gods grace with which the Anabaptists it seems are loath at young years to be acquainted and if they continue in those damnable tenents prejudicial to all government in Church and State as hitherto they have done then I dare say that as they refused to be made visible members by Baptisme in the Church Militant it s to be feared God will never bestow on them true repentance whereby they might be ensured to be members of the Church Triumphant But to draw to an head you see how large a talent of Gods grace in the judgement of this holy Father doth Baptism put Infants into a possession of of all which Sacred Riches the Anabaptists like strong thieves labour to rob them but those who stick not to imbrew their arms up to the elbows in the blood of the Lords anointed will make no conscience to wrong one of these little ones though their very Angels as the Evangelist tells us stand before the face of their heavenly Father This Father lived in the 300. Year after the departure of the blessed Apostles St. Augustine in his fourth Book and 13. Chapt. against the Donatists speaks thus Quod tenet universitas Ecclesiae cum parvuli Infantes baptizantur qui certe nondum possunt corde credere ad justitiam ore confiteri ad salutem c. Et tamen nullus Christianorum dixerit eos inaniter baptizari That which we have received meaning as an Apostolicall Tradition the whole Church of God approveth of that is That our young Infants ought to be baptized who neither can be known by outward appearance to believe and confess Yet in his time he professes none denied them Baptisme or said in vain it was administred to them Yet more in Serm. 14. he avoucheth Quod consuetudo Matris Ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis non spernenda est How the custom of baptizing Infants is not to be contemned Habet enim ista parvula aetas magnum testimonii pondus He tells us that little age in which the Church suffered sad Persecution we ought to honour her Testimony as she that did maintaine this Church Doctrine in the time of a Fiery Trial. This Doctor of our Church lived in the 330. Year And now I must tell you that since baptizing Infants is at this Day the practice of all Nationall Churches Christian nay more since Tertullian Iraeneus St. Cyprian Gregory Nazianzen St. Jerome St. Chrisostome and St. Augustine all living in the time of the Primitive Church assert it to be a Tradition Apostolical this makes me admire how so much impudence should possess the Sons of Disobedience as to send a Defiance to the Church Catholique for granting Infants that Sacramentall Privileoge of which they have been in possission ever since the Apostles time But I sleight the contest with such Adversaries who when they cannot maintain their Quarrel with men
speaking of these pernicious people tells us how in his Dayes they were all condemned to Death For in truth if you would take the pains to read all their damnable Tenets you would solemnly swear that it was not fit for them to live amongst Honest men 3. At Vienna that Bulwork of Christendome the Sentence denounced upon these Anabaptists was this That they should be sowed in Sacks and cast into a River and be drowned in the Water for denying Infants the benefit of that water consecrated in the Font for Baptizing of them 4. Some States decreed that these Anabaptists should be beheaded Too noble a Death for such Head-strong Heretiques 5. There was a Law enacted for all pernicious Anabaptists to be stab'd to the Heart with Daggers Thus they were to have inflicted upon them a plurality of Wounds who plotted the Death of a world of Infants 6. I read how a Law was in force to cause all the Anabaptists to be pinched to death with hot Pincers And to say no more but truth they deserve store of hot Fire who deny Infants the Benefit of cold Water 7. I read in the History of Germany how it was decreed that the Anabaptists should have their Bodies hung up in Iron Cages in the high Steeple in Minster They had wrong'd the Church and therefore the Steeple was too good to be â—heir gallowes They had sinned against God in Heaven and his Church on Earth and for this cause it was a just Sentence to hang them betwixt Heaven and Earth as being unworthy to enter the one or tread upon the other Having made knowne to the courteous Reader what severe Punishments have been inflicted upon these Heretiques as Disturbers of the Catholique Church and as much as in them lies the destroyers of all our Infants Now give me leave to put you in minde how for form we baptize In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost if we use any other form we offend our Tongues must be tyed to these words where God dictates it is high presumption treason to alter any thing I shall not spend any time to give a reason of this form of baptizing let sic volo sic jubeo satisfie our Christ commands our Christ prescribes and I will leave all Directories to follow his directions which is this Go ye therefore and make Disciples for so the word in the Greek signifies baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Christs word is our warrant to baptize For us Not for every one then for us to baptize not the ancient onely but Infants also A parvulo recens nato usque ad senem nullus est prohibendus aà Baptismo Aug. we have leave to baptize old and young saith St. Augustin go ye therefore and baptize them as if our Saviour had said time will come you will be all for the word little for the Sacraments all for preaching Sermons have small care to administer my Seals of Grace I foresee your zealous frenzy thinking you have done me good service when but half your duty I charge you therefore go teach and go baptize you see we must not give our selves so much to teach that we neglect the administration of the Blessed Sacraments nor those whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder And now good Christian Readers what just cause have I here to fall foul upon many of our English Ministry who can be content not to administer the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper to their Parishioners for seven years together nay more keep young children from Baptisme these are mungril Ministers half Clergie men as ill as Papists worse then Papists their Priests keep from the communicants onely the Cup the Wine at Communion these have deprived the people for many years together both of the Bread and the Wine neither will they let their Children wash in this Jordan Baptisme that God might account them clean O England lament and bemoan the fearful calamity hath fallen upon thee how canst thou but fear and justly that God will remove thy golden Candlestick I mean deprive thee of his word since in many Parishes thou hast cashiered the use of his Blessed Sacraments Now the Lord grant we may know what belongeth to the day of our visitation yea Lord for thy infinite mercies let the son and the Moon thy word and Sacraments shine in our English Church all our dayes Grant this dear Father for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus FINIS Errata In the Episte for makes read make twice pag. 8. read women twice p. 13. l. 8. r. this p. 24. l. 13. r. us p. 34. l. 13. r. tell p. 41. 1. 9. r. Nations p. 54. l. 5. r. teather p. 67. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Books following are made by the same Authour The Lords Prayer Unclasped A Plea for the Common Prayer Book The Passing Bell rung out A pair of Spectacles for the Anabaptists Do ye not yet See