also all the now Papists and Conformist Protestants and the Presbyterians all concuring in the necessity of Baptizing children building the Structure of their Salvation in part upon this Foundation 2. We take John 3. ver 5. to be a good Scripture ground for Baptizing of Infants where is said Verily verily except a man be born of water and the Spirit be cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Not without the one into the kingdom of Grace not without both into the kingdom of Glory I speak so far as is revealed to us we dare give no farther a warrant then God a precept and must tye our selves to the revealed means though not our God at all times to such tearms as he hath revealed himself to us But this place of Scripture the Anabaptists tell us is to be understood of men of years not of Children who are of less age then the tenth of one year As a reverend Doctor writes they might as well put in an Exception against women no more named then Children This they dare not that they ought not for our Saviour in that place speaks of man Specifice I mean of mankinde of every person sprung from Adam which since the youngest is defiled as well as the eldest as appears by Psal 51.5 therefore Infants while Infants ought to have the Medicine Baptisme administred to them as well as if elder people especially considering it is the onely Church cure to free such who are conceived in sin and born in iniquity from the guilt of Original sin of which Ordinance I take new born Babes to be capable though not Activè yet Passivè for in all the work they are passive being prayed for and belessed and washed and none can doubt but capable of this Seal of grace at those young years as well as the children under the old Law were capable of Circumcision at eight dayes old And this is that Murus Aheneus that Brazen Wall which all the Anabaptists are never able to leap over not yet lay flat but under this Analogy our Children will finde a perpetual shelter for baptisme in the greatest storm of Anabaptists 3. Acts 16. 33. wintnesses how the Jaylor was baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all that were his his children then were not to be excluded or if they had been to have been debarred doubtless our Apostle would have entred his Caveat against Infants Baptisme and as he said 1 Cor. 1. 14. I thank God I baptized none of you save Crispus and Gaius as also the houshold of Stephanus so â—ere he would have told us how all of the Jaylors household he had baptized but the young ones but his non-exception is a sure confirmation that old and young were there and then baptized 4. I answer how the Anbaptists can bring no express place of Scripture commanding us to give the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to women or for changing the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week nor finde they the Creed word by word in Gods word nor yet the words Trinity and Unity and Unity in Trinity and yet they acknowledge a Trinity in Unity believe the Creed observe the Lords day and give the Communion to Women why then not Baptisme to Children for which we have fair evidence how it belongs unto them And now the premises considered how that many things are approved of for Divine Truths not exprest at large in so many lines of the Text. Secondly since whole families were baptized our Apostle telling us whom he did not baptize but entering no Caveat against Infants Baptisme Thirdly Since Scripture tells us this is the way for man or mankinde to enter into the kingdom of Heaven by being born of Water and the Spirit this water charter being granted by the God of heaven to all men of what age of sex upon earth Fourthly since our Saviour assures us heaven belongs to our young children and that at their years there is no way to free them from their birth-sin and ensure them heaven but by Baptism with these few smooth stones taken out of the bag of the shepheard of our souls we have knockt in the forehead the Anabaptists great grand Goliah argument and made it of as little force as Samson when his locks were shaven And now to pass from our adversaries most material Objections to our Arguments which are as so many Champions to defend the baptizing Infants and my first is this This salve was never forbid us to apply to our Infants sores who are all over wounded with original sin by Adam let the Anabaptists point out where God forbids it and we will leave it methinks it had been time enough to cry out of us for baptizing children when they had shewed us Christs prohibition but where there is in Scripture so universal a silence I know no cause why they should make so open an out-cry we much desire they would cease to quarrel with us on earth till the God of heaven declare for them They tell us how we have no express place in Scripture to justifie what we do we tell them how they have not the least appearance in any text in Gods word which contradicts what we do it were wisdome in them to let us without disturbance baptize our Infants till they finde a Law to condemn us or a Gospel to forbid us The second Argument Our second Argument to justifie baptizing Infants is this Our Doctrine is Catholick and was practised both in the Primitive Church as also till this day in all Nationall Churches Christian You know what is said 2 Thes 2.15 Hold fast the Traditions which I have delivered unto you whether by word or our Epistle Now this Church Doctrine of baptizing Children being an Apostolical Tradition we hold it warranted by Gods word and a Doctrine not to be oppugned especially considering God hath promised to be with his Church unto the end of the world And though the Churches of Asia have their golden Candlesticks removed and are fallen from the Faith yet the Universall Church never erres and of this judgement are all our Learned Divines nor dare our Adversaries make the least Mutiny against it if the question seriously and soberly be propounded to them And now the Task I have undertaken is to prove Infants Baptisme a Church Tenet all the time of the Primitive Church for since it is undeniable for practised by the Greek and Latin Churches witness the Churches in all Graecia where there are Christians as also in Syria in India in Muscovia in Ethiopia And as for the Churches in this part of the world what I have delivered will appear to be truth by the confession of the English Scottish and Irish Churches by the practice of the Romish Church to which I may adjoyne as supernumerated up to my hand the Augustine Confession the Bohemian the Belgick the Helvetian the Saxon with many moe all asserting Infants Baptism for of such as saith our Saviour are the
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
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