is no certainty for it that they baptized none but such as were able to make acknowledgement of their Faith There is more probability on the contrary that they baptized euen some infants as namely when they baptized whole families as Lydia and her houshold Å¿ Act. 16.18 the Iaylor with all that belonged to him t Ds 33. Crispus with all his houshold u Act. 18 8 the houshold of Stephanas x 1 Cor. 1.16 Albeit a man cannot make a certaine demonstration that in these generall Baptismes administred to whole families there were some infants baptized with the rest yet it were very strange if there should be none in none of these housholds and to say that there is in such speeches and figuratiue speaking all the family being put for the greatest part of the family and so vnder that colour to exclude infants is but an indifferent euasion it being a rule that we are not to account any thing as figuratiuely where there is no necessity for the auoyding of some manifest inconuenience like to follow if the words of the sentence should bee taken properly Be it that none of all these things wil serue to iustifie the Baptisme of infants yet vnable to make confession of their faith yet their interest into the promise of God is a sufficient plea that promise is made to them that beleeue and to their children y Act. 2 39. If then the promise belong to infants why not also the seale of the promise It may be some may make doubt of this reason because it may seeme by the like argument that vnto infants also ought to be giuen the Sacrament of the Lords Supper They haue a right to the promise and why not also to the seale of the promise so may some dispute Answere Indeed this mooued some among the antients to giue this other Sacrament euen to infants as Cyprian z Serm. 5. de lapsis and Augustine a De ecc dog c. 52. the latter of which two was the rather strengthened therein by mistaking Christs words Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you b Ioh. 6.53 supposing those words to bee ment of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he accounted the vse therof of necessity to saluation But the Truth is that the reason fetched from the interest into Gods promise which doth prooue infants to haue a right into Baptisme is not of like force to prooue them to haue a right into this Sacrament For besides the difference betwixt the two Sacraments in respect that the one is the Sacrament of entrance into the Church and therefore agreeing to infants the other the Sacrament of proceeding and therefore fit only for those which are of grouth in Christ besides this I say there be certaine expresse restraints to be collected out of the rules set downe for the maner of receiuing the Lords Supper as namely that in vsing it there must be an examining of ones selfe c 1 Cor. 21. there must bee a discerning the Lords body d ver 29. there must be a Remembrance e Vs 25. of Christ which be things whieh infants cannot reach to Thus haue I endeuoured to cleere this point touching the limitation of this doctrine of the necessity of faith to the right partaking of the Sacraments proouing it to be vnderstood only in the point of Baptisme of these that are of yeares and that this course taken by the Apostles in baptiszing those of yeares is no preiudice at all to the baptisme of infants but that still it remaineth firme and sure that children borne in the Church ought to bee admitted to the Sacrament which may be a pleadge of their admission into the Church and whereby also much comfort may returne vnto their parents God being pleased hereby to giue euidence of the truth of his promise that he is not ashamed f Heb. 11.76 to be called both our God and the God of our seed also The maine and speciall vse of this doctrine is to be a direction to vs The vse how we may learne to make the right vse of that Sacrament of Baptisme which in our infancy we receiued The best vse of Baptisme is to vse it as a store-house of comfort as indeed it is being applied a right Now as no man not baptized till he is of yeares can bee comfortably and effectually baptized vnlesse hee beleeue so no man baptized in his infancy can when he commeth to yeares comfortably make vse of his Baptisme vnlesse he beleeue There is an old popish opinion which is firmely held by ignorant men women and it is this that Baptisme doth confer grace of and by it selfe howsoeuer the party bee disposed that receiue it And so people generally hold a conceipt that there is a kinde of vertue and Christendome as they call it infused into them by the hauing of this Sacrament howsoeuer they be affected But this is a meere fiction and fancy without truth It is a kinde of lifting vp the Sacrament aboue the naturall condition thereof and ministers of the Sacrament are thereby made workers of miracles as if their Arte did regenerate of it selfe Peter saith that the washing of the flesh doth not saue g 1 Pet. 3.2 Simon Magus was baptized and yet after that remained in the gall of bitternesse and bond of Iniquity h Act. 13.23 and many of the old Israelites were baptized vnder Moses with whom God was not pleased i 1 Cor. 10.2.5 Paul saith Christ sanctified his Church by the washing of water through the word k Eph. 5.26 So that it is the beleeuing and receiuing of the word that maketh the Sacrament to be effectuall Let no man therefore glory in his Baptisme vnlesse he haue Faith If thou who hast beene baptized shall say vnto me in some such maner as the Eunuch spake to Philip See I haue beene baptized what should let me to assure my selfe that I am a Christian I cannot but answer thee as Philip did If thou beleeuest c. thou maist Let vs looke to this one thing therefore euen to our Faith Faith is the tenure by which we hold heauen Baptisme is but the seale to confirme it Faith if we haue it will appeare by this It worketh by loue l Gal. 5.6 and what loue a loue to three things To the author of Faith and that will appeare by obedience m Ioh. 14.15 2 To the word of Faith n Rom. 10.8 For he which is of God heareth Gods word o Ioh. 8.47 and faith cannot but loue that whereby it is begotten and built vp further 3 To the houshold of Faith p Gal. 6.10 He that loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begotten of him q 1. Ioh. 51. such an one will loue euen the name of a disciple r Math. 10.42 Try then your Baptisme by
fulfill the desires of those that feare him k Psa 145.19 and that the hearkening eare which doth as it were thirst for knowledge shall lodge among the wise l Pro. 15 31. He will guide the meeke in iudgement m Psa 25.9 He will reveale his secret vnto such n Ver. 14. Euen that which is called the hid wisedome of God o 1. Cor. 2.7 and the minde of Christ p Ver. 16. The vse The vse is to shew vnto vs the true cause why there is no such profiting by the word preached as there should bee and as there was of old in the first and purer times Then one Sermon wonne many now many Sermons scarse preuaile with one Surely the cause is men want that ready that cheerefull that forward that inclinable that humble disposition which the good people in those times had then they sued to bee taught as the Eunuch heere and those Act. 2. and the Antiochians and the Iaylor now it is well if we will heare when we be entreated then they had learned to submit themselues to the power and authority of the word now euery man is wise and able enough to instruct himselfe then their hearts trembled at the maiestie of God speaking in his ordinance now they haue a kinde of base estimation of the meanes neither is it generally apprehended to be the arme and power of God vnto saluation Heere is the very cause that so much is spoken to the men of this generation without successe and that so many Sermons be as the woman of Tekoah speake in another case as water spilt vpon the ground which cannot be taken vp againe q 2. Sam. 14.14 and that so many of the Lords Messengers may lament with the Prophet and say I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing r Is 49.4 It is a hard matter to meete with such an one as this Eunuch in a Parish that will intreat to be furthered one that will yeelde himselfe as a Disciple to him who watcheth for his soule We haue to do with gainsaying people Å¿ Rom. 10.21 with men of vncircumcised hearts and eares t Act. 7.51 such whose neckes are iron sinewes u Is 48.4 not easily bent they leane to much to their owne wisedome x Pro. 3.5 to be wise in God If then our desire be to be profitable hearers let vs labour to be desirous and humble hearers such as account it no disparagement to sitte in the schoole of Christ vpon the learners forme In the times of Popery men were taught to be too servile the Priests tooke on them to haue dominion ouer the peoples faith 2. Cor. 1.24 there might bee no asking why so if they deliuered it Now on the other side our people are as much on the other hand too much out of rule and it is not knowne what it is to depend vpon the ordinance of God and to submit to the meanes with that meeke and quiet spirit which is a thing in the sight of God much set by z 1 Pet. 3 4. The 2. Doct. A second Doctrine out of this Motion made by the Eunuch is That where the heart is truly touched and the soule indeed turned vnto God there is a desire to bee partaker of the Sacraments This Eunuch being now through Philips preaching seasoned with the sauing knowledge of Christ Iesus doth even long to bee partaker of the Sacrament which might be a pledge of his new birth and an earnest of his ingraffing into the mysticall body of his Sauiour Oh Philip as thou hast taught mee so I pray thee also to baptize mee let mee not want the comfort of the Sacrament now that I haue receiued benefit by thy doctrine This very thing may be gathered out of this that the Apostles stile vrged the vse of the Sacrament presently vpon the peoples yeelding to receiue the Doctrine as though that should bee a triall of them whether they heard in sincerity or no. If they had refused the Sacrament their Hypocrisie had beene eftsoones discouered if they embraced it in such maner as became them it was an euidence that their hearts were seasoned as was meete Thus Iohn Baptist bound his heares to the Sacrament a Math. 3. and Peter Amend your liues and be baptized b Act. 2.38 and after that order did the rest proceede I remember how the neglect of the Sacrament is made to be a marke of a dispiser The Pharises are said to haue despised the counsell of God in Iohns ministry and how doth that appeare They were not baptized of him c Luk. 7.30 In the old law he who professed himselfe to be one of Gods people and made a shew of religion and yet neglected the Sacrament was called a breaker of the Couenant and was threanep to be cut of d Gen. 17.14 There be just causes of desiring the Sacrament in him that is enlightened 1. He knoweth the vse of the Sacraments to be Gods ordinance and therefore in obedience to his will hee will make conscience thereof 2. He conceiueth them to be seales of the righteounes which is by faith e Rom. 4.11 assurances of society with Christ for which cause they must needes be sweete vnto his soule 3. Hee apprehends them to be badges of his profession and of his seruice vnto Christ and therefore he cannot but desire them 4. Hee belieueth them to bee bands of the communion of Saints and in that respect he must needs affect them This is a very behoofull point to be spoken of in these daies because among men professing godlinesse there is not that respect to the Sacraments that there should bee The Sacrament of Baptisme the truth is we haue receiued it in our childhood but what man of many laboureth to make the right vse of his Baptisme or seeketh to know what it meanes and why it was It seemeth men are led with an ignorant conceipt that the good of Baptisme is limited to the time of receiuing it and was only then as a doore of entrance into the outward society of Gods people whereas indeede there is good vse to bee made of that Sacrament at a mans last breathing and not at the first instant of partaking it only So that I say still men giuing good hopes of some religion to be in them are exceeding carelesse in this point of ioyning the vse of the sacraments to their customary hearing and so by that meanes they depriue themselues of an vnknowne and vnthought of help both to provoke to obedience and to strengthen faith and to increase the comfort of the inward man And as for the Sacrament of the Lords supper generally it is made no more reckning of then some three-halfepeny ordinary saue only at some season of the yeere or at some supposed good times as though seasons and moones and the influences of the sky gaue vertue to Gods ordinances
cause aleaged why there should be a necessity of faith in the right vse of Baptisme and not also in the right vse of the Lords supper Heere for proofe I might produce those generall speaches Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne i Rom. 14.23 and without faith it is impossible to please God k Heb. 11.6 But the maine reason is this the Sacraments are in their nature seales of righteousnesse l Rom. 4.11 and therefore it is absurd for a man to offer himselfe to receiue a confirmation of that thing which he hath not to haue a seal set as it were to a blanke to come to haue faith strengthened when perhaps there is scarce a right vnderstanding either of what is to be belieued or of what it is to belieue And then the ancient order of the Church heerin is not to be neglected For as touching the Sacrament of Baptisme the course taken with these whom the Apostles and their associates drew out of Iudaisme and Gentilisme into Christianity is apparant They vrged them to giue euidence and testimony of their faith and of their purpose to walke with God in newnesse of life So Iohn Baptist began m Math. 3. so the rest followed and the order of asking questions of the Baptized Doest thou belieue dost thou renounce is very probable to haue beene in vse euen in the Apostles time whereunto that saying of S Peter giueth a very good colour where speaking of Baptisme he mentioneth the Answer of a good conscience u 1. Pet. 3 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stipulation or engagement of the conscience the baptized giuing his word that thus and thus he beliueth and this and this he vndertaketh And in the primitiue Church ther was in the congregation a certaine forme or ranke called Catechumeni which were first trained vp in the knowledge of the grounds of Faith before they were baptized they being conuerts out of gentilisme which grounds what the chiefe of them were the Apostle relates Heb. 6. which points are there termed The doctrine of Baptismes because they were the particulars in which they which desired to bee numbered amongst Christians were instructed before they were baptized To this also agreeth that which is generally held that the Creed was digested into such a forme as seemeth to bee an Answer to a question The baptized was demanded what doest thou belieue his Answer was I belieue in God the father c. Thus for the Sacrament of Baptisme Now for the other Sacrament the rule of the Apostle is perpetuall and alwaies binds that who so commeth to it must examine himselfe o 1. Cor. 11.28 and seeing all search and examination aimeth at the finding out of some thing what should a Christian intending to partake that holy Mysterie examine himselfe about rather then about this whither hee be in the faith or no p 2. Cor. 11.5 How is it possible hee should bee a meet and a worthy receiuer if he want this Grace And thus I haue cleered the generall ground of this Doctrine Now I come to the limitation thereof Touching which this I say that in the Sacrament of the Lords supper it holds still that none ought to be admitted to it but such as are able to giue euidence for themselues that they are belieuers but in the Sacrament of Baptisme the case is not like For we must not hold that the sacrament of Baptisme can lawfully be giuen to none but to such as are able being vrged to giue testimony of their Faith because euen the Infants of belieuing parents haue a right to that Sacrament albeit as yet because of their present state they cannot in strait speaking bee said to belieue nor yet are able to answer a demand concerning Faith so that the point touching faith necessary to the Sacrament of Baptisme is to be vnderstood only of those which are admitted to it being of yeares As for example if a Turke or Iew or Pagan should come amongst vs and should desire Baptisme it were necessary he should first be instructed in the doctrine of faith yea and examined and dealt with and caused to giue publique Testimony of his beleeuing but we must not stretch this rule so as that we should exclude from this Sacrament the children of Beleuers Indeed the Anabaptists who dispute with the vtmost of their skill against the Baptisme of Infants doe much vrge the practise of the Apostles and this our text among others namely that they are not read to haue baptized any but such who by age were able to bee countable for their faith and from thence they would draw a generall conclusion that where there is no capablenesse of faith there ought to be no Baptisme Heerevnto diuers things might be replyed but these briefly That it is not simply an improper speech to call the infant of belieuing parents a beleeuer because although he do not now actually beleeue yet partly because for his parents sake he is within the compasse of the couenant partly because of that which may well be hoped for hereafter as it were hard to terme him an infidell so it were not harsh to call him a beleeuer And why not a beleeuer as well as a reasonable creature though yet there is in him no vse of reason no nor any certainty of ability heereafter to enjoy it And besides by the antient and most receiued doctrine of the Church the infants of beleeuers are reputed to haue a kinde of interest into their parents faith who by faith appprehend the promise of eternall life as appertaining to their children as farre forth as to themselues And what more inconuenience to terme such beleeuers in respect of their parents then to terme them holy through them as Paul doth q 1 Cor. 7.14 2 The argument is naught from the Apostles practize for that course which they tooke with one certaine age of persons cannot be stretched out to all without exception As when the Apostle deliuereth a law that he which doth not labour should not eate r. were it not a notorious absurdity yea and a wickednesse to keepe meat from infants vnder a pretence that they doe not worke And why because euery man conceiueth that the law belongeth onely to those which are of age and ability to labour and yet neglect it The same may be sayd of he Apostles proceeding in baptizing that it extendes onely to those that bee of yeares to subiect infants to the same condition with them were vnreasonable In Abrahams person the knowledge of the Nature of the Sacrament and an yeelding himselfe to liue vnder the Lords obedience went before the receiuing of circumcision yet in Isaac it was not so he was circumcised first and instructed after It was necessary in Abraham that a profession of Faith should goe before circumcision it was not necessary in Isaac the difference in their ages altered the case of the necessity 3 As concerning the Apostles practize it selfe there