the Son by which they cry Abba Father So Tit. 3. 5 6 7. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us c. that being Justified by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life The heirs then are regenerate justified and have the hope of eternal life So Ephes. 3. 6. The Gentiles being made fellow-heirs and of the same body are partakers of the promise in Christ by the Gospel even the unsearchable riches of Christ Heb. 6. 17. The heirs of promise have their salvation confirmed by Gods oath And Heb. 1. 14. they are called the heirs of salvation And Heb. 11. 6. 9. It is true justified believers that have that title and James 2. 7. They are called heirs of the promised Kingdom and 1. Pet. 3. 7. they are called coheirs of the same grace of life So that to be heirs in the first and proper notion is to be Sons that have title to the inheritance of glory and therefore to be heirs in the second analogical notion is to be such as seem such by profession of that Faith which hath the promise of that glory The last title that I mentioned in the Argument was Justified Paul calleth all the baptized Church of Corinth Justified None that profess not a justified Faith are called Justified therefore none such should be baptized The major I proved to Master Blake out of 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Master Blake doth not at all deny the major or the sense of the Text alledged to prove it but darkly in generals intimateth a denial of the minor silently passing over that particular title justified as if he durst not be seen to take notice of it I confess its sad that good men should be so unfaithful to the truth which is so precious and is not their own and which they should do nothing against as Master Baxter hath done but all they can for it Having gon thus far about titles let me add another the title Regenerate Christ hath instituted no baptism but what is to be a sign of present regeneration But to men that profess not a justifying faith it cannot be administred as a sign of present regeneration therefore he hath instituted no baptism to be administred to such The major I have proved already in the first Argument and its plain in John 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And so in Tit. 3. 5. where it is called the laver of regeneration In both which though I am of their minde that think that the sign is put for the thing signified yet it may thence plainly appear what is the thing signified even regeneration or the new birth Yea so commonly was this acknowledged by all the Church of Christ that there is nothing more common in the writings of the Fathers then to take the terms regenerate illuminate c. and baptized as signifying the same thing or at least spoken of the same person which occasioned one of our late Antiquaries so stifly to plead that regeneration in Scripture signifyeth meer baptism and that all the baptized are regenerate I grant that it oft falls out that baptism being misapplied sealeth not regeneration at present and that the same person may afterward be regenerate and his remembred baptism may be of use to him for the confirmation of his faith But this is not the institutes commanded use of it to be so administred at first if the party profess not saving faith though this review of it is a duty where it was so abused at first The minor I shall take for granted while regeneration in Scripture stands so connexed to salvation I know no regenerate ones but the justified or those that profess to have a justifying faith nor hath he proved any more Pag. 118. Argum. 11. All that are meet subjects for baptism are after their baptism without any further inward qualification at least without any other species of saith meet subjects for the Lords Supper But no Infant is a meet subject for the Lords Supper as is acknowledged therefore no Infant is a meet subject for baptism Or thus Those whom we may baptize we may also admit to the Lords Supper But we may admit no Infants to the Lords Supper as is acknowledged by baptizers of Infants therefore we may baptize no Infants The major Master Blake will easily grant me and if any other deny it I prove it thus 1. It is the same covenant that both Sacrament seal one for initiation the other for confirmation and growth in grace therefore the same saith that qualifieth for the one doth sufficiently qualifie for the other for the same covenant hath the same condition 2. They are the same benefits that are conferred in baptism and the Lords Supper to the worthy receiver Therefore the same qualification is necessary for the reception The antecedents is commonly granted Baptism uniteth to Christ and giveth us himself first and with himself the pardon of all past sins c. The Lords Supper by confirmation giveth us the same things it is the giving of Christ himself who saith by his Minister Take Eat Drink offering himself to us under the signs and commanding us to take himself by faith as we take the signs by the outward parts He giveth us the pardon of sin sealed and procured by his body broken and his blood shed 3. A member of Christs Church against whom no accusation may be brought from some contradiction of his first profession must be admitted to the Lords Supper but the new baptized may be ordinarily such therefore if he can but say I am a baptized person he hath a sufficient principal title to the Lords Supper Coram Ecclesia before the Church I mean such as we must admit though some actual preparation be necessary unless he be proved to have disabled his claim on that account either by nulling and reverting that profession or by giving just cause of questioning it 4. The Church hath ever from the Apostles dayes till now without question admitted the new baptized at age to the Lords Supper without requiring any new species of faith to intitle them to it I take the major therefore as past denial I must confess as much as I am against separation I never intend to have communion with Master Blakes congregation if they profess not saving repentance and faith And if he exact not such a profession I say still he makes foul work in the Church and when such foul work shall be voluntarily maintained and the word of God abused for the defilement of the Church and ordinances of God it is a greater scandal to the weak and to the schismsticks and a greater reproach to the Church and sadder case to
Felo de Se. OR Mr. RICHARD BAXTERS Self-destroying MANIFESTED In twenty Arguments against Infant-Baptism Gathered out of his own Writing in his Second Disputation of Right to SACRAMENTS BY John Tombes B. D. PSALM 64. 8 9. So they shall make their own Tongues to fall upon themselves all that see them shall flee away And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God for they shall wisely consider of his doings LONDON Printed by Henry Hills next door to the Sign of the Peacock in Aldersgate-steeet 1659. To the Christian READER MAster Richard Baxter in his Second disputation of right to Sacraments begins thus It may seem strange that after 1625. years use of Christian Baptism the Ministers of the Gospel should be yet unresolved to whom it doth belong yet so it is And I observe that it is a question that they are now very sollicitous about and I cannot blame them it being not onely about a matter of Divine appointment but a practical of such concernment to the Church The true reason hereof seems to be that Ministers have for many Ages left the true Baptism of believers which Christ appointed and like Michal instead of it have substituted an Image or Idol of their own to wit Infant Baptism Which being quite besides the rule of Christ Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. and the Apostles practice throughout the Acts of the Apostles they have been at a loss about the ground of it and almost at Daggers drawing about the use of it As it happens to fellow-travellers when they are all out of the right way one conjectures this way they should go another that and sometimes they are at hot disputos and contentions about their way and many by-ways are attempted yet still the farther they go the more out of the way till they come into the Road again So it hath been with Baptizers of Infants they are fallen into many new devices to maintain Infant Baptism the ancients with the Papists imagining that by it Gods grace was given and that it was necessary to save the child from perishing the Lutherans that by Baptism a seed of faith and some relative grace was given to Infants to which Doctor Samuel Ward Bishop Davenant Doctor Cornelius Burges Master Thomas Bedford Master James Cranford and others have of late much inclined others opposing these have fallen into as bad conceits of the Covenant of Gospel grace as made to a believer and his seed Baptisms succession to Jewish Circumcision and fetching a rule from thence as others from the Jewish Baptism Master Baxter having found these unsafe to rest on sub they will bring the assertors to the avouching Jewish tenets hath devised another as he conceives more refined and subtile way making Infants Disciples of Christ mediately by the parents or proparents as his new term is faith which he never proves and an imagined ordinance or law of Infants visible Church-membership no where extant unrepealed and in following these by-ways they have been at variance among themselves Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen onely allowing Infant Baptism in case of manifest danger of imminent death others to take away original sin Baptizing all weak or strong believers or unbelievers children which had almost quite thrust Baptism of believers out of the World and under colour of Christening as they fasly term their Infant Baptism and making Christian souls by throwing water on them they have so polluted the Churches of God with the dregs of the nations I mean innumerable ignorant scandalous prophane superstitious haters scorners and persecutors of Christianity that nothing but the mighty power of God is sufficient to purge the Churches of God of that loathsome and infectious filth which these have brought into it The Papists themselves do in a sort confess that Infant Baptism is an aberration from the first rule in that they count it not perfect till their Mimical and ludicrous Sacrament of Confirmation be added which was used with some reformation in respect of the right and disclaiming of some errours affixed to it and with the appointment of Catechizing by the late Bishops and from them termed Bishopping though without any remarkable emendation of the intrusion of ignorant ungodly unchristian persons into the society of Christians and the Lords supper Some of those who of late have sought reformation herein begin to devise how they may remedy this evil and yet keep the multitude in their Communion by refining that which is called Confirmation To this purpose lately is published by Master Jonathan Hanmer An exercitation or Confirmation to which Master George Hughes Master Richard Baxter and Master Ralph Venning have prefixed their Epistles concerning which how he is mistaken in the laying on of hands used by the Ancients and the application of Heb. 6. 2. to Confirmation after Infant Baptism is perceptible by Sect. 23. of the second part of my Review and sundry passages in his own book in which many things besides are vented without proof about difference between the Church of Infants and Adult members of the effect of Confirmation of compleat and incompleat visible Church-members c. the errors of which it is unnecessary to refute there being no proof of them offered but his own and other Divines mistakes and the main of the design being to set up another humane inventiâ—n which hath no precept or promise of God that he may uphold or colour over an old corruption It pleased God lately to begin to bring the truth concerning Baptism of believers to light in this Nation which stirred up many to contend for Infant Baptism and having as they imagined though the three parts of my Review now published do sufficiently shew they are deceived made that sure they have of late fallen to dispute whose Infants are to be Baptized Mr. Thomas Hooker Mr. Cobbet Mr. Firmin and others pleading against the Baptism of the Infants of the national and parochial Church-members and some of them restraining it to Infants of inchurched Church-members and those who are judged to be real visible Saints have been opposed by Master Rutherford Master Cawdery Master Blake and others Master Blake to maintain his tenet hath asserted that a Dogmatical faith intitles to baptism to oppose which Master Baxter however in his Letter to me he pretends the unpleasantness and non-necessity of meddling any more about the point of Infant Baptism the want of time and health for work of greater moment that he might decline â—â—â—â—ing where his law of Infants visible Church-membership unrepealed is and thinks a man cannot justifie it to lay out the hundreth part or perhaps the thousandth part of his time study talk or zeal upon this question yet here he blames not them that are sollicitous about it being of Divine appointment and practical of such concernment to the Church and hath himself besides his Apology before this last year published a large Book of disputations concerning right â—o Sacraments the second whereof is against Master
considerate men then the too common pollutions of others which are meerly through negligence but not justified and defended Let Master Baxters own words judge him who makes the same foul work in the Ordinance of baptism by admitting Infants to it upon a Parents or Proparents as he terms them profession when all his proofs of the necessity of profession to go before baptism are of the profession of the party himself to be baptized and this device of a Parents or Proparents profession instead of the Infants is his own invention that hath not any intimation in Scripture and by his own proofs makes Infants capable of the Lords Supper and perverts the nature of Sacraments which his own words do fully express thus Pag. 123 124. The first Argument of Master Gillespies 20. is from the nature of Sacraments which are to signifie that we have already faith in Christ remission of sin by him and union with him The sense of the argument is That seeing Sacraments according to Christs institution are confirming signs presupposing the thing signified both on our part and on Gods therefore none should use them that have not first the thing signified by them Though I undertake not to defend all the Arguments that other men use in this case yet this doth so much concern the cause of baptism which I am now debating that I shall give you this reply to it What Divines are there that deny the Sacraments to be mutual signs and seals signifying our part as well as Gods And how ill do you wrong the Church of God by seeking to make men believe that these things are new and strange If it be so to you it is a pity that it is so but sure you have seen Master Gataker's Books against Doctor Ward and Davenant wherein you have multitudes of sentences recited out of our Protestant Divines that affiâ—m this which you call new It is indeed their most common Doctrine that the Sacrament doth presuppose remission of sins and our faith and that they are instituted to signifie these as in being It is the common Protestant Doctrine that Sacraments do solemnize and publickly own and confirm the mutual covenant already entred in heart as a King is Crowned a Souldier Listed a Man and Woman maried after professed consent So that the sign is causal as to the consummation and delivery as a Key or Twig and Turff in giving possession but consequential to the contract as privately made and the right given thereby so that the soul is supposed to consent to have Christ as offered first which is saving faith and then by receiving him Sacramentally delivered to make publick profession of that consent and publickly to receive his sealed remission Master Cobbet cited by you might well say that primarily the Sacrament is Gods seal but did he say that it is onely his and not secondarily ours And in the next words you do in effect own part of the Doctrine your self which you have thus wondered at as new and strange saying I confess it is a Symbol of our profession of faith If you mean as you speak taking profession properly then 1. you yield that the Sacrament is our symbol and so declareth or signifieth our action as well as Gods 2. And it is not onely a sign of our profession but a professing sign and therefore a sign of the thing professed for the external sign is to declare the internal acts of the mind which without signs others cannot know As therefore the words and outwards actions 〈◊〉 â—wo distinct signs of the same internal acts so are they two wayes of professâ—â—â— My signal actions do not signifie my words which are plainer signs the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore need not darker to express them but they both expre 〈…〉 mind So that they are not only symbols of our professiâ—â— as you spea 〈…〉 t professing symbols 3. And if so then they must be signs and professions of those internal acts which correspond with them The Fourth Argument of Master Gillespy is from Rom. 4. 11. Circumcision was a seal of that righteousness of faith therefore so is baptism therefore it belongeth onely to justified believers He that maketh it the instituted nature or use of circumcision to be a seal of righteousness of faith which the person had before doth make his circumcision a proof of his foregoing righteousness of faith Pag. 133. You cannot shew where ever the wicked are commanded to communicate with the Church in the Sacrament but in this order First to be converted and repent and so baptized and so communicate Gillespy Aarons rod blossoming pag. 514 515. The assumption that baptism it self is not a regenerating ordinance I prove thus 1. Because we read of no Persons baptized by the Apostles except such as did profess faith in Christ gladly received the word and in whom some begun work of the Spirit of grace did appear I say not that it really was in all but somewhat of it did appear in all Baptism even of the aged must necessarily precede the Lords Supper Pag. 144. My Twelfth Argument is from Matth. 22. 12. Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment and he was speechless To come in hither is to come into the Church of Christ By the wedding garment is undoubtedly meant sincerity of true faith and repentance so that I may hence argue If God will accuse and condemn men for coming into his Church or the communion of Saints without sincere faith and repentance then it is not the appointed use of baptism to initiate those that profess not sincere faith and repentance But Infants profess not sincere faith and repentance as is manifest by sense therefore it is not the appointed use of baptism to initiate Infants Pag. 145. The Thirteenth Argument is this We must baptize none that profess not themselves Christians But no Infants profess themselves Christians as is manifest by sense therefore we must baptize no Infants The major is certain because it is the use of baptism to be our solemn listing sign into Christs Army our initiating sign and the solemnization of our mariage to Christ and professing sign that we are Christians and we do in it dedicate and deliver up our selves to him in this relation as his own So that in baptism we do not onely promise to be Christians but profess that we are so already in heart and now would be solemnly admitted among the number of Christians the minor I prove thus 1. No man is truely a Christian that is not truly a Disciple of Christ that is plain Act. 11. 26. No man is truly a Disciple of Christ that doth not profess a saving faith and repentance therefore no man that doth not so profess is truly a Christian The minor I prove thus No man is truly a Disciple of Christ that doth not profess to forsake all contrary Masters or Teachers and to take Christ for his chief Teacher consenting to learn of him the way
shall take liberty to say It is this to one but not to another when the Scripture saith no such thing but speaks of the nature and use of it without distinction Else when it saith circumcision is a seal of the righteousness of faith we may say with the Anabaptists it was so to Abraham but not to all others And when the Lords Supper is said to be appointed for the remembrance of Christ we may say That is but to some and not to others when as the Text plainly speaks of the stated use of the ordinances to all 2 And in the type it is clear for it was not some onely but all that entered Noabs Ark that entered into a state of salvation from the Deluge therefore so it is here as to the commanded use 2. When baptism is said to save us it s plainly meant of the state of salvation that baptism entereth us into and not of baptism ex opere operato by the work done effecting our salvation And so baptism comprehendeth the state into which we are solemnly by it initiated As a woman that is maried to an Honourable man or a Souldier listed under an Honourable Commander is said to be honoured the one by mariage the other by listing Where antecedent consent is the foundation on both sides of the honourable relations and the subsequent state is the condition or state it self which is honourable but the solemn signation is but the expression of the former and passage to the later 3. Hereby it is apparent that though the answer of a good conscience be the principal thing intended and that saveth yet the external baptism is here included as the sign and solemnization so that when the Apostle saith not the putting away of the filth of the flesh he means not the bare outward act of washing alone or as such but baptism as it is entire having the thing professed on ouâ— part together with the professing sign 4. It is therefore but by way of signification obsignation and complemental exhibition that baptism saveth it being neither the fast or principal efficient or condition of it but is valued as it is conjunct with the principal causes and condition for the attainment of these ends 5. It is not a meer remote means leading towards a state of salvation that baptism is here affirmed to be but an enterance or means of entrance into that state of salvation it self As the heart-covenant or faith doth it principally so baptism signally and complementally This is plain 1. Because it is not said to help us towards a state of salvation but expresly to save 2. Because the type which is here mentioned viz. the Ark was such a means that all that entered into it for preservation from the Flood were actually saved from it All this laid together doth confirm both the antecedent and consequence of my Argument Calvins words on the Text signifie 1. that no baptized men are excluded from salvation but Hypocrites 2. That they that are excluded from salvation for all their baptism are such as did depâ—ave and corrupt it and not justly use it Yet another Argument may hence be raised thus Argum. 2. If according to the institution the answer of a â—ood conscience must be joyned with baptism for the attaining of its end then we must admit none that profess not that answer of a good conscience But no Infant doth profess that answer of a good Conscience as is manifest by sense Therefore we must admit no Infant to baptism But the former is certain from the Text for baptism is said to save that is its appointed use yet not the external washing but the answer of a good conscience doth it therefore this is of necessary conjunction and without it baptism cannot attain its end but it is to be administred and received onely in order to the attainment of its end and therefore never in a way by which the end is apparently not attainable What this answer of a good conscience is we shall further enquire anon Both the common expâ—sitions fully confirm the point which I maintain The assemblies Annot. recit both thus Hence by the answer of a good conscience we may understand that unfeigned faith whereof they made confession at their baptism and whereby their consciences were purified and whereby they received the remission of their sin c. Some understand by the answer of a good conscience that covenant whereinto they entered at their baptism the embracing whereof they testified by their unfeigned confession of their faith viz. such a faith as is aforesaid Pag. 160. Argum. 18. No one may be admitted to baptism who may not be addmitted a member of the Church of Christ No one may be admitted to be a member of the Church of Christ without the profession of a saving faith therefore no one may be admitted to baptism without the profession of a saving faith But no Infant doth profess saving faith as is manifest by sense therefore no Infant may be admitted to baptism I speak of such admission to Church membership as is in the power of the Ministers of Christ who have the Keys of his Kingdom to open and let in as well as to cast out The major is past question because baptism is our solemn entrance into the Church who were before entred by private consent and accepted by the covenant of God All the question is of the minor which I shall therefore prove 1. It is before proved that all the members of the Church must be such as are visibly solemnly or by profession sanctified from former sin cleansed justified persons of God the heirs of the promise c. But this cannot be without the profession of a saving faith therefore c. 2. This is also before proved where it was shewed that no other are Christians or Disciples 3. In Acts 2. 41 42. c. The many thousand that were added to the Church were such as gladly received the doctrine of saving faith and repentance and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer and so far contemned the world as to sell all and make it common And doubtless no man continued in those ways of doctrine fellowship prayer c. without the profession of saving faith and repentance for the very use of these is such a profession of which saith Calvin in Act. 2. 42. quaerimus ergo veram Christi ecclesiam Hic nobis ad vivum depicta est â—jus imâ—gâ— ac initium quiâ—em facit a doctrina quae veluti ecclesiae anima est not as barely heard but as professed and received nec quamlibet doctrinam nominat sed Apostâ—lorum hoc est quam per ipsorum nanus silius Dei tradiderat ergo ubicunque personat pura vox Evaâ—gelii ubi in ejus professione mâ—â—nent homines ubi in ordinario ejus auditu ad profectum se exercent illic indubio est ecclesia c. Quare non temere