Bodies of your Vows O shew them the Mercy of God! the Church of God is willing to receive them O rent them not from the Mystical Body of which they are Members See pag. Answ You Godly Parents take heed what Doctrine you receive you cannot cast your Infants out of the Invisible and Mystical Body of Christ if they are in it nor cast them out of the Covenant of Salvation No no that 's not in the Power of Mortals We cannot receive them or bring them into the Covenant of Salvation nor make them Members of Christ's Invisible and Mystical Body None can do that but God himself Christ himself 't is preposterous Stuff strange Doctrine this poor Man troubles you with Good Men may in some things be blinded and misled Try his Doctrine search the Scriptures take nothing upon trust without trial As to your bringing of your Children into the Visible Church so as to be Members thereof and to have right to the holy Sacraments they must come in at the Door of Regeneration not by Generation even at the same Door you came in at if you are true Members thereof and O therefore pray for your Children they are dear to you bring them up in the Fear of God command them to seek after the Knowledg of their Natural State and to know and believe in Jesus Christ and set them a good Example I know not what better Counsel to give you concerning your Children Secondly To you that are Unbelievers who have Children Do not fear the State of those dear Babes of yours that die in Infancy you have no cause to doubt of their Happiness but your Children may be saved that die in their Infancy as well as the Infants of faithful and godly Parents Also the Infants of Godly People are no more holy than yours if your Marriage was good and lawful for Marriage is honourable in all it belongs to Unbelievers and is God's holy Ordinance to them as well as 't is to Believers But O let it be your Care and chief Business to get true Faith in Jesus Christ for Matrimonial Sanctification in your selves or the Holiness of Legitimation in your Children will add nothing to yours or their Salvation but till you and your Off-spring do believe and are spiritually holy and sanctified by the Blood of Christ through Faith of the Operation of God neither you nor they have any right to the Sign which is Baptism for as we deny the Infants of Believers as such have any right to Baptism so be sure your Children have no right thereto yet the Promise is to you and your Children or Off-spring whenever the Lord is pleased to call either you or your Children by the preaching of the Word c. CHAP. X. Proving in Opposition to what Mr. James Owen saith that Children have no right to be baptized altho Christ blessed them MR. Owen quotes Mark 10. 13 14 15 16. And 〈◊〉 brought little Children to him that he should touch them that he would put his Hand upon them and pray Mat. 19. 13. And his Disciples rebuked those that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was displeased and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven c. Saith Mr. Owen Let us consider in this remarkable Scripture who were those that were brought to the Lord Jesus the Text says they were little Children suchas were taken up in Arms as we translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore saith he it being evident that those Children brought as it is probable by the Godly Parents unto Christ were very little they themselves were not of Age to come unto him nor profess Faith in him 2. Why were they brought to Christ that he should put his Hands on them and pray They that brought them to Christ did believe they could receive a Blessing by laying of Hands and Prayers of Christ altho the little Children understood not at present what Christ had done to them As saith he Parents brought their Children to â—hrist to bless them so do we bring them to Christ by Baptism to receive a Blessing Why cannot they receive a Blessing from him now as in the days of his Flesh Are his Bowels straitned towards them Answ What doth this prove touching the Lawfulness of Infant-Baptism we acknowledg and readily grant that they were little Children that were brought to Christ and that he 〈◊〉 his Hands upon them and blessed them but is this a Warrant for us to Baptize our little Children You say As those Parents brought their Children to Christ to bless them so do you bring them to Christ by Baptism Answ. And with shame you may speak it unless you had Authority to Christ so to do Who hath required this thing 〈◊〉 our Hands May you not as the Ancient Fathers did by the sâ—me Argument bring little Children to the Lord Jeâ—us by bringing them to the holy Sacrament of the Lord's â—upper Also you have as much ground from God's Word to do that as to bring them to the Sacrament of Baptism No doubt they were brought to Christ to be healed of some Bodily Distemper for the Lord blessed and healed Diseases by laying his Hand on the Sick and we all know that they are capable of that Blessing 〈◊〉 not of the holy Sacraments which alâ—ne belong to Adult Persons that believe and are able to examine themselves True Christ's Bowels are not straitnâ—d now he is in Heavan to young or old but what oâ— thâ—… Wisdom did not lead him to baptize little Children and he knows how to let out his Bowels towards them without your reaching him Will you direct the Almighty or have Christ to bless an Human Invention Were iâ— his Appointment he would no doubt bless it to little Children but that you will never be able to prove and it argues you have a bad Caâ—se in hand in that you make use of such Childish Arguments to prove it and bring Texts so remote from the Business You say Christ prayed for them whom the Father had given him John 17. 9. and if the Children of the Faithful not of the World but are Christ's we should suffer them to come to him and receive his Mark which is Baptism Answ 1. Are all the Infants of Believers given unto Christ and so not of this World Do you believe it Sir all that the Father hath given to Christ shall come unto him and every Soul of them shall be saved Now do all the Children of the Faithful come to Christ and shall they all be saved or are you not to be rebuked and sharply reproved for what you write to blind the Eyes and deceive the Children of the Faithful to make them think their State is good and safe when perhaps they are in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Had not Abraham an Ishmael Isaac an Esau and David an Absalom O and what ungodly Persons do daily
only is the publick Head of his Seed a Believer's Faith objectively justifies and saves himself only not his Children Could Reverend Mr. Jones find no better a Pen to defend his Cause of Pedo-Baptism My Faith may be said to unite me to Christ but doth it also unite my Child to Christ Whatsoever good Children do receive from their believing Parents besure the Parent 's Faith doth not render his Child a Believer but however my Faith doth not make the Condition of my Child worser than it was and it may not make the Condition of my Child better for all the good Counsel Education good Example and Prayers some Children have from their Godly Parents they make them not the better 'T is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth Mercy You intimate what Cause there is of bitter Sorrow in the Churches of God that the Major part of their Children are out off from the Covenant of Salvation Answ Our Doctrine cuts off not one Child of any Believer that is in the Covenant of Salvation if God hath elected the major part of the Children of the Faithfull we say they shall be saved 'T is impossible for any to cut off one of God's Elect. But what is this to their Children as such or to the positive Right any of our Infants have to Baptism Do you cut off your Infants from the Covenant of Salvation because you will not give them the Blood of the Covenant I mean the Lord's Supper Brethren Both the Sacraments are Ordinances that are of meer positive Right viz. depending as to the Subjects and all Matters thereunto belonging upon the Sovereign Will and Pleasure of the Lord Jesus the great Law-giver and as they that come to one Ordinance are to examine themselves and to discern the Lord's Body So all they that come to the other are to believe in Christ and to repent from dead Works You mistake 't is not the Eternal Covenant of Grace that you say you stand up in the Gap to maintain but you strive to introduce in Gospel-Times an external relative Covenant according to the Flesh like that Covenant of Peculiarity which God made with Abraham and his Natural Seed as he was a publick Head and Father of the whole House of Israel or of the National Political and Typical Church of the Jews Nay you would fain have all the Seed of Believers to be in that Covenant that peculiarly and absolutely did belong to the Natural Seed of Abraham as such and none else Now 't is this thing which we deny we say that there was a twofold Covenant made with Abraham signified by Sarah and Agar And tho there was Grace and Mercy in both yet the Covenant of Grace or Free Promise was not made to Seeds as of many i. e. not to all the natural Seed of Abraham or Seed of Believers as such but primarily it was made to Christ and in him to all the Elect who alone are in the Eternal Covenant of Grace That the Election takes hold both of some of Believers Seed and some of the Seed of Unbelievers is evident and tho God may comprehend in his Eternal Love more of our Seed than of the Seed of Unbelievers yet I have proved in this Treatise and Reply to Mr. Owen that the Covenant of Grace and the Election of God runs nor to the Seed of the Faithful as such and also that Believers Seed nor Unbelievers Seed until they believe in Christ ought to be baptized nor taken into the Visible Church because 't is not the Covenant of Grace considered as such that gives any Person a Right to Baptism but the meer positive Command of our Lord Jesus Christ whose express Command and Commission injoins none to be baptized but such who are Believers or such who are discipled by preaching the Word Mat. 28. 19 20. Mark 16. 16. John 4. 1. Acts 2. 37. Acts 8. 12 14. Acts 8. 37. Acts 10. 47. Acts 16. 30 31. Acts 18. 8. Rom. 6. 3 4. Mr. Owen tells Mr. Jones who he says hath the Tongue of the Learned that his desire was that he would be a Disputant for those Weaklings who are not able to dispute for themselves Reply He tells us one while that Mr. Jones desired and importuned him to write his Treatise and at another time he says his Will and Desire was that Mr. Jones should do it As touching the Reverend Mr. Samuel Jones I have had such an account of him by a Worthy Minister that I am fully satisfied that had he wrote on this Subject we should have had no such bitter Reflections or ill Treatment as we meet withal from this Man He hath dipped his Pen into Gall and Wormwood and hath made work for Repentance besides I am informed that Mr. Jones neither put him upon this Work nor approves of it tho perhaps when he saw his Forwardness he might say Go on and do it Sirs those Weaklings he means need no such a Disputant he hath done them no service nor the Church of God either we throw none of them out of that Eternal Covenant of which he speaks nor can Men nor Angels do it such of our Infants that are in the Eternal Covenant are safe enough But we deny that our Infants are in that Covenant of Peculiarity which God made with Abraham and his natural Seed as such And this I doubt not but you will find in the insuing Answer sufficiently proved Moreover He says He stands up in the gap to maintain the Eternal Covenant which God made with the Faithful and their Seed Great is the Truth and it will overcome Reply He should not boast before he puts off his Armour that may be a Truth in a Man's Opinion which is a gross Error in it self You will when you have read our Answer the better judg whether he hath prov'd the Baptism of Infants to be from Heaven as in the Title of his Book he asserts it is He farther says We are Fathers and the Law of Nature teacheth us to preserve the Inheritance of our Children Reply Our Affections are not less to our Children than his we are Fathers also but are not willing to give an Inheritance to our Children which of right belongs not unto them Grace nor gracious Privileges in the New Covenant come to be the Inheritance of our Children in a Natural way as they are our Off-spring tho evident it is in the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham the Jews and their Seed as such had an Inheritance given them by the Lord i. e. many Legal and External Privileges besides the Land of Canaan which Circumcision was a Token or Sign of but we and our Children have no right to that Inheritance They had the Shadow we and our Children that believe have the Substance they had the Shell we the Kernel The true Inheritance is by Faith that it might appear to be of Grace and not in Circumcision
at all and so cast off and renounce their Infants Rautism that they hereby become guilty of Perjury and must be Damned for he speaks not of those sins forbidden in God's Word but the violation of this baptismal Covenant which he saith is Perjury and the Damning Sin and Root of all Sin O! what want of Charity is here in these Men and what New and strange Doctrine do they Teach 2. Train up your Children in the fear of God and set them a good example and pray for them and over them and give them good Instruction godly Counsel and Admonition And see that you neglect not to Catechise them daily that so they may understand early the main Grounds and Principles of Religion but dread to Baptize them in Infancy or before they believe and have the inward and Spiritual Grace signified in true Baptism You have had it proved from God's Word that there is no Ground nor Authority from thence to baptize Infants and know 't is not in the power of Man by external Rite to bring Children into the Covenant of Grace nor to make them Members of his Visible Church neither Baptism nor the Lords Supper are Bread for Infants but for Christ's New Born Babes 1 Pet. 2. 1 2 3 5. not for your Children as such but such only that are the true Children of God who are born of the Spirit 3. Do not go about directly nor indirectly to deceive your Children by making them believe they are in a good condition by reason they are the Seed of believing Parents and Baptized as these Men call Sprinkling and so that way made Christians and so from hence perhaps look for no further or other work of Grace or regeneration but think they by this pretended baptism are the Children of God Members of Christ and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven when 't is in Truth no such thing nor have you any cause to doubt but that your Infants who die tho' not baptized are happy as appears from what we have said neither be you so ignorant to believe that baptism can save your Infants or the Adult either nor let poor Children cry out against their ungodly Parents as some of these pedo-baptists intimate they may do Pray see what Mr. Burkitt saith in his Book page 62. Before your Children are born make sure as much as in you lieth that they may be born within the Covenant and under the promise by your being in Covenant with God Your selves see that the Lord be your God in Covenant with you and then you may comfortably hope he will be the God of your Seed Answ This Doctrine implys that 't is in the power of Men and Women to bring their Children into the Covenant of Grace and as also it denotes that the Children of believers are not Born Children of Wrath by Nature for are those that are born in the Covenant of Grace born Children of Wrath O ye Parents know that you may be in Covenant and your Children never in it whilst they live nay die out of Covenant as doubtless many Children of the Faithful do Nor hath God made any such Covenant with any believer and their Natural Seed as such as he made with Abraham who was the Father of all that believe but so are not you nor I tho' we are believers and in Covenant with God and walk in Abrahams Steps Those that are in the Electiof Grace of your Seed never fear but God will in due time bring into the Covenant of Grace and give all the Covenant Blessings and Priviledges but if any of them are not comprehended in the Election of Grace their being born of your Loyns will not cannot bring them into the Covenant of Grace nor give them a right to the Seal thereof viz. the holy Spirit nor can baptism bring any into it which is only an outward Sign of our being in that Covenant or of that divine and spiritual Grace we received before we were baptized as I have proved Your business and your Childrens also is to make your own Election sure by special and effectual calling 'T is not the first birth but the second that brings either you or your Children into the Covenant of Grace so that we and they may have God to be our God by way of special Interest But mark Mr. Burkitts next words page 62. O! were but Infants capable of knowledge how much would they dread being born of wicked Parents make it your endeavour before your Children are born to sanctifie your poor Children this is done by prayer c. 1. Answ This is enough to set the Children against their ungodly Parents nay to hate them in their Hearts Alas the Children of wicked Parents I see not but they may be in as good a Condition as many Children of believers tho' I doubt not but God doth let out his infinite Grace generally more to the seed of the Faithful when grown up then to others but God will not certainly destroy poor Children for the fault and unbelief of their Parents Therefore as your begetting them in the first birth tho' gracious cannot save them so your begetting them tho' wicked cannot damn or destroy them There is no reason saith Mr. Perkins that the wickedness of the Parents should prejudice the Children in things pertaining to eternal Life Perkins on Gal. 3. p. 264. 2. However if it be as Mr. Burkitt and Mr. Owen say that when believers are in Covenant their Children are in Covenant also Doubtless they are in a safe condition whether baptized or not that doth not bring them into Covenant 3. But may not this Doctrine of theirs put a just rebuke upon unbelievers or ungoly persons for once attempting to Marry and beget Childre that are in such a sad condition by reason their Parents were not in Covenant with God ought they nay may they lawfully Marry this being consider'd and such dreadful effects following upon their poor Babes besides how far doth this Covenant blessing and priviledge extend If my Grand Father was in Covenant tho' my Father and I too are wicked and ungodly Persons are not we still in Covenant with God The Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham viz. that of Circumcision extended not only to his immediate Seed or Off-Spring but to all his Natural Seed successively in their Generations untill Christ came and put an end to that external Covenant and Covenant Right CHAP. XXV Containing several Queries for Mr. Owen to answer since the Athenian Society have not done it who some time since did attempt it Sir I Having wrote a few Queries lately about Infant Baptism for the Athenian Society to answer upon their bold Challenge and since they are too hard for them to do it having said nothing at all to the purpose I shall expect to see them answered by you when you answer this reply to your Book I shall not trouble you with all but only with a few of them Query 1. Whether the
then we must not But little Children were brought to Christ and he did not baptize them therefore we must not Here is both Truth and Reason in this Argument as Dr. Taylor confesseth but none of either in his It is confessed by Mr. Burkitt himself That Christ did not baptize those Infants that came to him and whom he took in his Arms and blessed because with his own Hands he baptized none at all John 4. 1 2. Therefore since Christ who was God foresaw what Contention would arise about the baptizing of Infants had it been his Will they should be baptized would he not at this time put the Matter out of doubt and have baptized them or have given Command to his Disciples so to have done If therefore Infants be in so good a Condition as he says i. e. Subjects of Christ's Kingdom of Grace let us let them alone for we cannot by baptizing them put them into a better State than they are without any Warrant from Christ and by baptizing them not we cannot put them into any worser State or Standing than they are in without it Many Pedo-baptists are angry with us because we say we know not but that the Children of Unbelievers and Infidels may be in a good Condition as well as Children of Believers tho we deny not but that the Children of Believers have a greater Advantage than the Children of Unbelievers namely by the Prayers good Education and the good Example of their Parents c. But saith Mr. Burkitt Can any wise or good Man believe that our Saviour would speak such favourable words of Infants and his outward Gesture manifest so much good Will towards them only with an Intent to ensnare and deceive us doubtless it was to encourage his Ministers to perform all charitable Offices towards them Answ 1. He mistakes our Saviour speaks very little concerning Infants and that which is said of them was accidentally spoken being occasioned by those who brought little Children to him which the Disciples forbad and from hence he spoke what he did Moreover the cause why our Saviour spoke those words might be more for the sake of Parents that they might not be afraid touching the Condition of their dying Babes than to shew any Ordinance belonged to them for had it been so doubtless the Disciples would not have for bad those People to bring little Children to Christ 'T is therefore an Argument against Infant-Baptism and not for it because the Disciples were appointed by their Master to be the Administrators of that Ordinance on such to whom it did of right belong and had Infants been the Subjects would they have forbid People to bring Infants to him 2. We therefore may rather conclude had they been the Subjects of Baptism Christ by not hinting any such thing in the least on this occasion might rather have left us in a Snare in speaking nothing of it neither here nor at any other time 3. Therefore Christ speaking so favourably of Infants and yet baptizing them not may teach us to judg favourably of them and do any charitable Office towards them but not to presume to give them holy Baptism without Christ's Warrant no more than any other Gospel-Ordinance 'T is no matter what Calvin spoke 't is no Sin to keep such out of Christ's visible Fold whom he has given no Authority to take in Nor have any People a more charitable Opinion of the State of dying Infants than those stil'd Anabaptists 4. Those who are capable of some kind of Blessings of Christ we have shewed are notwithstanding not capable of Baptism We read not the Disciples baptized these little Children nor any else Object To this he as you do answer Perhaps they were baptized before But says Mr. Burkitt it doth not follow that the Apostles did not baptize those Children because no mention of it The Scripture no where tells us that the Apostles themselves were baptized shall we conclude therefore they were never baptized Answ 'T is no matter whether we read or read not that the Apostles were baptized since we find it was Christ's Precept and Practice to baptize Disciples or such who did believe in him We read of multitudes of Disciples that were baptized and we know the way of Christ was one and the same that which was the Duty of one Disciple as a Disciple was the Duty of every Disciple We read but of two or three Churches who broke Bread or celebrated the Lord's-Supper Could any Pedo-baptist but shew us a Precept for Infant-Baptism or but one Example or Precedent where one Infant was baptized we would not doubt but those little Children might be also but this they cannot do And whereas Mr. Barkitt and you say That there is not the same Reason why Infants should be admitted to eat the Lord's-Supper as there is for them to be admitted to Baptism I answer We deny it utterly What tho the one be a Sacrament of Initiation and the other of Confirmation Yet pray observe that Repentance and Faith is required of them that are to be baptized even actual Faith and Repentance as well as actual Grace and Examination c. to discern the Lord's-Body in those who are to receive the Lord's-Supper If all that were to be circumcised had been required to repent and believe as in the case of Admission to Baptism something had been said but the contrary appears Male-Infants as such had a right to that but have no such right to this You say Christ did not lay his Hands upon little Children to heal them of Sickness because the Apostles would not have been so cruel as to hinder them to come to Christ to heal their Distempers c. Answ Is it then greater Cruelty to hinder little Children of the Blessing of being healed of Bodily Diseases than to hinder them of Convenant-Blessings Spiritual Blessings How absurdly do you argue You add also Christ baptized them not at that time for say you they were baptized before by John the Baptist and Christ laid his Hands upon them to bless them say you laying on of Hands followed Baptism Acts 8. 17. Heb. 6. 2. many of the Anti-pedo baptists own it for they lay their Hands on those they baptize you say rebaptize Answ We rebaptize none Rantism is not Baptism c. but you should first prove John the Baptist did baptize any Infants for that you have not done nor ever can do We shall see what Proof you have for what you say by and by As to laying Hands on baptized Believers the Scriptures you mention prove that an Ordinance of Christ but not upon Infants the Apostles never taught or practised any such thing tho 't is true 't is a Popish Rite for as the Baptism of Believers is corrupted and changed to Infants so laying on of Hands on baptized Believers is corrupted and changed by the false Church to Infants also You say The Kingdom of God under the Gospel is made up of Children and
Creation thus he is our God and Father O Lord thou art our Father we are the Clay and thou art our Potter and we are all the works of thy Hands Isa 64. 8. 2. Saith he By external Calling and Profession there is an intercurrent Relation of the Father and Son between God and his People Thus the Posterity of Seth are called the Sons of God Gen. 6. and the entire Nation of the Jews are so called When Israel was young I called my Son from Egypt Hos 11. Dr. Batesin his Sermon on Mr. Baxter's Funeral Secondly God may be said to be the God of a People by way of special Interest by Election Regeneration and Adoption thus he was not a God to the whole House of Israel both to Parents and Children without exception Yet we grant God was their God by entring into a visible and external Covenant with them and as so considered he was said to be their God and an Husband to them Jer. 31. 32. Which Covenant they broke altho I was an Husband to them saith the Lord. But pray observe the New Covenant is said not to be according to that Covenant which God made with this People when he took them by the Hand and brought them out of the Land of Egypt Thirdly Now if that Covenant in which God is said to be their God was the Old Covenant or the Legal Covenant which God hath took away to establish the Second What doth that signify which you affirm here Certainly John would not go about to establish that Covenant which he knew his Master was ready to take away viz. the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham and his Natural Seed as such We deny not but the free Promise that God made with Abraham is the Covenant of Grace but that belongs not to Believers Seed as such For some of Unbelievers Seed may be in the Covenant of Grace and some of Believers Seed may not i. e. the Children of the Promise or Covenant of Grace or the Elect of God may lie amongst the Unbelievers Children as well as amongst Believers Children Tho I doubt not but more of Believers Seed are called than of others and have greater Privileges i. e. by the Instruction Prayers and good Example of their Parents c. Fourthly Tho John did not nullify the external Covenant yet he being to prepare Christ's way gave the Jews a clear Intimation of the repealing of it or the period thereof and that now it would stand them in no stead they indeed made this which you say an Argument to come to his Baptism namely because of that Covenant with Abraham or their being his Children But what did John say Think not to say within your selves we have â—braham to 〈◊〉 Father As much as if he should say your being the Seed of believing Abraham according to the Flesh will give you no Right to Gospel-Baptism nor other Gospel Ordinances and Privileges tho it gave you right to Circumcision and Legal Privileges You say He doth not make void the Covenant with Abraham but rather confirms it saying God could raise other Children to Abraham if the Jews brought not forth Fruit meet for Repentance Answ Tho he did not make void that Legal Covenant yet he explained the nature thereof to the Jews and shewed them their great Error and Mistake about it clearly intimating that the Covenant of Grace God made with Abraham and with his Spiritual Seed did differ and was of another Nature with that Covenant which God made with him and his Natural Seed as â—uâ—h for saith he God is able to raise up of these Stones Câ—… to Abraham meaning the Gentiles as Expositors give it If the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham ran only to his Fleshly Seed as such Why did John say God could raise up others to be his Children even such that were not of his Natural Seed And also Why did he refuse them who were his Natural Seed That did not bring forth Fruit meet for 〈◊〉 or did not believe and so shewed themselves not to be the true Spiritual Seed of Abraham Fifthly From hence therefore it follows in opposition to what you say That Gospel-Baptism is not of the same extent with Circumcision As the whole Countrey say you were under Circumcision so doth John receive them to his Baptism he refused none that came to his Baptism but received Publicans Sadduces Pharisees viz. the Generations of â—ipers Matth. 3. 7 8. And can it be thought he refused little Children Answ I wonder you should affirm that John received all the Countrey to his Baptism and refused none no not the Generation of Vipers This I deny and you have no shadow of Reason to assert it since he rebuked them when he saw them coming to his Baptism and bid them bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance Prove if you can that he baptized one Soul but such only that were penitent and demonstrated the truth of their Repentance by bringing forth of the Fruits thereof 'T is very strange to me that any Man should assert that John the Baptist whose Doctrine and Ministry by all Divines is look'd upon to be very severe and sharp should baptize all even the worst of Men yea such whom he called a Viprous Generation But what is the purport of this Argument of yours for Infant-Baptism Certainly all may easily see it Doth it not tend to prove that all ungodly and unbelieving Men and Women are to be baptized as well as Infants Let me but justly infer upon you and from what you say here after this manner viz. If John Baptist baptized all that came to him even all the ungodly Jews as Publicans Sadduces Pharisees yea those Generations of Vipers then Unbelievers yea the worst and vilest of Men are as true Subjects of Baptism as Believers 'T is no matter whether they believe or not repent or not or at present bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance or not John took their Word their Promise that they would do those things afterwards What Notions do you impose upon your unwary Readers I thought all Adult Persons according to the avowed Principle of the Pedo-baptists as well as Anti-pedobaptists must believe and manifest true Repentance before they ought to be baptized Reader see Mr. Baxter's Book Confirmation and Restoration printed 1658. He affirms viz. That a personal believing is the Condition of the Title of them at Age is far past doubt Pag. 16. 1. Saith he The Promise it self doth expresly require Faith of our own of all the Adult He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. What doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said if thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst These two Scriptures and many more Mr. Baxter quotes His 2d Argument is this If a Profession of Faith were not necessary coram Ecclesia to Mens Church-Membership and Privileges then Infidels and Heathens would have Right His 3d Argument runs thus viz. It is a