to take heed of Presumption they thinking themselues sure and safe because they had put on CHRIST by Baptisme and were Christians and first hee sheweth them a similie of two runners and applyed it to them saying so runne that ye may obtaine And further vrgeth it by himselfe saying I beate downe my body and bring it in subjection least when I haue Preached vnto others my selfe should become a cast away After hee hath done with the similie he passeth to an example as if he should say besides this I would haue you vnderstand how God delt with our Fathers when hee brought them out of Egipt with signes and wonders and gaue them manifest tokens of his loue in giuing them a Cloude to couer and defend them by Day and night and caused the Sea to deuide it selfe for them to passe ouer and fed them 40 yeares with Bread from Heauen and caused the hard Rockes to yeeld them drinke by the which testimonies of his fauour he offered them Christ and did confirme vnto them by these extraordinary wonders that he was their God yet for all this when they sinned he was displeased with them and destroyed them diuers times euen so you Corinthians notwithstanding you are Christians and haue Christs ordinances among you the pledges of Gods fauour as these Israelites had in their time yet if you sinne without repentance you shall perish as they did for their example is written for our learning And thus this of Moses is called Baptisme by comparison as Noahs Arke is called the figure of the Baptisme that saueth For as Noahs Arke saued them that were in it from drowning in the water yet afterwards some of them perished so our Fathers were all vnder the cloude and in the Sea and were all therein Baptised or safe guarded from destruction of their enemies yet afterwards many of them perished Euen so true Baptisme saueth them that are in it or put on Christ by it from the destruction of Hell though afterwards many may perish that hold not fast that profession vnto the end and hereupon th'Apostle concludeth Let him that thinketh hee standeth take heed least he fall And this is the meaning of this Scripture cannot with any shew of truth be produced for Infants Baptisme If any further aske why it is said they were Baptised in the Sea and cloude I answer it pleased the holy Ghost so to speake for the reasons which I haue shewed the Cloude and Sea was their safety as Noahs Arke was and as true Baptisme is and as Christ saith They are Baptised that suffer for his sake So there is asmuch warrant to enioyne Infants to suffer persecution because it is called by the name of Baptisme as to Baptise them from this place because the cloude and Sea is called Baptisme Ereu. Another obiection they haue which is whole Housholds were Baptised Act. 16.15.33 1. Cor. 1.16 and Infants are a part of the houshold therefore Infants were Baptised Odeg. True it is whole housholds were Baptised but it is also most true that there are many housholds in which there are no Infants Therfore they that practise Infants Baptisme must proue not imagine that there were Infants in those houses and that they were Baptised or else they say nothing It is most sure as the Apostles practised in one houshold so they practised in all but in the Iaylors house they Baptised such as they Preached the word vnto and such as beleeued * Act. 16.32 34. and this is most plaine that Infants cannot heare nor beleeue For they know not God * Deu. 1.39 Esa 7.16 1 Cor. 14 20. Ionah 4 1â— and then how can they beleeue seeing Faith comes by hearing * Rom â—â— 17. and is grounded vpon Knowledge * Heb. 11.1 Ereu. An obiection they make thus Infants are said to bee of the Kingdome of Heauen and Christ commandeth they should be brought to him and hee laide his hands vpon them and Blessed them therefore they may be Baptised Odeg. It is not said Infants are of the Kingdome of Heauen that is obeyers of the Gospell * Luk. 4.43 but that they that enter into the Kingdome of Heauen must become as little Children for of such like is the Kingdome of God * Mat. 18.3 This is Christs meaning men must bee converted and receiue the Kingdome of God as a Child weyned from all euill wayes and willing to submit vnto CHRIST in euery thing * Ephes 5.24 Thus was Dauid humbled vnder Gods hand euen as one weyned from his Mothers brest * Psa 131.2 not personally a Childe but in Condition as 1. Cor. 14.20 Gal 4 19. 1. Pet. 2.2 c. as before is related And for taking them in his armes and Blessing them hee Baptised them not * Ioh. 4.2 but tooke occasion to teach his Disciples and the multitude that all that would be admitted into the Kingdome of Heauen must become like them * Luk. 18.16.17 Mark 10.14.15 And for his blessing them Christs blessings are manifold hee healed the Sicke clensed the Leapers made the Dumbe to speake the Blinde to see cast out Deuils fed many thousands with Bread and gaue Life to them that were dead all which and many moe were temporall blessings It is a blessing to Infants to be created to liue to growe in stature and comelines in wisdome in towardnes to haue their sight their limbes and all their sences and to be preserued from dangers so that Christs blessings extends aswell to this life as that which is to come and because CHRIST prayed for them it is no safe conclusion that any may Baptise them his mayne end being herein to declare their Innocent estate and to teach all to be like them therein by conuersion And therefore let them build no longer on sandy foundations least the wrath of God breake forth and destroy their buildings for what is not of God shall come to nought Ereu. They demand why Infants of beleeuers may not now aswell be baptised as Abrahams Infants were circumcised Odeg. I answer 1. there was a Commandment for circumcision Gen 17. there is none for baptisme of Infants 2. that CoÌ„mandment included Males onely Children or seruants though vnbeleeuers excluded all Females though beleeuers so doth not baptisme for males if vnbeleeuers must not be baptised but females if beleeuers must be baptised 3. That Law required circumcision to be performed on the 8. day so doth not the Law of baptisme but when Faith is manifested then is baptisme to be performed so that all may see there is no proportion betweene circumcision and baptisme Ereu. These indeed doe not well agree but they say that as Abraham tooke his Infants with him into the Couenant of life and saluation so doe the faithfull now and being within the Couenant they may haue the seale of the Couenant as they circumcision so we baptisme Odeg. First I say proue neither circumcision nor baptisme are
wherfore shall not the children be condemned for the sinne of their Father euen so is it now most strongly vrged although God hath not onely forbidden it but plainely said the soule that sinneth shall dye the Son shall not beare the iniquitie of the Father but the wickednes of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Further I desire it may well be obserued that Mankinde was onely in Adam in their bodily substance ☞ for of one blood God made all mankinde to dwell on the face of the earth and euen as Adam had his body from the earth yet without forme for God gaue him a forme and a soule by breathing into him the breath of life * Gen. 2.7 euen so haue wee all our earthly being from Adam he is the Father of our bodies in respect of matter but our forme and soules come froÌ„ God he is the Father of our Spirits * Heb. 12.9 Eccles 12.7 8.8 that earthly matter was in Adam of which our bodies are made as Adam was in the earth before his body was made Thus no otherwise were we in Adam but as Adam was not in the earth in forme and soule no more were wee in Adam in forme soule And as God gaue no Law to Adam before hee gaue him a soule of reason vnderstanding no more doth he giue to any of Adams posterity any law till he giue them soules of reason vnderstanding as we plainely see by Moses Deut. 11.2 I speake not to your â—hildren which haue neither known nor seen c. They must be taught it when they can vnderstand it Vers 19. The Gospell also speakes to them that haue eares to heare * Mat. 13.9 1 Cor. 10.15 To them that haue vnderstanding that can iudge what is said Further I say it was neuer Gods purpose to execute vpon Adam for that transgressioÌ„ condemnatioÌ„ to hel in that he purposed to send Christ betwixt in whom Adam beleeuing he should be saued If Adam himselfe for his own sin was not condemned to hell without remedy shall any of his posteritie be sent to hell without remedy that for his sinne seeing they fell no deeper in the transgression then he if so deepe Is this equall and right for the Iudge of all the earth to doe The Scriptures saith Gen. 18.25 This is condemnatioÌ„ Ioh. 9. that light or Christ that true light is come into the world and men loue darknes better Ioh. 3.19 Ioh. 16.9 Mark 16.16 Rom. 11.21 and Christ will condemne the world of sinne because they beleeue not in him condemnatioÌ„ consisteth in refusing Christ he that will not belieue shall be damned and not else for God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe Adam by that transgression depriued himselfe of Gods fauour in that estate wherein he was in Paradice notwithstanding the promise of Christ hath by this his sinne procured this iudgement cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life and in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread till thou return to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust Gen. 3.17 c. and to dust shalt thou returne Thus Adam brought himselfe all his posteritie the earth and euery creature in it Rom. 8.20 c. to vanity and into the bondage of corruption And in this estate are all Adams sonnes begotten and borne so that by Adams sinne vanity corruption and death went ouer all not onely ouer the generation of Adam but ouer all Flesh and the curse extended to the earth and euery creature in it And so Infants haue originall as they call it corruption as all other creatures haue yet you may see that those that dye haue corruption in or by Adams sinne if all not be cast into hell fire which is prepared onely for the Deuill his Angels and the wicked Now for the place by you alledged by the offence of one the fault came on all men to coÌ„demnation Rom. 5.18 Vers 19. For by one mans disobedience many were made sinners that is all c. You see I haue proued before that none of Adams posteritie shall be damned for his sinne but for their owne when they haue a soule of reason and vnderstanding and a righteous law is giuen them for sinne is not imputed while there is no law I haue also shewed that neither Adam nor any shall goe to hell for that sinne but for refusing Christ but this is the meaning of the holy Ghost that by Adams sinne all his posterity haue weake * Rom. 8 3 natures by the which when the commandement comes * Cha. 7.10 they cannot obey and liue but sinne and so dye till when they are aliue without the law so saith the Apostle * Verse 9. and thus is verified that all both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne Rom. 3. there is none righteous no not one there is none that seeketh God they haue all gone out of the way c. Read on the Scripture and you may euidently see that neither this nor any part of Gods word is spoken to or of Infants the Apostle saith vers 9. Now wee know that whatsoeuer the law saith it saith it to them that are vnder the law Infants are vnder no law therefore transgression cannot be imputed to them for where no law is there is no transgression * Rom. 4.15 Thus by Adams falling from this estate he was in and in him all mankinde God giuing man his precepts which man in himselfe by reason of weake flesh cannot obey all men fall vnder the wrath of God and thus they are said by nature to be the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 for the law causeth wrath Rom. 4.15 And this is the Apostles meaning yet as God left not Adam in his sinne but prouided him meanes of reconciliation so hath he for all for both the places proue that as the fault came by one vnto condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the iustification of life for Grace by Christ abounded much aboue Adams sinne * Vers 20. not onely of many sinnes in a few persons as is commonly supposed but euen as vniuersally as Adams sinne extended for if all be dead * 2. Cor. 5.14.15 then Christ died for all and the reason that many haue no benefit by it is not because it aboundeth not but because they put the word of Grace from them Act. 13.44 Act. 7.51 and iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life and resist the holy Ghost And thus farre Infants that know not their right hand from their left * Ionah 4.11 that are as destitute of vnderstanding as of malice * 1. Cor. 14.20 that haue no knowledge betweene good and euill * Deu. 1.39 that Christ so often accounteth Innocents * Math. 18.3.4 â—9
14 c. are freed from the law and so sinne is dead in them but when the commandement comes * Rom. 7.8 cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them * Gal. 3.10 then they die in sinnes and trespasses * Ephe. 2.1 Verse 8. and must be saued onely by Grace in Christ through faith not of themselues it is the gift of God Againe none shall appeare before Christ to receiue iudgement but those that haue done workes either good or euill and that in the flesh * 2. Cor. 5.10 Reuel 20.12.13 Infants dying haue done neither good nor euill in the flesh Therefore Infants shall receiue no iudgement Ereu. You haue very satisfactorily answered me in this one thing more that much troubleth all men which is Psal 51 5. In which if you giue a plaine answere all else they can obiect is nothing worth Odeg. The words are Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me The question now is whether hee confesseth his owne estate or his mothers If his owne then thus he confesseth to God and desireth him in mercy to consider and behold him whereof he was made as Psal 103 14. of dust weake flesh vnable to resist the Tempter when the law came vnto h m through which weakenesse hee was thus ouercome in these horrible sinnes and thus weake flesh is called sinfull fl sh in which Christ came * Rom. 8.1 in that it is impossible for flesh to keepe the law when it comes Christ is said to be made sinne * 2. Cor. 5.21 not that he was a sinner no more Dauid confessing he was conceiued in sinne doth proue that by conception and birth hee was a transgressour If his mothers then thus either his mother Heuahs or else his mother that bare him and brought him forth whether it mattereth not much the chiefe thing being what this sinne of his mothers is I say it is that curse or punishment for sinne laid vpon her * Gen. 3.16 where the very words agree with these of Dauids I will greatly encrease thy sorrowes and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth c. so that Dauid doth not confesse his mother-sinne in this place but the punishment that was laid for sinne vpon the mother of all liuing and so vpon Dauids mother and it is frequent with the holy Ghost in the Scriptures to call punishment for sinne by the name of sinne as Christ bare our sinnes * 1. Pet. 2. â—4 and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Ezek. 18. â—0 and they shall beare their iniquities and the like and it is neither Dauids sinne nor his mothers he here confesseth to speake properly but his mothers punishment for the fall and his weakenesse through the fall And Dauid did not sinne in being conceiued and borne the soule is the subiect of sinne as before and as Christ teacheth from the soule or heart commeth wickednesse The body is but the instrument thereof Mat. 15.19 the soule comes from God the matter of the body from the parents the soule is very good comming from God the body hath not sinned till it be infected with the soule by transgressioÌ„ of a law and seeing they affirme that the very matter or substance whereof Dauid was made was sin and that this is it he confess th in this 51. Psal Obserue what wil follow of this their dreame The matter whereof all the sonnes of Adam is made is sinne but Christ one of the sonnes of Adam after the flesh was made of that matter therefore the matter or substance of Christs body was sinne It will not auaile to say he was coÌ„ceiued by the power of the holy Ghost that is true but what tho yet also Mary the virgine conceiued him of her matter or substance and if that be good to say that Dauid was a sinner because he was conceiued of his mothers substance and so borne why is it not also good to say that Christ was a sinner because he was conceiued of his mothers substance whose flesh and blood was no other then Dauids mothers and so borne but if it be wicked to say Christ was a sinner because he was conceiued of his mothers substance as it is so is it no lesse wicked to say Dauid was a sinner because he was conceiued of his mother substance seeing the substance of both the mothers was one the same 1. Cor. 15.39 And though the holy Ghost did wonderfully cause Mary to conceiue without the helpe of man yet did he not alter nor change Maries substance for then would it follow as some wickedly affirme that Christ was not made of the same matter and substance whereof wee be made And it is most apparant that wicked harlot Rome to aduance the high estimation they haue of Mary and because also they had inuented originall sin to be in all Infants which was onely their wicked inuention * Orig. sin dec in Concil Carthag therefore in the Counsell of Trent * Ses 5. cap. 1 de pec orig exempted her from sinne to establish both their wicked opinions therin Thus I trust all that shut not their eies may see the difference of the truth error in this thing be so satisfied in the truth that no turning deuice shall cause them to stumble again But if any notwithstanding what is said will not yet beleeue the truth in this I require them to shew by the Scriptures better reasons then they haue yet obiected to proue Infants to be in sin vnto condemnation in hell and when they haue done that let them also shew how they that haue sinned and are vnder condemnation of hell can be reconciled to God but onely by faith in Christ Iesus And if they haue sinned and can be reconciled to God by no other meanes but by repentance and faith in Christ Iesus then are they all left vnder condemnation not for any law that they haue broken for they could not breake the law before they were in forme and soule as before but for their Father Adams eating of the forbidden tree and so are damned for their Fathers sinne contrary to all these Scriptures Let not any thinke that this maketh any thing for them that because Infants haue died many times bodily death for the sins of their parents as the old world Sodome Gomorrah Corah c. that therefore they perish with the wicked in hell for of this other vnreasonable creatures as well as Infants haue alwaies had their portions all flesh must dye and death is losse to none but to the wicked for whom is prepared the torments of hell but vnto the godly and innocent death and all the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed If any aske that if Infants be not vnder condemnation what neede they haue of