by these I will never believe it God is gracious God is faithful what ever we think of him in our dark hours I will rather believe they did not follow close their improvement of these for I meet but with very few even good Christians tho' they hate Anabaptism that do improve them as they ought No wonder then tho' Men cry out Abrahams Covenant is Null and Infant-Baptism Null when they never improved them so found no good by them and now turn Anabaptists I know Christians that lie under some Temptations may and do expect more from the Covenant Promise and Sacraments than God intended or the Scripture holds forth they would make one Scripture contradict another If God gives in but a little and will suffer us to lie under our Temptations but yet will supply us with so much from his Covenant that we are able to hold up our hands in the day of Battel that our Hearts are kept close to him and do not in the least depart from him If we cannot get the fatted Calf and Musick c. Luke 15.23 which some Christians have if we can but get a Kid and have a Father to own us at last 't is worth our Beleiving Praying and Writing What it was that Woman a noted Midwife I knew expected to find at the Lords Supper I know not but it seems she found it not whereupon she forsooke the Lords Table with this blasphemous Speech A Man may find as much good by a Loaf in the Bakers Shop as by the Bread in the Lords Supper for she had been often there and could find no good Hearing of this Speech I inquired after her by those who had been long acquainted with her I know not whether I saw her after I heard it they took her alwaies for a civil Woman but did not think she was acquainted with the work of Regeneration but that made me to wonder the more for such persons commonly take up their Priest in the work done in above partaking of the Ordinance If Christians be at this Point we expect so much from Promises so much from Ordinances or we have nothing then we may do as she did throw off all Ordinances and Promises too Tho' I am far from attaining what I have sought and desired yet I bless God so much I have attained from my understanding and improving of Abrahams Covenant and my Infant-Baptism that I have but a light esteem of all the Anabaptists Books against them they signifie nothing with me but of this more hereafter Disputing without experiencing signifies little in Divinity to a tempted Soul But this I doubt not to affirm Did Christians set in earnest to their work and labour to improve Abrahams Covenant and their Infant-Baptism they should find as much profit advantage and support to their Souls as any Anabaptists do by their Dipping when Adult But if Ordinances be not improved how can Men expect any good by them When God made that Covenant with Abraham to be the God of him and his Seed and appointed the seal of his Covenant to be Administred to the Infant on the eigth day Might not ought not all the Jews and did not many of them when they came to years of discretion and were taught the meaning of them improve them to their Souls advantage why then may not we as well improve the same Covenant and our Infant-Baptism when we are come to years of discretion to our Spititual advantage when we understand them by our Pastors and Parents teaching If there be such an advantage in adult-Adult-Baptism over there is in infant-Infant-Baptism what is the matter that some of them could say they found no such good by it and I do believe them by their Conversation but especially what is the reason that so many hundreds of them cast off both Infant and Adult-Baptism and deny Baptism altogether for which they were sometime so zealous if there had been such advantage in it they would not have done so wickedly to cast away such an Institution of Christ Secondly A second thing which might occasion this is That so many Children of Godly Parents who were Dedicated to God in Baptism in their Infancy and Parents have bestowed great pains in their Education yet prove wicked The deeper the wounds of such Parents and the sorer the damnation of such Children without Repentance But first We may observe the greatest number of visible yea true Christians in the visible Church consist of the Children of such Parents Since the Flood of Iniquity of late years brake in upon this Nation it hath risen so high that it hath flown into the Houses of Godly Parents more than ever it did since England knew the Gospel This is a Lamentation Secondly Was it not so in Isaac's Family where but two and one naught Thridly We never understood that when God made that Covenant with our Father Abraham and his Seed that he intended to make all his Seed Godly but we understand such a Priviledge in it that neither Parents nor Children who have their Eyes opened will part with it let the Anabaptists write what they please against it Fourthly But do this Disping None deny that Regenerate persons are the subjects of Baptism he must say only else he opposed not us Christins Scrip. pract of Int. c. p. 147 148. and Re-Baptising of Adult persons help it are they all Godly If the Elect and Regenerate be the only Subjects of Babtism as my Author tells me I am sure they are not of Anabaptism to my knowledge unless drunkenness and uncleanness be Notes of Regeneration we shall not need to go to Germany to inquire England will afford proof enough Mr. Baxter hath given us a sad account of some of them enough to make a serious Christian afraid of the Opinion By a serious Christian who came from New-England we are informed That a Sea-man as I remember one being Baptised how long the Baptist held him under Water I know not but so soon as his Head was above Water he wrapt out an Oath so I heard it what do you make account to drown me Thirdly Another is this The great Adversary of Christ and his Church seeing how earnestly the Spirits of good Christians were set for the Reformation of the Church in all Points according to the Holy Scriptures which we profess to hinder this work by dividing of Christians and raising Animosities one against another used this for one Engine Baptising of Infants of Beleiving Parents being the Opinion and Practise of such Christians they must now be thrown by because in the Scriptures we can no where read that Christ gave command to his Apostles to Baptise Infants While I was answering this Book word was sent me That there was one who would Dispute with me in the Congregation expecting his coming and knowing he had thrown away Water-Baptism for an Introduction to my work I laid down Ten Arguments to prove that Water-Baptism was still an Institution of
and the un-Churching of the Children of Believing Jews About a quarter of a year after I had finished my Discourse a Neighbour brought me Mr. Edward Hutchinson against Paedopabtism to read it but it was sent for again so that I did but read his Epistle to the Baptized Congregations and a Letter which I think concerned Mr. Wills and the beginning of his Book p. 3. he states the Question and proves That the Infants of Believing Gentiles are not the Seed of Abraham so that Infant Church-Membership and Baptism falls to the Ground Ans But he must prove that the Infants of the Believing Jews are not the Seed of Abraham or else Infants Church-Membership does not fall I had reason to state the Question so as to the Believing Jews but if he will yield the Infants of Believing Jews to be Members and have a Right to Baptism I will prove the Infants of Believing Gentiles are Church-Members and have a Right to Baptism There is neither Jew nor Greek c. Gal. 3.28 no difference now but of this more hereafter Again we shall see whether his Arguments do not cut off the Infants of Believing Jews as well as Gentiles 1. Argu. His first Sillogism If none be the Children of Abraham but those that do the works of Abraham then Infants are not the Seed of Abraham but the Antecedent is true Joh. 8.39 Therefore Ans If none be rational Creatures but those that can Sillogize as Mr. Hutchison doth then Infants are not rational Creatures But c. If you say my Antecedent is false so is yours but it shews how strong your Argument is 2. If Isaac at eight Days old when Circumcised do not the works of his Father Abraham then he is not Abraham's Seed you argue from no Doing to no Seed A strange Argument Sir 3. If any of those Jews to whom our Lord spake these words had any Male-Children born that day they had been reputed Abraham's Seed Members of the Church and must be Circumcised the eighth day or Sin 2. Argu. His second Sillogism If those who are Christ's are only Abraham's Seed then Infants are not Abraham's Seed but the Antecedent is true Gal. 3.3.19 they are not Christs by Calling Ans Is there no way to be made Christ's but by Calling can he that made the Ear and the Heart come no way to the Heart but by the Ear what Divinity is this cannot he that infuses the Soul into the Body infuse Grace into the Soul but by the â—ar 2. Christ commands little Children to be brought to him and none to forbid them Mark 10.13 14. c. Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven then they must be Christ's we believe Christ Sir before you 3. Because Isaac at eight days old cannot answer a Call of Christ's therefore he is none of Christ's a good Argument Was John none of Christ's when he leaped in his Mothers Womb when Mary came to Elizabeth Luk. 1.44 Argu. 3. His third Sillogism If none be Blessed with Abraham but those that are of Faith than Infants are not the Seed of Abraham but the Antecedent is true Gal. 3.9 Therefore Ans Does the Text say Actual Faith 2. Alas poor Infants by this Author ye are Cursed no poor Infant dying an Infant can be Blessed Yea those Infants whom Christ Blessed Mark 10.16 were Cursed though he Blessed them for they could not Act Faith upon Christ Did Isaac when Circumcised the eighth Day put forth an Act of Faith upon Christ to come 3. Believers in Christ are so either Actually or Siminally 4. Actual Believers in Christ are so either Visibly and Really or Visibly only Visibly only such were those to whom in your Preface to your Baptised Congregations you thus speak they are not all Israel that are of Israel I know there is dross mingled with your Silver Chaff among your Wheat and the Canaanite is still in the Land It seems then you find Dross Chaff Canaanites and not true Israelites in your Baptised Congregations but you did look on them as visible Believers when you Dipped them 2. Seminally so and they first such as are Reputed so by God's Covenant with Believing Parents and their Seed 2ly Such who besides this Reputation are regenerated by the Spirit which is not without Faith Seminally Argu. 4. His fourth Sillogism If the Children of the Flesh are not the Children of God then Infants now are not the Seed of Abraham but the Antecedent is true Rom. 9.8 Therefore c. Ans I deny the Consequence 2ly It seems then no Infants are the Children of God by this Argument a very bold and wretched Assertion 2. There is a double Adoption External Ecclesiastical and Internal Heavenly Saving that hath a Heavenly Eternal Inheritance belonging to it they who had only the first these were called the Children of God Deut. 14.1 and 16. Ezek. 21. to these pertain the Adoption Rom. 9.4 Our Question is not who are the true Children of God that have that Inheritance prepared for them but who are to be Reputed the Children of God in foro Ecclesiastico Visibly so that they are Members of a Visible Church and have Right to a Visible Ordinance in the Visible Church The Dross the Chaff the Canaanites the false Israelites which you tell us are in your Baptized Congregations are none of the Children of God in a saving Sense but your Baptists did judge them to be Believers Actually in Christ if so then Children of God then you admited them Members of your Churches and so Baptized them by Dipping They were looked upon as Abraham's Seed when you admitted them The next thing he falls upon is Act. 2.39 of which after I could go no further the Book was sent for nor did I intend to make any large Discourse though it had continued with me by these four Arguments we have a taste of the Man's strength By these Arguments and the next which follows which is in all their mouths let the Reader judge whither they do not all strike as much at the Grace and Wisdom of God in his Covenanting with Abraham and his Seed Constituting the Church of the Jewish Parents and their Seed and Circumcising of the Infants as they do prove that now the Infants should not be admitted into the Gospel-Church nor Baptised So that the Anabaptists tells God that if he will Constitute the Church of the Jews right he must let their Children be grown up First Learn to know the God of Abraham Second Put forth an Actual Faith in Christ the Promised Seed to come as Abraham saw his Day and rejoyced Joh. 8.56 Thirdly Let them do the works of their Father Abraham Joh. 8.39 Fourthly Let them manifest that they are really the Children of God then admit them Members and Circumcise them Does not all their Arguments tend to this they will teach the Holy Wise God how to Constitute Churches better I will not be afraid to say That all the Anabaptists that ever were or
regularly Baptise the Children of such Believers as you Baptise your Adult persons though as to the reality of saving Faith we are mistaken and so are you Once more take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.19 as Dr. Hammond saith it ought to be Translated Disciple ye all Nations or make Disciples Hence the Argument All they that are Disciples ought to be Baptised But the Children of Believing Parents are Disciples Therefore the Children of Believing Parents ought to be Baptised This Argument I gave to him who opposed me but he could not tell which Proposition to deny a fit Man to dispute in a Congregation For the proof of the Argument The Major is the plain Text there is no opposing of that The Minor that such Children are Disciples our Divines have so cleared it from Acts 15.1 and 10. v. compared and other Texts that I will not say what they have said before I give my thoughts thus They are Disciples 1st By God's Reputation he esteems them so they are mine saith God born to me Ezek. 16.20 21. 2ly They are so by their Parents Dedication of them to Christ 3ly They are so by their Parents Education of them for Christ 4ly They are so as I may say jure Gentium or rather jure Religionum all Natitions all Religions take their Children to be the same that the Parents are Did not the Jews take their Children to be Moses's Disciples as well as themselves John 9.28 Do not the Turks take their Children to be Mahomet's Disciâ—les as well as themselves Should you deny it you should hear of it if not feel it Yea go the Indians whose Religion iâ— I may call it so is very Devilish and Superstitious were it not too good a word When the English first began to dwell in New-England Massasoit the Sachem of Mount Hope made a League with the English at Plymouth to live in Amity with them The Articles were Seven he kept the League well A little before his death he comes to renew his League for himself and his two Sons Alexander and Philip this was on September 25 1630. But in his Treatise he urged this That the English should engage never to attempt to draw any of his people to the Christian Religion he insisted upon it very much but the English were resolute and would make no League upon such terms But this we see by this Heathen that he would have his Posterity to be reckoned as he was though his Religion was Devilish If then the Children of Jews Turks Pagans be reckoned with the Parents why must not the Children of Believers in Christ be reckoned Disciples of Christ with their Parents The Reader I suppose will pardon me though I make a little Digression The Wars between the Indians and the English in New-England I suppose must have heard This Philip the Son of Massasoit before-mentioned was he that began the Wars with the English 1675. which lasted till 1677. The English when they saw Massasoit stand so upon that Article then said That God would root out the Posterity of that Massasoit and so now it is come to pass That Story which my worthy Friend Mr. William Hubbard gives us of Passalonaway the most noted Paneaw or Sorcerer and I believe the oldest man in the Country When I saw him he was reckoned one of the oldest men of the Indians but I perceived by the time of his dying he lived about thirty years after is worthy the observing About Merimach River Anno 1660 several Sagamoors meeting together there was a great Dance These Solemnities are the Times when the most Ancient tell Stories and transmit them to their Posterity Passalonaway being present made his last Speech and took his Farewel thus I am ready to die and not likely ever to see you meet any more I will now leave this word of Councel with you That you take heed how you quarrel with the English for though you may do them much mischief yet assuredly you will all be destroyed and rooted out of the Earth if you do for I was as much an Enemy to the English at their first coming into these Parts as any one whatever and did try all waies and means possible to have destroyed them at least to have prevented their sitting down here but I could no way effect it Therefore I advise you never to contend with the English nor make War with them Accordingly his eldest Son Wonnalancot as soon as he perceived the Indians were up in Arms he withdrew himself into some remote place that he might not be hurt by the English or their Enemies SECT VI. TO return to my Author His Sixth Question is Whether Baptism did succeed in the room and use of Circumcision He saith By no means But the Body of our Learned and Pious Divines say It doth and our Divines have spoken to it so often that I am loath to say any thing to it Shortly my thoughts were these 1. Circumcision came in upon Faith Abraham believed then he was Circumcised And so doth Baptism 2. Circumcision did sign Christ to come in the flesh So saith my Author and Baptism signs he is come in the flesh 3. Circumcision did signifie you may say Seal the Righteousness of Faith So doth Baptism 4. Circumcision signified Sanctification so do Baptism 5. Circumcision signified and sealed the Covenant between God and the Seed of Abraham Gen. 17.7 8 9 10 11. So doth Baptism 6. Circumcision did oblige Israel to walk with God so Baptism obligeth us 7. Circumcision did distinguish Israel from other Nations so Baptism distinguisheth us Circumcision respecting Christ to come and Baptism Christ come Hence the Jews though circumcised yet coming under a new Dispensation ought to be baptized much more reason for this than for Timothy who being a Disciple Acts 16.1 no question was baptized and yet after that circumcised by Paul v. 3. Circumcision saith my Author was to be a Bond and Obligation to keep the whole Law of Moses but Baptism is contrary Ans 1. For the Moral Law the Rule of our Obedience Baptism doth not solve us from that but bind us to it for Sanctification is held forth in our Baptism 2. As for the Ceremonial Law where Christ was set forth in shadows no wonder though when Christ is come and the shadow 's gone that Baptism was contrary to it Evangelium relatum Revelatum But what doth this hurt us 3. Paul did not Circumcise Timothy with that respect to Circumcision the Jews did The Jews did look to be justified by the observation of the moral and ceremonial Law both Gal. 5.3 the 4th verse unties the knot The false Apostles urged Circumcision Acts 15.1 according to the Law of Moses But Circumcision is not of Moses but the Fathers saith our Lord John 7.22 If you Circumcise thus and seek Justification thus you are fallen from grace Gal. 5.4 My Author goes on Circumcision initiated the carnal Seed into a carnal Church and
THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF BELIEVING-PARENTS for their Interest in Abraham 's Covenant their Right to Church-Member-ship with their Parents and consequently their Title to BAPTISM The Cause of publishing this Discourse after so many Learned Men have laboured in this Province is declared in the Preface to the Reader Baptizandos esse paruulos nemo dubitet quando nec illi hinc dubitant qui ex parte aliqua Contradicunt August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 14. It will surely be rewarded by Christ at the latter day as a work of more then ordinary Charity to have pleaded and maintained the Right of these poor Members of his who want a Tongue to speak for themselves Dr. Tho. Goodwin in his Preface to Mr. Cotton of infant-Infant-Baptism By GILES FIRMIN 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your Children Vnclean but now they are Holy LONDON Printed for Tho. Simons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-Street near Ludgate 1683. THE PREFACE TO THE READER IF the Reader demands a reason why after so many Books written by other Men far more able then my self upon this Subject that now I should appear my answer is ready I had as few thoughts of writing as any Man could have of reading any thing of mine upon the Subject But hearing of a Book against Infant-Baptism very much cryed up and observing some discourse about Anabaptism this Spring more in the Town then ever I heard before I sent to borrow the Book I took a brief view of it and the Book was sent for again To spend the Lord's-Day so much as one Exercise upon any Controversie I did much dislike it yet I thought I was bound to say something to it and did borrow a little time before I went on my other course About 〈◊〉 Weâ—ks after I had done comeâ— down an Anâ—â—aptist from London to a Town Seven 〈…〉 Miles distant from me and writes me â— Letter informing me That he was one that â—â—d walk in Gospel-Communion with Col. Danvers sometimes he stiles him Esq Danvers then writes to me thus You have cast the Odium of Falshood and Fergery upon his Book to your Auditory If it was to deter your Hearers from reading his Book it doth demonstrate the badness of your Cause in that you are not willing it should be inspected If you design thereby to degrade the Gentleman as infamous though unknown you have therein greatly erred therefore I request you on the behalf of Col. Danvers that you be pleased to do him the common Justice as to publish to the World in Print what you have spoken in your more private Meetings by way of detection of his Forgery and not only to Print what you have traduced him with but also any other new things you have Preached that will lend any assistance to your Infant-Baptism that this Gentleman doth endeavour to throw down as a spurious thing several of your own Party have written against him but he with others have so answered them that they have set down silent under The Collonel hath a better Character than you give of him he hath a large Portion of this Worlds goods c. Thus he runs on in commendation of the Collonel and ends it in such a way that neither I nor others that read the Letter could understand his meaning As to this Letter the Reader may please to understand the Book which I borrowed had in the Title Page only H.D. I could not tell whither D. stood for Den whose name I had seen or Dell or Danvars of whose name only I had heard but never saw any thing of his but whoever was the Author I found fault with him 1. For his Falshood in the Historical part which if my Memory fails me not took up above half his Book 2ly His fraudulent dealing 3ly His raising a dust upon the Scriptures he quotes to trouble his Reader 4ly For his Logick But for any other Opinions or any thing concerning his Conversation I speak not one word for how could I when I knew nothing of him and only heard three times as I remember there was one Collonel Danvers an Anabaptist and that was all nor was I certain the Book was his It was never my intent to answer every particular in his Book partly because I would not spend the Lord's Day in Controversies and partly because Catechizing was the thing I intended being far more necessary so that I did grudge the time I spent about this Book out of which I only wrote the most material things and the Book was sent for away For the new things this Epistoler would have me publish Doth he mean new Scriptures or new Arguments or both 1st Why new since the old are not yet answered it is one thing to write against Men another to answer them 2ly Why new since my Author borrows so much old out of Mr. Tombes's Book which I look upon as instar omnium and is the only Anabaptist Book I have 3ly Why new since my Author opposes old Texts and I must take the part of a Respondent 4ly Why new my Epistoler should tell me what Controversies are there which have been handled so long by very able Divines as this hath been that he that comes last hath wrote all new 5ly To conclude then as to these new things I am forced to take up the old Texts because of my Author 's opposing them I do but touch other Texts and not insist upon them where others have been before me for other Mens Arguments I borrow but one from Mr. Baxter and tell you whose it is and improve it my way If I have hit upon other Mens notions it is unknown to me as I see I have upon Mr. Wills in answer to the old Britains but I had given the answer in the Congregation and wrote it in my Coppy before I saw Mr. Wills For his crying Victoria telling me our Divines sit silent under the Answers the Collonel and his Party have given them If this Epistoler read Mr. Baxter's Second Defence of Infants c. he may read a full answer to this and the reason of their silence p. 211. We may allow some Honour to a Collonel but why do they sit silent not because the Collonel or any other Anabaptist have put them to silence by Arguments from Scripture by Truth in History or Strength of Learning the contrary appears to judicious Readers but who will care for dealing with unreasonable Men They have other work to do of higher concernment Let the Anabaptists indulge themselves in their Opinions and Practises Redgness 24. August 1682. if they please I have performed that common Justice my Epistoler requires of me only for brevities sake I left out several things I would have added if this may do the Church of Christ any service I shall have my end and bless God G. FIRMIN THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF Beleiving-Parents c. THE Right of the Children of Beleiving-Parents to Church-Membership with their Parents and consequently to