vvrath c. must be borne againe of the spirits or else they cannot see the Kingdom of God Ioh. 3 3.5.6 But the Christian infants dying in infancie shall see the Kingdom of God and not be damned as the adversaries grant therefore by Christs doctrine they are borne again of the spirit and so must needs in some measure haue repentance faith holines vvithout which there is no regeneration Again that infants haue the faith and loue of God in them and regeneration in their measure is thus proved They to vvhom God giveth the signe and seale of righteousnesse by faith and of regeneration they haue faith and regeneration for God giveth no lying signe he sealeth no vaine or false covenants But God gaue to infants circumcision vvhich vvas the signe anâ—â—ale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen 17.12 Rom. 4.11 2.28.29 Coloss. 2.11 Therefore infants had consequâ—ntly now haue faiâ—h regeneration though not in the crop or haâ—vest by deâ—laration yet in the bud and beginnings of all Christian graces They that deny this reason must either make God thâ— author of a lying signe and seale of the covenant to Abraham and â—is infants or they must hold that infants had those graces then bâ—t not now both vvhich are wicked and absurd to affirme Or tâ—ey must say that circumcision vvas not the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and then they openly contradict the Scripture Rom. 4.11 Moreover as the Apostle in Rom. 5 compareth our naturall estate in Adam and our spirituall estate in Christ so may vvee in this case If wee cannot justly objâ—ct against Gods vvorke in nature but doe beleeue that our infâ—nts are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or understanding more then beasts yea a yong lamb knoweth and discerneth hâ—s damne sooner then an infant knoweth his mother then neiâ—her can we justly object against Gods vvorke in grace but are to beleeue that our infants are sanctified creatures and are borne beleevers not infidels though outwardly they can manifest no faith or sanctification unto us And why should it be thought incredible that God should worke faith in infants If because we know not or perceiue not how it can be let us consider that wee know not the way of our naturall birth and other earthly things Eccles. 11 5. Ioh. 3 8 how then can we know heavenly things If we make question of the power of God nothing is unpossible with hâ—m Hee made all things of nothing he can make the dumb beast speake with mans voyce Numb 22 hee can make the babe in the mothâ—rs wombe to be affâ—cted and leape for joy at the voice of vvords spoken to the mother Luk. 1.44 and can he not also work grace faith holynesse in infants Hath Satan power by sin to infâ—ct and corrupt infants as is before proved and shall nor God haue power to cleanse from corruption and make them holy If we make doubt of the will of God herein behold we haue his promises to restore our losses in Adam by his graces in Christ as he shâ—weth in Rom 5 that he will circumcise our heart and the heart of our seed to loue him Deu. 30 6 we haue the seale of his promise in giving circumcision to infants to signifie and seale the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 Gen. 17. And we haue assurance of all his promises and of that to Abraham his seed in particular to be confirmed unto us not abrogated or lessened by Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Luk. 1.72.73 c. Gal. 3.14 c. Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hâ—th spoken and done in this kinde doe deny this grace of Christ to the infants of his people and the seale or confirmation of this grace by baptisme now as it was by circumcision of old But they proceed to plead against the truth thus Regeneration is a turning from sin to God Rev. 6.11 1 Thes. 1.9 Tit 4.5 Repentance is a sight and knowing of sin by the law a confessing and sorrow for sin c. Faiâ—h is thâ— ground of things hoped for c. Heb. 11.1 and is accompa-with obedience Iam. 2. Let them either now proue that infants are turned from sin see know confesse and sorrow for it beleeue the promises of God c. or they say nothing Answ. They reason ignorantly and perversly not onely against the light of Gods word but of nature As if some brutish person should plead thus A man is a living creature that hath a reasonable soule and the proper affections of a man as he is a man are the facultie of understanding of thinking capablenesse of learning of remembring facultie of reasoning of judging and discerning true and false good and evill of approving and improving of willing nilling of speaking of numbring c. Now let them which affirme that infants are borne men as Christ doth in Ioh. 16.21 proue that infants doe understand do think remember judge discerne good and evill approue will speak c. or else they say nothing Were not such a disputer worthy to be laughed and hissed at who requireth the actuall use and manifestation of humane affections and faculties in infants vvhich are in them but potentially in the seed and beginning and because thâ—y cannot declare these things by their workes therefore he denieth them to be of the generation of mankind or borne men into the vvorld or that they haue the faculties of men at all in them any manner of vvay Even such is the argumentation of these erroneous spirits against the truth of religion For as before they reasoned against the sin transgression and condemnation of Infants contrary to Pauls doctrine in Rom. 5 because infants actually understand not the law nor transgresse against it and will not consider how they are sinners originally in Adam so now also they reason against the grace of Christ in infants and his work of regeneration in them because they cannot outwardly manifest the effects of regeneration or fruits of faith such as the scriptures that they allege do require in older persons wil not understand that these graces are in them through Christ and his spirit but in the beginnings onely as I haue formerly proved and are not in them as in those of full age who by reason of use haue their sences exercised to discerne both good and evill And here I desire to know of the Anabaptists in their next vvritings about these matters first when they thinke that children vvho in their opinion are borne without aâ—y sin begin to be sinners vvhether at 2.3.5.7 or other yeares and vvhen they can justly reproue a child for sin if it shew in vvord deed or gesture any thing contrary to the law of God as if it sweare curse lye disobey parents take anothers goods be froward angry or the likâ— Yea let any of
A CENSVRE UPON A DIALOGVE OF THE Anabaptists Intituled 〈…〉 what God hath Predestinated concerning man c. By HENRY AINSVVORTH ROM 9.11.15.16 11 For the children being not yet borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth 15 For he saith to Moses I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercie and I will haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion 16 So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Printed in the yeare of our Lord 1623. TO THE READER CHristian Reader howbeit the continued infirmitie of this authors body wherwith it pleased God to exercise him might iustly haue excused him from taking pen in hand to write especially in businesses of this nature his desire being as himselfe testified in his life time to finish this last period of his life with more comfortable meditations then to follow controversies yet did he labour to his power yea and as I may say beyond his power to enforce himselfe even in his decayed health together with his other necessarie labours to discover the fraud and falshood of the adversaries amongst others he iudged these Anabaptists not the least which occasioned this ensuing Censure Another nearer inhabitant then the former author was one Mr. Paget that lived in the same citie by him being a chiefe leader to another congregation there who being of a quarrelsome disposition and envious hearted towards Mr. Ainsworth and the truth professed by him having uniustly picked quarrels against him afterward without his privitie while matters were in debating not imitating D. Reynolds to Hart although he highly commends him pag. 367. published a book against him laying to his charge things which he knew not even grosse vntruths and palpable reproches making divers false charges upon him as if he neither shamed nor feared to be Sathans instrument to blow abroad whatsoever envie and malice had scraped together in likelihood expecting no other reward then gratifying the world by the Gospells disgrace in our subversion yea labouring through his sides to smite the text it selfe which I trust M. Ainsworth hath well cleared in that little advertisement published in his life time with those books of Moses besides a particular answer to his book he had well begun and had finished long before his death had not his infirmitie of body hindered But now time permits not to instance particulars but leaving so unneighbourly yea so unchristian an opposite to the Lord for iudgement I will add a word or two touching the occasion of this treatise ensuing which was at the request of some whose minds the Anabaptists would cumber with their errours to shew his iudgment on the foresayd book Now as some were assaulted that yet would giue no way or entertainment to those errors yet othersome that had stood in the truth a long time were perverted The knowledge of these things comming to this reverend and iudicious man Mr. Henry Ainsworth hee soone drew out this answer and sent it by a friend into England to reclaime if God saw it good such as had erred herein and gone astrray by rash and inconsiderate zeale beyond knowledge and through the grace of God to preserue such from falling as yet stood this he sent for the present purposing if the Lord continued some competent health and strength to revise and so to make more perfect this which then shortnesse of time in respect of the Messengers great haste could not be affoorded and so to make it publick in this spring but the Lord having prevented this his purpose by taking him to himselfe hee now resteth from his labours Yet finding the matter may through the blessing of God be profitable to his people it is thought fit not to keepe these his last labours in matters of this nature in silence but that it come to the publick view for the good of them that are ordained to life And so I wish thee to farewell in the Lord. A CENSVRE UPON A DIALOGVE of the Anabaptists intituled A Description of what God hath Predestinated concerning MAN c. BEING requested by some whose mindes the Anabaptists would cumber with their errours to shew my judgement on their foresaid Book I haue set down these few observations In the first part which they intitle of Predestination they commit a double fault 1 They confirme not by holy Writ their owne doctrine for in the third page of their Dialogue they describe Gods Predestination out of their own head not one Scripture brought to proue that they say neither can they justifie by Gods word that their description wherein some things are erroneous some ambiguous and sophisticall till they be cleared 2 They abuse and calumniate the doctrine of those whom they call Calvinists and would father upon them absurdities errours blasphemies taking advantage upon some harsh phrases concluding against them worse things then either they spake or meant passing over the explanations to be seene in sundry of their workes which will cleare them of the errours that these men would enforce upon them The differences vvhich they make in page 4 between the Calvinists doctrine and theirs are fraudulent and iniurious As betweene All things and all good things where first these Anabaptists doe differ from the plaine Scriptures which testifie that All things were created by Christ Col. 1 16 and without him was not any thing made that was made 1 Ioh. 1 2. Secondly they cannot be ignorant but that we hold all things that were made to bee very good Gen. 1 31 so this difference they forged out of their idle heads The 2 3 differences as that the Calvinists should say whatsoever is done murther or the like commeth from God and that God is the principall cause and author of all things appointing all things to the one part and to the other damnation as salvation vice as vertue But the Anabaptists say whatsoever good is done commeth from God but no evill things that are done and that God is the principall cause and author of all good and of salvation to all men but the devill is the author of all evill In these differences they set down some errour with calumnie and sophistrie Errour it is to say God appoiâ—ted not Damnation as Salvation wherein againe they proclaime themselues diffâ—rent from holy Scripture For damnation being a work of Gods justice upon the reprobates as salvation is a work of his grace towards his elect commâ—th from God and is by him appointed as those Scriptures plaiâ—ly testifie Mat. 25 41 Iude v. 4 2 Pet. 2 3 â— 9 Rom. 9 22. That any of us should say murther and other lâ—ke vices come from God and are appointed by him is injurious sophistication We hold not God to be the principall cause or author of any evill as it is sin but onely of evill as it is condigne punishment for sin accordâ—ng
them tell me if he can vvhen he himselfe first fell from his innocencie and became a sinner being none before by what act or transgression of what commandement It is strange that an innocent man should fall from his innocencie and not know when and how Secondly let them say vvhether every child so soon as it beginneth to be a sinner hath not remedy for the sinne by Christ and so whether it it be not capable of repentance faith regeneration c. and consequently of baptisme so soone as it is a sinner Thirdly seeing they insist so much on the perfâ—ction of the ordinances of the new Testament as of the old which thing I willingly grant I desire to know whether as God appointed the eight day for the circumcising of a child after it was borne Christ hath appoynted any day moneth or yeare for a child to be baptised after it is borne If they say none but vvhen the child can manifest repentance and faith then vvhat manifestation hath Christ prescribed vvhether if the child say it repenteth him he beleeveth it is ynough or what rules and ordinances Christ hath given by vvhich vve may certainly know that now and not before or after a child is to receiue baptisme as a repentant and beleeving sinner and let them tell us at what age of their children they or any of them hath first baptised his child unto remission of siâ—s These things are needfull to be known that we may vvalke by rule and being not yet signified to my knowledge in any of their writings I desire for my information and for the better clearing of these controversies that they vvould set down their doctrine touching these poynts For it is required of all parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6.4 this they cannot doe aright unlesse they know vvhen first they begin to sin and consequently vvhen first they begin to beleeue If they blame a child for sinne vvhiles it is an innocent they commit iniquitie if they keep a child from Christ and Christian baptisme vvhen it is a repentant beleeving sinner which may be so soon as it is a sinner they vvrong their child most sinfully to condemne that vvhich Christ justifieth These things are vvorthy of serious consideration both in respect of our childrens estate and of our owne And now ere I proceed further to answer their cavils I will shew two commandements for the baptising of infants the one given of old to our fathers the other given by Christ. 1. That vvhich vvas once commanded of God and never by him called back is now still to be done as it is vvritten What thing soever I command you obserue to doe it Deut. 12.32 But God commanded the outward seale of his covenant of grace to be given to the infants of his people as in Gen. 17.12.13 He that is eight dayes old shall be circumcised among you c. and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant And this commandement touching the substance of it and outward sealing of the covenant hath never by him been abrogated Therefore it is still to bee continued and our infants by vertue of that commandement are to haue the seale of Gods covenant The common objection that this proofe is not from Christs testament but from Moses writings is of no weight For Moses wrote of Christ Ioh. 5.46 The Apostles sayd none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did sâ—y should come Act. 26.22 Christ came not to destroy the law or the Prophets but to fulfill Math. 5.17 Paul proveth our justification by faith in Christ from Abrahams example written by Moses as vvritten not for his sake alone but for us Rom. 4.3 24 Therefore the example of Abrahams infants circumcised is vvritâ—en for us also To manifest this reason more fully I lay downe these particulars 1. That the covenant then made with Abraham vvas the covenant of the Gospell which we now haue 2 That circumcision the seale of the covenant then and baptisme the seale of the couenant now are one and the same in substance The first is proved thus Paul sayth The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham In thee shall all nations be blessed Gal. 3.8 Agaâ—ne vvhen circumcision was instituted the covenant was Thou shalt be a father of many nations c. Gen. 17.4.5 this promise as belonging to the faith of Christ is applied to our state under the Gospell Rom. 4.13.16.17 and is by Paul there opposed to the Law Moreover the covenant vvith Abraham vvas that the Lord vvould be a God to him and to his seed after him Gen. 17 7. this promise implieth blessednesse to him and them for Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord Psal. 33.12 and this blessednesse commeth on none by the Law Rom. 4.15 Gal. 3.10.11.12 and that he should be a God unto us and we his people is the summe of the Gospell Heb. 8 10 2. Cor. 6.16 Reu. 21.3 The difference between the fathers and us is that they had the Gospell in promise wee haue the same Gospell in performance Luk. 1.69.70 72.73 c. Act. 13.32.33 26 6. They beleeved in Christ that vvas to come We beleeue in Christ vvho is come Their faith and ours is one in substance Heb. 11. Gal. 3.9 That circumcision and baptisme are also one in substance though differing in outward signe is thus manifested Circumcision was the signe of faith and holines Rom. 4.11 2.29 Col. 2.11 Deut. 10 16. Baptisme is the signe of faith and holinesse Act. 8.37.38 Rom. 6.3.4 c. Circumcision was the first signe and seale of entring into the covenant Baptisme is so now We now being buried with Christ in baptisme are sayd to be circumcised in him Coloss. 2.11.12 vvhich plainly manifesteth them to bee one and the same even as their other sacramentall signes are sayd to be the same that we now haue in respect of the things signified 1. Cor. 10.1.2.3.4 1 Cor. 5.7.8 Forasmuch then as the covenant vvith Abrahaâ— and with us and the seale of the covenant then and now are one in substance it followeth that the commandement then to giue infants the seale of the covenant being never repealed bindeth us to giue them the seale of the covenant at this day The exceptions vvhich the adversaries make of the difference between circumcision and baptisme shall be answered after in their place 2 The second commandement for baptising of infants is in Mark 16.15 Goe preach the Gospell to every creature he that beleeveth and is baptised shall be saved Math. 28.19 Go teach all nations baptising them c. In this commission of Christ are two things the preaching of the Gospell to every creature to all nations and the sealing of the same by baptisme The Gospell belonged to infants they are necessarily implied in the first therefore baptisme belonged to infants
that no infants vvere there baptised But such as had infants their parents beleeving we hold that their infants vvere baptized for there is no exception of infants at all in any place of the Apostles Acts. The barre vvhich they put that infants cannot heare nor beleeue is soone removed We know infants can heare though not vvith understanding we know also and haue proved before that they beleeue though not actually or professantly And this faith begun in them in their regeneration is a sufficient ground vvhy infants should be baptised as I haue formerly manifested Finally unto Christs words Mark. 1â— 14 suffer ye little children to come unto me c. for of such is the kingdome of God they say It is not sâ—yd Infants are of the kingdome of heaven that is obeyers of the Gospel Luk. 4 43 but that they that enter into the kingdom of heaven must become as little children for of such like is the kingdome of God And This is Christs meaning men must bee converted and receiue the kingdom of God as a child c. Ans They speak like children in understanding 1. The people brought yong children properly unto Christ not men converted become like children Mark 10.13 For the children the disciples rebuked the bringers for their rebuking Christ vvas much displeased and sayd Suffer the little children to come unto me What reasonable creature will now deny that Christ speaketh here of children in yeares not of old men like children The children that were brought Christ took up in his armes put his hands one them blessed them may we think he took up aged persons 2 The reason vvhy he would haue such chilâ—ren suffered to come to him is for of such is the kingdome of God Mark 10.14 If he had not meant this of yong children themselues but of men like children in some condition there had been no weight in his words but the people might haue brought unto him upon that ground doues and serpents for Christ to lay hands upon and blesse for as godly men must in some thiâ—gs be like children 1. Cor. 14 20. so must they in some things also be like serpents and like doues Math. 10.16 3 They wrest the tâ—xt when they expound fâ—â— of such is the kingdome of God thus for of such like as if Christ meant nâ—t the children properly but ancienter men like such children They might even as well say that when Paul writeth I beseech thee being such a one as Paul the aged Philem. v. 9 that he â—peaketh not this of himselfe but of some other man like himselfe that made request for Onesimus But ignorant and unstable men vvill pervert all scriptures to their owne perdition That infants of the faithfull are indeed of the kingdome of God is before proved from Rom. 5. and many other scriptures Now vvhereas Christ blessed the children they tell us he baptised them not vvhich we grant but if they vvhich were by nature children of wrath and curse were now by grace made children of blessing in Christ then were they in deed of the kingdom of God and such as might receiue baptisme the signe and seale of blessednes Lastly they say It is a blessing to infants to be created to liue to grow in stature wisedome c. to haue their sight their limbs c. so that Christs blessings extend as well to this life as that which is to come Answ. All Gods benefits for this life and the next are in deed blessings But Christ blessed not those children with any such vvordly temporal blessings particularly but gaue them the blessing of God in generall and men are too presumptuous that will vvithout due proofe restreine that to some particulars vvhich the Lord hath not restreyned Wee know that our blessednesse from God in Christ is our eternall salvation Rom. 4 6. c. It vvas his lâ—st farewell to his beloved disciples to lift up his hands and blesse them Luk. 24.50 and it is the summe of the Gospell that in Abrahams seed that is Christ all nations shall be blessed Gal. 3.8 This grace Abrahams infants had this grace Christ gaue to little children and the same he vouchsafe to continue unto us and to our children throughout their generations preserving us and them from the curse of Anabaptistrie whereby so many errours are sparsed scriptures wrested and soules perverted unto destruction FINIS Page 5. Page â— Page 7. Pag. 10 1â— Page 13. Pag. 15 16. Page 16. Page 17 1â— Pag. 18. * So it is explained in Ezek. 18.21 Pag 18. Pag. â—â— Pag. 2â— Pag. 26 27. Pag. 28. Pag. 29. Pag. 32. Pag. â—â— Pag. 34 36. Pag. 39. Rom. 9.25.26 Rom. 11.5.7 Act. 17.28 29. Rom. 8.29 Page 41. Pag. 4â— Pag. â—â— Pagâ— â—â— Pag. 78. Pag. â—9 Pag. 80. Pag. 84. Pag. 1â— Pag. â—7 â— Tim. 2.12 Pag. 89. Pag â—0 Pag. 91. Pag. 92. Pag 94. Joh. 8.34 36 Page 95. Confess 18. Concil Pag. 113. Pag. 113. Pag. 80. Pag. 11â— Rom. 7.1 Pag. 114. Pag. 115. Pag. 116. Pag. 117. Pag. 117. Pag. 117. Pag. 118. Pag. 119. Pag. 119 Pag. 120. Pag. 121. Pag. 122. Pag. 122. Pag. 129. Pag. 131. Pag. 132. Pag. 13â— Pag 145. Pag. 145. pag. 146. Pag. 147. Pag. 148. Pag. 148. Pag. 150. Pag. 151. Pag. 152. Pag. 136 Pag. 136 Pag. 138. Pag. 141. Pag. 142. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.25.26 1. Cor. 10.1.2 Mark 1.5 Act. 16.33 Pag. 143. Mat. 10.13 14. 1 Cor. 7.13.16 Pag. 143.