cannot help it It is either because he could not or would not Not because he would not for that would argue little warmth for his own way yea a kind of betraying his Cause I will conclude he is more true to his own Principle therefore some say Ergo in the Negative he could not but if he can the Press is yet open for him or any other and if he be conscious to himself he cannot respond to it let him fall in with the Counsel therein given AS for the Eight Queries they are reducible to Five because the 4th 7th and 8th are all of one import As for the major part of those Queries they affect not us only he makes a Man of Straw and fights with it or his own shadow 'T is certainly an Argument of profound Confidence for a man to pretend to the World the discovery of the Errors of a People whose Principles he knows no more comparatively than I know Vtopia or else why doth he begin with this question Whether it be possible for children dying in their Infancy to be saved But if it be not from Ignorance then it is from a worse Root for it 's apparent enough that he labours to insinuate unto the world as if we imagined no Infants dying in their Infancy unbaptized could be saved but if his Book were well considered he rather deserves Austin's Title the hard Father of Infants Now tho I know none of another mind but that Children must stand in the Day of Judgment before God's Tribunal yet his Topicks and Mediums I think are not sound to prove it by He quotes a Text which tells us That every person shall be judged according to his Works This Text cannot affect little Infants which have no Works good nor bad Was the Scripture written for the sake of Infants or the Adult Was not this written to the end Men should look to their Works that they might give a good Account It is well this Man is not the Peoples Eyes for if he were I fear they would be all quickly with him in the Ditch of Error What! because Rev. 20.12 saith I saw the dead small and great stand before God that therefore the Small here are little Infants The latter is exegetical of the former every one being judged according to his Works argues That the small are either the poor opposed to the rich in the world or those not come to the perfection of Men in opposition to them which were yet knew good and evil so were judged every one according to his Works Those in this Text are judged according to their Works but little Infants have no Works good nor bad therefore they cannot be here intended THE second Query is Whether Infants are saved by any other way than by Faith in the Imputed Righteousness of Christ In page 5. he asserts Infants are saved by Habitual Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ That Infants are saved by Christ we have asserted because we know of no other Name but Jesus but that they are saved by Faith Habitual Faith in Christ I must confess I never read it in all the Book of God I wish he could shew me the Chapter where Christ said any such thing That Infants are Saved by Habitual Faith What! would this Man make a New Bible have a new Rule to tell us of things never heard of Had he the Notion by Inspiration he should have told us so Now I do not wonder the man is so well pleased with an unscriptural Baptism when he asserts an unscriptural way of saving Infants and yet this Gentleman will adventure to prove this in such a way and by such Topicks and Mediums that both the Universities could hardly ever think of for he brings to make good this Thesis all those Scriptures which speak of the absolute necessity of the Adult of Men and Womens Regeneration and believing and applies them all unto little Infants as that in Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned We have not left out the latter part of the Words now for I remember the false charge But to this Text in Mark when Christ gave a Commission to his Apostles to go into all the World to preach the Gospel and to inform them If they believed and were baptized they should be saved but if they believed not they should be damned were they to preach this to little Infants That they were to believe upon the penalty of Damnation I do not say baptized upon the penalty of Damnation tho you have unwarily asserted some of us are like the Jews in Judea who asserted no Circumcision no Salvation so no Baptism no Salvation But to our business it seems Ministers are bound to go into the World and preach to Infants as well as the Adult that they believe upon the penalty of Damnation for this is the great Text brought once and again for Infants Baptism because they have faith but how came they by it was it by hearing the word preached according to the Commission in that place No no saith the good man 't is habitual Faith inspired Why then doth he bring this Text because he is almost at his Wits end and famished for want of Arguments and so will catch at any thing PRAY take one argument to think on before we go further If none are here intended in Mark 16. but Men and Women Capable to Hear and actually to Believe the Gospel of Christ then Infant Habitual Faith is not here intended but the former is true therefore the Latter you see the mans great Bullwark is thrown down at once It is a wonder to me that a man who hath been so long a profest Christian should be so long ignorant of the word of God what was the Scripture Calculated and written for to be preached 〈…〉 why then did he not carry his children when Infants to 〈…〉 saith no the Gospel was not written for Infants why then doth he bring that Text that hath no manner of relation to Infants but only to the Adult You are in the pound Sir get out if you can Then he comes with a home question But may some say how shall we know that Infants have habitual faith How shall we know it indeed for my part I cannot tell how I wish this Gentleman could ell me for he hath oftentimes asserted no Faith no Salvation neither for Old or Young But how do you think he Answers this question by asking another and as weakly answering it How do we know any children saith he are saved but by the Judgment of charity and some Scriptural Intimations Ah poor man this had been better in then out by some Scriptural Intimations pray give us some Scriptual Intimations that Infants have faith and we will say no more Your bringing a Prophecy of Christ out of the 22 Psalm 9 10. will not do it and though I give you all you can desire that it
book page 35. 36. where Children were brought to Christ to be touched from whence some infer they were Baptized But I need not wonder you are so unfair with me when you are so with the very Word of God when God saith Acts 16.34 That the Jaylor believed in God with all his House you positively say here we read of none but the Jaylor which did believe and yet notwithstanding say you his whole Family was Baptized I hope Sir you believe there is a Judg. Mr. Charnock speaking of an Habit tells us It is an inward Frame enabling one to Act readily and easily as when an Artificer hath the habit of a Trade the new Creature consists in gracious qualities and habits which beautify and dispose the Soul to act righteously and holily Hence habits are as Seeds which make the Earth capable to bring forth good Fruit but what good Fruit hath an Infant with all his habitual grace This habit saith he is exprest by a fountain of Living Water springing up to Eternal Life Page 75. Some say indeed that Regeneration is conferred in Baptism upon the Elect and exerts it self afterwards in Conversion but how so active a principle as a Spiritual Life should lie dead or a sleep so long even many years which intervene between Baptism and Conversion is not easily Conceivable Where these habits are there is a Spirit of Love of Grace whereby as their understandings are possest with a knowledg of the Excellencies of his ways so their wills are seasoned by the power of this Habit And further as Christ had a Body prepared him to do the work of a Mediator so the Soul hath a habit prepared to do the work of the new Creature as the corrupt Nature is the habit of sin so the new Nature is the habit of Grace God doth not only call us to Believe Love Obey but brings in the Grace of Faith and Love and Obedience this habit receives various Denominations either from the Subject or Object 't is subjectively in the Essence of the Soul but as it shows it self in the Understanding 't is called the knowledg of God as 't is in the Will 't is a choice of God as in the Affection 't is a motion to God and from the Object it is diversified as it closes with Christ Dying 't is Faith as it rejoyces in Christ Living it is Love as it lies at the Feet of Christ it is Humility as it observes the Will of Christ it is Obedience as it submits to Christ afflicting it is patience as it regards Christ offended it is grief yet all ariseth from one habit but where doth any of these things appear in the Infants habitual Faith he tells you further where the habit of true Grace is there is a ready disposition to every good work because Seminally in every renewed person And saith he as 't is ready in respect of disposition so it is in the activity of motion yea 't is naturally active according to its divine Nature moreover 't is voluntarily active where these habits are there is a kind of natural necessity of motion from life and habit yea 't is fervently active the nobler the Being of any thing is the greater degree of activity it is attended with yea 't is unboundedly active also powerfully active easily active and pleasantly active the entire inclinations of the Soul stands right to good actions Mr. Charnock 2 vol. page 85. to 94. Now let all those Characters of Habitual Grace be put together and â—hen consider whether any of these things can affect little Infants I hope by this time you have enough of Infants Habitual Faith I will only add this further page 94. There is in this habit an orderly motion and activity and a permanent activity a Spring of perpetual motion even unto everlasting Life how then can all the infant Seed of Believers have this Habitual Faith when so many of them make their Parents Hearts to ake This is like Mr. Marshall's Notion in his Sermon before the Parliament God doth Seal the Infant presently and puts their name into the Deed and that God accepts of such a Seal on their parts as they are able to give in their Infant age expecting a further Ratification when they come to riper years and that in the mean time affords them the favour of being in Covenant with him and that the surety of the New Covenant is pleased to be their surety yet saith when grown men they may refuse to stand to this Covenant and nullity all Oh amazing How inconsistent is this with perseverance Take this Arâ—ument for a close of your second Query and Answer it Those Children of Believers which Die in an Vnregenerate State either never had the Habits of Grace or else if they had them they have lost them But there is no losing Habits of Grace Ergo they never had them If you say they had them and have lost them that is against your own principle about perseverance If you say they never had them then you contradict your own â—ook which assert That all the Infants of Believers have it and therefore you Baptize them get out of this Prison as well as you can FOR your third Query What if I allow all Believers are wholly passive in â—â—generation and can â—o more â—egenerate thâ—mselves than a 〈…〉 â—hat is all 〈…〉 Faith Is this a concluding Argument Surely no Pray Sir go to School and learn better Logick for this is no Argument in Barbara There is no more say you in Children to hinder Grace than in the Adult Ergo they believe what think you Sir is this good Arguing Christ can raise of stones Children unto Abraham Ergo stones believe or Stones are wholly passive and have nothing to hinder Regeneration Ergo Stones are Regenerated When you bring better Topicks and Mediums to prove your Argument by more may be said to it but you may think I have said too much to discover your Ignorance of Divine things already Here we may give a hint to your fifth Query Whether Children may not have the Golden Oyl of God's Free Grace as well as Adult persons Answer What little Infants have or what they may have lieth not within our Sphere secret things belong unto God Revealed things unto us but the question is how this Gentleman will prove that infants have this grace which qualifieth them for Baptism my neighbour is capable of being King of Vtopia Ergo he is king of Vtopia doth this Conclude the Scripture saith Men and Women ought to believe who are capable of knowing good and evil therefore infants do believe who know neither good nor evil Your 4th 7th 8th Queries look one way and we do assert infants may be fit for the Kingdom of God as our Lord hath said and yet not qualified for Gospel Ordinances Can it be shewed that ever our Lord Instituted Gospel Ordinances for Infants Could it be made appear that Infants have Repentance Faith and
may also be applied unto David it signifieth nothing to the point Thou didst make me hope when upon my mothers breasts that is thou didst give me sufficient ground for hope and trust if I had been capable of acting that grace and v. 10. I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly that is I was like one forsaken by his parents and cast wholly upon thy Providence see our late Annotations But for all this Infants have habitual Faith saith our Antagonist but his arguments are so feeble that maintain it that it 's like a tottering Fence well but what if I should ask what do you mean by Habitual Faith I think there cannot be less in the word than this that they have an Inclination to believe and that they have Power Might Ability to believe and if it be so what is the reason they do not believe surely if they have Power Strength and Ability to believe is it not reasonable they should be damned if they do not believe which are his own words page 17 no Faith no Salvation neither for Young nor Old If by Habit he meant an Inclination to believe a disposition to believe then let him prove they have such a disposition and what it is that hinders their believing we say a person that is disposed to a thing hath power actually to do it If he do not understand the meaning of the word habitual why did he write it was it to confound the Ignorant with the word Infant-seed of believers being in Covenant what is meant by being in Covenant there are thousands of themselves know nothing of it Seeing they do not mean the Election of Grace for my part I think Transubstantiation habitual Faith and the Infant seed of believers in the covenant are terms equally allowable and probably equally understood among their various Professors this habitual Faith in Infants is much of the likeness of our Athenian assertion that Infants have faith Potentia tho not Actu visibli so you say they have habitual though not actual visible Faith for my part I think it calls for a prodigious Faith for any man to believe Infants have faith potentia or habitual all you have done is only begging when you should have been a digging But I think you have given away your Cause and habitual Faith too in page 26. in these words God is a free Agent and bestows his Gifts of Grace and Mercy upon whom he pleaseth May not an earthly King bestow his bounty upon a poor dumb Cripple that can neither ask nor go to him for it no nor return him vocal thanks Is not this to allow and say what I have said That Infants are happy through the imputed righteousness of Christ tho as poor dumb Cripples that can neither ask nor go nor return thanks So that tho in effect he saith as I do yet calls my Sentence a strange Sentence which asserts Infants sins are done away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness page 18. And would any man but one void of common sense urge such Scriptures for Infant inherent Faith as Rom. 3.26 God is the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Eph. 2.8 9 By Grace are ye saved through Faith not of works lest any man should boast Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given them which believe And Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved And Gal. 6.15 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by Love or a new Creature And he might as well have added 1 Cor 7. But the keeping of the Commands of God Rom. 5.1 being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our I Lâ—â—â—â—â—sus Christ Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude a Man is Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Doth this man think in his Conscience that ever these things were written or Preached unto Infants or in any sense intended that Infants should have the comfort of it if not why are all these Scriptures applyed unto them when God never intended it for them I hope he hath been taught better to Expound the Scripture But still he positively asserts Infants have Faith and do believe and proves it by two Infallible Witnesses as he thinks the one is Mark 9.42 And who so shall offend one of those little ones which believe in me it were better for him a milstone were hanged about his neck and cast into the Sea These little ones he asserts are Infants but I would fain know had I a mind to offend a believing Infant how should I know which were him There is no more appears in one Infant than another Secondly Men must know such a one which owns Christ for it is because he owns Christ that any of the wicked offend him But how shall I know the Infant with his Inherent Grace and Faith what Family he is in where he dwells should I have a mind to offend him Again how shall the Infant know I am offended with him for his believing in Christ Mark Reader the verse before Whosoever shall give a Cup of Water to drink in my Name because they belong to Christ shall not lose his reward Then the next words are And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me So that you see these little ones Christ speaks of are such as go under the notion of Christ's Disciples making a visible profession and if we do the least kindness for them we shall not lose our reward But how shall I know which Infant it is that hath habitual Faith that stands in need of this Cup of Water It cannot discover its own thirst and so the poor Infant may Die though I had a mind to relieve it The Eighteenth of Matthew is brought in by Christ upon the same account to abate the pride of the Disciples who were discoâ—rsing who should be greatest and be the highest in Heaven upon this Christ calls a little Child and tells them except they were Spiritually what that Child was Naturally in Meekness Humility free from Revenge and Pride They could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So he goes on whoso shall offend one of those little ones which believe in me not the little Infant or Child called and set in the midst but those Believers that were like them in Humility wrought by Faith in Christ for had I a mind to please or displease an Infant with his habitual Faith I know not where to find him and surely our Lord did not speak of such who were never like to be known Oh when will you cease to pervert the right word of the Lord How disingenuous are you in saying I owned they were Infant-Children but would not own they believed My speaking those words was not from those Scriptures but two others namely Luke 18. and Matt. 19. See my
others Feet believe with others Faith Covenant with others Tongues I am sure Christ went upon his own Feet to Baptism near forty Mile and the Eunuch also and believed with his own Faith and Covenanted with his own Tongue Now for the Conclusion I say Infants are not now Visibly in covenant it not being within my Sphere what they are as to Gods Decrees yet conclude well of all that Die in their Infant State But seeing there are so many Qualifications required individually to Gospel Church Membership your task is to prove that Infants have them or give up the Cause according to your Promise and confess the Covenant of Peculiarity made unto Abraham and his Seed is Repealed Whereas you mention Jeremiah and John Baptist Sanctified from the Womb on Jeremiah our Annotators say I have Appointed and Approved thee as a fit Minister for the Work I have Prepared and Ordained thee for Publick Service viz. not with Saving Grace tho that need not to be excluded and of John the Baptist they say being filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Momb this is true both as to Prophecy which is an extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost and also of the Holy Ghost considered as a Sanctifying Spirit Now consider our Annotators lay the great stress of those two Men Sanctified from the Womb upon their being fitted for publick Work for as much as they had insuperable Difficulties which in those degenerate and corrupt Times they must unavoidably Encounter with but what if it should be granted those two Men were not only Sanctified from the Womb That is set a-part to publick Work which the word Sanctified sometimes imports but that also they were Savingly Sanctified in their Hearts Is this a good Argument to prove that all the Infant Seed of believers have Habitual Faith from their Mothers Womb If so how comes it to pass that so many of them Die unsanctified Logicians will tell you its unsafe Arguing from particuliar Instances to general is this a good Argument Solomon was a very Wise man ergo all men are very Wise Sampson was a Strong Man therefore all Men have Sampson's Strength Abraham was a great believerâ— therefore all Men have great Faith Moses was a Meek Man therefore all Men are Meek and all Men Patient because Job was such I hope we shall never have these instances urged any more of John Baptist and Jeremiah for to prove that all the Infant Seed of believers have Habitual Faith SEEING some have queried where you find that Children are forbidden to be Baptised tho you know it is rather your work to prove the Positive That there is a Command for the Baptising of Infants than for me to prove the Negative That there is none for if you would but prove the former you would save me the Labour from proving the latter however I shall attempt it for once TO prove the Baptism of Infants Forbidden ALL positive Commands Prohibit whatever is repugnant thereunto but the Baptism of Infants is repugnant to the positive command of Christ for that Ordinance ergo the baptism of Infants is prohibited The Major is undeniable the Minor I thus prove Iâ— Ignorance be opposed to understanding the want of an act of Repentance Faith and Obedience be opposed to the Act and Teaching be opposed to them not capable of it If a few drops of Water be opposed to a burial in Water In a word if a wrong Subject and a wrong manner of Administration be opposite to a right Subject and manner of Administration then Infants Baptism is repugnant to Christ's Command for that Ordinance and therefore roundly Prohibited for no man of Sense can imagin that our Lord can allow of any Practice repugnant to his own Commission the word all Nations in Matt 28. is referable only to the Teaching of all Nations all positive Commands prohibit whatever is repugnant thereunto We might Illustrate when we are commanded to Worship God in Spirit and Truth it forbids all Ignorant Devotion Formallity and Hypocrisy and when commanded to Worship God all Idols and Idolaty is forbidden to eat bread and drink Wine in remembrance of Christ forbids a belief of his Corporal Presence what need I do any act to put me in remembrance of him who is Corporally Present when God's Word asserts we are saved by Grace it forbids Works as Meritorious so when God Commands Persons that Profess Faith and Repentance to to be baptised it Prohibits all that are uncapable of those Qualifications Take heed of incurring Divine Displeasure by commanding that in the Name of the Lord which he never commanded Oh! what a dreadful Judgment did God threaten against Jerusalem for doing those things which God Commanded them not In offering their Children to Molech in the Valley of Ben Hinnom which I commanded them not saith God neither came it into my mind Jer. 19.5 The Geneva Note on that place saith Whatsoever is not Commanded by God touching his Service is against God's word because not commanded Was not Nadab and Abihu prohibited false Fire when commanded to take Fire from the Altar Is not Tertullian's Notion true every positive Command of Christ includes a Negative by this Argument you may set up a great part of the false Worship in Rome by Interrogating where it is forbidden read Matt. 28.18 Acts 2.37 Mark 16.16 Rom. 6.4 Acts 8.36 37. Acts 10. All which Scriptures shew that Infant Baptism must be Repugnant unto that Baptism which is from Heaven therefore is Prohibited Syllogistical Arguments against Pedo and for Believers Baptism Arg. 1. THAT which hath no Divine Command nor Example none Commended for its Observation nor Reprehended for its neglect cannot be of God or Divine Authority but the Baptising of Infants hath no Divine Command nor Example none Commended for its Observation nor reproved for its Neglect ergo the Baptising of Infants is not of God or Divine Authority Arg. 2. THAT which hath a Divine Command and Example some commended for its Observation and others reproved for its neglect must be of God and Divine Authority but the Baptism of Believers hath a Livine Command and Example some commended for its Observation others Reprehended for its neglect ergo the Baptism of Believers is of God and Divine Authority Mark 16.15 16. Luke 7.29 30. Arg. 3 THAT which was the Practice of the pure Primitive and Apostolick Times about Initiating persons into the Church ought to be the same unto the Second Coming of Christ But to Initiate persons into the Church by Baptism upon a profession of Faith was the Practice of the pure Primitive and Apostolick times ergo to Initiate persons into the Church by Baptism upon a profession of Faith ought to be the same unto the Second Coming of Christ This Argument doth stand Immovable against the Churches for Pedo-Baptism unless they can assign the time and place where Christ altered the Constitution of his Churches and changed the manner of Initiation into them or