they dye without Baptisme they are damned O cruell sentence and bloudie decree The first is refuted by that wee haue sayd alreadie that in them that haue yeares no grace commeth by the sacrament but a disgrace rather no good but euill if there bee not a good conscience towards GOD examined and washed with the fruites of Christs death and passion For here are vnderstood the workes of his humiliation as his incarnatiō dwelling in the shape of a seruant his crucifying and such like though there are touched onely foure workes of his exaltation And our Apostle sayth plainly though Noahs Arke saued yet saying that the washing of the flesh saueth not he seemeth to say gather not that outward washing saueth How then say our aduersaries that all are damned that haue not Baptisme Test Rhemis Ioh. 3. vers 5. or doe they say so No not all say they Who then and who not All infants say they that dye without Baptisme O pitifull cruell sentence whose eares will not tingle at it infants who cannot speak think or do ill the child whose flesh is scarce curded in the wombe whose bones are scarce gristled out of the wombe from the darknes of the wombe passe to the vtter darknesse for euer Thus speaketh the dragon all gored with bloud Apoc. 12.3 But doth the lambe of God say so also no doubt this lambes bloud extendeth it self euen to these little lābes and sucklings Is there no pardon from this general dānatorie sentence cruell definitiue are none excepted Yes God doth accept thē as baptized who are martyred before they could be baptized Rhe. in Ioh. 5. vers 2. and they that depart this life with desire and vow of Baptisme Onely they Yea onely they who earnestly intend desire and seeke for the same that is a fewe very fewe O happie rare case of them aboue all others to be singled out vnto life What is their proofe that the vnbaptized must needs be dāned Ioh. 3. Vnles a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost This is generall euen against all whosoeuer haue not outward water and if generall why not to martyrs and the other that dye with desire of Baptisme But they can make general whē they will Pighius Hierar eccl l. 1. c. 4. and speciall when they will euen as blasphemously they haue sayd of the Word it is a nose of waxe Linda in praef so they make the sacrament a scale of waxe But suppose a Martyr or a Christian conuerted not yet instructed in the doctrine of Baptisme as they that led the Martyrs to death seeing their patience faith zeale were suddenly conuerted and cried out Christianus sum I am a Christian and thereupon suffered with them how could they desire that they knowe not of were they damned for this Popish diuinitie maketh all damned who in their owne persons doe not earnestly intend desire and seeke for Baptisme of water euen as earnestly as the proportion of the speech carrieth it as the man desired to bee in the water Iohn 5.6.7 when it was troubled and had none to helpe him What then became of Iohn Baptist for who baptized him He indeede sayd to Christ Math. 3 14. I haue neede to be baptized of thee and commest thou to me He desired it but that is not enough seeing hee liued in a time when hee might haue had it Iohn 3.22 4.2 for Christs Disciples then baptized Or what shall wee say of the Apostles who seeme Act. 1.5 to be borne indeede of the spirit but not of the outward water except Paul or Andrewe Iohn 1.36.40 and some that were Iohns disciples to haue been baptized with the holie Ghost but not with water What dare they say of the theefe who was neither Martyr Acts 9.18 nor yet was so farre instructed to desire baptisme of water but by speciall influence of Gods sudden touch of his heart and lightening of his minde Luk. 23.42 desired to bee with Christ in his kingdome and obtained that princely paradise Last of all seeing themselues cōfesse that the desire of parents or godfathers Catech. Trident as they tearme them serueth for to procure grace to children baptized who haue not the wit nor grace yet to aske it why should not the desire of parents or friends who hunger and thirst for the righteousnes of God in Baptisme for the infants to bee borne or alreadie borne and yet dying without baptisme be accepted in Gods sight Themselues for the innocents and Martyrs whom Herod tragicallie murdered in the massacre of Bethlem and yet they not baptized nor baptisme desired for them least of all this baptisme of blood which al lamented al fathers and mothers cryed out vpon themselues I say confesse these not only saued Rhe Test in Math. 2.16 but gloriously saued to bee Martyrs and solemnize their feast And thus the ground and foundation is weake their building also vpon it paūcheth In the primitiue church of the world no doubt many children dyed before the eight day vncircumcised as Dauids childe begotten in adulterie 2. Sam. 12.18 which dyed euen the seuenth day the greater griefe if it bee as they would haue it in baptisme that it came so neere the iust time and missed the seale of the couenant as it were a man escaping all shipwracke to die in the port hauen Likewise the Israelites remained vncircumcised without all desire to haue it counting it a rebuke because they learned heathenishnes of Aegypt Iosh 5.8 or kept themselues vncircumcised as meaning to returne into Aegypt Num. 14.4 Yet who dare be so peremptorie Baptisme the great Circumcision so called by Epiphanius as to pronounce damnation vpon them for looke howe baptisme answereth circumcision so the deceasing without baptisme should be by suite and proportion no worse thing then dying without circumcision Vnles a man will say that the state of the Gospell hath lesse mercy and pitie then the lawe and that it went harder with infants vnder Christ then infants vnder Moses seeing Christ also became an infant to saue and redeeme infants seeing also on them by Herod was laide the first testimonie that the world should hate the Lord Iesus euen yet as it were a babe and suckling Math. 3.16 and that vnto death Adde hereunto that seeing the Lorde appointed a set time to circumcision Gen. 17.12 which was hard and dangerous somwhat for life * Ge. 34.25 in the Sichemites who were soare for the cutting three daies and not able to defend themselues I meane the eight day and designed no certaine time to baptize that seeing it is freer for disposing of that least of all necessitie dependeth vpon it whereas if the 2 or 3. * As some in Cyp. time l. 3. cp 8. ep the 7. or 8. day had beene appointed or such like then the deferring of baptisme beyond that time had beene great offence but the departing of
iudgement Fiftly why presently a Priest sent for might she not thinke the same power that restored life to her childe able to preserue him in life or was not the life quite gone at al and this deuise taken vp by coÌ„pact to nourish superstitious minds or if it must needes bee presently baptized because this their false Saint Steuen gaue it such a weake deadly life that would not hold out why might not her selfe or some woman present for it is not improbable others also to haue gone with her in neighborhood or superstition according to their doctrine haue baptized it but they must tarie the time till a Priest come who hold in their good diuinitie in such a case of necessitie that euen women may doe it or lastly why did she not goe to Saint Steuen for a second life But lyers and inuentors haue no absolute good memories let vs come to their scriptures they are two the first Ioh. 3 5. Except a maÌ„ be borne of water the spirit he caÌ„nnot see the kingdom of God This place necessarily inferreth say they the necessity of baptisme Why the words are plaine and yet if so it is as plaine for them that vse a hot 〈…〉 Iron in Baptisme not to go from this matter for example because it is sayd Christ shall baptize with the holy Ghost with fire and not to goe from this place it is as plaine for an olde man to be borne againe so plaine that â—â—â—â—…enus once mistook it though a master in Israell But to come to the meaning doth water signifie here of necessitie the element of water vsed in Baptisme howe knowe they that for in the former chapter no occasion is giuen to speake of Baptisme nor in the beginning of this And secondly Christ seemeth rather to tell what is necessary for men in yeares who can make profession as Nicodemus who dissembled then for infants neither is any mention made of Baptisme all the time of his abode in Galile where he was at the marriage or whilst he was at Ierusalem where this speech seemeth to bee vntill hee came into Iury vers 22. As though Christ sayd thou wouldest learne the way to heauen thou knowest it in part alreadie that I am a teacher come from God vers 1. And yet thou haltest in the day betweene two and goest vpright in the night onely but I tell thee I being a true teacher tell thee that thou must walke as a child of the day thou must be borne againe that is bee renued in the spirit of thy minde to bee of another iudgement euen to professe the name of God opeÌ„ly els thou canst not see the kingdome of God Vnles thou shewe thy selfe to be in my kingdome of the Gospell by open profession on earth thou canst not see my kingdome aboue vers 3. Except a man that is of such a iudgement as thou alreadie art and all naturall men be vers 4. be borne againe and altered in the spirit they cannot see the kingdome of God When he marueiled what it was to bee borne againe Christ expoundeth it thus I say vnles he bee borne againe of water and the spirit making it all one to be borne againe of the spirit and of water and the spirit making it all one to be borne againe of one of them and of theÌ„ both and which is the more exclusiue for that which he had sayd in one word Except a man be borne of the spirit he after expoundeth the manner how the spirit must work as water in washing vs in sanctifying vs in renuing vs. For he sayth Vnles a man be borne of water and the spirit which to bee the meaning the tenour and passage of all the speech had with Nicodemus sheweth as first the opposing of earthlie birth and spiritual vers 6. That which is borne of flesh is flesh which sentence proueth rather that water saueth not as though fleshly earthly and carnall things can goe no further then flesh earth nor haue no further effects A mans soule is a spirite water an elementarie bodie an earthly thing can not purge a spirituall substance no proportion betweene the agent patient the doer and sufferer euen as of old the bloud of beasts could not take away sinnes Heb. 10.1.2.3 so not now the washing of water can take away sinne Secondly the ascribing of the meanes to Gods free-will vers 8. and his loue vers 16. by the worke of the spirite and incarnation of the sonne vers 13. telling the hardnes of it vers 8.11.12 whereas outward washing is easie finally in that verse 18. Christ maketh faith the meanes of saluation and not faith damnation He that beleeueth is saued he that beleeueth not is damned So that vnles a man will say that infants haue faith this toucheth infants nothing at all and if they haue faith then those only saued who haue this faith by the gift of God So that this general rule Except proueth this that without conuersion of heart and renuing of the spirit of our minde inwardly there is no saluation And that by water is meÌ„t Gods spirit the fruits the graces of it many scriptures declare especially in the stile and phrase of Christ himselfe in this Euangelist in the next chapter vers 14. He that drinketh of the water which I giue shal neuer thirst for Baptisme is not generally a wel of water to euerlasting life therefore it is ment of Gods spirit the miracle of Christ healing without water Iohn 5. declareth that the elemeÌ„t ought not to be in that credite So Iohn 7.39 He that beleeueth riuers of water of life shall flow out of his bellie But if any man aske how will you proue water to signifie the spirit here I answere euen hence vers 39. This he sayd of the spirit It also hath the accord of the old Testament so Iere. 2.3.10 Ezech. 36.25 Esai 4.4 The Lorde shall wash the filthines of Sion with the spirit of iudgement and burning Lastly I aske whether if this proposition vers 5 bee generall exclusiue Except a man be borne of water and the spirit c. why the former proposition vers 3. which is first by nature consisting of as generall tearmes in arte Except a man bee borne of the spirit c. be not as generall which if it bee and what reason can be shewed to the contrarie then it being also general and exclusiue why should it not shut out the necessitie of materiall water Here also if absolutely materiall water be vnderstood then no Martyr saued without it not the theefe on the crosse not the Apostles vnbaptized not the good Emperour Valentinian and many other who in prison or warre desire it The other place Mark 16.16 answereth it selfe ascribing all to faith for hauing sayd He that beleeueth and is baptized shall bee saued addeth straight way to preuent error but he that beleeueth not and not hee that is not baptized shall bee damned Now as
God receiueth into couenant and then sealeth Men possesse their cattel and instruments and then marke them they chuse and leuie souldiers then giue them prest money And yet as with a good landlord the right of my tenement ceaseth not hauing the promise of a faithfull man though the father should die without sealing vnto mee seeing an honest sonne commeth in place who will be a seale vnto his fathers words so though GOD the father should preuent vs of baptisme yet in that he hath promised a state of life to me and mine in his sonne hee will seale it to vs for him hath the father * Ioh. 6.27 sealed An honest souldier will venture his life in the battailes of the lord though hee had not his prest money The clayme of the owner is good though no actuall marke should bee vpon his good This is the marke of Gods children Beza confes c. 4. s 48. de bapt infant Chytreus Bern. ser 66. in Cant. Au l. 1. de peccat meritis Pet Martyr lo. com clas 4. c. 8. sect 7. Zuinglius de Baptismo pag. 68. tom 2. The Lorde knoweth who are his Nowe if children in the wombe as Iohn Baptist or before baptisme and in their infancie haue faith as diuers think or haue the spirit of God as others seeing they are partes of the Church as woe all professe and members of the body of Christ as wee all say howe can they perish none can take his sheepe nay not the least lambe of a day olde Iohn 10.29 nay not yet eaned nor brought into the world out of his hande though Sathan should stande by to deuoure it vpon the verie birth Apoc. 12.4.5 as he did once for the child the verie sonne of God which was taken vp to Gods throne And why may it not be that as in earthly paradise so in the heauenly Church Gen. 1.11.12 As there are some trees and hearbes seeding some budding some bearing fruite so in the heauenly paradise on earth the Church some of Gods seruants in the wombe some budding out some new washt as it were from the pooles If the first Adam could bring an euerlasting taint vpon them shal not the baptisme and death of the second Adam wipe it out The infant cannot reason yet it hath the seed of reason as it hath a soule though it know not so much of it selfe Thus some argue May it not haue faith shed in the heart of it Ephe. 3.17 for who can tell how God dwelleth in the heart of the elect Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the spirit of God is none of his Is not this the glorious impression and stampe of that heauenly seale that the child is assumpted into the association and fellowship of the blessed Trinitie Matth. 28.19 into whose name it is baptized Childrē must come to Christ Mark 10.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Luk. 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What children Little ones they that are come to little reason but that they abuse in trifling yet theirs is the kingdome of God If theirs be the kingdom of God then are they cleane Apoc. 21.27 for no vncleane thing maye come in his pure sight Now what maketh cleane but faith and Gods spirite their hearts being purified alike by faith Act. 15.9 The working of Gods spirite is like the insensible pearcing of the winde Ioh. 5.8 which getteth in no man knoweth how And may it not get in into the hearts of little children if their children bee holie who can sanctifie them but the sanctifier 1. Cor. 6 11. why may not Gods spirite his winde get into them and if they bee sanctified then not damned Wherefore these speeches of the childe vnbaptized It is an heathen an infidell it is damned I would not haue my child in the like case for millions are speeches indeede heathenish full of infidelitie of rash iudgement vncharitablenes not onely by damnatorie speeches against the dead but against the liuing God that hath taken them away as he would Doth not the spirit speake better things Luk. 6.37 Iudge not and thou shalt not be iudged condemne not and thou shalt not be condemned nay acquite assoyle deliuer and thou shalt haue a measure of such mercifull construction measured vnto thee not as thou vsest to doe sparingly streight by the brimmes of the measure but with a measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer And yet Protestants speake so So naturall a thing is Poperie so quickly doe wee drinke in error before wee bee taught it Ephe. 4.20 Haue we so learned Christ are his lawes so ful of ruefulnes Of Draco the lawgiuer it is written that al his lawes were death death if thou doe this death if thou doe not that still the fatall noyse of death ended the lawe Therefore they note the pen to drop crueltie the inke and writing to bee bloud But Christ is no Draco a Dragon Ioh. 1.29 He is a lambe that takes away the sinnes of the whole world a world of sinnes much more this lambe of God to heale these little lābes of his flocke His lawes are not lawes of Draco they speake peace Heb. 12.24 his bloud crieth better things then the bloud of Abel for that crieth vengeance vpon Cayne his brother Gen. 4.10 But Christs bloud crieth with a strong voyce as of a mightie Angel my bloud for all bloud Rom. 5.10 my bodie for all sinne euen of mine enemies This were to make Christ an Herode for Herode sent out his men of warre to sley and murder most butcherly infants from two yeares old downward Matth 2.16 among whom were some vncircumcised then Rachel in Rama lifts vp bitter voyces of lamentation no cōfort they are not Indeede if Christ were not a Herauld of peace rather then a Herod and that hee sent out his messengers of warre as death and graue to deuoure the diuell and hell to damne the vnbaptized then indeede might Rachel lift vp her voyce put on her mourning weede then euery mother and father sister and brother might howle and weepe and answere one an other with dolefull ecchoes and remediles complaints no comfort no consolation because they are not nay because they are that is they are in endles sorowe for better it were not to bee at all But blessed bee God who hath sealed a better couenant Gen. 17.7 With thee and thy seede I make my couenant blessed bee God who hath cleared our comfort 1. Cor. 7.11.14 Esay 9.6 Your children are holy Blessed be God that concerning the childe borne in Esai hath caused heauen and earth to heare a better melodie from an armie of heauenly souldiers Luk. 2.14 Glorie to God on high peace on earth belowe good will towards men Doe I speake this alone doe not likewise the generall voyce and language of Canaan Nehe. 13.24 Esay 19.18 I meane the Israel of God speake so
Doth our Church alone thinke so and doth not other Churches make vp the harmonie Rogers in the English Creed set out by authoritie pag. 33. par 2 art 25 The Creede of our Church confesseth this among the errors of the Papists that so many as are not incorporated into the visible Church by the Sacraments at the least of Baptisme are assuredly damned So doth two cōfessions of Switzerland the confession of the Church of Bohemia the Protestant Church of France so of Flanders so of Auspurge so of Saxonie and Sweueland which may be seene more at large in the booke of the Harmonie of confessions Alanus Cope reckoneth this vp as one of our errors in England Dial 6. cap. 9. Infants before they are baptized to belong to the people of GOD And to this agreeth most soundly euen he which hath now by the disposition of God the chief place in this Church In his replie in the great volume pag. 516. and professeth that he misliketh the opinion of these who thinke out of Ioh. 3. infants to be condemned being not baptized as much as any It shall bee ambition to muster the names of them who haue borne the standard in their places and are on our side so doth * Aret. proble theol par 2 de 〈◊〉 sacr Aretius at Barnes * Caluin instit l. 4. c. 16. sec 26. Caluin and * Confess c. 4. sect 49. Zuingl de prouid Dei c. 6. tom 1. pa. 369. Beza at Geneua certainly Zuinglius at Zurich calleth them sacramentaries who attribute so much grace to the sacramēt so much vertue to Baptisme of it selfe Such a cloud of witnesses hath this trueth and this is not only the consent of the later Churches but euen a long hath testimonie from this Apostle Baptisme saueth but I meane not sayeth hee the washing of the water but the examination of a good conscience towardes God Ephe. 5.26 The Apostle Paul saith Christ gaue himselfe for the Church to sanctifie it by the lauer of water but how through the word Psalm 8.2 In Dauids time the Church professeth GODS praise out of the mouth of sucklings In the primitiue Church the Cathecumen the not baptized not onely saued but glorified as Martyrs such an one was Heraclides Origens scholler beheaded vnder Seuerus and Rhais a woman whō Origen saith to haue obtained Baptisme by fire Cyp epist ad lubia Cyprian about the 260. yeare after Christ professeth that not only suffering for Christ De conse distinc 4. ca. Baptismi but faith and conuersion of the heart supplieth the want of Baptisme The councell of Nice sayth our Baptisme is not to bee considered with sensible eyes but with the eyes of the mind Ambros in sine Ora. sunes de obitu Valē Ambrose about 380. yeare after Christ sayth of Valentinian the Emperour who dyed without Baptisme Christ baptized him when mens offices failed againe his faith washed him Saint Austen Aug. in l. de side ad Petrum though he is alone almost except them that suruiued in his owne age in the necessitie of Sacraments making out of the sixt of Iohn a necessitie of the supper euen for infants Ioh. 6.53 because it is sayd Vnlesse you eate the fleshe of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you contrary to the rule of the Apostle that none should eate but they who can examine thēselues 1. Cor. 11.23 yet in diuers places where God assisted him more and hee remembred himselfe Aug. l. 13. de ciuit Dei ca 7. he yeelded also to this truth making faith and a contrite spirit to be in stead of Baptisme for thus hee saith he that sayd Vnles a man be borne of water and the spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. sayd as generally Hee that confesseth mee before men Luk. 12.8 I will confesse him before my Father and the holy Angels And againe Luk. 9.24 Hee that leeseth his life shall saue it and againe Psal 116.15 Precious is the death of the Saints in the sight of God Nay hee rather commendeth them that dye sometimes without Baptisme for others for feare of death defer not their baptisme further but these for loue to God deferre to liue longer he exemplifieth also in the theefe and * Aug. lib. 4. de baptis in don cap. 24. againe then is Baptisme fulfilled when not the contempt of religion but when the instant or momēt of necessitie excludeth from visible Baptisme * Serm ad infantes Againe none is depriued of the benefit of the sacrament so long as hee findeth in himselfe the thing which the sacrament signifieth again among whom do you reckon children vnbaptized verely among beleeuers Aug de verbis Apostoli ser 14. So. l. 3. de quaest vet test The inuisible sanctification may bee without the visible signe as the visible signe without the true sanctification * In serm de 40. Martyribus Basile sayth of the iaylour or keeper of the 40. Martyrs who became a Martyr hee was baptized by his owne faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by the hand of another not in water but in his owne blood Hieromes iudgement of Asella we heard aboue Yet the diuersitie of customes and practise of olde is strange herein with the multitude of humane inuentions crept in euen in the primitiue church that wee may blesse God for this puritie of Baptisme which we enioy De consecr dist 4. cap. non ratione in seq Terrul de Baptis dutiusculè loquitur For they vsed only solemne times for baptizing as Easter at Rome by Victors constitution at Easter and Pentecost in Tertullians time or the time of mariage or at their dying day or on the feast of the Epiphany as in Asia insomuch that as Christ at 30. yeares of age was baptized Baptisme more syncerely performed now then of olde so Gregorie at 30. yeares olde though his father were a Bishop So Austen about the same time so Ambrose a Bishop elect before hee was baptized and in a Synode of Rome 40 yeares are appointed except for the sicke In 4. Orat. de Lauac sanct and great with childe who might at all other times bee baptized And Nazianzene appointed the 4. yeare when they could giue a reason of their faith so that when a man once departeth from this that any thing saueth speedy Baptisme or Baptisme deferred Baptisme or no Baptisme nay prayer or no prayer word or no word whē any thing saueth but this onely Sauiour Christ who rose ascended raigneth ouer men and Angels one error increaseth vpon another one inuention accrueth vpon his former hence came the crosse * Origen ho. 2. in Psal 38. Tertul. de resur Cyp. de haer bapt hence a kisse in Baptisme l. 3. ep 8. Cyp. hence a ring Tertul. l. de pudicitia hence to haue oyle * Tertul. de
in parents and friends as in these two last cases or when parents and minister and all are willing death creepeth in and preuenteth both Such occurrents may bee matter of meditation to parents and Ministers and the whole people of the suddennes of death of the vncertaine ioy and stay of posteritie that he suffereth vs to beget but not to possesse to haue a sight of our babes and then suddenly taketh them to himselfe of Gods almightines that he doth what he will and that sometimes hee saueth with meanes sometimes without meanes as sometimes damneth with meanes sometimes without meanes but yet not so that any of these accidents ouerthrow the election of God What then establisheth the substance of Baptisme what ouerthroweth it Here wee must consider the institution Matth. 28. Goe Who The Minister Do what baptize that is powre on the water or dippe it in water Whom all nations that is men not bels c. How not in the name of the water or power of it or any other name in heauen or earth but of the blessed Trinitie So that a Midwife to baptize or a priuate man to whom it was neuer sayd Goe and baptize likewise to vse sande as sometime hath bin or some other licour * As oyle and water by Haeret Iâ—â—n ib. 1. cap. 18. also to applie it to bels then forsooth Bishops alone must do it as the Papists vse and lastly not to doe it in the name power and vertue of the Trinitie I take it to bee the violating of the Lords institution in which kinds wee ought to refuse it But if other circumstances onely be annexed or not accompanie it Eccle. 7.31 as it may be truly sayd of this sacrament God made it simple and righteous and vncompounde but man founde out many inuentions these things may a little exercise our zeale and faith and patience but they cannot abridge the counsel of God in thee and thine and therefore if thou maist haue it without the additamentes of men the better it is if not yet the seale of God remaineth sure they shall beare their iniquitie of stubble so meane a matter built vpon so good a foundation that haue brought it vp or maintaine it vntil God purge them by his triall of fire as in the worde so in the sacrament * 1. Cor. 3.15 when as the stubble shall vanish but the good foundation shall saue them Doe thou as much as thou canst communicate with God in his institution for as we are to desire not onely the milke of the worde 1. Peter 2.2 but the syncere milke of it so in the Lords seale wee ought rather to take his engrauing alone then any characters of man And to drawe to an ende I would not onely haue men peremptorie for the Sacrament but for the word also which is the life of the Sacrament what is water without the worde but water therefore if the neglect or the contempt of the Sacrament bee a sinne is not the despising of the word and neglect of it a sinne also because many are wonderfull passionate The necessitie of the word to be thought on as of Baptisme if God himselfe preuent of Baptisme but themselues for themselues and others are nothing compassionate making no care nor conscience of their assiduitie and diligence to heare the word Surely the worde hath saued without Baptisme but baptisme without the worde neuer Ioh. 15.3 You are cleane because of the word and that you may knowe the words despising hath power to damne also consider what the scripture saith Ioh. 12.48 The word shall iudge you and againe Hee that despiseth the worde his prayer is abominable Prou. 28.9 and againe Math. 10.40 He that reiecteth the Preacher reiecteth him that sent him which is the Lord and againe Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.14 Rom. 14.23 which faith alone pleaseth GOD. Christ Math. 23.16 calles the Pharisees blind guides fooles and blind because they counted it sinne to sweare by the gold of the Temple but by the Temple to sweare was nothing so to sweare by the Aultar nothing but by the offering vpon the Aultar a sinne Now fooles and blind which is greater gold or Temple Altar or offering For the Temple conteineth God that dwelleth in it the Altar that is God worshipped at it So let the despisers of the word either vanish wonder Act. 13.31 for Gods work vpon their blindnes that can see a mote of contempt in Baptisme and not the beame of contempt in the worde or else acknowledge their blindnes Baptisme is as gold it is as a holy offering but yet the word sanctifieth it and if it be not offered as it were vpon the holy Altar of the word this golde becommeth drosse because there wanteth Gods word as fire to trie it though it bee the offering of the fruite of thy body thine owne flesh to the Lorde yet vnles thou doe it as the Lord hath commanded there is a sauour of death in it and not of life The propoâ—tion must be kept Leuit. 17.4 In sacrifices disobedience is as murder and why not in sacraments Wherefore beloued let vs not despise Baptisme let vs not despise the word Baptisme is good and holy and comfortable with the word the word is wholsome and comfortable in his place with Baptisme and without it let vs get a spirite of discerning spirits to distinguish betweene outward washing and inwarde betweene the leauen of poperie who sowre the sweete water of baptisme make it Marah let vs rather season it with casting in some part of the tree of life 2. King 2.21 as Eliza did to the waters of Iericho and healed the land from vntimely birth Let vs preserue a good conscieÌ„ce by communing with our hearts dayly examined so shal neither we nor our church haue vntimely birth for saluation as they had in Iericho so shall not Baptisme be vnfruitfull to vs but be laden with all the benefites of Christs resurrection ascension glorie at Gods right hand and dominions ouer Angels and then neither death nor life Baptisme nor not Baptisme neither things past present nor to come shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ Rom. 8.38 which shal bring vs vnto God Errata In the epistle to the reader page 4. line 27. for insancicida reade infanticida p. 45. l. 18. for Secondly r. Seuenthly p. 59. l. 17. for that is God r. God thatâ—s
for Austen it is true that hee in the matter of the sacraments necessitie yea in both of them made it an exigence of necessitie both to be performed so that as vpon this place he groundeth though falsly as vpon a foundation of water the necessitie of Baptisme so vpon the next place Ioh. 6.53 Vnles ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you Not only hee but Innocentius al that age almost ground a necessitie of the Supper insomuch that they gaue it to infants contrary to the rule of Paul Let a mā examine him selfe c. the meaning of this place which is of the spirituall receiuing of Christ and incorporating into him by the spirite in generall and in particular by the meanes of the spirite working in the worde in Baptisme or in the Supper or in whatsoeuer Fitly is it sayd to this purpose by Saint Hierome in Psalm 147. When we heare the worde of the Lorde the flesh of Christ and his bloud is powred in at our eares Let vs now come to the vse The third and last part comfort ende and necessitie of Baptisme which though it be not absolutely simply necessarie yet in his due place and time if it may bee had according to Christs institution cannot bee neglected without great sinne For herein of diuers men there are diuers extremities as of the most of the Papists who make it absolutely necessarie so of the Manichees on the other side who generally cut off al signes Aug. in Faustum lib. 19. because they making God not to be the author of these sensible and earthly things thereupon inferred that the worship by these earthly things could not bee gratefull to him So the Cathatists who because God is a spirit and men must worship him in spirit reiected all helpe of earthly meanes And last of all Aug. haer 88. the Pelagians who because they exempt men from originall sinne doe thinke Baptisme needles to purge that which is not wherein you may first see the notable wilfull and spitefull malice of the Rhemists who in Iohn 3.5 ioyne the Caluinists and Pelagians together as both promising alike life eternall to children dying without Baptisme when as they differ as hell and heauen in the causes of saluation For Caluin acknowledgeth children to bee vnder originall sinne Pelagius did not yet Caluin thinketh not the elect of God to perish if in some case they bee preuented of outward Baptisme Lastly of Anabaptists who would not haue infants baptized but them of yeares against whom at this time beside that which is sayd aboue this may be sufficient that seeing childrē haue sin they ought to be washed and seeing they belong vnto GOD they ought to bee sealed As for the Manichees seeing wee acknowledge the same Lord Creator of heauen and earth one God maker of both the same almightie and most holie spirite to haue made the greatest Angell and most despised worme and that hee made al things good and to a most excellent end that therefore both against them and the Catharists 1. Tim. 4.8 though it be true that bodily exercise profiteth little as washing by water taking of bread and wine much reading much repeating of prayer much hearing and sitting by it to heare much preaching also vnles the spirit also concurre and our inwarde desire yet as God made bodie and spirit and therefore must be glorified in both so seeing he made both visible and inuisible things both spirituall and corporall things both serue for his glorie both are helpers of our faith if first wee remember that we vse them when wee haue the expresse word of God for them As because the Lorde biddeth vs baptize with water therefore in doing so we build vpon the rocke and we thinke wee should tempt GOD if when he should teach vs the washing away of our sinnes in Christ by the powring on of water wee should refuse such a comfortable and liuely representation and deserue to heare the check that K. Achaz had Esai 7.11.12 who being in weaknesse of faith when Ierusalem was besieged would not aske a signe when the offer was made in Christ but was reproued as one not that despised the minister and bringer of the signe but had grieued the God of the minister and author of that signe Is it a small thing to grieue men Esay 7.11 but you must also grieue my God sayth Esay The defeating of Baptisme seemeth to come three waies one by open contempt and despising of Gods wisdome in it Heathenish and prophane men cannot tell what to make of the sprinkling of water nor of the blessing of it in the name of the blessed trinitie as the Infidels and Atheists and Paynims doe vnto this day being ignorant that Christ Matth. 28. when he ordained Baptisme sayd Al power in heauen and earth is giuen vnto me goe and baptize I am with you for euer So that here is not naked water or the bare clemēt or a few words repeated but here is the power of God with it his wisedome to establish it his constancie to auowe it his holines to sanctifie it his mercie to blesse it so that as an odde thing or new thing they which despise it despise not mās aduise but Gods counsel against them selues Luk. 7.30 as did the Pharisies And hee that will not followe Gods counsell how shall he thriue though all the heads in the world should deuise for him Another disappoyntmēt of Baptisme commeth by negligence as in the people of Israel intermitting circumcision for 40. yeares Exod. 4.24 as in Moses who no doubt acknowledged Gods ordinance for circumcision and yet either hauing learned Aegyptian or Midianitish manners or to please his wife deferred to do it so that God had like to destroyed him in the Inne for it Which I would haue parents consider that defer their childrens baptisme from Lords day to Lords day and from one time of assemblie to another for no end but to get such and such witnesses such and such furniture of their houses and such other complement and outward circumstances till death strike their children which sinne though the Lord may remit thē yet their comfort cannot be so great as if they had taken the due time which the Lord offered them seeing by their meanes it commeth to passe whē Minister and place and time and all did concurre they only were wanting by the sinne of omission which thing gouernours Ecclesiastical are to looke vnto lest that if euery man by this example should defer if death should intercept Anabaptistrie might creepe in and scarse any child be baptized The Primitiue Church suffered them to want an honourable buriall Concil 1. Braccar who deferred their baptisme Of the third defeatement of Baptisme by vnauoydable necessitie wee haue spoken at large when either the child is preuented by death in the wombe or out of the wombe either by negligence or contempt