Heavenly Treasure offered us in the Word is really and spiritually tendered and represented by those Signs so thorough the hidden Power of the Holy Ghost Faith whereby we are united to Christ intervening his Benefits and the Holy Ghost are thereby exhibited to and derâ—â—ed upon us From this Sacramental Union of Sign and Thing Signified arises the Sacramental Phrase or manner of speaking used in Scripture whereby the Thing Signified is spoken of the Sign and the Sign of the Thing Signified thus (t) Gen. 17.10 11. Circumcision is called the Covenant which verse 11 is called the Sign of the Covenant that is the Sign and the Seal of it the Bread is the Body of Christ (u) Mat. 26.26 27 28 This Cup is my blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins That is the Bread is the Sign and Seal of my Body the Wine is the Sign and Seal of my Blood Baptism is the (w) Tit 3.5 Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost That is the Sign and the Seal of Regeneration or of the Blood of Christ which cleanseth all our sins Many more such Expressions we find in Scripture Furthermore by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ made Members of his Body (x) 1 Cor. 12 13. for We are all baptised in one Spirit to be one body Jew or Greek bond or free (y) Eph. 5.25 26. The Church is Sanctified by the washing of Water and (a) John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God I know the visible sign of Water is not meant there 't is the thing signified 't is Regeneration the working of the Holy Ghost 't is a spiritual Water (b) John 4.14 A Well of Water springing into Eternal Life (c) John 7.35 Rivers of living Water (d) Isai 58.1 All that are Thirsty are invited to come to the Waters which are promised to be poured upon (e) Ezek. 36.25 even clean Waters This is that Love of God said to be (f) Rom. 5.5 shed abroad in our hearts Those Gifts of the Spirit promised Joel 2.28 and Fulfilled upon the Apostles Acts 2. 'T is that Baptism of the Spirit which our Saviour (g) Acts 1.5 commanded them to wait for though I say the Water in Baptism be not meaned here yet the Thing Signified is therefore it shews the Excellency of that Sacrament wherefore it must not be Despised or Neglected I say further (h) Gal. 3.27 All who are baptised have put on Christ at least outwardly and (i) Rom 6.3.4 As many of us saith S. Paul as were baptised in Christ were baptised into his Death thorough baptism and raised again to walk in Newness of Life These are the Three Parts of our Regeneration First The Death of Sin which clearly appeared in Christ's Death and because the Old Man doth not presently dye in us then comes the Second Part It 's Burial whereby and by Degrees it Wastes away After which is the Third Part We begin to raise in Newness of Life This I shall no longer insist upon having as I think said enough to shew how great a Reverence we ought to have for and what a high Account we must make of that Holy Sacrament for the Divine Ordinance and Glorious Attributes given it in Scripture This being thus Premised I proceed and fall to the Point I Argue thus First Under the Old Testament Infants were Circumcised therefore under the New they ought to be Baptised for there is the same Reason for Baptism under the Gospel as was under the Law for Circumcision which by St. Paul is called (k) Rom. 4.11 the Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which is a proper Denomination for Baptism by Circumcision the Jews the Seed of Abraham were distinguished from others who had no share in the Promises and by Baptism we are received in the Church and made visible Members of the Body of Christ Now Circumcision and Baptism in Christ we have (l) Colos 2.11 12. and find them both joyned together and as Circumcision is brought to the time of Christ so in some sense Baptism was very long before the Birth of our Lord (m) 1 Cor. 10.1 2. I would not ye should be ignorant saith St. Paul how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and passed thorough the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses I know they will say there is a double Circumcision so there is a double Baptism if I may call it so when we distinguish the Sign from the Thing signified one Circumcision is made with Hands [n] Coloss 2.11 the other without that of the [o] Rom. 2.29 Heart so there is an Outward and Inward Baptism one of Water the other of [p] Mat. 3.11 the Spirit and of Fire yet this doth not hinder but that the Circumcision with Hands was the Sign of that made without Hands as the Baptism of Water is the Sign and Seal of that of the Spirit We conclude therefore that all their Infants were Circumcised and all as well as the Parents were Baptised in the Cloud and Sea for all passed thorough so all Infants of Christians ought to be Baptised May be they will make the following Exception which is not to the purpose that according to this only Males and not Females are to be Baptised because only the Males were Circumcised but as to this the reason is different for Females as well as Males are capable of Baptism which was not of Circumcision Men must not dispute with nor be wiser then God who instituted Circumcision at first and now Baptism at last having then appointed that feal he commanded it to be applied to the part that was capable of it and the fittest for his end which was to shew the corruption of Mans Nature and the casting of that superfluity was the seal of his Promise to sanctify Abraham's Seed and we may say this seal was in some manner communicated to the Females Now I think 't is clear enough how under every Testament there hath been a Sacrament appointed by God to introduce those whom it is administred to into the Church Circumcision was it in the time of the Jewish Church as Baptism is in the time of the Christian this is the Key that openeth it for us whosoever doth not go in at this door which is the Ordinance of God when he may (a) John 10.1 He is a Thief that would break into the Sheepfold My Second Argument is from Christ's command to the Apostles (b) Mat. 28.19 To Baptise all Nations under which Men Women and Children must be comprehended and he who saith all excludes nothing When St. Paul saith (c) Rom. 5.12 By one Man Sin came into the World and by Sin death so death passed upon all Men none may deny but that Children as well as Men are comprehended under the Name all Men for
by the Hearing of the Word except it was by that which came (f) Acts 9.3 4 to him immediately from Heaven But to return to Children (g) 1 Cor. 7.14 Those of believers are holy Nay some are so from the very Womb such was (h) Jer. 1.5 Jeremiah (i) Luke 1.15 John Baptist was full of the holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb. St. Paul though a great Persecutor yet He was Separated from his (k) Gal 1.15 mother's Womb as he saith himself (l) Rom. 9.13 God loved Jacob before he was born Shall after this a sort of Men declare Infants not capable of being Regenerated Surely God hath taken some care for their Salvation especially since they make a considerable part of the World Matt. 14.21 and 15.38 we find them in the Assemblies of the Church and if not able led and carried after him partakers as of his Doctrine so of the Fruits of his Miracles we hear them crying (m) Mat. 21 15 16. Hosanna to the Son of David and our Saviour approving it against the Pharisees when he saith to them out of Psalm 8.2 Have ye never read Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected Praise Wherefore (n) Acts 10.15 what God hath sanctified let no man call unclean in this as well as in another sense I Answer further suppose Infants were not capable of Regeneration it self which is the thing signified in Baptism yet they cannot be denyed to be capable to receive the sign of it which can be done without any outward or inward act only Passively and this Ceremony is not performed without the Word there is the word of the Precept I baptise thee in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 'T is the Word that makes the Element or Water to be a Sacrament wherefore seeing Infants are capable of receiving the outward sign of the Sacrament as also the thing signified the washing of sins with the (o) Acts 2.38 Blood of Christ by the Holy Ghost and the Forgiveness of Sins which we are Baptised for therefore that Holy Sacrament ought to be administred to them lest they who refuse it (p) Acts 5.39 be found even to sight against God If they be but Children of those that make Profession of the Faith let no men take upon themselves to pry into those things that are above them as is the Mystery of the Sacrament which God hath reserved to himself only let them obey about the Ordinance we believe some are Regenerated by means of the Sacrament and some are not Our Adversaries themselves must confess that after all their Teaching before hand some of those who amongst them are Baptised be Hypocrites though they make Confession of their Faith (q) Acts 8.13 Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptised (r) Rom. 9.6 8. All that are of Israel are not Israel Those only are the Sons of God who are the Children of the Promise Fourthly They Object thus Children do not Believe because they want the use of Reason therefore ought not to be Baptised I Answer To say Children do not believe is not true though they believe not in that degree which men of Riper Years do yet they believe in Inclination the Holy Ghost preparing their Minds and Will which can be done without the use of Reason in a manner incomprehensible to them and to us for in Conversion and beginning of Regeneration we are all meerly Passive thô they be not capable of Reason or of Faith by the Word which is the ordinary means to produce it yet as I said before God hath other ways to work it in them as he pleaseth and men must not be so Presumptuous as to stint God therein I know Knowledge Assent and Confidence in or Relying upon God to be the Three Parts of true saving Faith that is begotten in us by the usual way of the Holy Word that Infants have these in the perfection of men of Riper Years I do not Dispute but let those who altogether deny Faith in Infants take notice of the Difficulties and Inconveniencies they run into For if Children have no Faith either none are saved or if some be then there are two different ways of Salvation one for Men come to Years the other for Infants which doth not agree with Scripture and according to that Opinion one must conclude Faith doth belong only to men of Riper Years and not to Children If so what can be said to these general Texts of Scripture (t) Heb. 11 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God He (u) Mark 16 16. and John 3.18 who â—elieveth not shall be Damned (w) Heb. 12 14. Without Holiness â—o man shall see the Lord. (x) Johu 3.5 Except a Man be Born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Hence one must conclude Children cannot please God shall be Damned shall not see God shall not enter into the Kingdom of God when our Saviour tells us (y) Mat. 19.14 and 18 2 3 4 5 6. Of such is the Kingdom of God and Vnless we become as little Children we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Out of all this we may well conclude Children to have Faith But 't is very difficult to say what manner of Faith or to what degree however we may say 't is an Habitual Faith a Seed and a Root which though at present doth not shew it's acts yet at last it will like Seed under Ground Fire under Ashes a Tree which will bear Fruit in it's due season Children have a Tongue and Legs but it requires time before they can speak and walk though they have not the use of Reason yet one must own them to be Rational Creatures because they have a Rational Soul And this I say in Answer to what is Objected that they have no Faith because they want Reason With St. John Faith I call a Seed he saith (z) 1 John 3.9 the Seed of God is in him that is born of God In (a) Isa 59.5 Cockatrice's Eggs Spiders Serpents Toads though never so young there is a Venom In Lyons Bears Wolves though never so young there is a principle of Ravenousness and Cruelty In the Wicked is a Seed and Spawn of all Evil even in their Infancy for David saith [b] Psal 58.3 They go astray from the very Womb but as to the Elect and the Righteous [c] Psal 71.5 6 17. God is their Hope and their Trust from their very Youth Where the Prophet speaks of himself And in the next Verse he saith by thee have I been holden up from the Womb thou art he that took me out of my Mother's bowels And he addeth v. 17. O God thou hast taught me from my Youth The Difference is that these Evils come by Nature and the Good is effected thorough Grace Yet suppose Children had neither Faith nor
Immortality of the Soul but the Soul is not the whole Man but only a part now God is the God of the whole Man not only of a part so being the God of Abraham he is God of his Body and of his Soul but when our Saviour spoke the Bodies of the Patriarcks were dead and cannot be living but by a Resurrection Thus in the same Chapter verses 42 43.44 45. the same way of arguing is used In all this the analogy of the Word is to be observed for it doth not contradict it self this is a necessary Rule for every one that will well understand Scriptures there is no positive command to Preach to or Baptise English Scotch French Dutch c. but we draw the consequence from this Teach and Baptise all Nations which is as express a Precept as any can be Another thing I add for answer we ought to observe the difference of Times the Apostles at Jerusalem did write to the Brethren of the Gentiles in (q) Acts 15.23 29. Antioch Syria and Cilicia to abstain from Blood and Strangled things which no doubt Christian Liberty allowed them to Eat but they were willing to avoid giving Offence to the Jews for fear that should obstruct their Conversion for upon a sudden they would not make a general alteration only by degrees thus (r) Acts 16.3 St. Paul Circumcised Timothy by reason of the Jews but he did not Circumcise Titus (ſ) Gal. 2.3 the reason was different the Light of the Gospel was clearer and clearer and he positively tells the (t) Chap. 5.2 Galatians I Paul say unto you that if you be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Now I come to the point and say the difference of times is to be observed when our Saviour sent the Apostles to Baptise there were no Children of Christians at least to speak of for the whole World consisted of Jews and Gentiles to be converted but now thanks be to God there are many Children of Christians and this may be a reason why Infants are not mentioned neither in the command to Baptise all Nations are Men or Women nam'd no more then Children yet we all must agree they are meant and understood for we have a Rule that generals do include and contain particulars as I could instance in every one of the Ten Commandements and other parts of Scriptures Secondly they Object God commands those to be taught who are to be Baptised but Children cannot be taught therefore must not be Baptised The word to Teach in the Original signifieth to make Disciples but that Command belongeth only to those that were of Age to be converted to the Christian Religion as being till then out of the Covenant of God but the Reason for Children of Christians who are born of Believers and are within the Covenant t is different wherefore the Precept to Teach is for those that are capable to be taught all are to be taught though not at the same time those who are capable before Baptism must be taught those who are not must be taught after as we see the Jews Children were not taught the Law before they were Circumcised because not capable of it thô there was a positive command for Parents to (u) Deut. 6.7 Teach it their Children but afterwards they were instructed when come to Age and we see in the command to (w) Mat. 28.19 20. Teach and Baptise there is Teaching before and after for our Saviour having commanded to Teach and Baptise all Nations he adds in the last verse Teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you therefore in Baptism Parents with Godfathers and Godmothers oblidge themselves and promise in the presence of God and before the Church to take care those Infants shall be instructed when they come to Age. And to shew how this Precept of Teaching is only for those who are capable of it (x) Mark 16.15 St. Mark implies it for there our Saviours words are thus Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature certainly 't is not mean't to preach it to Stones Beasts Birds and to unreasonable Creatures thô they be Creatures as did the Popish Extravagant Francis but to those Creatures that are capable of being Taught this is all that may reasonably be drawn from the word Teaching but to conclude that because Children cannot be Taught therefore must not be Baptised is just as if out of St. Paul's words that (y) 2 Thes 3.10 If any would not work neither should he eat one would say Children Old and Sick People must not Eat because they do not Work 't is mean't of those that are able to Work Thirdly they say as long as Infants are such they cannot be Regenerate because they cannot receive the Word which is the converting Ordinance therefore Baptism which is the washing of Regeneration must not be Administered unto them I answer Children are baptised because charitably they are lookt upon as believers and belonging to the Covenant and 't is a very presumptuous thing to say they are not capable of Regeneration we know the word to be the usual Means and Ordinarie Instrument of Conversion but we must not tie God thereunto when he pleaseth he can work without Thô Children be not Regenerated in the same way and by the same means as are Men come to years yet their Regeneration is possible to the Holy Ghost though we cannot think upon the manner of it many a Regenerate Man come to years of Discretion cannot tell how nor when his Regeneration began or the time when he was Converted several were so before they could perceive it Wonderful is the working of the Spirit in us which is by our Saviour compared to the Wind (z) John 3.8 which Bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is born of the Spirit This we must not rashly judge of lest with the Children of Israel we be said (a) Psal 78.41 To limitate the Holy One of Israel (b) Gen. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord (c) Mat. 19.26 With God all things are possible If we take upon us to decide who are not capable of Regeneration we will be like the Sons of Zebedee in another Case their Mother having asked of our Saviour on their behalf (d) Mat. 20.21 23. that in his Kingdom one might sit on his Right-hand the other on his Left The Answer was It shall be given only to those for whom it is prepared by the Father So of Regeneration it is only for those who are thereunto appointed by the Father to stop our Mouth and to curb our Curiosity from diving too far into the Secret Things of God (e) Luke 23 40 c. The repenting Thief was not Converted by the Preaching of the Word he heard no Sermon when upon the Cross neither was St. Paul Converted