Lord has told us That that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh sinful Flesh of sinful Flesh John 3.6 and there he also teaches us that what is only so born cannot see the Kingdom of God for says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except one be born again that is born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God And this therefore would be another hard saying for our Children if they were not capable of being born again of the Spirit And further If Children are Holy they must be made so by the Holy Ghost For it is that Holy Spirit which Sanctifies or makes Holy and therefore must the Children needs be so Sanctified who are said to be Holy 1 Cor. 7.14 And indeed unless they are so tho' their Angels may behold the Face of God yet how shall they themselves ever come to see that Blessed Sight Since we are expresly told that without Holiness no one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Original word and signifies no one be it who it will Man or Child Without Holiness no one shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Thirdly Dr. Fuller has observed That the great cause of Men's mistakes in this matter is this They make the Body the Standard of the Soul and are apt to think that the Soul grows bigger as the Body does even as if our Souls were very little things when we are Infants in comparison of what they are when we become Men Which is a very gross mistake indeed for our Souls are not capable of any such growth but as to that are the very same when first infused into our Bodies that they are ever after the same in our Infancy that they are in our Old Age and therefore why our Souls which as to their Substance are the same in every period of our Life why they should at any time be incapable of receiving the Holy Ghost or of being Sanctified thereby Let them give you a Reason who can find out a Reason to give for I can find none But some there are who will not yet believe the Spirit of Sanctification to be in Infants no not in Baptized Infants because they can see no Sign or Expression of it To which I farther Answer with the admir'd Bishop Taylor That it is no good Argument to say Here is no Seed in the bowels of the Earth because there is nothing green upon the face of it Nor is it a good Argument to say That an Heir so long as he is a Child is no Heir because so long as he is a Child he differeth nothing from a Servant or we see no sign of his being Heir and Lord of all as the Apostle speaks Nay and further When a Branch is Engrafted into the good Olive-Tree it receives from it a kind of new Life and Nourishment tho' we do not immediately see any fruits of its doing so Even so when Infants are grafted into Christ by Baptism and made Members of that True Vine as he calls himself John 15.1 they are thereby made Partakers of a new Spiritual Life and Nourishment tho' we do not presently see the good fruits of their being so Again Christ's Body is his Church and the Soul of that Body is the Holy Spirit and when Infants are Baptized and Incorporated into that Body they are thereby put under the Communications and Influences of the Spirit as every the least Part or Cubit added to our Statures is thereby put under the Influences of our Souls For thus Baptism says Dr. Sherlock is our Regeneration or New Birth the Beginnings of a New Life because it Incorporates us into Christ's Mystical Body which puts us under the Influences and Communications of his Life and Spirit as when a Branch is Engrafted into a Stock it receives nourishment and life from it Discourse concerning the Nature of Vnity c. p. 24. And says Dr. Scott another of your justly Admired Authors It is by his Blessed Spirit that Christ hath promised to be with us to the end of the World Mat. 28.20 And Christ himself hath assur'd us that upon his Ascension into Heaven He would pray his Father and he should give us another Comforter meaning this Holy Ghost that he might abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 And accordingly the Holy Ghost is vitally united to the Church of Christ even as Souls are united to their Bodies For as there is one Body or Church so there is one Spirit which animates that Body Eph. 4.4 So that when by Baptism we are once Incorporated into this Body we are Entituled to and do at least de Jure participate of the vital Influence of the Holy Ghost who is the Soul of it Christian Life Part 2. Vol. 2. Chap. 7. p. 76 77. Indeed we know not how every particle of Flesh that grows to our Bodies is immediately enliven'd by our Souls and yet so it is And just so tho' we know not how every Member that 's added to the Body of Christ is quickned by that Holy Spirit which as the Soul of that Body Communicates all its Spiritual Life to it And Lastly That the Holy Spirit may be where we see no signs or expressions of it is plainly taught by our Saviour himself The wind bloweth where it lifteth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 And so is every Infant that is born of the Spirit The Spirit comes upon it though thou canst not tell how nor whence And all this I hope is very sufficient Proof that even Infants and Children are capable of receiving the Holy Spirit and then according to St. Peter's Argument who can forbid Water that they should not be Baptized who can receive the Holy Ghost as well as we Act. 10 47. And in short Our Adversaries great Objection is this when St. Peter said Be baptized every one of you and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost he plainly taught that none are to be Baptized but such as are capable of receiving the Holy Ghost But of this say they little Children are not capable and therefore are not to be Baptized To which I will now Answer That when St. Peter said Be Baptized every one of you and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost he plainly taught that all are to be Baptized who are capable of receiving the Holy Ghost But of this I have now prov'd little Children to be capable and therefore they are to be Baptized And thus I am perswaded that the Baptism of Children is most certainly taught by St. Peter in this very Text Repent and be Baptized every one of you for the Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the Promise is to you and to your Children The plain sense of which Text is this The promise of the Holy Ghost is to you and to your
only that I have been perswaded to make these Letters publick I have not so much as made the Style gawdy with any high-flown Strains Ornament and Rhetoric was none of my aim but Sincerely Faithfully and to the utmost of my mean Abilities to shew the naked truth and whether I have hit or miss'd my Aim you may now be pleas'd to examine and Judge I am My very good Friends and Brethren Your very much obliged and most humble Servant T. Hewerdine From March 7 Aug. 1699. LETTER I. SIR YOURS of the Third Instant has just now surpriz'd me wherein at the very first dash of your Pen you somewhat bluntly require and charge me as I will answer it at the dreadful Day of Judgment when the Secrets of all Hearts shall be disclos'd to tell you freely and plainly whether I do in my Conscience believe That the way of Baptizing now used in the Church of England namely by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water is a good and justifiable way of Baptizing Good Sir You have known me some hundreds of times Baptize after this manner and I wou'd sain hope that I have not by any practice of mine given you the least just Cause to suspect me of Hypocrisie I don't say this with any intent to give the Go-by to your Request and Charge but since you have put me to 't I do here solemnly protest and wou'd enter the same Protestation tho' I was immediately to appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ That I do in my Conscience believe that the Mode of Baptizing now used in the Church of England by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water is a good and justifiable way of Baptizing And thus far I 'm sure I am in the right My Conscience bearing me Witness But Sir You next pretty flatly put it upon me to inform you how this Mode of baptizing is to be defended and justified Now in good Truth I cou'd be very well contented to save my self this Trouble by referring you to those Books and Pages of Books wherein this Matter is industriously debated and the Mode of baptizing which you now seem to call in Question sufficiently defended and justified so as not to be gainsay'd but by the stiffest Obstinacy But lest you should construe this as a giving up the Cause I will here venture to say what you so earnestly desire to hear from me namely upon what Grounds it is that I my self am perswaded in my own Conscience concerning the Validity and Lawfulness of this way of Baptizing I will be very brief and yet go to the Bottom and rise by such Steps and Degrees as shall help to carry us over all difficulties and shew us the truth of the Matter in some light And therefore I begin at our Catechism in which we are well and truly taught that in the Sacrament of Baptism there 's The outward Sign and The Thing Signified The outward Sign is Water wherein the Person is Baptized in the Name of the Father c. And Sir I will not here spend either Ink or Paper in the Proof of this presuming that we are still agreed thus far But then The Inward part of this Sacrament or the Thing Signified is the Holy Spirit or the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit such as these mention'd in our Catechism A Death unto Sin and a New Birth unto Righteousness c. for you must know that wheresoever we read in Scripture of God's giving or of Man's receiving the Holy Spirit by the Holy Spirit must be meant The Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit and This I say is the Inward part or Thing Signified by the Water in Baptism And this was represented by the Descending of the Holy Ghost upon our Saviour at his Baptism Matth. 3.26 and there seems to be a plain Evidence of this in those Words of John the Baptist I indeed Baptize you with water but He speaking of Christ shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost The Baptist and I add all the Ministers of Christ do but baptize with Water 'T is Christ himself who does the Inward part and baptizeth with the Spirit and so says ours Saviour himself A Man must be born of Water and of the Spirit For as it is said of Circumcision That the outward Circumcision of the Flesh is as no Circumcision without the Inward Circumcision of the Heart too Rom. 2.28 29. So to compleat the Sacrament of Baptism there must be the Inward part as well as the Outward For except a Man be Born of Water and of the Spirit He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.5 And thus St. Paul in his description of Baptism not only speaks of the external Washing of Regeneration but of the Internal Renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And so again putting some of his Corinthians in mind of their being baptiz'd Ye are Washed and Sanctified says He that is not onely Washed with Water but Sanctified with the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.11 And to mention but one place more for all Be Baptized and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost says St. Peter Act. 2.33 From whence 't is very plain That when the Ministers of Christ baptize with Water Christ himself baptizeth with the Holy Ghost which as I have said before is the Inward part or Thing Signified by the Water in Baptism And with great Reason therefore do we pray in the Office of baptism Give O Lord thy Holy Spirit to this Infant that He may be Born again and also Wash him and Sanctifie him with the Holy Ghost For to clear this Matter to the most Vulgar Capacity As when we pray in the Communion-Service Hear us most merciful Father we most humbly beseech thee and grant that we receiving these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine may be Partakers of Christ's most blessed Body and Blood 'T is as much as to pray that we may not only be Partakers of the outward Part of that Sacrament the Bread and Wine but also that we may be Partakers of the Inward part or thing Signified likewise which is the Body and Blood of Christ So when we pray for the Baptized That He may have the Holy Spirit given him and that he may be Sanctified with the Holy Ghost 't is as much as to pray That he may not only be baptized with the outward part of Baptism which is Water but also that he may be baptized with the Inward part or thing Signified by Water which is the Holy Spirit And hence it is likewise that as the other Sacrament is sometimes express'd with allusion to the Outward part when we speak of receiving the Bread and Wine and sometimes with allusion to the thing Signified when we speak of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ so Baptism is sometimes express'd with allusion to its outward part when we speak of baptizing with Water and washing with Water as the Apostle calls it and sometimes with allusion to the Inward part or thing
Signified when he speaks of baptizing with the Holy Ghost or baptizing with the Spirit for so says the Apostle again By one Spirit we are all Baptized 1 Cor. 12.13 I add That it is no new thing for the Holy Spirit to be figur'd or represented by Water for thus in the Prophet of Old when God had said I will pour Water on him that is Thirsty He interprets himself immediately I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed Isai 44.3 and again when he had said in Ezekiel I will Sprinkle Clean Water upon you he adds as the meaning of it I will put my Spirit within you Ezek. 36.25 27. And again with allusion to Water is the promise of the Spirit express'd by pouring out I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh Joel 2.28 and to clear this matter from all doubt St. John quoting these Words of our Saviour He that Believeth in me out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water This he spake says that Evangelist of the Spirit which they that believe in him should receive John 7.38 39. Sir If you would see more and larger proofs of this you may read Mr. Mede's Discourse upon Titus 3.5 Indeed I cou'd hardly have thought that there cou'd have been any difference among Catechetical Writers as to this matter only I find in that same discourse of Mr. Mede that some would have the Blood of Christ to be the thing signified by the Water in Baptism as it is by the Wine in the other Sacrament To which he replies That the Blood of Christ is not once mention'd by the Fathers of the Primitive Church as the inward part of this Sacrament of Baptism no more than it is in our Liturgy and he further adds That the Opinion is Novel and That the Lutheran Divines make it peculiar and proper to the Followers of Calvin But now Sir give me leave to observe to you That Calvin himself seems not to have been always of this Opinion nay but he plainly asserts That the Holy Spirit is the Thing signify'd by the Baptismal Water For complaining of the Church of Rome for feigning Confirmation to be a Sacrament by which the Spirit of Regeneration is conferr'd he adds That they transferr'd to Confirmation what was proper to Baptism meaning that they made the Spirit of Regeneration which is the Inward part of Baptism to be the Thing signifi'd by the laying on of hands in Confirmation Calv. in Heb. 6.1 2. And here Sir if I was minded to enlarge I could confirm this Matter with abundance of Testimonies out of the best Writers and Fathers of the Primitive Church but I forbear being pretty confident that there is no great need of their Evidence in so plain a Case And now my good Friend are not your Eyes open Don't you clearly see from what I have said of the Inward part of Baptism how rightly the Outward part may be administred by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water The Gift of the Holy Spirit the thing signified in Baptism is exprest by Sprinkling or Pouring on And is there or can there be any Reason given why the Thing Signifi'd should be exceeded by the Sign God himself thought it not necessary but makes Sprinkling or Pouring on Water sufficient to represent and signifie his giving or pouring on the Spirit for when He I say promises his Holy Spirit he does not no not so much as once in the whole Bible say I will dip or plunge into Water but I will sprinkle or pour on Water Isa 44.3 and Ezek. 36.25 Dr. Towerson who had once said something which was a little too harsh as himself confesses against this way of Baptizing by Sprinkling whose very words our Adversaries have catch'd hold of and have boasted of him as a brave Man on their side yet when he came to enquire more narrowly into the Matter he industriously defends it and amongst other Arguments uses this very Text Ezek. 36.25 and proves from Maimonides That the Words were spoken with reference to the Times of the Messiah and affirms That they cannot be better interpreted than of the Water of Baptism applying them as I have here done as very well expressing the Outward Sign of that Sacrament And shall Men be wiser than God Or think it any Wit to mock at and deride his Words And be at the pains of making a Greek word English to make their mockery the plainer Sprinkling forsooth out of Sport and Rallery must be call'd Rantizing and Baptism when administer'd by Sprinkling or Pouring on Water must be nicknam'd Rantism But let me tell you Sir and you may tell the Author of your little * A little Book call'd The Reason why not Infant-Sprinkling but Believers Baptism ought to be approv'd c. Book you boast of That when he so merrily calls our way of Baptizing Rantizing and our Baptism Rantism He makes a mock of the very Words of God himself and according to his reproachful way of Speaking when God promises to Sprinkle clean Water upon his People he must not then promise to Baptize but only to Rantize This puts me in mind how I had once the misfortune to hear a wild Wretch call the Lord's Supper He seem'd to quarrel with my Friend for calling that Sacrament the Supper of our Lord A Supper said he A Bite and a Sip you mean And he had as much to say for the Profane expression as any one can have for calling our Baptism Rantism Why Sir He urg'd that a Supper ought to be a full Meal that to Signifie our receiving the Body and Blood of Christ we ought to eat a piece of Bread as big as his Body and to drink as much Wine as he shed Blood And is it not at a like Rate that some plead against Baptizing by Sprinkling You have heard the reason why That profane Wretch call'd our way of Receiving the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper a Bite and a Sip and is it not for a very like reason that our way of Baptizing is by some call'd Rantizing I will not here say with the Psalmist What shall be done to the false Tongue but rather with our most charitable Lord Father forgive them for surely they know not what they say or do But this 't is to be so Zealous for Externals when Men think that they can never have enough of the outward Signs of the Sacraments when yet perhaps the thing Signified which is the main and principal thing is as much neglected But Sir When we receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper if we Spiritually eat his Flesh and drink his Blood which is the inward part of this Sacrament as to the outward part it will not matter much how little Bread we eat or how little Wine we drink So when any are baptized if their Souls are purifi'd and cleans'd with the Holy Spirit which is the Inward part of this Sacrament as to the outward part it will not matter much how little Water
they are baptized with And if you good Sir resist not the Holy Spirit of God nor receive his Grace in vain but be thereby renew'd in the Spirit of your Mind and cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit My Soul for yours if you enter not into the Kingdom of God tho' you was but sprinkled with Water when you was baptized Whereas they whose hearts are not purified whose Conversations are not cleansed who wallow in foul Sins I must and will pronounce them too unclean to enter into the Kingdom of God tho' they were never so much Plung'd or Dipt into Water never so deep when they were baptized But I must remember my self that I am not now writing a Book but only a Letter and therefore I shall only further tell you that I design'd but in this to open the way to a fuller Vindication of the thing in Question And so I conclude at present with this promise That you shall God willing very speedily hear again of this matter from Dear Sir June 6. 1698. Your very Humble Servant T. H. LETTER II. SIR THO' I concluded my Last with a Promise to let you hear from me again very speedily about the Matter in Debate viz. Concerning the Validity and Lawfulness of our way of Baptizing by Sprinkling yet I had hardly time to breath or to take a little Air before I was alarm'd with your second Letter wherein you call out to me in great heat and haste to let you hear what I have to say to such and such Objections And dear Sir I 'll be your humble Servant here again and attend your Motion nor shall I be much out of my own intended way for in answering the Objections which you say seem to wound our Cause I doubt not but to blunt or to turn their Edge so as to make them defend it which is the very thing I aim at But First You say that the very Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptizing always signifies Dipping yes and so they 'll very confidently and peremptorily say too who yet never understood one Syllable of Greek in their Lives and above all the rest the Author of the little Book you sent me is almost perpetually saying so from one end of That book to the other But now to this I can give you a very short Answer and such an Answer as I believe will to you be very satisfactory and convincing For I know you dare depend upon Dr. Patrick now Bishop of Ely whose Writings you so justly admire for the signification of a Greek Word and therefore I will observe to you what he has noted in the Margin of his most excellent Discourse concerning Baptism Mr. Pocock says he hath largely shewn That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Baptized does not always signifie among the Jews the Washing of the whole Body which is to be observed against those who now make it necessary I may have occasion before I have done to consult Mr. Pocock himself and then you shall hear more from him And Sir if I might be Sophistical and play with Particles as it is the manner of our Adversaries to do I might here observe of our Pious and Learned Translators to whom we are obliged for our English Bibles that they do not seem to understand Dipping by Baptizing for in our English Bibles which they have put into our hands we usually read of Baptizing with Water But now Good Sir in all those places where we read of Baptizing with I can hardly think that they would have us there by Baptizing to understand Dipping because Dipping with is not good Sence to Dip in or into Water is good Sence but to Dip with Water is not And therefore I say I might be perswaded that it was not the meaning of those Translators that we should always understand Dipping by Baptizing or that we may read Dipping with Water which is not good Sense where they have Taught us to Read Baptizing with Water Yea to Baptize with Water is the common Language of all English Authors even of our Adversaries themselves but that they mean to Dip with Water when they say to Baptize with Water we may no more believe I say than we may believe Dipping with Water to be good Sence But 'T is true we Read that there is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Baptism Ephes 4.5 which is an unanswerable Argument indeed for the only once Administration of it directly against Anabaptism but then we are also told that there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diverse Baptizings for so the Original word signifies tho' translated Diverse Washings Heb. 9.10 which undeniably shews that the Ways and Modes of baptizing are various and different Yea and by the Diverse Baptizings here mention'd must certainly be meant among the rest those Sprinklings which we read of Numb 8.7 and Chap. 19.18 19. Again 'T is said of the Jews that when they come from Market they Eat not except they Wash Mark 7.4 The Original Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They Eat not except they are Baptized where by Baptized we are not necessarily to understand Dipped for as Mr. Pocock has abundantly prov'd Lavantes à foro totum Corpus non Mersabant The Jews at their return from the Market did not always Wash or Dip the Whole body Not. Miscel c. 9. p. 390. And again Luke 11.38 where we read that the Pharisee wonder'd at Jesus that he did not Wash before Dinner the Greek Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he was not first Baptized But now by Baptized in this Text we cannot possibly understand Dipped for there was no such Custom among the Jews as to dip themselves before their common Meals no not so much as to dip their Hands into Water For Even in the Case of washing their Hands Non Lavant Manus nisi è vase affusâ aquâ They wash not their Hands by Dipping them into any Vessel of Water but by having Water poured upon them says Mr. Pocock from their best Authors Not. Mis c. 9. p. 365. and again p. 371. Non Lavant Manus says He quoting Maimonides c. They wash not their Hands but with Water poured upon them And tho' some of their Authors allow of dipping their Hands into Water yet 't is only urgente necessitate in Cases of necessity for to do so ordinarily they all forbid them And so in this Text where it is said that the Pharisee wonder'd at Jesus that he was not first Baptized before Dinner says Mr. Pocock tho' it be meant according to Grotius's Note that the Pharisee wonder'd that Jesus did not first wash his Hands before Dinner yet he disagrees with Grotius as to the reason of the expression and adds That if our Lord's Hands had but been Washed aquâ affusâ by having water poured upon them there had been no cause for the Pharisee's wonder because the Pharisees themselves did not otherwise wash their Hands upon the like occasion Idem