that what hath bin spoken already in answer to your severall objections and what hath been also gathered from the word of truâ—h in vindication of this truth of the baptisme of holy Infants may be observed It hath been declared how the promise is made to all beleevers Infants as really as to themselves or any of their children * See before in Pag. 3. to Pag. 15. It hath been proved that the generall institution of Jesus Christ is no maner of way lâ—sse generall * Pag. 15. to pag. 24. then circumcision but more generall in respect of the parties upon whom it is to be administred It hath been minded * Pag. 24. to pag. 64. how that the Infants of beleevers were holy members of the visible Church in the time of the Law and that neither the cessation of the ceremonies of the old Law nor any thing else which can be alledged doth argue that they have not still the tâ—ue â—â—linesse which giveth them visible right to Baptisme But seeing the dispensation of Gods gifts and the distribution of his graces are multipâ—yed under the Gâ—spel wee are still to esteem the young Olive plaâ—ts of beleeving parentâ— to be holy as well as the stock or branches upon which they grow And it being so we may conclude that they have right to holy Baptisme as their holy parents have And to debar the holy infants of beleevers from Baptisme is to reject them and so in a manner it is a rejection of their holy parents a means of their discouragement a weakning of their faith a discomforting of their hearts yea and discouragement to others But Truth overcommeth all things it is great and will prevaile against all that oppose it Thus having answered directly to what hath been set downe by you I proceed to the next Your next words are these But now to the Question A. R. Pag. 9. lin 21. What is meant by the holinesse which children are sayd to have 1 Cor. 7.14 In answer whereto I shall shew onely what I conceive it to be and then leave it to the judgement of the wise Answer If you mean the holy children of beleeving parents spoken of 1 Cor. 7.14 Let us heare what you say I say then it is onely such a holinesse A. R. Lin. 25. as is opposite to some kinde of uncleannesse which I take to be this as if when they are sayd to be holy it is no more then to say they are not uncleane to wit no Bastards To which I answer That you are greatly mistaken herein There is no such restriction in the Scripture as you conceive and would gather from thence for it is apparent that when the Apostle sayth to Beleevers 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children uncleane he meaneth here such an uncleannesse 2 Cor. 6. which he speaketh of in 2 Cor. 6.17 Which uncleannesse the Saints are bidden not to touch I will dwell in them and walke in them Ver. 16. Ver. 17. Ver. 18. The Apostle speaketh to the same people useth the same Scripture-phrase in applying the precious promises And doth in no way exclude but include their posteritie For confirmation whereof see the practise of Peter in Act. 2.39 and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separated sayth the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing And I will be a father unto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord God Almightie Observe here how that this uncleannesse is directly opposed to the holinesse which those have who are in covenant with God who alwayes did put a difference between the holy and prophane between the infants of the world and the infants of the Church And so the Apostle speaking in the Scripture language calleth the children of Beleevers holy Else were your children uncleane saith he but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children bastards say you but now are they no bastards This you conceive is the meaning of that Scripture But you should minde that the Proselytes in the time of the Law and the beleeving parents in the time of the Gospel who were formerly unbeleevers Heb. 13.4 were not all bastards and legittimacie is not a thing peculiar to beleevers but unbeleevers may have it But when the Apostle speaketh of a holinesse which the children of beleevers have it is that which is peculiar unto the Saints of God and not common to Infidells who are without God in the world and not to be communicated with You should minde that the Apostle speaketh in the heavenly language of Canaan in the Scriptures ordinary phrase giving the beleevers infants such a stile which the holy Spirit of God hath given them according as it is plentifully manifested in the Scriptures of God and which he hath not given and granted unto unbeleevers infants There is no place of Scripture which declareth them to be holy Wherefore wee may conclude that there is a great deale of difference between the infants of beleevers and the infants of unbeleevers and that the uncleannesse of the one Rev. 22.11 1 Cor 6.14 is opposed to the holines of the other as darknesse is opposed unto light As Idolaters are sayd to be opposed to those that are seperated from them * Ver. 15 16 17 18. And so the Jewes seperated from Idolaters were all holy both young and old and Gods seperated peculiar people * Deut 29.10 14.1 2. The Lord was their God and they were his people and he dwelt in the middest of them * Levit. 26.11 12. and sanctified them unto himselfe * Exod. 31.13 Psal 135.4 and gave unto them his blessed Oracles * Rom. 3.2 and holy Ordinances yea and the Gentiles also who had like precious faith with the Jewes were then made partakers of the like precious priviledges with them which extended unto their infants * Exod. 12.48 as well as to the infants of the Jewes Therefore as the infants of the Jewes were holy so were the infants of the Proselytes or beleeâ—ing Gentiles And forasmuch as the distribution of Gods gifts under the Gospel are larger then they were under the Law the infants of beleevers now Ephe. 3.5 6. have the same spirituall priviledges as the infants of beleevers had thâ—n and have the same precious holinesse which is available to Bâ—ptisme and therefore we may conclude that when Christ came to die for their sinnes he came not to destroy their soulâ—s and so to râ—b them to pâ—yle them to make them spirituall bankâ—outs to take from them his righteouâ—ness and leave them to be clothed with their own righteousnes But surely wee may rather conclude that Christ as he was once himselfe an infant of a beleeving parâ—nt according to the flesh so he loveth the infants of beleevers Luk. 2.7.16 18.17 because they are Subjects of his kingdome And as he suffered for
6.5 In death there is no remembrance of God in the grave who shall praise him But the Comforter which would not have beleeving parents mourne 1 Thes 4.13 as those which have no hope hath informed them that he is the Circumciser of their heart and of the heart of their seed * Deut. 30.6 a plain evidence that they love and know him or rather are beloved and knowne of him He that loved them in their life will not forsake them in their death For the dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them * Rev. 14.13 But by your words it appeareth that you judge the infants of beleevers and Infidells all alike Yea the Infidell servants which serve beleevers if these your words be true have a greater priviledge then the Infants of beleevers for the servants are capable of instruction in respect of a naturall capabilitie but the Infants are not Now if you will still grant that the Infants of beleevers though they die in their infancie have a greater priviledge then the infants of unbeleevâ—rs then you must also grant that that their priviledge resteth in something else besides the bare publication of the Gospel which they are not in their infancie capable of And you should not have over-topped them so far as to say that because beleeving parents may be a means to bring their children to the knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ that therefore they have no more priviledges then the unbeleeving wife As if this were the greatest priviledge which beleevers infants have which unbeleevers themselves may have Mark 16.15 But you should rather have reasoned thus Beleeving parents may publish the Gospel to their unbeleeving servants unbeleeving wives to all other unbeleevers but they may yea ought to apply it to their infants * See Mar. 16.16 Luk. 1.76 77 78 79. as well as to themselves also to all those whom they are to esteem in the state of salvation he that hath faith thus to do is a Christian he that hath not so much faith but refuseth to apply the Gospel so the Lord be mercifull to his soule by giving him repentance and remission of his sinne All godly parents â—ike faithfull Abraham were to teach their children the way of life both what things were and what things signified Gen. 19.17.19 Josh 4.21.24 and to declare unto them the goodnesse of God in the land of the living yea to hide nothing from them which might be profitable to them or beneficiaâ—l for them But as they grew up to be capable of knowledge the parents were as before mentally so now verbally to apply the promises unto themselves and their children c. Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And surely this is one cause why the Land mourns why the Lord smiteth the earth with cursing Mal. 4.5 6. because the heart of the parents are not linked to their Infants This part of good Elias and John Baptists ministâ—ry doth not worke upon them And how can it worke upon them so long as they continue in their sinnes and so wrap themselves and their off-spring in many mischiefes and miseries and doe not choose life the thing that pleaseth God but refuse it and follow the wayes of the strange woman whose wayes are wayes of death and whose steps reach downe to hell And surely I may well say unto you that those are Physicians of no value who in stead of curing them doe kill them and in stead of preserving them doe poysen harden corrupt and pervert them with such damnable doctrine which so violently possesseth them that they thinke the Infants of beleevers have no priviledge at all in respect of the Covenant of grace no more then the children of Turkes and Heathens who are unholy A dangerous doctrine and to be abhorred detested and witnessed against by those that feare the God of heaven and desire to make a difference between the precious and the vile against all such Mongrell opposites who by speech and writing contrary to the Tenour of the whole Scripture do labour to rank all infants in one condition Thus coupling light and darknesse God and Belial the beleever and the Infidell together But woe unto them may we say as sayth the Prophet Isaiah Isa 10.1 which decreâ— unrighteous decrees and write grievousnesse which they have prescribed Thus drawing * Isa 5.18 iniquitie with the cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Woe ** Ver. 20. unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Psal 73.1 Yet surely God is good unto Israel may wee say to those that are pure in heart The Lord hath been mindfull of us He will blesse us He will blesse the house of Israel saith that sweet singer of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron Psal 115.12 13 14 15. He will blesse those that feare the Lord with small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord who hath made the heaven and the earth NExt * See A. R. Pag. 12. lin 40. Pag. 13. li. 1 2. Pag. 13. l. 3. you say The fourth Scripture is That which speakes of Christs commanding little Children to be brought unto him and sayd That of such is the kingdome of God Hence you say therefore some reason The kingdome of God belongeth to little Children why not the Seales I Ans If by these some you mean the people of the Seperation then I say you have not set it downe according to our expression It is too generally laid downe We say the kingdome of heaven belongeth to the Infants of beleevers and we doe not barely question why not the seales But we set it downe affirmatively that the seales doe belong to the infants of beleeving parents But for as much as our poynt is particularly concerning the Baptisme of infants I intend to proceed directly to the matter in hand and answer your trifling objections by the way as I trace you Mat. 28.19 Mat. 16.16 First It is to be minded that Baptisme is one of the priviledges of Christs Church which is his house and kingdome Secondly It is also to be minded that Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God and Lord of Glory and of all administrations and giver of every good and perfect gift when he sayth Suffer the little Children to come unto me Mar. 10.14 Mat. 19.14 c. For of such is the kingdome of heaven He doth hereby apply the Gospel unto them I say It is Gospel which he speaketh here Where the kingdome is ther 's the Gospel Get the kingdome thou hast God and Gospel and all And so wee are to understand that with the kingdome the infants of beleevers have the Gospel of the
and full of wisdome and abound in sense you would heare hâ—m patiently and partly if not fully approve of his speech But if he should draw a consequence from his former words and say that therefore he meaneth your arguments are evill and full of foolishnesse and abound with nonsence and that in saying such arguments were good he doth not mean that your argumeÌ„ts are good at all nor such as yours in such a respect but in respect of such or such a thing Would not you begin to wonder at him and to count him a madman an idiote a foole or a lyar or one that setteth himselfe on set purpose to cavill or quarrell Apply this to your selfe for even so is your owne argument or objection here against Infants And therefore I hope I may tell you without giving you any occasion of offence that as your vindication unto that person before specified would be that your Arguments are such as those which are so answerable to them that they are such and that therefore his arguing can make nothing against your Arguments So I in answer to you may say that the infants which Christ tooke up in his armes are the same with those who are so answerable to them that they are such for reason teacheth us to know that those infants then in Christs armes are such as they then were not otherwise then they then were and so now reason teacheth us that reasonable creatures are as like unto themselves as those to whom they are compared and that those to whom they are compared rightly are not more like themselves then themselves are like themselves and therefore apply all this to our present purpose and then wee may see the unreasonablenessâ— and perversenesse crookednesse and foolishnesse of those who will so wrest Christs words as if when he sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven he meaneth not them but excludeth them and such as them and onely includeth some others who are for qualifications like them And therefore now Mr. A. R. I challenge you and all that take your part in opposing Infants to bring me one instance in all the Scripture where persons are spoken of and where it is sayd of such that the persons with whom they are compared to whom such a thing is applyed are not included or comprehended in the word such as well as those who are compared with them In the mean time till you shew such an instance whicâ— thing you can never doe I must still rest in the mind of Christ that he meaneth them as well as any includeth them as well as the rest and doth not exclude them but include them in these words Suffer the little Children to come unto me c. for of such is thâ— kingdomâ— of heaven Fourthly If Christ had sayd Of them â—s the kingdome of heaven and had not sayd Of such is the kingdome c. Then you might have had more colour for to limit and restraine the Scripture as you doe And then you would object thus Yea It is true Christ as he was God knew all things therfore he knowing theÌ„ to be elected saith in particular Of them is the kingdom c. But it doth not follow that therefore such as they are of it and therfore we cannot say that any other beleevers infants are of the kingdome of heaven besides them But heer you may see that this blocketh up your objections considering that Christ sayth Of such is the kingdome c. And that the word such is of a larger extent then the word them and includeth them also as hath been observed before Fifthly If the next words after both in Luk. 18. and Mar. 10. doe confirme the former as you confesse then it still argueth that the reason is invincible and therefore neither you nor all the men in the world can overthrow it It was firme before and it being by your own confession confirmed in the next words after then it is not contradicted there as you have contradicted it here and therfore judge your selfe whether you have not bestowed labour in vaine in thus opposing holy Infants For these Texts doe prove still that as infants are of the kingdome so they are not destitute of the graces of the Spirit without which none are capable Subjects of the Kingdome Wherefore heer is sufficient demonstration of Infants conversion humiliation regeneration and great estimation which they have with Jesus Christ whose word is to be taken and not refused it being spirit and life and truth and so directly opposed to your erronious affirmations that it quite overthroweth your unsound collections in your violent opposition of holy infants Sixthly You speake very untruly and doe abuse and wrong the Scripture exceedingly by inferring from the premises That when Christ sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven His meaning is not of them nor of such as them in age nor understanding For Christ as he speaketh of them so he meaneth them though he doe not shut out aged persons that are in respect of holinesse such as those holy infants then were or such as these holy infants now are and he meaneth such properly both in yeares understanding as may appeare by the scope of the place where it is sayd that Christ commanded to suffer them to come unto him and declareth the reason namely because they are Subjects of his kingdome for of such is the kingdome of heaven sayth he And when he cometh to teach a further lesson he applyeth it also to persons of yeares that they should learne to receive the kingdome of heaven like them and to be converted and to cast away all pride and to humble themselves All which graces the fruits of regeneration the Infants of beleevers are not destitute of for as much as they are regenerated they have the seed and beginning of all Christian graces as hath been proved before Now that Christ meaneth these infants when he sayth Of such is the kingdome is cleare in the Text and may partly appeare unto you from the former Considerations But for further confirmation of the premises let us minde the scope of the place and examine the Scriptures cited In which is expresly declared First That the Infants were brought unto Christ Luk. 18.15 Secondly The persons intent in bringing them or the reasons why they brought them was that Christ should put his hands on them and pray Mat. 19.13 Thirdly When Jesus saw that the Disciples rebuked those which brought them he was much displeased Mar. 10.13 14. Fourthly And he called them unto him Luk. 18.16 Fifthly Wee are discreetly to observe Christs two-fold charge given unto his Disciples In these words 1. Suffer the little Children to come unto me 2. and forbid them not Mar. 10.14 Mat. 19.14 Sixthly Wee are heedfully to minde the reason which Christ rendereth for this which is expressed in these words For of such is the kingdome of God Mar. 10.14 Luk. 18.16 Seventhly Christs addition or
truth therein the conclusion builded thereon that that Baptisme * Pag. 30. l. 15. is Antichristian and abominable is Antichristian and abominable as well as your comparisons specified in your first Book where you compare the Baptisme of Infants with the abominable Hierarchy Against which imprecations I must and will still as I have done maintaine the Baptisme of holy Infants to be just and lawfull holy and Evangelicall and ought to be observed according to the command of Christ Mat 28.19 Mâ—r. 16.16 Of which sufficient hath been spoken before and more may be according as time and occasion shall be offered But your bare affirmations without proofe you take for granted to be very true and therefore upon this ground you proceed to make a finall conclusion of your Booke with this Conclusion A. R. His last Conclusion That the Baptisme of Infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of sinne brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders Wherefoâ—e it is high time for us to look about us to awaken out of thâ— drunken slumber and to see how hitherto wee and our fathers have been blindly led by our blind guides into this depth of ignorance and mist of iniquitie and lâ—t us seek out by what means and by whom wee are so miserably intosticated as to stumble and grope for our way thus even at noone day To which I answer That it is not materiall or sufficient to say it is a delusion except it could be proved to be so you should know that it is not a delusion nor dangerous in the least much lesse can it be the greatest delusion and of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of sinne brought into the world as you without so much as any just consequence most unjustly conclude rather wee may conclude that the greatest with standers of holy Infants Baptisme are the greatest deluders Wherefore I may better conclude against you that you have done very evill in uttering forth such bitter words against the Baptisme of holy Infants before you had seen the promises better weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary And why is it but because you doe not look upon things with a single eye Yea your spirituall sight is so darkened or rather that naturall reason which is in you that in pushing at Gods people you push against God who standeth between you and us though you rideing upon the insufficiency of your humane testimony which will not beare you out see him not no more then blinde Balaam saw the Angel of Jehovah that fought against him But when your eyes are opened then you shall see your errour and be inabled to perceive a difference spiritually between the Infants of beleevers and the Infants of unbeleevers in respect of a visible state and reverence the ordinance of Baptisme administred upon holy Infants for his sake who is the Author and Instituter thereof and no more condemne the generation of the just who practise the same and so kick against the prickes and be a fighter as you are now against God But know that it is no better then sacriledge to father Gods holy Institutions upon the Man of sinne And seing the signe seale of the righteousnes of faith was coÌ„manded by God to be imposed upon the Infants of beleevers we may justly conclude That those are deluded by sinne which say it is a delusion of the Man of sinne but such prejudicate opinions as yours are are the very suggestions of Sathan for with the same carnall reason did he possesse Eve with the like suggestions hath he violently possessed you this being as bad as that it not worse and therefore those who are most active and famous to withstand the Baptisme of holy Infants are if you will have it the greatest and most grossest deluders at least and at the best they are deluded And if you will still determine to hold on as you have done saying that the Baptisme of Infants is a meer device and tradition of man and brought into the world for politick and by-ends c. when it is apparently knowne that God first brought it into the world and his love is not selfe-love neither hath he any other ends but his own glory and the good of his people I say if you hold on in your peremptory conclusion that it is a delusion of the Man of sinne and that the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders I must knowing you to be deluded desire you to awake out of this your drunken slumber and know that in all these your fond imaginations vain conceptions you have brought forth a meer dream When you awake I hope you will not finde it so AND now for conclusion I desire you seriously to consider the Scriptures reasons and arguments brought by mee to vindicate the lawfulnesse of the Baptisme of holy Infants against whatsoever objections you have heer set downe in opposition of this Truth And withall take notice I pray you how that throughout both these your Treatises against Infants baptisme you have not brought one Scripture from whence wee may draw the least consequence for dismissing the holy Infants from being mâ—mbers of Gods visible church or for kâ—â—ping them fâ—oÌ„ Baptisme the visible sign of the new Covenant extant now any more then such holy Infants were exempted in former time from CircumcisioÌ„ the visible sign of the new Covenâ—nt â—xtant then But many yea multiâ—udes of plaine and evident testimonies there are evidently dâ—claring the excellâ—nt benefits which appertaine unto them in Jesus Christ Amongst which Baptisme is one which though it be externall and is not effectuall 〈◊〉 iâ— selfâ— to the salvation of any yet it is a sign or token by which God will have all his visible Saints marked out for the peculiar sheep of his owne pasture And â—f holy Infants were not to be baptized is holy Infants formerly were to be circumcised before Christ was manifested in the flesh then it would argue a great weaknes or imperfection in Christ eclipsing his Mediatorship as if he were not so able to make this as profitable unto these in their infancie as Circumcision was unto the other in their infancie importing as if Christ were not so faithfull in his house as Moses and as if Baptisme were of smaller value and of lesse effect then Circumcision But Baptisme is as generall and as effectuall every manner of way as Circumcision therefore as Circumcision was not worne out from the Infants of beleevers but was so permanent that it remained till Christs first coming and till he took away the Ceremonies of the old Law so Baptisme hath not nor shall not be taken away from these but remaine as permanent with them till Christ who was once an Infant like them come againe in the Clouds of heaven with power and great glory descending with his shouting Troopes of heavenly Hosts When the heavens from above and hell from beneath shall be emptied of those immortall soules and spirits which are therein when your owne eyes shall behold our Emanuel either to your glory or confusion at which time all the dead both small and great Infants as well as others shall be seen to stand before God to be judged Then shall there be a seperation between the precious and the vile when Jesus Christ our sweet Saviour the very beautie of holinesse the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person shall invite the blessed babes of beleeving parents together with the rest of his sheep to receive the substance of all his ordinances the accomplishment of all his promises the enjoyment of that glorious and immortall estate that ununchangeable and perpetuall supreame inheritance which shall never be worne out or taken away but remaine from everlasting to everlasting FINIS