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spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	lord_n	23,094	5	4.0162	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41787	A religious contest, or A brief account of a disputation holden at Blyton in the county of Lincoln between Mr. William Fort minister of the perochial congregation at Blyton on the one part, and Thomas Grantham, servant to the baptised churches on the other part : whereunto is added Brief animadversions upon Dr. Stilling-fleet his digressions about infant baptism in his book intituled, A rational account of the Protestant religion, &c., in both which are shewed that the generality of the nations now professing Christianity are as yet unbaptised into Christ : 1. Because their sprinkling and crossing the fore-head is not the right way of baptising, 2. Because infants ought not to be baptised.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1674 (1674)	Wing G1544; ESTC R39430	28,329	42

the Baptising of Infants SOlomon the wise hath told us there are many devices in Mans heart The truth whereof is verified in the multitude of devices old and new which Men have found out to darken the Counsell of God teaching the sacred institution of the Baptism of Repentance for the remision of sins Nevertheless the Counsell of God that shall stand and therefore neither shall the devices of Dr. Stillingfleet prevail nor be found ●o much as a rational account of the grounds of Infant Baptism albeit divers Persons are perswaded that he hath out-done others that have undertaken to defend that innovation 1. First Therefore we shall consider the two Texts John 3. 5. Act. 2. 38 39. which he says according to the interpretation of the Fathers and the antient Church and the Papists themselves do evidently assert Infant Baptism It were answer sufficient to tell h●m that what ever was the interpretation of the Fathers c. yet according to the interpretation of the Protestants the grounds of whose Religion he presents to give an account off these Texts doth not hold forth such a necessity of Infant Baptism as by some of the Antients was imagined seeing the Protestants do not say as the Papists and some before them no Baptism no salvation but they more truly teach that this place is to be understood even as some of the Fathers also expounded it of such as refuse or contemn Baptism and yet saying withall to your confutation that it is not necessary by water John 3. 5. To understand the external rite of Baptism See Fulk Ans to the Rhemists Annot. John 3. so Dr. Willit Synops Papis However it is evident to them that will not shut their eyes that in John 3. 5. Christ is shewing the way of Life and the duties of regeneration to such as came to him for instruction and spea●● nothing there of the case of Infants who as one well observes cannot overcome the World by reason of their natural incapacity to know either good or evil and therefore are not obliged to the duties of the new birth to wit repentance faith and Baptism for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith And hence it is evident that John 3. 5. cannot be understood of Infants who are wholly uncapable of the duties of regeneration And as eviden● it is that Acts ● 38. 39. intends not Infants seeing the persons there to be baptised even every one of them are required first to repent a duty of which Infants are wholly uncapable and the promise there mentioned is clearly meant of the gi●ts of the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of promise in a special manner according to the Prophesie of Jo●l the extent of which promise is only to the called of the Lord v●rse 39 and this interpretation also is avouched by learned Protestants See Diodate on the Text and Erasmus on the same Dr Jer. Taylor in his book of confirmation doth fully expound this place of the promise of the Spirit both to the Parents and to the Children as they are the called of the Lord and not to infants in that capacity Lib. Proph●cy So then the pretended evidence of Infant Baptism from this place is taken away because this tr●th is hence very evident that calling by the word of the Gospel regeneration ●y Faith and repentance are the true antecedents to the Baptism of every sinner 2. Secondly Dr St●lling-fleet states the Q●estion between the Baptists and the Paed●-Baptists after this manner Wh●ther our bless●d Savio●r hath by a positive precept so determined the subject of baptism viz. Adult persons professing the faith that the a●teration of the subject in baptising Infants be not a deviation from a●d a p●rversion off the institution of Christ in a substantial part of it 〈…〉 short whether our Saviour hath so determined the subject of bapt●sm as to exclude infants This done he tells us that taking in only the help of Scripture and reason it were no difficult matter to ●rove directly that infants are so far from being excluded Baptism by the institution of Christ that there are as many grounds as are necessary to a matter of that nature to prove that the baptising 〈◊〉 is ●uita●le to the institution of ●hrist and agreeable to the 〈◊〉 of the Church under the Gospel So then Scripture and rea●on ●nly must now deside the controversie Let us hear therefore 〈…〉 St●ll●ng fleet brings from thence and th●s he speaks If there were any ground to exclude them it must be either the incapacity of the subject or some express precept and institution of our Saviour but neither of them can be supposed to do it But I answer for both these cau●es Infants are not to be bapti●ed and sith their incapacity depends upon the nature of the institution these two reasons are resolved into one Now the institution of baptism whether we consider it as delivered by God to his Servant John and by him to us or as it is established by precept from Christ for a perpetual Ministry in his Church to the end of the world we shall find it delivered by both in such sort as it is exclusive of infants for in the first place it is deli●ered as the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins Mark 1. 4. and every sinner who is said to be baptised by him is said to be baptised confessing their sins verse 5. which we know is not to be expected of Infants The precept of our Saviour for the perpetuity of Baptism so expresly requires the making every subject a Disciple in order thereunto and that by actual teaching or preaching the Gospel to them Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16 15 according to Christs own example who so made Disciples before they were baptised that no Infant with any shew of Scripture or reason can possibly be brought within the reach of baptism according to it's institution In a word Dr. St●ll●ng-fl●et seems in so many words to grant in his first state of the Question that to bring Infants to Baptism is an alteration of the subject and therefore not agreeable to the institution of Christ in which to admit of alterations is very dangerous But saith Dr. S. The rule and measure as to the capacity of divine Institutions must be fetched from the end of them for this was the ground ef the Circumcision of Proselites under the Law Answer That the ground of the circumcision of Proselites was fetched from the end of the institution is not true And indeed had it been left to that Mens various conceits about the ends of such institutions might have made as ill work as we see yours do now wherefore the wisdom of God to prevent those dangers gave express order in that case as appears Gen 17. 13. compared with Exod. 12. 44. 48. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passeover let all his Males be circumcised and

make the Cross necessary in Baptism for say they in private Baptism it is not used T. Grantham You know that the Papists allow of Midwife to pour water out of a Glass upon the Infant which they account a valid Baptism yet at other times they make their ceremonies necessary and so do you the Cross performing in the name of the Father Son and holy Spirit Mr. Fort. That is not so we do not perform it in the name of the Father Son and holy Spirit therefore you wrong us T. Grantham This is strange for either you do it in the name of the Lord or in your own name if you do it in your own name pray tell us so but you answer not the Argument therefore I proceed Arg. 2. That which renders the practise of Christ and his Apostles supers●●ous ●r ridiculous is not the right way of Baptising But your pretended way of Baptising renders the practice of Christ and his Disciples superfluous or ridiculous Ergo. Your way of Baptising is not the right way of Baptising Mr. Fort. The minor is denyed our way of Baptising doth not render the practice of Christ or his Disciples superfluous or ridiculous T. Grantham The minor I evince by this demonstration he that considers how Christ and his Disciples were baptised and did baptise in Rivers or Places of much water and you on the other side take a little water on your finger ends or in your hand only must needs conclude that either they did too much or you do too little Now thus it is written Mat. 3 Jesus when he was baptized came up streight way out of the Water Mark 1. They were all baptized in the River of Jordan confessing their sins John baptised in Enon because there was much water there Phillip and the Eunuch went both down into the water Now if your putting a few drops of water on the Fore-head only be sufficient then the other must needs be superfluous yea ridiculous Mr. Fort. This does not prove the minor for we do not deny dipping and I pray what do you mean when you say our way renders Christs to be ridiculous T. Grantham I mean a thing to be laughed at and put the case you had occasion to wash your hands only would it not be ridiculous to see you go into the River to do it even does thus your pretended way of baptising render the way of Christ ridiculous and reflects dishonour on him and his followers as if they were not so wise as you to know the best way to be baptized but we are resolved to follow Christ though we differ from you Mr. Fort. Yes the word ridiculous doth signifie so much but yet I deny that our practise doth reflect upon Christs for though in these hot Countreys they did dip in Rivers yet it was not necessary in these colder Countreys to do so for Christ hath not commanded that T. Grantham Then you confess it was the practice of the first christians to dip in Rivers and I ask you whether they did this by a command or not Mr. Fort. Yes I grant they did it by a command T. Grantham Then you have granted sufficient to overthrow your practice and to confirm ours unless you can also shew a command for sprinkling Mr. Fort. I have told you I do not sprinkle T. Grantham The contrary is the known practice of your Ministry and yours is little differing I proceed to another Argument Arg. 3. That which brings unavoidable confusion into the Church is not the right way of baptising But your way of baptising doth bring unavoidable confusion into the Church Ergo your way of baptising is not the right way of baptising Mr. Fort. Our practice in baptising as we do doth not bring confusion into the Church T. Grantham I shew the contrary thus your way of baptising admits of as many several ways as there are parts in a mans body for whether the Fore-head the Breast Back Hand or Foot or some other part ought to be only sprinkled or whether any of these may not serve you can shew no reason so that you thus bring confusion into the Church Mr Fort. The Head being the most honourable part of mans body we therefore chuse the head and think that the best T. Grantham This is only your imagination and if I think otherwise and so chuse the breast you cannot shew this to be a greater errour then your own but I proceed Arg. 4. That which renders all Men uncertain whether they do the will of God or not is not the right way of baptising But your way of baptising doth render all Men uncertain whether they do the will of God or not Ergo your way of baptising is not the right way of baptising Mr. Fort I deny that our way renders men uncertain whether they do the will of God or not T. G. God hath not assigned any one part of the body to be baptised and not another therefore no man that follows your way can tell whether he do the will of God or not in following your way Arg. 5. That way which doth not signifie that which ought to be represented in baptism is not the right way of baptising But your pretended way doth not signifie that which ought to be represented in baptism Ergo. Your way of Baptising is not the right way of Baptising Mr Fort. Our way of baptising doth signifie the cleansing of the conscience from Sin which is the thing that ought to be signified in baptism T. G. No action of mans devising may be said to signifie the cleansing our conscience● from Sin but my argument refers to the whole signification of baptism and particularly the burial of Christ and others with him Rom. 6 we are buried with him in baptism and the Scripture cannot be broken therefore baptism must so be performed as to signifie these things Arg. 6. That which agrees not with the native signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the right way of Baptising But your way agrees not with the native signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ergo your way is not the right way of baptising Mr. Fort The minor is denied our practice agrees with the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T. G. I desire you to shew the place which mentions such a washing as you practice where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken to express the sacred act of baptism Mr. Fort. It is said the Pharises did wash their cups and beds here the word Baptizo is used yet they did not dip them T. Grantham I call'd for a Text wher the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to express the sacred Act of baptism and that signifies your manner of washing and instead of this you bring me a place which speaks of the Pha. rises washing cups and beds and yet even this place is against you for they that wash defiled cups and beds do more then sprinkle