lay out such a Temptation there being none but he and I and therefore I desired he would allow me to propose something calmly to him which since resulted to my thoughts for I was willing to be his Proselyte if he could convince me to be in an Error and as willing he should be my Proselyte if I could prove him in a Mistake For though I loved the Church of England well yet I loved Truth better and if he could evince or prove she had not Truth on her side I would forsake her but I could have no Answer for he diverted to other discourse and said we had spoke enough on the Argument He hath since been with me and desired a Dispute in the Church I told him I would meet him in any Church if he would submit to two Conditions which I thought reasonable the one was That he would get my Reverend Diocesan's leave or secure me from any Penalty the Bishop or the Law might lay on me The other was That he would be at the Charge to hire an Amanuensis to write down the Argumentativ part of his Discours and I would be at as great a Charge to hire one that should write down what I offered and then at the end of our Conference the Papers should be exposed to the consideration of the most Judicious Auditors to examine which spoke most according to the true Sens of Holy Scripture or the dictates of right Reason but this offer he refused and said he would have nothing writ on either side And the cause why I would engage him thereto was because it would be a kindness in that it would be a great Caution we should speak properly and would oblige us to circumspection and care from the consideration and fear of that shame and reproach we should be exposed to by delivering our selves inconsistently and incoherently and it would be a satisfaction to the People because then we should use our endeavours to speak Truth and to confirm it by Reason which if we did it might have a good effect on the People that heard it to understand who spoke most properly according to the sense of Holy Scripture and so consequently who had the clearest Truth on his side but no Argument would prevail with him to submit to such reasonable terms and then I told him I would allow him to tell I refused to accept his Challenge But then I desired him to tell on what terms I denied to comply or if not I should take care to do it and then he would have cause not to be satisfied with but ashamed of the Report When he was with me on New-years-day 1688. I told him I understood that was the first day he Held-forth in his Meeting-place and I supposed he spoke against our Principles and truly the Festival engaged me to say something in defence of our declared Doctrines I said I doubted he trusted to such an Extemporary Effusion and such an extraordinary Measure of the Holy Spirit that I thought he could give little Account of what he said after he concluded but I told him I hoped I trusted as much to the Holy Spirit as he in a rational way for I studied for what I delivered and then I implored the Divine Blessing on what I studied which I thought as much as I ought to trust to for I believe since the Miraculous Aids of the Holy Ghost are ceased the Divine Spirit doth afford his Blessing in the use of means and not in an extraordinary manner and then I read what I spoke in reference to Infant-Baptism which I desired him to censure as severely as he pleased provided he would give me a Reason The Account whereof is as followeth Preaching that day on the Institution of Circumcision from Gen. XVII 9.15 I made this Observation That Heathen Proselytes and their Infants were made Partakers of God's Covenant whence I thus argued in the General for Infant-Baptism If this be understood it will afford a strong though not usually brought-Argument for Baptizing of Infants For if this be true as may be made appear by Jewish Customs it is plain not being of the Seed of Abraham but being of the Faith of Abraham gave a Person a right to the Covenant and to the Sign of it Circumcision or else no Proselytes could be made from Heathenism and so admitted into Covenant by that Sign and then by Parity of Reason the Faith of the Christian Parent shall be imputed to the Child And if the Faith of the Parent gives a Title to the Covenant or being a Christian Baptism like Circumcision being only the Sign of the Covenant by Parity of Reason the Faith of the Parent as I have hinted gives a right to the Sign because the Sign is less than the Privilege Besides there is no being a Disciple of Christ without being Baptized into his Blessed Name that being the Sign of the Holy Gospel Covenant and made as necessary as Circumcision which was the Sign of the Covenant under the Law not that I would be so uncharitable as to Damn all that die unbaptized because it is here as in Circumcision the Infant can be in no fault as not being capable of Obedience to the Command or transgressing the Law by contempt and so cannot be said to break the Covenant that doth nothing belonging to the keeping it and though the Child did not Ezod IV. 24. yet Moses the Father of the Child went in danger of his Life whom the Lord met by the way in the Inn and sought to kill which if duly considered might make all Christian Parents that neglect the bringing their Children timely to Baptism tremble for fear of some severe punishment falling on themselves which may be one reason why our excellent Church declares in the Rubrick of Private Baptism and enjoyns the Pastors and Curates of every Parish oft to admonish the People that they deferr not the Baptism of their Children longer than the first or second Sunday or other Holyday next after the Child be born Vnless on a great and reasonable Cause declared to the Curate and to be by him approved Moreover if there be no enjoying the Benefits of the Covenant without the Sign this makes the Sign necessary and the wilful neglect of necessary means endangers any Person 's Salvation without the Interposition of an extraordinary Mercy and that which is above or beyond means is ever miraculous And if such a miraculous proportion of Mercy were indulged as oft as such a wilful neglect gave occasion it would cease to be miraculous because a Miracle is not only an extraordinary act of Power but a rare contingency and therefore cannot oft happen otherwise the Sun 's daily motion about the Earth would be as great if not a greater Miracle than it s once * Josh X. 12 13. 2 Kin. XX. 9 10 11. standing still or once Retrograde Motion Lastly let it be considered that our Adversaries think Christian Instruction necessary before the
circumcised becometh a Debtor to keep the whole Law which the Jewish Children were as uncapable of keeping as Christian Children are of the Holy Gospel and so the Objection lieth as strong against Circumcising as Baptizing Children And it is reasonable according to the Laws of Men too For it is well known to all Lawyers that it is a common thing to admit a Child to an Estate by Guardians and Tutors under several Conditions which the Child cannot undertake the Performance of till he come to that Age wherein he can exercise his Reason And is it not full as reasonable to admit Children on certain Terms to an Holy Gospel Estate as to a secular one on Conditions they are uncapable of executing And thus we have the Laws of Heaven and Men too against our Adversaries Nay we have three strong Weapons to defend the Truth if we know but how to wield and manage them 1. The Holy Scripture which is the Sword of the Spirit 2. Reason which I may call the Sword of Nature 3. The Law which I may name the Military Sword And being thus secured with spiritual natural and material Armour we may be so courageous as not to fear the most violent Attempts that shall be made against us and may believ according to an Holy Scripture Phrase very proper to our Case that against Truth and us too while we hold the Truth and stick to sound Principles no Weapon formed shall prosper or have its intended effect and when I had delivered these three Accounts from the Pulpit in defence of Infant-Baptism I was thinking that if I could make the Sense of this last Text viz. St. Matth. XXVIII 19. Go teach all Nations baptizing them I say if I could prove those Words to be not only not for the Antipaedobaptists but against them and for us I did believe I should say all was sufficient to prove its Lawfulness from Holy Scripture And meditating one Morning I employed my Thoughts to give the Words such a Sens and to justifie it when I had done And in order thereto I did humbly and fervently implore the Divine Assistance and God who is never wanting to help them who with Humility and Faith address themselves to him suggested this Account of the Text to my Mind that I have offered in the following Papers which when I had composed I penn'd down because I was not willing to forget what my Thoughts had delivered as the proper meaning of the Text according to my Judgment and I made use of no Book but the Greek Testament to satisfie my self in the Account the Original giveth of Acts II. 39. which with 1 Cor. VII 14. I made use of as collateral Proofs to confirm the Sens given For I did believ the comparing of one Place of Holy Scripture with another one of the best ways of coming to its tru Meaning which when I had drawn out it made about two Sheets of Paper which was all at first I did design to print But the Occasion of enlarging it was this A Neighbour-Clergy-man with whom I discoursed about the Sens given of St. Mat. XXVIII 19. and the Confirmation I brought from those two other Places of Holy Scripture beforementioned acquainted me he had a Book of an ingenious Antipaedobaptist that did seem to invalidate any Proof for Infant-Baptism from those two Texts which I desired to read and he lent me When I came home I did without prejudice peruse what he had wrote and at the first sight I was somewhat surprized but on consideration and retiring into my self I did find his Arguments against the Sens I offered were but weak as I hope will appear to any impartial Reader by the Answer I have given After I had done this I resolved to use all Means I could think of or remember to establish the Sens I had given of the Text and accordingly read over some useful Treatises upon the Subject and because as Pliny somewhere saith Ingenuum est profiteri per quos profeceris Plinius An ingenious thing it is to own by whom we have profited I will give an Account to whom I am obliged and more particularly I stand engaged to the reverend Dr. Hammond in his Resolution of Six Queries one whereof is about Infant-Baptism the other is the Excellent Author of the Case of Infant-Baptism Which was one of those cases the Reverend Lord Bishop of London did out of a pious and excellent Design engage his City Clergy to state and resolve for the satisfaction of Dissenters and to reduce them to the Church of England As for Dr. Hammond I have used his words in a manner and for the other I have in most if not in all places altered his words and taken his sens that I might adapt it to my own style that the Work might look the more alike and seemingly appear all of a piece Something I have borrowed from Mr. Ellis in his Book called Pastor and Clerk or a Debate real concerning Infant Baptism As to the Authorities I have used to confirm the sens delivered I have not taken things on Trust but perused and examined good Editions of the Original Authors and have been careful neither to mis-report their words nor misrepresent their sens and having made this Ingenuous Acknowledgment I cannot be accused of Plagiarism because I give my Authors all the Reputation they can desire by owning what I have taken And now I hope I may without any conceitedness say I have used all the proper Methods for reducing Gainsayers into the Paths of Truth and Peace For besides three Rational Arguments for Infant-Baptism I have endeavoured to prove it from that place of Holy Scripture the Adversaries think against it and to engage the belief of the most avers and pre-possessed I have offered all the proper methods of Conviction 1. I have given a clear Exposition to confirm the meaning 2. I have much enlarged that Exposition 3. I have proved the Sens by the Coherence 4. I have confirmed the meaning by the Original for in some places of Holy Scripture no Translation cometh up exactly to the Original for in every Language there are some peculiar Idioms that cannot well be translated into another Tongue 5. I have strengthened the Sens by two other places of Holy Scripture for the Holy Spirit by comparing one place with another doth best interpret his meaning 6. I have given some general Observations to establish the Sens of the three Texts delivered 7. I have defended the Exposition given by an Allusion to Jewish Customs without which Account it is impossible to come to an understanding of some places of Holy Scripture in the New Testament 8. I have confirmed what I have offered as the sens of the three places of Holy Scripture from the Authority of some of the Ancient Fathers who living nearest the times of the Holy Apostles may reasonably be presumed best to know the sens of their Writings and I could have produced more in
Mr. Walker in his modest Plea for Infant-Baptism yet none had handled it in such a Scriptural Way by Testimonies from Holy Writ which manner of treating this Christian and comfortable Doctrine might be most effectual on the Minds of such as opposed this Truth because the Antipaedobaptists will not admit any Proof but from the direct Words of Holy Scripture or an Exposition so plain that may be equal to a literal sense And this way I have endeavoured to prove this momentous Subject and for this Reason some thought it might be successful on those of that Party that have teachable Minds and this Consideration the Conscience and real desire of doing good was the strongest Motive to expose it to the Public And truly if it may be instrumental to the convincing any that are not too far gone by Interest or Humour it will be a greater satisfaction than the Eulogies of the wisest Men and I shall think my Labour sufficiently compensated If any admire this Subject is methodized and worded so like the way of Preaching it is because I believed it would have the stronger Impression on the people it was preached to if it were printed as they heard it and I had rather be subservient to my People's Good than comply with the capricious Humour of the nicest Critick An Account of the Conference with Mr. M. C. upon the Subject of Infant-Baptism and the Occasion of it AFter this I hope useful Introduction I come to perform the Obligation of my Promise which was to give a Relation of a Conference publicly held with an Antipaedobaptist of no small Fame on the Subject and of the Occasion and this I will endeavour to do with all imaginable Sincerity and take all possible Care not to commit any voluntary Error or wilful Mistake In the Month of October 1686. I was collated to a Living by my reverend Diocesan After a Year I received Information that an Antipaedobaptist had perverted one of my Parish But I hope without a reproachful Reflection I may say of some that pervert tru Doctrin what the Holy Jesus said of the glozing Pharisees Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites St. Matth. XXIII 15. for you compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made you make him two-fold more the Child of Hell than before The first Intelligence I had as I remember was from my Parishioner's Neighbour of whom he held a considerable Farm the Gentleman was firm to the Church of England and though he is no Loquacious Talkativ Person yet I have heard him give good Reason for his Principles From the Account he gave I found him in Christian Charity concerned for his Tenant whereupon he desired me to discourse his Tenant and because he thought he would be unwilling to give me a Meeting he told me the next time he came he would send for me to discours him to make a Tryal if I could reduce him to the Church Accordingly he did and I readily went where I treated him with all the Civility he could look for and discoursed what I thought proper and I spoke with all the kindness and plainness was possible that what 〈◊〉 said might have an Influence on him But I was disappointed in my hopes for I found â—im weak and which is usually the unhappy â—ate of such obstinate so that though I â—poke plainly yet he either did not understand me or would not be convinced by what I offered So true is the Observation of the wise Lord Bacon â—ertinaciae Hominum nullum Remedium posuit Deus The Lord Bacon That God hath appointed no Remedy for the Obstinacy of Men And if he have appointed none it will be in vain to endeavour to find any All I could get was an importunate Request I would permit him to bring one to dispute with me I was much against it at first because usually such Designs come to no good nor seldom have their desired end but are attended with noise and clamour and generally there is a greater Contestation for Victory than Truth and a Man's Reputation is more consulted than their Satisfaction on whose Account the Meeting is appointed The Answer he gave was He was no Scholar and so not able to discourse with a Man of Learning as he supposed me to be I replied whatever my Stock of Learning was I would make no use of it with him because I charitably intended his Good but this instead of satisfying engaged him to renew his Importunity there might be a public Disputation which he pretended would be much to his Satisfaction but I believe it was but a pretence For on the Account of some after-Circumstances I have reason to conjecture that his Importunity for such a Meeting was not so much to be convinced as from a Confidence that the Advocate he pitch'd on for he was in Vogue with his Party for his Disputatious Faculty and as I have heard hath often travelled many Miles to dispute with a Clergy man would so far baffle me it would give a Reputation to his Cause and confirm him in his Principles But because he could not prevail for a Consent his Neighbour joined desiring I would comply Upon which out of respect to him I condescended but on this Condition there might be but a few at the hearing of our Discours and if he would name how many he would bring I would endeavour to equal his Number or be content with fewer For I told him I believed three or four judicious Persons of a side might better understand the Reason and Truth of an Argument than a Multitude For I had for many Years been of the same Mind with the ingenious Mr. Matthew Clifford who hated Crowd and Noise A little after I had notice my Parishioner would bring his Man on December the thirteenth 1687. And because I would be just to my Word I acquainted to the best of my Knowledge only two Persons viz. my Parishioner's Neighbour and his Father But he on the other side dealt unfairly with me for contrary to his Promise he sent his Man to Church the Sunday before the Day to acquaint my People when Sermon was done there was to be a Dispute between Mr. M. C. and My self Some time before which I addressed my self to a Consideration of the Doctrine of Baptism and the Holy Gospel Covenant and what Persons are to be admitted thereto and to enjoy the Privileges by receiving the Sign thereof I had only by me one Book on the Subject that treated of the Nature of the Covenant and whether Persons that were not capable of understanding the Articles thereof could by the external sign be admitted to the Privileges But I had a belief he would not or cared not to manage the Controversy from that Principle and thereupon I laid the Book aside and for some time consulted the Holy Scriptures and addressed my self by importunate and sincere Prayers to the Throne of Grace for the Divine Assistance not
admission of the Party to Baptism and we think it necessary afterward supposing the Party liveth to years of discretion and if not we have more reason to rely on an extraordinary act of Mercy that have given the Sign and all the Party is at present capable of and being also what the Party was commanded to submit to under a previous dispensation and which was never prohibited and also such an one as was Typical of the Dispensation we are under than they have to depend on a miraculous proportion of Mercy who will not use what the Child is capable of nor give it that Sign to which the Benefits of the Covenant are annexed An Apostrophe to unbaptized Children and without which they are not to be enjoyed Alas poor helpless Children that their Parents should be so unmerciful as not to allow them as much Pity as God vouchsafeth Mercy and refuse that Sign of the Covenant God hath appointed as the only conveyance of the Advantages thereof and deny them those means God hath instituted as the Title to make over the Blessings of Heaven and convey that Happiness that is only to be enjoyed in the Mansions of Glory above A great part if not most of this hath been urged in a Conference for the establishing this considerable because comfortable Truth the necessity of Baptizing Infants which if it had been weighed and the force of its Reason examined as the importance of the matter required there had been no cause for that which I have been more than once told of I mean unreasonable because undecent singing Io Paans and making boasting Triumphs before the Victory by Men that had rather serve a Faction and an Interest than promote that Religion that is tru because rational and love their Reputation more than their Conscience and value their Credit and Honour more than the Truth in Sincerity or to use an Holy Scripture Phrase and an Expression by them much delighted in and as much abused and wrested to the deceiving the unthinking many The Truth as it is in Jesus This I read and asked what he had to say He gave me no other Answer than this that he thought I was a Man understood my Principles I thanked him for his Candor and told him I was not fit to be a Public Instructor if I did not And then I added I would make some Enlargements to the Paper I shewed him and would print it if he would give me a Civil and Rational Answer To which he returned I might do as I pleased but he would have nothing to do with me in Print because as he said I understood my Principles which was an Intimation he would have nothing to do with any in Print but such as he thought he could confute But to do Justice When I read the Paper I told him of the Boastings I heard he made of the Victory he had obtained He assured me he had not said any such thing but pretended a respect for me Yet I have reason to suspect he might under-hand encourage such Reports for I am inclined to believe he is not a Man of that Perfection but he may be tempted to and without breach of Charity I may suppose him sometimes to entertain with a sort of Pleasure some little Titillations of the Animal Life to use the Platonic Phrase which the best Men may be too propens to if what I have heard be true for I was told by a Neighbour-Minister that one in his Parish who was an Antipaedobaptist told him he had an excellent Gift of Praying And he hoped to have an excellent Gift of Preaching Whereupon he asked if he had heard of me and the Conference I had with their great Man and reputed Bishop He answered yes and said I was a Man of great Noise but little Sens I am content for once that pert Fellow should make a Trial of Skill on me and employ his little Learning and Art about me and if he can prove his Charge I will be satisfied patiently to bear the reproachful Accusation He added Their Goliah their great Champion had so baffled me that I had not the Courage to appear before him But I will entertain such candid Thoughts of Mr. M. C. as to believe he will not give so mean a Character of me as this Thrasonic Fellow hath However I was a little after at a Market-Town where I heard he was and when I found him I told him I would give him any thing the House afforded for I had a Mind to acquaint him what his wise Admirer said of him and me if he would be so kind as to allow me a little Discours with him but he answered he could not then spare time Thus I have given as tru and fair an Account as possibly I could of the Conference as my Memory would serve to relate of what was done some Years ago If any ask why I did not publish it sooner the Reason is because I was willing to preach it to my People before I published it And that I did not nor could do it till this Summer there were some Reasons I think not necessary to publish I find a Poet tells of an Author who was so exact in the composing a piece of Work that he was nine Years before he published it Nonumque prematur in Annum Horat. I must confess I was not so exact as to spend half the time in the composure of this Treatise tho' it hath not appeared till now I have endeavoured to treat my Adversary with Respect for I had much rather persuade and convince the Judgment by Arguments of Reason than exasperate an angry Humour or raise a Passion by a petulant Expression If any of the Advers Party shall judge themselves obliged in vindication of a weak and almost baffled Cause to make a Return If they will do it candidly and ingenuously like Scholars or Gentlemen they shall be entertained with the same Civility in my Reply But if they shall answer with Noise and Nonsense impertinently or in a Burlesque way I acquaint them I affect not Domitian's Employment and time doth not so hang on my Hands that I have any to expend in catching Flies and I had rather bear with their buzzing than be so diverted from Business And truly I was willing to treat my Adversaries kindly and manage this Controversie with Plainness for the Reasons the learned Mr. Walker gives Vide Mr. Walker 's excellent Preface to his modest Plea for Infant-Baptism to whom I refer my Readers And as I have not committed any voluntary Error in this Relation so I have taken Care in the Book it self to write with so much Plainness that if perchance I have used a difficult Term I have adjoined a Synonymous Word to explain my meaning And because some of my People have desired I would print all I preached on the Subject of Infant Baptism I will here transcribe one or two Papers which I used before I came to
of its being administred to Infants never once questioned the Unlawfulness of it never urged it is a plain Case that those Times had no such Thoughts of Infant-Baptism as the Antipaedobaptists in our Days entertain For had they thought Baptizing Infants unlawful for want of an Holy Scripture Command or Example when any Persons had been exhorted to an early Baptizing their Children how easie an Answer had been at hand The Holy Jesus never commanded such a thing as Infant-Baptism the Blessed Apostles never practised such a thing as the Baptizing Infants There is neither Precept nor Example in Holy Scripture and therefore it is unlawful and we dare not do it But in regard there is in all those times not the least appearance of any such Objection or of any such Plea pretended for the delay it is evident they thought there was either Precept or Example in Holy Scripture or both or else that the want of either or both did not make it unlawful and so did not delay it on the Account of the Unlawfulness thereof And so all our Antipaedobaptists boasting of Antiquity for the Baptizing only Adult Believing Persons and against the Baptizing Believers Infant-Children affords them little Boast there is not the least strength added to their Cause nor weakness brought on ours I heartily wish those ignorant People that are deluded and cozened with the great Noise and gay Shew of Antiquity to take notice hereof that they be no longer deceived and imposed And now this grand prejudice is as I hope fully removed and all Objections I can imagine any way considerable have been endeavoured to be rationally and clearly answered in the following Book I shall now heartily desire my Readers to join with me in the pious and devout Suffrage of our excellent Liturgy in the Office of the Litany That iâ— may please thee to bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived We beseech thee to hear us Good Lord. And now as I begun this large Preface with some of the Sens of a Learned Bishop of our Church in some of his Prefaces to his Books so I will conclude this large Account not only with some of the Sens but in the Words of the same Reverend Bishop I mean the Lord-Bishop of Ely In short then to shut up all if it had not been to fill up some vacant Pages and to be just to the performance of the Promise I made in the Title-Page of giving a Relation so far as my Memory would serve of a Conference publicly held with an Antipaedobaptist of no small Fame I had made almost as short a Preface as those Words of the Son of Syrach according to which I expect the Success of my Labour Ecclus XXI 15. If a skilful Mad hear a wise Word he will commend it and add to it But as soon as one of no Vnderstanding heareth it it displeaseth him and he casteth it behind his Back Examine all things and judge righteous Judgment July 26. 1692. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. AN Introduction unto the Subject discoursed upon Pag. 1 CHAP. II. Some Rational Arguments offered for Infant-Baptism Pag. 2 CHAP. III. The tru Sens of the Holy Jesus 's Commission unto his Blessed Disciples for the Administration of Baptism recorded St. Matth XXVIII 19. maketh for the Baptizing of Infants Pag. 4 CHAP. IV. An Exposition whereby the Sens delivered of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. is farther cleared Pag. 12 CHAP. V. The Exposition for clearing the Sens of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. farther enlarged Pag. 26 CHAP. VI. The Sens of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. proved by the Coherance and Connexion of the Words Pag. 38 CHAP. VII The Sens of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. farther evidenced from the Original Pag. 40 CHAP. VIII The Sens of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. confirmed by an Exposition of Acts II. 39. in general Pag. 48 CHAP. IX A farther Confirmation by a particular Exposition of Acts II. 39. Pag. 53 CHAP. X. The Sens of St. Matth. XXVIII 19. strengthened by an Exposition of 1 Cor. VII 14. Pag. 57 CHAP. XI Some General Observations upon the Sens and Expositions given Pag. 62 CHAP. XII A defence of the Expositions delivered from Jewish Customs Pag. 68 CHAP. XIII Authorities of the Ancient Fathers to establish the Sens of the Three Texts of Holy Scripture Pag. 72 CHAP. XIV The just Complaint of the Jews if this Doctrin be not tru Pag. 76 CHAP. XV. An Answer unto an Objection that would overthrow the Sens given of St. Matthew XXVIII 19. Pag. 79 CHAP. XVI An Answer unto an Objection that would undermine the Sens offered for Acts II. 39. Pag. 91 CHAP. XVII An Answer unto an Objection that would overturn the Sens delivered of 1 Cor. VII 14. Pag. 125 CHAP. XVIII An Account whence Infant-Baptism results Pag. 137 CHAP. XIX An Appeal unto the Reason of Mankind Pag. 140 CHAP. XX. The Conclusion Pag. 142 A Prayer used at the end of these Dicourses by way of Humble and Importunate Address unto the God of Truth sitting upon his Throne of Grace his Mercy-Seat the true Scheinah or Symbol of his Divine Presence to implore the Descent of the Heavenly Blessing upon this charitable and well-intended Design Pag. 145 CHAP. I. An Introduction to the Subject discoursed upon SEeing some Men of ill Principles and Separatists from our excellent Church have with an evil design set up a Meeting in this Parish as we may reasonably conjecture without breach of Charity I think it my most indispensible Duty to confirm and settle you in those necessary and fundamental Truths our Church holds by the clear Testimony of Holy Scripture and the evident Dictates of Reason that you may not be seduced into dangerous Errors by weak or cunning Men that lie in wait to deceive I have formerly made appear I hope to the satisfaction of unprejudiced because dis-interested Persons that the Place of Holy Scripture the Enemies of Infant-Baptism so much insist upon and boast of viz. St. Matth. xxviij 19. Go teach all Nations baptizing them is no more against the Comfortable and Christian Doctrine of Infant-Baptism than Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth And now I will endeavour to prove That that Place of Holy Scripture if rightly understood is not only not against us but for us and against them And this I will attempt to evince and make appear by the Evidence of Reason and the Testimony of Divine Revelation CHAP. II. Some Rational Arguments for Infant-Baptism THE Argument I offer in short is plainly this which I will reduce into the form of a plain and proper Syllogism That Principle which hinders the Propagation of Christian Religion can be no Christian Doctrine But the denying Baptism to Infants hinders the Progress of the Christian Religion Therefore such a Principle can be no Christian Doctrine The Major all Christians even our Adversaries allow but the making out the Minor is the Difficulty for which
Antipaedóbaptists are so peremptory positive and stiff for an express Command out of Holy Scripture for the Baptizing of Infants though there can be no Reason given for such a request or demand for what need of direct words when we have plain sence against them Why may not we with equal Reason and with the same Importunity return upon them by way of Retortion and ask where they find any Command for the Baptizing Elder persons If they shall reply that is included in the Commission St. Matthew xxviij 19. Go teach all Nations baptizing them we may with equal strength of Argument return upon them again Children are included as well as the Adult they being by all Men of Sence acknowledged and owned to be a part of the Nations to whom the Commission is directed and whatsoever they are upon the account of the smallness of their Number or weakness of their Understanding they are a considerable part of a Nation Obj. But if the Antipaedobaptists shall object that Children are in the Commission as soon as capable of Teaching Answ I Answer The Commission intends those should be taught that are capable but excludes not those from the Seal of the Covenant that have a right to the Covenant as Children have Besides if the placing of the Words be for them in St. Matthew the Order of Words is for us in St. Mark where we read the Baptist did Baptize before he Preached So that the Methodizing the words is neither for nor against them or us So then seeing Children are not by any necessary and rational Consequence shut out of the Commission let the most Learned Antipaedobaptist of the whole Christian World shew the least passage of Holy Scripture that excludes them and if they cannot produce any such place of Holy Writ they are bound by the Obligations and Principles of Conscience unless they will renounce Reason and Truth too to confess the Children of Christian Parents having a right to the Covenant have as undeniable and unquestionable a right of being admitted to the Holy Sacrament of Baptism as the Adult and Full-grown Obj. But if the Antipaedobaptists shall urge That we have Instances and Examples in Holy Scripture of Elder persons Baptized Answ To that I Answer That an Example or Instance of Holy Scripture is not as of the same Force so not of equal Authority with a Positive Command And further I observe in answer to this Objection That there was no need of a Precept or Example for the Baptizing of Children and my Reason is this Because there was an Institution of the Abrahamic Covenant and also of the Sign or Token for admitting Members thereunto and a Conveyance of the Privileges thereunto belonging Surely the sence of those Texts in the Holy Gospel that enjoyn a Declaration of Faith and an Exercise of Repentance before the Adult were baptized was known to the Primitive Doctors of the Church they unquestionably had seriously weighed and fully understood the Usage of Baptism in the Apostolic Acts related by St. Luke but yet they never inferred this unreasonable Conclusion from them That because Faith and Repentance were to precede the Baptismal Sacrament which is an Institution of Latitude in full-grown People that therefore Baptizing was not to precede Faith and Repentance in Infants and little ones as Circumcision and Baptism did under the Jewish Dispensation They understood a Distinction between Actual and Potential Believers and likewise understood it was very absurd to draw Conclusions from the Graces and Vertues of those to the excluding these Besides all this to be somewhat more particular 1. There are different ways of Instruction as well as different methods of Faith or Believing and the Holy Jesus doth not declare instruct each Party personally and that presently on the place which may be almost Morally impossible for it is not probable that though there were Three thousand Souls converted by St. Peter's first Sermon and immediately baptized that he could personally instruct so many in so short a time as we may suppose between his Preaching and their Baptizing it is enough if they be instructed though in their Fathers as Levi paid Tythe in Abraham's Loins as the Author to the Hebrews acquaints us Hebr. vij 9. So Children are by the Blessed Jesus directly termed Believers St. Matth. xviij 6. which by the Coherence cannot be understood of the Adult as the word sometimes is particularly St. John xxj 5. But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me Infants are supposed to believe by their Father's Faith so that as they fell from the Divine Life in their Forefather's the Protoplast's or first Adam's Loins so they may be instructed by their natural or legitimate Fathers to be Disciples to the Holy Jesus Obj. Ch. Blackwood's storming of Antichrist in his two strong Holde Compulsion of Conscience and Infant-Baptism But I have read an Objection to the Sence I have offer'd started by a seemingly Ingenious Antipaedobaptist who would make these little ones to signifie such as are little in their own Apprehensions Answ But to this I Answer It is impossible that this can be the meaning for it plainly is meant not of such as are little in Understanding but of such as are little in Age and Stature For in St. Mark Chap. ix 36. the Blessed Jesus who best understood the Divine Writings expounds it of such an one as he took up in his Arms. Now it is not usual to take up Youths that are arrived at years of Discretion which is about the Age of Sixteen years in our Arms. 2. They were to teach them all things whatsoever their Lord and Master had commanded them Now our Blessed Saviour continued in the World after his miraculous Resurrection sometime above a month speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God as St. Luke acquaints us Acts i. 3. And how know we but this Doctrine of Baptizing Children he then instructed them in if he had not done it in the time of his public Ministration upon Earth before his Passion and Sufferings because the nature of the Doctrine may seem to imply and require it and in all likelihood some if not all the Holy Apostles did use it For it is probable that it begun in their Age seeing in the Times immediately succeeding them we are by Ecclesiastic History assured of its Practice CHAP. VIII The Sence of St. Matthew xxviij 19. confirmed by an Exposition of Acts ij 39. in General AND now that this Exposition may be the more firmly believed and readily embraced I will confirm and strengthen it by the consequential Sence of two places of Holy Scripture The one from St. Peter the Holy Apostle of the Circumcision or the Jewish Church and the other from St. Paul the Holy Apostle of the Uncircumcision or the Gentile World I come now to the Exposition of the first place that of St. Peter the Holy Apostle of the Circumcision or the Jewish Church
Covenant of Grace less beneficial and extensive than the Covenant of Works and so consequently doth not allow as great Benefits Priviledges and Immunities to the Covenant of Grace which he doth to the Covenant of Works all which are the dangerous Consequences of Antipedobaptism as I hope I have sufficiently proved and convincingly made out and in the evincing or proving this Argument I have plainly shewed that we have the proper meaning of three Texts of Holy Scripture which I think to any Man of sense is as clear a Proof and as powerful an Evidence to engage our belief to the truth of any Doctrin propounded to us as if we had brought the positive and express Words of Holy Scripture which is as strong a conviction as any Man can with the least shew of reason desire So that if the true sense of the Holy Jesus's Commission to his Blessed Disciples be duly considered and that no other meaning can tolerably be put upon them being backt with the Authority of two other places of Holy Scripture and a threefold Cord is not easily broken no Antipedobaptist that is a Man of sense will hereafter press for a positive and direct place of Holy Writ because he hath no reason to expect a Tautology in Sacred Scripture to please an Humour or serve an Interest and because he will thereby weaken his Cause and then have great reason to be ashamed of if not repent for the Injury he doth his Principles and he will see the vanity of demanding express words for a confutation when he hath plain sense against him for the Holy Scriptures are to be expounded and interpreted by their Sense and not by their Sound by their Spiritual Meaning and not by the bare Words Syllables and Letters for they are best understood by their proper Design and Purport or a true Relation to their Coherence and Connexion with what preceeds and follows after And now give me leave to offer one thing that will confirm the sense of the Texts I have delivered and will also further shew how unreasonable and absurd weak and trifling the Antipedobaptists are for being so peremptory and positive in demanding an express place of Holy Scripture for the baptizing of Infants and this I will endeavour to evince from Customs among the Jews well known to all learned Men. Three things were required by the Jews to make a Male Proselyte of Righteousness Circumcision a kind of Purfication by Water which was an Allusion to Baptism and Oblation which was commonly two Turtles or Pidgeons To a Female Purification by Water and Oblation Now because the Jews since their Dispersion have neither Altar nor Sacrifice they say For the Male Circumcision and Purification by Water are sufficient For the Female Only Purification by Water In David's time they tell us many Thousands were added to the Church without Circumcision by Purification only Hence we may observe that a kind of Admission by Water into the Church was long in use among the Jews tho' it were not Sacramental till the Blessed Jesus's Institution therefore it may seem to be used by them because they looked for it as a Sacrament at the coming of the Messiah as is evident by their coming to St. John the Baptist not so much scrupling his Baptism as his Authority by what Power he baptized St. John i. 25. And they asked him and said unto him Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that Christ nor Elias nor that Prophet By which three different words they meant the Messiah because he was well known to the Jews by those Terms or Phrases to be foresignified so that had he owned himself for such they would not have doubted his Commission but Christ being plainly proved the Messiah he was Lord of the Sacrament as well as of the Sabbath and so had a sufficient Power to institute a New Sacrament and so substituted Baptism in the room of Circumcision which whosoever believes not to be as extensive as the other is so irrational as to make the holy Jesus not so merciful a Legislator as Moses which shews the unreasonableness and absurdity of demanding an express Text of holy Scripture for Infant Baptism which was the Truth to be cleared and I hope is sufficiently made apparent and manifest CHAP. XI Some general Observations upon the Sense and Expositions delivered LET me now offer some general Observations upon the Sense and Expositions of those Texts I have brought for the Proof hereof and I will begin with the Observation of Chemnitius in his Plea he makes against the Antipedobaptists of Germany * Ego sane qui simplicitatem amo etiamsi nec intelligam nec explicare possim quomodo Infantes qui Baptizantur credant judico tamen suffitire firmissima illa testimonia explicata Infantes esse Abaptizandos neque enim ab illis propterea discedendum etsi non possim vel intelligere velexplicare quomedo credant Infames Chemnit Exam. Conc. Trid. part 2. Tit. de Baptismo ad Canon 13. I do so truly love Simplicity and Truth that altho' I cannot tell how Children who are baptized believe yet I judge the Testimonies from Holy Scripture above-named most strong Evidences and a sufficient Proof for this Christian Practice neither ought Christians to depart from this Truth tho' I cannot understand or explain how Children believe In some things we should take St. Paul's Advice And become Fools that we may be wise 1 Cor. iij. 18. Obedience being more acceptable than burnt Offerings 1 Sam. xv 22. And we should offer up our Understandings to divine Revelation where there is clear Reason to submit to it Faith is the wisest and most well-pleasing Service we can offer to God Nescire ea quae docere non vult Magister maximus erudita est inscitia not to know those things our great Master would have us ignorant of is if I may so speak without a Solecism a learned Ignorance But prais'd be Heaven I have yet met with no Arguments of the Adversaries so strong as to need such an Apology or Plea We find not any Accusation laid to the Charge of Christianity by the Jewish or Pagan World upon this Account which certainly would have been done by some of the Enemies of our holy Religion if the Jewish Believer had not enjoyed the same Immunities when Christian that he did before Or if the first Planters of Christianity had preached the same Doctrin the Antipedobaptists do now how would the Enemies of our holy Religion have declamed against us and declared the Doctrin they preached was not the same Covenant God offered to the Father of the Faithful and the People of Israel because that included Father and Son as to the Covenant and the Sign that conveyed the Benefits of the Covenant An Obj. Now because the Antipedobaptists call upon us for an Example of any baptized in a gathered Church without Faith and that herein the holy Scripture is silent Answ To which I