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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67284	A modest plea for infants baptism wherein the lawfulness of the baptizing of infants is defended against the antipædobaptists ... : with answers to objections / by W.W. B.D.	Walker, William, 1623-1684.	1677 (1677)	Wing W430; ESTC R6948	230,838	470

time and in all probability some considerable time before that Whence Dr. Hammond not onely saith of him himself * Dr. Hammond de Confirmatione c. 2. §. 10. p. 60. that he is not to be contemned in the opinion of other Doctors though Dalleus relish him not as being near upon equal with Damasus but also tells us * Dr. Hammond Quaere of Infan●s Bapt. §. 43. what Mr. Casaubons opinion was of him namely that he was Scriptor antiquissimus elegantissimus a very ancient and most elegant writer And it doth not follow that his writing was false and forged because questioned For then some books of Holy Scripture will come under suspicion whose Authentickness was for some time doubted of if yet they pass for current with all For what Hyginus who died a Martyr about the year 158 saith Dr. Hammond tells us it is affirmed by Platina out of the ancient Dr. Ham. of Inf. Bap. §. 42. 43. Records And though the words alledged from the Author of the Constitutions were not written in the Apostles times by Clemens Romanus yet he saith there is sufficient reason to assure us that they were very ancient and the Testimony of a Person of his Learning Judgment and Integrity is very considerable with unbias'd persons Then for the Responses ascribed to Justin Martyr if they should not be his yet being acknowledgedly a very ancient piece they are nevertheless a considerable testimony for the Antiquity of Infants Baptism And a suspicion of their Interpolation cannot take away their Authority unless it could be proved that they were interpolated in this part or a suspicion of it had been started before this controversie And it is observed that even in Justin Martyrs Dialogue with Trypho the Jew there is a passage that hath a favourable aspect on Infants Baptism Where saith he * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. pag. 261. D. C. And we who through him are come unto God have not received that circumcision which is according to flesh but that spiritual which Enoch and the like kept But we received it by Baptism through the mercy of God in as much as we had been born sinners and it is free for all in like manner to receive it Here the reason alledged for Mens obtaining from God that spiritual Circumcision by Baptism namely because we had been born in sin is as truly alledgable on the behalf of Infants And how can it be thought but that he that understood there was the same reason for childrens baptizing as for mens should be of opinion that children were to be baptized as well as men And when he extends the liberty of receiving it unto all why should he be thought not to extend it unto Infants Especially when as well the external motive of Gods compassion the misery of mans being born in sin as the internal Mover of God unto compassion even his mercy to men so born is extended unto Infants as well as Men. And when he saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Dialog cum Tryph. pag. 260. B. C. Moreover the precept of Circumcision commanding to circumcise Infants on the eighth day was a type of the true circumcision wherewith we were circumcised from our errour and naughtiness by him that rose from the dead hath he not a kind aspect on Infants baptism Fairly intimating by expressing the time of Circumcision the eighth day that our Circumcision which is baptism should agree with that which typified it so far at least as to be susceptible by Infants even of eight days old younger than which Fidus the Presbyter because of that law of circumcision thought they ought not to be baptized though Cyprian shew'd him that himself and a whole Council Cypian lib. 3. Ep. 8. were of another mind even that they might be baptized sooner And that he had so is the more probable in regard Greg. Naziarzene † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat. 40. p. 658. A. B. gives the Circumcision of the Jewish Infants on the eighth day for a reason why the Infants of Christians should in case of danger be baptized even so early as whilest they are insensible of either the want or having of grace by the want or having of baptism To proceed to Origen if he were as perhaps he was not so very Heretical and desperately Erroneous in his own judgment as is pretended yet this doth not follow that he must be also insincere and mendacious in his report of the Churches Practice Is it impossible for a man that is erroneous in something to speak true in any thing If so the truth it self will have few witnesses to it but be well neer left to stand and fall by its self Had Origen been of no Authority in the Church sure St. Hierome would never have appealed to his judgment in the case of so high a concern as whether the Hebrew Books of the Bible had been falsified by the Jews or no saying * Quod si aliquis dixeris Hebraos libros postea à Judaeis esse falsatos audiat Originem quid in octavo volumine explanationum Esaiae huic respondeat quaestiunculae quod nunquam Dominus Apostoli qui caetcra crimina arguunt in Scribis Pharisais de hoc crimine quod erat maximum reticuissent D. Hier. l. 3. Comment in Esaiam cap. 6. Tom. 4. Col. 55. if any man doubt of that Audiat Originem let him hear Origen c. But we have not Origens Original of his Commentaries on the Ep. to the Romans but Ruffinus's Translation No matter so the Translation be right But Ruffinus added and alter'd at his pleasure so that if Erasmus say true you know not when you read Origen a●d when Ruffinus Then it cannot be known but that what we read in him touching Infants Baptism is his own And being taken so to be by all not concerned to oppose it it ought to pass for his unless the contrary could be proved And suppose it were not his but Ruffinus's yet still is that a good evidence for the Age he lived in and that was pretty early up towards the Apostles Times being confessedly in the Fourth Century But Ruffinus was a very bad man Perhaps not all out so bad as his bitter adversary St. Hierom makes him And may not a bad men speak truth Had he spoken untruth in this case why was not his falshood detected in the times he lived in why did not Hierom amongst all the rest of his accusations charge this upon him that he made Origen say l. 5. in Rom. c. 6. that the Church received from the Apostles a tradition to give baptism even to Infants when as Origen said no such thing 'T is plain he had nothing to say because he said nothing who had will enough to incline him and passion enough to provoke him to say all he could Yea who sometimes quarrels with Ruffinus * Cum haec ita

Rome by whom for some certain hundreds of years they had been constraind to suffer their children to be baptiz'd § 7. So that it is needless to appeal for further evidence to the Conference at Mompelgu●t * Anno 1529. or the Articles of Smalkald † Anno 1536. or book of Concord * Anno 1580. much less to the testimonies of single persons though men of note and eminence in their generation such as Luther Melancthon Calvin Zan●hy or any other of the many writers on this Subject in that Age. Who were by so much the more moved to write on this Subject in regard of an Opposition then made to Infants Baptism by the Anabaptists who as Melancthon saith were then Melancthon loc Comm. de Bapt. nuper nati newly come up whereas before there was great quietness in the Church about that Point § 8. Yet to shew that Infants Baptism was not the practice of the more Western parts of Europe onely but of the Eastern too and of those that followed the Greek Church as well as those that followed the Latine I will give two or three evidences of th●s practice among the Russians Ruthens and Moscovians § 9. In an Epistle written to David Chytraeus dated 8 Kal. Aug. Anno M. D. LXXVI De Russorum Moscovitarum Tartarorum Religione pag. 240. the Author relating the manner of baptizing among the Russians saith the Priest useth to pour a whole gallon of water upon the Infant Alexander Gaguin saith of Ib. pag. 232. the Ruthens that they baptize their Infants by immersion These receiving the Faith about the year 942 and retaining it firmly ever since are an Instance of Infants Baptism not for this Century only but for all the time from their first conversion And the same is testified of them by Johannes Sacranus Canon of Cracow Ib. pag. 193. who writing his Book in the year 1500 is a witness in this case as well for the foregoing as present Century And Johannes Faber writing to Ferdinand King of Ib. pag. 176. the Romans Anno 1525 concerning the Moscovites who as themselves say received their religion from St. Andrew and are very firm to what they have once received saith that they baptize their Infants by a threefold immersion if he be strong else by pouring on of water Now this Relation if true and why it may not be so I cannot tell speaks not only for the Century the Relator writ in but for time before how much 't is uncertain but for ought I know for all the time since their first conversion which reaches up to the very Apostles days § 10. And to shew that Infants baptism was not the practice onely of Europe but of other parts of the world and so hint at that which some other better read in History may be able sully to make out a Catholickness of it in respect of C●un●ries professing Christianity as well as Times I will give you a brief tast from Mr. Brerewoods Enquiries how it was about this Century and God knows how many Centuries before whether from the beginning or no in this Point with the Eastern and Southern parts of the world where Christianity is professed And to begin with the Christians of St. Thomas so called as being supposed to Chap. 20. have been by his preaching converted to the Christian Religion inhabiting in India in great numbers about Coulan and Cranganor Maliapur where St. Thomas is supposed to lie buried and Negapatan These baptize their Infants though not indeed till they be forty days old except in danger of death Next the Jacobites are a sort of Christians who inhabit in Chap. 21. Syria Cyprus Mesopotamia B●bylon Pal●stine and under other titles are said to be spread abroad in forty kingdoms And these all baptize their Infants signing them first with the sign of the Cross which they imprint into their face or arm with a burning iron Then the Co●hti or Christians in Aegypt where Religion was planted Chap. 22. in the Apostles days these baptize their children though not afore the fortieth day ●o not in case of death The Hab●stine Christians inhabiting the Chap. 23. midland of Africa do also baptize their Infants but their Males not till forty days after their birth and their Females not till eighty except in peril of death The Armenian Christians are spread in Chap. 24. multitudes over the Turkish Empire but chiefly in the Armenia's the Greater and Lesser and in Cilicia And these also baptize their Infants Lastly the Maronites are a sort of Christians inhabiting Chap. 25. Aleppo Damascus Tripoli of Syria Cyprus and mount Libanus And these too baptize their Infants but their Males not till forty days after their birth and their Females not till eighty days after it So that from all the Quarters of the world where Christianity is professed witnesses come for Infants baptism § 11. But not more fruitful was this Century for Testifiers to this Truth then some of the foregoing are barren not from the rarity of the practice or opinion of men against it but from the scarcity of Writers in those Ages whose works are extant and from the little or no opposition made to it Yet in the barrenest and darkest of Ages we shall find a sufficiency of light and evidence to carry up this Practice through them to the Primitive Times § 12. In the middle of the Fifteenth Age about Anno 1452 we find Nicolaus de Orbellis giving his testimony to this Truth Yist 4. 4 Libri Sent. qu. 5. For to the question whether the effects of baptism be alike in all he answers by way of Distinction say●ng that the Baptized are either Infants or Adult and that if the Comparison be of an Infant with the Adult the effect is unequal the advantage on the Adults side And upon the question whether the Infants of Infidels may be baptized against the Ib. qu. 7. wills of their parents he determines that though a private person may not compell in that case yet a Prince may And also he gives reasons why the Infants to be baptized Ib. qu. 8. should be Catechized though they be not able to apprehend any instruction which is a sufficient indication both of his opinion and of the Churches Practice in that age As for the Catechizing he speaks of that none trip at that it is nothing but the asking and answering to the questions solemnly used in bapti in by the Godfathers For he tells ye what the Godfather means when in the Person of the Infant he answers I believe And the Reasons for this he draws partly from the Church partly from the Godfathers and partly from the Infants § 13. Towards the latter end of this Century about the year 1487 flourished Gabriel Biel and he as the Author newly mentioned Omnes parvulirite baptiza●i rem Sacramentum sus cipiunt sed Sacramentum tantum qui fictè sine