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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B20542	Believers-baptism from heaven, and of divine institution Infants-baptism from earth, and human invention. Proved from the commission of Christ, the great law-giver to the gospel-church. With a brief, yet sufficient answer to Thomas Wall's book, called, Baptism anatomized. Together with a brief answer to a part of Mr. Daniel William's catechism, in his book unto youth. By Hercules Collins, a servant of the servants of Christ.	Collins, Hercules, d. 1702.	1691 (1691)	Wing C5360; ESTC R224066	50,763	158

the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the Fulness of God Ephes 3.21 Chap. 4.11 12. Infant-Baptism GOD hath not promised all Infants that are Baptized shall be saved But there is no Similitude between Christ's Death Burial Resurrection and Infants sprinkled on the Face But Infants Baptized are not converted and may come into Condemnation But Infants Baptized do not love God and keep his Commandments Therefore Infant-Baptism must be of Men because it 's before Teaching Repenting and Believing But those who baptize Infants baptize Heathens because all are Children of Wrath by Nature before born again Ephes 3.2 But Infant-Baptism hath manifold Contradictions by asserting that Baptism is a Symbol of present Regeneration yet apply it to an ignorant Infant Also that it figures out Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection yet do nothing but sprinkle or pour Water on the Face They separate from Rome as the false Church yet own their Baptism the Foundation-Stone They own the Doctrine of Perseverance in Grace and no falling from it baptizing the Children of Believers as in the Covenant of Grace yet afterwards teach their Conversion and in case of Vnbelief reject them as Reprobates But Infants Baptized come not to the Lord's Supper immediately nor lawfully But the Baptism of Infants cannot be a sign of Regeneration to them Infant-Baptism hath no Command But Infants have none of those confirmed to them in their Baptism But we have not one Example for the baptizing an Infant But Infant-Baptism is no part of God's Counsel appears because Christ nor his Apostles never delivered any such thing Infant Baptism never was sealed by God But in Infant-Baptism the Infant acts no Faith But Infants have no answer of a good Conscience in Baptism But how can any die for Infant-Baptism when it wants the Broad Seal of God's Word for the Authority But God is not glorified in Infants Baptism because none of God's Counsel But to reject Infant-Baptism cannot be against any Person because it is none of the Counsel of God But there is no harmony with the Commission in Infant-Baptism nor with their own Profession which is that Faith and Repentance is required in Persons to be baptized yet confess that Children unto whom they apply it have neither Again that it is a demonstration of a Spiritual Marriage between God and the Believer yet assign it unto Subjects as uncapable of it as a Stock or Stone Moreover that the Baptismal Covenant enters into the Visible Church yet deny church-Church-Members the Lord's Supper But Infant-Baptism needs but a little therefore it is not according to God's Word But the baptizing Infants at the best is doubtful But it was never delivered as an Ordinance of Christ to sprinkle Infants But to baptize Infants is to change God's Ordinance in the Subject and Manner But such as are baptized on anothers Faith may perish Infants cannot worship God in that Act in Spirit and Truth because not an Act of Judgment and Choice Will and Affection But all who baptize Believers do deny that Infants were baptized Infants know not remember not any thing of their Baptism All Infants baptized are not in the Covenant of Grace Infants Baptism is from Earth and the Counsel of Men. But Infants baptized may be Children of Wrath. But to baptize Infants is to act without a Pattern or Command But all Infants baptized do not receive Remission of Sins But in Infants Baptism the Infant puts forth no Act of Obedience But Infants Baptism hath many namely that Persons may have Regeneration Grace before Vocation and that Persons may be visible Church-Members before Conversion Moreover that Persons may be baptized by another's Faith Also making a National Gospel-Church instead of a Congregational and bringing in a carnal fleshly Seed into Christ's Church in the room of a Spiritual Seed But Infants weep when baptized as if they did dissent Infant-Baptism hath nothing but humane Consequence But all the World cannot affirm any Infants were baptized by the Apostles But all Infants baptized are not living Stones fit for God's House But you cannot repel Satan saying It is written Infants were baptized for it is not written But God may say to those who baptize Infants Who hath required these things at your Hands because God commanded it not But Infant-Baptism must fall because it hath not the Word of God to support it But to baptize Infants without a Divine Command is the way to be made ashamed because no respect to God's Command But the most Holy the most Wise the most Learned never was subjected unto Infant-Baptism But Infants baptized cannot repent or believe examine themselves make no Judgment of things nor take up Christ's Cross Watch nor Pray love not nor watch not over one another cannot be Members of a Gospel-Church Infant-Baptism hath started up several hundred Years since Christ and his Apostles But Infants ought not to be baptized who are only legitimately Holy as all born in Wedlock are and is the Holiness mentioned 1 Cor. 7.14 Infant-Baptism hath not one Promise But in Infant-Baptism all these are frustrated and being applied to an Infant are but Mock-shows and altogether insignificant But Infant-Sprinkling is an inverting the Order and Manner and contrary to the Vsage of the Apostolick Times and End of the Ordinance and is a telling a Lie in the Name of the Lord saying I Baptize when he doth but Rantize But Infant-Baptisme doth introduce many Errors in that it was to take away Original Sin work Grace and Regeneration effect Salvation by the Work done that it was an Apostolical Tradition that Children have Faith and are Disciples of Christ that all Children of Believers are in the Covenant defiling and polluting the Church with false Matter and confounding the Church and the World together introducing many hainous Traditions and Inventions of Antichrist together with it as Gossips or Sureties Bishoping or Confirmation Chrism Exorcism Consignation Lastly It hath made a great deal of Contention in the Church of Christ and stirred up much Hatred Infants baptized are not taught of God nor made Disciples of Christ Then such are greatly Heterodox and unsound who slight and contemn Water-Baptism under pretence of being baptized with the Holy Ghost Then that Argument is of Flesh and not Spirit of Man and not God that rejects Water-Baptism and the Supper as carnal under an ungrounded imagination of the Baptism of the Spirit Then for any to neglect those Ordinances under an imagination those Commands ceased at the end of the Apostles Age are under a delusion If so then the Church-State did not end with the Apostles neither can Ordinances cease for want of Administrators CHAP. X. Contains an Enquiry into the Carriages of the German Anabaptists falsly so called in Luther's Time and the Reproach from thence reflected upon that Way removed THE Matter of Fact which hath caused such a Noise in the

Believers-Baptism from Heaven and of Divine Institution Infants-Baptism from Earth and Human Invention Proved from the Commission of Christ the great Law-giver to the Gospel-Church With a Brief yet sufficient Answer to Thomas Wall 's Book called Baptism Anatomized Together with a brief Answer to a part of Mr. Daniel Williams's Catechism in his Book unto Youth By Hercules Collins a Servant of the Servants of Christ Luke 7.29 30. And the Publicans justified God being baptized with the Baptism of John But the Pharisees and the Expounders of the Law rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized with the Baptism of John London Printed for the Author and sold by J. Hancock in Castle-Alley near the Royal-Exchange 1691. THE CONTENTS CHap. 1. An Introduction Page 5 Chap. 2. Contains the Doctrines Page 8 Chap. 3. That Baptism is Dipping Page 11 Chap. 4. Shewing Believers only are the proper Subjects of Baptism Page 20 Chap. 5. Answer to Objections Page 27 Chap. 6. Natural Inferences Page 63 Chap. 7. Arecital of those Scriptures speaking of Baptism Page 72 Chap. 8. Of great Sufferings undergone for maintaining Believers and denying Infants-Baptism Page 76 Chap. 9. The Book epitomized in comparing Believers-Baptism and Infant-Baptism together Page 81 Chap. 10. The Miscarriage of the German Anabaptists falsly so called examined and the Reproach from thence reflected upon that way removed Page 95 Chap. 11. A brief but sufficient Answer to Tho. Wall 's Book called Baptism Anatomiz'd Page 108 Chap. 12. A brief Answer to a part of Mr. D. Williams his Catechism in his Book unto Youth Page 128 ERRATA In Page 108 114 115. for John Wall read Thomas Wall THE PREFACE Courteous Reader MY desire is that Thou would'st spend one Hour or Two seriously to read this small Book first of all begging of God it may be sanctified to thy Soul Read it without prejudice or partiality and as one that is willing to receive the Truth and entring into another World be like the Noble Bereans search the Scriptures to see whether these Things be so or no Take nothing from Man tho never so Learned and Holy upon trust without trial With what confidence may a Man die when he hath Thus saith the Lord for his Faith and Practice This is all from him that wisheth your Soul's welfare H. C. Water-Baptism Discours'd From St. Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved CHAP. I. IT was God's Command unto the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 43.11 to shew his People the Form of his House with the goings in thereof c. Know therefore ye Servants of the Lord as Circumcision was the Door into the Jewish Church which was National so Baptism is the Door into the gospel-Gospel-Church which is Congregational Hence St. Luke saith They that gladly received the Apostles Words were baptized and added unto the Church in number about three thousand Souls Acts 2.41 The Ancients call Baptism * Janua Sacramentorum As Listing is the solemn engaging Sign into an Army so is Baptism into the Church Mr. Baxter Baptism is a sign of entring into the Church Ursinus Baptism is the solemn admission of the Party into the visible Church Assemb Catechism the Gate of the Sacraments because by it we enter into the Church and have Communion with Saints In the Jewish Church they became Members as they were the fleshly or natural Seed of Abraham but now Members of the Gospel-Church as the spiritual Seed of Abraham Now we must not reckon from Abraham unto Christ but from Christ to Abraham If we are Christ's then are we Abraham 's Seed Gal. 3.29 not Christ's because we are Abraham's or our Parents Believers Under the Old Testament Persons became Members of the Church by Generation under the New by Regeneration Baptism is a Foundation-Principle of Church-Constitution Heb. 6.1 2. But the Foundation-Principle of Salvation is Faith in Christ or at least a Profession of it Hence we read Persons were first Converted then Baptized after added unto the Church Acts 2.41 My Intent is to display this Sacrament in its Apostolick Primitive Purity free from the Adulterations of Men a Sin which God charged upon the Learned Jews that they made void the Commands of God by their Traditions O that none of the Learned among the Gentiles especially those of the Reformed Churches may be chargeable with setting up Mens Inventions in the room of Christ's Institutions Mat. 15.6 9. CHAP. II. THis Text He that believeth and is Baptized is a great part of the Commission which is the Foundation and Warrant for all Gospel-Ministers Preaching and Baptizing unto the end of the World ☞ Obedience is to be grounded upon the Majesty of the Commander not the Judgment of the Subject The Architect was rewarded with a bundle of Rods for bringing as he thought a fitter piece of Timber than was commanded by the Roman Consul And it cost a Roman Gentleman his Life his own Father being Judg tho conquering an Enemy being done contrary to his General 's Command Remember Nadab and Abihu It 's worth our noting Here is first Faith then Baptism Therefore to baptize before there be any appearance of Faith is directly contrary unto this unerring standing Rule and doth reflect upon our Lord and Lawgiver as if he spoke rashly and inconsiderately putting that first which should be last and that last which should be first And so in the parallel Text Mat. 28.18 there is first Teaching before baptizing not first baptized but taught first From this part of our Lord's Commission we collect these Truths Doct. 1. It 's the unalterable Will of Jesus Christ who is King and Law-giver to his Gospel-Church that all Persons believe before they are baptized Doct. 2. It 's the indispensable Duty of all true Believers to be Baptized I call it an indispensable Duty because I know no Place where our Lord hath left this to the Liberty of Believers to do it or leave it undone as best pleaseth them Therefore if this be your Lord and Saviour's Will Believers pray obey him In your Prayers you desire you may be enabled to do his Will on Earth as it is in Heaven This is one part of his Divine Will Your Redeemer was willing to be baptized in Blood for your Salvation and will not you be baptized in Water in obedience to his Commission Moreover Christ calls it Mat. 3.15 a fulfilling of all Righteousness I am perswaded should God have commanded some great Thing as was once said to Naaman the Syrian 2 Kings 5.13 it would have been done by many in the Reformed Churches before now How much rather when he only saith Go wash and be clean Or as Ananias unto St. Paul Arise and wash away thy Sins viz. Sacramentally and Symbolically as it is in the Lord's Supper Take heed my Friends you are not guilty of Contempt looking upon Christ's Ordinances as mean low and little things for nothing is mean