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word_n	church_n	scripture_n	write_a	3,679	5	10.6506	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91973	Pædo-baptisme: or, the baptizing of infants justified: by the judgement and practice of ancient and moderne Protestant divines, both foraine, and of this nation: clearly proving the absolute necessity of baptizing infants, from the authority of sacred scripture and the force of undeniable reason. Together with an excellent letter of Mr. John Philpots to the same purpose. / Collected by Robert Ram, minister of Spalding in Lincolnshire. Published by authority.	Ram, Robert, d. 1657.; Philpot, John, 1516-1555.	1645 (1645)	Wing R194; Thomason E276_12; ESTC R209870	23,751	33

to Abraham for signing the children of believers with the signe of the covenant yea he hath said Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 19.14 Zanch. de Rel. Christiana Because this question whether infants should be baptized hath been much perplexed with the disputations of the Pelagians of old and of late with the clamors of the Anabaptists Daneus we will collect some reasons to prove that the infants of believers may and ought to be baptized The Papists indeed teach that this practice hath prevailed onely by the degrees of ancient Fathers and custome of the Church and by the traditions of men But we better and more truely affirme that both the doctrine and practice hereof is founded and established by the Word of God although the Scripture doth not in expresse termes declare that infants should be baptized yet by consequence and the analogy of faith it will appeare to be the direct sense and meaning of the written Word We will not insist upon all the reasons that may be produced to this purpose but onely select some c. 1. Infants and children of believers even they are believers and within the covenant and belong to God even as the fathers themselves Gen. 17.7 Exod. 20.6 Therefore the signe of Gods covenant belongs to them as well as their parents which now under the Gospell is baptisme For the children of believers are sanctified from the wombe 1 Cor. 7.14 therefore baptisme which is the signe of sanctification belongs to them 2. Those to whom God giveth and applieth the thing it selfe to them doth the signe appertaine for no man ought to restraine or withstand the grace of God Acts 11.17 now God doth give to infants of beleeving parents the thing signified in baptisme which is remission of sins and sanctification although the effects of those gifts doe not presently appeare in them 1 Cor. 7.14 for he affirms that of such is the Kingdome of Heaven So that infants of believers are heires of the Kingdome of God as well as those that are of yeeres of understanding therefore to them belong the signes of those graces for the baptisme of Christ belongs to the whole Church 3. Circumcision as well as baptisme was a signe of the righteousnesse of God Rom. 4 11. and circumcision was to the Jewes a signe of mortifying the flesh as baptisme is to us Deut. 10.30 Rom. 6.4 and God commanded that infants should be circumcised therefore they ought to be baptized otherwise the grace of God under the Gospell should be scanter and intended to fewer then under the Law 4. Christs command for baptisme was generall not excluding infants Matth. 28.19 therefore baptisme belongs to them and the Apostles are said to baptize whole families Acts 16.15 33. amongst which t is probable that there were infants 5. The example of the universall Christian Church confirms this practice which may appeare by the testimony of divers writers in severall ages as Origen on Rom. 6. Aug. lib. 4. of baptizing infants against the Donatists 6. Heb. 6.2 The doctrine of baptisme is called the doctrine of imposition of hands which belongs to infants ' Daneus Isag part 4. P. Martyr As of old circumcision was administred to infants so ought it not to be denied them now for if they have the thing signified why should they not have the signe Let no man doubt that circumcision and baptisme are alike and that there is the same reason of the one as of the other This doth Paul plainly teach to the Colossians where he cals baptisme the circumcision of Christ And they who allow that the Hebrews children ought to be circumcised and yet deny that ours should be baptized doe make God better to the Jewes then to Christians But some will say forasmuch as we cannot tell whether infants have the matter of the Sacrament why doe we give them the signe and apply the Seale to that which is uncertaine To whom we answer that this question is not so much against us as against the Word of God for he hath absolutely commanded that children should be circumcised We say of our Infants that 't is enough for us that their parents or any other in whose power they are doe present them to the Church and if election and predestination concur with the Sacramentall action then what we doe is confirmed but if not then all is void for our salvation depends upon the election and mercy of God Peter Martyr on Rom. 4. Bucer It appeares plainly by St. Paul that baptisme succeeds circumcision and that baptisme is the same now that circumcision was of old excepting that the Spirit is given more powerfully now and the knowledge of Jesus Christ is more fully and plainly manifested As therefore of old the infants of Gods people were admitted into the covenant by circumcision even so ought ours by baptisme neither are our children lesse deare to God then were the children of the Jewes And whereas some deride us saying why then doe we not baptize males onely seeing onely such were circumcised We answer that in Christ there is neither male nor female c. Bucer on Matth. 3. The Judgement of our English Modern Divines touching Infants Baptisme IN the very beginning of Regeneration Dr. Ames whereof baptisme is the Seale a man is mereely passive and hence it is that of a man that is to be either circumcised or baptized no externall act is required as in other Sacraments there is but onely a capacity passive to receive infants therefore are as capable of this Sacrament in respect even of the chiefe use thereof as men of yeeres themselves Ames contra Anab. Though faith and actuall repentance be required in those that be of yeeres before they receive the signe of the covenant Dr. Davenant yet is it not necessary in the infants of believing parents for to be within the covenant is enough to make one capable of the signe of the covenant now infants are in the same covenant with their parents Gen. 17.7 This we see in Abraham who first believed and then was circumcised but Isaac was circumcised before he could declare that he believed This same thing is rightly done in the children of believing parents by the practise of the Apostles who did not baptize any of yeeres till they had professed their faith but when the parents had imbraced the faith then their whole families were baptized Act. 16.15.33 1 Cor. 1.16 now no man doubts but that children are comprehended under the notion of family Davenant on Colos 2. In some the Sacraments do effectually worke in processe of time by the helpe of Gods Word read or preached Mr Thoj Rogers which ingendreth faith such is the estate principally of infants elected unto life and salvation Rogers Explication of the 39 Articles Infants receive the Divine vertue of the holy Ghost in baptisme Mr. Hooker which giveth to the powers of the

marvellous beautifull composition in the middest of the Sky the sight whereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to expresse the consolation that I had thereof yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my heart to leape for joy and as charity is no churle but would others to be partakers of his delight so me thought I called to others I cannot tell whom and whiles they came and we together beheld the same by and by to my great grief it faded away This dreame I thinke not to have come of the illusion of the senses because it brought with it so much spirituall joy and I take it to be of the working of Gods Spirit for the contentation of your request as he wrought in Peter to satisfie Cornelius Therefore I interpret this beautifull City to be the glorious Church of Christ and the appearance of it in the Sky signifieth the heavenly state thereof whose conversation is in Heaven and that according to the Primitive Church which is now in Heaven men ought to measure and judge the Church of Christ now in earth For as the Prophet David saith The foundations thereof be in the holy hills and glorious things be spoken of the City of God And the marvellous quadrature of the same I take to signifie the universall agreement in the same and that all the Church here militant ought to consent to the Primitive Church throughout the foure parts of the world as the Prophet affirmeth saying God maketh us to dwell after one manner in one house And that I conceived so wonderfull joy at the contemplation thereof I understand the unspeakable joy which they have that be at unity with Christs Primitive Church for there is joy in the holy Ghost and peace which passeth all understanding as it is written in the Psalmes As of joyfull persons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee And that I called others to the fruition of this vision and to behold this wonderfull City I construe it by the will of God this vision to have come upon me musing on your Letter to the end that under this figure I might have occasion to move you with many others to behold the Primitive Church in all your opinions concerning faith and to conforme your selfe in all points to the same which is the pillar and establishment of truth and teacheth the true use of the Sacraments and having with a greater fulnesse then we have now the first fruits of the holy Ghost did declare the true interpretation of the Scriptures according to all verity even as our Saviour promised to send them another Comforter which should teach them all truth And since all truth was taught and revealed to the Primitive Church which is our mother let us all that be obedient children of God submit our selves to the judgement of the Church for the better understanding of the Articles of our faith and of the doubtfull sentences of the Scripture let us not goe about to shew in us by following any private mans interpretation of the Word another spirit then they of the Primitive Church had lest we deceive our selves for there is but one Faith and one Spirit which is not contrary to himselfe neither otherwise now teacheth us then he did them therefore let us believe as they have taught us of the Scriptures and be at peace with them according as the true Catholique Church is at this day and the God of peace assuredly will be with us and deliver us out of all our worldly troubles and miseries and make us partakers of their joy and blisse through our obedience to faith with them Iob 8. Therefore God commandeth us in Iob to aske of the elder generation and to search diligently the memory of the fathers For we are but yesterdaies children and be ignorant and our daies are like a shadow and they shall teach thee saith the Lord and speake to thee and shall utter words from their hearts And by Salomon we are commanded not to reject the direction of our mother Prov. 6. The Lord grant you to direct your steps in all things after her and to abhor contention with her For as St. Paul writeth 1 Cor. 11. If any man be contentious neither we neither the Church of God hath any such custome Hitherto I have shewed you good brother S. my judgement generally of that you stand in doubt and dissent from others to the which I wish you as mine heart to be conformable and then doubtlesse you cannot erre but boldly may be glad in your troubles and triumph at the houre of your death that you shall die in Church of God a faithfull martyr and receive the Crowne of eternall glory And thus much have I written upon occasion of a vision before God unfained But that you may not thinke that I go about to satisfie you with uncertaine visions onely and not after Gods Word I will take the ground of your Letter and especially answer to the same by the Scriptures and by unfallible reasons deduced out of the same and prove the baptisme of infants to be lawfull commendable and necessary whereof you seeme to stand in doubt Indeed if you looke upon the Papisticall Synagogue onely which hath corrupted Gods Word by false interpretations and hath perverted the true use of Christs Sacraments you might seeme to have good handfast of your opinion against the Baptisme of infants but for as much as it is of more antiquity and hath its beginning from Gods Word and from the use of the Primitive Church it must not in respect of the abuse in the popish Church be neglected or thought not expedient to be used in Christs Church Auxentius one of the Arrians feet with his adherents was one of the first that denied the Baptisme of children and next after him Pelagius the hereticke and some others there were in St. Bernards time as it doth appeare by his writings and in our daies the Anabaptists an inordinate kind of men stirred up by the divell to the destruction of the gospell But the Catholique truth delivered unto us by the Scriptures plainly determineth that all such are to be baptized as whom God acknowledgeth for his people and voucheth them worthy of sanctification or remission of their sins Therefore since that infants be in the number or scrole of Gods people and be partakers of the promise by their purification in Christ it must needs follow hereby that they ought to be baptized as well as those that can professe their faith for we judge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promise of God as by the confession of faith For to whomsoever God promiseth himselfe to be their God and whom he acknowledgeth for his those no man without great impie●y may exclude from the number of the faithfull But God promiseth that he will not onely be the God of such as doe professe him but also of infants promising them his grace and remission